"It bicometh to a kyng To kepe and to defende; And conquerour of conquest Hise lawes and his large. And so dide Jhesus the Jewes, He justified and taughte hem The lawe of lif, That laste shal evere; And defended from foule yveles, 13050 { 399} Feveres and fluxes, And from fendes that in hem were, And false bileve. Tho was he Jhesus of Jewes called, Gentile prophete, And kyng of hir kyngdom, And croune bar of thornes.
"And tho conquered he on cros, As conquerour noble. Mighte no deeth hym for-do, 13060 Ne a-doun brynge, That he naroos and regnede, And ravysshed helle: And tho was he conquerour called Of quyke and of dede. For he yaf Adam and Eve And othere mo blisse, That longe hadde y-leyen bifore As Luciferis cherles.
"And sith he yaf largely 13070 Alle hise lele liges Places in Paradis, At hir partynge hennes; He may wel be called conquerour, And that is Crist to mene.
"Ac the cause that he cometh thus With cros of his passion, Is to wissen us therwith That whan that we ben tempted, Therwith to fighte and defenden us 13080 Fro fallynge to synne. And so bi his sorwe, That who so loveth joye To penaunce and to poverte { 400} He moste puten hymselven, And muche wo in this world To willen and suffren.
"Ac to carpe moore of Crist, And how he com to that name, Faithly for to speke, 13090 His firste name was Jhesus; Tho he was born in Bethleem, As the book telleth, And cam to take mankynde, Kynges and aungeles Reverenced hym faire With richesses of erthe, Aungeles out of hevene Come knelynge and songe, _Gloria in excelsis Deo, etc._ 13100
"Kynges that come after Knelede, and offrede Mirre and muche gold, Withouten mercy askynge Or any kynnes catel, But knowelichynge hym sovereyn Bothe of lond, sonne, and see, And sithenes thei wente Into hir kyngene kith, By counseil of aungeles. 13110 And there was that word fulfilled The which thow of speke. _Omnia cælestia terrestria flectantur in hoc nomine Jhesu._
"For alle the aungeles of hevene At his burthe knelede, And al the wit of the world Was in tho thre kynges, { 401} Reson and rightwisnesse And ruthe thei offrede; 13120 Wherfore and why Wise men that tyme, Maistres and lettred men, _Magi_ hem callede.
"That o kyng cam with reson, Covered under sense.