Chronicles (1 of 6): The Description of BritaineHolinshed, Raphael
History
Chronicles (1 of 6): The Description of Britaine
Holinshed, Raphael
Great Britain -- History -- To 1485; Great Britain -- History -- Tudors, 1485-1603
Otes they haue verie plentifullie, but greater store
of barleie, wherof they make a nappie kind of drinke, and such indéed,
as will verie readilie cause a stranger to ouershoot himselfe. Howbeit
this may be vnto vs in lieu of a miracle, that although their drinke be
neuer so strong, & they themselues so vnmeasurable drinkers (as none are
[Sidenote: If he speake all in truth.]
more) yet it shall not easilie be séene (saith Hector) that there is
anie drunkard among them, either frantike, or mad man, dolt, or naturall
foole, meet to weare a cockescombe.
This vnmeasurable drinking of theirs is confessed also by Buchanan, who
noteth, that whensoeuer anie wine is brought vnto them from other
soiles, they take their parts thereof aboundantlie. He addeth moreouer,
how they haue an old bole (which they call S. Magnus bole, who first
preached Christ vnto them) of farre greater quantitie than common boles
are, and so great, that it may séeme to be reserued since the Lapithane
banket, onelie to quaffe and drinke in. And when anie bishop commeth
vnto them, they offer him this bole full of drinke, which if he be able
to drinke vp quite at one draught; then they assure themselues of good
lucke, and plentie after it. Neuerthelesse this excesse is not often
found in the common sort, whom penurie maketh to be more frugall; but in
their priests, and such as are of the richer calling. They succour
pirats also, and verie often exchange their vittels with their
commodities, rather for feare and want of power to resist (their Ilands
lieng so scattered) than for anie necessitie of such gains as they doo
get by those men: for in truth, they thinke themselues to haue little
need of other furniture than their owne soiles doo yéeld and offer vnto
them. This is also to be read of the inhabitants of these Ilands, that
ignorance of excesse is vnto the most part of them in stéed of physicke;
and labour and trauell a medicine for such few diseases as they are
molested and incombred withall.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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