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On the Dispersion of the Gipseys, and their Numbers in Europe.

The numerous hordes of Gipseys, widely dispersed over the face of the earth, are incredible. They wander about in Asia; in the interior part of Africa, they plunder the merchants of Agades; [3] and, like locusts, have overrun most of the countries of Europe. America seems to be the only part of the world where they are not known; no mention appearing to be made of them by authors who have written on that quarter of the globe. It would be superfluous to dilate on the history of those in Asia and Africa, as we have no minute accounts of them; we shall therefore confine ourselves to those in Europe.

There are but few countries, here, which are entirely free from Gipseys; although, for centuries, every state has been endeavouring to rid itself of them. Under King Henry VIII, and in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, they suffered a general persecution in England: there are, nevertheless, great numbers still to be found there. About thirty years ago, they even threatened to set the town of Northampton on fire, because the magistrates had arrested some of their young people, whose release they solicited in vain: several of the ringleaders were hanged: they had in the mean time shewn plainly, that their race was very far from being annihilated. It is not uncommon, in the county of Bedford particularly, to see them lying in byplaces, to the number of forty or fifty together: but they are cautious how they travel about in companies, and are rarely seen in towns or villages but by one at a time.