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 xv^m.

Whan [MS. Than] þes .iij. blessed kyngis euerych in his weye with his oost and his company were almoost come to Ierusalem save .ij. myle, þan a grete and a derk clowde heled aƚƚ þe erþe, and in þat derk̘ clowde þei lost her sterre. of þis prophecied ysaias and seyde: ¶ Surge illuminare Ierusalem, quia venit lumen tuum & gloria domini super te orta est: quia ecce tenebre operient terram & caligo populos &c.;, that is to seye: Ierusalem, aryse and take liȝt, for þi liȝt is come and þe Ioye of god is sprunge vppon þe: for loo derkenes schulle heele þe erþe and a clowde þe pepil. whan þes .iij. kyngis were nyȝe Ierusalem, þan Melchior,

kyng of Nubye and of arabie, with his pepil was come fast [r. first] byside Ierusalem and by þe hiƚƚ of caluarie þere crist was do on þe cros, þorwe þe wiƚƚ of god þere he abode in a clowde and in derkenysse. and þat tyme þe hiƚƚ of Caluarie was a roche of .xij. grees of heithe, and on þis hiƚƚ thefys and oþer men for diuers trespacys were putte to her dethe. there was also bisyde þis hiƚƚ a hiȝe-weye and to þis hiȝe-weye were .iij. hiȝe-weyes metyng to [leaf 9a] -gedir. and so, for þe derkenesse of þis clowde, and also bycause þei knewe noȝt þe weye, þei abiden þere and ȝede no ferþer at þat tyme.