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 xxxiiij^m.

Whan þe glorious Emperour Constantyn þorwe þe grace of god was conuertyd to Cryst and to hys lawe by seynt Siluestre and was mad clene of hys lepre: in þe same tyme seint Elene þe queen, þat was modir to Constantyn þe Emperour aforeseyde, was dwellynge among þe Iewes, and sche was gretlich defouled with þe Iewes lawe; but wondirlich sche was conuertyd to þe lawe of Cryst. And as þis holy queen to-fore hir conuersioun to Cryst was a strong enmy to þe lawe of Cryst, Riȝtso aftir her conuersyoun sche was þe grettest prechour of goddis lawe in aƚƚ þat contrey. For aƚƚ þe holy plaas þat oure lord Ihesu Cryst in hys manhode hadde halewed with hys blessyd body þorow hys walkyng here in erþe: as þe hille of Caluary þere Cryst was do on þe crosse, and þe plaas þer Cryst was leyd in hys sepulcre, and þe plaas þere þe .iij. Maries stodyn and siȝe þe stone remowed fro þe toumbe, and þe plaas þere Cryst committyd hys modir in to þe kepyng of seint Iohn̄ þe Ewangelyst whan he heng on þe Crosse, and þe plaas þer Cryst apperid after hys Resureccioun to Marie Mawdeleyne in liknesse of a gardyner: aboue aƚƚ þes places þis worschipeful queene made a faire Chirche.

þe plaas also þere þe aungel aperyd to þe scheperdys whan Crist was bore, in þat same plaas sche dide make a faire chirche, to þe which sche ȝaf a name Gloria in excelsis./ Whan þis was do, þan sche ȝede to Bethleem in to þe same plaas þer Cryst was bore, and, as it is aforeseyde, þe Iewes of envye wolde not suffre man, childe neþer beest to go in to þat plaas, for þei helde it acursed; and so from þe tyme þat oure lady seint Marye was go oute of þis plaas þere Cryst was bore, til seint Elene was come in to þat plaas, þer come neuer man, childe, neþer beste in þat plaas. And whan seint Elene was come in to þis derke plaas, sche fonde þe same heyȝe þat Cryst was leyd inne in þe manger, and þe cloþes þat oure lord̛ was wounde Inne, and oure lady smok̘: and aƚƚ þes þinges oure lady forgat bihynde hir whan sche ȝede oute of þat plaas in to Egypte. And aƚƚ þes holy Relykes seynt Elene took with hir, safe þe manger, and bare hem in to Constantynenopil, þe which is þe cheef Cytee of Grece: and þere þei were kept long tyme. And aftirward þei were brouȝt in to þe Cytee of Acon, þe whyche is in Fraunce, þorowȝ preyer of a kyng of Fraunce þe which hiȝt Karolus, which had do many batayles aȝens þe Sarasenes and Iewes.

Also seynt Elene dide make a faire and a strong Chirche aboue þe same plaas þere Cryst was bore in Bethleem; and in þat same plaas by-syde þe manger be beried [Harl. lith] seynt Ierom, Paula & Eustochium, þe which were Romayns and com þider of greet deuocioun with seynt Ierom.--Aftir þis sche ȝede to þe fayre Cytee of Naȝaretℏ, and þere sche made a faire Chirche, and in þe same chirche sche made a litil Chapel in þe same plaas þere oure lady was gret of þe aungeƚƚ. And in þis Chapel is a piler þat þe aungel lenyd to; and þere is hys figure in þe same pilere preentid as a seel. [This sentence om. in H.] And þis Cytee of Naȝaretℏ is in þe lond of Galilee, and bisyde þis Galilee is þe hille of Thabor: and on þis hille oure lord Ihesu Cryst was transfigured tofore .iij. of hys disciples: Peter, Iohn̄, & Iames, as þe godspel makeþ mencioun. And þis hiƚƚ is riȝt hiȝe and narwe; and it is fro Ierusalem .iij. dayes iorney & a half. And bitwix Ierusalem & þis hille Thabor was al þe weye þat Cryst ȝede wiþ his disciplis here in erþe and prechid and tauȝt and did myracles--and ferþere ȝede he not, as in hys manhode, þan bitwix þese twey plases þat were bitwix hem.