THE TRUE STATE OF ICELAND a.d. 



1592. 



Munster. 

 Frisius. 



Frisius. 



The fifth section. 



The Hand, most part thereof, is mountainous and un- 



tilled. But that part which is plaine doth greatly ziegle'rus 

 abound with fodder, which is so ranke, that they are 

 faine to drive their cattell from the pasture, least 

 they surfet or be choaked. 



THat danger of surfetting or choaking was never 

 heard tell of, in our fathers, grandfathers, great- 

 grandfathers or any of our predecessours dayes, be they 

 never so ancient. 



The sixth section. 



There be in this Hand mountaines lift up to the skies, ^^/^f^^^^^- 

 whose tops being white with perpetuall snowe, their 

 roots boile with everlasting fire. The first is towards 

 the West, called Hecla : the other the mountaine of 

 the crosse : and the third Helga. Item : Zieglerus. 

 The rocke or promontorie of Hecla boileth with 

 continuall fire. Item : Saxo. There is in this Hand 

 also a mountaine, which resembling the starrie 

 firmament, with perpetuall flashings of fire, con- 

 tinueth alwayes burning, by uncessant belching out 

 of flames. 



MUnster and Frisius being about to report the 

 woonders of Island doe presently stumble, as it 

 were, upon the thresholde, to the great inconvenience of 

 them both. For that which they heere aflirme of mount 

 Hecla, although it hath some shew of trueth : notwith- 

 standing concerning the other two mountaines, that they 

 should burne with perpetuall fire, it is a manifest errour. 

 For there are no such mountaines to be found in Island, 

 nor yet any thing els (so farre foorth as wee can imagine) 

 which might minister occasion of so great an errour 

 unto writers. Howbeit there was seene (yet very lately) 

 in the yeere 1581 out of a certaine mountaine of South 



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