Of the Gickisses, or Blind Beggars.
Of the Gickisses, or Blind Beggars.
HE xith chapter is of the Gickisses, or Blind
Beggars. Mark: there are three kinds of
blind men who wander about. Some are
called BLOCHARTS, id est, blind men—made blind by
the power of God,—they go on a pilgrimage, and
when they come into a town they hide their round
hats, and say to the people they have been stolen
from them, or lost at the places where they had
sheltered themselves, and one of them often collects
ten or xx caps, and then sells them. Some are
called blind who have lost their sight by evil-doings
and wickednesses. They wander about in the country
and carry with them pictures of devils, and repairPg 29
to the churches, and pretend they had been at
Rome, to Saint James, and other distant places, and
speak of great signs and wonders that had taken
place, but it is all lies and deception. Some of the
blind men are called BROKEN WANDERERS (Bruch
Umbgeen). These are such as have been blinded
ten years or more; they take cotton, and make the
cotton bloody, and then with a kerchief tie this
over their eyes, and say that they have been mercers
or pedlers, and were blinded by wicked men
in a forest, that they were tied fast to a tree and so
remained three or four days, and, but for a merciful
passer-by, they would have miserably perished;—and
this is called BROKEN WANDERING.
Conclusio: Know them well before thou givest to
them; my advice is only give to those thou knowest.