To ouergrow the limmes of Lyco stoute,
Neglect to cure their bodies of the goute:
And in very deed, it doeth no whit repent me of my labour, if this little treatise shall tend neither to thine, nor to mine owne disgrace. But if it shall any thing auaile to thine honour or defence, I will thinke my trauaile right well bestowed. Yea, if by this my slender attempt, I may but onely excite other of thy children, and my natiue Countreymen, being farre my superiours both in learning and industrie to take thy cause in hand, either nowe or hereafter what reason is there why any man should say that it is not worth my labour? Nowe, if they addresse themselues to write, howsoeuer my fame shalbe obscured, yet wil I comfort my selfe with their excellencie, who are like to impaire my credite: for albeit a man ought to haue speciall regard of his name and fame, yet he is to haue more of his Countrey, whose dignitie being safe and sound, we also must needes esteeme our selues to be in safetie.
Written at Holen Hialtedale in Island, the yeere of our Lord 1592. the 17. of the Kalends of May.
* * * * *
A letter written by the graue and learned Gudbrandus Thorlacius Bishop of
Holen in Island, concerning the ancient state of Island and Gronland, &c.
Reuerendissimo viro, eruditione et virtute conspicuo, D. Hugoni Branham,
Ecclesiæ Hareuicensis in Anglia pastori vigilantissimo, fratri et
symmystæ obseruando.
Mirabar equidem (vt conijcis, reuerende domine pastor) primo literarum tuarum intuitu, ignotum me, ab ignoto, scriptis salutari. Cæterùm, cum vlterius progrederer, comperi me, si non aliter, certè nomine tenùs, tibi (quæ tua est humanitas) innotuisse: Simúlque quòd te nominis Islandorum studiosum experirer, ex animo gauisus sum. Vnde etiam faciam, vt tua pietas, tuúmque nomen, de Euangelio Iesu Christi nobis congratulantis, dèque gente nostra tàm benignè támque honorificè sentientis, et scribentis apud nos ignotum esse desinat.
[Sidenote: Commentarius breuis de Islandia: per Arngrimum Ionam Islandum editus, 1593.] Quòd verò ad antiquitatis monimenta attinet, quæ hic extare creduntur, nihil sanè est (præter illa, quorum in Commentario isto de Islandia, quem vidisse te scribis, fit mentio) de hac nostra insula lectu scriptuuà dignum, quod cum humanitate tua communicem. De vicinis itidem terris pauca, præter historiam Regum Noruegiæ, seu veriùs eiusdem historiæ fragmenta; quæ alijs alitèr descripta sunt: sunt tamen talia, quæ Krantzius non attigerit, aut eorum certè pauca. De vicina quoque Gronlandia, id veterum opinione habemus, eam magno circuitu ab extrema Noruegia, vbi Biarmlandia [Marginal note: Biarmia.] nuncupatur, et à qua haud vasto interuallo sita sit, circum quasi Islandiam exporrigi. Illic nostrates aliquando commercia exetcuisse, et eam terram tempore Pontificiorum suos Episcopos habuisse annales nostri testantur. Cætera nobis incognita. [Sidenote: Gronlandia olim suos habuit Episcopos.] At hodie fama est, vestris Brittannis (quos ego propè maris dominos appellarim) quotannis csse in Gronlandia negotmiones de qua re, si me certiorem feceris, non erit iniucundum. Euam velim quæcunque noua erunt de rebus vestratium aut vicinorum regnorum, ea non omittas.
Vale foeliciter (reuerende Dom. pastor) Deo musis, et commissio gregi quàm diuttssime superstes, Amen. Ex Islindij in festo visitationis D. Mariæ Anni 1595.
Human. tuæ studiosus Gudbrandus Thorlacius Episcopus Holensis in Islandia.