Elizabeth were deceived by their impostures. Both these monarchs, indeed, (particularly the former), were too much accustomed 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. We find them accordingly using very little ceremony with the Egyptian pilgrims,' who, in several of their statutes, are described by such designations as the following: Sturdy roags,' rascalls, vacabonds,' masterless men, ydle, vagraunte, loyteringe, lewde, and ylldisposed persons, going aboute usinge subtiltie and unlawful games or plaie,' -such as faynt themselves to have knowledge in phisiognomye, palmestrie, or other abused sciences-tellers of destinies, deaths, or fortunes, and such lyke fantasticall imaginatiouns.'

In king Edward's journal we find them mentioned along with other 'masterless men.' The following association of persons seems curious:“June 22, 1549. There was a privy search made through Suffolk for all vagabonds, gipsies, conspirators, prophesiers, all players, and such like.*

A more distinct account of the English gypsies, on their first arrival, is to be found in a work quoted by Mr Hoyland, which was published in the year 1612, to detect and expose the art of juggling and legerdemain. "This kind of people," says the author, "about a hundred years ago, beganne to gather on head, at the first heere, about the southerne parts. And this as I am informed, and can gather, was their beginning: Certain Egyptians banished their country, (belike not for their good conditions,) arrived heere in England, who for quaint tricks and devices not known heere at that time among us, were esteemed and had in great admiration; insomuch, that many of our English loyterers joined with them, and in time learned their crafty cozening." "The speach which they used was the right Egyptian speach, with whom our Englishmen conversing, at last 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 pal

*Appendix to Burnet's Hist. of Reforma tion, vol fi

mistry and telling of fortunes; insomuch, they pitifully cozened poor country girls both of money, silver spoons, and the best of their apparelle, or any goods they could make." "They had a leader of the name of Giles Hather, who was termed their king; and a woman of the name of Calot was called queen. These riding through the country on horseback, and in strange attire, had a prettie traine after them." After mentioning some of the laws passed against them, this writer adds:-" But what numbers were executed on these statutes you would wonder; yet, notwithstanding, all would not prevail, but they wandered as before uppe and downe, and meeting once in a yeare at a place appointed; sometimes at the Peake's Hole in Derbyshire, and other whiles by Retbroak at Blackheath.”*

It is probable that the gypsies entered Scotland about the saine period in which they are stated by these accounts to have first pitched their tents in the sister kingdom. The earliest notice of them, however, that we have been able to discover in our national records, is contained in the celebrated writ of Privy Seal, passed in the 28th year of James V. (1540), in favour of "Johnne Faw, Lord and Erle of Litill Egipt." A complete copy of this document, which has been carefully collated with the original record in the Register House, will be found in another department of our Magazine. This writ was renewed by the Earl of Arran as Regent of Scotland in 1553, nearly in the same words. It appears from these very curious edicts, that John Faw, under the character of

Lord and Erle of Litill Egipt,' had formerly obtained letters under the Great Seal, enjoining all magistrates, &c. to support his authority" in executioun of justice vpoun his cumpany and folkis, conforme to the laws of Egipt, and in punissing of all thaim that rebellis aganis him." He coinplains that certain of his followers had, nevertheless, revolted from his jurisdiction, robbed and left him, and were supported in their contumacious rebellion by some of the king's lieges;

-"Sua that he (the said Johnne, thair lord and maister) on na wyse can apprehend nor get thame, to have thame

Hoyland's Historical Survey. -Registrum Secreti Sigilli, vol. xxv. fol. 62,

hame agane within thair awin cuntre," "howbeit he has biddin and remanit of lang tyme vpoun thame, and is bundin and oblist to bring hame with him all thame of his company that ar on live, and ane testimoniale of thame that ar deid;"-the_non-fulfilment of which obligation, he pretends, will subject him to “hevy dampnage and shaith, and grete perell of tynsell (loss) of his heretage."-The names of these rebellious Egyptians are exactly the same in both edicts, and having been given in to the Scottish government by the chieftain himself, may be supposed to be correctly reported. We shall be glad if any of our learned readers can help us to trace their etymology.

It affords a striking evidence of the address of these audacious vagrants, and of the ignorance of the times, to find two of our sovereigns imposed upon by this gypsey chieftain's story about his band' and heretage.' This was at least 120 years after the first arrival of these hordes in Europe. -We hear no more of the return of Earl John and his company to thair awin cuntre.'

