The Romas are fond of improvising rhymes for their peculiar but attractive music. They have some pathetic strains, but for the most part they are wild, vengeful, or indecent. They generally express all their poetical conceptions in a stanza of four lines, but sometimes their ideas are so prolific they write six lines upon the same subject—a wide margin existing between them and the learned poets of the past and present. Sometimes the music of the Gypsies is full of wildness and terror, but often it is rich in sweetness, and inspires the hearer with an exquisite delight which few other singers of higher musical culture and broader artistic skill can produce. A beautiful incident is related of Catalani and one of these Gypsy songsters in Moscow: She was so enchanted with a Gypsy singer, (who, after Catalani had displayed her noble Italian talent before a splendid audience at Moscow, stepped forward, and, with an astonishing burst of melody, almost angelic, so enraptured every ear that applause forgot its duty,) that she tore from her own shoulders a shawl of Cashmere, which had been presented her by the Father of Rome, and embracing the Gypsy, insisted upon her acceptance of the splendid gift, saying, "It was intended for the matchless songster,' which I now perceive I am not." It is much to be regretted that so great musical powers are not more frequently devoted to laudable purposes, rather than to those in which they usually insist in employing them. They ruin their fine voices in a short time in street music, and in singing at low places of resort, where they place themselves in indecent attitudes as accompaniments to their objectionable sentiments.

It has been already stated that they are exceedingly indigent, with the exception of some of the Zigani of Moscow; but they generally succeed in reserving some funds for the marriage festival. If they possess a competency before marriage, they usually at that time become beggars. There is always a betrothal of two years, during which time the Gypsy girl is almost entirely excluded from the society of her betrothed, but has free intercourse and liberty with all others. The marriage is consummated at the age of fourteen, and the marriage festival is sustained for two days with the greatest recklessness and expenditure the parties can afford. After the marriage ceremony has been performed, the bridal

parties retire to the largest place they can secure, preferring a large hall. The bridegroom has previously provided large amounts of sweetmeats, principally the yolks of eggs heavily crystalized with sugar. These are not for refreshments, but are scattered upon the floor of the hall in great profusionsometimes a ton or more being strewn at one time. From the marriage they enter this place, the bride and bridegroom leading the way, and commence dancing the "Romalis," all the party following and imitating their movements. In a short time they are completely covered with the egg and sugar composition, and present a wild and disgusting appearance. Thus, for two days, they indulge in every species of extravagance and recklessness. At the close, the bridegroom has expended the last moiety of his means, and forth to plunder, while the bride devotes herself to sorcery and its gains.

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The Rommany are devoted in their conjugal relations, and live happily, free from the family feuds which often characterize less degraded people. The casting of the "evil eye has obtained credence among nearly all nations of the Orient. It is an ancient superstition, and even the old Rabbinical writers treat the subject in the most serious manner in the Talmud. The Hebrews, also, think that the Old Testament recognizes the "evil eye" in a very explicit manner. The Turks, Arabs, Hindoos, Moors and Gypsies, dread this visitation more than the plague, and are very jealous of the gaze of a stranger upon their children. During the joyous festivals and feastings, the appearance of a stranger throws a blight upon their spirits, and should he venture to remark upon their pleasures and healthy appearance, they are filled with forebodings of evil. According to the Gypsy language, the casting the "evil eye" is called "guerela nasula," referring to the nausea which attends this infliction. In Seville, the children are generally seen with the horn of a stag suspended by a cord of black horse hair from the neck. The horn is tipped with silver, and should the "evil eye be cast upon one wearing the horn, it is supposed that the horn receives it, and the child remains unharmed. It is remarkable that the belief in this gross superstition is almost entirely confined to warm climates. Medical men give this explanation of the whole mystery: It is the effect of the

frequent and long continued exposure of the children of these warm climates to the powerful influence of the sun, producing "sun-stroke."

In the North there is a moping madness and sickness, resulting from the humid atmospheres, fetid marshes and fen lands, which superstition attributes to the elves and fairies. The idea is still very prevalent in some of the low localities in England, where the sickness is called "elf-shat." Further North it is called "elle-skiod," and "elle-vild" or "fairy-wild." This disease is prevalent among the lower animals, as well as among men, but seldom is found among those not exposed to the injurious circumstances to which we have alluded.

