. Further Account of the English Gipsies.

It has been the lot of Gipsies in all countries to be despised,
persecuted, hated, and have the vilest things said about them. In many
cases they have too much merited the odium which they have experienced in
continental Europe; but certainly they are not deserving of universal and
unqualified contempt and hatred in this nation. The dislike they have to
rule and order has led many of them to maim themselves by cutting off a
finger, that they might not serve in either the army or the navy: and I
believe there is one instance known, of some Gipsies murdering a witness
who was to appear against some of their people for horse-stealing: the
persons who were guilty of the deed have been summoned to the bar of
Christ, and in their last moments exclaimed with horror and despair,
"Murder, murder." But these circumstances do not stamp their race
without exception as infamous monsters in wickedness. Not many years
since several of their men were hung in different places for stealing
fourteen horses near Bristol, who experienced the truth of that
scripture, _be sure your sins will find you out_. Indeed there is not a
family among them that has not to mourn over the loss of some relative
for the commission of this crime. But even in this respect their guilt
has been much over-rated; for in many cases it is to be feared they have
suffered innocently. There was formerly a reward of 40_l_ to those who
gave information of offenders, on their being capitally convicted. Those
of the lower orders, therefore, who were destitute of principle, had a
great temptation before them to swear falsely in reference to Gipsies;
and of which it is known they sometimes availed themselves, knowing that
few would befriend them. For the sake of the above sum, vulgarly, but
too justly called _blood-money_, they perjured themselves, and were much
more wicked than the people they accused. But the Gipsies were thought
to be universally depraved, and no one thought it worth his while to
investigate their innocence. Let us be thankful that many at the present
day look upon them with better feelings.

Very lately one of these vile informers swore to having seen a Gipsy man
on a horse that had been stolen; and although it came out on the trial,
that it was night when he observed him, and that he had never seen him
before, which ought to have rendered his evidence invalid, the prisoner
was convicted and conde