wytnesse her of to Herode to all the Scribes and to all the Iewes And soo for the wonderfull doynge the Paynems that had noo knowynge of holy wrytte ne of the byrthe of Cryste called thise thre kynges Magos that is to saye wytches / And the Iewes that knewe the scrypture the byrthe of Cryste and the places of enuye falsnesse excyted the Paynems all abowte to calle theim wytches and soo it was broughte in to vsage that they call thise thre kynges so yet vnto this daye and therof beryth many dyuers bokes witnesse / But to put away all manere of doubtes and in repreuynge of all the false Iewes almyghty god that is euer wonderful in his werkynge gloryous in his sayntes wolde haue the preuyte of his birthe to be knowe to all the people / Soo that this gloryous name that was oonly hidde in the londe of Iewery vnto his byrthe / That same name all manere of nacoÌ„ns thrugh all the worlde sholde worshyppÌ„ knowe prayse / AFter thise thre kynges were come wyth grete traueylle to the hyll of Vaws afore sayde thenÌ„ they made there a fayr chapell in worshyppe of the chylde that they had sought / And they made couenaunt to mete togyder all thre at that same chapell ones in the yere at a certayn daye assygned / there they ordeyned their sepultures / ¶ ThenÌ„ a lytyll whyle after all the prynces the lordes and the worshipfull knyghtes of theyr londes kyngdomes herynge of the comynge home of thyse thre kynges anone they rode to theym wyth grete solempnyte and mette wyth theym at the sayde chapell / And wyth grete mekenesse reuerence they receyued theym / And whan the prynces lordes herde how merueyllously god had wroughte by thyse thre kynges / thenne they had theim in more reuerence loue and drede euer after / ¶ So whan thyse thre kynges had ordeyned theyr Testamentes done what they wolde thenne they toke leue eche of other / And eche of theym wyth his owne people rode hoome vnto hys owne londe wyth grete Ioye solempnyte and thê° eche kynge departed from other in theyr persones / but neuer in theyr hertes / And whan they were rested in their owne londes thenne they tolde and preched to all the people all that they had seen and done in theyr waye / And they dyde make in theyr Temples a sterre after the same fourme and liknesse as it apperyd to theim / Wherfore the Paynems lefte their errours and theyr mawmettes and worshypped the chylde whyche the kynges had soughte / ¶ And thus thise thre kynges dwelled in their londes and kyngdoms in worshypfull and honeste conuersacyon tyll after the AscencoÌ„n of our lorde Ihesu Cryste / And wythin shorte tyme after thenne came saynt Thomas thappostle in to theyr countrees / AFter the tyme that thise thre kynges were to me from Bedleem in to their owne countrees agayn / Thenne beganne to ryse sprynge a grete fame of our lady and of her childe and of the thre kinges abuote all the countree of Iherusalem Wherfore our lady for drede of the Iewes fledde oute of that lytyll house that god was borne in yede in to a nother derke caue vnder the erthe / And there she abode wyth her chylde to the tyme of her Purificacyon / And as goddys wyll was dyuers men wyÌ„ men louyd our lady saynt Mary and her sone and founde theym all manere necessaryes that theim neded / ¶ And after whan the fayth began to wexe and encrease thenne was edifyed there a chapell in the same caue in worshyppe of the thre kynges and of saynt Nicholas / ¶ And in that chapell there is a stone whyche our lady was wont to sytte on whan she yaue her chylde our lorde Ihesu Cryste sucke / And on a tyme as she satte vppon that stone in gyuynge to her swete chylde sucke there hapned to falle downe from her teete a lytyll droppe of that moost purest and moost clene vyrgynall mylke on the forsay yd stone the whyche moost precyous and purest mylke that fell from that blessyd vyrgyn is remaynyng and seen there vnto this daye / And the more it is shrapyd wyth knyues the more wexyth the mylke / And it is borne in to many dyuers places by pylgrymes ¶ Also whan our lady was goon out of the lytyll hous in to the caue she had forgote her smocke behynde her in the haye of the maynger there our lady laye in / And soo bothe haye smocke were hoole tresshÌ„ in the same place vnto the tyme that saynt Eleyn that holy quene that was moder to kyng Constantyn came to the place / For the Iewes of malyce of enuye helde that place that Criste was borne in a foule cursyd place / In somoche-that they wold suffre no man nor woman ne chylde ne beest goo in to that place / ¶ Ferdermore whan our lady had offred vp her childe in to the temple wyth the turtles douues after Moyses lawe as holy wrytte telleth / And Symeon toke him in his armes sayd Nunc dimittis seruuÌ„ tuuÌ„ dnÌ„e c̈ that is to saye / Now lorde lete thy secuaunt be in peas after thy worde / The same tyme Symeon Anne the holy woman in presence of the Scribes Pharisees prophecied many thinges of our lorde Ihesu Cryste as holy wrytte tellyth / And so grete a name was spronge of our lady of her sone amonge the Iewes that she myghte not ne durst not noo lenger abide in that place for drede of Herode of the Iewes / And the Gospell sayth Angelus dnÌ„i apparuit in sompnis ioseph dicens Surge accipe pueruÌ„ c̈ that is for to saye / An angell of god apperyd to Ioseph in his slepe sayd Ryse and take the chylde and his moder and fle in to Egypte and be there tyll I tell the / For Herode shall seke the chylde to dystroye hym / Thenne Ioseph roos toke the childe and his moder yede in to Egypte by night and dwelled there tyll Herode was deed / Our lady her sone were in Egypte dwellynge .vij. yeres and it is from Bedleem .xij. dayes Iourney / And in this way as our lady went in to Egypte she sawe growe drie roses the whyche ben callyd the roses of Ierico and they growe in noo place of all the countree but onÌ„ly in the same way / And thise roses the shepeherdes of the same countree done gadre in tyme of yere selltheym to pylgrymes for bredde to other men of that countrees abowte and soo they ben-borne in to dyuers londes / ¶ And in the same place there our lady dwellyd with her sone in Egypte is now a gardyne therin growyth bawme and it is allong brode as a man maye caste stone / And in that gardyne ben vij welles in whom our lady wysshe her sone bathed hym and wasshyd her clothes
be lerned in Astronomye / For in Inde and in other places abowte ben many sterres in the fyrmament whyche maye not be seen and perceyued by nyghte playnly / ¶ But on the hyll of Vaws in a bryght weder and clere ben seen perceyued many dyuerse straunge sterres / This hyll of Vaws passyth of heyghte alle the hylles of the eeste / And aboue it is nomore of brede than a lytyll chapell that is made therupon / The whyche the thre kynges dyde make of stone tymbre / And there ben aboute this hyll many steppes for to goo vp to the chapell / And there growe trees and good herbes and dyuers spyces abowte this hyll / for elles men myghte not goo vp to the hyll it is so hye narowe / There is also a piller of stone aboue that chapell of a wonder height / On the heed of this pyller stondyth a sterre gylte well made fayre and tornyth wyth the wynde as a fane / And thrugh the lyghte of the sonne by daye of the mone by nyght the same sterre geuyth lyghte a grete waye in to the countree abowte / And many other merueylles ben tolde of this hyll of Vaws / WHan the tyme of mercy grace was come that god wolde haue mercy on mankynde / whan the fader of heuen sent downe his sone to take flesshe blode of our lady saynt Mary to be borne of her for our saluacyon / In that tyme the Emperour of Rome Octauian helde the empyre of all the worlde / In the yere of his empyre .xlij. as saynt Luke tellyth he sente out a coÌ„maundment to discryue all the worlde Exiit edictuÌ„ c̈ And the discriuynge was fyrste vnder Cirinus that was bysshopp of Syrie / And euery man went home to his owne countree / Thenne yede Ioseph out of Galilce in to Nazareth in the Iewrie and that was kynge Dauids londe the whyche cytee was callyd Bedleem By cause Ioseph was of the house of the meyne of kynge Dauid therfore he yede in to his countree with his wyfe our lady saynt Mary grete wyth chil de / Soo whan they were there the tyme was come that oure lady sholde be delyuered / And soo she was delyuered by goddys owne myghte mynystracyon of angelles she wrapped him in clothes layed him in a mainger for there was none other place ¶ And ye shall vnderstond that Bedleem was neuer of grete reputacoÌ„n nor place of grete quantyte but it hath a good fundament / For there ben many caues vnder the erthe / And Bedleem is fro Iherusalem but two myles / It is but a castell but it is callyd a cytee by cause kynge Dauid was borne there / And in that towne was somtyme an hous of Ysaye that was fader to kynge Dauid in the whyche hous kyng Dauid was borne enoynted to be kynge of Israel by Samuell the prophete / And in the same place Cryste was born goddis sone of heuen / And that place was somtyme in the ende of a strete that was callyd the Coueryd strete / And this was the cause why it was soo called for the grete heete brennynge of the soÌ„ne it was soo coueryd wyth blacke clothes other clothes to kepe awaye the heete of the sonne and soo it is yet to this daye / And in that strete was wonte to be a markette ones in the weke of olde clothes and other thynges and specyally of tymbre / In that stâ—ete stode somtyme an hous and Ysaye kyng Dauids fader lefte a lytyll hous before a denne vnder the eithe and it was shapen lyke a lytyll sellar / Ysaye the fader of Dauid and other after theym putt in that caue certayn necessaryes that longed to houshold for heete of the sonne / It is also the maneâ—e in alle the countree bothe in cytces and townes to be certayne houses that ben called there Alchan whiche we calle here Hostrees and in those houses ben mules horses asses and camelles alwaye redy yf soo be that ony pilgryme marchaunt or other man that traueyle by the waye yf hym nede ony beest for hym or for his marchandyse thenne he gooth to suche an house as is callyd Alchan and there he maye hyre what beest that he woll haue / And thenne he gooth forth to cyte or towne where he woll abyde and there he dyschargeth him of his horse or beest and sendyth him in to suche an hous that is called Alchan / And there ben