THE TRUE STATE OF ICELAND ad. 



1592. 

 whose words in the first section were these. Before the 

 receiving of Christian faith the Islanders living according 

 to the lawe of nature did not much differ from our 

 lawe, &c. If by the lawe of nature, then doubtlesse 

 by that lawe of justice, which giveth to every man his 

 owne : If by the lawe of justice, then certainely dis- 

 tinctions of properties and possessions must needes have 

 taken place in our Nation : and although this very lav/e 

 is often transgressed, and that haynously even in the 

 Church : notwithstanding both the Church, and also 

 heathen men doe acknowledge it to be most just and 

 good. 



The seventh section. 



They make all one reckoning of their whelpes, and of 

 their children : except that of the poorer sort you 

 shall easier obtaine their sonne then their shalke. 



ALthough in the beginning of this Treatise I thought 

 that Munster and other men of great name in those 

 things which they have left written concerning Islande, 

 were not to bee charged with slander, yet whether that 

 favour may here be shewed by any man whatsoever (be 

 he never so favourable, and never so sincere) I doe not 

 sufficiently conceive. For what should move such great 

 men, following the despightfull lyes, and fables of 

 mariners, to defame and staine our nation with so hor- 

 rible and so shamefull a reproch ? Surely nothing else 

 but a carelesse licentiousnesse to deride and contemne 

 a poore and unknowen Nation, and such other like 

 vices. 



But, be it knowen to all men that this untrueth doth 

 not so much hurt to the Islanders, as to the authors 

 themselves. For in heaping up this, and a great number 

 of others into their Histories, they cause their credite 

 in other places also to be suspected : And hereby they 

 gaine thus much (as Aristotle sayth) that when they 

 speake trueth no man will beleeve them without sus- 

 pition. 



171 



