Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	world_n	writer_n	writing_n	18	3	7.9924	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02495	The principal nauigations, voyages, traffiques and discoueries of the English nation. [vols. 1-3] made by sea or ouer-land, to the remote and farthest distant quarters of the earth, at any time within the compasse of these 1600. yeres: deuided into three seuerall volumes, according to the positions of the regions, whereunto they were directed. The first volume containeth the worthy discoueries, &c. of the English ... The second volume comprehendeth the principall nauigations ... to the south and south-east parts of the world ... By Richard Hakluyt preacher, and sometime student of Christ-Church in Oxford.; Principall navigations, voiages, and discoveries of the English nation.		1599 (1599)	STC 12626A; ESTC S106753	3,713,189	2,072

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 certein they may remaine Amen At Haffnia or Copen Hagen 1593. in the moneth of March Y. S. M. most humble subiect Arngrimus Ionas Islander 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 Neither did it suffice the base printer once to send abroad that base brat but he must publish it also thrise or foure times ouer that he might thereby what lay in him more deepely disgrace our innocent nation among the Germans Danes and other neighbour countries with shamefull and euerlasting ignominie So great was the malice of this printer his desire so greedy to get lucre by a thing vnlawfull And this he did without controlment euen in that citie which these many yeres hath trafficked with Island to the great gaine and commodity of the citizens His name is Ioachimus Leo a man worthy to become lions foode Moreover there are many other writers found who when they would seeme to describe the miracles of nature which are thought to be very many in this Island the maners customs of the Islanders haue altogether swarued from the matter and truth it selfe following mariners fables more trifling then old wiues tales the most vain opinions of the common sort These writers although they haue not left behind them such filthy reprochful stuffe as that base rimer yet there are many things in their writings that wil not suffer them to be excused altogether acquited from causing an innocent nation to be had in detision by others Wherefore marking reading weighing these things with my selfe considering that there dayly spring vp new writers which offer iniury to the fame reputatiō of the Islanders being such men also as do shamelesly filtch out of other mens labours deluding their readers w t feined descriptions a new rehearsal of monsters I often wished that some one man would come sorth to make answere to the errors of historiographers other vniust censurers and by some writing if not to free our innocent nation from so many reproches yet at leastwise in some sort to defend it among christian friendly readers And for this cause I haue now procured an honest and learned young man one Arngrimus Fitz-Ionas to peruse the works of authors that haue written any thing concerning Island and by sound reasons to detect their errors falshoods And albeit at the first he was very loth yet at length my friendly admonition the common loue of his countrey preuailed with him so farre that he compiled this briefe commentary taking his proofes not out of the vaine fables of the people but from his owne experience and many other mens also of sufficient credit Now he that vndertooke this matter at my procurement did againe as it were by his owne authority chalēge at my hands that I should in two or three words at least make a preface vnto his booke thinking it might gaine some credit and authority thereby Wherfore to speake my minde in a word for my part I iudge him to haue taken both honest necessary paines who hath done his indeuour not onely to weigh the diuers opinions of wrighters concerning things vnknowen and to examine them by the censure of trueth and experience but also to defend his countrey from the venemous bitings of certaine sycophants It is thy part therefore gentle reader to accept this small treatise of his being as it were guarded with the sacred loue of truth and of his countrey against the peruersnes of carpers Farewel Anno 1592. Iuly 29. Here beginneth the Commentary of Island EUen as in war dayly experience teacheth vs that some vpon no iust lawful grounds being egged on by ambition enuie and couetise are induced to follow the armie and on the contrary side that others arme themselues vpon iust and necessary causes namely such as go to battell for the defence and propagation of the Gospel or such as being any way prouoked thereunto doe withstand present violence and wrong or at least not being prouoked by reason of the enemie approching are constrained to be vp in armes right so they that fight vnder Apolloes banner Amongst whom a great part not vpon any honest philosophical or indeede Christian intention addresse themselues to wright especially such as for desire of