Star in the East
COMMENTARY ON THE EASTERN WISE-MEN TRAVELLING TO BETHLEHEM
GUIDED BY A STAR, TO SEE THE LITTLE JESUS IN A MANGER
Mat. Chap. 2.
THREE pedlars Trav’ling to a fair,
To see the fun & what was there,
and sell their merchandise
They stopt upon the road to chat.
Refresh and ask of this or that
That they might be more wise
And pray, the landlord said to them
Where go ye sirs?, To Bethlehem,
the Citizens replied.
Ye are merchants sirs to them said he,
We are replied the pedlars three:
and Eastern men beside
And pray what have ye in your sacks,
If worth the while I will go snacks:
To them Quoth Major Domo.
We’ve buttons, buckles, spectacles
and every thing a merchant sells
replied the travelling trio.
These things are very well said he,
For beaux, and those who cannot see,
much further than their knuckles,
But Bethlehem fairs’ for boys & girls,
who never think of spectacles
and cannot buy your buckles
I have a pack of Toys quoth he
a Travelling merchant left with me
who could not pay his score.
And you shall have them on condition
You sell them at a cheap commission
and make the money sure.
There’s one of us will stay in pawn
until the other two return
If you suspect our faith as they.
The Landlord tho’t this was a plan,
o leave upon his hands the man,
and therefore he said nay.
They truck’d however for the pack
which one of them took on his back,
and off the merchants travell’d
and here the tale, the apostles told,
of wise men and, their gifts of gold,,
will fully be unravell’d
The star in the East, that shin’d so bright,
as might be seen both day and night,
if you will credit them;
It was no other than a sign,
To a public House, where pedlars dine;
In East street Bethlehem.
The wise men were those pedlars three,
as you, and all the world may see,
By reading to the end:
For commentators have mistook,
In paraphrasing of a Book,
They did not understand.
Our Travellers coming to the House,
Scarce fit to entertain a mouse:
Inquired to have a room.
The Landlord said he was not able
to give them any but the stable,
As many folks were come.
And pray who have you there said they,
and how much money must we pay,
for we have none to spare:
why theres one Joseph and a wench
who are to go before the bench,
about a love affair.
Somehow or other in a manger
a child exposed to every danger
was found as it was sleeping:
The girl she swears, that she’s a maid,
so swears the man, and I’m afraid:
on me will fall the keeping.
Now if you’l set yourselves about
To find this knotty story out
I’ll pay whate’er it may be.
So in the travelling pedlars went,
To pay their birthday compliment,
and talk about the Baby.
They first unpack’d their pack of Toys,
some for show and some for noise,
But mostly for the latter.
One gave a rattle, one a whistle,
and one a Trumpet made of gristle,
To Introduce the matter.
One squeak’d away, the other blew,
The third play’d on the rattle too,
To keep the bautling easy.
And thus the story comes to us,
of which the people make such a fuss,
about the Eastern Magi.