THE TRUE STATE OF ICELAND ad. 



1592. 

 And it is certaine that before the often navigations Come of old 

 of Danes, Germans, and English men unto us, our land ^!^^ growing 

 was much more fertile then nowe it is (feeling the in- 

 conveniences of the aged and decayed worlde, both from 

 heaven and earth) and brought foorth, in certaine choyse 

 places, corne in abundance. 



The fift section. 

 The King of Denmarke and Norway sendeth every yeere ^^unsterus. 

 a Lieutenant into the Countrey. Krantzms. 



IN the yeere of our Lord eight hundred fortie and 

 sixe Harald Harfagre (which is to say, golden haires 

 or faire clockes) was borne. Who afterward in the yeere 

 eight hundred fiftie and eight, being chosen king of 

 Norway, when he was growen to age, and full strength, 

 chaunged the forme of the Noruagian government. For 

 whereas before it was devided into pettie Provinces 

 (which they called Fylki, and the pettie kings that The occasion 

 governed them, Fylkis konga) he reduced it by force 'ff^^P'^^ 

 of armes unto a Monarchie. But when some inhabi- /^/j^^^/fX 

 tants of the countrie, being mightie, and descended of people ofNor- 

 good parentages, could not well brooke this hard dealing, zcay. 

 they chose rather to be banished their countrey, then 

 not to shake off the yoke of tyranny. Whereupon, 

 they in the yeere above named eight hundred seventie 

 and foure, transported colonies into Island being before 

 discovered by some men and found out, but unpeopled 

 as yet : And so being the first founders of our nation, 

 they called themselves Islanders, which name their pos- 

 teritie reteineth unto this day. And therefore the 

 Islanders lived a long time, namely, three hundred 

 eightie and sixe yeeres, more or lesse, acknowledging 

 no submission to any other Nation. And although Haquinus 

 Haquinus that crowned King of Norway, who reigned ^^^^onatus, 

 longest of any Noruagian king, namely, above sixtie sixe 

 yeares, did oftentimes attempt by Ambassadours to make 

 the Islanders become tributaries unto him, notwithstand- 

 ing at all times they constantly withstoode him, till at 



i6q 