glory for enuy and spight or vpon malicious and affected ignorance carpe at others and that they may be accompted superiours sometimes whette their stiles against the person name and fame of this or that particular man sometimes inueighing against a whole countrey and by shamelesse vntrueths disgracing innocent nations and people Againe others of an ingenuous minde doe by great industry search and bring to light things profitable namely they that write of Diuinity Philosophy History and such like and they who taking vse and experience for their guides in the said Sciences haue brought things obscure to light things maimed to perfection and things confused to order and they that haue faithfully commended to euerlasting posteritie the stories of the whole world that by their infinite labours haue aduaunced the knowledge of tongues to be short that endeuour themselues to represse the insolencie confute the slanders and withstand the vniust violence of others against themselues their Nation or their Countrey And I for my part hauing scarce attained the sight of good letters and being the meanest of all the followers of Minerua that I may freely acknowledge mine owne wants can do no lesse then become one of their number who haue applied themselues to ridde their countrey from dishonor to auouch the trueth and to shake off the yoke of railers reuilers My estate enabled me onely to write howbeit the excellencie of trueth and the in-bred affection I beare to my countrey enforceth me to do the best I can sithens it hath pleased some strangers by false rumours to deface and by manifolde reproches to iniurie my sayd countrey making it a by-word and a laughing-stocke to all other nations To meet with whose insolencie and false accusations as also to detect the errours of certeine writers concerning this Iland vnto good and well affected men for the common

people will be alwayes like themselues stubburnly mainteining that which is false and foolish neither can I hope to remooue them from this accustomed and stale opinion I haue penned the treatise following And albeit Island is not destitute of many excellent men who both in age wit and learning are by many degrees my superiors and therefore more fit to take the defence of the countrey into their hands notwithstanding being earnestly perswaded thereunto by that godly famous man Gudbrandus Thorlacius Bishop of Hola in Island I thought good to the vtmost of mine ability to be no whit wanting vnto the common cause both that I might obey his most reasonable request and also that I might encourage other of my countreymen who haue bene better trained vp in good learning and indued with a greater measure of knowledge then I my selfe to the defence of this our nation so farre am I from hindering any man to vndertake the like enterprise But to returne to the matter because they whatsoeuer they be that reproch and maligne our nation make their boast that they vse the testimonies of writers we are seriously to consider what things and how true writers haue reported of Island to the end that if they haue giuen perhaps any occasion to others of inueying against vs their errours being layd open for I will not speake more sharpely all the world may see how iustly they do reproch vs. And albeit I nothing doubt to examine some ancient writers of this Iland by the rule of trueth and experience yet otherwise their memory is precious in our eyes their dignity reuerend their learning to be had in honour and their zeale and affection towards the whole common wealth of learned men highly to be commended but as for nouices if there be any such writers or rather pasquilles when they shall heare and know truer matters concerning Island then they themselues haue written they shall seeme by their inconstancie and peruerse wit to haue gained nought else but a blacke marke of enuy and reproch And that this commentarie of mine may haue some order it shall be diuided into two generall parts the first of the Iland the second of the inhabitants and of these two but so for-foorth as those writers which are come to our hands haue left recorded because I am not determined to wander out of these lifts or to handle more then these things and some other which perteine vnto them 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 The first section 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 adiunces 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 b●t 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 pr●uided 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 y e meane while therfore I will set downe diuers opinions of authors concerning y e situation of Island that from hence euery man m●y gather that of the distance which se●meth 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 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 Ziegle●us         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 y e West side         Longit. Latitud deg min. deg min. 