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Yes, truly, to moche, as you shall heare. When the Emperor Charles was firste made Emperour, what were the townes and contries in the Netherlandes that justly or properly came to him by birthe or inheritaunce? There was Brabant, Flaunders, Holland, Zeland, Artoys, and Henego.

In this cytee of Betheleem was David the kyng born: and he hadde 60 wyfes; and the firste wyf hihte Michol: and also he hadde 300 lemmannes. An fro Betheleem unto Jerusalem nys but 2 myle. And in the weye to Jerusalem, half a myle fro Betheleem is a chirche, where the aungel seyde to the scheppardes, of the birthe of Crist.

And he hathe as many paramours, as hym lykethe. For he makethe to come before him, the fairest and the nobleste of birthe and the gentylleste damyseles of his contree, and he maketh hem to ben kept and served fulle honourabely, and whan he wole have on to lye withe him, he makethe hem alle to come before him; and he beholdethe in alle, whiche of hem is most to his plesance, and to hire anon he sendethe or castethe a ryng fro his fyngre: And thanne anon sche schalle ben bathed and richely atyred, and anoynted with delicat thinges of swete smelle, and than lad to the Soudanes chambre.

And there in was a vessel of gold, fulle of manna, and clothinges and ournements and the tabernacle of Aaron, and a tabernacle square of gold, with 12 precyous stones, and a boyst of jasper grene, with 4 figures, and 8 names of oure Lord, and 7 candelstykes of gold, and 12 pottes of gold, and 4 censeres of gold, and an awtier of gold, and 4 lyouns of gold, upon the whiche thei bare cherubyn of gold, l2 spannes long, and the cercle of swannes of Hevene, with a tabernacle of gold, and a table of sylver, and 2 trompes of silver, and 7 barly loves, and alle the othere relikes, that weren before the birthe of oure Lord Jesu Crist.

Edmunde theire onlie sonne, one and twentie yeares after theire deathe, by the direction of heavene, made the discoverye of the mannere of theire deathe, and at the same time proved his owne birthe. He collected theire bones together, and interred them in this place: A warning and proofe to late posteritie, of the justice of Providence, and the certaintie of Retribution."

Men whiche fro their birthe are balde; bothe the males and the females. Their noses tourne vp like a shoinge horne, and their chinnes be great out of measure. The sounde of their voice vnlike to all other: ther apparell aftre the sorte of the Scithians. Thei haue small regarde to brieding: by the reason wherof thei haue smalle store of cattaile.

Thei ioyne not mariages for nobilitie of birthe, or aboundaunce of substaunce, but for beaultie, and rather vpon regarde of frute, then of luste.

This dothe the sonne for the father, and the father for the sonne, as the Grekes kepe their birthe daies. These are also sayde to be verye iuste dealers, and their wiues to be as valeaunt and hardie as the husbandes. Suche haue the maners of the Scithians bene.

And upon that roche, oure Lord sette him, whan the Jewes wolde have stoned him; and the roche cleef in two, and in that clevynge was oure Lord hidd; and there cam doun a sterre, and zaf lighte and served him with claretee; and upon that roche, satt oure lady, and lerned hire sawtere; and there our Lord forzaf the womman hire sinnes, that was founden in Avowtrie: and there was oure Lord circumcyded: and there the aungelle schewede tydynges to Zacharie of the birthe of Seynt Baptyst his sone; and there offred first Melchisedeche bred and wyn to oure Lord, in tokene of the sacrement that was to comene; and there felle David preyeng to oure Lord, and to the aungelle, that smot the peple, that he wolde have mercy on him and on the peple; and oure Lorde herde his preyere; and therefore wolde he make the temple in that place: but oure Lord forbade him, be an aungelle, for he had don tresoun, whan he leet sle Urie the worthi knyght, for to have Bersabee his wyf; and therfore all the purveyance, that he hadde ordeyned to make the temple with, he toke it Salomon his sone; and he made it.

For thei knoulechen wel, that the werkes of Jesu Crist ben gode, and his wordes and his dedes and his doctryne by his Gospelles, weren trewe and his meracles also trewe; and the blessed Virgine Marie is good, and holy mayden, before and aftre the birthe of Jesu Crist; and that alle tho, that beleven perfitely in God, schul ben saved.