A.D. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1592. 



But that brimstone should be sent foorth it is a 

 meere fable, and never knowen unto our nation, by any 

 experiment. 



This place is the prison of uncleane soules. Here 

 I am constrained to use a preface, and to crave pardon 

 of the Reader, because, whereas in the beginning 1 

 propounded unto my selfe to treat of the land, and of 

 the inhabitants distinctly by themselves, I must of neces- 

 sitie confusedly handle certaine matters in this first part, 

 which do properly belong unto the second. This is 

 come to passe through the fault of these writers, who 

 have confounded this part of the inhabitants religion 

 concerning the opinion of hell, or of the infernall 

 prison, with the situation & miracles of the island. 

 Wherfore that we may come to this matter, who can 

 but wonder, that wise men should be growen to this 

 point, not onely to listen after, but even to follow and 

 embrace the dotings of the rude people ? For the com- 

 mon sort of strangers, and the off-skowring of mariners 

 (here I do except them of better judgement aswell 

 mariners as others) hearing of this rare miracle of nature, 

 by an inbred and natural! blockish nesse are carried to 

 this imagination of the prison of soules : and that be- 

 cause they see no wood nor any such fewell layed upon 

 this fire as they have in their owne chimneys at home. 

 And by this perswasion of the grosse multitude, the 

 report grew strong, especially (as they are too much 

 accustomed to banning and cursing) while one would 

 wish to another the firie torments of this mountaine. 

 As though elementarie, material!, and visible fire could 

 consume mens soules being spirituall, bodilesse, and in- 

 visible substances. And to be short, who can but 

 woonder, why they should not faine the same prison of 

 damned soules, aswell in mount Aetna, being no lesse 

 famous for fires and inflamations then this .? But you 

 will say, that Pope Gregorie fained it so to be. There- 

 fore it is purgatorie. I am content it should be so : 

 then there is the same trueth of this prison that there 



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