Three Kings of Cologne : an early English translation of the "Historia Trium Regum" / by John of Hildesheim ; edited from the MSS., together with the Latin text, by C. Horstmann

Capitulum vij^m.

The plaas where þe aungeƚƚ aperid to þe scheperdes þat nyȝt þat Cryst was bore, is but half a myle fro Bethleem of þat contrey. [This sentence is wanting in the Lat. text.] And as þe worþi clerk seynt Bede seiþ in his writyng, hit [MS. þat hit] was ful conuenient þat þe scheperdes were wakynge þat nyȝt aboute her schepe, ffor he was bore þat nyȝt þe which seiþe "I am a gode scheperde, ¶ a gode schepherd ȝeueþ hys lyfe for his schepe." Ferþermore ȝee schul vndirstonde þat in þat same plaas kyng Dauid, whan he was a childe, fed schepe and kept hem fro þe bere and fro þe leoun. Sume bokes also seye þat þe schepherdes of þat contrey twyes in þe ȝere þei be wonte to kepe her flok of schepe in þe nyȝt: and þilke tymes be whan þe day and þe nyȝt be boþe of o lengþe. And ȝe schul vndirstonde þat þe lond aboute Bethleem and þe londe of biheest and aƚƚ þe londe in þe eest is wondirlich ordeyned and sette, for hit is aƚƚ mounteynes for þe moost partye: ffor in summe plaas a man schal nat knowe weƚƚ wynter fro somer, and in some plaas hit is riȝt colde, and in some plaas, after þe tyme is, is boþe wynter and somer, as hit is in þis contrey after as þe plaas is in valeys or in pleyn contrey or in Mounteyns. For somtyme in Mounteynes in þat plaas of þe eest men schulde [r. schulle] fynde snowe in þe moneþ of August: & þat snowe is gaderid of hem þat dwel next aboute, and putte in Cavis, and aftirwarde hit is bore in Chaf to þe market: and þer þe gret lordis of þat contrey wil bigge it, & bere hit to her hows and sette hit in a basyn vppon her metebord, to make her drynk colde. And comunlich in aƚƚ þe contrey of þe eest, but ȝif it be in summe wodys or plaas ful of schadewe or aboute any hiƚƚ þer any flode is, þer is euermore

þorowe-oute þe ȝere snowe aboute in þe contrey. In Septembre and Octobre, whan þe sonne comeþ a litiƚƚ lowe in þat contrey, þan seedys and aƚƚ maner herbes comunlich bigynne to growe in þe feeldis, as in þis contrey herbis growe in Marche & in Apriƚƚ. Also in somme partyes of þe eest men repe corn in Aprile and in Marche, but most in maye, after þe plaas and þe grounde is sette, as in summe plaas þe grounde is hiȝere and in summe plaas lowere. But by Bethlem be many moo plaas of gode pasture and of hote and fatte grounde þan in oþer plasys; In so moche þat at Cristemasse barlich bigynneþ to haue eere and to wexe ripe. And þat tyme þat we clepe among vs cristemasse, þei clepe among hem in her langage þat same tyme þe tyme of herbes. And for as moche as, whan Crist was born of oure lady seint Marie, pees was in aƚƚ þe worlde; and bitwix Bethleem and þat place þer þe aungeƚ aperyd to þes scheperdes was but half a myle and a litiƚƚ weye more, and also þer was no grete cold þer-aboute: þerfore þe scheperdes aƚƚ þat wynter nyȝt and daye, now in one place now in an oþir dwellid þere wiþ her scheep, and so þei do ȝit in to þis day.— [om. in the Lat. text.] And ȝe schul vndirstonde þat oure lady seint Marie, whan sche bere oure lord Ihesu Crist, sche was .xiiij. ȝere of age; and sche was conuersaunt wiþ hym in erþe .xxxij. ȝere and an half, and sche leuyd aftir tyme þat oure lord was styed vp in to heuene .xvj. ȝere; and so sche was of age, whan sche dyed, .lxij. ȝere.