THE TRUE STATE OF ICELAND ad. 



1592- 

 law found in adultery with another mans wife, by her 

 husband, if he escape, he shall undergoe the punishment 

 of manslaughter ? Or in that common wealth, the 

 politike lawes whereof do also enjoy ne a man that is 

 taken in carnall copulation with the mother, daughter, or 

 sister, by the sonne, father, or brother, to redeeme his 

 life with the one halfe of that which he ought to have 

 payed, if he had shed the innocent bloud of the sayd 

 party? Or in that common wealth the politike lawes 

 whereof have noted and condemned adultery under the 

 name of a most heinous offence? and do straightly 

 command that he which is taken the third time in that 

 beastly act shalbe punished with death ? 



You see therefore (friendly readers) what an injurious 

 Notary we have, affirming that adultery and whoredome 

 in Island deserveth not the name of sinne and wicked- 

 nesse : for although some officers let slip this or that 

 vice unpunished, yet ought not the whole nation, nor the 

 lawes, nor all good and godly men, in that regard, to be 

 accused or evill spoken of. 



The thirteenth section. 



The third reproch is, whereby he doth brand the Islanders The third 

 with the marke of deceit and trechery toward the ^'^P^<^'^^- 

 Germans. 



DOubtles the author of this libell was some vagabond 

 huckster or pedler, and had gone particularly into 

 many corners of Island to utter his trumpery wares, 

 which he also testifieth of himselfe in his worthy rimes, 

 that he had travailed thorow the greatest part of Island, 

 whereupon when he had played the cousining mate with 

 others (for often times deceit and lying are joyned to- 

 gether, and he hath sufficiently proved himselfe to be a 

 liar, by this triall of his wit) peradventure himselfe was 

 beguiled by them whom he before time had defrauded. 



From hence proceedeth this slander against our whole 

 Nation : dissembling in the meane time with what 

 honestie certaine Germans, making yerely voyages into 



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