Republished in the August 2004 issue of Miss Mary's Gazette

Romantic Story Of A Cygani

The following is an extraordinary instance of the repugnance with which the Hungarian peasants, and even the more elevated class, regard the cygani [gypsies] of Hungary. The story occurs in an article on the subject of this peculiar race in "The British Magazine," and is from the pen of the author of "Stories of a Bride."

"A beautiful Hungarian girl, named Suzette, had formed a strong attachment for Maygar, a youthful gypsey, whose fine figure, and noble, nay, intellectual countenance, were certainly quite enough to justify her partiality. It is almost needless to add, that Maygar returned her passion with fervor; (for the vehement feelings of these children of the south are too well known to require remark;) still, however, there was no hope of the lovers being united. The father of Suzette, though nominally a vassal to his territorial lord, possessed a great wealth in stores and herds; and, priding himself upon the purity of his blood, shrank from the cygani as from creatures of a different genus, whilst the fathers of the tribe, the immediate and blood relations of Maygar, were equally opposed to what they also considered a degradation. Notwithstanding these obstacles, the young people's love remained unshaken, and the happiest moments of Suzette's life were those which she spent in the open wooden gallery which ran round the upper story of her father's house, listening to the wild songs which Maygar chanted to his cittern, or guitar, in the woods below."

"Spring and summer had passed away since the passion of the unfortunate lovers had been discovered by their respective relatives, without the least prospect of an amelioration in the hardship of their destiny. Fortune, however, at length seemed tired of frowning upon them, and charitably threw an opportunity in the way of Maygar of being serviceable to the family of his mistress. It was autumn, and the abundant crops which had blessed the fields of Suzette's father, and been carefully gathered and stored in the large wooden gallery we have before alluded to, when, during a violent storm, lightning struck the dwelling, and the whole was instantly in a blaze. The terrified inmates rushed out in a state bordering upon distraction, all but Suzette, who fled instinctively to the gallery, and was there seen amidst the burning stores, apparently devoted to destruction. The agony of her father was indescribable: 'Save my child!' vociferated he, 'and I will give you whatever you may ask.' For some moments the spectators stood aghast; but soon, bursting from the crowd, was seen a young man, whom all present recognised to be Maygar. Under the influence of such strongly excited feelings, his success was certain; for, when powerfully agitated, the human frame can sometimes almost perform miracles; he swung to the burning rafters, supporting himself by incredible exertions, and encountering the most imminent dangers with such intrepidity as to obtain shouts of approbation from the crowd, till he reached Suzette, and was soon seen descending with his lovely mistress in his arms. The transport of the father was unbounded; but, alas! when Maygar claimed, as his promised reward, the fair being he had undergone so much to save, he was chilled by a look of the bitterest scorn, and reminded of his gypsey parentage."

"'Had the poorest Hungarian labourer in the field saved my daughter,' said the stern father, 'I would have given her to him; but she shall never wed one of the cygani.'

"It was useless to remonstrate; and, without daring to complain of the father's want of faith, Maygar determined still to win his daughter. The Hungarian peasants are slaves, both in body and mind, to their territorial lords; and Maygar knew that if he could win the favour of the graf, upon whose estate they resided, the father of Suzette would be compelled to give his consent to his daughter's marriage. It would take us too long to detail the means which Maygar employed to effect his purpose; the graf was old and unbending, difficult to access, and heedless of the feelings of others. Patience, however, never fails to conquer in the end; and few had stronger motives for perseverance than poor Maygar. Fortunate circumstances introduced him to the notice of the count; and, at length, his services in the defence of his patron's castle against a band of predatory Wallachians obtained for him the wished for mandate. Armed with this, he flew to the residence of Suzette's father, and had the satisfaction to find the old man perfectly submissive to his lord's will-but an unexpected obstacle still awaited the ardent lover, and this was of a nature so strange, and yet so insurmountable, that his hopes withered at the blow, and his reason fled never to return."

"Notwithstanding the length of their acquaintance, very little personal intercourse had taken place between the lovers. Suzette was naturally romantic, and had been so powerfully struck with the fine person of Maygar, his almost silent adoration, and the enthusiasm with which he had encountered every species of trial for her sake, as to resolve (as long as she considered their union impracticable) to live single for his sake; but this case was quite altered when she found him come actually to claim her hand. Then all her early prejudices recurred to her recollection-the wild stories of the vampire-like propensities of the cygani, their unholy rites, and the disgrace which attached itself to all associated with them, shook her with horror at the bare idea of giving her hand to one of their tribe. The sylph-like lover of her imagination had vanished, and the gypsey youth, in all the degrading circumstances of his real situation, stood confessed before. The struggle, though short, was violent-the devoted love of Maygar-his sufferings-and last, though certainly not the least, his handsome person, weighted strongly upon her mind, yet could not conquer her aversion; and strange to say, the pride of birth in a peasant girl of one of the wildest and most uncultivated countries in the world, was sufficient to overpower all her better feelings. Poor Maygar was refused, and the shock overpowered him so completely, that he became a helpless idiot; whilst his repentant mistress, agitated by contending passions, and unable to bear the sight of the misery she had occasioned, sank gradually into an untimely grave."

[TRAVELLER.]

Source: The Lady's Cabinet Album, circa 1840

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