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 xvij^m.

Than afterward, whan þese .ij. kynges Melchior and

Balthaȝar were come and abyden in þes placys aforseyde in þe clowde and in derkenesse, than þe clowde bygan to ascende and wex clere; but þe sterre aperid nouȝt. so whan þese .ij. kyngis syȝen þat þey were nere þe Cite of Ierusalem: þey noon of hem ȝit knewe oþir, þey toke her weye toward þe cite, with aƚƚ her folk̘ [MS. folkis] . and whan þey come to þis hiȝe-weye byside þe mounte of Caluarie, þere as þes .iij. weyes metten togedir: þan kam Iaspar, kyng̛ of thaars and of þe yle of Egriswille, with aƚƚ his oost. and so þes .iij. glorious kyngis euerych with his oost, and with her cariage and beestis metten togedir in þis hiȝe-weye byside þe hiƚƚ of caluary. and noȝtwithstondyng̛ þat noon of hem neuer tofore had seye oþer ne noon of hem knewe oþirs persone ne knewe of oþirs comyng̛, ȝit at her metyng euerych of hem anoon-riȝt with grete Ioye and grete reuerence kyssed oþir. and þow þey were of diuers langage, ȝit euerych of hem, as to her semyng̛, spak aƚƚ o maner of speche. so afterward, whan þey had spoke togedir and euerych of hem had tolde his purpos and þe cause of his weye, and aƚƚ her causes were acordyng̛ in to one: þan þei were mochel more gladdere and more feruent in her weye. and so þey ryden forþ, and sodeynlich at þe vpperysyng̛ of þe sunne þey come in to þe cite of Ierusalem. and whan þey knewe þat Ierusalem was þe kyngis citee þe wich her predecessours and þe Chal [leaf 9b] deys of olde tyme had byseged and destruyed, þey were riȝt glad, supposyng̛ to haue founde þe kyng̛ bore in þat citee. fforthermore ȝe schul vndirstonde þat herodes kyng̛ and aƚƚ þe citee was gretlich desturbled of her sodeynlicℏ comyng̛. ffor her cumpany and her bestis þey were of so grete a noumbre and so a grete [r. grete a] multitude þat þe cite myȝt noȝt resceyue hem, but for þe moost partye þey lay withoute þe Cite aƚƚ aboute--wherof ysayas prophecied and seyde

ffortitudo gencium venerit [r. veniet] tibi, inundacio camelorum operiet te, dromedarij Madian & Effa, omnes de Saba venient, aurum et thus deferentes et laudem domino annunciantes et cetera, That is to say: The strenghe of folk̘ [MS. folkis] comeþ to þe--þat is to seye to þe cite of Ierusalem--grete plente of Camelys schul hele þe, and dromedaries of Madyan and Effa schul come to þe, aƚƚ men schul come fro Saba, bryngyng gold and encense and schewyng̛ preysyng̛ to god.