We have thus looked cursorily at the history, manners and customs of the Gypsies. We have aimed at no more than to give a "bird's-eye view" of certainly one of the most remarkable of the "peoples" of the earth. The Gypsy race is passing away, and will bear in its dark bosom, in all probability, the mysteries which have excited so much speculation since it first made its appearance in civilized Europe. Within the Gypsy ranks, and growing out of their habits and circumstances, are found the elements of inevitable decay. They must eventually be swept from the earth, or lose their characteristics, become civilized, and blended among the nations. Their numbers now are not half what they were fifty years since; their language has become modified, their dress less characteristic, their nomadic propensities more circumscribed, and they hold a nearer position to the great heart of humanity than they ever have done. As a race, they will, doubtless, ever be despised and abhorred; and only when time shall break-if it ever does break the indurated barriers which separate them from civilization, will the earth be freed from one of the most obdurate ethnological blights with which it has been visited since the days of Eden and the advent of the first creation of God,

C. A.

ART. XXIV.

The Resurrection of the Just.

THE resurrection of the just may imply either that the unjust will not be raised at all, or that they will be raised to a state of endless suffering. It is impossible to decide from the phrase itself-the resurrection of the just-what will be the condition either of the just or of the unjust. It may be inferred that the just will be happy in the future state forever, and that the unjust will be unhappy forever; yet this is only an inference, and should not be received as true without some evidence that it is so. The inquirer after truth desires to understand what the Scriptures teach, both respecting his present duty and his future destiny, that he may do what is required of him here, and be morally certain of happiness beyond the event of death. And he also wishes every subject he investigates or studies, to be made so plain, and all difficulties to be so completely removed, that doubt and darkness will be dispersed.

To ascertain what is meant by the resurrection of the just, as used in the New Testament, we must learn what views the Jews had of it in the time of Christ. We find some information on this subject in the Jewish historian, Josephus, and some in the Gospels. These are the principal sources of information at our command, and it is believed that the information which they contain is correct and reliable. Josephus says of the Pharisees, "They hold that all souls are incorruptible, but that the souls of good men only are removed into other bodies, but that the souls of bad men are subject to eternal punishment." In another place he says, They also believe that souls have an immortal vigor in them, and that, under the earth, there will be rewards and punishments, according as they have lived virtuously or viciously in this life; and the latter are to be detained in an everlasting prison, but that the former shall have power to revive and live again.' "2

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These quotations show a few things very plainly respect

1 War. b. ii., ch. 8: 14.

2 Ant. b. xviii., ch. 1: 3.

ing the belief of the Jews, or rather of the Pharisees, the popular sect of the Jews. (1.) All go down at death, below the earth, and there are rewarded or punished according to their conduct in this life. (2.) The wicked remain in this underworld without any hope of release; and are punished forever. (3.) The righteous have power to revive and live again, or to pass into other bodies. The righteous were not supposed to enter into heaven at any time before or after they were revived. The language of Josephus implies, nay, it rather teaches, that the righteous are restored to life and live here again as they did before death. But the revived must again die, and again they might return to life. This living, dying and reviving might, we suppose, be repeated an indefinite number of times. This doctrine seems very much like that of the transmigration of souls as taught by certain philosophers of ancient time.

We will now see what can be found in the Bible in support of this doctrine of the resurrection. In the Apochryphal book of Wisdom 3 the author says: "For I was a witty child and had a good spirit. Yea, rather, being good, I came into a body undefiled." This passage, written about 450 B. C., shows that the writer believed he was permitted, on being restored to life again on earth, to come into an undefiled body, because he was good. The Jews, though they well knew that Jesus was born and brought up among them, yet supposed he was Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the ancient prophets. But he could not be one of the old prophets, except by being the spirit of one of them returned to dwell in a new body called Jesus.

Again, the disciples of Christ came to him on a certain time, saying, "Who did sin, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" 5 This question shows that the disciples queried whether the blind man before them sinned when he lived in some previous age, and therefore on being restored to life, was sent into a blind body. Or, as the Jews believed that the just only were revived and permitted to enter other bodies, the disciples might have queried whether it were possible for one who had not been just before death to be restored to life, though in a blind body. Again, when Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by Jesus, he 5 John, ix. 2.

3 Ch. viii. 19, 20. 4 Matt., xvi. 14.