¶ Here beginneth a little treatise called the wise child of three year old. The infant sage being of three years of age demanded by Adryan Emperor. The which him answered unto every thing he asked.  
HEre followeth the answers that the infant sage the which ne had but three years of age and was called little son unto the emperor/ and he was first recommended unto an archbishop. & the said archbishop recommended him unto a patriarch of Iherusalem. And the said patriarch recommended him unto a duke right sage right humble and the best understanding himself that was in all the land. And when the child was comen in to the city where this sage duke was he yode to speak unto him. And than the knights of that duke told him. Here is the infant right sage. And than some him salued and said unto him. Sage infant from what parties art thou comen. And the child answered I am comen from my father/ and from my mother/ and was create of our lord jesus christ. And some other knights of the duke said unto him thou art sage. And the child answered him that he is sage the which is chastised by himself. And all these things above said were counted unto the Emperor Adryan that than was at Rome/ the which made him to come unto him/ and said unto him in this wise. Sage infant how is the sky made. And the infant answered him in this manner if it had been made by the hand of man it had fallen forth with/ and if it had be borne it had been deed longetyme sith. Also the emperor demanded what god made first. And the child answered him light and clerte at all times. ¶ Also the Emperor demanded him how a man may understand that the trinity is one self god reigning in three persons. And the child answered him by the son in whom thou shalt find three things That is to understand substance/ shining/ and heat/ the which be in seperables for the one ne may be without the other. Also the Emperor demanded him/ who go first out from the mouth of our lord. And the child answered saint Iohn the evangelist the which said In principio erat verbum/ et verbum erat apud deum. etc. Also the emperor him demanded if god created the world inlytell of tyme. And the child him answered/ in a little while as the opening of an eye. for he create all the world in a moment but after by the space of vi days he made the things being in the world. That is to understand/ the sondaye he create the angels. The monday he made the firmament. The tewelday he made the earth/ the see the froges/ and the sweet waters of the rivers and fountains. The wennesdaye he made the birds and the lysshes of all manners. The thursday he made the trees and the beasts of all manyers. The friday he made and form Adam unto his own likeness.  
The saturday he rested him/ and blessed all that/ that he had made and form. Also the Emperor him demanded what hope the merchants have. And the child answered him little for that that they get they porchase often by fraulde and deceit. Also the emperor him demanded what sayest thou of laberours'. And the child him answered the most great part of them shall be saved for they lyven of the ire simply. and the people of god seden of their travail. Also the emperor him demanded what sayest thou of these children. And the child him answered that those that dyen In the age of three years and under and the which been baptized shall be saved. And the emperor him demanded. It is written that our lord jesus christ is deed for to agenbye the good and the evil. And the child him answered that jesus christ is deed for these ebryeux the which weron than ill for they weren myserrauntes. and also it is in scripture that he is deed for all people▪ for by his death sha●l be saved of all generations of people. Also the emperor him demanded in how many manners a man may be saved, and the child him answered in seven/ principally first by baptism. Secondly by martyrdom. thirdly by confession and penance. Fourthly by teries weeping. Fythely by almesdedies. sixthly by indulgences. That is to understand that we pardon with good heart and with good will those the which have mysoone unto us. The vij by the works of mercy. Also the emperor him demanded what the confession availeth. And the child him answered that confession and contrition purgeth all forfayres. Also the emperor him demanded what pain those should have that be in this benefices. And the child answered that they shall perish with simon the enchantour. And those that sellen them shall be mesellies in the soul as tesse. Also the emperor demanded him what pain the children should have the which die without baptism. And the child answered him that they should be in darkness. And should be put from the vision of our lord jesus christ/ but a man should not understand in such darkness that they ne see clearly the clerte of heaven for that should be pain/ & they shall have no pain/ but they shall be more cased than any mortal man in this world. The emperor him demanded if it were sin to take his cosynne unto wife or his gossip/ or his filliole/ or any of his lineage. And the child him answered. it is no sin after nature/ but it is after the ordinance of the church as when Adam eat the appell it was no sin but for that/ that he trespassed the commandment of our lord and saviour Jesus christ. And therefore was it a right grievous sin. Also the emperor him demanded wherefore was than the holy faders taken their cousins and parents unto wines. And the child him answered/ for that that they heden then leave to love their prochyns and nearest of blood. Also the emperor him demanded what sayest thou of knights. And the child answered I say neither ill ne good. The emperor him demanded where was the first woman create. And the child answered him in paradis terrestre of the side of Adam. The emperor him demanded wherefore was the woman create of the side of Adam. And he answered to the end that they were by dilection all of one heart and of one will. Also the emperor him demanded