beestes on that manere to hyre / And the mayster of the hous taketh the beest and yeueth it meete and whan he maye he sendyth hym home agayne there he came fro / And yf soo be that noo man goo in to that cyte or towne in longe tyme. he takyth the same beest and ledyth hym out of the towne and settyth hym in the way hom warde / And so the beest gooth forth home with out ony ledinge euyn to his maysters hous without peryll of beestes or of theues / Soo euery man that hath ony suche beestes euery man knoweth other beestes ben they neuer soo ferre asondre / And of suche houses lordes of the grounde haue grete wynnynge tolle of suche beestes hytynge / And suche a manere house was that house a lytyll before or Cryste was borne in / ¶ But abowte the byrth of IhuÌ„ that hous was all dystroyed soo that there was no thyng lefte but broken walles on euery syde and a lytyll caue vnder the erthe and a lytyll vnthryfty hous tofore that caue / there men solde breede in the same grounde ¶ It is also the vsage in all the countree that all the breede that shal be solde shall be brought in to a certayn place / And of the breede that is solde in the day the kynge the lorde of the grounde atte nyght shal haue a certen money / And whan Dauid was made kynge of Israel by processe of tyme Iherusalem was dystroyed and all the countree abowte Noo man toke hede of this hous by cause it was all dystroyed noo thynge lefte but that broken house the caue / And bredde tymbre that myght not be solde on the daye sholde be putte in that hous to the next market day / Asses horse other beestes that came to the market were tyed abowte this broken hous / FOr to speke ayen of the matere / Whan Octauian Emperoure of Rome had scnte out his coÌ„maundment that eche man shold goo to the same towne that he was borne in / Thenne went Ioseph and our lady rode vpon an asse they came so late wythin nyght to Bedleem as it is afore sayd therfore all the Innes hostries were stuffed wyth pylgrymes other men And by cause they came in poore araye they wente abowte the cyte noo man wolde receyue theym / specyally for they sawe that our lady was a yonge woman syttynge vpon an asse heuy sorowfull full
kynge Balthazar that was kinge of Godolie and of Saba with all his hoste and abode besyde the mount of Caluarie in a lytyll towne whyche is called Galilee / And holy wrytte spekyth moche of that towne / For the discyples of god almyghty before his resurreccyon and after also were wonte alwaye to come thyther togider / In that towne god almyghty appered to his discyples after his resurreccion / As it is wreten in the gospell Precedet vos in galileam ibi eū videbitis that is / He shall goo tofore you in to Galilee and there ye shal se him ¶ But there is a londe that is called Galilee and that is a grete lordshypp̄ and it is thre dayes Iourneye from Iherusalem / ANd whan thise .ij. kynges Melcheor Balthazar were com̄ taryed in thise places for sayd in the clowde derknes thenne the clowde wexed clere but the sterre appered not / Soo whan thise .ij. kynges sawe that they were nye Ihrlm though neyther of them knew other they toke their way to warde the cyte / And-they mette togyder besyde the mount of Caluarie there as thre wayes were metyng togyder / Thenne came the kynge Iasper kyng of Taars of the yle of Egryswyll wyth all his oost And soo thyse thre gloryous kynges wyth alle theyr meyne caryage beestes mette togyder in this hyhe waye / And notwythstondyng that none of theim neuer before had seen other ne none of them knewe others persones ne knewe of others comynge yet atte theyr metynge eche of theym anone ryght wyth grece Ioye reuerence kyssed other / And though they were of dyuers langages yet eche of them to theyr se mynge spake one manere of speche / Soo whan they had spoken togyder eche of theym had tolde hys Iourney the cause of his waye / Alle theyr causes were acordynge in to one / Thenne were they moche the gladder the more feruente in theyr waye soo they rode forth / And sodenly at the vprysynge of the sonne they came in to the cyte of Iherusalem / And whan they knewe that Iherusalem was the kinges cytee the whyche theyr predecessoures the Caldees of olde tyme had byseged distroyed they were ful glad supposing to haue founde the kynge Ihesu there borne in the same cyte / ¶ And that tyme was Herode in Iherusalem / he all the cyte were gretly dys trowbled of theyr sodenly comynge / For theyr company theyr beestes were of soo grete nombre soo grete multitude that the cyte myght not receyue theym / But for the moost partye laye wythout the cyte al aboute / Wherof Ysayas prophecied sayd Eortitudo gencium venerit tibi inundacio camellorum operiet te dromedarij madian effa omnes de saba venient aurū thus deferentes laudem dn̄o annuncian tes that is to saye / The strength of folke cometh to the Iherusalem grete plente of camelles shall couere the dromedaries of Madian of Effa shall com̄ to the. many folke shall come fro Saba bryngyng golde ensence and yeuynge laude to god / THis Herode was ordeyned kinge by the emperour by the Romaynes and he was but yonge of aege and was that tyme in his palayes in Iherusalem / And thenne thyse thre kynges asked in that cyte of the people where that chylde was borne wherof speketh in the gospell theuangelist Cū natus esset ihūs c̈ that is to say / Whan god was born in Bedleem in the cyte of Iewery in the dayes of Herode kynge of the same londe thre kynges came oute of the Eest sayd Where is he the is borne the kynge of Iewes we sawe his sterre in the Eest and we be come to worshyppe hym And Herode herde this and he was dystourbled all Iherusalem wyth hym / And he gadred togyder all the prynces the preestes and asked of theym where Cryste sholde be borne / And they sayd in Bedleem of Iewry thus it is wreten by the prophete Thou Bedieem londe of Iewery thou arte not lyfyll amonge the prynces of Iewery of the shall goo out a duke that shall rule my people of Israel Thenne Herode preuely called to him the thre kynges lerned of them the tyme of the sterre that apperyd to theym and so sente theim forthe in to Bedleem sayd Goo and enquyte besely of this childe and whan ye haue founde hym come telle me that I may goo worshyp hym whan they had herde the kynge they yede the yr way / And the sterre that they sawe in the Eest yede before theym tyll they came there the chylde was And whan they sawe the sterre thei were right gladde And they yede in to the hous and openyd theyr tresours and offred to hym golde ensence myrre / All this is the gospell / And in theyr slepe an aungell came fro god badde theym that they sholde not goo ayen to Herode / And soo they torned home to theyr countree by a nother waye / ¶ Of thyse thre kynges why they cam̄ fyrst in to Iherusalem rather than in to Bedleem many bokes in dyuers manere declare / and many causes ben wreten whyche were to longe to telle / But amonge all other causes one is that kynge Herode the Cyteyzyns were soo distrowbled for theyr soden comynge and also they seenge that thyse lordes were kynges and theyr hoste came oute of Caldee oute of the Eest the whyche of olde tyme thrugh suffraunce of god had oft tymes pursued the yr kynge and besegyd distroyed the cyte of Ihrlm that londe abowte / A nother for they came fro soo ferre countices to worshyp the kynge of Iewes that was latly borne / And by cause that Herode was but an straunger and was made kyng by the emperour the Romaynes he was aferde leest he sholde haue loste his kyngdom by cause that Cryste was borne / Also a nother cause was chise thre kȳges of goddis ordenaunce came soo to Iherusalem wythout auysement whan they had loste theyr sterre / For Iherusalem was the kynges cyte and alwaye the kinges of the londe were moost abydynge there and doctours of the lawe the Scrybes with theyr scriptures and prophecyes were euermore present in that cyte / So the Iewes and the Scrybes knewe well longe tyme before cryste sholde be borne in that place / ¶ Wherfore Iewes maye neuer shewe cause to excuse theim of theyr false byleue / Of this sayth saynt Gregory in his Omelie Iudeos profecto bene ysaac cū iacob tilium suū benediceret presignauif qui caligans oculis prophetizans in presenti filiū non vidit cui tamen in posterum multū preuidit c̈ that is to saye / By this we maye vnderstonde the Iewes for Ysaac whan he was blynde and myghte not se he blessyd Iacob his sone and prophecyed of hym / And moreouer whan he had him in his presence before hym
her sones clothes / And in that gardine ben many busshes of bawme they ben lyke busshes of coses and ben but lytyll hygher than a fadom and the leues ben lyke to Trayfoylles / And to euery busshe a crysten man one of the Soudans prysoners is assigned to kepe it to make it clene / And there is a grete wonder a merueylous of thise busshes for there maye no man kepe theim ne dresse theim but he be a crysten man and that hath oft tymes be proued / For whan a Iewe or Paynem kepyth them anone they wexe drye growe nomore / And in the moneth of Marche that Soudan is alwaye abydynge in that gardyne / And thenne the roddes of the busshes ben kytte like a vyne and thenne they ben bounde aboute wyth coton and vnder the kyttynge of the roddes the coton ben sette dysshes of syluer so the bawme renneth downe in to the vesselles thrugh the coton as water renneth out of a vyne / out of thise dysshes this bawme is put into a grete potte of syluer that potte is more than vi galons / And the Soudan taketh all this bawme in to his owne kepyng specyally but whan ony messager is sent from a kynge for bawme the Soudan yeuyth hym a lytyll vyall full / And whan this baw me is all gadred dropped out of the roddes then̄e euery crysten man that hath a busshe to kepe takith the roddes that ben lefte sette theim in water in a clene potte the bawme swȳmeth aboue as it were fat nesse of flesshe / And this bawme is gadred is good for all manere of brosynge / And yf a man be wounded it woll make hym hole anone / And this bawme is solde to pylgrymes of dyuers countrees / And soo it is borne thorugh dyuers londes abowte / But this bame is noo thyng soo vertuous ne soo good as the bawme that droppyth out of the redes / For that can not be bought of the Soudan by no manere of wyse For and a man take a droppe of that bawme and laye it on a