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 cast, and are eo/ne to worship him'. ' N fj 
 
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A 
 
THE 
 
 THREE HOLY KINGS. 
 
 “ For we have seen his star in the east, and are 
 come to worship him.” 
 
 WITH PHOTOGRAPHIC ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 NEW YORK: 
 
 PUBLISHED BY HURD AND. HOUGHTON, 
 459 Broome Street. 
 
 i 868. 
 
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1867, by 
 Hurd and Houghton, 
 
 the Clerk’s Office of the District Court for the Southern District of New York. 
 
 RIVERSIDE, CAMBRIDGE : 
 STEREOTYPED AND PRINTED BY 
 H. O. HOUGHTON AND COMPANY. 
 
PREFATORY NOTE. 
 
 HE substance of this book was prepared as one of a course 
 
 X of familiar biblical lectures. It is not offered in its present 
 form as an exhaustive and scholarly treatise, but rather as a simple 
 grouping together of fact, opinion, and legend respecting the sublime 
 story of the “ Wise Men of the East.” 
 
 Contributions to sacred literature have been, for the most part, 
 either profound discussions adapted only to the wants of scholars, 
 or simple narratives prepared for juvenile minds. Neither of these 
 are suited to the taste of the majority of adult readers. 
 
 It has seemed therefore to the author, that a more popular method 
 of inculcating information respecting Bible topics would meet with 
 favor, and, with the blessing of God, tend to create a more general 
 interest in the Divine Word. 
 
ILLUSTRATIONS, 
 
 1. JOURNEY OF THE KINGS. Copy of Bas-Relief. 
 
 2. CATHEDRAL OF COLOGNE (when completed.) 
 
 3. THE DREAM OF THE KINGS. 
 
 4. ADORATION. 
 
 5. THE KINGS APPROACHING BETHLEHEM 
 
 6. ADORATION. 
 
 Frontispiece. 
 
 Bonifaccio. 
 
 PORTAELS. 
 
 Luino. 
 
THE 
 
 THREE HOLY KINGS. 
 
 A MONG the numberless relics, which for 
 centuries have been the pride of the old 
 city of Cologne, none are accounted of 
 greater dignity or worthy of more ven¬ 
 eration, than the three skulls, enshrined 
 in her Cathedral, and said to be those of the Magian 
 Kings or “ Wise Men,” who, led by the star, came 
 from the East to pay their homage to the Infant Re¬ 
 deemer. 
 
 It is but a few years since the celebration of the 
 seven hundredth anniversary of the transfer of these 
 remains from Milan, and the interest and excitement 
 that then ensued have been seldom equaled in the 
 history of similar events. 
 
 The city was crowded with pilgrims, eager for ad¬ 
 mission within the Cathedral. So great was the enthu¬ 
 siasm, that those who were able to press through the 
 dense throng, and arrive at the shrine containing the 
 sacred relics, deemed themselves most fortunate, and 
 as they knelt, devoutly prayed in words such as these: 
 
2 
 
 THE THREE HOL Y RINGS. 
 
 “ O holy three kings, Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthazar, 
 pray for us now and in the hour of death.” This 
 prayer was also printed on strips of paper and widely 
 distributed among the assembled pilgrims; and these 
 slips when, as in some instances, as a mark of special 
 favor, rubbed upon the skulls, became doubly sacred 
 to the possessors as charms against accident and 
 disease. 
 
 Lest it excite surprise that to the city of Cologne 
 should belong the honor of possessing the relics of 
 these holy kings, we would explain, that its present 
 insignificant appearance betokens but little of its for¬ 
 mer importance. It claims a Roman origin, and 
 boasts of being the birthplace of Agrippina, the 
 mother of Nero. Thence Trajan was summoned to 
 the throne of the Caesars, and there Clovis declared 
 king of the Franks. 
 
 Its merchants were among the first of their period, 
 and the genius of its architects and artists was ac¬ 
 knowledged by all. Its scholastic fame attracted stu¬ 
 dents from every land, and it numbered among its dis¬ 
 tinguished men such names as those of the saintly 
 Thomas of Aquinas and the poetic Petrarch. 
 
 For centuries it was the chief city of Northern 
 Europe, enjoying a direct trade with Italy, and 
 through it with the East. As it increased in wealth 
 and might, it became the patron of the Arts, and de¬ 
 lighting to copy the customs and manners of the 
 Imperial City, gained the title of the “ Rome of the 
 North.” 
 
THE THREE HOL Y KINGS. 
 
 3 
 
 As years rolled on, the breath of time blighted its 
 privileges and destroyed its prosperity, until now it 
 presents but little of its former grandeur, save in its 
 splendid architectural structures, which, though hoary 
 with the dust of ages, still delight the lover of the sub¬ 
 lime and beautiful. 
 
 Most prominent among them, is the noble Cathedral, 
 which has become the mausoleum of these sacred 
 bones. This structure, — even in its unfinished state, 
 the purest Gothic monument of the Middle Ages, — 
 though begun in the thirteenth century and continued 
 at intervals up to the present time, is even now but 
 a fragment. When fully completed, it will cover an 
 area of five hundred feet in length and two hundred 
 and thirty feet in breadth. Its two principal towers 
 are to have an altitude of five hundred feet, though so 
 slowly have they progressed, that the top of one of 
 them, at hot more than a third of the intended height, 
 is surmounted by a crane similar to that which cen¬ 
 turies ago was employed by the masons to elevate 
 their stone. Shortly after the original crane was taken 
 down, the city was visited by a furious thunder-storm, 
 which the superstitious inhabitants connected with the 
 removal of the weather-worn crane, and they therefore 
 insisted that it should be replaced. The choir only is 
 finished, and as it is adorned with chapels, columns, 
 and arches of rarest workmanship, and enriched with 
 frescos, exquisitely stained windows, and carved stalls 
 and seats, presents an almost bewildering spectacle. ' 
 
 We will not, however, describe at length these 
 
4 
 
 THE THREE HOLY KINGS. 
 
 architectural beauties, but give our attention at once 
 to a small chapel near the high altar, which con¬ 
 tains the tomb of the “ Three Holy Kings,” * toward 
 whose shrine for centuries the feet of so many devout 
 pilgrims have turned. 
 
 Their remains are inclosed in a case of silver gilt, 
 ornamented with small arcades, containing figures of 
 apostles and prophets, and originally adorned only 
 with the rarest gems. Most of these, the Romish prel¬ 
 ates have, from time to time, replaced with imitations, 
 in order to give the originals as relics to those whom 
 they delighted to honor; yet the veritable stones, 
 cameos, and other treasures which still remain, are 
 said to be now worth nearly a million of dollars. If 
 this be true, some idea of the former extravagant rich¬ 
 ness of this sarcophagus may be inferred. 
 
