PREFACE.

Thereafter in the year 1582, I was called by the Elector of Cologne, Gebhard Truchsess, to the City of Bonn, from where I traveled to Cologne to have this Voyage printed, on which journey I was attacked by four Murderers, who stripped me, and left me naked with twenty-three wounds, putting one of their shirts on me, to bury me in it, thinking nothing else but that I was dead: Nevertheless I was delivered from their bloody hands by the help of God, and by his grace am still living now: But my papers of Iceland, along with all hope of ever reaching them again, I had miserably lost.

When Maarten Schenck had captured the City of Bonn in 1588, I was called there again for the second time; at that time a certain Trooper, who was known to me, found my writings of Iceland, quite by chance in an empty House, and because he knew my name and hand, he returned them to me, and thus they remained with me for so long, until I have finally given them to the light through the constant persistence of learned Men. I declare then herewith, that I recount no fabricated lies, but that which I have seen and experienced myself: although I am not unaware that there will be enough who find everything incredible, and hold nothing for truth but that which they themselves have seen. This is also the reason why such learned and excellent Men, who have written dignified Histories and Occurrences with very great efforts and heavy costs, such as Herodotus, Thucydides, Xenophon, and many others, are charged with such detestable slander, that they are held as Liars. But these unbelieving Critics and Zoilus-like detractors original: "Zoïli" — referring to the ancient critic Zoilus who was famous for his harsh criticism of Homer ought to remember, that in all Lands there is not one manner of life and action, nor do the same Fruits or Animals grow, as one can now learn from India, where everything is found to be different than with us, and although we have not seen that ourselves, but only heard it from others, nevertheless since many and credible Men testify it, it is true. Therefore I expect, that pious and experienced People will not despise this writing of mine, but read it with understanding: Those who do the opposite may, before they judge, take a sample themselves of the costs and troubles, labor and misery, that a Traveler must endure. Given from my Study at Giessen, in the Land of Altena, the 24th of March 1608.