Quod patria nostra a regia sede, et conspectu, tanto
interuallo sit remota, vt multi propterea tanto sibi maiorem sumant
licentiam, et impunitatem securius promittant. Caterum ista numini
iustissimo, quod aquis omnia oculis aspicit, committenda ducimus.
Reliquum est, o patria, vt studium in te nostrum, eo quo speramus animo i.
comi et benigno, suscipias: quod quamuis minime tale est, quale optaremus,
tamen cum VELLE SIT INSTAR OMNIVM, nolui idcirco desistere, quod pro tuo
nomine, tua dignitate, tua innocentia pugnare me satis strenue diffiderem.
Quin potius, quicquid id est si modo quicquam est et quantulumcunque
tandem, quod ad tui patrocinium pro mea tenui parte afterre possem,
nequaquam supprimendum putaui nec enim illos laudare soleo,
Qui, quod desperent inuicti membra Glyconis,
Nodosa nolunt corpus prohibere Chiragra.
Me sane, si hac commentatiuncula non erit tibi aut mihi dedecori, opera
nequaquam poenitebit. Quod si ad laudem vel aliquale patrocinium tui
aliquid faciat, operam perdidisse haud videbor. Sin vero alios alumnos,
meos conterraneos, arte et industria superiores, ad causam tuam, vel nunc,
vel in posterum suscipiendam, hoc conatu tenello excitauero, quid est cur
opera precium non fecisse dicar? quibus scribentibus, licet mea fama in
obscuro futura est, tamen prastantia illorum, qui nomini officient meo, me
consolabor: Nam etsi fama et nominis cura surnma esse debett maior tamen
patria; cuius dignitate salua et incolumni, nos quoque saluos et incolumes
reputabimus.
Scripsi Holis Hialtadalensium in Islandia, Ara Christiana Anno 1592. 17.
Kalendas Maias.
The same in English.
THE SIXTEENTH SECTION.
[Sidenote: The tenth reproch.] Tenthly, that vnciuill beast casteth our men
in the teeth with their good hospitality. They do not (sayth he) carry
about money with them in their purses, neither is it any shame to be
enterteined in a strange place, and to haue meat and drinke bestowed of
free cost. For if they had any thing which they might impart with others,
they would very gladly. Moreouer, he maketh mention of certeine churches or
holy chappels (as of a base thing) which many of the Islanders haue built
in their owne houses: and that first of all in the morning, they haue
recourse thither, to make their prayers, neither do they suffer any man
before they haue done their deuotion to interrupt them. These be the things
which he hath set downe as some notable disgrace vnto the Islanders. And no
maruell:
For filthy swine detest all cleanly ones,
And hogs vncleane regarde not precious stones.
Which I feare, least it may be too truely affirmed of this slanderer, as it
is manifest out of these two last obiections.
Howbeit, sithens he himselfe is a most sufficient witnesse of his owne
vertues, we will referre the reader, who is desirous to know more of him
vnto his booke of rimes against Island, which we haue now examined in our
former sections at whose railing and filthy speeches we haue bene ashamed
on his behalfe:
