The Festival — The Gypsy Song — Piramus of Rome — The Scotchman — Gypsy Names

On the following day there was much feasting amongst the Romany chals of Mr. Petulengro’s party. Throughout the forenoon the Romany chies did scarcely anything but cook flesh, and the flesh which they cooked was swine’s flesh. About two o’clock, the chals and chies dividing themselves into various parties sat down and partook of the fare, which was partly roasted, partly sodden². I dined that day with Mr. Petulengro, and his wife and family, Ursula, Mr. and Mrs. Chikno, and Sylvester and his two children. Sylvester, it will be as well to say; was a widower³, and had consequently no one to cook his victuals⁴ for him, supposing he had any, which was not always the case, Sylvester’s affairs being seldom in a prosperous state. He was noted⁵ for his bad success in trafficking, notwithstanding the many hints which he received from Jasper, under whose protection he had placed himself, even as Tawno Chikno had done, who himself, as the reader has heard on a former occasion, was anything but a wealthy subject, though he was at all times better off than Sylvester, the Lazarus of the Romany tribe.

All our party ate with a good appetite, except myself, who, feeling rather melancholy⁷ that day, had little desire to eat. I did not, like the others, partake of the pork, but got my dinner entirely⁸ off the body of a squirrel which had been shot the day before by a chal 63 of the name of Piramus, who, besides being a good shot, was celebrated⁹ for his skill in playing on the fiddle¹⁰. During the dinner a horn filled with ale passed frequently around; I drank of it more than once, and felt inspirited by the draughts

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