From what region of the morn Are ye come, thus travel-worn, With those boxes pearl-embost, Caskets rare, and gifts of cost? While your swarth attendants wait At the stable’s outer gate, And the camels lift their head High above the lowly shed; Or are seen, a long-drawn train, Winding down into the plain, From below the light-blue line Of the hills in distance fine, Dear for your own sake, whence are ye? Dearer for the mystery That is round you--on what skies Gazing, saw you first arise, Thro’ the darkness, that clear star, Which has marshall’d you so far, Even unto this strawy tent, Dancing up the Orient? Shall we name you Kings indeed, Or is this our idle creed? Kings of Seba, with the gold And the incense long foretold? Would the Gentile world by you First-fruits pay of tribute due; Or have Israel’s scatter’d race, From their unknown hiding-place, Sent to claim their part and right In the Child new-born to-night? An older poet than Trench, the seventeenth century George Wither, has woven some pretty fancies about the story of the wise men as it is told by Saint Matthew in the New Testament. That so thy blessed birth, oh Christ, Might through the world be spread about, Thy Starre appeared in the East, Whereby the Gentiles found thee out; And, off’ring Thee Myrrh, Incense, Gold, Thy threefold Office did unfold. Sweet Jesus, let that Starre of Thine, Thy Grace, which guides to find out Thee, Within our hearts for ever shine, That Thou of us found out maist bee: And Thou shalt be our King, therefore, Our Priest, and Prophet evermore. Teares that from true repentance drop, Instead of Myrrh, present will wee: For Incense, we will offer up Our Praiers and Praises unto Thee; And bring for Gold each pious deed, Which doth from saving faith proceed. And as those Wise men never went To visit Herod any more; So, finding Thee, we will repent Our courses follow’d heretofore: And that we homeward may retire, Our way by Thee we will enquire. [Illustration: The Adoration of the Three Kings. From the painting by E. Burne Jones.] CHAPTER XII SOME TWELFTH NIGHT CUSTOMS As Twelfth Night, or Epiphany, is a day dedicated to the three Wise Men of the New Testament--the three kings of popular legend--it is only natural that one or more kings should be everywhere prominent in the celebration of the holiday.