THE TRUE STATE OF ICELAND a.d. 



1592. 



there is no stopping of the passages, wherby they poure 

 forth abundance of fire sometime flaming, & sometime 

 smoaking as it were a streaming flood. But if betweene 

 times the fire encreaseth, all secret passages being shut 

 up, the inner parts of the mountaine are notwithstanding 

 enflamed. The fire in the upper part, for want of 

 matter, somewhat abateth for the time. But when a 

 more vehement spirite (the same, or other passages being 

 set open again) doth with great violence breake prison, it 

 casteth forth ashes, sand, brimstone, pumistones, lumpes 

 resembling iron, great stones, & much other matter, not 

 without the domage of the whole region adjoyning. 

 Thus farre Munster. Where consider (good Reader) 

 how he cutteth his throat with his owne sword, consider 

 (I say) that in this place there is the very same opinion 

 of the burning of Hecla, & the burning of Aetna, which 

 notwithstanding in his 4. booke is very diverse, for there 

 he is faine to run to infernall causes. A certaine fierie 

 mountaine of West India hath farre more friendly cen- 

 surers, & historiographers then our Hecla, who make 

 not an infernall gulfe therof. The History of which 

 mountain (because it is short & sweete) I will set downe, 

 being written by Hieronimus Benzo an Italian, in his 

 history of the new world, lib. 2. These be the words. 

 About 35. miles distant from Leon there is a mountaine 

 which at a great hole belcheth out such mightie balles of 

 flames, that in the night they shine farre and neare, [I. 561 

 above 100. miles. Some were of opinion that within it 

 was molten gold ministring continuall matter & nourish- 

 ment for the fire. Hereupon a certain Dominican Frier, 

 determining to make trial of the matter, caused a brasse 

 kettle, & an iron chain to be made : afterward ascending 

 to the top of the hill with 4. other Spaniards, he letteth 

 downe the chaine & the kettle 140. elnes into the 

 fornace : there, by extreme heate of the fire, the kettle, 

 & part of the chaine melted. The monke in a rage ran 

 back to Leon, & chid the smith, because he had made 

 the chaine far more slender then himselfe had com- 



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