 One end of the sepulchral case is inclosed with 
 glass, through which may be seen the three ghastly 
 skulls, rendered the more hideous by crowns of jewels, 
 which thus become a startling admonition that at death 
 riches must be left with the mortal dust. 
 
 Upon these skulls are inscribed in letters of rubies, 
 the names “ Gaspar,” Melchior,” “ Balthazar,” and 
 these are the titles which have been given to the 
 “ Three Kings of Cologne,” declared by the Romish 
 Church to be the Magi. How highly these sacred 
 relics are esteemed by the Church, and how scrupu¬ 
 lously they are guarded, we may judge from the fol¬ 
 lowing couplet on the front of the shrine : — 
 
 “ Corpora sanctorum recubant hie terna magorum, 
 
 Ex his sublatum, nihil est, alibive locatum.” 
 
THE THREE HOL V 'KINGS. 5 
 
 “ Here repose the bodies of the three holy Magi 
 From which nothing has been taken or is elsewhere placed.” 
 
 Here the questions occur: What is the story of 
 these kingly remains; and how came these dry bones 
 to find this resting-place ? 
 
 As we seek to answer these inquiries, we find the 
 truth of history indissolubly blended with the romance 
 of legend. We are like one, who, while seeking the 
 head-waters of some tortuous river, is tempted from 
 his course at each new mile, by bays and creeks and 
 inflowing currents, 
 
 In attempting then to discover how these royal 
 bones made their weary journey from the East to the 
 borders of the Rhine, we turn first to history, which 
 tells us that in the year 1162, Frederic I. of Germany 
 (called Barbarossa or the Red-bearded), having laid 
 siege to and conquered the city of Milan in Italy, 
 found these relics in the church of St. Eustorgio, 
 and presented them to Rainaldo, Archbishop of Co¬ 
 logne. 
 
 We learn further, that the Emperor Constantine, at 
 the request of the pious Eustorgio, whom he had ap¬ 
 pointed Prefect of Milan, permitted their transfer 
 thither from Constantinople, where they had been 
 first enshrined. 
 
 Here history leads us almost unconsciously into 
 legend, and following the latter, we learn that when 
 the Wise Men had paid their adoration to the infant 
 Jesus, they returned to their own country and devoted 
 themselves to announcing the birth in Judea of a 
 
6 
 
 THE THREE HOL Y KINGS. 
 
 mighty Prince, the Son of God, whose advent pro¬ 
 claimed “ peace and good-will ” to the whole world. 
 
 When the Apostles, obedient to the parting com¬ 
 mand of their Divine Master, were dispersed into 
 every country teaching all nations and baptizing them, 
 St. Thomas, whose missionary tour extended to the 
 Indies, found there these early Evangelists, and not 
 only baptized them, but also instructed them more 
 clearly in the doctrines of the Christian faith. 
 
 From this time they became still more zealous for 
 the truth, until, bearing the cross to the remotest East, 
 they fell victims to the barbarians to whom they had 
 come with their gracious message. 
 
 Thus, in the language of another, “ each of them 
 received in return for the earthly crown which he 
 had cast at the feet of the Saviour, the heavenly crown 
 of martyrdom and of everlasting life.” 
 
 Long years afterward, their remains were discov¬ 
 ered by the pious Helena, the mother of the Emperor 
 Constantine, and by her brought to Constantinople, 
 from whence, as we have already seen, they were 
 taken to Milan, and from there finally found a resting- 
 place under the Gothic arches of Cologne’s noble Ca¬ 
 thedral. 
 
 Thus much history and tradition tell us respecting 
 these sacred relics, declared by the Papal Church to 
 be the bones of the “ Wise Men of the East.” 
 
 We cannot, however, but confess to some incre¬ 
 dulity when we remember that in the same city of 
 Cologne a church has been erected to the memory 
 
THE THREE HOLY KINGS. 
 
 7 
 
 of the sainted Ursula, and her eleven thousand vir¬ 
 gins, who, while returning to Brittany from a pious 
 pilgrimage to Rome, were here murdered by the 
 wicked Huns for refusing to break their vows of 
 chastity. Added to the improbability of the story, 
 the fact that some of the bones, said to be theirs, 
 which are everywhere exposed throughout the walls 
 and pavement of the church, have been discovered 
 to be those of sheep and other animals, leads us 
 to conclude that relics are often of doubtful authen¬ 
 ticity. 
 
 Yet dubious as seems this traditional account of the 
 fortunes of the three kings, it is about all that can be 
 added to the simple words of St. Matthew: — 
 
 “When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of 
 Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to 
 Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews ? for 
 we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.” 
 
 Here, resting upon truth, we know that, those who 
 came to do homage to the infant Saviour were Wise 
 Men, that they came from the East, and that they 
 were guided by a star. Three questions are thus sug¬ 
 gested. Who, at the time of the birth of our Lord, 
 were known as “ Wise Men ” ? What country was 
 called the “ East ” ? What was the star which proved 
 their heavenly guide ? 
 
 In explanation of the first of these inquiries, we 
 find that the word translated “ Wise Men ” in Mat¬ 
 thew’s gospel, is, in the original “ Magi ” a Persian 
 word, which is explained by an old heathen writer, 
 
s 
 
 THE THREE HOL Y KINGS. 
 
 who says: “ Among the Persians the lovers of wisdom 
 and servants of the gods are called Magi.” 
 
 We further find that these Magi were devoted to 
 the study of philosophy, both natural and moral. 
 
 From the latter, they elaborated a system of relig¬ 
 ious belief, while from the study of the former, they 
 become profoundly versed in mechanics, chemistry, 
 and particularly astronomy. Thus accomplished, their 
 influence increased, until, in the course of time, they 
 became not only the religious leaders of the people, 
 but also the advisers of the throne. 
 
 Throughout a large portion of the East, kings and 
 rulers were frequently of the order of the Magi, or at 
 least chosen and instructed by them. 
 
 As time wore on, their religion became corrupted, 
 and astrology, magic, and divination were ingrafted 
 upon their system of belief. These abuses became 
 more and more glaring until a reformer appeared. 
 
 The man who presumed to take upon himself the 
 task of reform was Zoroaster, probably, next to Mo¬ 
 hammed, the most successful apostle of a new faith 
 that the heathen world has ever known. 
 