mannys honde anone it renneth thyr leth thorugh on that other syde and that place shall neuer corrupte ne rote after / And that is called rawe bawme of whiche bawme it were ouer longe a matere to tell the vertue therof / But all the people in the Eest bileue that that place is suche a vertue of growynge of bawme by cause our lady dwelled there .vij. yeres and wasshed there her clothes and her sones and also bathed hym in those welles as it is aforsayd / FErthermore as it is aforsayd that Melchior kynge of Nubie and of Arabie offryd to god an appyll of golde and .xxx. pence gylte ¶ Of thyse .xxx. pence ye maye here the begynnyng and the last ende / ¶ Thara that was fader to Abraham dyde make thyse .xxx. gylte pence in the name of the kynge of Mesopotania whyche kynge was called Nylus / And so by processe of tyme. this Abraham whan he sholde take his Iourney to goo on pilgremage oute of the londe and countree of Caldee in to the countree whyche was called Ebron whyche atte that tyme hyghte Arabie he toke thise forsayd .xxx. pence that his fader Thara had doo make wyth hym / And for those .xxx. pence gylte he purchaced and boughte thenne a place for his sepulture for his two sones Isaac and Iacob / Afterwarde by processe of tyme Ioseph was solde of his bredern in to Egypte by marchauntes of Ismalie for those same .xxx. pence sente in to the londe of Saba for diuers spyces oynementes for the sepulture of Iacob so they were put in to the-kynges tresory / Thenne by processe of tyme in kynge Salomons tyme that que ne of Saba offred thise .xxx. pence wyth many other ryche Iewelles in the temple of god in Iherusalem / ¶ Soo afterwarde in the tyme of Roboam kynge Salomons sone whan Iherusalem was distroyed the temple of god spoylled thenne thise .xxx. pence gylte were broughte to the kynge of Arabie were put in to his tresorye with many other ryche ornamentes that were brought out of the temple of god / ¶ Then̄e afterwarde whan Cryste was borne thenne Melchi or kynge of Nubie Arabie toke thise .xxx. pence with hym and many other ryche Iewelles by cause they were of the beste fyneste golde that he had in hys tresory / Therfore he toke those wyth hym offryd them to god in Bedleem whan he was born / Then̄ after whan our lady saynt Mary yede out of Bedleem in to Egypte for drede of-kynge Herode she left those yeftes that were offred to her sone as she went by the waye knytte all togyder in a clothe / It hapnyd after that a shepeherde that kepte shepe in the same countree the whyche had soo grete Infyrmyte dysese that noo leche myghte heele hym / And alle the good that he had he gaue to dyuers leches to make him hole but if wolde not be / And as he yede with his shepe in that felde he founde those .xxx. pence wyth ensence and myrre in a clothe togyder / And those gyftes he kept to hymself preuely tyll a lytyll afore the tyme that Cryste went to his passion / And whan the shepeherd herde speke of suche an holy prophete that heelyd all men of theyr Infirmytees wyth a worde Thenne-he cam̄ to god prayed hym of grace and of helpe thenne our lorde Ihesu Cryste heeled him anone at a worde and enfourmed hym in the fayth Thenne the shepeherde offred to god wyth good deuocyon the .xxx. pence wyth ensence myrre as they were bothe all togider in the clothe / And god knewe those gyftes well ynough / And god badde the shepe herde goo in to the temple offre all thyse thynges on the awter soo he dyde goddys byddynge offred them vp to the awter wyth grete deuocōn / And whan the preest of the temple that kepte the offryng sawe suche an oblacōn offred on the awter in the worshyppe therof he reuest him encensed the awter bycause suche oblacōns were but selden seen in that tēple he toke with grete reuerence the ryche offrynges put theym in to the comyn tresory / ¶ And a lytyll whyle after that is to saye the thyrde daye tofore Crystis passyon Iudas Scarioth came in to the temple to the prynces of the lawe to the Iewes made couenaunt with theym to betraye his mayster god almyghty / And for his labour the pryncis of the lawe and the Iewes toke out of the tresory those .xxx. pence / ¶ Thenne whan this was done Cryste was bytrayed thrugh his discyple and sholde be deed for all mankynde as his swete wyll was / Thenne Iudas repented him and yede in to the temple ayen to the prynces of the Iewes caste downe ayen to theym thyse .xxx. pence / And thenne as the gospel
Constantynople wyth grete Ioye and reuerence / And layed theim reuerently in a chyrche that was callyd saynt Sohpie / and that same chyrche kynge Constantyn dyde make / And he alone wyth a lytyll chylde sette vp all the pylars of marbyll of the same chyrche / And therin was somtyme the crowne of thorne that Cryst was crowned wyth / And whan the Turkes Sarrasyns came downe to Constantynople distroyed a grete party therof thenne themperour sent to saynt Lowes that was thenne kyng of Fraunce for socour helpe thenne king Lowes came with strength to the themperour recouered ayen the moost party of that londes the themperour had lost / And for his labour themperour gaaf hym the crowne of thorne wherfore the Grekes made moche sorowe / And so came the holy crowne of thorne in to Fraunce out of Constantynople and the cyâ—e is the cheif cyte of al the londe of Grece ¶ And whan thise thre knges were brought vnto Constantynople all the people of the countree abowte came visyted theym wyth grete deuocoÌ„n worshypped theym / And there they were longe tyme / AFter the thise thre worshipfull kynges bodies were brought vnto Constantynople kynge Constantyn his holy moder saynt Elyne deyed / And ayenst the fayth of crysten men began to ryse a newe heresye also persecucoÌ„n of dethe ayenst all those the wolde mayntene the crysten faythe the lawe of Cryste / But in this persecucoÌ„n the Grekes though it were that they had many worshipfull doctours bysshops of the same countree of Grece borne Yet thei forsoke the lawe of holy chirche the fayth and chose theim a Patriarke by themself to whom they obeye yet vnto this daye as we do to the pope / in this persecucoÌ„n the bodies of thise thre kinges were had in noo reuerence nor none of the other relikes but vtterly set at nought / And the Sarrasyns Turkes in this tyme wanne with stronge honde batayll the londes of Grece Armonye dystroyed a grete parte of those londes / And thenne came themperour of Rome Mauricius thrugh him the helpe of theim of Melayne recoueryd-all thise londes agayn ¶ And as it is sayd amonge theym there in the countree thrugh counseyle of the same emperour thyse .iij kynges bodies were translate in to Melayne / ¶ Ferthermore it is in many bokes in that countree that there was an emperour of Grece whiche was called Ginamiell he sent vnto a relygyous man that was callyd Gustorgius in to Melayne vpon a certayn message thenne the religious man asked of themperour to haue thyse thre kynges bodies / And by cause the emperour loued well this man also he was a wyse man themperour graunted hym the bodyes of thise kyngis / And so this man Gustorgius sent the bodyes to Melane layed theim there in a fayre chirche of frere Prechours wyth grete solempnyte / And there our lorde shewed many fayre myracles / ¶ And so at yet we shal leue to speke of the translacoÌ„n of thise holy kynges bodyes speke of another matere in vsage of the londes of Ynde / PReter IohÌ„n that is lorde of Ynde of alle the kynges that ben vnder hym on the xij daye the is called the Epiphanie they araye theym as kynges sholde with their crownes on their hedes with ryche ornamentes so they go to theyr temple here masse / thre tymes that day they offre at masse The fyrste offrynge in the begynnyng of the masse the seconde after the gospell the thyrde at that Postcomyn of the masse / And they offre golde encense myrre and that wyth grete deuocoÌ„n mekenes and also other lordes of lesse degree offre thries after the yr power / Ferdermore all other men of crysten faythe that ben diuyded in dyuers partyes sectes holde dyuers opinyons of heresies as Nubiani Soldani nestorini Indi Grecy Simani Ifymum Nycholaite Mandopoly of thise eche party hath a deuocoÌ„n to the thre kynges to the feest of the Epyphanie as ye maye here afterwarde / But fyrste or we procede ony ferther we shall speke of the thre kynges bodies lefte at Melayne / THenne after by processe of tyme the cyte of Melane beganne to rebell agaynst the Emperour theyr souereyne lorde whyche emperour was called Fredericus / And this emperour sent to the bisshop of Loleyne that was called Reynolde for helpe of dyuers lordes of the londe for dyuers lordes that were his enmyes toke the cyte of Melane distroyed a grete parte therof / And in that tyme the grete men of the cyte toke the bodyes of thyse thre kynges hydde them preuely in the erthe / Amonge al other there was a lorde in that cyte that highte Asso them perour hated this Asso more than al the people of that cyte / And so it happed that in the dystruccoÌ„n of the cyte the Archebisshop of Colayn wan this lordis place thorugh strong honde laye therin a grete whyle / And this Asso was take and put in prison / Thenne this Asso sent preuely by the kepers of the prison to tharchebysshop of Coleyne prayed hym that he wolde come speke wyth hym / And soo whan he was come before tharchebysshop he promysed him yf he myghte wolde gete hym grace of themperour his loue lordshyp he wolde yeue hyÌ„ the bodyes of the thre kynges / And whan the bysshop herde this anone he yede to themperour prayed for him and gate hym grace good loue of the emperour / Whan this was done this lorde Asso brought preuely the bodyes of the thre kynges to tharchebisshop of Colayn / And thenÌ„ the Archebysshop sente preuely thyse thre bodyes by his preuy meyne a grete waye out of Melayne / And thenne he yede to the Emperour prayed hym that he wolde graunt hym the bodyes of the thre kynges / themperour graunted theim to him / And thenne the Archebysshop openly wyth grete processyon solemnyte brought thise holy sayntes in to Coleyne there layed theym in a fayr chyrche of saynt Peter worshypfully / And all the people of the countree with all reuerence that they myght receyued thyse holy relykes / there they ben worshypped of all manere of nacoÌ„ns vnto this daye / And thus endyth the translacoÌ„n of thyse thre kynges melchior balthazar Iasper / NOw to speke of thusages in Ynde that we haue begon before aswell of Crysten as Heretykes Sysmatykes eche of theym both religyous seculars fasten on Crystmas daye vnto it be nyght / And eche man spredyth his table settith on it asmoche meete drynke as may suffyse for his lyuynge fro Cristmas daye tyll the .xij. daye / And so of the that is sett on the borde they ete drynke with theyr wyues chyldern meyne wyth all Ioye myrthe the they can in that tyme / Also they lyghte a candell
