It Was Well Knowen After The Death Of The Emperour Henry The Seuenth, In A Famine Continuing Three Whole Yeres, How The Parents Would Deuoure Their Children, And The Children Their Parents, And That Especially In Polonia And Bohemia.

And that we may not onely allege ancient examples: it is reported that there was such a grieuous dearth

Of corne in the yeeres 1586, and 1587, thorowout Hungary, that some being compelled for want of food were faine to sell their children vnto the most bloudy and barbarous enemy of Christians, and so to enthrall them to the perpetuall yoke of Turkish slauery: and some are sayd to haue taken their children, whom they could no longer sustaine, and with cruell mercy to haue cast them into Danubius, and drowned them. But should these stories and the like make any man so mad as to affirme that this or that nation accustometh to kill their children for their owne food, and to sell them willingly vnto the Turks, or to drowne and strangle them willingly in the water? I cannot thinke it. So neither (because beggers in Island being enforced through extreame and biting necessitie, do willingly part with their sonnes) is this custome generally to be imputed vnto the whole nation, and that by way of disgrace, by any man, except it be such an one who hath taken his leaue of all modesty, plaine dealing, humanity, and trueth.

But I could wish that the loue of dogges in Islanders might be more sparingly reprehended by those people, whose matrons, and specially their noble women, take so great delight in dogs, that they carry them in their bosomes thorow the open streetes. I will not say in Churches: which feshion Casar blamed in certaine strangers, whom he sawe at Rome carrying about yoong apes and whelpes in their armes, asking them this question: Whether women in their countrey brought foorth children or no? signifying heereby, that they do greatly offend who bestow vpon beasts these naturall affections, wherewith they should be inuited to the loue of mankinde, and specially of their owne ofspring, which strange pleasure neuer ouertooke, nor possessed the nation of the Islanders. Wherefore now (Munster and Krantzius) you must finde vs out other marks of Christianity, of the law of nature, of the Germans law, and of holy simplicity.

SECTIO OCTAVA.

[Sidenote: Krantzius Munsterus] Episcopum suum colunt pro Rege ad cuius nutum respicit totus populus. Quicquid ex lege, scripturis, et ex consuetudine aliarum gentium constituit, quam sancte obseruant.

Fuit equidem initio fere ad repurgatam Euangelij doctrinam maxima Episcopi obseruantia; sed nunquam tanta vt exteris legibus aut consuetudini cederent nostra leges politica, ex nutu Episcopi. Nec tempore Alberti Krantzij, multo minus Munsteri (quorum ille 1517, hic 1552. post partum salutiferum decessit) Episcopi Islandorum regiam obtinuerunt authoritatem, cum scilicet multi ex ijs, qui diuitijs paulo plus valebant aduersus ipsos consurgere non dubitarint; qua res apud nostrates liquido constat. Intenm tamen Episcopi, anathematis fulmine terribiles, alios in suam potestatem redegerunt, alios furibunda sauitia id temporis persecuti sunt.

Porro etsi tum fuit magna, imo maxima Episcopi obseruantia, tamen nunc dispulsis tenebris Papisticis, alia ratione homines Satan aggreditur, eorumque mentes contemptus libertate et refractaria contumacia, aduersus Deum et sacrum ministerium, etiam hic armare non negligit.

The same in English.

THE EIGHTH SECTION.

[Sidenote: Krantzius, Munsterus] They honour their Bishop as their King vnto whose command all the whole people haue respect. Whatsoeuer he prescribeth out of the law, the scriptures, or the customes of other nations, they do full holily obserue.

There was indeed at the beginning, about the time of the reformation of religion, great reuerence had vnto the bishop; but neuer so great, that our politique lawes at the bishops command should giue place to outlandish lawes and customes. Neither in the time of Albertus Krantzius, much lesse of Munster (of which two the first deceased in the yere of our Lord 1517, and the second 1552) the bishops of Island had the authonty of kings, when as many of the country which were of the richer sort, would not doubt to rebell against them; which thing is too well knowen in our countrey. Yet in the meane time, the bishops being terrible with their authority of excommunication, reduced some vnder their subiection, and others at that time they cruelly persecuted.

Moreouer, albeit at that time the bishop was had in great, yea, in exceeding great reuerence, yet now adayes, the darkenesse of popery being dispelled, the deuill assaulteth men after another sort, and euen here amongst vs, he is not slacke to arme their minds with contempt, and peruerse stubburnnesse against God, and his holy ministery.

SECTIO NONA.

[Sidenote: Munster.] Illic victitant plerumque piscibus, propter magnam penuriam frumenti, quod aliunde a maritimis ciuitatibus infertur: & qui inde cum magno lucro pisces exportant. Item Munsterus. Illic piscibus induratis vtuntur loco panis qui illic non crescit.

Vide Lector, quam Munsterum iuuet, eadem oberrare chorda: vt cum de gente ignota nihil scribere possit, quod coloris aliquid habeat, vel falsa afferre, vel eadem sapius repetere, sicque cramben eandem recoquere sustineat: Dixerat enim paulo ante, Islandos piscibus viuere. Verba ipsius superius etiam recitata, hac sunt. Islandia populos continet multos, solo pecorum pastu et nunc captura piscium victitantes, etc. Et vt catera transeam in quibus leue quiddam notari poterat: Illud sane, panem in Islandia non crescere, perquam verum est. Quod etiam illi cum Germania commune esse crediderim, quod videlicet nec illic panis crescat, nisi forte in Munsteri, agro, vbi etiam acetum naturale optime crescit. Sed hac, troporum indulgentia, scilicet, salua erunt. Ad conicia autem, qua ex victu Islandorum petunt extranei, infra paucis respondebitur, Sect. 15.

The same in English.

THE NINTH SECTION.

[Sidenote: Munsterus.] They liue there for the most part vpon fishes, because of their great want of corne, which is brought in from the port townes of other countreys: who cary home fishes from thence with great gaine. Also Munster sayth, they do there vse stockefish in stead of bread, which groweth not in that countrey.

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