A.D. 

 1592. 



THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



thing avalle to thine honour or defence, I will thinke 

 my travaile right well bestowed. Yea, if by this my 

 slender attempt I may but onely excite other of thy 

 children, and my native Countreymen, being farre my 

 superiours both in learning and industrie to take thy 

 cause in hand, either nowe or hereafter, what reason is 

 there why any man should say that it is not worth my 

 labour ? Nowe, if they addresse themselves to write, 

 howsoever my fame shalbe obscured, yet will I comfort 

 my selfe with their excellencie, who are like to impaire 

 my credite : for albeit a man ought to have speciall 

 regard of his name and fame, yet is he to have more 

 of his Countrey, whose dignitie being safe and sound, 

 we also must needes esteeme our selves to be in safetie. 

 Written at Holen Hialtedale in Island, the yeere 

 of our Lord 1592. the 17. of the 

 Kalends of May. 



A letter written by the grave and learned Gud- 

 brandus Thorlacius Bishop of Holen in Island, 

 concerning the ancient state of Island and 

 Gronland, &c. 



Reverendissimo viro, eruditione & virtute conspicuo, D. 

 Hugoni Branham, Ecclesis Harevicensis in Anglia 

 pastori vigilantissimo, fratri & symmystae observando. 



Irabar equidem (ut conjicis, reverende 

 domine pastor) primo literarum tuarum 

 intuitu, ignotum me, ab ignoto, scriptis 

 salutari. Caeterum, cum ulterius progre- 

 derer, comperi me, si non aliter, cert^ 

 nomine tenus, tibi (quae tua est humani- 

 tas) innotuisse : Simulque quod te nominis 

 Islandorum studiosum experirer, ex animo gavisus sum. 

 Unde etiam faciam, ut tua pietas, tuumque nomen, de 

 Evangelio Jesu Christi nobis congratulantis, deque gente 

 nostra tam benigne tamque honorifice sentientis & scri- 

 bentis, apud nos ignotum esse desinat. 



194 



