THE TRUE STATE OF ICELAND ad. 



1592. 

 as the philosophers seeme to assigne unto this our aier, 

 and these nourishments, which perhaps many of our 

 countreymen could much rather verifie in deeds then 

 in words, if (as the Poet sayth) envious poverty did 

 not holde us downe. 



But here the judgement of the common people, as 

 often in other matters, doth too plainly deceive (I 

 except all good and well experienced men) some of 

 them which would seeme to be wise : namely, that 

 whatsoever their use doth not admit, or that they have 

 not scene, nor had triall of beforetime, they presently 

 condemne. As for example, he that never saw the sea 

 will not be persuaded that there is a mediterrane sea : 

 so doe they measure all things by their owne experience 

 and conceit, as though there were nothing good and 

 profitable, but that onely wherewith they mainteine their 

 lives. But we are not growen to that pitch of folly, 

 that because we have heard of certeine people of 

 Aethiopia, which are fed with locusts, being therefore 

 called by Diodorus, Acridophagi, and of a certaine 

 nation of India also, whom Clitarchus & Megastenes 

 have named Mandri, as Agatarchides witnesseth, or of 

 others that live upon frogs or sea-crabs, or round 

 shrimps, which thing is at this day commonly knowen, 

 that (I say) we should therefore presume to make them 

 a laughing stocke to the common people, because we 

 are not accustomed to such sustenance. 



The sixteenth section. 



TEnthly, that uncivill beast casteth our men in the The tenth re 

 teeth with their good hospitality. They do not 

 (sayth he) carry about mony with them in their purses, 

 neither is it any shame to be enterteined in a strange 

 place, and to have meat and drinke bestowed of free 

 cost. For if they had any thing which they might 

 impart with others, they would very gladly. Moreover, 

 he maketh mention of certeine churches or holy chappels 

 (as of a base thing) which many of the Islanders have 



189 



Proch. 