In the following year (1554), "Andro Faw, capitane of the Egiptianis," and twelve of his gang, specified by name, obtained a remission for "the slauchter of Niniane Smaill, comittit within the toune of Lyntoune, in the moneth of March last bypast, vpoun suddantie."*

The gypsies appear to have kept their quarters in the country without further molestation for the next twenty-five years; and their enormities, as well as their numbers, it would seem, had greatly increased during the long political and religious struggles that occupied the greater part of Mary's disastrous reign. At length, in 1579, the government found it necessary to adopt the most rigorous methods to repress the innumerable swarm of strolling vagabonds of every description, who had overspread the kingdom. A new statute was enacted by parliament, "For pwnishment of the strang and ydle beggaris, and relief of the puir and impotent." In the comprehensive provisions of this act, we find bards, minstrels, and vagabond scholars, (lachrymabile dictu!) conjoined in ignominicus fellowship with the Egyptian

* Regist. Secreti Sigilli, vol. xxvii. fol. 3, 36.

jugglers. The following passages, prescribing the mode of punishment, and specifying some of the various sorts of vagrants against whom it is denounced, are particularly curious :-" That sic as makis thame selffis fuilis, and ar bairdis, or vtheris siclike rynnaris about, being apprehendit, salbe put in the kingis waird and yrnis, sa lang as they haue ony guidis of their awin to leif on; and fra they haue not quhairupoun to leif of thair awin, that thair caris be nailit to the trone, or to ane vther trie, and thair earis cuttit of, and banist the cuntrie; and gif thairefter that they be found agane that they he hangit."-"And that it may be knawin quhat maner of personis ar meanit to be strang and idle beggaris, and vagaboundis, and worthie of the pwnishment before specifiit, it is declairit, that all ydle personis ganging about in ony cuntrie of this realme, vsing subtill, crafty, and vnlauchfull playis, as juglarie, fast and lowis, and sie vthers; the idle people calling thume selffis Egyptianis, or ony vtheris that fenzies thame selffis to have knowledge of prophecie, charmeing, or otheris abusit sciences, quhairby they persuaid the people that they can tell their weardis, deathis, and fortunes, and sie vther fantasticall imaginationes;”—“ and all menstrallis, sangstaris, and tailtellaris, not avouit in speciall service be sum of the lordis of parliament, or greit barronis, or be the heid burrowis and cities, for thair commoun menstrallis;"-" all vagabund scolaris of the vniuersities of Sanctandrois, Glasgw, and Abirdene, not licencit be the rector and deane of facultie to ask almous," &c. &c.*

4

This statute was repeatedly renewed, and strengthened with additional clauses, during the twenty-five years ensuing, "anent the counterfaict Egyptianis ;"all which, however, proved so utterly ineffectual in restraining the crimes and depredations of these banditti, that in 1603, the Lords of Privy Council judged it expedient to issue a decree and proclamation, banishing the whole race out of Scotland for ever, under the severest penalties. This edict is not extant, (that part of the record which contained it being lost), but it was ratified and enforced in 1609,

Acta Parl. vol. iii. p. 139. Acta Parl. vol. iii. p. 576. vol. iv. pp. 140, 232.

by an act of parliament to the same eflect "Commanding the vagaboundis, sorneris, and commoun theiffis, commounlie callit Egiptianis, to pas furth of this realme, and nevir to returne within the sainyn, vnder the paine of death,"--and declaring it lawful to all his Majesty's subjects, to apprehend and execute any of them that might be found in the country after a certain day, "as notorious and condemned theiffis-by ane assyse only to be tryed that they are callit, knawin, repute, and haldin Egiptianis.”•

It appears, that not only the lower classes, but also many persons of note, either out of compassion, or from less reputable motives, still continued, after the promulgation of this law, and in spite of repeated reprehensions from the Privy Council, to afford shelter and protection to the proscribed Egyptians. In February 1615, we find a remission under the Privy Seal, granted to William Auchterlony of Cayrnie, for resetting of John Faw and his followers. On the 4th July 1616, the Sheriff of Forfar is severely reprimanded for delaying to execute some gypsies who had been taken within his jurisdiction, and for troubling the Council with petitions in their behalf. In November following, appears a "proclamatioun aganis Egiptianis and thair ressettaris;"§--in December 1619, we find another proclamation against 'resetters' of them ;||-in April 1620, another proclamation of the same kind; and in July 1620, a commission against resetters;' all with

Acta Parl. vol. iv. p. 440.

The nature of this crime, in Scotch Law, is fully explained in the following extract from the original, which also appears curious in other respects: The pardon is granted—“ pro receptione, supportatione, et detentione supra terras suas de Balmadie, et inita cius habitationis domum, aliaq. edificia eiusdem, Joannis Fall, Ethiopis, lie Eriptian, eiusq. vxoris, puerorum, servoruni, et associatorum; Necnon pro ministrando ipsis cibum, potum, pecunias, hospicium, aling. necessaria, quocunq. tempore ve! occasione preterita, contra acta nostri Parliamenti vel Secreti Concilii, vel contra quecunq. leges, alia acta, aut constitutiones huius nostri regni Scotia in contrarium tatta."-Regist. Secreti Sigilli, vol. lxxxiii,

fol. 291.

