For I Professe Not My Selfe An Historiographer, Or Geographer, But Onely A Disputer.

Wherefore omitting a longer Preface, let vs come to the first part concerning the situation, the name, miracles, and certaine other adiuncts of this Iland.

SECTIO PRIMA.

[Sidenote: Munst. lib. 4. Cosmograph.] Insula Islandia, qua per immensum a cateris secreta longe sita est in Oceano, vixque a nauigantibus agnoscitur, &c.

Et si hac tractare, qua ipsam terram vel illius adiuncta seu proprietates concernunt, ad gentem vel incolas a calumniantium morsu vindicandos parum faciat: tamen id nequaquam omittendum videtur. Sed de his primum, & quidem prolixius aliquanto agendum est, vt perspecto, quam vera de hac re tradant illi Islandia scriptores, facile inde candidus Lector, in ijs qua de Incolis scripta reliquerant, quaque ab illis alij, tanquam Dijs prodentibus, acceperunt, vnde sua in gentem nostram ludibria depromi aiunt, quantum fidei mereantur, iudicet.

Primum igitur distantiam Islandia a reliquis terris non immensam esse, nec tantam, quanta vulgo putatur, si quis insula longitudinem & latitudinem aliquo modo cognitam haberet, facile demonstrari posset. Non enim id alio, quam isto cognosci exacte posse modo existimarim, cum nulli dubium sit, quam semper nautarum vel rectissimus, vt illis videtur, cursus aberret. Quare varias authorum de situ Islandia sententias subiungam, vt inde quiuis de distantia id colligat, quod maxime verisimile videbitur, donec forte aliquando propria edoctus experientia, meam quoque sententiam si non interponam, tamen adiungam.

Longit. Latitud. Munsterus Islandiam collocat sub gradibus fere 20 68 Gerardus Mercator 352 68 Gemma Frisius: Medium Islandia: 7 0 65 30 Hersee: 7 40 60 42 Thirtes: 5 50 64 44 Nadar: 6 40 57 20 Iacobi Ziegleri: Littus Islandia Occident. 20 63 Chos promontorium: 22 46 63 Latus orientale extenditur contra Septentrionem: & finis extensionis habet 30 68 Latus septentrionale contra occidentem extenditur, & finis extensionis habet 28 69 Lateris Occidentalis descriptio. Heckelfel promontorium 25 67 Madher promontorium 21 20 65 10 Ciuitates in ea mediterranea sunt Holen Episcopalis 28 67 50 Schalholten Episcopalis 22 63 30 Reinholdus. Per Holen Islandia 68 Ioh. Myritius. Per Med. Islandia 69 Neander. Islandia tribus gradibus in circulum vsque Arcticum ab aquinoctiali excurrit, adeo fere, vt mediam circulus ille secet, &c.

Et si qui sunt praterea, qui vel in mappis, vel alioqui suis scriptis Insula situm notarunt, quorum plures sententias referre nihil attinet, cum quo plures habeas, eo magis dissidentes reperias. Ego quamuis verisimiles coniecturas habeo, cur nulla citata de Islandia situ sententia assentiar, quin potius diuersum quippiam ab ijs omnibus statuam, tamen id ipsum in dubio relinquere malo, quam quicquam non exploratum satis affirmare, donec, vt dixi, forte aliquando non coniecturam, sed obseruationem & experientiam propriam afferre liceat.

[Sidenote: Bidui nauigatio ab Islandia ad Noruagiam desertam.]

Distantiam ab ostio Albis ad portum Istandia meridionalis Batzende, quidam scripserat esse circiter 400. milliarium: Vnde si longitudinis differentiam ad meridianum Hamburgensem supputaueris, nullam modo positarum longitudinum habebit illo in loco Islandia. Ego ternis Hamburgensium nauigationibus docere possum, septimo die Hamburgum ex Islandia peruentum esse. Praterea etiam, Insula qua ab ouium multitudine Fareyjar, seu rectius Faareyjar dicta sunt, bidui nauigatione, vt & littora Noruagia deserta distant. Quatridui vero nauigatione in Gronlandiam habitabilem, & pari fere temporis interuallo, ad prouinciam Noruagia Stad. inter opida Nidrosiam & Bergas sitam peruenitur, quemadmodum in harum nationum vetustis codicibus reperimus.

The same in English.

THE FIRST SECTION.

[Sidenote: Munsterus lib. 4. cosmographia] The Isle of Island being seuered from other countreys an infinite distance, standeth farre into the Ocean, and is scarse knowen vnto Sailers.

Albeit a discourse of those things which concerne the land, and the adiuncts or properties thereof be of little moment to defend the nation or inhabitants from the biting of slanderers, yet seemeth it in no case to be omitted, but to be intreated of in the first place; that the friendly reader perceiuing how truely those writers of Island haue reported in this respect, may thereby also easily iudge what credit is to be giuen vnto them in other matters which they haue left written concerning the inhabitants, and which others haue receiued from them as oracles, from whence (as they say) they haue borrowed scoffes and taunts against our nation.

First therefore, that the distance of Island from other countreys is not infinite, nor indeed so great as men commonly imagine, it might easily be prouided, if one did but in some sort know the true longitude & latitude of the said Iland. For I am of opinion that it cannot exactly be knowen any other way then this, whenas it is manifest how the Mariners course (be it neuer so direct, as they suppose) doth at all times swerue. In the meane while therfore I will set downe diuers opinions of authors, concerning the situation of Island, that from hence euery man may gather that of the distance which seemeth most probable, vntil perhaps my selfe being one day taught by mine owne experience, may, if not intrude, yet at least adioin, what I shal thinke true as touching this matter. [Footnote: The real position of Iceland is 700 miles west of Norway, 200 miles east of Greenland, and 320 miles north-west of the Faroe Islands. It lies between latitude 63 25 and 66 32 north and longitude 13 30' and 24 30' west; length east to west 280 miles; breadth 210 miles. It will be thus seen that while Frisius is nearly right in his latitude, Gerard Mercator is considerably out. As regards the longitude, whilst Munster's estimate is converted to the standard of Greenwich, Mercator's reckoning is from Copenhagen or Hamburg, and Frisius has reckoned east of Reikiavik or Skallholt.]

Longit. Latitud. deg min. deg min.

Munster placeth Island almost in 20 68 Gerardus Mercator 325 68 Gemma Frisius placeth the midst of Island 7 0 65 30 Hersee 7 40 60 42 Thirtes 5 50 64 44 Nadar 6 40 57 10 Iacobus Zieglerus The West shore of Island 20 0 63 0 The promontorie of Chos 22 46 63 0 The East shore is extended Northward, and hath bounds of extension in 30 0 68 0 The North shore is extended Westward and hath bounds of extension in 28 0 69 0 The description of the West side The promontorie of Heckelfell 25 0 67 0 The promontorie of Madher 21 20 65 10 The inland cities of Island Holen the seat of a bishop 28 0 67 50 Schalholten the seat of a bishop 22 63 30 Reinholdus By Holen in Island 68 Iohannes Miritius By Mid-Island 69-1/2 Neander Island stretcheth it selfe 3 degrees within the circle arctic from the equinoctial, insomuch that the said circle arctic doeth almost diuide it in the midst &c.

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