THE TRUE STATE OF ICELAND a.d. 



1592. 

 shew with it, he is faine either to bring in falshood, 

 or often to repeat the same things, & so to become 

 tedious unto his reader: for he sayd a little before, 

 that the Islanders live upon fish. His words above 

 recited were these : Island conteineth many people living 

 onely with the food of cattell, and sometimes by taking 

 of fishes. And that I may omit the rest in which some 

 trifle might be noted : whereas he sayeth that bread 

 groweth not in Island : it is most true : which I thinke 

 is common therewith to Germany also, because bread 

 groweth not there neither, except it be in Munsters field 

 where naturall vineger also doth marveilously encrease. 

 But these toyes, by the liberty of rethoricke forsooth, 

 shall be out of danger. Howbeit, unto these reproches, 

 which strangers do gather from the meats and drinks 

 of the Islanders, we will hereafter briefly answere. Sect. 



The tenth section. 



The inhabitants do celebrate the actes of their ancestours, Munsterm, 

 and of their times, with songs, and they grave them ^^'^«^^^«^- 

 in rocks and promontories, that they may not decay 

 with posterity, but onely by the defect of nature. 



There be divers found amongst them that be minstrels, Frhius. 

 and can play upon the lute, who with their delect- 

 able musicke do ensnare and take both fowles and 

 fishes. 



WE denie not but that some woorthy actes of our ^-^^ Islanders 

 forefathers be reserved in the songs and poemes /^^^^/^^ "^ 

 of our countreymen, as also in prose : but that the same ^^ts of their 

 things have beene engraven by us, or by our ancestours, ancestors, 

 in rocks or promontories, we may in no case acknowledge 

 that praise to be due unto us, nor yet the other of 

 minstrels, and taking of birds and fishes. For we holde 

 it to be the part of an honest and ingenuous mind, as 

 to refute false crimes, so not to challenge undeserved 

 praise unto himselfe, nor to accept it being off'ered. 



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