Conceiving that any scheme for ameliorating the condition of the Gypsies, would not only be premature, but might prove highly injudicious, before obtaining a knowledge of their history, the author has endeavoured to collect, from the most authentic European authorities to which he could have access, a general view of this people, in the different parts of the world to which they have resorted; and from these and the other sources of information, he has subjoined accounts of their state in Great Britain, and of the suggestions offered by other individuals for their improvement; concluding the subject with a review of the whole, and proposing a plan to be set on foot for accomplishing this desirable object. CONTENTS. SECTION I. _Various Appellations of them—Their arrival in Europe_ _page_ 9 SECTION II. _Accounts of the Gypsies in various Countries_ _page_ 17 SECTION III. _The Habits_, _Occupations_, _and Polity of the _page_ 37 Continental Gypsies_ SECTION IV. _Political Regulations on the Continent respecting _page_ 61 Gypsies_ SECTION V. _The Gypsies in Great Britain_ _page_ 75 SECTION VI. _The present State of the Gypsies in Scotland_ _page_ 91 SECTION VII. _On the Origin of the Gypsies_ _page_ 112 SECTION VIII. _Comparative view of the Gypsey_, _Hindostanie_, _and _page_ 131 Turkish languages_ SECTION IX. _Present State of the Gypsies in England_ _page_ 151 SECTION X. _Present State of the Gypsies in and about London_ _page_ 175 SECTION XI. _Sentiments of various persons on the moral condition of _page_ 191 the Gypsies_ SECTION XII. _Review of the Subject_, _and Suggestions for _page_ 221 ameliorating the condition of the Gypsies in the British Empire_ SECTION I. Various appellations of them—Their arrival in Europe. * * * * * The different appellations by which the People whom we denominate Gypsies, have been distinguished, appear generally to have had reference to the countries, from which it was supposed they had emigrated. Grellmann states, that the French, having the first accounts of them from Bohemia, gave them the name of _Bohémiens_, Bohemians. That the Dutch apprehending they came from Egypt, called them _Heydens_, Heathens. In Denmark, Sweden, and in some parts of Germany, Tartars were thought of. The Moors and Arabians, perceiving the propensity the Gypsies had to thieving, adopted the name _Charami_, Robbers, for them.