Historia trium regum

44 leaves (including final vellum endleaf, plus 6 modern paper endleaves), 260mm. by 165mm., complete, collation: i-v⁸, vi⁴, single column, c.32 lines in brown ink in an anglicana hand, spaces left for initials, occasional marginalia, lower margin of fol.40 cut away, some stains and last 6 leaves rodent damaged (with small amount of losses to edge of text), else good condition, eighteenth-century reversed calf over pasteboards (rebacked), scuffs and bumps to corners, fitted cloth case

(1) By 1580 in the library of Thomas Leventhorp (d.1588; his dated ex libris on fol.44v) of Aldbury, Herts., the Tudor nobleman and brother-in-law of King Henry VIII (Leventhorp’s first marriage was to Dorothy Seymour, sister of Queen Jane Seymour: P.W. Kerr in East Herts Archaeological Transactions IX, p.140), who also owned British Library, Royal 5 B.xi and 5 C.x, xi (works of St Augustine) and Inner Temple MS 511 (Guido de Colonna, Historia Troiana).

(2) William Herbert (1718-1795), bibliographer and book collector, his ex libris, dated 1770, on flyleaf; his sale, 21 November 1798, lot 951.

(3) Henry Dobson, signature dated 1838

(4) Law Society, armorial bookplate

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The Historia trium regum, traditionally ascribed to the Carmelite author, John of Hildesheim (d.1375), was written to support the translation of the relics of the Magi to Cologne in 1164, after their seizure from Milan by Emperor Frederick the Great during his Italian campaign. It is based on the Gospel account of the visit of the Magi to Bethlehem, but adds a large amount of material gleaned from apocryphal and legendary sources tracing the return of the three kings to the East. The text explains that the journey took two years and ended with their building of a chapel on Mount Vaus in honour of the Holy Child. When St Thomas was sent to convert the East, he met the kings there and consecrated them the first archbishops of the region, their offices combining to form the legendary title, Prester John, on their deaths. The Devil then spread heresy among their subjects and their remains were lost and scattered, and later rediscovered by St Helena, who transported them to Constantinople, and presented by Emperor Maurice to Milan. The text ends with a note of the subjugation of the Nestorian Christians of the East by the Mongol Horde in 1268, and a long list of the Eastern peoples who hold the Magi in high honour (notably those of India, who the text states would come to Cologne to see the relics, but for the unbearable cold in northern Europe).

This was a seminal work in the Middle Ages, and over one hundred manuscripts survive, with medieval translations into Dutch, Flemish, French, Middle English and German (six separate translations in the latter).