Regist. Secreti Concilii, Jul. 4. 1616. § Ibid. Nov. 9. 1616. Hid. Dec. 21. 1619. Ibid. Apr. 19. 1620.

very severe penalties. The nature of these acts will be better understood from the following extract from that of 4th July 1616, which also very well explains the way in which the gypsies contrived to maintain their footing in the country, in defiance of all the efforts of the legislature to extirpate them.--"It is of treuthe, that the theivis and lymmaris foirsaidis, haueing for some shorte space after the said act of parliament (1609), dispersit

thame selffis in certane darne and obscure places of the cuntrey, thay wer not knawne to wander abroad in troupis and companies, according to thair accustomed maner; yitt shortle thairefter, finding that the said act of parliament wes neglectit, and that no inquirie nor wes maid for

thame, thay begane to tak new breth and courage, and .. vnite thame selftis in infamous companies and societies vnder . . . . . . commanderis, and continuallie sensyne hes remanit within the cuntrey, committing alsweill oppin and avowed reiffis in all partis..

. . murtheris, as pleine stouthe and pykarie, quhair thay may not be maisterit; and thay do shamefullie and meschantlie abuse the simple and ignorant people, by telling of fortunes, and vsing of charmes, and a nomber of jugling trikis and falsettis, vnworthie to be hard of in a cuntrey subject to religioun, law, and justice; and thay ar encourageit to remane within the cuntrey, and to continew in thair thevish and jugling trickes and falsettis, not onlie throw default of the executioun of the said act of parliament, bot whilk is worse, that gritt nomberis of his Majestie's subjects, of whome some oute◄ wardlie pretendis to be famous and vnspotted gentilmen, hes gevin and gevis oppin and avowed protectioun, ressett, supplie, and mantenance vpon thair ground and landis, to the saidis vagaboundis, sorenaris, and condampned thevis and lymmaris, and sufferis thame to remane dayis, oulkis, and nonethis togidder thairvpoun, without. controlement and with connivence and oversicht,” &c.—“ So thay do leave a foull, infamous, and ignominious spott vpoun thame, thair houses, and pos teritie, that thay ar patronis to theivis and lymmaris," &c. &c.

There is still, however, sufficient evi

Ibid. Jul. 6. 1620.

dence on record, of the summary rootand-branch justice that was frequently executed upon this unhappy race, in terms of the above statute. The following may serve for specimens:In July 1611, four Faas were sentenced to be hanged-as Egyptians. They pleaded a special license from the Privy Council, to abide within the country; -but they were held (from failure of their surety,) to have infringed the terms of their protection, and were executed accordingly.-In July 1616, two Faas and a Baillie were capitally convicted on the same principle.-In January 1624, Captain John Faa and seven of his gang (five of whom were Faas,) were doomed to death on the statute and hanged.-A few days after, Helen Faa, relict of the captain, Lucretia Faa, and other women, to the number of eleven, were in like manner convicted, and condemned to be drowned.*-A similar case occurs in 1636. This we have inserted at length in another department of our present Number, as a fair specimen of these sanguinary proceedings. In later times, the statute began to be interpreted with a more merciful spirit towards these wretched outcasts, and they were hanged only when convicted (as happened, however, pretty frequently,) of theft, murder, and other violent offences against public order.

Instead of carrying forward, in this manner, our own desultory sketch, we shall place at once before our readers, the accurate and striking account given of the Scottish gypsies, by a celebrated anonymous author of the present day, and by the distinguished person whose authority he has quoted. Considering how very unnecessary, and how difficult it would be to convey the same information in other words,—and allowing due attention to the conveniency of those who may not have the book at hand to refer to,-we do not apprehend that any apology is necessary for availing ourselves of the following passage from the well-known pages of Guy Mannering.

