And ȝeve ȝow alle ryght good hendynge! _Amen._ XVII. ADORATION OF THE MAGI. _Herode._ As a lord in ryalté in non regyon so ryche, And rulere of alle remys, I ryde in ryal aray; Ther is no lord of lond in lordchep to me lyche, Non lofflyere, non lofsumere,—evyr lestyng is my lay: Of bewté and of boldnes I bere evermore the belle; Of mayn and of myght I master every man; I dynge with my dowtynes the devyl down to helle, ffor bothe of hevyn and of herthe I am kynge sertayn. I am the comelyeste kynge clad in gleteringe golde, ȝa, and the semelyeste syre that may bestryde a stede; I welde att my wylle alle wyghtes upon molde,— ȝa, and wurthely I am wrappyd in a wurthy wede. ȝe knyghtes so comely, bothe curteys and kene, To my paleys wyl I passe, fulle prest I ȝow plyth; ȝe dukys so dowty, ffolwe me be-dene Onto my ryal paleys, the wey lyth ful ryght. Wyghtly fro my stede I skyppe down in hast,— To myn heyȝ hallys I haste me in my way; ȝe mynstrelle of myrthe, blowe up a good blast, Whylle I go to chawmere and chaunge myn array. _Primus Rex._ Heyl be the kynges tweyne, fferre rydyng out of ȝour regne! Me thynkyth be ȝour presentes seyne, ȝe sekyn oure Savyour. ffro Saba have I folwyd fferre The glemynge of ȝon gay sterre; A chyldys blood xal bye us dere, That ther is born in bestes boure. My name is kynge Baltaȝare, Of prophetys speche I am ware, Therfore a fferre wey I fare, A maydenys childe to seche. ffor he made man of the moolde, And is kynge of hevyn holde,— I wyl hym offere the rede golde, As reson wyl me teche. _Secundus Rex._ Melchiȝar that my name is kydde, In hote love myn herte is hydde, To the blosme upon his bedde Born by bestes bynne. In Tarys I am kynge with crowne, By bankys and brymmys browne, I have travaylid by many a towne, My Lordys love to wynne. I seke hym with ensens sote, Of alle prestys he xall be rote, His bryght blood xal be oure bote, To brynge us out of bonde. The childe xal be chosyn a preste, In all vertuys ffownden meste; Beforn his faderes fayr breste Ensens he xal up sende. _Tercius rex._ In Ypotan and Archage I am kynge knowyn in kage, To seke a childe of semlant age I have faryn ryght fferre. Jasper is my name knowyn, In many countres that are myn owyn, Thorwe byttyr blastys that gyn blowyn, I stryke aftere the sterre. I brynge myrre to my present, A byttyr lycour verament, ffor he xal suffyr byttyr dent, In a maydonys flesche is clad. On byttyr tre he xal be bent, Man and God omnypotent, With byttyr betynge his fflesche be rent, Tyl alle his blood be bledde.