Mendicorum, Et Eorum Qui Ad Hos Proxime Accedunt, Omnia Cibaria Recensere Aut Examinare Haud Facile Est, Nec Quod Illos Edere, Aut Edisse, Extrema Aliquando Coegit Necessitas, Reliqua Genti Cibariorum Genera Aut Numerum Prascribere Fas Est.

Nam et de suffocatis quidem non comedendis legem habemus inter canones, quorum seruantissima videri voluit antiquitas.

Deinde etiam tempora distinguemus, vt nihil minim sit grassante annona sauitia, multa a multis ad explendam famem adhiberi aut adhibita fuisse, qua alias vix canes pascant. Vt nuperrime de Parisiensibus accepimus, Anno 1590, arctissima Henrici 4. Nauarrai obsidione pressis, et famem Saguntinam, vt P. Lindebergius loquitur, perpessis; eos non modo equinam, sed morticinam quoque carnem ex mortuorum ossibus in mortario contusis farina pugillo vno aut altero misto, confectam, in suas dapes conuertisse, et de alijs quoque populis notum est, qui simili vrgente inopia, etiam murium, felium et canum esu victi tarint. Sic etiam Islandis aliquando vsu venit (quanquam a canina, munum et felium, vt et humana carne hactenus, nobis quantum constat, abstinuerint) licet non ab hoste obsessis: Nam cum ad victum necessaria ex terra marique petant, et ab extraneis nihil commeatus, aut parum admodum aquehatur, quoties terra, marisque munera DEVS pracluserit, horrendam annona caritatem ingruere et ingruisse, et dira fame vexare incolas, necesse est. Vnde fit, vt illos qui in diem viuere soliti fuerint, nec pracedentium annorum superantes commeatus habuerint, extrema tentasse, quoties egestas vrserit, credibile. Caterum, vtrum hac res publico et perpetuo opprobrio magis apud Islandos, quam alias nationes, occasionem merito prabere debeat, candidis et bonis animis iudi candum relinquo.

Porro quod de gentis nostra proprijs et consuetis alimentis multi obijcere solent, potissimum de carne, piscibus, butyro, absque sale inueteratis, Item de lacticinijs, frumenti inopia, potu aqua, &c. et reliquis: id nos in plurimis Islandia locis (nam sunt multi quoque nostratium, qui Danorum et Germanorum more, quantum quidem castis et temperatis animis ad mediocritatem sufficere debet, licet magna condimentorum varietate, vt et ipsis Pharmacopolijs, destituimur, mensam instruere et frugaliter viuere sustineant) ita se habere haud multis refragabimur, videlicet pradicta victus genera, passim sine salis condimento vsitata esse. Et insuper addemus, hac ipsa cibaria, qua extranei quidam vel nominare horrent, ipsos tamen extraneos apud nos, non sine voluptate, manducare solitos. [Sidenote: Ratio conseruandos cibos sine sale.] Nam etsi frumenti aut farris pene nihil vulgo habeamus, nec sal, gula irritamentum, ad cibaria condienda, omnibus suppetit: docuit tamen Deus opt. max. etiam nostros homines rationem tractandi et conseruandi, qua ad vitam sustentandam spectant, vt appareat, Deum in alendis Islandis non esse ad panem vel salem alligatum. Quod vero sua omnia extranei iucundiora et salubriora clamant; negamus tamen satis causa esse, cur nostra nobis exprobrent: Nec nos DEVM gula nostra debitorem reputamus; quin potius toto pectore gratias agimus, quod sine opiparis illis delicijs et lautitijs, qua tam iucunda et salubres putantur, etiam nostra gentis hominibus, annos et atatem bonam, tum valetudinem etiam firmissimam, robur ac vires validas (qua omnia statimus boni et conuenientis alimenti, [Greek: kai tes euchrasias] esse indicia) concedere dignetur, cum ingenio etiam non prorsus tam crasso ac sterili, quam huic nostro aeri et alimentis assignare Philosophi videntur, quod re libentius, quam verbis multi fortasse nostratium comprobare poterant.

Ni nos (vt inquit ille) paupertas inuidia deprimeret.

Sed hic vulgi iudicium, vt in alijs sape, etiam eos qui sapere volunt (iam omnes bonos et cordatos excipio) nimis aperte decipit: Videlicet hoc ipso, quod omnia, qua illorum vsus non admittit, aut qua non viderunt, aut experti sunt antea, continuo damnent. Veluti, si quis, qui mare nunquam vidit, mare mediterraneum esse aliquod, non possit adduci vt credat: Sic illi sensu sua experientia omnia metiuntur, vt nihil sit bonum, nihil conductibile, nisi quo illi soli viuunt: At profecto nos, eo dementia non processimus, vt eos qui locustis vescuntur, quod tum de alijs, tum Athiopia quibusdam populis, ideo (autore Diodoro) Acridophagis appellatis, et India, gente, cui Mandrorum nomen Clytharcus et Magestanes dederunt, teste Agatarchide, didicimus; aut ranis, aut cancris mannis, aut squillis gibbis, qua res hodie nota est, vulgi propterea ludibrijs exponere prasumamus, a quibus tamen edulijs, in totum nostra consuetudo abhorret.

The same in English.

THE FIFTEENTH SECTION.

[Sidenote: The ninth reproch.] Wee will heere rehearse the ninth reproch, which that slanderous hogge hath drawen from the maner of liuing, and specially from the meat and drinke of the Islanders, and that not in one or a few wordes, but in a large inuectiue: namely, that they eate olde and vnsauoury meates, and that, without the vse of bread. Also that they eate diuers kinds of fishes which are vnknowen to strangers: and that they mingle water and whey together for drinke. All which this venemous pasquill, with eloquent railing and wittie slaunder hath set out at the full.

And albeit we doe scarse vouchsafe to stand longer about answering of him, yet in regard of others, who at this day partly woonder at the matter, and partly obiect it to our nation, we thought good to adde some few things in this place.

First therefore we will diuide this our nation into two parts: into beggers, and those that susteine both themselues, and amongst others, beggers also. As touching all kinds of meats wherewith beggers and other poore men satisfie their hunger, it is no easie matter to rehearse and examine them; neither, because extreame necessity hath at some times compelled them to eate this or that, therefore it is meet to prescribe certeine kindes and number of meats to the rest of the nation. For we haue also a law among the canons apostolicall, which forbiddeth to eat things strangled: in the obseruing of which canons, antiquity hath seemed to be very deuout.

Moreouer, we will make a distinction of times also, that it may seeme no strange accident in the time of famine, though many things are, and haue bene vsed by a great number of men to satisfie their hunger, which at other times are scarse meat for dogges. As very lately in the yeere 1590 we heard concerning the citizens of Paris, being enuironed with the most streite siege of Henrie the fourth, King of Nauarre, suffering (as Petrus Lindebergius speaketh) the famine of Saguntum; insomuch that they did not onely eate their horses, but also taking the flesh of dead men, and beating their bones to powder in a morter, they mingle therewith a bandfull or two of meale, esteeming it dainties.

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