and lamentacyon was thenne made in all that countree abowte / ¶ Moreouer the forsayde prynces of Vaws broughte also wyth theym out of Inde bokes whyche were wreten in Ebrewe and Caldee langage berynge wytnesse of the lyfe of the dedes of those thre renōmed kynges / The why the bokes were after translated in to Frensshe / And soo of those bokes and of herynge and of syght and of sermon̄s and of Omelies that ben drawen out of dyuerse bokes this presente treatyse is thus wryten togyder and comprysed in one libell or lytyll boke / ¶ Also the olde kynred of this Progenie of Vaws beren alwaye in theyr baners vnto this daye a sterre wyth a sygne of a Crosse on the same manere and in lyke fourme as it appered to the thre kynges in time of the byrthe of oure Sauyoure Cryste Ihesu / ¶ And soo alwaye after that the prophete Balaam had prophecied of that sterre the more the fame and desyrynge of the sterre encreased and the more gretly it was had in remembraunce thorugh out all the londe of Inde and of Caldee and also the more the people desyred to se it in theyr lyue dayes / WHan Ezecheas regned and was kynge and souereyne of the londe of Iewes / Thenne Ysaye the prophete prophecyed gloryously of our lady saynt Mary and of her sone and sayd Ecce virgo concipiet pariet filium c̈ Loo sayd the prophece a mayde shall conceyue and bere a chylde / ¶ In the tyme of Ysaye kynge Ezecheas was greued with an Infirmite vnto the dethe / And Ysaye the prophete in the name of god tolde hym that he sholde deye wherfore Ezecheas torned to the walle and wept sorowed as holy wrytte telleth / And not for drede of dethe oonly but for he had noo eyre and for the byheste of Abraham and of Dauid and also the prophecye of Balaam and of Ysaye sholde faylle and perysshe in hym / Wherfore our lorde had mercy on hym And encreaced and prolonged his lyfe xv-yeres lenger / And Ezecheas askyd a token of god thereof / The whyche token was this / That the sonne sholde goo bakwarde or wythdrawe hym ayenst his kinde / And soo god suffred it to be / ¶ And whan the Caldees sawe this merueyllous and wonderfull token in the sonne in the ayre they merueyled ryght gretly therof / And whan they vnderstode that this token was shewed for Ezecheas the kynge thenne they sente hym many gyftes and were in purpose wyll to come and worshyppe hym / For the kynge Ezecheas of very Innocencie of herte made dissimulacyon wolde knowlege that this token was shewed for hym / And also he wolde not thanke god therof but had a lytyll pryde in his herte / Wherfore god was somdele wrothe wyth hym / And therfore god sent to Ezecheas by his prophete Ysaye that al those gyftis whyche were sente to hym by the Caldees sholde be borne in to Babilonie as is wryten in the Byble / For though Ezecheas were kynge of the Iewes borne and that wonderfull token was shewed for hym yet he was not that man that sholde aryse vp of Iherusalem and be lorde of all folke as Ballaam prophecyed / ¶ And in that tyme the Caldees and the Grekes gaue theim moche to Astronomye and had grete delyte therin / In soo moche that euery mayde and chylde in mennes howses knewen the course of the sterres and of the planetes And yet alway they gyue them therto specyally kynges prynces / For they haue maysters of that scyence and gyue theym grete wages to teche theim / AFter Ezecheas regned Manasses and slewe Ysaye the prophete / And after Manasses regned Amon. and after him Iosias / And in his tyme prophecyed Iheremy and thenne Ioachim / The same tyme the Caldees byfeged Iherusalem and dystroyed if and bare away all the vessell and the ornamentes that were in the temple of god and in the kynges house and bare theym in to Babilonie as Ysaye hadde prophecyed before / And they ledde many Iewes prysoners in to Babilonie the whiche is fro Iherusalem l. dayes Iourney / And they were in captiuite and in pryson l. yere to whom Iheremye sent many bokes of the lawe of prophecyes that they sholde not be forgete as the boke tellyth / ¶ And in this captiuyte of Iewes Danyel prophecyed vnder Tyrus kynge of Perse of the Incarnacyon of Ihesu Cryste and sayd De lapide absciso de monte sine manibus conscidenciū As ye maye here after / ¶ Amonge all other Danyel sayd to the Iewes Cū venerit sanctus sctōrum sessabit vnctio vestra That is to say whan he that is moost holy of sayntes comyth thenne shall your vnccōn sesse / ¶ After this the kynge of Perse the Caldees cōmaunded and dyde wryte and translate out of Ebrewe in to Caldee all the bokes of the Iewes lawes and the prophecies of Ysaye chore Ieremye Danyel Mychie Balaam other prophecies / Among all thise bokes prophecies they fonde the many thinges shold be fulfylled by the Caldees theym of Perse specyally by the Caldees theym of Perse specyally after the prophecie of Balaam that sayd Oriet̄ stella ex Iacob And for thyse prohecyes and bokes of the Iewes and for other causes the Caldees the men of Perse were the more feruente and studyenge after the sterre / ¶ Wherby we shall vnderstonde that alle this is by goddys ordynaunce of his habundannte mercy and also to the strenthynge of oure faythe / ¶ Balaam that was the fyrste prophete and was noo Iewe prophecyed by a sterre the fyrste callynge clepynge of theym that were noo Iewes whanne he sayd Orietur stella ex Iacob exurget homo c̈ And this callynge of the people god fyrste began perfourmyd by his byrthe by thyse gloryous kynges / And how be it that thei of Perse and of Caldee were Paynemes yet by thyse prophecyes and bokes of the Iewes they founde and wyst well that what soo euer god had promysed by his prophetes he was myghty to fulfyll and perfourme it / ¶ Soo they ordeyned twelue of the grettest clerkes of Astronomye that were in all the countreee and gaaf theym grete rewardes to kepe the hyll of Vaws aforsayde for bicause of the sterre that was prophecied by Balaam ¶ And the cause that there were twelue men ordeyned was this / That yf soo were that one man deyed a nother sholde be put in his stede / And nother cause was that some of theim sholde kepe the hyll one tyme / And some a nother tyme to loke after the sterre that Balaam prophecyed / Neuertheles the people loked not oonly after the sterre but after the man that it betokenyd whyche sholde be lorde of all folke / ¶ And they of Inde and Caldee came often tymes to Iherusalem by cause of marchaundyses and also for playsure / And they for the moost parte
wery grete wyth childe and nyghe the tyme of her delyueraunce of her chylde / Thenne Ioseph ladde her in to this forsayd place that noo man toke hede of downe in to the lytyll derke denne / And there our lorde Ihesu Cryste that same nyght was borne of our lady wythout ony disese of her body / In that house of olde tyme was lefte a maynger of the lengthe nyghe of a fadom made in the walle / And by the same maynger was an oxe of a poore mannys tyed And besyde the oxe Ioseph tyed his asse / And in the same-mainger our lady wrapped her blessed sonne in suche clothes as she had layed him vpon the heye tofore thoxe thasse For there was none other place in that countree / In ostryes all the mayngers ben of thre or foure fete of lengthe that an horse or elles a nother beest may haue his meete by hymself / And suche a maynger was that that our lady laye in / THe place where the angell apperyd to the shepeherdes thaÌ„t nyghte that Cryste was borne is but half a myle from Bedleem / And in that same place Dauid kepte shepe in his chyldhede deffended them from beers lyens other wylde beestes / So me bokes saye that the shepeherdes of that conntree ke pe theyr shepe twyes in oo yere / And those tymes are whan the dayes nyghtes ben both of a lengthe And that londe abowte Bedleem is called the londe of byhest / And that place in the Eest is mnost parte mountayns for in some place a man shall not well knowe Wynter fro Somer / And in some place there it is ryght colde in some place is bothe Wynter Somer as it is in this countree after that the places ben playne or full of hylles / For abowte some of the hylles a man maye fynde snowe in August that snowe men of that countree gadre thenne laye it in theyr caues vnder the grounde / And afterward it is borne to the markettes and that wyll the lordes of the countree bye to set it in basons on their borde to make theyr drynke colde / And the poore men that gadre it carye it in chaffe that the heete sholde not melte it and the lordes that bye it vncoueren it out of that chaff thenne anone it is resolued molte to water For comynly in that countree of the Eest is alwaye snowe in Septembre Octobre / Whan the sonne comyth a lytyll lowe in that countree all sedes herbes begyn to sprynge and were as they done in this countree in Marche Aprill / And in some partyes of the Eest men repe corne in Marche Aprill but moost in May. after the place or ground lyeth hye or lowe / But by Bedleem ben many mo good fatte pastures hote than in other places in soo moche that at Crystmasse barleye begynnyth to were rype and thenne men of dyuerse countrees sende thether theyr horses mules to make theym fatte / And the tyme that we calle here Crystmas it is called there tyme of herbes / ¶ And for asmoche as whan Cryste was borne peas was in al the worlde therfore the angell sayd Par hominibus bone voluntatis And for the heete of that countree abowte Bedleem that is the cause that shepeherdes kept theyr beestes there that tyme of the yere as they done yet vnto this daye / IN those dayes whan the coÌ„maundment went out from Cezar August as it is aforsayde / thenne was Herode ordeyned made kynge of the londe of Iewes by the emperour by the Romayns yet was Herode noo Iewe ne kyng of Iewes borne / But by cause the same emperour the Romaynes had made subgette to theym the londe of Iewery many of the prouynces abowte theym vn to