THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



501 



Photograph by A. W. Cutler 



gypsies: the: nomads op every land 



Whence they come and whither they go is a puzzle not only to the dweller in city or 

 country whom they pass, but to the student of races as well. Their origin is lost in the 

 mists of legend and tradition. They are to be found in many countries of Europe, chiefly 

 in the Balkans, in Hungary, and in Spain. He who is fascinated by the romantic subject of 

 the Gypsies finds in the pages of George Borrow's "Lavengro" and "Romany Rye" accounts 

 of these wanderers which are of absorbing interest. The man in the photograph is holding 

 the silver-crowned cane which he uses when on the road. His coat is adorned with immense 

 silver buttons (see page 502). 



Rome had regarded the Jews merely as dan- 

 gerous rebels who must be crushed. After 

 they became powerless, they were allowed to 

 live and prosper as they pleased. The Mishna, 

 or Oral Law, the foundation of the Talmud, 

 was evolved. Meanwhile a marvelous teacher, 

 Mar Samuel, wrought into the very being of 

 the exiles a principle that was to control their 

 attitude and conduct. He taught that every- 

 where "the law of the government is the bind- 

 ing law," and that it was their religious duty, 

 not from expediency, but from moral obliga- 

 tion, to conform to and obey, as far as possible, 

 the laws of any country in which they were 

 found. They were even to pray for the peace 

 of the place wherein they dwelt. 



Thus was their adaptation to any habitat 

 made incumbent and possible. From it has 

 come about the racial suppleness which bends 

 but never breaks. To it Graetz, the foremost 

 of Jewish historians, declares Judseism has 

 owed "the possibility of existence in a foreign 



country." Through tribulation and agony, un- 

 exampled in the life of any other people, it has 

 enabled the Jewish race to survive. 



The nominal profession of Christianity by 

 Europe set the Jew by himself apart. To an 

 ignorant and brutal age every Jewish hand 

 seemed red with the blood of the Saviour. 

 That Jesus and the apostles were themselves 

 Jews was sometimes denied. Under the mask 

 of piety, every foul passion robbed and mal- 

 treated the Jews. The laws against them were 

 more merciless than the mobs. In Italy they 

 were at times less harshly treated through the 

 influence of the Popes, and sometimes a great 

 sovereign like Charlemagne would shine as 

 their open friend. Yet, with rare exceptions, 

 injustice, persecution, and proscription were 

 their invariable, universal lot from Constan- 

 tine far down into modern times. The severe 

 Moslem laws against them were laxly enforced. 

 So they shared the brilliant prosperity of the 

 Moors in Spain until both were expelled. 



