at present do could I for a moment conceive
myself gifted with the talent of inducing any endeavour to
dismiss from his mind a theory of the reasonableness of which
appears to him obvious. Nevertheless, as you do me the honour
of asking my opinion with respect to the theory of Gypsies
being Jews by origin, I hasten to answer to the following
effect. I am not prepared to acknowledge the reasonableness of
any theory which cannot be borne out by the slightest proof.
Against the theory may be offered the following arguments which
I humbly consider to be unanswerable. The Gypsies differ from
the Jews in feature and complexion--in whatever part of the
world you find the Gypsy you recognise him at once by his
features which are virtually the same--the Jew likewise has a
peculiar countenance by which at once he may be distinguished
as a Jew, but which would certainly prevent the probability of
his being considered as a scion of the Gypsy stock--in proof of
which assertion I can adduce the following remarkable instance.

I have in my service a Jew, a native of Northern Africa. Last
summer I took him with me to an encampment of Romanies or
Gypsies near my home at Oulton in Suffolk. I introduced him to
the Chief, and said, Are ye not dui patos (two brothers). The
Gypsy passed his hand over the Jew's face and stared him in the
eyes, then turning to me he answered--we are not two brothers,
not two brothers--this man is no rom--I believe him to be a
Jew. Now this Gypsy has been in the habit of seeing German and
English Jews who must have been separated from their African
brothers for a term of 1700 years--yet he recognised the Jew of
Troy for what he was--a Jew--and without hesitation declared
that he was not a rom; the Jews, therefore, and the Gypsies
have each their peculiar and distinctive features, which
disprove the impossibility of their having been originally the
same people.--Your obedient servant,

GEORGE BORROW.

I find also in this connection a letter from Tangier addressed to 'Mr.
H. George Borrow' under date 2nd November 1847. It tells us that the
worthy Jew longs once again to see the 'dear face' of his master. Since
he left his service he has married and has two sons, but he is anxious
to return to England if that same master will find him work. W