Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 THis Iosina being proclaimed king, renewed Iosina. the ancient leagues with the Picts and Bri|tains! He had physicians in great estimation; for that during his abode in Ireland, he was nourished of a child amongest them, and by reason thereof had some knowledge in the facultie, speciallie he vnder|stood the vertues and properties of herbes, where|with in those daies the Scots vsed to heale and re|medie all maner of sores and diseases, which as then were few in number, in respect of the sundrie kinds which are now knowen amongst vs; and all by rea|son of the superfluous féeding and excesse of meats and drinks vsed in our time, whereas our elders suf|ficed Surfeting the cause of strange disea|ses, which so commonlie now reigne. with a little, liued without surfeting, the chie|fest bréeder of such strange and manifold sicknesses. In this Iosina his daies it chanced that a Portin|gale ship was driuen and drowned by force of a streinable tempest néere vnto the shore of one of Two anti|ent philoso|phers through shipwrack ar|riue in Scot|land, and are ioifullie recei|ued of the king. the Scotish Iles, where diuerse of those that were within the same ship, mariners and other escaped to land, amongest whome were two ancient and fa|therlie old men of right reuerend aspect and counte|nance.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 These two in companie with some of the inha|bitants of that Ile came ouer into Beregonium, where the king as then soiourned. They were Spa|nish priests of the pagane religion, whose purpose was to haue gone vnto Athens in Grecia (as some write) but whence soeuer they were, and what pur|pose soeuer they had, certeine it is they were phi|losophers; and therefore the king receiued them most ioifullie, dooing them all the honor he could deuise, and commanding that they should be lodged within his owne palace, where they had all things néedfull, and accordinglie ministred vnto them.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 These philosophers, after they had refreshed them|selues at their ease for the space of 14 daies, the king caused them to come before him, requiring them to shew their opinion what they thought by the nature of the soile, the maners and customs of his people, so far forth as they had séene and heard. They with|out pausing for answere declared, that as yet they had not had time to learne those things, but onelie thus far by coniecture they supposed, that the ground was more like to be fruitfull of mettall mines, than of corne and graine, as conteining far more riches vnderneath the earth than aboue; & this they said that EEBO page image 40 they gathered by the influence of the heauens vnder the which it laie. And as for the rites and vsages of the people, in one point they could in no wise com|mend The Scotish religion re|proued. them, for that in religion they followed the su|perstitious rites of the Aegyptians, woorshipping the immortall gods in the shape of beasts and fouls, whereas God was euen the same that did compre|hend both heauen and earth, with the waters and all things in them conteined, whome they named na|ture, and as it were the primordiall cause or begin|ning of all things, vnto whome it was not possible to deuise anie similitude of liuing thing that might in anie wise represent him. Therefore (said they) men ought to woorship the liuing God with fire and deuout praier, building him a temple for that pur|pose, and onelie vnto him to burne incense, and to performe vowes: at whose hands such as liued chast|lie, vprightlie, and according to the rules of iustice, ought euer to looke for some high benefit, where other Upright li|uing well re|warded at Gods hands. that liued contrarilie might euer stand in doubt of contrarie reward.