whether those been happy that have their desires and will in this world. And he answered that they be not happy/ but those been happy the which god ne letteth to do their wills and desires in this/ but correeteth them by adversity. Also the emperor him demanded what is original sin. and he answered it is fault of iustyee. Also he demanded if the soul ne might grow. And the child answered no not in quantity/ but in good virtue & reason. Also the emperor him demanded wherefore is it that some ben borne fools since that they have a soul reasonable. And he answered when they been conceived of ill and gross humours in the wome of their mother some what the soul is grieved for the ill disposition of the body. Also the emperor demanded him which is the thing most cruel unto the poor or unto the rich/ and he answered him the death. Also the emperor him demanded what thing is man. And he answered that it is imagining of our lord jesus christ. Also the emperor him demanded what thing is woman. And he said/ it is the imagining of death. Also the emperor him demanded at what hour eat Adam of the fruit that our lord him had defended. And he answered at the third hour. and at the hour of none he was cast out of paradise. Also the emperor him demanded what thing is it whereof a man may never feed him enough/ and the child answered that it is of gain/ or winning. And the emperor him demanded how many sins been there the which ne been pardonned in this world ne in like wise in the other. And the infant him anishered twain. The first is who so that believeth not in the resurrece you of our lord jesus christ. The ceconde is who so despeyreth him of the grace of god. Also the emperor him demanded what thing is best or worst/ and the child him answered that it was the word. Also the emperor him demanded by how many manners a man dieth. and the child him answered by .v. The first is by poverty. The two by ignorance the three is by pity. The iiij. is by dread. The .v. is by iniquity. Also the emperor him demanded how many languages been there in the world. & the child him answered there are lxxii Also the empereur him demanded how many manner of serpens been there in the world. & the child answered him that there were xxiiij Also the emperor him demanded what was he that which put name unto all the beasts/ & he answered that did Adam. Also the emperor him demanded what is the lest thing of all the world. and the child him answered the it is the body of the man when the soul is out. Also the emperor him demanded which is the most light thing of all the world. & the child answered it is the thought. Also the emperor him demanded what thing is the sky. & the child answered that it is a light of clerte divine. Also the emperor him demanded/ what sustaineth the earth. & the child answered that that doth the water. Also the emperor him demanded/ what sustaineth the water. and the child anwerede that the four evange lists. Also the empereur him demanded/ what sustaineth the four evangelisles. & the child answered/ the spiritual fire. Also the emperor him demanded what sustaineth the spiritual fire. & the child answered a tree the which was planted in paradse in the beginning when god came in to the virgin marry. Also the emperor him demanded who was the first hermit. and the child answered that was saint poll. Also the emperor him demanded/ what thing is that never may be nor never shall be. and the child answered that/ that is in the valde of gelboe. Also the emperor him demanded who made the first church/ & the child answered him that did saint pol. Also the emperor him demanded/ what was he the which fasted three days and three nights/ and the child answered him that was jonas in the whales womb. Also the emperor him demanded how many of years had noe when he began to make the arch. & the child answered him five hundreth of years Also the emperor him demanded/ in how many years was the said arch made/ and the child answered in a hundreth years. Also the emperor him demanded/ how many days the arch was on the water. & the child answered/ that it was thereon forty days. Also the emperor him demanded/ how long/ how large/ and how high the said arch was/ and the child him answered that it had. CCC. fathom in length. CCxxx. of height/ and a. Clx. in largeness. Also that emperor him demanded/ In what place is the said arch now/ & the child answered him that it is upon a high mountain in armenie that men call Archenclyn. Also the emperor him demanded what was he that planted & set first the vine. & the child answered him that it was no. Also the emperor him demanded. who made the first city. & the child him answered that it was zurie. Also the emperor him demanded/ what was he the which demanded the most great gift that ever man demanded/ and the child answered that/ that died joseph of armathye the which demanded our lord jesus christ being on the cross whom he put in the sepulchre. Also the emperor him demanded/ wherefore is it that men should sooner fast on the friday than these other days. And the child answered him. For eight reasons principally. The first is for that that on the frydaye our lord jesus christ form Adam. The second for that/ that on the friday saint johun baptest baptized our lord in the flome iordayn. The third is for that that on the friday David the prophet slew the great golyas. The four is for that/ that on the frydaye our lord took human flesh in the womb of the glorious virgin mary. The .v. is for that/ that the Friday saint steuen the first martyr was stoned. The vi for that/ that on the friday saint Iohn baptest was beheaded. The vij for on the frydaye our lord jesus christ was crucified. The viii. for that/ that on the frydaye our lord jesus christ shall descend from heaven for to hold his judgement in the vale of josepath. Also the Emperor him demanded in how many manners a man may be dampened/ and the child him answered/ in four manners principally.  