Inde Perse Caldee so by strong honde they made hym kynge / And all that countree knewe well that He rode was but a lyon neuer came of kyngis blood ne of Iewry bore but made kyng by theÌ„perour Romayns so that the prophecie of daniel shold be fulfylled in the tymeÌ„ of the byrthe of Cryste whan he sayd CuÌ„ venerit sanctus sactoÌ„rum c̈ as it is aforsayde / Yet the Iewes contynuynge in theyr malyce falsnesse sayde that longe tyme after the Natiuite of Cryste their vnccoÌ„n sessed not but that they had many kinges after / But yet the false Iewes forsake not that Herode came of a Iewe on the fader syde of a Paynym of the moders syde so he was noo very Iewe Wherfore crysten men make the Iewes vtterly confuled of the prophecye of Iacob theyr Patryarke the sayd thus Non auferetur ceptruÌ„ de iuda nec dux de femore cius doner veniat qui mittendê° est et ipÌ„e erit expectacoÌ„ genciuÌ„ that is to saye / The septie of Iuda shall not be borne away ne the stocke of lygnage tyl he come that shall be sente and he shall be that folke shall abyde / ¶ And many other questyons of the Iewes to the crysten men of the vnccoÌ„n of theyr kynges / WHan god was borne of our lady as it is afor sayd thenne this sterre that was prophecied by Balaam and long tyme abyden and loked after by the twelue Astronomers of the sayd hyll of Vaws / ¶ The same nyghte and the same houre that god was borne the same sterre began to ryse in manere of the sonne shynynge bryghte / And after that fourme of an egle ascended aboue the hylle / And all the daye in the highest place of the ayre it abode with out ony meuynge / Soo whan the sonne was moost hote and moost highe there was no dyfference in shinynge betwyx the sterre the sonne / Neuertheles some bokes sayen that in the same daye whan god was borne were seen many sonnes but whan the daye of Crystmas was paste the sterre ascended vp in to the fyrmament / And the sterre that thus was shewed was noo thynge lyke the sterres that ben paynted here in dyuerse places / For it had ryght many strakes and beemys more bryght brennynge than a bronde of fyre / And as an Egle fleenge betynge the ayre with his wynges ryght soo the strakes the beemes of that mouyd themselfe abowte / And the sterre had in hymself the fourme the liknesse of a yonge childe and aboue hym the sygne of a Crosse / And a voyce was herde in the sterre sayenge Natus est nobis hodie rex iudeorum qui est expectacoÌ„ genciuÌ„ dominator eorum ite ad inquirendum euÌ„ adoranduÌ„ that is to saye / This daye is borne to vs kynge of the Iewes that folke haue abyden and he is lorde of them god forth and seke hym and doo hym worshyppÌ„ / Therfore for strengthynge of our fayth to afferme thys matere forsayd almyghty god whose prouydence in his ordynaunce fayllyth not / ¶ And saynt Poul sayth Vocatea que
non sunt tanquā ea que sunt that is to saye / God callyth those that ben not aswell as those that ben of his prouidence / Thus he dyde and dysposed as he dyde in the olde Testamente whan he gaaf a langage to an asse and made an asse to speke to Balaam / He wolde in the begyn̄nynge of the newe Testament yeue a voyce to speke out of a sterie that the same Balaam prophecyed of / ¶ Whan al the people of that countree abowtesawe this wonderfull and merueyllous sterre and also herde the voys of the sterre they were gretly affrayed and hadde grete wonder therof / But they knewe well that it was the same sterre that was prophecied of by Balaam and longe tyme was desyred and abyden of all the people of that countree theraboute Thus whan thyse thre Kynges that the tyme regned in Ynde Caldee and Persidie weren enfourmed and well assured by the Astronomers and by the prophecyes of this sterre / They were ryght gladde that they had grace to se that sterre in theyr dayes that was longe tyme prophecyed afore and all the people had so longe loked after / Wherefore though eche of thyse thre kynges weren ferre from other and none of theym knewe of others purpose yet in one houre the sterre appered to theym all thre / And thenne they ordeyned and purposed theim anone wyth grete and ryche gyftes and many dyuerse ornamentes that were belongynge vnto the degree araye of kynges and also wyth mules camels and horses charged wyth precyouse tresours wyth grete nombre and multytude of people to goo seke in theyr beste arraye and to worshippe our lorde Ihesu Cryste that was borne to be Sauiour of all the worlde and the kynge of Iewes that was born that tyme. as the voyce of the sterre spake and preched / And ferthermore they arayed theym moche the more honestely and worthyly / For they knewe well and vnderstode that he was a more worthyer kynge than ony of all the worlde / ¶ Ferthermore eche of thyse thre blessyd kynges had wyth theym grete caryage of oxen and shepe and other beestes that longe to mannys lyuynge and sustenaunce and other manere thynges necessary belongynge to the offyce of a chamber kechen and to all other offyces belongynge to a kynges astate also bothe fode for man beest they caryed wyth theim / In somoche that they ordeyned soo grete plentee that sholde suffyse theim well bothe outwarde homwarde / And euery kyng had people as it had be an hoste / ¶ It is the manere in that countree of the Eesst oute take cytees that in other townes ben many fayr Ostries and for the moost party al maneze vytaylles both for man beste is ynough for the comyn people but not for suche kynges suche grete lordes that ryde wyth soo grete multytude Beddyng suche other necessaries of chambers neyther of chapell ne of kechin is not suffycyent ne honest therfore lordes haue suche cariaage wyth theim / And in the countree for the most party men ryde or go by nyght for bren̄ynge of that son̄e in heete of the day they rest / Ye shal vnderstonde that there ben thre Indes of whom thise thre lordes were kinges / And alle those londes for the moost partye ben yles / There ben also thre grete waters and thre grete desertes or wyldernesses full of wylde peryllouse beestes and horryble serpentes / And in that countree doon growe also thise longe grete redes that ben brought in to Englonde and some ben soo grete that men make houses and shyppes of theym / And eche yle is deuided and departed eche from other / And eche londe is full of wylde beestes / IN the fyrst Ynde is the londe of Nubie and therof Melchior was Kynge whan Cryste was born / And there is also the lond of Arabie / And in that londe is the mount Sinay / A man out of the redde see maye lightly saylle out of Egypte and Syrie in to Ynde / ¶ And pylgrymes marchauntes that from Ynde passen the redde see sayen that al the grounde of the redde see is soo redde that the water aboue semyth as it were redde wyne notwythstondyng that water is as other water is of colour and it is merueyllously salte / And it is soo clere that in the deppest of all the water men maye se fysshes and dyscerne al thynges by the botom̄ of the see And that water is thre cornerde and it ebbyth and floweth in to the grete see of Occean and is foure or fiue myles of brede where it is brodest / And there the chyldern of Israel yede thrugh with drye fete whan Pharao his host pursued theim and al were drowned man beest / Out of that see sourdeth a grete flode that rennyth in to a ryuer of paradyse terrestre that ryuer is callyd Nilus / And this Nilus passyth by Egypte and by it cometh moche ryche marchandyse out of Ynde and soo passeth in to Egypte Syrie Babilonie Alisaundre and soo thorugh al the worlde / And all the erthe of the londe of Arabie there the mount Synai is is merueyllously redde / Stones trees herbes and all other thynges that growe there ben redde for the moost partye / And there is founde golde wonderfully redde in manere of thinne smalle rotes and that is the beste golde of the worlde ¶ There is also an hyll that is called Bona. and in that hyll is founde the stone that is callyd Smaragdus / And that is cutte out wyth grete crafte and grete traueyle of the hylle And that hyll is kepte be syly strongly wyth the Sowdans meyne / IN the second Ynde was the lond of Godolie and therof was Balthasar kyng whan Criste was borne / And he offred ensence to Ihesu / And there was also of olde tyme in that londe that kyngdom of Saba / And in that londe growith more plente of good spyces than in al the londes of the Eest after / And in especyall ensence more than in al the worlde / And it droppyth out of certayne trees in manere of gūme / IN the thyrd Ynde was the kyngdom of Taars and in the tyme of Crystis byrthe Iasper was kynge therof / And he offred to god Myrre / And that londe is called thyle of Egris will / In that yle groweth more myrre than in all the worlde after / And it wexyth lyke eeres of corne that were brente wyth the weder and it growyth ryght thycke And whan it is rype it is so softe that it cleuyth on mennes clothes as they goon by the waye / And then̄ men take smalle cordes girdles and drawe theim all abowte the eeres and soo the myrre cleuyth on the cordes and on the girdles and afterwarde the myrre is wronge out of the cordes and girdles / ¶ Wherfore we maye vnderstonde that this was doon of a grete prouydence of the grete mercy of god