 There is much of tradition mingled with the story 
 of his life, but we will give it as it is, letting due allow¬ 
 ance be made for the oriental love of romance. Zo¬ 
 roaster cannot be called an originator, as his creed 
 was only a renewing and purifying of the old ; but 
 to know his life and teachings is to understand the 
 Magian system of belief, of which he was the highest 
 exponent. 
 
THE THREE HOLY KINGS. 
 
 9 
 
 A legend tells us that Zoroaster spent twenty years of 
 his early life in Judea as servant of a prophet, — some 
 say of Elijah, others of Jeremiah, Ezekiel, or Daniel, 
 probably choosing these names from the fact that his 
 creed had some resemblance to the early Jewish faith. 
 
 After the return of Zoroaster from Judea to his own 
 country, he spent a long time in seclusion, inhabiting 
 a cave ; and there inspired, as he insists, by God, pre¬ 
 pared the writings illustrative of his belief, called the 
 “ Zendavesta ” or “ Zend,” which, in twelve volumes, 
 each composed of an entire bullock’s hide, were de¬ 
 livered to the Magi. 
 
 These writings declared the Supreme Being to be 
 one God, independent and self-existing from all eter¬ 
 nity. This world, however, was not governed by him, 
 as its affairs were said to be conducted by two prin¬ 
 ciples, one of good, called Ormuzd, and the other of 
 evil, by the name of Ahriman. Light was the type of 
 the former, and darkness of the latter. Each strove 
 for the mastery, Ormuzd to benefit the human race, 
 and Ahriman to destroy. Zoroaster taught men to 
 make vows and offer thanks to the one, and to avert 
 by sacrifice the wrath of the other. 
 
 Both plants and animals were divided into two 
 classes, some appertaining to the good principle, and 
 others to the evil. Ormuzd made six gods : Benevo¬ 
 lence, Truth, Justice, Wisdom, Wealth, and the Con¬ 
 scious pleasure of doing good. Whereupon Ahriman 
 made as many to oppose them. Ormuzd then made 
 twenty-four more, and put them in an egg-shell; but 
 
TO 
 
 THE THREE HOL Y KINGS . 
 
 Ahriman made the same number, and, breaking the 
 shell, let them into it, whereby the evil became mixed 
 with the good. But in process of time, Ahriman, who 
 brings plagues and famine by his evil gods, must be 
 destroyed, and this earth will become a plain, inhab¬ 
 ited by one happy society of mankind of one common 
 speech, a race neither needing food nor yielding a 
 shadow. 
 
 Light being the symbol of the,good deity, Zoroaster 
 permitted his followers to continue the sacred fire in 
 their temples, in accordance with their worship under 
 their former belief. 
 
 When worshiping within the sacred inclosures, 
 they turned toward the blazing altar; but when in 
 the open air, they prostrated themselves before the 
 majesty of the sun as the source of light. There 
 seems to have been much that was good among the 
 minor teachings of the prophet, such as the respect to 
 be paid to parents and to the aged, brotherly love, 
 kindness to animals, and the like. 
 
 His fundamental error, however, was, that while 
 one God only was acknowledged as supreme, here 
 all notice of him stops, and adoration and thanksgiv¬ 
 ing were paid only to the inferior deity of Good. It 
 was believed that man was exposed to the influence 
 of the evil genius and continually sinned. For such 
 sins expiation must be made, but this was to be done 
 by works, of charity and love. Those oppressed with 
 a sense of sin, finding but poor relief in their own 
 exertions, naturally went to- the priests or Magi, and 
 
THE THREE HOL Y KINGS. 1 1 
 
 these, if treated liberally, gave the desired absolution. 
 Thus the people became subject to the priest, and 
 soon came to worship the creature more than the 
 Creator. To illustrate the theory of Zoroaster respect¬ 
 ing the value of good works as an expiation for sin, 
 we will cite this parable, given by his followers : “ It 
 
 is reported of Zerdusht (another name for Zoroaster), 
 the author of our religion, that one day retiring from 
 God’s presence, he beheld a man plunged in Gehenna, 
 his right foot, however, sticking out. Upon inquiring 
 into the reason of this, he was told that this man 
 was formerly the lord of thirty-three cities, but that 
 his reign was marked by the most atrocious cruelty 
 and oppression. One day, however, whilst hunting, 
 he beheld a sheep, caught by the foot in a thicket. 
 Seeing this, a new impulse seized the king, and he 
 alighted from his horse, released the animal, and led 
 it to a pasture; and for this one act of tenderness 
 and compassion his foot remained free, whilst the rest 
 of his body, for his heinous crimes, was plunged into 
 the woes of Gehenna.” 
 
 Thus we have essayed to give some idea of the 
 Magian system of belief, as it was undoubtedly that 
 of the Wise Men whose story we are considering. 
 However, as we know that even in the most corrupt 
 periods God preserves to himself a seed, we may 
 believe that these men, for the integrity of their lives 
 and their active benevolence, had been singled out 
 and prepared by God to bring the testimony of the 
 East to the Incarnation of his Son. Perhaps they 
 
12 
 
 THE THREE HOLY KINGS. 
 
 may have cherished longings for the advent of a holy 
 being who should deliver the world from the bondage 
 of sin. It is alleged that they were influenced by a 
 prophecy of their founder, Zoroaster, who predicted 
 that in the latter days “A mighty one and a Re¬ 
 deemer should be, and that a star should herald his 
 coming.” A legend speaks of a company of Magi as 
 watching for the appearance of this star, twelve of the 
 holiest of them being ever on the watch. Their post 
 of observation was a lofty rock called Mount Victory, 
 and night by night they prepared themselves for their 
 vigils by prayer and ablution in pure water. At last 
 the star appeared, and in it the form of a young child 
 bearing a cross, while a voice coming from it bade 
 them proceed to Judea. 
 
 Doubtless these traditions and stories respecting 
 the appearance of a mighty prince in Judea, grew out 
 of the intercourse that occurred between the Israelites 
 and the more eastern nations. The Jews, when visit¬ 
 ing other countries, would naturally boast of the great 
 honor to be conferred upon their nation, and as they 
 took with them their Scriptures, the Messianic proph¬ 
 ecies contained therein could not fail to attract the 
 attention of the Magi, when inquiring respecting 
 their religious belief. Then, too, much respecting 
 the Messiah would be learned by these nations dur¬ 
 ing the time in which they held the Israelites in 
 captivity. 
 
 We know that when at Babylon, Daniel stood high 
 at the court of Nebuchadnezzar and ultimately became 
 
THE THREE HOLY KINGS. 
 
