AD. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1592. 



But attend a while (Reader) and consider with me 

 the gravitie and wisedome of these great Clarices : that 

 we may not let passe such a notable commendation of 

 Island. Krantzius and Munster have hitherto taught, 

 that the Islanders are Christians. Also : that before the 

 receiving of Christian faith they lived according to the 

 lawe of nature. Also: that the Islanders lived after a law 

 not much differing from the lawe of the Germanes. 

 Also, that they lived in holy simplicitie. 



Attend I say (good Reader) and consider, what markes 

 of Christianitie, of the law of nature, of the Germanes 

 law, of holy simplicitie, these authors require, and what 

 markes they shew and describe in the Islanders. There 

 was one of the sayd markes before : namely, that the 

 Islanders doe place hell or the prison of the damned, 

 within the gulfe and bottome of mount Hecla : concern- 

 ing which, reade the first section of this part, and the 

 seventh section of the former. The seconde marke is, 

 [I. 582.] that with the Anabaptists they take away distinctions of 

 properties and possessions : in the section next going 

 before. The third and most excellent is this : those 

 singular & naturall affections, that love and tender care, 

 and that fatherly and godly minde of the Islanders to- 

 wards their children, namely that they make the same 

 accompt of them, or lesse then they doe of their dogges. 

 What ? Will Munster and Krantzius after this fashion 

 picture out unto us the law of Christ, the lawe of nature, 

 the lawe of the Germanes, and holy simplicitie ? O rare 

 and excellent picture, though not altogether matching the 

 skill of Apelles : O sharpe and wonderfuU invention, if 

 authenticall : O knowledge more then humane, though 

 not at all divine. 



But wee Islanders (albeit the farthest of all nations and 

 inhabiting a frozen clime) require farre other notes of 

 Christianitie. For we have the commaundement of God, 

 that every man should love his neighbour as himselfe. 

 Nowe there is none (I suppose) that doeth not love or 

 esteeme more of himselfe then of his dogge. And if 



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