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

Here folowetℏ the manere and fourme of sekyng and offeryng̛ and also of þe beryng̛ and translaciouns of þe þree holy and worshipfuƚƚ kyngis of Coleyn: Iaspar, Melchyor, and Balthaser.

Sithe of þese þree worschipfuƚƚ kynges alle þe worlde from þe risyng of þe sonne to his downe-goynge ys fuƚƚ of preisyng̛ and merites, and, þerfore, as the rysyng̛ of þe son̄ cleritℏ in hys beemes, so þis worlde (!)shynetℏ in meritis of̘ þese þree kyngis; ffor in þe springyng̛ and rysyng̛ of þe sonne, þat is to saye in þe Este of þe worlde, these þree kynges in body and flessℏ lyuynge, Crist, verray god and man, wiþ her ȝiftis, þat were bodily & in menynge gostely, sought and worschiped, and so þese þree kynges, þat of myscreauntes were þe first byleuyng men and of myscreauntes þe firste maydenes, þe birtℏ of Crist, þe verray sonne, fyrste schewed and honoured amonge mysbeleued men. and so goynge-doune of þis sonne in þe bileue of̘ þese þree kyngis, as a shynyng morowetyde bitokenetℏ a cleer wheder folowing̛ (!): ffor þis goynge-doun of þe sonne þese þree kynges whanne þei were ded, witℏ her reliquys & myraclys in manye maners ... schewed and expressed. But for as moche as þese þre kynges what þei wrouȝte in þe birtℏ of the sonne Crist, in dyuers bokes and placis is often wreten and openly schewed, but what they diden aftir, parcas to many men it is vnknowe: wherfore aftir hirynge, sight and speche of oþere men to þe worschip of̘ god

and oure lady seynt Mary and þese þree kynges somme thynges hire ben writen̄ and of̘ dyuerse bokes sette and putte in oon.

Notes

• Left out in MS. Tit., but readable in MS. Cbr.
• read hit
• MS. as
• MS. So these
• MS. birtℏ þat was Crist
• See the Lat. text: In quem tamen ortum solis ejus occasus quasi aurora valde rutilans claram auram sequentem presignans jam refulget: nam ipsum solis occasum prefati tres Reges eorum reliquiis venerandis et signis carne soluti multipliciter ornauerunt et in ipso solis occasu primicias suas et fidem gencium virtutibus et signis approbauerunt.