NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE 159 



of complacency, rubbing herself gently against his legs : while 

 the horse would look down with satisfaction, and move with the 

 greatest caution and circumspection, lest he should trample on 

 his diminutive companion. Thus, by mutual good offices, each 

 seemed to console the vacant hours of the other : so that Mil- 

 ton, when he puts the following sentiment in the mouth of 

 Adam, seems to be somewhat mistaken : 



" Much less can bird with beast, or fish with fowl, 

 So well converse, nor with the ox the ape." 



I am, etc. 



LETTER XXV 



SELBORNE, Oct. 2nd, 1775. 



DEAR SIR, We have two gangs or hordes of gypsies which 

 infest the south and west of England, and come round in their 

 circuit two or three times in the year. One of these tribes 

 calls itself by the noble name of Stanley, of which I have 

 nothing particular to say ; but the other is distinguished by an 

 appellative somewhat remarkable. As far as their harsh gib- 

 berish can be understood, they seem to say that the name of 

 their clan is Curleople ; now the termination of this word is 

 apparently Grecian, and as Mezeray and the gravest histori- 

 ans all agree that these vagrants did certainly migrate from 

 Egypt and the East, two or three centuries ago, and so spread 

 by degrees over Europe, may not this family name, a little 

 corrupted, be the very name they brought with them from 

 the Levant? It would be matter of some curiosity, could 

 one meet with an intelligent person among them, to inquire 

 whether, in their jargon, they still retain any Greek words ; 

 the Greek radicals will appear in hand, foot, head, water, earth, 

 etc. It is possible that amidst their cant and corrupted dialect 

 many mutilated remains of their native language might still 

 be discovered. 



With regard to those peculiar people, the gypsies, one thing 

 is very remarkable, and especially as they came from warmer 

 climates ; and that is, that while other beggars lodge in barns, 

 stables, and cow-houses, these sturdy savages seem to pride 