 13 
 
 chief of the “ Magicians, Soothsayers, Astrologers, and 
 Chaldeans.” Certain writers have alleged that the 
 prophecy uttered by Balaam, and found in the book 
 of Numbers, that “ there shall come a Star out of 
 Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel,” had 
 direct reference to the celestial orb which guided the 
 pilgrimage of the Wise Men, and that this prophecy 
 was not unknown to the nations to which the Magi 
 are supposed to have belonged. 
 
 We mention these things to show how these Wise 
 Men may have become familiar with the Jewish hopes 
 and longings for a Messiah. We must, however, ac¬ 
 knowledge that it was mainly the Spirit of the Lord 
 that quickened their faith and inspired them to watch 
 for the first radiant beam of the day-star, which was 
 to be the harbinger of “ peace on earth and good-will 
 to men.” 
 
 Having thus spoken of the order of the Magi, to 
 which these Wise Men belonged, before proceeding to 
 consider the question of their country, we will refer to 
 what tradition tells us of their number, names, rank, 
 and the date of their journey. When Art first se¬ 
 lected the Wise Men as a subject for her pencil, it be¬ 
 came necessary to fix their number, and it was made 
 three. This was probably owing first, to the fact of 
 the threefold division of the race, as descended from 
 Noah; then, as corresponding to their gifts, each 
 supposed to be the offering of one; and lastly, as a 
 symbol of the Trinity. Their names are even more 
 doubtful than their number. Those which are embla- 
 
THE THREE HOLY KINGS. 
 
 zoned in jewels upon the skulls at Cologne — Gaspar, 
 Melchior, and Balthazar — are the ones by which they 
 are generally known; but these are confessedly the 
 offspring of tradition, and were given them at a late 
 period by a Western writer. Other names they had, 
 as in Greek, Magdalat , Galgalat , and Saracin ; and in 
 Hebrew, Apellius, Amerius, and Damascus . 
 
 As to their rank, while it is said that it was not 
 until the ninth century that they were called kings yet 
 it is probable that they may have been rulers over 
 petty dominions, as their ability to make the journey, 
 and the munificence of their offerings, would indicate 
 wealth and position; and as we have already seen, 
 princes and kings frequently belonged to the order 
 of the Magi. Moreover they seem not to have hes¬ 
 itated upon their arrival at Jerusalem to proceed at 
 once into the royal presence, as though they could of 
 right claim audience of King Herod. 
 
 The time of their appearance has provoked much 
 discussion, some fixing it a few days after the Nativ¬ 
 ity, before the Presentation in the Temple. The early 
 Church instituted the festival of the Epiphany or the 
 Manifestation, called also “ Twelfth Day,” in conse¬ 
 quence of a belief that the Wise Men reached the 
 manger of Bethlehem on the twelfth day after Christ¬ 
 mas, or the 6th day of January. Some have supposed 
 that the adoration of the Magi took place several 
 months later than the date of this festival, and oth¬ 
 ers delay it even one or two years. It,seems most 
 natural to follow the chronological order which places 
 
THE THREE HOL Y KINGS. 
 
 15 
 
 the visit of the Wise Men immediately after the Pres¬ 
 entation in the Temple, perhaps about forty days af¬ 
 ter the Nativity; for had Herod’s attention been thus 
 directed to the infant Messiah, previous to the occasion 
 when his parents brought the child to Jerusalem “ to 
 do for him after the manner of the law,” it seems im¬ 
 probable that his being there for that purpose, would 
 have escaped the notice of the anxious monarch. 
 Moreover the gift offered by Mary at the time of the 
 Presentation, doubtless would have been more than 
 the pair of turtle doves, which was the least offering- 
 allowed by the law, had she then possessed the costly 
 treasures, brought by the pilgrim sages. Against the 
 supposition that any considerable time elapsed be¬ 
 tween the return of the child to Bethlehem and the 
 coming of the Wise Men, stands the improbability 
 that Joseph and Mary would have remained amid 
 the discomforts of a crowded village, any longer than 
 the prescribed duties of the Temple demanded. 
 
 Turning now to the second of the proposed ques¬ 
 tions we meet with new difficulties. To every country 
 east of Judea has been assigned the honor of having 
 been the home of the Magi; to Persia, because of its 
 being the chief seat of the Magian religion ; to Ara¬ 
 bia, because the Psalmist has said, “ The kings of 
 Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts; ” and to the Indies 
 and Ethiopia for less obvious reasons. One tradition 
 would have it that the Wise Men came from the re¬ 
 motest East, even from the borders of the ocean, and 
 that two years were required for their journey. This 
 
16 THE THREE HOLY KINGS. 
 
 of course would imply a country even as distant as 
 China. The favorite theory of the Papal Church has 
 been, that they were each representatives of separate 
 countries, and the diverse character of their gifts is 
 cited, as having direct reference to the products of 
 different lands. This would seem to favor the belief 
 of the early Christians, that the adoration of the Wise 
 Men was illustrative of the universal calling of the 
 Gentiles; and certainly it is not incredible that the 
 same God who led them on their journey, should have 
 selected them from different lands and ordained that 
 ere they reached the borders of Judea their paths 
 should unite, and their mission become one ; while, 
 being of the same religious order, their fellowship 
 would be perfect even from the moment of meeting. 
 The fact that Persia was the chief seat of the Magi, 
 does not conflict with this supposition, as we know 
 that the sect had its adherents widespread among all 
 oriental nations. If, however, it is better to choose one 
 country as their common home, Persia is to be pre¬ 
 ferred ; for in that country, as being the centre of their 
 religious system, members of this order would be of 
 a purer faith, and thus more susceptible to such im¬ 
 pressions as would impel them to make the holy pil¬ 
 grimage. 
 
 We come finally to the subject of the star which 
 guided them and illumined their way. Some assert 
 it to have been one of the planets; others a fixed 
 star; still others a comet or some celestial phenome¬ 
 non visible only to the travellers. The most elaborate 
 
THE THREE HOL Y KINGS. 
 