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 Mi●itius         By Mid-Island     69 ½ Neander         Island stretcheth it selfe 3 degrees within the circle arctic from the equinoctial insomuch that y e said circle arctic doeth almost diuide it in the midst c.         There be others also who either in their maps or writings haue noted the situation of Island notwithstanding it is to no purpose to set downe any more of their opinions because the more you haue● the more contrary shall you finde them For my part albeit I haue probable coniectures perswading me not to beleeue any of the former opinions concerning the situation of Island but to dissent from them all yet had I rather leaue the matter in suspense then affirme an vncerteinty v●till as I haue sayd I may be able perhappes one day not to gesse at the matter but to bring forth mine owne obseruation and experience A c●rteine writer hath put downe the distance betweene the mouth of Elbe Ba●zende in the South part of Island to be 400 leagues from whence if you shall account the difference of longitude to the merid●an of Hamburg Island must ●aue none of the forenamed longitudes in that place I am able to prooue by three sundry voyages of certaine Hamburgers that it is but seuen dayes sailing from Island to Hamburg Besides all those Islands which by reason of the abu●dance of sheepe are called Fareyiar or more rightly Fa●reyiar as likewise the desert shores of Norway are distant from vs but two dayes sailing We haue foure dayes sailing into habitable Gronland and almost in the same quantitie of time we passe ouer to the prouince

all other will receiue no colour notwithstanding there is some such thing reported by Theophrastus namely that there is a riuer in Macedonia which maketh blacke sheepe white Also that Norway pamphlet called the Roiall looking-glasse which I mentioned before doth attribute these fountains to Ireland which is also called Hybernia and not to Island Which peraduenture deceiued the Reader reading in a strange language S in stead of R. That likewise deserueth no better credite which another Author writeth That there is a certaine great stone in Island which runneth vp and downe the crags and clifs of mountaines by no outward force but by the owne proper and naturall motion Hee that will beleeue this what will he not beleeue For it is such a rare deuise that the Epicures themselues who yet seemed to Lucian to haue fained many incredible things I am sure neuer inuented the like vnlesse perhaps the sayd Author doeth imagine that a man who is called of the Islanders by the proper name of Stein should compasse about and clime vp certaine rockes which although it be ridiculous to put into a story of wonders namely that a man should mooue or walke yet is it so to bee supposed to saue the credite of the Author that we may not more seuerely condemne that fable which is so sencelesse of it selfe and not woorthy to be read They are guiltie of the same crime also who haue found out rauens pies hares and vultures all white in Island for it is wel knowen that vultures come very seldome together with the Ise of the sea vnto vs as heares also but they seldomer then vultures and a certaine kind of crowes called by the Islanders Isakrakur But as for white pies hares and rauens Island neuer had any And these in a maner be the things which in regard of our daily busines we were able at this present to affoord as touching the former part of our treatise which were penned by me for this purpose as in the beginning I did protest that the errors of Authors concerning an vnknowen land and the affected vanitie also of some men might be disclosed for I am not desirous to diminish any mans good name but because I consecrated these my labours to trueth and to my countrey I could not chuse but shew that those things which hitherto haue bene reported by many concerning our Iland deserue very litle credite and so to addresse my selfe vnto the matters folowing concerning the Inhabitants Here endeth the first part of the Commentarie Of Island the second part concerning the Inhabitants HAuing hitherto finished the miracles of Island with certaine other particulars belonging to the first part the which while writers doe wonder at and diuersly extoll as it were the fountains of Agamemnon yea as things besides and against all nature they haue bene very carelesse both of trueth it selfe of their owne credite Now the course of the present speach doeth admonish mee to make haste vnto the other part of the treatise concerning the Inhabitants wherein what I should first say or where I should begin I am altogether ignorant For there be such monstrous and so many mocks reproches skoffes and taunts of certaine men against vs poore Islanders dwelling in the vtmost parts of the world and amongst these also some things of theirs who take vpon them to professe most simple trueth namely Historiographers insomuch that to reckon vp the particulars were nothing els but to tell the drops of the Icarian sea But as I said in the beginning we will not deale alike seuerely with all For although Krantius Munsterus Frisius others haue written many