FOOTNOTES.
Matthew Raper translation
Frankfurter Staats Ristretto, Nr. 157. 1782. “Donau Strohm, 29th September.—We mention with horror, that besides those inhuman wretches who have already been put to the sword in Hungary, there are one hundred and fifty still in chains; and some thousands more are, with good foundation, suspected. They are all Gipseys. Maria Theresa had given orders that all these human vermin should be driven from their holes, and compelled to live in villages: but that wise regulation was not enforced, and the evil is now grown to such a height as scarcely to be remedied without a total extirpation of them.”
Hamburgh. Unpartheiisch. Correspondent. Nr. 159. 1782. “Hungary, 22d September.—Besides those Gipsey cannibals which were executed on the 22d of August, at Fraumark, there were fifteen of these barbarians put to death on the twenty-fourth at Kameza; and on the twenty-sixth, thirteen more at Esabrag. In the former place were seven women beheaded, five men hanged, two broken alive on the wheel, and one quartered alive. At the latter place seven women were beheaded, four men hanged and two broken on the wheel. Many still remain in confinement; among whom is one who acted as priest, and married people for two groschens a time. Their harumpascha, who, as we lately advised, was taken by a very simple stratagem, cannot yet be brought to any confession of his crimes.”
Frankfurter Staats Ristretto, Nr. 207. 1782. “Donau Strohm, 24th December.—Not long ago it was published, that forty-five of the men-eaters had been executed in Hungary. One hundred and fifty still remain in prison, whose sentence has, by express orders from court, been respited. Her majesty, not thinking it possible that the people in confinement could have been guilty of such enormous crimes, sent a commissary thither from court to examine minutely into the affair. On his return it was confirmed that they were really men-eaters; and that there are actually among them sons who have killed and eaten their own fathers.”
Mitidika, Mitidika, wién üng quátsch! Ba nu, Ba nu, n’ am tsche fátsch.
This tsche fátsch, which should be tsche se fak, is a monstrous perversion of language. But the Gipsey wanted a rhyme for quatsch; so directly, with a bold poetical licence, he changes the first person of the conjunctive for the third of the indicative mood. Thus this little composition, in question and answer, which should be,
Little one, Little one, come from thence! No, no, no, no, I have nothing to do (there).
he changes to, I have nothing, what do you?