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 tercium.

Riȝt in þe ȝere of oure lord .M^l. and .CC., whan þe Citee of Acon, þat now is clepid Akers, florissched and was in his Ioye and prosperite and was inhabited richely wiþ worschippeful princes and Barouns and of diuerse ordres of men of Religioun and of aƚƚ maner of men of diuerse naciouns, in so moche þat þe name and þe loos of þat Cite Acon was bore þorow þe worlde, and aƚƚ maner of marchaundes wiþ her marchaundyses come þider boþe by londe & by þe see, so þat þer was no Citee liche þerto of nobleye & of rychesse: Than, for þis grete name and grete loos and meruayles þat were þere, þe grettest of birþe þat were of þis progenye of Vaws come out of Ynde in to Acon̄; and whan þei siȝe aƚƚ þinges more wondirful þan in Inde & in þe contrey of

þe eest, than, by-cause of desport, þei abiden and dwellid stille þere & made a fair & a strong Casteƚƚ in Acon̛ for any kyng or lord. And þei brouȝt with hem oute of Inde & of þe eest many wondirſul & riche ornamentis and Iewels. And among alle oþir Iewels þei brouȝte a diademe of golde, arayed wiþ preciouse perles and stones, and in þe hiȝest place aboue were wryte lettres of Calde & a sterre made liche after þe sterre þat aperyd to þe .iij. kynges whan þei souȝte god, wiþ a signe of þe holy cros bisyde. And þat diademe was Melchiores, þe kyng of Nubye, þat offrid gold to god, as þei seyen. For þorwe þat diademe & þe merytes of þes þre blessyd kyngis god heled & saued boþe man and beest of many diuerse infirmitees; and what man þat was take wiþ þe fowle euyl: whan þe Croune was put vppon hym, anoon he was hole. Wherfore aftirward þe mayster of þe ordre of Templers gatt þe same crowne of gold, wiþ many oþir preciouse ornamentis, and kept it for a worschipful Iewel. But, aftir þe tyme þat þe ordre of templers was destroyed þere, whider þat þis diademe and oþer preciouse ornamentis bicom aftir, it was neuer knowe ȝit in to þis day./ Also ȝe schul vndirstonde þat þe olde kynred of þis progenye of Vaws bere aƚƚ-wey in her baner a sterre with a signe of þe holy cros, made aftir þe same maner & þe same fourme as hit aperid to þe .iij. kyngis in þe tyme of þe birþe of oure lord Ihesu Crist; and þis banere was bore in euery bataiƚƚ þat was do bitwix cristen men & sarsyns.