 17 
 
 theory is one advanced in 1604 by Kepler, the famous 
 German astronomer, who, observing the remarkable 
 conjunction in that year of Jupiter and Saturn, con¬ 
 ceived the idea that a like occurrence formed the celes¬ 
 tial guide of, the Magi. By careful calculations he dis¬ 
 covered that about the time of the birth of our Lord 
 there occurred a similar conjunction of these two plan¬ 
 ets together with Mars. Having also found that they 
 came together in the constellation Pisces, he was fur¬ 
 ther confirmed in his theory from the fact that Judea 
 was called by Eastern nations the “ fish land.” This 
 explanation, though ingenious, is open to the same ob¬ 
 jections, which may be offered to the theory that the 
 star of the Magi is to be identified with any of the 
 ordinary heavenly bodies ; that, if so, it could not have 
 gone before the Wise Men, as it is said to have done. 
 Moreover, it could not have pointed out the exact 
 house which was the abode of the infant Jesus, for it 
 naturally would have receded as they advanced, and 
 scarcely could have indicated the town, much less the 
 particular house. Furthermore, the appearance of any 
 heavenly orb, sufficient to attract and guide these Wise 
 Men, surely would have awakened the attention of 
 others among the astrologers of the East. But we do 
 not learn from heathen traditions or writings, that at 
 the period referred to, any such celestial phenomenon 
 attracted the attention of oriental sages, while, as cer¬ 
 tainly, the Jews, although prepared by the Messianic 
 prophecies and in a state of expectancy, were not aware 
 of any unusual appearance in the heavens. We are 
 2 
 
18 THE THREE HOLY KINGS . 
 
 therefore inclined to the view, that just as God led the 
 children of Israel through the desert by a “ pillar of 
 fire,” so he led these faithful travellers by some lumi¬ 
 nous appearance resting in our own atmosphere, and 
 visible only to those for whose benefit it was created. 
 The calling of these Wise Men being miraculous, why 
 not also other events connected with their journey, es¬ 
 pecially as only such an appearance as we suggest 
 could have actually guided the pilgrims to the humble 
 abode at Bethlehem ? This explanation avoids the 
 difficulty that the attention of the world would have 
 been attracted by a more general appearance of the 
 star. 
 
 Having now considered the questions suggested by 
 the story, we cannot refrain from noticing some of 
 the various methods employed by art to portray the 
 sublime and picturesque subject of the journey, and 
 adoration of these Eastern sages. In these efforts of 
 art we find suggestions valuable in our further contem¬ 
 plation of the sacred story. Here we cannot do better 
 than quote from Mrs. Jameson’s “ Legends of the 
 Madonna,” a book as instructive as charming. In this 
 work we find descriptions by a true lover of art, of 
 the rarest efforts of Masters of Painting, to reproduce 
 upon canvas the homage of the Wise Men. Of the 
 adoration of the Magi, as connected with art, she re¬ 
 marks : — 
 
 “ As a subject it is one of the most ancient in the whole range of 
 Christian Art. Taken in the early religious sense, it signified the 
 calling of the Gentiles, and as such we find it carved in bass-relief on 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
THE THREE HOLY KINGS. 
 
 19 
 
 the Christian sarcophagi of the third and fourth centuries, and rep¬ 
 resented with extreme simplicity. The Virgin mother is seated on 
 a chair, and holds the infant upright on her knee ; the Wise Men, al¬ 
 ways three in number, and all alike, approach in attitudes of adora¬ 
 tion. In some instances, they wear Phrygian caps, and their camels’ 
 heads are seen behind them, serving to express the land whence they 
 come, the land of the East, as well as their long journey, as on one 
 of the sarcophagi in the Christian Museum of the Vatican. The star 
 in these antique sculptures is generally omitted, but in one or two 
 instances it stands immediately over the chair of the Virgin. The 
 mosaic in the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore at Rome is some¬ 
 what later in date than these sarcophagi (a. d. 440), and the repre¬ 
 sentation is very peculiar and interesting. Here the child is seated 
 alone on a kind of square pedestal, with his hand raised in benedic¬ 
 tion ; behind the throne stand two figures, supposed to be the Virgin 
 and Joseph; on each side, two angels. The kings approach, 
 dressed as Roman warriors, with helmets on their heads. In the le¬ 
 gend of the fourteenth century, the kings had become distinct per¬ 
 sonages, under the names Of Caspar (or Jasper), Melchior, and Baltha¬ 
 zar, the first being always a very aged man, with a long white beard ; 
 the second a middle-aged man ; the third is young, and frequently he is 
 a Moor or Negro, to express the King of Ethiopia or Nubia, and also 
 to indicate that when the Gentiles were called to salvation, all the con¬ 
 tinents and races of the earth of whatever complexion were included. 
 In the old legend of the Three Kings, as inserted in Wright’s 
 ‘Chester Mysteries,’ Jasper, or Caspar, is King of Tarsus, the land 
 of merchants; he makes the offering of gold. Melchior, the King 
 of Arabia and Nubia, offers frankincense ; and Balthazar, King of 
 Saba, ‘ the land of spices and all manner of precious gums,’ offers 
 myrrh. It is very usual to find, in the. Adoration of the Magi, the 
 angelic announcement to the shepherds introduced into the back¬ 
 ground ; or more poetically, the Magi approaching on one side and 
 the shepherds on the other. The intention is, then, to express a 
 double signification, — it is at once the manifestation to the Jews 
 and the manifestation to the Gentiles. # 
 
 “ The traditions of the Crusades also oame in aid, and hence we 
 
20 
 
 THE THREE HOL Y KINGS. 
 
 have the plumed and jeweled turbans, the armlets and the? cimeters ; 
 and in the later pictures even umbrellas and elephants. I remember, 
 in an old Italian print of this subject, a pair of hunting leopards or 
 chetas. It is a question whether Joseph was present; whether he 
 ought to have been present. In one of the early legends, it is as¬ 
 serted that he hid himself, and would not appear out of his great 
 humility, and because it should not be supposed that he arrogated 
 any relationship to the divine child. But this version of the scene 
 is quite inconsistent with the extreme veneration afterwards paid to 
 Joseph ; and in later times, that is, from the fifteenth century, he is 
 seldom omitted. Sometimes he is seen behind the chair of the Vir¬ 
 gin, leaning on his stick and contemplating the scene with a quiet 
 admiration. Sometimes he receives the gifts offered to the child, 
 acting the part of a treasurer or chamberlain. In a picture by An¬ 
 gelo, one of the Magi grasps his hand, as if in congratulation. In 
 a composition by Parmigiano, one of the Magi embraces him. 
 
 “In chapels dedicated to the Nativity, or the Epiphany, we fre¬ 
 quently find the journey of the Wise Men painted round the walls. 
 They are seen, mounted on horseback, or on camels, with a long 
 train of attendants ; here ascending a mountain, there crossing a 
 river; here winding through a defile, there emerging from a forest; 
 while the miraculous star shines above, pointing out the way. 
 Sometimes we have the approach of the Wise Men on one side of 
 the chapel, and their return to their own country on the other. 
 
