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 .xviij^m.

Now ȝe schul vndirstonde þat after þe tyme þat þes .iij. kynges were come in to Ierusalem, þan was Herodes þat same tyme present in Ierusalem. And whan þei come in to þe Citee of Ierusalem, þei asked of þe pepil of þis childe þat was bore--where-of spekiþ þe Ewangelyst Mathew in his gospeƚƚ þat he writeþ: Cum natus esset Ihesus in Bethleem Iude &c.; The which gospel is þis: Whan Crist was born in Betheleem, a Cite of Iury, in þe dayes of Herodes, þat þan was kyng of þat same londe, .iij. kynges com oute of þe eest and seyde: "where is he þat is bore kyng of Iewes? we see hys sterre in þe eest and we come to worschipe hym." Whan Herodes kyng herde þis, he was disturbled, and aƚƚ Ierusalem wiþ hym; and he gaderid

and clepid to-gedir aƚƚ þe prynces of þe preestes & askyde of hem where Crist schulde be bore. And þei seyde: "In Bethleem of Iury. Thus hit is write by þe prophete: And þou Bethleem in þe lond of Iury, þou art not litil among þe prynces of Iury: Of þe forsoþe schal go oute a duke þat schal rewle my pepil of Israel." Than Herodes priuelich clepid to hym þes kynges and lerned of hem þe tyme of þe sterre þat apperid to hem; and so sent hem forþ in to Betheleem and seyde: "Goþ and enquereþ bisilich of þis childe, and whan ȝe haue founde hym, comeþ aȝen and telle me, þat I may come and worschippe hym!" And whan þei had herde þe kyng, þei ȝede her weye. And þe sterre þat þei siȝe in þe eest, ȝede forþ tofore hem, til þei come þere þat þe child was. And whan þei siȝe þe sterre, þei were riȝt gladde: and þei ȝede in to þe hows, and þere þei founde þe childe with Marye hys modir. And þan þei openyd her tresours and offride to hym ȝiftes, gold, ensense, and mirre. ¶ Of þis, why þes .iij. kynges com first in to Ierusalem raþer þan in to Bethleem, and why Ierusalem was disturbled in her comyng, diuers causes be write and expouned in diuers bokys; but .iij. causes I schal telle ȝou here in special. The first is: for as moche as þei of Ierusalem siȝe þat þes were kynges and her oost com out of þe eest and of Chaldee þe which of olde tyme þorow þe suffraunce of god had ofte-tyme pursued her kyngis and destroyed þat cyte and þe lond aboute. Also þei were disturblid by-cawse þat þei were come from so fer contrey to worschippe þe kyng of Iewes þat was newebore; and bycause þat Herodes was but a Alien and was made kyng by þe Emperour and by þe Romayns, he was agast lest he scholde haue lost his kyngdom by-cause þat Crist was bore. Also an oþir cause was þat þes .iij. kyngis of goddis ordenaunce

come in to þe cyte whan þei had lost her sterre: ffor Ierusalem was þe kyngis cyte and aƚƚ-wey kyngis of þat lond were most abidyng in þat citee, and doctours of þe lawe and þe scribes with her scriptures & prophecyes were euermore present in þat cite; so þat þe Iewes and þes scribes þat knewe long tyme to-fore Cristis birþe and þe plaas where he schulde be bore, mowe neuer excuse her falsenesse. Of þis seynt Gregory spekeþ weƚƚ in a Omelye and seiþe: Iudeos profecto bene Ysaac, cum Iacob filium suum benediceret, presignauit, qui caligans oculis & propheti;ans in presenti filium non vidit, cui tamen inposterum multa preuidit, / That is to seye: By þis Ysaak we mowe vndirstonde þe Iewes; ffor Ysaac whan he was blynde, he blessyd Iacob his sone and prophecyd of hym, and ȝit whan he hadde hym to-fore hym, he siȝe hym nat, and neþerlas he siȝe manye þinges þat schulde falle to hym aftirward. Riȝt so þe Iewes were ful of þe spiryt of prophecye, but hym þat þei prophecied of, whan þei had hym among hem þei knewe hym nat; for þei dispised Crist whan he was bore, whom long tyme to-fore þei wyst & prophecyed of hys birþe; and not onlych þat he schulde be bore, but also þe plaas where he schuld be bore þei tolde to Herodes; so þat her cunnyng and her prophecye schal be witnesse to her dampnacioun for her mysbyleue, and to vs helpe of oure byleue and cause of oure saluacioun.