alle the ornamentes that the quene of Saba founde in Salamons Temple and dyuerse vessell that were of the kinges hous and of the Temple of god in Iherusalem / The whyche in the tyme of dystruccyon of Iherusalem were borne in to the countrees londes by theym of Perse of Calâ—dee / And many other Iewelles bothe of golde syluer and precyous stones thyse kynges brought wyth theym offred to god / BVt whan thei founde our lorde Cryst Ihesu layed in that Cribbe in poore clothes and the sterre had yeue soo grete lyghte in all the place there Cryst was that it semed as they had ston de in a furnays of fyre they were so sore aferde that of all those ryche Iewels and ornamentes that they brought with theim they toke noo thyng out of their coffres but that came nexte theyr hondes as it was the wyll of oure lorde / ¶ And Melchior toke out of his tresory a rounde appyll of golde as moche as a man myghte holde in his honde .xxx. gylte pence that he offred to god / Bathazar kynge of Godolie of Saba toke out of his tresour ensence as it camÌ„ next to his honde he offred that to god / Iasper as it came to his honde offred myrre to god wyth wepyng teeres / Soo thyse thre kynges were soo aferde soo deuowte in theyr offrynge that of all the wordes that our lady sayd that tyme thei toke but lytyl consyderacoÌ„n / Saue oonly to euery kynge as thei of fred to god she bowed downe wyth her heed and sayd mekely Deo gracias that is to saye / Thankinges be to god / ¶ Thappyll of golde that Melchior offryd wyth the .xxx. pence was somtyme kynge Alysaunders the grete conquerour / And he dyde make the same appyll of small peces of golde that he had gadred of the trybute of all the worlde / And that he bare alway in his honde / And this appyll was left in Ynde whan he was comen fro Paradyse wyth many other ryche Iewels / ¶ Morouer it is the manere of that countree of the Eest whan a Soudan or a kynge passeth thrugh a cyte thenne euery man after his power is tofore his owne door hall caste ensence and myrre in a fire / what man dooth it not he is hold a rebell ayenst the Soudan or kynge for therto is take good hede / And this vsage in all the Eest betoke nyth newe subieccoÌ„n dayly obedyence both to god to theyr mawmettes or to a king whether if is do ne to / Also in olde tyme Martyrs were not onÌ„ly constreyned to worshyppe mawmettes but also to worshyppe theym wyth ensence fyre / And this manerÌ„ Sarrazyns aske alway of Crysten men that ben in theyr pryson for to come in to theyr Temple of theyr goddes worshypfully to doo sacrefyce to theyr mawmettes wyth fyre ensence / WHan almyghty god lowed meked hymselfe became man for our saluacyon was borne of the blessyd moder Mary yet he had noo nede of gyftes of the thre kynges / Neuerthelesse the rounde appyll of golde that was offred to hymanone as kynge Melchior had offred it it was in a moment al broken in to duste / ¶ So we shall vnderstonde in fygure as the stone that was kytte oute of the hyll wythout mannys honde or ony Instrument and brake an horrible mawmette vnto duste powder the whyche the kynge Nabugodonosar sawe in his slepe / Ryght soo that stone that is to saye our lorde Ihesu Cryst with out ony corrupcoÌ„n of synne was borne in to this worlde / The appyll that betokenyth the worlde thrugh his mekenesse his vertue the streyngth of his godhede in a moment he brake alle to noughte / ¶ What befell of thyse yeftes ye maye here afterwarde / AS thise .iij. kynges had thê° perfourmed their waye theyr offrynge done all thynge that they came fore thenne as mankynde axyth wolde they theyr meyne their horses beestes began to ete drinke slepe and all that daye they toke their reste playsur in that towne of Bedleem / For as it is tolde before they ne ete ne dranke in all those xiij dayes / And thenne they tolde mekely to men of Bedleem of theyr countrees how merueyllously they came thyder by ledynge of the sterre fro the ferdest parte of the worlde / Ferdermore as the gospel sayth Et responso accepto in soÌ„pnis ne redirent ad herodeÌ„ per aliaÌ„ viam reuersi sunt in regioneÌ„ suaÌ„ that is to say The angel of god warned the thre kynges in theyr slepe that they sholde not torne ayen to Herode so by a nother waye they yede home to theyr kyngdoms / But that sterre that yede afore theym appered no more after / And so thyse .iij. kynges yede all homwardes togider in to theyr owne countrees with grefe Ioye honour they rode forth with all theyr caryage peple thrugh al the londes prouinces that Olifernes had of olde tyme / And for the coÌ„pany of people men of the countree demed the Olifernes to be come thyder ayen whan they came in to ony towne or Cyte they were receyued worshypfully of alle the people / ¶ And moreouer they prechyd tolde to the people as they rode all that they had seen and herde And soo well payed for theyr vytaylles and spake so mekely and goodly that theyr names and theyr praysynge was neuer after forgoten / ¶ But the way that they had rydden to Bedleem warde in .xiij. dayes thorugh ledinge and conduytyng of the sterre they myght vnneth ryde and goo ayen in two yeres / And that was done for men sholde knowe what dyfference was be twene goddys might mannys power werkyng / WHan Herode and all the Scrybes and other people herde telle that thyse thre kynges were goon home agayn and were not come to hym as he badde theim thenne wyth grete enuye malyce he pursued after theym a grete waye / And al way as he rode after the kynges he herde all the people blesse theym prayse theym and speke of theyr noblesse / Wherfore this Herode brent dystroyed al all the londe that the thre kynges had rode by specyally theim of Taars Silicie For he put vpon the 〈◊〉 that they had suffred them preuely to passe there ouer the see therfore he brent all theyr shyppes to he all their good / Also he his Scribes pursued thyse kynges with grete enuie for they herde the people tell how wonderly they came oute of theyr londes in .xiij. dayes thrugh ledyng of the sterre / And how they yede home ayen wtout sterre or guydes or Interpretours / For all manere of men that thyse thre kynges passed by suffysed not to tell how wonderfully they passed by theym nyghte daye / And therof Iewes that dwelled in dyuers londes places bare
al the people in teÌ„poralte / And for this cause that yf ony man wolde ryse or tempte ayenst the Patriarke Thomas or ayenst the lawe of god yf so were that the Patriarke might not rule him by the spirytuall lawe thenÌ„ shold this lord of teÌ„porall lawe chastise him by his power / So this lorde sholde not be called a kynge or emperour but he sholde be callyd Prethir IohÌ„n / And the cause is this For the thre kynges were preestes and of theyr possessyons they made hym lorde / For there is noo degree so highe as presthode is in all the worlde nor so worthy / Also he is callyd Prethyr IohÌ„n in worshypÌ„ of saynt IohÌ„n the Euangelyste that was a preest the moost specyall chosen and loued of god almyghty / ¶ Whan all this was done thyse thre kynges assygned the Patriarke Thomas Prethyr IohÌ„n th one to be cheyf gouernour in spyrytualtie and the other cheyf lorde in temporalte for euer more / And soo thise same lordes gouernours of Ynde ben called vnto thyse dayes / WHan all thynge was thus dysposed ordeyned by thise .iij. worthy kinges thenne they went in to the cyte of Seuyll forsayd and there they lyued two yeres / And a lytyll tofore the feest of the Natyuyte of our lorde Ihesu Cryste there apperyd a wonderfull sterre aboue the cyte / By the whyche sterre they vnderstode that theyr tyme was nyhe that thei sholde deye passe out of this worlde vnto euerlastynge Ioye in heuen / Thenne of one assente they ordeyned a large a fayr tombe for theyr sepulture in the same chyrche that they had doo make in that cyte / And in the feest of Crystmas thise kinges Archebysshops dyde solempnely goddys seruyse so in the feest of the CircumsicoÌ„n Melchior kynge of Arabie of Nubie sayd his masse solemply in the chirche / And whan he had sayd masse tofore all the people he layed hym downe and wythout ony dysese or heuynesse he yelde vp his spiryte to the fader of heuen And soo deyed in the yere of his aege c. and .xvi. THenne came those two other kynges toke vp his body arayed it in bysshops clothes and wyth kynges ornamentes bare hym to his tombe / And thenne in the feest of the Epiphanye Bathazar king of Godolie of Saba sayd deuoutly his masse whan he had done wythout greuaunce of dysese or syknesse as the wyll of god was he deyed passed to god in the yere of his aege c. xvi Thenne Iasper the thyrde kyng toke vp his body arayed it as the fyrste Kynges body was and wyth grete solempnyte layed buryed it in the tombe by Melchiors body / The sixte daye after this Iasper kynge of Taars of thyle of Egriswill whan he also wyth solempnyte grete deuocyon sayd his masse thenne Cryste toke his spiryte to hym to his blysse / And thenne came other Bysshops preestes with moche people toke his body arayed it worthyly as the other kynges bodyes were bare it to the tombe there thother kinges laye And Cryst shewed there this wonder tofore all the people / ¶ Whan the body of the thirde kynge was thenne broughte and sholde be buryed layed in the same tombe bytwene the other kinges anone eche of the other two kinges departed asonder yaue place to theyr thyrde felowe so receyued hym to lye in the mydyll betwix theim both / And so it may be sayd of thise thre kinges as it is radde in holy wrytte Gliosi principes terre qmÌ„o in vita sua dilexerunt se isa in morte non sunt seperati c̈ that is to say / As thise gloryous kinges Archebisshops loued togyder in theyr lyfe right lo they ben not departed in theyr dethe / And that sterre that apperyd ouer the cyte tofore theyr dethe abode alwaye styll tyll theyr bodyes were translated vnto Colayne as men of Ynde saye / LOnge after the dethe of thyse thre kynges whan Crysten faythe stode in prosperyte in the worshypfull cyte of Seuyll in alle the kyngdoms of the Eest thenne the deuyll that of all goodnes vertues is dystroyer thrugh his wyckydnesse excyted broughte vp amonge the people dyuers oppynyons of heresie / And the persecucoÌ„n of he resye gretly encreased in dyuers londes abowte also in the cyte of Ceuyll that thyse thre kynges rested in In so moche that Prethir Iohn and Patriarke Thomas myghte not rebuke the people from theyr heresies by noo spirytuall correccyon nor temporall And soo the people tornyd agayne to theyr olde lawe and wretchyd fals mawmettes fals goddys / And forsoke the lawes of god in somoche that thyse thre kynges bodies were had at noo reuerence but almoste forgoten of the people / And soo the people that en habyted in the cyte of Seuyll that were come out of the londes kyngdoms of thyse thre kynges euery party toke his kynges bodi out of the tombe and closed theim in dyuers chestes honestly eche by hymself and bare them home in to theyr owne londes kyngedoms / And wyth grete worshyp euery londe veceyued the body of theyr kynge and there they abode longe tyme after / Whan this gloryous Emperour Constantyn thorugh the grace of god dyuers myracles was conuerted to Cryste by saynt Siluester and he was made clene of his leprehede was chaunged both in lyfe in maners in to a newe man that is to saye in to the lawe of Cryste / And the same tyme saynt Elyne whiche was moder of Constantyn the emperour aforsayd was dwellynge amonge the Iewes / And she was al enfecte defoylled wyth the Iewes lawes and with theyr byleue / But wonderfully she was conuerted to the lawes of Cryste as it is wreten in the story of her lyffe of the fyndynge of the holy Crosse it is more playnly shewed / And fro thensforth that blessyd saynt Elyne of as mighty streyngth as she was fyrst in the Iewes lawe occupieng drawyng to it somoche more besily she brenned afterwarde in the newe lawe and gospel of Cryst Ihesu / And al the holy places that our lorde halowed there in other parties 〈◊〉 his manhede as she had defoylled by counseyle of the Iewes she afterwarde to the laude of our lorde Iâ—esu deuoutly visyted honoured and enlarged rychely wyth grete yefces to the confucoÌ„n of the Iewes / Wherfore afterwarde by myracle whan saynt Eleyne had founde the crosse naylles by the wyll of our lorde Ihesu thenne vpon that same place vpon the mount of Caluarie vpon the sepulture of Cryste and the place that Cryste apperyd to Mary Mawdeleyne in lyknesse of a gardyner alle thise places many other that were holy the quene saynt Eleyne buylded chyrches on / And made ryall worshypfull chyrches aboue alle those places also she yede in that place where thangell apperyd to our lady
