fifteen they gave to the knights who kept the
sepulchre of Christ.

And the reason these thirty gilt pennies were called silver in the
Gospel, notwithstanding they were fine gold, is, that it is the common
usage in that country so to call them, as men in this country call gold
from beyond the sea scutys, motouns or florins; moreover in the East the
same print is made in gold and silver and copper, and the print on the
thirty pieces is this: on one side is a king's head crowned, and on the
other are written letters in Chaldaic, which men now cannot read. And
many marvels are told of these pieces of gold which were long to tell.

Now when Our Lord was ascended into heaven, then he sent St. Thomas, his
apostle, into Ind, to preach there God's word. And as St. Thomas went
about in the temples he found a star in every one, painted after the
manner of the Star that appeared to the three Kings when Christ was
born, in which Star was a sign of the Cross and a Child above. And when
St. Thomas saw this he asked of the bishops what it was, and they told
him that such a Star of old time appeared on the Hill of Vaws in token
of a Child that was born who should be king of the Jews, as was heard
spoken out of the same Star.

And when St. Thomas had preached and taught the people the understanding
of this Star and of the Cross and the Child, then he went to the
kingdoms of the three Kings, and he found them whole of body and of a
great age. And St. Thomas christened these three Kings and all their
people, and the Kings began anon to preach with the Apostle, and when
they had converted the people to the law of Christ he ordained them to
be Archbishops. And after this St. Thomas was slain, and in all that
country where he was martyred both men and women have visages shaped
like hounds, yet they be not hairy--and they are so unto this day.

Now under the Hill of Vaws St. Thomas and these three Kings had made a
rich city and called it Sewill, and this city is the best and richest
city in all the country of Ind to this day; and therein is the
habitation of Prester John that is called lord of Ind, and there
dwelleth also the Patriarch of Ind who is called Thomas, in worship of
St. Thomas and for an everlasting memorial. And when all things were
disposed by these three Kings they went to the city of Sewill, and there
they lived twelve years.

And a little before the feast of Christ's nativity, when these years
were drawn to an end, there