 “On their homeward journey they are in some few instances em¬ 
 barking in a ship. This occurs in a fresco by Lorenzo Costa, and in 
 a bass-relief in the Cathedral of Amiens. Before I quit this sub¬ 
 ject, one of the most interesting in the whole range of art, I must 
 mention a picture by Giorgione in the Belvidere Gallery. It is called 
 in German, Die Feldmasser (The Land Surveyors), and sometimes 
 styled in English the Geometricians, or the Philosophers, or the As¬ 
 trologers. It represents a wild rocky landscape, in which are three 
 men. The first, very aged, in an oriental costume, with a long gray 
 beard, stands holding in his hand an astronomical table ; the next, a 
 man in the prime of life, seems listening to him ; the third, a youth, 
 seated, and looking upwards, holds a compass. I have myself no 
 
THE THREE HOLY KINGS. 
 
 21 
 
 doubt that this beautiful picture represents the ‘ Three Wise Men of 
 the East/ watching on the Chaldean hills the appearance of the mi¬ 
 raculous star; and that the light breaking in the far horizon, called 
 in the German description the rising sun, is intended to express the 
 rising of the Star of Jacob.” 
 
 These extracts, and particularly the latter, lead our 
 thoughts back to the time when these Magi, whether 
 from some watch-tower, lofty rock, or at the mouth of 
 a hermit’s cave, discovered the first faint rays of the 
 rising star. We can picture to ourselves their rapt 
 attention, as they gaze upon its increasing light, until 
 with hearts overwhelmed with its significance, they 
 prostrate themselves before its brightening glories, 
 adoring the God of Heaven for His gracious favor, and 
 praying to be guided forthwith to the Infant Prince. 
 Then rising from the ground with solemn earnestness, 
 they prepare, under the guidance of the Spirit, for 
 their eventful journey. Now, they are upon the road, 
 and lo, the bright vision is seen taking a westward 
 course, while they, with new gratitude, follow its celes¬ 
 tial guidance ! 
 
 We call to mind a copy of a bass-relief which we 
 have seen, representing the Three Kings upon their 
 journey. First comes Gaspar, King of Tharsis or 
 Persia, bending forward upon his horse, in solemn 
 thoughtfulness, his flowing beard sweeping his breast, 
 against which he presses the costly treasure which 
 he longs to offer to the new-born king. Next, curb¬ 
 ing his fiery charger, rides the youthful Ethiopian, 
 Balthazar, who, with face upturned towards the glow¬ 
 ing star, shades with his hand his dazzled eyes from 
 
22 
 
 THE THREE HOLY KINGS. 
 
 its piercing beams. Last of the three is seen Mel¬ 
 chior,'the Arabian, his mantle loosely bound about 
 his head, and falling in graceful folds from his shoul¬ 
 ders, while the solemn earnestness of his counte¬ 
 nance and his clasped hands betoken the fervor of his 
 devotion. 
 
 If the early Church is correct, and from different 
 countries they commenced their journey, how start¬ 
 ling and yet how confirming to their faith, the hour 
 that united their pilgrimage. 
 
 No time lost in courtly introductions or needless 
 explanation, each would point with reverent emotion 
 to the shining star, and thus, as in a moment, it would 
 be understood that one cherished purpose animated 
 their footsteps. 
 
 Now, attended by a princely retinue, they come 
 within sight of the shining walls of Jerusalem. What 
 emotions stir their bosoms as they gaze upon the 
 holy city. Weary months have been spent in cross¬ 
 ing trackless deserts, wandering through tangled for¬ 
 ests, climbing rugged mountains, or fording swollen, 
 rivers; but all this is past, and their goal well-nigh 
 reached. 
 
 They enter the broad gates of the city, and full of 
 the deep import of their mission, ask at once for the 
 Royal Palace. The proud Herod gladly gives the 
 noble strangers audience ; but when they enter, and 
 as if regardless of his crown and sceptre, put their 
 question, “ Where is he that is born King of the 
 Jews ? ” his haughty visage pales, and his heart grows 
 

 
 
 
 
 * 
 
 
 
 
 
 
THE THREE HOL V KINGS. 
 
 23 
 
 faint, for he knows it is not he whom they seek. A 
 fearful weight of crime oppresses him, and he hears 
 the long-stifled voice of conscience warning him, that 
 just retribution awaits his guilty soul. The affrighted 
 monarch asks for time, and, as the royal ambassadors 
 withdraw, he summons the Sanhedrim, composed of 
 the chief of the Jewish priests and scribes. At his 
 bidding, the council hastily convenes, and the King 
 asks the question, “ Where is Christ to be born ? ” 
 They answer, in Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is 
 written by the prophet: “ And thou, Bethlehem, in 
 the land of Judea, art not the least among the princes 
 of Judea, for out of thee shall come a Governor, 
 that shall rule my people Israel.” He asks no more, 
 but as we are told, calling privily the Wise Men, in¬ 
 quires diligently “ at what time the star appeared.” 
 Upon hearing their response, his passions struggle 
 for the mastery, and the tempter whispers, “ It is not 
 too late to crush, even in his cradle, this would-be 
 monarch.” Herod obeys the evil spirit, and, with 
 crafty counsel, dismisses the travellers, with the com¬ 
 mand, “ Go and search diligently for the child, and, 
 when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I 
 may come and worship him also.” 
 
 Obedient to the royal words, the sages leave the 
 palace, and hasten to seek the road to Bethlehem. 
 Lo ! as they pass the city gates, again they see their 
 guiding star. 
 
 Well can we understand the exceeding joy that, the 
 story tells us, filled their hearts when seeing those 
 
24 
 
 THE THREE HOL V KINGS. 
 
 bright rays pointing southward. God, who had pros¬ 
 pered them thus far upon their journey, was still their 
 Protector, and the “ Angel of his presence ” continued 
 to go before them as their guide. 
 
 They had but six short miles to pass and they stood 
 before Bethlehem — Bethlehem, the birthplace of the 
 Psalmist King; Bethlehem, fragrant with the mem¬ 
 ories of the dying Rachel, the widowed Naomi, and 
 the faithful Ruth. 
 
 And now the star descended, and they saw it rest¬ 
 ing over a humble dwelling. They hastened thither, 
 and when they saw the child and Mary his mother, 
 they fell down and worshipped Him. 
 
 How grand the simplicity of the story ! The Prince 
 of Peace pillowed upon the bosom of a lowly virgin ! 
 He who was to rule the nations, the helpless object 
 of a mother’s tender care! His palace, a stable ; his 
 throne, a manger ! And how sublime the faith of 
 these kingly men ! They doubted not that this little 
 babe was the Holy One, whom they had Jioped and 
 prayed to greet. 
 