there thangell apperyd to the shepeherdes that nyght that god was borne / And in that same she dyde buylde a ryall chyrche namyd it Glia in excelsis so it is callyd vnto this daye / And this chirche was somtyme a grete Colage of Chanons whiche of specyall preuilege began al the Houres of the day with Glia in excelsis as we doo in this countree with Deus in adiutoriū some men vse that same yet this day in the same chyrche / Whan saynt Elyne had made the chirche thenne she went in to Bedleem in to the same place where Cryste was borne / And as it is tolde before the Iewes of enuye wolde suffre noo man chylde ne beest to goo in to that place for they helde it a cursyd place / And fro that tyme that our lady saynt Mary was goon out of that place that she bare in her chylde tyll saynt Elyne came in to that place came neuer man chylde ne beest / And whan saynt Elyne came in to that derke place she fonde the same haye that Cryste was layed in the maynger and that clothes that our lorde Ihesu was wrapped in our ladies smocke / All thise thynges our lady had lefte behynde her whan she yede out of that place in to Egypte whyche saynt Elyne founde bothe fayr hoole wounde to gyder in the maynger / ALl thyse thynges that be relykes saynt Elyne toke awaye wyth her sauf the maynger bare them in to Constantynople / And there wyth grete reuerence solempnyte she put theym in to a worshypful chirche that is called the chyrche of saynt Sophie / And therin the relykes were kepte vnto the tyme that a kynge of Fraunce that hight Carolus came vnto Iherusalem and there dyde many grete bataylles ayenst the Sarrasins / And delyured out of pryson all the crysten men that longe tyme had liued there / whan he had done he yede home ayen by Constantynople he sawe al thyse relykes / And wyth grete prayer he had all thyse relykes and bare theym home wyth hym in to Fraunce putt theym in a worshypful chyrche that is callyd our lady chyrche of Akon / And there is our ladyes smocke other relykes that ben worshypped of Crysten men there vnto this day / ¶ Whan saynt Elyne had made thise chyrches thenne she went in to the cite of Nazareth and there she made also a fayr chyrche / And ordeyned to theym bysshops preestes clerkes to mayntene therin dyuyne seruyse / And in the cyte of Nazareth than gell greted our lady it is in the londe of Galilee / And besyde Galilee is an hyll that is callyd Thabor / Vpon that hyll our lorde Ihesu Criste transfigured hym tofore thre of his dyscyples Peter Ioh̄n Iamys as the gospell tellyth / And this hyll is but lytyl of brede but it is wonder hyghe / And it is from Ierusalem thre dayes Iourney an half / And bitwyx Iherusalem this hyll Thabor was all the way the Cryst yede here in erthe with his discyples preched taught and dyde myracles ferder yede he not in his manhede than bytwene thise two places other places that were bytwene theym but ryght lytyll of brede and largenesse / WHan this quene saynt Elyne had visited al thise holy places had ordeyned chirches goddis mynystres for to serue and all thynge perfourmyd after her owne wyll to the worshyp of god / Thenne began she to thynke gretly on thyse thre kynges that had worshipped god in his chyldhede / And she arayed her wyth a certayn people yede in to the londes of Ynde / Whan she was there she dystroyed all the Synagoges fals mawmettes dyde make chirches monasteries / ordeyned in them preestes clerkes of the crysten faythe / And she prechyd the crysted fayth amonge the people the whyche was taughte by saynt Thomas thappostle and the thre kynges whyche fayth thrugh heresies was dystroyed she renewyd it thorugh her prechynge / For all the people whan they herde what myracles oure lorde Ihesu Cryste had wroughte by that worshypfull quene saynt Elyne of the fynding of the crosse of the naylles of our ladyes smocke of the haye and of the clothes that Cryste was wrapped in in his childehode / Thenne they came to her worshipped her and forsoke their fals lawe toke them to the lawe of god as saynt Elyne taughte theym / And thenne she began to enquere of the relykes of the thre kynges / And wyth grete traueylle yede abowte to haue theym / Soo our lorde Ihesu Cryste that euermore is redy to al men that crye to hym in truthe ryghtwysnes / As he shewed to this holy quene the crosse the naylles that were hydde depe in the erthe ryght soo he shewed the bodies of the thre kinges to her / So this lady had suche a name amonge the people that the Patriarke Thomas Preter Ioh̄n by counsell of the lordes yaue to saynt Elyne the .ij. bodies of thyse .ij. kynges Melchior Balthazar to the worshippe of god of the holy kynges / The body of the thyrde kynge Iasper the Nestorynes had borne it in to the yle of Egriswill / And by cause the saynt Elyne wold not that thise thre kynges shold be departed she made grete meanes grete prayers and yaue grete gyftes to the cheyf lordes of the-yle and so she gate the thyrde body that is to saye of Iasper / And for that body she gaaf to theym the body of saynt Thomas the appostle whyche she had that tyme in her kepynge And the body of saynt Thomas hath ben twyes boren awaye from the yle euer restored ayen for certayn causes / ¶ And crysten men that haue ben in the I le saye that they myghte neuer se the body of saynt Thomas / For it is a comyn prophecye in alle the countree that the body of saynt Thomas the apostle shall be translated to the cyte of Coleyne putte to the thre kynges / And in what manere this shall be done thei tell saye / ¶ In tyme comyng whan god wyll there shall be an archebisshop of Coleyne that shall be soo wyse prudent soo myghty that he shall make a contracte of matrimonye bytwene the emperours sone of Rome themperours doughter of Tartarin / And wyth this contracte frendshyp the holy londe shall be yelden in to cristen mennys hondes / And in the tyme shall the body of saynt Thomas be translated born to Coleyne layed bi the thre kynges therfore the Heretykes of this yle that ben called Nestorines taken but lytyll hede of saynt Thomas body ne doo but lytyll reuerence therto by cause of prophecye ¶ And thenne saynt Elyne put the bodyes of thyse thre kynges togyder in a cheste / arayed it wyth grete rychesse thenne brought it to
or a lampe that shall brenne bothe nyghte daye fro Crystmas nyght vnto the .xij. nyghte besyde the same borde / And in the Vigill of the Epiphanie at nyght euery frende gooth to others hous / whan he cometh to the door he sayth Bona dies that is to saye Good daye / For yf he sayd Bona nox that is to saye Good nyght thenne wolde he accuse him tofore the Iustise of the lawe as he had done to hym a grete trespaas / And so they wake all the nyght goo fro hous to hous and ete drinke daunce and bere candelles lyght in theyr hondes in tokenynge that the sterre apperyd whan Cryste was born lad thise .iij. kynges in thyse dayes to Bedleem there was no nyght in this tyme. but it was all one daye to them / Also the xij day al manere Crysten of that countree of what secte euer they ben come fro ferre countrees with their bisshops preestys wyth other relygyous wyth crosses of syluer sensers goon to the water of flom Iordan whiche is fro Ihrlm .v. myles / And whan all the people is come to that water thenÌ„e euery secte stondyth togider in a certain place by themself / And thenÌ„ euery secte takyth his crosse layeth it downe on the grounde redyth a gospell euery secte in his owne tonge CuÌ„ natus esset ihuÌ„s in bethleem c̈ And whan this gospell is radde euery secte wyth grete deuocoÌ„n worshippeth his crosse offryth therto as euery man is of power / And this is done in tokenynge mynde of the thre kynges that offred yeftes to almyghty god After this they goon all in procession to the place where Cryste was crystned of saynt IohÌ„n Bapcyst and there they rede in latyn the gospel In illo teÌ„pore venit ihuÌ„s a galilea ad iohÌ„em vt baptizaretÌ„ ab illo in iordane in isto loco c̈ that is to saye / On a tyme our lorde came fro Galilee to saynt IohÌ„n to be crystened of saynt IohÌ„n in this Iordan in this place / And whan the gospell is radde they blesse the water and wasshe theyr crosse in the water / And seke men and blynde men goon in to the water nakyd and wasshe theym after warde ben heelyd / And whan this is done euery secte goon home agayn in to their owne-countree / ¶ And bytwene this Iordan Ihe / rusalem is a lytyll wyldernesse that is called Montost and therin dwelled saynt IohÌ„n Baptist and there he prechyd / And there our lorde Ihesu Cryst came to saynt IohÌ„n to be crystned of hym / And in that same deserte god almyghty fasted .xl. dayes .xl. nyghtes / ¶ Also bysshops other preestes of what tonge or secte that they ben euery daye after theyr masse they saye this gospell Cum natus esset ihuÌ„s as we in this countree saye In principio after our masse But eche secte sayth in his owne tonge not in latyn sauf on the .xij. daye oonly / But it is radde dyuersly ryght as it was done / For in Iherusalem it is radde thus Aum natus esset ihuÌ„s in bethleem in diebus herodis hic regis ecce magi venerunt ab oriente hic dicentes And in Bedleem and in