as be pilgrims, nor, as in France, to be peni-prisonment and forfeiture of their goods, tents. Neither of these impositions would with the further provision that upon trial have been adapted to the temper of the for any felonies committed by them, they government in the reign of Henry VIII., should not he entitled to a jury de mediit being the purpose of the king to sub- tate lingua. The statute describes them vert the papal power and abolish monastic influence. Both Henry VIII. and Queen Elizabeth were also too much given to use religion, as well as law, for a cloak to cover their own violent and criminal conduct, to be easily imposed upon by the like artifices in others. The fame of Egypt in magic and astrology had not been forgotten, and in assuming the character of soothsayers, they employed the best possible expedient to render themselves acceptable to the great mass of the people, without wounding their religious prejudices. The manner in which the Gipsies made their first advent in England is quaintly set forth in a quarto volume published in 1612, to detect and expose the art of jugglery and legerdemain. This, as I am informed, and can gather, was the beginning of this kind of people. Certain Egyptians banished their country, (belike not for their good conditions,) arrived here in Eugland, who for quaint tricks and devices not known here at that time among us, were esteemed and held in great admiration, insomuch that many of our English loyterers joined with them, and in time learned their craftie cozening. The speech which they used was the right Egyptian language, with whom our Englishman conversing, at least learned their language. These people continuing about the country, and practising their cozening art, purchased themselves great credit among the country people, and got much by palmistry and telling of fortunes, insomuch they pitifully cozened poor country girls, both of money, silver spoons, and the best of their appareile, or any goods they could make. Giles Hather, (for such was his name,) together with his woman Kit Colot, in short space had following them a prettiee train, he terming himself the king of the Egyptians, and she the queene, ryding about the country at their pleasure uncontrolled. The Gipsies were at first in such request in England, that people were induced to import them from France, or at least to encourage their immigration. But, as upon the continent, their enjoyment of favor was followed by speedy persecution. The Gipsies are mentioned in King Edward's Journal for 1549, along with other "masterless men." In the twenty-second year of the reign of King Henry VIII. they were ordered from the realm, and directed not to return under pain of im An outlandish people, using no crafte nor feat of merchandize, who have come into this realm and gone from shire to shire, and place to place, in great company, and used great subtle and crafty means to deceive the people, bearing them in hand that they by palmistry could tell men's and women's fortunes, and so many times by crafte aud subtlety have deceived people of their money, and also have committed many heinous felonies and robberies. it was ordered that the Gipsies, if they reFive years later, in a more stringent act, mained in the kingdom one month, were to be treated as "thieves and rascals," and that any person importing one of them should be fined forty pounds for every offense. ber of Gipsies were sent back to France at During the reign of Henry VIII. a numthe public expense. As an illustration of the value of money in those times, we may add that the sum of $15 was paid to the sergeant of the admiralty for the victualing, and $32 for "freight of said shippe," in which the Gipsies were conveyed over the sees to Calais. In the same account was rendered an item for seventeen horses sold at five English shillings per head. 66 The following notice was registered at Hampton Court, January 21, 1545: A passporte was signed for the Egyptians to pase with their bag and baggage, and other necessaries belonging to them under the conducte of Philipe Larer, their general, withoute impedimente, etc., being appointed at London, accordinge to my Lord Admiralles' order taken therein to embarke at London. Their destination is not mentioned. An act passed in the reign of Elizabeth declared that if any person fourteen years of age, whether a native born subject or stranger, who had been seen in the fellowship of the Gipsies, or had disguised himself like them, should remain with them one month at a time, it should be felony without benefit of clergy. A few years later there were great complaints of the increase of "idle, vagraunte, loyteringe, sturdy roags, masterless men, lewde and yll disposed persons, to the great charge, trouble, and disquiet of the commonwealth." Active means were employed "for settinge of the poore to work, and a place appointed, sometimes at the Peake's Hole in Derbyshire, and otherwhiles by Ketbrools at Blackheath." In the reign of Elizabeth, there are said to have been more than ten thousand Gipsies in England. for the avoydinge of idleness," and the | vail, but they wandered, as before, uppe justices of peace gave orders to apprehend and downe, and meeting once in a year at "all idle persons goinge aboute usinge subtletie and unlawful games or