ought to be employed on public works and in the necessary 

 labor of municipalities. 



So far the memorandum of Harant, and Dr. Maier added 

 he thought the time had come for a new imperial edict; a 

 stern look from the Emperor reminded the Secretary that 

 his Majesty always resented any suggestion of action which 

 might forestall the imperial will. However, Rudolph called 

 for the testimony secured by questioning the famil}' of Kubrik, 

 and Dr. Maier continued. 



Though claiming Egyptian origin this band, which em- 

 braced representatives of four generations, had wandered 

 long throughout central Europe and spoke German, Bohemian 

 and Romany; they said they learnd the Romany from their 

 elders and found it better than the Bohemian language; for 

 bread they used the word "meno," for God "mrodebl," for 

 glass "gevalin," and curiously enough they say they have no 

 word for thief! Kubrik said the family was Catholic in re- 

 ligion, but this was evidently to please the questioner. Few 

 of them could name their birthplace, one boy of fifteen years, 

 when asked where he was born, replied that only his mother 

 could know that; few could tell their ages, some answered 

 quite falsely and others said they were not in the habit of 

 counting birthdays : A TDoy who was asked why he was so 

 strongly sunburned, replied: ''Because I smear my face with 

 butter and expose it to sun in order to be hardened against 

 frost." Members of the family gave their occupations as rope 

 dancing, gymnastic feats, doctoring cattle and playing come- 

 dies; on inquiring about the comedies they said they played 

 "The King of Castile," "The Execution of John the Baptist," 

 "King Herod," and "Two Brothers." The women told for- 

 tunes by examining the lines in the hands, but had to con- 

 fess their art had not warned them against their arrest ; one 

 old hag said: "God is the best Prophet," and a young 



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