A.D. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1592- 



times over : that he might thereby, what lay in him, 

 more deepely disgrace our innocent nation among the 

 Germans, & Danes, and other neighbour countries, with 

 shamefull, and everlasting ignominie. So great was the 

 malice of this printer, & his desire so greedy to get 

 lucre, by a thing unlawfull. And this he did without 

 controlment, even in that citie, which these many yeres 

 hath trafficked with Island to the great gaine, and 

 commodity of the citizens. His name is Joachimus 

 Leo, a man worthy to become lions foode. 

 Great errors Moreover, there are many other writers found, who 

 grow^ upon when they would seeme to describe the miracles of 

 fabulous re- ^^^ure, which are thought to be very many in this 

 ports. Island, & the maners, & customs of the Islanders, have 



altogether swarved from the matter and truth it selfe, 

 following mariners fables more trifling then old wives 

 tales, & the most vain opinions of the common sort. 

 These writers, although they have not left behind them 

 such filthy & reprochful stuife as that base rimer : yet 

 there are many things in their writings that wil not 

 suffer them to be excused, & altogether acquited from 

 causing an innocent nation to be had in derision by 

 others. Wherefore marking, reading, & weighing these 

 things with my selfe, & considering that there dayly 

 spring up new writers, which offer injury to the fame 

 & reputation of the Islanders, being such men also as 

 do shamelesly filtch out of other mens labours, deluding 

 their readers w^ feined descriptions, & a new rehearsal 

 of monsters, I often wished that some one man would 

 come forth, to make answere to the errors of historio- 

 graphers & other unjust censurers : and by some writing, 

 if not to free our innocent nation from so many re- 

 proches, yet at leastwise, in some sort to defend it, 

 among christian & friendly readers. And for this 

 cause I have now procured an honest and learned young 

 man one Arngrimus Fitz-Jonas, to peruse the works of 

 authors, that have written any thing concerning Island, 

 and by sound reasons to detect their errors, & falshoods. 



94 