 With heads lowly bended, they worshipped, believ¬ 
 ing no earthly monarch so worthy of their praise. 
 Then, opening their caskets, they humbly offered the 
 rarest gifts which the lavish East could afford: Gold, 
 in honor of his royal power: Frankincense, whose 
 fragrant odors exhaling before him should mingle with 
 the praises rendered to the God incarnate : Myfrh, 
 appropriate type of that bitter cup of his passion, 
 which wrung from his bleeding heart the agonizing 
 

 
 
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THE THREE HOL Y KINGS. 
 
 25 
 
 cry, “ Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from 
 me : ” Myrrh, emitting the same precious saving influ¬ 
 ence, which hereafter should lend a hallowed fragrance 
 to the tomb, in which his crucified body was placed. 
 
 Thus fitting were these offerings to be laid at the 
 feet of the babe of Bethlehem, of him, who though the 
 heir to the throne of David, was to be the “ Man of 
 sorrows,” who, though God eternal, came as the Friend 
 of sinners ; and who, hereafter, though having all power 
 in heaven and earth, should agonize in the garden, en¬ 
 dure the Roman scourge, wear the crown of thorns, be 
 mocked and spit upon, and led away to be crucified. 
 
 Here, excepting the simple announcement, “ That, 
 warned by God, the Wise Men departed to their own 
 country by another way, the inspired record ends. 
 
 But though we leave the story, may its lessons of 
 simple faith and earnest devotion remain engraven 
 upon our hearts. 
 
 These Wise Men endured such trial of their faith, 
 as but few have ever undergone. Called to their pil¬ 
 grimage through visions of the night, or it may be, 
 only by the promptings of their devout hearts,—un¬ 
 dertaking a journey whose privations, perils, and un¬ 
 certainties could be well imagined, — trusting to a 
 star for guidance, whose fickle light, perchance, at 
 any moment might be lost, — reaching the royal city 
 of Judea, to find the reigning monarch ignorant of 
 the new-born Prince for whom they inquired, — set¬ 
 ting forth anew, their confidence unabated, though 
 directed to an inferior town, — the object of their 
 
26 
 
 THE THREE HOLY KINGS. 
 
 search when gained, proving only a babe, surrounded 
 by tokens of poverty, rather than those of regal dig¬ 
 nity, — yet their faith seems to have strengthened, 
 the nearer they approached the manger of Bethle¬ 
 hem, as if quickened by the holy influence of the 
 infant cradled there. 
 
 No such test of faith is demanded of us. The veil 
 is lifted, and clearer than the sun in its noontide 
 brightness, appears the full significance of the Re¬ 
 deemer’s completed work. We are not directed to the 
 humble inn of Bethlehem, but to Calvary, where, on 
 that middle cross, while the heavens were darkened, 
 and all nature convulsed, for us and for our sins, the 
 Saviour bowed his head and died. 
 
 And yet, if this were all, and that rocky tomb had 
 forever held our blessed Lord, our faith might falter 
 and our hope fail; but, as we hasten thither, with the 
 faithful ones in the early morn of the first Lord’s day 
 we find the seal broken, the guard dispersed, the door 
 unbarred, and Him whom we seek, no longer there. 
 
 His humiliation is past. He has come forth con¬ 
 queror over death and the grave. His glorified body 
 is assumed, and with majestic mien and royal grace, 
 he ascends from earth, while anew the heavenly arches 
 resound with the angelic chorus : — 
 
 “ ©lor# t0 <®o*r tn tfje Ijtgfjetft, 
 
 &ntf on eartf) peace, goofr-totl! totoartr men.” 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 The following extract from an article on the “ Ca¬ 
 thedral of Cologne,” in the “ London Quarterly Re¬ 
 view,” Vol. lxxviii., embodies the substance of a series 
 of quaint legends collected by Johannes Von Hildes- 
 heim in 1375, printed in 1480, and republished in 1842 
 for the benefit of the Cathedral. 
 
 It affords curious illustration of the legendary be¬ 
 liefs concerning our subject, which were so prevalent 
 in the earlier periods of the Church:— 
 
 “The prophecy that a star should rise in Jacob, having pro¬ 
 ceeded from a heathen prophet, the heathens themselves became in¬ 
 terested in its fulfillment: and watch was kept from a tower on a 
 high hill in India where twelve astrologers observed the heavens 
 night and day. When the time was come, a brilliant star was seen 
 to rise in the east, which shed a light all over the land, and was as 
 bright as the sun. And the star bore within it the figure of a little 
 child, and the sign of the cross, and a voice came from it saying, 
 ‘To-day is there born a king in Judea.’ And this star was seen 
 over all India, and the people rejoiced, and no one doubted that it 
 was the same of which Balaam had prophesied. India included 
 three regions, — each separated from the other by high mountains. 
 One of these was Arabia, the soil of which is quite red with the 
 quantity of gold it contains, and here Melchior was king. The 
 second was Godolia, of which part is called Saba, where frankin¬ 
 cense is so abundant that it flows out of the trees, and Balthazar 
 
28 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 ruled there. And the third, India, contained the kingdom of 
 Tharsis, where myrrh hangs so plentifully on the bushes that as 
 you walk along it sticks to your clothes, and here Caspar reigned. 
 But as they were best known by the gifts they brought, the Script¬ 
 ures only mention them as the kings of Tharsis, Arabia, and Saba. 
 
 “ Now each of the kings saw the star and determined to follow it, 
 but no one of the three knew any thing of his neighbor’s intentions. 
 So each set off with a numerous retinue, and the whole way, though 
 beset with mountains and rivers, was equally dry and level to them, 
 and they neither ate nor drank, nor rested nor slept, neither they 
 nor their servants, nor their horses nor their cattle, but followed the 
 star without ceasing. In this manner the whole journey only oc¬ 
 cupied them thirteen days, though it took them two years to return. 
 
 ■ And whoever doubts this let them read,’ says the little book, * in 
 the prophet Daniel, where Habbakuk was taken by the hair of his 
 head, and transported from Jerusalem to Babylon in one hour.’ (Bel 
 and the Dragon, ver. 36.) ' 
 
 “ But when they were come within two miles of Jerusalem, the star 
 disappeared, and a heavy fog arose, and each party halted. Melchior, 
 as it fell out, taking his stand on Mount Calvary, Balthazar on the 
 Mount of Olives, and Caspar just between them, and when the fog 
 cleared away, each was astonished to see two other great companies 
 besides his own, and then the kings first discovered that all had 
 come upon the same errand, and they embraced with great joy, and 
 rode together into Jerusalem. There the crowd of their united 
 trains was so great, that they looked like an army come to besiege 
 the city, and Herod and all Jerusalem were troubled. 
 
