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 .xxxiij^m/.

Longe tyme after þe dethe of þes .iij. kyngis, whan þe cristen feiþ stode and was in prosperite in þe worschippeful Citee of Sewiƚƚ and in alle þe kyngdoms of þe eest: than þe deuyƚƚ, þat of alle goodnesse and vertues is destruyour, þorwe his wikked [Here MS. Harl. continues, with nearly the same text as MS. Royal in this Chapter] aungelys excited and brouȝte vp among þe pepil diuers opynyouns of heresy; and þis persecucioun of heresie so gretlich encresed in diuerse londys aboute, and also in þe Cyte of Sewiƚƚ, þer þes .iij. kyngis rested, in so mochel þat Preester Iohn̄ and Patriark Thomas myȝt noȝt revoke þe pepil from her heresyes by no spirituel correctioun ne temporel correctioun. // And so þe pepil tourned aȝene to her olde lawe and worschipped fals Mawmetys and fals goddys and forsoke þe lawe of god; in so mochel þat þes .iij. kyngis were had at no reuerence but almoost forȝet of þe pepil. and so in þis tyme þe pepil þat were dwellyng in þe Cyte of Sewiƚƚ, þe wich were come oute of þe londys and kyngdoms of þes .iij. kyngis, euery party

toke his kynge ouute of þe toumbe, and closed hem in diuers chestys honestlich, euerych by hym-self, and bare hem home in to her owne londys and kyngdoms; and with grete worscheppe euery londe resceyued þe body of his kyng̛; and þere þei were longe tyme aftir.