THE TRUE STATE OF ICELAND a.d. 



1592. 

 enlighten and cherish with the saving beames thereof our 

 whole nation, that hee would (I say) this light should 

 come unto us. This in briefe (running over the very 

 summe) is our faith, and our Religion, which by the 

 direction of the holy Spirit, and of his Ministers in the 

 vineyard of Christ, we have drawen and that out of the 

 fountaines of Israel. 



In the yeere of our Lord 1070. saw the Islanders Kmntzius. 

 converted unto Christ, &c. 



IT is doubtful unto us whether in these words Kranzius 

 would have said, that ye Islanders were first converted 

 unto Christ in the yeere of our Lord 1070: or whether 

 he doth not deny that they were indeed before converted, 

 but saith that it was knowne first unto Adalbert that 

 yeere. But whethersoever of these he affirmeth : not- 

 withstanding the yerely records, and most auncient ^'^^ ^°^^ 



Chronicles of our nation testifying the contrary do make ^^"^^{ 



, . ,. 1 1 • 1 • 1 ^ 1-1 Lhromcles of 



his credite to be suspected m this place, unto which island. 



records and Chronicles, whether you had rather give 



assent concerning our owne proper and domestical affaires, 



done within the bounds of our Island, or to Krantzius 



or any other being ignorant in the story of our countrey, 



I appeale, (friendly reader) unto your owne discretion. 



For my part I am enforced by many reasons to agree 



rather unto our owne writers. For our countreymen 



affirme those things onely that be knowen, and in a 



maner domesticall : he writeth matters forreine and un- 



knowen : they have compiled their histories without 



the diffaming, disgracing or reprehending of any other 



nations, onely that they might assigne unto their owne 



acts and exploits the true time or age thereof: he hath 



intermedled in his historie certaine things contrary to 



the trueth, and that to the upbraiding of our nation 



being most unknowen unto him, as it shall immediatly 



appeare : they describe the names, yeres, order, succession 



of all the Bishops of Island : he mentioneth onely one, 



& that farre otherwise then the trueth. Furthermore, 



149 



