objection or 

 •eproch. 



THE TRUE STATE OF ICELAND a.d. 



1592 

 the sayd slanderous libell being stuffed with so many 

 and divers reproches, might breed offence to all honest 

 men, and deterre them from reading it, with the filthinesse 

 thereof. 



I will therefore repeat the principall matters (omitting 

 those things which he hath common with others, or, that 

 heretofore have beene examined) but farre more modestly 

 then he, least (as I sayd) I cause good and learned mens 

 eares to tingle at his leud and unseemely rimes : they 

 that are desirous to see or heare him, let them enquire 

 at the Stationers. It is no part of our meaning (I say) 

 to defile these papers with his stinking slanders, or with 

 the filthy sinke of his reproches. 



First therefore, this our goodly Germane Historio- T'he first 



grapher objecteth that there be many Pastours in Island, " 



which preach not to their people once in two yeres, as 

 it is read in the former edition of this pasquill, which 

 notwithstanding the latter edition doth refute : saying 

 that the sayd Pastours use to preach but five times in an 

 whole yeere : which two, how well they agree together, 

 let the reader be judge, seeing it is manifest that the 

 authour himselfe, presently after the first edition, had 

 scarse seene Island. So oftentimes one lie betrayeth 

 another, according to that saying : Trueth agreeth unto 

 trueth ; but falshood agreeth neither to trueth nor to 

 falshood. 



But sith it is our part not to dissemble the trueth in 

 any place, we will not denie that holy sermons, about 

 the time wherein this sycophant lived in Island, namely 

 in the yere 1554, were seldomer in use then they are at 

 this day, namely, the darkenesse of popery being scarsely 

 at that time dispelled. Which also is to be understood 

 concerning the Psalmes of David mumbled by the com- 

 mon people in Latine, as he casteth us in the teeth : for 

 the Papists grounding all the hope of their salvation 

 in the Masse, did little regard the sermon, or doctrine. 

 But after we were freed from that mist, it hath bene (God 

 be thanked) farre otherwise with us : although we cannot 



181 



