Till the seventeenth century, the Egyptian descent of the Gipseys rested entirely on tradition. Thomasius was the first who endeavoured to establish this matter on satisfactory evidence. Those who, since him, have supported the same opinion, are principally the Englishman Salmon; and, lately, Signor Griselini. Before their vouchers are produced, it will be proper to mention that Thomasius speaks only of the Gipseys who travelled about Europe during the first seven years after their arrival; for he thinks that, after seven years were elapsed, these, excepting a very few, returned home again, and after their retreat the present set was produced, as has been already described. In this particular, he differs entirely from the other two writers, making the latter Gipseys a distinct race of people from those who first arrived. On the contrary, Salmon, as well as Griselini, consider the Gipseys that are now wandering in Europe, and with truth, as lineal descendants of the former, consequently bring them all from Egypt. Thomasius says: “The first Gipseys never would allow themselves to be any people but Egyptians; asserting always, that the Lesser Egypt was their mother country: and they deserve credit, as they were an honourable worthy set of people.” One observation will be sufficient in reply:—Among the oldest writers who, prior to Stumpf, mention the Gipseys, not one seems to be acquainted with their worth. But Thomasius himself discovered the weakness of his first argument, and therefore hastens to another. “Be this as it may,” he proceeds, “they were in the earliest times, when doubtless something more certain was extant, always looked upon as Egyptians: so that it does not become us, who live two hundred years later, positively to reject what was at that time generally assented to.” Our author was not aware that this kind of reasoning proves too much; for by the same mode of arguing, every antiquated error, every ridiculous superstition, may be defended. If this be admitted, Satan gets his cloven foot again, of which modern unbelief had bereft him. Thus, Christian Thomasius acted unjustifiably when he laid violent hands on witches and sorcerers, and put an end to their existence, though credited from the highest antiquity. Thomasius imagines there were other proofs, beside the Gipseys’ own assertions, that they were Egyptians; this supposition, however, not only has nothing to support it, but is openly contradicted by Aventin, Kranz, and Münster. It is not authenticated because the chronicles universally mention it as a saying of the Gipseys, whenever they speak of their coming from Egypt. It is confuted by Aventin, who rejects their Egyptian descent; at the same time he alledges, that they wished to be thought from that country. In his time, nothing was known concerning them, but what came from their own mouths: and those who thought them Egyptians, rested their belief entirely on the veracity of their informants.