al the dyocecyse abowte it is radde thus AuÌ„ natus esset ihuÌ„s in diebus herodis hic Iude regis c̈ Also other cristen men by whoo 's places thyse thre kynges in theyr goynge out and comynge home agayn passyd by / for a specyall deuocyon that they haue to the thre kynges they redde this gospell after this manere of four me Cum natus esset ihuÌ„s in bethleem iude in â—ebus herodis regis ecce magi regis gloriosi cum marima festinacione excercitu ab oriente venerunt per nos transierunt And thus all dyuers sectes rede this gospell as it was done amonge theim / ¶ Also the Sarrasyns the byleue on Machomites lawe Turkes haue thise thre kynges in specyall reuerence in all temples of the countree they were somtyme crystned forsoke it dystroyed all the ymages in their temples kytte of theyr noses dysfygured theym for dispyte / But the ymages of the thre kinges they suffre alwaye stonde styll wythout ony dispyte / FErdermore towchynge the sectes of Heretykes aforsayd / The fyrst secte is callyd Nubiani those ben of the kingdom of Araby Nubie wherof Melchior was kynge thise ben cristen men / And they haue a specyall prerogatyf tofore al other crysten men for worship of their kyng / And the preestes of the countree whan they goo to thawter haue crownes of gold or ouergylt on theyr heedes And the they doo in tokenynge the the thre kynges with crownes on their heedes offred yeftes to god almyghty in Bedleem / wyth crownes myters synge the yr masses / There is also a nother secte that is called Soldini and they ben of the kingdom of Godolie Saba there Balthazar was kynge / They were a party corrupte in the fayth they toke theyr names of an Heretyke that was called Solodinis / But thise men ben not holde in soo grete reuerence as the Nubiani for they kepe not the fayth soo truly as they done / And their preestis whan they goo to masse they beere golde in theyr hondes to the awter the deaken be cryth ensence the subdeaken myrre / And this they beere in tokenynge of the thre kynges that offred to oure lorde Ihesu Cryst god almighty in his byrth golde myrre ensence / Also there is a nother secte that is of the kyngdom of Taars of thyle of Egriswill there as Iasper was kynge they ben called Nestorini / And they ben the worste the cursedest Heretykes of the worlde for the moost party they ben blacke Ethyopies / And al men of other sectes hate theim gretly / And whan the preestis goo to synge masse they curse all men that were of counseylle or helpynge to doo awaye the body of Iasper that was theyr kynge / ¶ Ferdermore thise Nestorines forsoke Preter IohÌ„n Thomas theyr Patriarke were rebell ayenst theym ayenst the lawes of holy chyrche / Soo afterwarde as the wyll of god was on a tyme there dide aryse in the same londe a grete multytude of people as of shepeherdes laborers bonde men ayenst theyr owne nacoÌ„ns the whyche callyd themself Tartarines they made a Smythe theyr capytayne cheyf-lorde / And so thorugh stronge power they dystroyed al the kyngdom londes of Nestorines slewe all the people wyth out ony mercy as the wyll of god was / And toke castelles cytees grete townes all theyr goodes / And whan the Tartarynes had thus conquered the londes kyngdoms of the Nestorines thenne the Nestorines yede to Preter IohÌ„n promysed hym that they wolde torne ayen to theyr fyrst lawe fayth of god be
trybutory to hym so the he wold helpe them / And then̄e Preter Ioh̄n was in good wyll to helpe theim The next night as Preter Ioh̄n laye in his bedde slepte the thre kynges apperyd to hym spake to hȳ charged hym the he sholde not in noo manere helpe ne socour the Nestorines for it is goddys wyll that thei sholde vtterly be distroyed for theyr wyckydnes and malyce / And whan the Nestorines herde tell that Preter Ioh̄n had suche a vysion of the thre kynges they yede abowte to the grete lordes that were abowte Preter Ioh̄n yaue theim grete yeftes to speke to theyr lorde the they myght haue helpe of hym / And thenne dyuers lordes counseyled Preter Ioh̄n to take noo he de of dremes nor of suche vysions but to holde his purpoos promyse to helpe thise Nestorines / And thenne Preter Ioh̄n assented to theyr counsell sence his eldest sone Dauid wyth a stronge oost in helpyng of the Nestorines / And whan thyse two hostes mette togyder the Tartarines had the vyctory and slewe Dauid all his oost soo that there ascaped none alyue / And also they dystroyed many londes cytees castelles that were longynge to Preter Ioh̄n / And whan preter Ioh̄n herde therof thenne he was sory therfore that he dide ayenst the cōmaundment of the thre kynges that apperyd to hym in his slepe / And thenne with grete sorowe of herte he asked god mercy foryeuenes and the thre kynges he prayed of grace helpe / Thenne on a tyme the thre kynges appered to themperour of Tartaryn as he lay in his bed and charged hym that he sholde doo nomore harme to Preter Ioh̄n / And badde he shold sende to hym and make a fynall peas wyth hym for euermore but the londes castelles the themperour had wonne of Preter Ioh̄n to kepe theym styll to hymself for by cause Preter Ioh̄n was inobedyent to our cōmaundment / Thenne themperour anone though he were a Paynym yet he was sore adradde of his visyon / Anone he sente messagers to Preter Ioh̄n made a fynall peas betwene theym for euer more In somoche that the eldest sone of thyse two lordes sholde wedde the tothers doughter euer more after to the worldes ende soo it is yet contynued unto this daye / ¶ So afterwarde this emperour enqueryd of the thre kinges of theyr lyues dedes / Thenne in mynde in worshyppe of theym themperour ordeyned that his fyrst sone al the chyldren of his successours sholde beere the names of thyse thre kynges for euermore after / And thus the Nestorines were dystroyed put oute of theyr londes kyngdoms / And after warde were fugytyf and dwellynge abowte in dyuers countrees alwaye vnder trybute as Iewes other nacyons that ben alway dwellynge vnder trybute / But yet some of theym dwelle in thyle of Egriswyll paye therfore euery yere grete trybute / Also there is a nother secte that is callyd Indy and they ben of Preter Ioh̄ns londe they ben good cristen men / Add the preestis of that londe whan they goo to masse they hange a crowne of golde on the awter And the preest deaken subdeaken mete togider in thre partyes soo they goo to the awter / And thys they doo in tokenynge of the thre kinges that mette so denly togider in an hye waye whiche was departed in thre wayes / so thrugh ledynge of the sterre they yede vnto Bedleem offred yeftes to god almyghty the twelfthe daye after his byrthe / There is also a nother secte whiche is called Grecij there preestes haue wyues / And they byleue on the fader on the sone but not in the holy ghost / also they byleue saye there is no purgatory / And whan they synge masse they kytte a pece of breede that is made four square / And this breede they putte in a dissh̄ of golde or of syluer aboue that they lay a sterre that is couered with a fayr whyte clothe / And at the Offetory of the masse they take the dissh̄ wyth thost with the sterre sette it aboue on their heedes so wyth sencers and candelles they goo abowte the chyrche wyth grete worshyppe reuerence and soo ayen to the awter / And thenne all the people fallen downe to the grounde doon grete worship to the sacrefyse / And thus they doo in tokenyng of the thre kynges that sought god almyghty in Bedleem and offryd to him ryche yeftes thrugh ledyng of a stere came to the maynger there Cryst laye / And there they fell downe worshyped hym / Also there is another manere of secte whiche is called Simiani / they ben men of Yndore for that londe aboute Ihrlm whiche of olde tyme was called Pude is now callyd Symis / But thise men haue but lityl of heresye amonge theym / they doo grete worshyp to saynt Barbara watche all her nyghte as men doo in this countree on Mydsomer nighte / And soo thenne euery frende gooth to other and bereth aboute-dyuers seedes whyche shall be sowen in gardynes ¶ And thise men whan they shall swere afore Iustices for ony cause thenne they swere by the gospell and by the thre kynges / And that they done in tokenyng of the thre kynges that sought god in the londe of Iewes / There is also a nother secte whiche is called Maronice and they dwelle in dyuers londes aboute / And theyr preestes theyr Deakens and theyr Subdeakens haue wyues / And they saye noo masse in all the yere but at the feest of Crystmas Ester / And they saye masse of saynt Thomas the appostle of the thre kynges / And this they vse yet vnto this daye / Also there is a nother secte whiche is called Ysimij / And whan the preestes goo to masse they blysse the people and prayed god rule theym lede theym as he ledde the thre kynges by a sterre in to Bedleem to doo hym worshyppe / Also there is another secte that is called Maronij / And thise men whan they begyn ony thynge then̄e they saye in the name of god the thre kynges / Also there is a nother secte that is called Nicholaite And those men vse to gyue euery daye thre manere of almesse in the worshyppe of god the thre kynges to poore men there abowte / A nother there is and they ben called Mandopoles And they holde noo specyall fayth they are in heresye ne they haue noo preestes amonge theym / And ones in the yere they gone togyder in procession to the chyrche fastynge / And that shall be on a Sonday there they woll here masse in the worshyp of god the thre kynges / And all those dyuerse sectes other crysten men haue many other specyall deuocyons to thyse thre worshipfull kynges whiche were longe to telle / And in all the countrees of Ynde in the Eest and in al the londes and kyngdoms there thyse thre kynges were lordes all manere of people haue thyle thre kynges in reuerence moche more than men haue in this countre / ¶ And our lord Ihesu Cryst shewyth many myracles abowte in dyuers places in the Eest thrugh the merytes prayers of thise worshipfull kinges whiche thre kynges now regne in eternall blysse in heuen / To whiche blysse by the merytes Intercessions of those thre blessyd kynges he the sytteth aboue all sayntes brynge vs all / AMEN And thus we make an ende of this moost excellenct treatyse of those thre gloryous kynges whoo 's corps reste in the cyce of Coleyne / Enprynted at Westmester by Wynkyn the Worde /