 “ And the strangers inquired for Him that was born King of the 
 Jews, whose star they had seen in the east, and were directed, as 
 the Scriptures relate, to Bethlehem. And the star again went before 
 them, and stood over a miserable hut. In this hut lay the infant 
 Jesus, now thirteen days old, with his mother Mary, who was stout 
 in figure, and brown in face, and had on an old blue robe. But the 
 kings were splendidly attired, and had brought great treasures with 
 them, for it must be known that all that Alexander the Great left at 
 his death, and all that the Queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon, 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 29 
 
 and all that Solomon collected for the Temple, had descended to 
 the Three Kings from their ancestors who had pillaged the Temple 
 of Jerusalem, and all this they had now brought with them. But 
 when they entered this miserable hut, it was filled with such an ex¬ 
 ceeding light, that for fear and amazement they knew not what they 
 did ; and they each offered quickly the first things that came to 
 their hands and forgot all their other gifts. 
 
 “ Melchior offered thirty golden pennies ; Balthazar gave frankin¬ 
 cense, and Caspar myrrh; but what the Virgin said to them they 
 quite forgot, and only remembered that they bowed before the child, 
 and said, ‘ Thanks be to God.’ Each of the gifts, however, had a 
 significant history, especially the thirty pennies, which appear to 
 have assisted at all the money transactions mentioned in the Script¬ 
 ures. Having been originally struck by Abraham’s father, they 
 were paid by Abraham for the cave of Machpelah ; and by Potiphar 
 for Joseph to his brethren ; and by Joseph’s brethren to Joseph for 
 corn in Egypt; and by Joseph to one queen of Sheba for ointment to 
 anoint the body of his father Jacob ; and by a later queen of Sheba 
 to Solomon, whence, as we have seen, they came into the hands of 
 Melchior, who now offered them at Bethlehem. 
 
 “ Nor does their history end here, for as the holy family fled into 
 Egypt, the Virgin tied up the money with the frankincense and 
 myrrh, together in a cloth, and dropped it by the way, and a shep¬ 
 herd tending his flock found the cloth, and kept it safe till the time 
 when Jesus was performing his miracles in Judea. Then being af¬ 
 flicted with a disease he came to Jerusalem, and Jesus cured him ; 
 and the shepherd offered him the cloth, but Jesus knew what was in 
 it, and desired him to offer it upon the altar. There the Levite who 
 ministered, burnt the frankincense ; and of part of the myrrh a bit¬ 
 ter drink was made which they gave the Saviour on the Cross, and 
 the remainder Nicodemus presented for his burial; but the thirty 
 pennies were made over to Judas for betraying Christ, and he threw 
 them down in remorse at the feet of the high priest, whereupon fif¬ 
 teen went to pay the soldiers w r ho watched by the tomb, and the 
 other fifteen bought a field to bury poor pilgrims. 
 
 “To return to the kings. After they had made their offerings they 
 
30 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 ate and drank and lay down to rest, but being warned against Herod 
 in a dream, they returned to their own country by the regular way, 
 and with all expedition did not reach it for two years. There they 
 told all the people what they had seen, and the wonders God had 
 wrought, and everywhere upon their temples the people erected the 
 image of a star with the child and cross in it. And it came to pass 
 that St. Thomas the Apostle was sent to preach the Word in India, 
 and when he saw the star on their temples he was astonished, and 
 asked what it meant. Then the heathen priests told him about the 
 three kings, and how they had journeyed to Bethlehem, and seen 
 the young child ; at which St. Thomas rejoiced exceedingly, for he 
 had heard of the Magi, as they were called, from the circumstance 
 of the twelve astrologers, and he performed so many miracles that 
 his fame filled the three Indies. 
 
 “ Now the three kings were very old and infirm, but hearing of St. 
 Thomas they each determined to see him ; and again, as it so hap¬ 
 pened, they set out on the same day, and without knowing each 
 other’s movements, reached St. Thomas at the same time. And 
 first St. Thomas baptized them, and then he ordained them priests, 
 for the little book adds, ‘ they were not married men,’ and never 
 had been. And they built a city, and lived together in great joy 
 and love for two years preaching the gospel. Then Melchior died 
 and was buried in a costly grave, and shortly after Balthazar died 
 also, and was laid in the same place ; and at length Caspar gave up 
 the ghost, and when his body was brought to be buried near his 
 companions, Melchior and Balthazar, who lay side by side, moved 
 asunder, and made room for him between them. And many were 
 the wonders and miracles performed at the tomb ; but for all that, 
 the people forsook the right way, and fell into great heresies, and 
 at length each of the three Indies insisted on taking the body of 
 their king back to his own country. 
 
 “ Now came the happy times of the good Emperor Constantine and 
 his mother Helena, who, after finding the true cross and the four 
 nails, and the cloth in which the child had lain, and the old blue 
 robe of the Virgin, determined on finding the bodies of the three 
 kings as well. For this she travelled expressly to India, where after 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 31 
 
 much difficulty, especially on behalf of Caspar, who had got among 
 a sad set of heretics, she succeeded in obtaining all three, and when 
 they were at length deposited again in one receptacle, there arose 
 such an unspeakably delightful smell, as convinced all the faithful 
 not only of the identity of the bodies, but of their exceeding satis¬ 
 faction at being together once more. By Helena they were taken to 
 Constantinople, where they lay for some time in great honor, at the 
 Church of St. Sophia ; fell into discredit in the times of Julian the 
 Apostate ; rose again into favor with his successor; and were ulti¬ 
 mately presented to Eustorgius, Bishop of Milan, a Greek by birth, 
 who had done great service to the Greek Church. 
 
 " From Milan, Barbarossa, as we have seen, carried them off, and 
 gave witness both of his own devotion to the Church and his favor 
 for Cologne, by presenting them to that city, where they first lay in 
 the old Cathedral of the Bishop Hildebold, and now lie in the new 
 one founded by Conrad of Hochsteden, where, with God’s blessing, 
 they will remain until the day of judgment. ‘ Therefore,’ the little 
 book concludes, ‘ Rejoice, O Cologne ! City rich in honors! and 
 thank God that He has chosen thee, before every other city in the 
 world, to be the happy shrine of the Three Holy Kings.’ ” 
 

 

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