2. Not to appear any more in large cloaks, which are chiefly useful to hide things that have been stolen.
3. No Gipsey, except he be a goldwasher, shall keep a horse: also the goldwashers
4. Must refrain from all kinds of bartering at the annual fairs.
5. The magistrates of every place must be very attentive, that no Gipsey waste his time in idleness: but at those seasons when they have no employment, either for themselves or any landholder, recommend them to some other person, with whom they shall be compelled to work for hire.
6. They are to be kept, particularly, to agriculture; therefore
7. It is to be observed, where possible, that every territorial lord who takes any Gipseys under his jurisdiction, do allot them a certain piece of ground to cultivate:
8. Whoever is remiss in his husbandry, shall be liable to corporal punishment:
9. They shall only be permitted to amuse themselves with music, or other things, when there is no field work to be done.
Such were the regulations wisely adopted by the emperor Joseph, for the purpose of civilising, and rendering good and profitable citizens, upwards of eighty thousand miserable wretches, ignorant of God and virtue. It must be regretted that similar measures have not been used in the other countries of Europe, where these people still remain wandering in error, and scarcely deserving to be considered as human beings.
SECTION II. ON THE ORIGIN OF THE GIPSEYS.
_The first Appearance of Gipseys in Europe_.
NO record is to be found, stating in what year, or in what part of Europe, Gipseys made their first appearance. But it is to be premised, what will afterwards be investigated, that they did not originate in our quarter of the globe; on the contrary, that they strayed hither, as oriental strangers, either from Egypt, Asia Minor, or some other part: we shall then examine, whether it be not possible, by means of what is related in old writings concerning the first observance of them in different countries, to follow the track so as to ascertain where and when they first set foot on European ground.
Mention is made of them in Germany so early as the year 1417, when they appeared in the vicinity of the North Sea. A year afterwards we find them also in Switzerland and the country of the Grisons. In 1422 they likewise appeared in Italy. It is unknown what was the earliest period at which they were observed in France and Spain: but their appearance in these countries must have been of later date than in Germany, as is proved in respect to France, by the name Bohemians, which they bear there. In regard to Spain, Cordova, in order to contradict some surmises about the Gipseys’ mother country, uses the argument, that they were known in Germany prior to either Spain or Italy. The French make the first mention of them in 1427, when they straggled about Paris, having arrived there on the 17th day of August in that year.