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
She said, too, that she always kept in her possession a _godly book_,
for the purpose of asking, as opportunity offered, a traveller to
read to them. She assured me, too, (which I rather doubted,) that
they constantly attended Divine worship, when encamped near enough to
churches; that they send for the nearest clergyman _to preach_ to the
dying, and that they never omit having their babes _full christened_,
excepting in cases of sickness, when the child is only baptized: and
should such child die, they obtain the services of a parochial
clergyman to inter it. They said, thinking, no doubt, to please me,
that they did not like the Ranters, but that they thought well of the
_church folks_. I fear that, though they had a general knowledge of
the Supreme Being, they were sadly ignorant of the most important
point of Christianity, namely, the all-sufficient sacrifice that was
made for the whole world. While I expatiated to them on the day of
judgment and the final doom of man, displaying the extreme and
exquisite happiness of the righteous part of the human family, and
the dreadful misery of the wicked, the younger of them, who appeared
indisposed, was considerably agitated. They then said, that they
were not in the habit of swearing, but occasionally did so, though
they were aware it was very wicked. When travelling, they told me
that they avoid breaking the sabbath; and that they visit all places
included in the district through which they wander, three times per
year, from which plan they seldom deviate. I inquired if they would
like to settle in cottages, and gain their livelihood by industry.
They replied, that _if house-rent_, _clothes_, _food_, _and all other
necessaries were found them_, they would; but that they would not
settle on any other condition.
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