The Gipsies' Advocate: Or, Observations on the Origin, Character, Manners, and Habits of the English Gipsies — John Shaqi
The Gipsies' Advocate: Or, Observations on the Origin, Character, Manners, and Habits of the English GipsiesCrabb, James
Religion
The Gipsies' Advocate: Or, Observations on the Origin, Character, Manners, and Habits of the English Gipsies
Crabb, James
Romanies -- England
Some time after this, she made a visit to a parish in which another of
her children was born, near Basingstoke. She entered the cottage of an
old couple who sold fruit, &c. Tea being proposed, the old woman
expressed her surprise that she had not seen her visitor for so long a
time, saying she was glad she was come, as she wanted her to tell her
many things, meaning future events. She mentioned a great deal that
another Gipsy woman had told her, on which the reformed one
exclaimed--_Don't believe her_, _dame_. _It is all lies_. _She knows no
more about it than you do_. _If you trust to what she says_, _you will
be deceived_. The old woman was still more surprised, and asked _how
she_, who had so often told their fortunes, and had promised them such
good luck, could be so much altered? The woman taking her Testament from
her bosom, replied, "I have learned from this blessed book, and from my
kind friends, _that all liars shall have their portion in the lake that
burneth with brimstone and fire_; and rather than tell fortunes again, I
would starve." She then opened her book and began reading a chapter,
endeavouring to explain as she read, at which her host and hostess began
to weep. She told them that though she knew she had been a great sinner,
and was one still, yet she never had felt so happy as then. The old
woman observed, that _she_ could not say _she was happy_, and wished to
know what she must do to feel happy. The Gipsy replied, you must leave
off selling on Sundays, and go to a place of worship, and learn to read
the Testament, and to pray, and _then_ you will become happy.
This poor Gipsy woman, who was so anxious to instruct those she had many
times deceived, was soon after taken sick, at which time her distress of
soul was very great; and she then said, were she to die, her _soul could
not go to heaven_.
Many were her temptations, while in great poverty, to renew the practice
of fortune-telling. Several genteel parties have visited her, and
sometimes offered her gold, tempting her to begin again the sins she had
for ever given up; but, much to her credit, she at all times resolutely
refused all such unholy gain.
At one time some very gay young women called on her, desiring to have
their fortunes told. Her Testament lay on the table, which she had but a
short time before been reading, and pointing to it, she said--_That
book_, _and that only_, _will tell your fortunes_; _for it is God's
book_; _it is his own word_. She reproved them for their sin, and said,
the Bible had told her, _all unrighteousness is sin_. They then
requested she would not tell any one that they had called upon her. She
replied--_Oh_! _you fear man more than God_!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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