linen cloth; and she sat upon the manger and with her right hand held up
the young Child's head. And the Kings worshipped Him and kissed His hand
devoutly and laid their gifts beside His head.

But what was done with these gifts, ye shall learn hereafter.

Now Melchior, that offered gold to the Holy Child, was the least in
stature and person of the three Kings. Balthazar, that offered incense,
was of a medium stature; and Jaspar, that offered myrrh, was most in
person; whereof is no doubt, for the prophet saith: "Before Him shall
fall down Ethiops, and His enemies shall lick the earth. They shall come
to Thee that betrayed Thee, and they shall worship the steps of Thy
feet." And having regard to the stature of men of that time these Kings
were right little of person, insomuch that all manner of people
marvelled at them. And this showed well that they were come from far out
of the East, for the nearer toward the uprising of the sun that men be
born, the less they be of stature and be feebler and more tender.

And you shall understand that these three Kings brought out of their
lands many gifts and rich ornaments which King Alexander left in Ind, in
Chaldee, and in Persia; and all the ornaments which Queen Saba found in
Solomon's temple, and divers vessels that were of the king's house and
the Temple of God in Jerusalem, which, in the time of its destruction,
were borne into their countries by the Persians and Chaldeans, and many
other jewels, both gold and silver, and precious stones, brought they
with them to offer to Christ. But when they found our Lord laid on high
in the manger and in poor cloths, and the Star that gave so great light
in all the place, that it seemed as though they stood in a furnace of
fire, then these Kings were so sore afraid that, of all the rich jewels
and ornaments they brought with them, they chose nothing, when their