Tercia causa quare Herodes fuit iratus.
The thridde cause whi he was wrothe
schewes the gode sayn Gregory,
ffor worldely keng most nede be lothe
that heuenly keng schuld hym destruy.
Heroud had fichet al his wit
to worldly wele for sothe iwis,
and lothe was to leue oght of hit
or fleschely mirthes forto misse.
But righ-wysly when heuenly keng
come forto for-by so mon-kynde,
the worldely keng most be dredyng
and al amaset in his mynde.
Gregorius: Altitudo terrena confunditur, cum celsitudo celestis aperitur.
When Heroud segh these kenges thre
so comen fer out of the Est,
do hom reuerence nede most he,
and callet his wisemen most and lest,
and asket hom wher Crist born schuld be.
thay sayden, ‘in Bethleem sikerly’.
thenne prayet Heroud the kenges thre
that thay schulden come aȝayn hym by.
