EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION 27 INTRODUCTION 55 CHAPTER. I. CONTINENTAL GIPSIES 69 II. ENGLISH GIPSIES 90 III. SCOTTISH GIPSIES, DOWN TO THE YEAR 1715 98 IV. LINLITHGOWSHIRE GIPSIES 123 V. FIFE AND STIRLINGSHIRE GIPSIES 140 VI. TWEED-DALE AND CLYDESDALE GIPSIES 185 VII. BORDER GIPSIES 236 VIII. MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE CEREMONIES 257 IX. LANGUAGE 281 X. PRESENT CONDITION AND NUMBER OF THE GIPSIES IN SCOTLAND 341 DISQUISITION ON THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE OF GIPSYDOM 371 INDEX 543 [1] The Contents of these Chapters will be found detailed in the Index, forming an epitome of the work, for reference, or studying the subject of the Gipsies. Ever since entering Great Britain, about the year 1506, the Gipsies have been drawing into their body the blood of the ordinary inhabitants and conforming to their ways; and so prolific has the race been, that there cannot be less than 250,000 Gipsies of all castes, colours, characters, occupations, degrees of education, culture, and position in life, in the British Isles alone, and possibly double that number. There are many of the same race in the United States of America. Indeed, there have been Gipsies in America from nearly the first day of its settlement; for many of the race were banished to the plantations, often for very trifling offences, and sometimes merely for being by "habit and repute Egyptians." But as the Gipsy race leaves the tent, and rises to civilization, it hides its nationality from the rest of the world, so great is the prejudice against the name of Gipsy. In Europe and America together, there cannot be less than 4,000,000 Gipsies in existence. John Bunyan, the author of the celebrated _Pilgrim's Progress_, was one of this singular people, as will be conclusively shown in the present work. The philosophy of the existence of the Jews, since the dispersion, will also be discussed and established in it. When the "wonderful story" of the Gipsies is told, as it ought to be told, it constitutes a work of interest to many classes of readers, being a subject unique, distinct from, and unknown to, the rest of the human family. In the present work, the race has been treated of so fully and elaborately, in all its aspects, as in a great measure to fill and satisfy the mind, instead of being, as heretofore, little better than a myth to the understanding of the most intelligent person.