plaie, al! such as faynt themselves to have knowledge in phisiognomye, palmestrie, or other abused sciences, all tellers of destinies, deaths, or fortunes, and such lyke fantasticall imaginations." At one Suffolk assize no less than thirteen Gipsies were executed upon these statutes, only a few years before the Restoration. Nearly the exact date of the first appearance of the Gipsies in Scotland, may be learned from a curious letter of King James IV. to the King of Denmark, dated 1506, in favor of Anthony Gowino, Earl of Little Egypt and his followers. His majesty specified that this miserable train has visited his realm by command of the pope, being upon a pilgrimage, that its members had conducted themselves properly, and wished to go to Denmark. He therefore solicits the extension of his royal uncle's munificence toward them, with the remark that these wandering Egyptians must be better known to him for the reason that the kingdom of Denmark was nearer Egypt than his own. These measures intended for the extirpation of the Gipsies, did not, however, avail. It would seem to be one of the peculiarities of the race of Rema, that its children, like the Jews in various parts of the world, flourish best amid persecution. In England they were pursued with that relentless cruelty which characterized the treatment of the poor and the outcast in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Gibbets groaned and executioners grew weary in despatching the unfortunate vic"But what numtims of public hatred. Sir Walter Scott informs us that one of bers were executed on these statutes, you would wonder," says an old chronicler, the Scottish sovereigns acknowledged the "yet, notwithstanding, all would not pre-independence of the Gipsies as a people. They seem to have been treated with even more forbearance than upon the continent, and gradually increased to the number of many thousands. It is astonishing for what length of time they kept alive in Scotland the original belief of their Egyptian origin and pilgrimage. A writ in favor of "Johnne Fow, Lord and Erele of Litill Egipt," made in 1540, and renewed thirteen years later, in nearly the same words, conveys the impression that the Gipsy leader, whose name is above given, had previously obtained letters under the great seal enjoining all magistrates to support his authority over his people, "conforme to the laws of Egipt," and punish all who left him. Earl John complained that some of his followers had revolted, notwithstanding this regulation, after having robbed him of clothes and jewels, and were even supported in their contumacious rebellion by some of the king's lieges, so that "their lord and master could nowhere get them to take them home again to his own country." He appears to have induced both the king and the credulous Scots to believe that he was under bonds to take back to" Lytill Egipt" all of his living subjects, and a testimonial of such as were dead, the nonfulfillment of which would subject him to heavy damage and great danger of losing his heritage. The king therefore commanded his subjects to assist the Gipsy earl in the execution of his authority. The use of prisons, stock, and fetters was granted, and the rebellious "Egiptians' were to bo apprehended wherever found. Although in the same edict all "skippers," masters of ships and marines belonging to the realm were enjoined to assist Johnne Faw and his subjects in returning to Egypt, we do not find that such an event took place. In 1554 Andrew Faw, Capitan of the Egiptians," and twelve of his followers were pardoned for the murder of Niniane Smaill, having committed the act "upon suddentie." The Gipsies do not appear to have been molested during the next twenty-five years. In the disastrous reign of Queen Mary they increased greatly in number, and became more unruly in behavior. It soon became necessary to adopt rigorous measures. 66 In the year 1579 a comprehensive statute was passed for "the punishment of strong and idle beggars." And in order that it might be known who was meant, the law specified "all persons ganging about in any countrie in this realm using subtil, craftie, and unlawful playes, as juglarie, fast-and-lous, and such others; the idle peopil calling themselves Egyptians, or any others that fanzies themselves to have a knowledge of charming, prophecie, or other absurd sciences quairby they perswade peopil that they can tell their destinies, deathes, and fortunes, and such other phantasticall imaginations." In the same category were included (regard, O literati!) "bards, minstrells, and vagabond schollars of Aberdeen and Glasgow." It was ordered that they should be apprehended and put in prison, or in irons, so long as they had of their own whereupon to live. But their support having failed they were to be nailed to a tree by the ears, "their eares to be cutted off," and themselves banished the country, to be hanged should they return. These statutes, which were to be executed to the "glorie of Allmightie God and the benefit of the commonwealth," proved so ineffectual in restraining the marauds of the Gipsy bandits that in 1603 the Lords of the Privy Council issued a proclamation banishing the whole race forever from Scotland under the severest penalties; and this decree was ratified and enforced three years later by an