"It is well known," says the author, "that the gypsies were, at an early period, acknowledged as a separate and independent race by one of the Scottish monarchs, and that they were less favourably distinguished by a subse

Hume on Crim. Law, vol. ii. p. 339. Regist. Secreti Concilii, Nov. 10. 1636.

quent law, which rendered the character of gypsey equal, in the judicial balance, to that of common and habitual thief, and prescribed his punishment accordingly. Notwithstanding the severity of this and other statutes, the fraternity prospered amid the distresses of the country, and received large accessions from among those whom fa→ mine, oppression, or the sword of war, had deprived of the ordinary means of subsistence. They lost, in a great measure, by this intermixture, the national character of Egyptians, and be came a mingled race, having all the idleness and predatory habits of their eastern ancestors, with a ferocity which they probably borrowed from the men of the north who joined their society. They travelled in different bands, and had rules among themselves, by which each tribe was confined to its own district. The slightest invasion of the precincts which had been assigned to another tribe, produced desperate skirmishes, in which there was often much blood shed.

"The patriotic Fletcher of Saltoun drew a picture of these banditti about a century ago, which my readers will peruse with astonishment.

There are, at this day, in Scotland (besides a great many poor families, very meanly provided for by the church boxes, with others, who, by living upon bad food, fall into various diseases) two hundred thousand people begging from door to door. These are not only no way advantageous, but a very grievous burden to so poor a country. And though the number of them be perhaps double to what it was formerly, by reason of this present great distress, yet in all times there have been about one hundred thousand of these vagabonds, who have lived without any regard or subjection either to the laws of the land, or even those of God and nature;

hood. In years of plenty, many thousands of them meet together in the mountains, where they feast and riot for many days; and at country wed dings, markets, burials, and other the like public occasions, they are to be seen, both man and woman, perpetual ly drunk, cursing, blaspheming, and fighting together."

"Notwithstanding the deplorable picture presented in this extract, and which Fletcher himself, though the energetic and eloquent friend of freedom, saw no better mode of correcting than by introducing a system of domestic slavery, the progress of time, and increase both of the means of life and of the power of the laws, gradually reduced this dreadful evil within more narrow bounds. The tribes of gypsies, jockies, or cairds,for by all these denominations such banditti were known, became few in number, and many were entirely rooted out. Still, however, enough remained to give occasional alarm and constant vexation. Some rude handicrafts were entirely resigned to these itinerants, particularly the art of trencher-making, of manufacturing horn-spoons, and the whole mystery of the tinker. To these they added a petty trade in the coarser sorts of earthen-ware. Such were their ostensible means of livelihood. Each tribe had usually some fixed place of rendezvous, which they occasionally occupied and considered as their standing camp, and in the vicinity of which they generally abstained from depredation. They had even talents and accomplishments, which made them occasionally useful and entertaining. Many cultivated music with success; and the favourite fiddler or piper of a district was often to be found in a gypsey town. They understood all out-of-door sports, especially otterhunting, fishing, or finding game. In winter the women told fortunes, the men showed tricks of legerdemain; and these accomplishments often helped away a weary or a stormy evening in the circle of the "farmer's ha'." The wildness of their character, and the indomitable pride with which they despised all regular labour, commanded a certain awe, which was not diminished by the consideration, that these strollers were a vindictive race, and were restrained by no check, either of fear or conscience, from taking desperate vengeance upon those who had

VOL. I.

offended them. These tribes were in short the Parias of Scotland, living like wild Indians among European settlers, and, like them, judged of rather by their own customs, habits, and opinions, than as if they had been members of the civilized part of the community. Some hordes of them yet remain, chiefly in such situations as afford a ready escape either into a waste country, or into another jurisdiction. Nor are the features of their character much softened. Their numbers, however, are so greatly diminished, that, instead of one hundred thousand, as calculated by Fletcher, it would now perhaps be impossible to collect above five hundred throughout all Scotland."

Having in the preceding pages endeavoured to give our readers a general outline of what may be termed the public annals of our Scottish Gypsies, we now proceed to detail some of those more private and personal anecdotes concerning them, with which we have been furnished chiefly from local traditions, or the observation of intelligent individuals. These we shall relate without much regard to arrangement, and, for the present, without any further remarks of our own than may be requisite merely for connecting or explaining them. It may be proper generally to mention, that though we deem it unnecessary to quote our authorities by name in every particular case or for every little anecdote, yet we can very confidently pledge ourselves, in every instance, for the personal credibility of our informers.

The intrigue of the celebrated Johnnie Faa with the Earl of Cassilis' lady, rests on ballad and popular authority. Tradition points out an old tower in Maybole, as the place where the frail Countess was confined. The portrait shown as hers in the Abbey of Holyroodhouse, however, is not genuine. Of this affair of gypsey gallantry, Mr Finlay, in his notes to the old ballad of the Gypsie Laddie, gives the following account, as the result of his inquiries regarding the truth of the traditionary stories on the subject:

"The Earl of Cassilis had married a nobleman's daughter contrary to her wishes, she having been previously engaged to another; but the persuasion and importunity of her friends at last brought her to consent.g

G

Sir