THE TRUE STATE OF ICELAND ad. 



1592. 

 swallowed these reproches, taking them out of Krantzius 

 his preface upon Norway, so he casteth up the verie same 

 morsels undigested and rawe against our nation, in his 

 fourth booke of Cosmographie cap. 8. Those things 

 which have beene hitherto, although they have sufficiently 

 grieved us, yet will we let them seeme more tollerable : 

 but this most malitious devise, and those which follow 

 we cannot easily brooke. It is our part therefore in this 

 place also to avouch the trueth, and to turne the leasing 

 upon the authors owne head. 



House, &c. First, that which they say concerning 

 the same common house (as also living, and state) with 

 our cattell, we plainely affirme to be false and erronious, 

 not onely the truth it selfe being our witnesse, if any 

 man would make triall, but also the experience of manie 

 strangers, that have lived some yeeres amongst us, and 

 have more minde to speake the trueth then to revile 

 our nation : who have seen our houses and habitations 

 with their owne eyes, and knewe that in every particular 

 farme or graunge there were many severall roomes : 

 namely, in those that were most simple and base, seven 

 or eight : In others which were greater, sometimes tenne, 

 and sometimes twentie. In the greatest sometimes fortie, 

 and sometimes fiftie. Which for the most part being 

 severed, both by roofes and walles, doe serve for the 

 dayly and houshold affaires of one owner or master, 

 seldome of two or three, but almost never of more : 

 whereupon the Reader may easily judge, howe true it 

 is that the Islanders and their cattell have all one house 

 to lie in, when every husbandman in this varietie of 

 roomes hath severall oxe-stalles, sheepe-cotes, stables, 

 lambes-cots separated indifferent spaces one from another, 

 which the servants goe unto so oft as neede requireth, 

 and from thence returne backe to the dwelling houses. 



But whereas one noted in his Mappe of Island, con- 

 cerning the province of Skagefiord, that under the same 

 roofe, men, dogges, swine and sheepe live all together, 

 it is partly false, and partly no marvell : for sheepe, as 



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