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 .xxviij.

Aftir þat seynt Thomas þe appostil in þe kyngdoms of ynde had preched goddys worde and had go aboute aƚƚ þe yles and prouyncys & do many myraclys þorwe þe signe of þe cros and of goddys worde:*. [Harl. adds: as in heling of sike men of aƚƚ maner infirmitees & deliuering men that were traueyled or turmented with wilde sprites: þan] as he ȝede aboute in þe templys, he fonde a sterre in euerych tempil, peynted aftir þe sterre þat aperid to þe .iij. kyngis whan crist was bore; In þe wich sterre was a signe of þe cros and a childe aboue. and whan seynt Thomas sayȝe þis sterre, he asked of þe bisshoppys of þe tempils [supplied by ed.] what hit was. and þe bisshoppys tolde to seynt Thomas how þat swich a sterre of olde tyme apperid on þe hiƚƚ of Vaws in tokyn of a childe þat was bore and scholde be kyng̛*. [MS. kyngis] of Iwys, as hit was herde oute of þe same sterre, ¶ And for þis cause þe .iij. kyngis ȝede oute of her londys in to bethleem wondirfullich þorwe ledyng̛ of þe sterre and come in to bethleem in xiij. dayes and þer offrid to þis childe þat was bore, but with grete trauayle aftirward̛ þei comen home in to her londys and kyngdoms in .ij. ȝere; and of*. [om. of] aƚƚ þat þes .iij. kyngis had do, herde and seyȝe, þe bisshopes of þe tempils [supplied by ed.] tolde to seynt Thomas þe appostil. ¶ Than whan seynt Thomas herde aƚƚ þis, he thanked god, and with grete ioye preched to þe bysshopys and to þe pepil þe childehode of god, his passioun, his resurreccioun and his ascencioun, and aƚƚ þe werkys of crist while he was in erþe; Page  106 wher-þorwe [leaf 16b] þe bisshoppes of þe templys and many oþer folk̘*. [MS. folkis] were conuerted to crist and were cristened. ¶ fferthermore seynt Thomas mekelich declarid and expowned to alle þe pepil þe vndirstondyng̛ of þis sterre and of þe cros and of þe childe, and he caste owte of her templys aƚƚ Mawmetys and halwed hem in þe worschip & þe name of þe childe þat was bore, as hit is aforseyde. and so swich a fame bygan to aryse in aƚƚ þis*. [r. þe] contrey aboute of seynt Thomas for þe grete myraclys þat he wrouȝt, þat aƚƚ maner of folk þat had any infirmitees or turmentyng̛ of wykked spirites, þei com to seynt Thomas, and he in þe name of god and þorwe þe signe of þe cros helid hem, and conuerted hem to þe cristen feiȝth and cristened hem. and þei þat were so conuerted to crist, did many myraclys þorwe signe of þe cros aftirward aboute in diuers placys þer-as seynt Thomas had noȝt be.