things too boldly of our nation yet hauing otherwise deserued wel of learning by their monuments they shal be still in y e same reputation w t vs that they are worthy of Howbeit in the meane time although a man would free thē from the marke of slanderers yet is it no small matter that they should broch certaine sencelesse impossible ridiculous things such as those are which we haue hitherto laid downe as also that they should record in histories prophane and horrible vntrueths some of which kind shal now immediately be discussed As for others whatsoeuer they be who vpbraid the nation of Islanders with daily reproches they are to haue that answere in a readinesse which such men deserue In the number of whom that scoffer is to be accounted who by a company of rimes publishe● in the Germane tongue to the disgrace of our countrey hath brought his name into ●uerlasting ignomini● Wherefore as our present businesse requireth while we are in hand with the writings of Authors concerning this matter although we meet with some things containing litle reproch notwithstanding we will examine most of them noting the errors as hitherto wee haue done In the meane time also when they shall alleage any trueth we will in no case dissemble it And after this maner first we will heare Munster Krantzius and Frisius and others also if there be any more what they haue to say reiecting that Parot and his Dutch rimes infected with fell slander ●●●e is woorthy vnto the last place First therefore the sayd Authors write concerning the faith or religion of the Islanders and secondly of their Maners Customes and course of life in maner folowing The first Section Adalbert Metropolitane of Hamburg in the yeere of Christ 1070. saw the Islanders conuerted vnto Christianitie albeit before the receiuing of Christian faith they liued according to the lawe of nature and did not much differ from our lawe therefore at their humble request he appointed a certaine holy man named Islief to be their first Bishop KRantzius in these words and Munster other where doe seeme to attribute vnto the Islanders the prerogatiue of Christian faith and they should deale both beseeming themselues and the trueth if they did not in other places depriue vs of the same For to speake of Krantzius anone that which Munster before reported concerning our faith or opinion about the place and situation of hell is very farre from Christian pietie namely to be desirous to prie into those secrets which God hath kept close vnto himselfe alone and which his pleasure is should exceed our capacitie for there is not any thing found in the holy Scriptures of this matter where the place and situation of hell or of eternall fire prepared for the deuill and his angels and so for all damned soules is bounded or compassed about The holy Bible I say assigneth no locall or badily situation beneath the earth or vpon the earth or in any other place of this world to that prison of the damned but it affirmeth that this earth shall perish and that a new earth and new heauens shall be created for the habitation of iust and holy men Reuel 2.2 Pet. 3. and Esay 65. wherefore a Christian man willingly giueth ouer to search into such hidden secrets and he accounteth it vnlawful to

the men in the said shippe the one of them being the Masters mate Ten other persons were hurt by meanes of splinters which the Spaniards shotte yea in the ende when their prouision was almost spent they were constrained to shoote at them hammers and the chaines from their slaues and yet God bee thanked they receiued no more domage but by spoyling and ouerwearying of the Spaniards the Englishmen constrained them to vngrapple themselues and get them going and sure if there had bene any other fresh shippe or succour to haue relieued and assisted the Centurion they had slaine suncke or taken all those Gallies and their Souldiers The Dolphin lay a loofe off and durst not come neere while the other two small shippes fledde away so that one of the Gallies went from the Centurion and set vpon the Dolphin which shippe immediatly was set on fire with their owne powder whereby both men and shippe perished but whether it was with their good wills or no that was not knowen vnto the Centurion but sure if it had come forward and bene an aide vnto the Centurion it is to bee supposed that it had not perished Fiue houres and a halfe this fight continued in which time both were glad to depart onely to breath themselues but when the Spaniards were gone they neuer durst returne to fight yet the next day sixe other Gallies came and looked at them but durst not at any hand meddle with them Thus God deliuered them from the handes of their enemies and gaue them the victory for which they heartily praised him and not long after safely arriued in London ☞ There were present at this fight Master Iohn Hawes Marchant and sundry other of good accompt A report of the trueth of the fight about the Isles of Açores the last of August 1591. betwixt the Reuenge one of her Maiesties shippes and an Armada of the king of Spaine Penned