And fast by is the temple of Saint Simeon, and
without the cloister of the temple, toward the north,
Is a full
fair church of Saint Anne, our Lady's mother; and there was our
Lady conceived; and before that church is a great tree that began
to grow the same night. And under that church, in going down by
twenty-two degrees, lieth Joachim, our Lady's father, in a fair
tomb of stone; and there beside lay some-time Saint Anne, his wife;
but Saint Helen let translate her to Constantinople. And in that
church is a well, in manner of a cistern, that is clept PROBATICA
PISCINA, that hath five entries. Into that well angels were wont
to come from heaven and bathe them within. And what man, that
first bathed him after the moving of the water, was made whole of
what manner of sickness that he had. And there our Lord healed a
man of the palsy that lay thirty-eight year, and our Lord said to
him, TOLLE GRABATUM TUUM ET AMBULA, that is to say, 'Take thy bed
and go.' And there beside was Pilate's house.
And fast by is King Herod's house, that let slay the innocents.
This Herod was over-much cursed and cruel. For first he let slay
his wife that he loved right well; and for the passing love that he
had to her when he saw her dead, he fell in a rage and out of his
wit a great while; and sithen he came again to his wit. And after
he let slay his two sons that he had of that wife. And after that
he let slay another of his wives, and a son that he had with her.
And after that he let slay his own mother; and he would have slain
his brother also, but he died suddenly. And after that he did all
the harm that he could or might. And after he fell into sickness;
and when he felt that he should die, he sent after his sister and
after all the lords of his land; and when they were come he let
command them to prison. And then he said to his sister, he wist
well that men of the country would make no sorrow for his death;
and therefore he made his sister swear that she should let smite
off all the heads of the lords when he were dead; and then should
all the land make sorrow for his death, and else, nought; and thus
he made his testament. But his sister fulfilled not his will.
For, as soon as he was dead, she delivered all the lords out of
prison and let them go, each lord to his own, and told them all the
purpose of her brother's ordinance. And so was this cursed king
never made sorrow for, as he supposed for to have been. And ye
shall understand, that in that time there were three Herods, of
great name and fame for their cruelty.
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