But Considering These Things Are Not Proper To This Place, I Wil Leaue Them, And Returne To My Purpose Which I Haue In Hand:

Most humbly beseeching your S. M. that yon would of your clemencie vouchsafe to become a fauorer, and patron vnto these my labours and studies, for the behalfe of my countrey.

It now remaineth (most gracious and mercifull souereigne) for vs to make our humble prayers vnto almighty God, that king of kings, and disposer of all humane affaires, that it would please him of his infinite goodnes, to aduance your Maiestie (yearely growing vp in wisedome & experience, and all other heroicall vertues) to the highest pitch of souereigntie: and being aduanced, continually to blesse yon with most prosperous successe in all your affaires: and being blessed, long to preserue you, as the chief ornament, defence and safegarde of these kingdomes, and as the shield and fortresse of his church: and hereafter in the life to come, to make you shine glorious like a starre, amongst the principall nurcing fathers of Gods Church, in the perfect ioy of his heauenly kingdome. The same most mercifull father likewise grant, that these praiers, the oftener they be dayly repeated and multiplied in euery corner of your Maiesties most ample territories & Islands, so much the more sure and certain they may remaine, Amen. At Haffnia, or Copen Hagen 1593. in the moneth of March. Y. S. M. most humble subiect,

Arngrimus Ionas, Islander. [Footnote: A celebrated Icelandic astronomer, disciple of Tycho Brahe, and coadjutor of the Bishop of Holen, died in 1649 at the great age of 95. His principal works, besides his Description and History of Iceland, (published at Amsterdam in 1643, 4to), are Idea Vera Magistratus (Copenhagen, 1689, 8vo); Rerum Islandicarum libri tres (Hamburg, 1630, 4to); The Life of Gundebrand de Thorlac, etc. He is remembered amongst the peasantry of Iceland as the only instance known in that country of a man of ninety-one marrying a girl in her teens.]

Benigno & pio Lectori salutem.

In lucem exijt circa annum Christi 1561. Hamburgi foetus valde deformis, patre quodam Germanico propola: Rhythmi videlicet Germanici, omnium qui vnquam leguntur spurcissimi & mendacissimi in gentem Islandicam. Nec sufficiebat sordido Typographo sordidum illum foetum semel emisisse, nisi tertium etiam aut quartum publicasset, quo videlicet magis innocenti genti apud Germanos & Danos, aliosque vicinos populos summam & nunquam delendam ignominiam, quantum, in ipso fuit, inureret. Tantum Typographi huius odium fuit, & ex re illicita lucri auiditas. Et hoc in illa ciuitate, qua plurimos annos commercia sua magno suorum cum lucro in Islandia exercuit, impune fecit. Ioachimus Leo nomen illi est, dignus certe qui Leones pascat.

Reperiuntur praterea multi alij scriptores, qui cum miracula natura, qua in hac Insula creduntur esse plurima, & gentis Islandica mores ac instituta describere se velle putant, a re ipsa & veritate prorsus aberrarunt, nautarnm fabulas plusquam aniles, & vulgi opiniones vanissimas secuti. Hi Scriptores etsi non tam spurca & probrosa reliquerunt, quam sordidus iste Rhythmista: multa tamen sunt in illorum scriptis, qua illos excusare non possunt, aut prorsus liberare, quo minus innocentem gentem suis scriptis deridendam alijs exposuerint. Hac animaduertens, legens, expendens, subinde nouis, qui Islandorum nomen & astimationem laderent, scriptoribus ortis, alienorum laborum suffuratoribus impudicis, qui etiam non desinunt gentem nostram nouis conspurcare mendacijs, lectoresque noua monstrorum enumeratione & descriptionibus fictis deludere, sape optabam esse aliquem, qui ad errata Historicorum, & aliorum iniquorum censorum responderet, quique aliquo scripto innocentem gentem a tot conuicijs si non liberaret, certe aliquo modo apud pios & candidos Lectores defenderet. Quare hoc tempore Author eram honesto studioso, Arngrimo Iona F. vt reuolutis scriptorum monumentis, qui de Islandia aliquid scripserunt, errores & mendacia solidis rationibus detegeret. Ille etsi primo reluctabatur, vicit tamen demum admonitio, amorque communis patria, ita vt hunc qualemcunque commentariolum conscriberet, non ex vanis vulgi fabulis, sed & ex sua & multorum fide dignorum experientia, comprobationibus sumptis.

Ille vero, qui hanc rem meo est aggressus instinctu, vicissim a me suo quasi iure flagitabat, vt in has pagellas, vel tribus saltem verbis prafarer: existimans aliquid fidei vel authoritatis opusculo inde conciliatum iri. Quare vt mentem breuiter exponam: Ego quidem & honestam & necessariam quoque operam nauasse eum iudico, qui non modo scriptorum varias sententias de rebus ignotis perpendere, & inuicem conferre, nec non ad veritatis & experientia censuram exigere: Sed etiam patriam a venenatis quorundam sycophantarum morsibus vindicare conatus sit. Aquum est igitur, Lector optime, vt quicquid hoc est opusculi, velut sanctissimo veritatis & patria amore aduersus Zoilorum proteruiam munitum & muniendum excipias. Vale.

Gudbrandus Thorliacus Episcopus Holensis in Islandia. Anno 1592. Iul. 29.

[Footnote: In the original edition of the description of Iceland by Arngrimus, follow these lines:

¶ Authoris ad Lectorem. Imbute Lector suauis arte Palladis, Lector benigne, humane, multum candide, Qui cuncta scis collis sacri mysteria: Has videris si forte quando paginas Non lectione sique dedignabere, Fac, nos tuo candori vt hac committimus Et aquitati, fronte sic non tetrica, Vultu legas nec ista quando turbido: Communis vnquam sortis haud sis immemor, Infirmitas quam nostra nobis contulit. Obnoxius nam non quis est mortalium Erroribus nauisque semper plurimis? Quod si diu multumque cogitauens, Nostris eris conatibus paulo aquior, Tuis & isto rite pacto consules: Candore nam quo nostra arctans vtere, En te legentes rursus vtentur pari: Sic ipse semper alteri qua feceris. Aqualitatis lege & hac fient tibi.

De gente multis pradicata Islandica Authoribus quamuis probata maximis, Nostro periclo hucusque vulgo credita, Licere nobis credimus refellere, Non vt notam scriptorum muram nomini, Nostrum sed a nota probosa vindicem: Hoc institutum iusque fasque comprobant: Hoc nostra consuetudo lexque comprobant: Hoc digna lectu exempla denique comprobant. Ergo faue: nostris faue conatibus, Sis mitis indulgens et aquus arbiter, O lector arte imbute suauis Palladis, Lector benigne, amice, multum candide, Qui cuncta scis collis sacri mysteria.]

The same in English.

To the courteous and Christian reader Gudbrandus Thorlacius, Bishop of Holen in Island, wisheth health.

There came to light about the yeare of Christ 1561, a very deformed impe, begotten by a certain Pedlar of Germany: namely a booke of German rimes of al that euer were read the most filthy and most slanderous against the nation of Island.

Enter page number Go  Previous Next
Page 65 of 125
Words from 66242 to 67242 of 127955