The first is by negligence. The second is by anger of tree and to show openly his sins. The third is of the doubt of the pain that a man hath to amend himself The four is of ill thing to be evermore in sin. Also the emperor him demanded/ what things they been the which best pleaseth unto our lord jesus christ. And the child answered/ three things principally. The first is too do true penance of his sins. The second is largesse and patience in poverty. The third is abstinence of sin. Also the emperor him demanded what thing is that the which most disposed unto man. And the child said it is life of his enemies and noysant Also this emperor him demanded/ how many sons and daughters hade Adam/ & the child said xxx sons and xxx daughters without came able nor seph. Also the emperor him demanded who was the first that sang mass. And the child answered him that is was melchesedech. Also the emperor him demanded who was the first thief. And the child him answered that it was Seph the first son of Adam. Also the emperor him demanded what was he the was borne before his father & bygoten before his mother the four of the world he slew and had had the maidenhead of his grandmother. And the child answered that it was cain/ for his father and his mother that is to understand Adam and Eve were create and also he slew his brother Abel/ for they ne were than but four in the world and had the maidenhead of his grandam the earth that laboured it. Also the emperor him demanded what was he that entrede first in to paradies. And the child answered that it was the good thief whom god pardonned on the cross. Also the emperor him demanded which were the most noble weddings that ever were. And the child him answered that was the weddings of Archideclin where god changed the water in to wine/ and there were our lord and the virgin mary. Also the emperor him demanded who be those that shall never die till unto the end of the world. And the child answered him that it was Enoch and Helie the which ben in the gate of paradise terrestre holding every of them a sword brenning in their mouths. Also the emperor him demanded what was he that despoiled his mother. & the child answered him that it was Adam when he began to labour the earth. Also the emperor him demanded what thing is it of the see and the child answered that it is away in certain and marvelous. Also the emperor him demanded what thing is that as the death. and the child said that it is a thing the which ne may finish ne enter. Also the emperor him demanded what was he that died two times. & the child him answered that it was lazar the brother of mary magdaleyne and of marry march the which god araised. Also the emperor him demanded of how many things was man form. and the child him answered of six things principally. That is to understand the fiesshe made is of the slime of the earth. The blood is made of the water of the see. The bones were made of the stones the breathe was made of the wind. The eyes were image of the son. And the soul was treated of the holy ghost. Also the emperor him demanded by what manner bringeth the devil a man in to helie. And the child him answered remember the that even in like wise as by baptism is pardoned theorygynall sin. Also in like wise by confession and penance been pardon all that other sins. Also the emperor him demanded is ordained unto man the term of his death or of his life/ and the child him answered that god all had ordained for our salvation. Also the emperor him demanded in whom believest thou. And he answered In god almighty. That is to understand in the father and in the son and in the holy ghost the which been three parsons in one essence and in one holy trinity. Also the emperor him demanded believest thou that our lord jesus christ shadowed him in the womb of the hloryous virgin mary and that he was borne of her very god & very man, and the child answered that yes and I believe that he hath suffered hunger and thorste and other tribulations for to again buy us sinners. And I believe that at the day of assention he mounted in to heaven. And that on white sunday he sent his holy espirite unto his disciples and that he shall come upon the earth to hold his judgement/ and that unto the good he shall give life and glory in his paradis by all times and the ill he shall send in to hell from whence they shall never depart. Also the emperor him demanded where our lord held him before that he created the world. And the child him answered that he was in a wood there where he made fagotes for to bourn the and all these the which will from henceforth inquire of the secrets of our lord in whom there ne is beginning nor ending.   

¶ Imprinted in london in Fleetstreet at the sign of the Son by wynkind word  

 sun and stars, representing the sign of the Sun  
W  47 C  
Wynkyn de word.   Caxton's printer's device, appropriated by Wynkyn de Worde