robber phraseology; whilst returned galley-slaves from Algiers, Tunis, and Tetuan, added to its motley variety of words from the relics of the broken Arabic and Turkish, which they had acquired during their captivity. The greater part of the Germania, however, remained strictly metaphorical, and we are aware of no better means of conveying an idea of the principle on which it is formed, than by quoting from the first romance of Hidalgo, where particular mention is made of this jargon:— ‘A la cama llama Blanda Donde Sornan en poblado A la Fresada Vellosa, Que mucho vello ha criado. Dice á la sabana Alba Porque es alba en sumo grado, A la camisa Carona, Al jubon llama apretado: Dice al Sayo Tapador Porque le lleva tapado. Llama á los zapatos Duros, Que las piedras van pisando. A la capa llama nuve, Dice al Sombrero Texado. Respeto llama á la Espada, Que por ella es respetado,’ etc. etc. HIDALGO, p. 22–3. After these few remarks on the ancient Germania of Spain, we now proceed to the modern, which differs considerably from the former. The principal cause of this difference is to be attributed to the adoption by the Spanish outlaws, in latter years, of a considerable number of words belonging to, or modified from, the Rommany, or language of the Gitános. The Gitános of Spain, during the last half-century, having, in a great degree, abandoned the wandering habit of life which once constituted one of their most remarkable peculiarities, and residing, at present, more in the cities than in the fields, have come into closer contact with the great body of the Spanish nation than was in former days their practice. From their living thus in towns, their language has not only undergone much corruption, but has become, to a slight degree, known to the dregs of society, amongst whom they reside. The thieves’ dialect of the present day exhibits, therefore, less of the allegorical language preserved in the pages of Hidalgo than of the Gypsy tongue. It must be remarked, however, that it is very scanty, and that the whole robber phraseology at present used in Spain barely amounts to two hundred words, which are utterly insufficient to express the very limited ideas of the outcasts who avail themselves of it. Concerning the Germania of France, or ‘Argot,’ as it is called, it is unnecessary to make many observations, as what has been said of the language of Hidalgo and the Red Italian is almost in every respect applicable to it. As early as the middle of the sixteenth century a vocabulary of this jargon was published under the title of _Langue des Escrocs_, at Paris. Those who wish to study it as it at present exists can do no better than consult _Les Mémoires de Vidocq_, where a multitude of words in Argot are to be found, and also several songs, the subjects of which are thievish adventures.