act of Parliament. It was declared lawful for all the king's subjects to apprehend and execute any of the proscribed people found in the country after a certain date. But in defiance of these legislative enactments the Gipsies managed to maintain a footing in Scotland. After the above act of Parliament they for a time ceased to wander over the country in troops, and concealed themselves in out-of-the-way places. Finding, however, that the laws were not so rigorously enforced as was anticipated, they soon resumed their former practices. The act of 1616 declares that the Gipsies did "shamefullie abuse the simple and ignorant people by telling of fortunes, and using of charms, and a number of juggling tricks and falsities unworthy to be heard of in a country subject to religion, law, and justice." It also states that they were encouraged to remain in the country, not only by the nonexecution of the former acts of Parliament, but were also harbored and maintained upon the lands of certain of his majesty's subjects, outwardly pretending to be "famous and unspotted gentlemen." In spite of the repeated reprehension of the Privy Council, people of note as well as the lower classes, either out of compassion or less reputable motives, continued to afford shelter and protection to the proscribed Egyptians. The Sheriff of Forfar was severely reprimanded for delaying to execute a number of them who had been taken within his jurisdiction, and for troubling the Council with petitions in their behalf. Many were hanged, not as criminals, but as Egyptians. It is not surprising that in both England and Scotland the Gipsies should have been associated with witchcraft, a belief in which was so generally prevalent at the time, when there was actually a statute against "feeding, receiving, and giving suck to evil spirits," and a license under a bishop's seal was required by the clergyman who should pray for the casting out of a devil. Is it strange that the darkeyed fortune-tellers of Rema suffered when flea-bites were apt to be mistaken for Satan's marks; when fat men, accused of witchcraft, were saved from drowning by their oily tissues, to dance in the air at the end of a halter; and shriveled old women, containing not a drop of moisture, were strangled as witches for the reason that they could not force a tear into the driedup fountain of their eyes? The trial by burning was in those times called "an appeal to Providence," and the people were as fond of it as of bear-baiting or any other cruel sport. And what are we to think of the humanity of the times when neither Coke nor Lord Bacon opposed the law suggested by royal superstition, for making it felony to consult, covenant with, or reward any evil or wicked spirit, and even the generous Sir Matthew Hale could leave a man for execution who was convicted under this act in 1669? Hudibras refers to these ridiculous beliefs and monstrous cruelties: Hath not this present Parliament And some for putting knavish tricks In the beginning of the eighteenth cen- The old Scottish ballad of "The Gipsie Laddie" gives an account of an intrigue between Johnny Faw, a famous Gipsy of the olden time, and the fair but frail lady of the Earl of Cassilis. According to the popular tradition, which confirms the authenticity of the song, the earl had been married but a short time to a nobleman's daughter, when in his absence The Gipsies came to our good lord's gate, Go take from me this gay mantel For if kith and kin and all had sworn, Yestreen I lay in a well-made bed, And my good lord beside me, O when our lord came home at e'en The tane, she cry'd, and the other reply'd, Go saddle to me the black, black steed, I'll gae seek my fair lady. A fair young wanton lady. The party having been overtaken and all slain with the exception of one, who is supposed to have composed the ballad, the earl brought back the fair fugitive, and, according to tradition, confined her for life in an old tower still pointed out in Maybole. To soothe her captivity she is said to have worked the story of her abduction in tapestry, a labor of love still preserved in Culzean Castle. AMUSEMENTS OF THE CHINESE. THE amusements and recreations of a THE people are not a bad test of their intellectual progress, and mental as well as moral status. Judged by this test, the Chinese, in spite of their vast antiquity, must be ranked as a puerile race; their amusements are in great part identical, or nearly so, with those which, among western nations, are in vogue among children, and almost monopolized by them. The principal exceptions would seem to be their gymnastics or feats of strength, their conjuring and juggling, and their gambling, to which, according to the testimony of the Rev. C. Gutzlaff, the wellknown Chinese missionary, the entire population, high and low, rich and poor, are addicted, with an intensity amounting almost to infatuation. The out-door recreations of the people are seen to the most advantage at the commencement of the new year, which is the time for universal feasting and merrymaking among all classes. It is in the Vai lo Tching, the Chinese quarter of Pekin, at the entry of the street called Lievu li Tchang, famous for its many fabrics of shining stuffs of divers colorson the open place which serves for a promenade and fair-ground during the first |