by the honourable Sir Water Ralegh knight BEcause the rumours are diuersly spred as well in England as in the Lowe countreis and elsewhere of this late encounter betweene her Maiesties ships and the Armada of Spaine and that the Spaniards according to their vsuall maner fill the world with their vaine-glorious vaunts making great app●rance of victories when on the contrary themselues are most commonly and shamefully beaten and dishonoured thereby hoping to possesse the ignorant multitude by anticipating forerunning false reports It is agreeable with all good reason for manifestation of the truth to ouercome falshood and vntrueth that the beginning continuance and successe of this late honourable encounter of Sir Richard Greenuil and other her Maiesties Captaines with the Armada of Spaine should be truely set downe and published without partialitie or false imaginations And it is no marue●le that the Spaniard should seeke by false and slanderous pamphlets aduisoes and Letters to couer their owne losse and to derogate from others their due honors especially in this fight being performed far off seeing they were not ashamed in the yeere 1588. when they purposed the inuasion of this land to publish in sundry languages in print great victories in wordes which they pleaded to haue obteined against this Realme and spred the same in a most false sort ouer all parts of France Italy and elsewhere When shortly after it was happily manifested in very deed to al Nations how their Nauy which they termed inuincible consisting of 140. saile of shippes not onely of their owne kingdome but strengthened with the greatest Argosies Portugal Caracks Florentines and huge hu●ks of other Countreis were by 30. of her Maiesties owne ships of war and a few of our owne Marchants by the wise valiant and aduantagious conduct of the L. Charles Howard high Admirall of England beaten and shuffled together euen from the Lizard in Cornwall first to Portland where they shamefully left Don Pedro de Valdes with his mighty ship from Portland to Cales where they lost Hugo de Moncado with the Gallias of which he was Captaine and from Cales driuen with squibs from their anchors where thased out of the sight of England round about Scotland and Ireland Where for the sympathie of their barbarous religion hoping to finde succour and assistance a great part of them were crusht against the rocks and those other that landed being very many in number were notwithstanding broken slaine and taken and so sent from village to village coupled in halters to be shipped into England Where her Maiestie of her Princely and inuincible disposition disdaining to put them to death and scorning either to retaine or entertaine them they were all sent backe againe to their countreys to witnes and recount the worthy achieuements of their inuincible and dreadfull Nauy Of which the number of Souldiers the fearefull burthen of their shippes the commanders names of euery squadron with all other their magasines of prouisions were put in print as an Army and Nauy vnresistable and disdaining preuention With all which so great and terrible an ostentation they did not in all their sailing round about England so much as sinke or take one shippe Barke Pinnesse or Cockbote of ours or euer burnt so much as one sheepecote of this land Whenas on the contrarie Sir Francis Drake with onely 800. souldiers not long before landed in their Indies and forced Sant-Iago Santo Domingo Cartagena and the forts of Florida And after that Sir Iohn Norris marched from Peniche in Portugall with a handfull of souldiers to the gates of Lisbone being aboue 40 English miles Where the Earle of Essex himselfe and other valiant Gentlemen braued the Citie of Lisbone encamped at the very gates from whence after many dayes abode finding neither promised partie nor prouision to batter they made retrait by land in despight of all their Garrisons both of horse foote In this sort I haue a little digressed from my first purpose onely by the necessarie comparison of theirs and our actions the one couetous of honour without vaunt of ostentation the other so greedy to purchase the opinion of their owne affaires and by false rumors to resist the blasts of their owne dishonours as they will not onely not blush to spread all manner of vntruthes but euen for the least aduantage be it but for the taking of one poore aduenturer of the English will celebrate the victory with bonefires in euery towne alwayes spending more in faggots then the purchase was worth they obtained When as we neuer thought it worth the consumption of two billets when we haue taken eight or ten of their Indian shippes at one time and twentie of the Brasill fleete Such is the difference betweene true valure and ostentation and betweene honorable actions and friuolous vaine glorious vaunts But now to returne to my purpose The L. Thomas Howard with sixe of her Maiesties shippes sixe victualers of London the Barke Ralegh two or three other Pinnases riding at anker neere vnto Flores one of the Westerly Ilands of the Azores the last