A.D. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1592. 



Island, deale with our men. But seeing by this com- 

 plaint I have not determined to reproch others, but to 

 lav open the undeserved reproches of others against our 

 nation, I do here of purpose surcease. 



The foureteenth section. 



Th£ 4, 5, 6, Fourthly, he sa^th that in bankets none of the ghests 



l^ ■; reprochs. ^^^ '^^ ^^^ j^^j^ ^^^ table: but that the good wife of 



the house reacheth to every one a chamber-pot, so 



oft as need requireth. Moreover, he noteth much 



unmanerlinesse of eating and drinking at bankets. 



Fiftly, he objecteth customes of Ipng in bed, and of 

 dining : namely that ten persons, more or lesse, men 

 and women lie altogether in the same bed, and that 

 they eat their meat Mng in bed : and that in the 

 meane time they do nothing but play at dice or at 

 tables. 



Sixtly, he reporteth that they wash their hands and their 

 faces in pisse. 



Seventhly, he despightfuUy abaseth our solemnizings of 

 marriages, spousals, birth-dayes, and our customes at 

 burials. 



THese, and a number of such like reproches hath this 

 impure slanderer spued foorth against an innocent 

 nation, yea and that nation which hath deserved right 

 well of him and his countrimen. Which are of the same 

 kind with these, in so much that we altogether disdeigne 

 to make answere unto them. For, that we may graunt 

 (which notwithstanding we will in no case veelde unto) 

 that this worthy Germane notarie observ^ed some such 

 matter among base companions, and the verv ot-scouring 

 of the common people, with whom he was much more 

 conversant then with good and honest persons (for he 

 had lived, as his rimes testitie, somewhat long upon the 

 coast of Island, whither a confused rout of the meanest 

 common people, in fishing time do verelv resort, who 

 beino^ naught aswell tlirough their owne leudnesse, as bv 



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