Padre C. Why, look you;
They came with Hercules from Palestine,
And hence are thieves and vagrants, Sir Alcalde,
As the Simoniacs from Simon Magus,
And, look you, as Fray Jayme Bleda says,
There are a hundred marks to prove a Moor
Is not a Christian, so ’t is with the Gypsies. 
They never marry, never go to mass,
Never baptize their children, nor keep Lent,
Nor see the inside of a church,—­nor—­nor—­

Pedro C. Good reasons, good, substantial reasons all! 
No matter for the other ninety-five. 
They should be burnt, I see it plain enough,
They should be bunt.

(Enter Victorian and Hypolito playing.)

  Padre C. And pray, whom have we here?

  Pedro C. More vagrants!  By Saint Lazarus, more vagrants!

  Hyp.  Good evening, gentlemen!  Is this Guadarrama?

  Padre C. Yes, Guadarrama, and good evening to you.

Hyp.  We seek the Padre Cura of the village;
And, judging from your dress and reverend mien,
You must be he.

  Padre C. I am.  Pray, what’s your pleasure?

Hyp.  We are poor students, traveling in vacation.  You know this mark?

(Touching the wooden spoon in his hat-band.

Padre C. (joyfully).  Ay, know it, and have worn it.

Pedro C. (aside).  Soup-eaters! by the mass!  The worst of vagrants! 
And there’s no law against them.  Sir, your servant.
[Exit.

Padre C. Your servant, Pedro Crespo.

Hyp.  Padre Cura,
Front the first moment I beheld your face,
I said within myself, “This is the man!”
There is a certain something in your looks,
A certain scholar-like and studious something,—­
You understand,—­which cannot be mistaken;
Which marks you as a very learned man,
In fine, as one of us.

  Vict. (aside).  What impudence!

Hyp.  As we approached, I said to my companion,
“That is the Padre Cura; mark my words!”
Meaning your Grace.  “The other man,” said I,
Who sits so awkwardly upon the bench,
Must be the sacristan.”

Padre C. Ah! said you so? 
Why, that was Pedro Crespo, the alcalde!

Hyp.  Indeed! you much astonish me!  His air
Was not so full of dignity and grace
As an alcalde’s should be.

Padre C. That is true. 
He’s out of humor with some vagrant Gypsies,
Who have their camp here in the neighborhood. 
There’s nothing so undignified as anger.

Hyp.  The Padre Cura will excuse our boldness,
If, from his well-known hospitality,
We crave a lodging for the night.

Padre C. I pray you! 
You do me honor!  I am but too happy
To have such guests beneath my humble roof. 
It is not often that I have occasion
To speak with scholars; and Emollit mores,
Nec sinit esse feros, Cicero says.