Chapter Three Kings of Cologne to Thule of T by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Three Kings of Cologne to Thule

Three Kings of Cologne (The), the three “Wise Men” who followed the guiding star “from the East” to Jeru salem, and offered gifts to the babe Jesus. Their names were Jaspar or Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthazar; or Apellius, Amerus, and Damascus; or Magalath, Galgalath, and Sarasin; or Ator, Sator, and Peratoras. Klopstock, in his Messiah, says the Wise Men were six in number, and gives their names as Hadad, Selima, Zimri, Mirja, Beled, and Sunith.

The toys shown in Cologne Cathedral as the “three kings” are called Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthazar.

Three Kings’ Day, Twelfth Day or Epiphany, designed to commemorate the visit of the “three kings” or “Wise Men of the East” to the infant Jesus.

Three Learned Knights (The) of the island of Britain: (1) Gwalchmai ab Gwyar, called in French romances Gawain son of Lot; (2) Llecheu ab Arthur; (3) Rhiwallon with the broombush hair. There was nothing that man knew they did not know.—Welsh Triads.

Three-Leg Alley (London), now called Pemberton Row, Fetter Lane.

Three Letters (A Man of), a thief. A Roman phrase, from fur, “a thief.”

Tun’ trium literarum homo
Me vituperas? Fur!
   —Plautus: Aulularia, ii. 4.

Three Makers of Golden Shoes (The) of the island of Britain: (1) Caswallawn son of Beli, when he went to Gascony to obtain Flur. She had been abducted for Julius Cæsar, but was brought back by the prince. (2) Manawyddan son of Llyr, when he sojourned in Lloegyr (England). (3) Llew Llaw Gyffes, when seeking arms from his mother.—Welsh Triads, cxxiv.

“What craft shall we take?” said Manawyddan. … “Let us take to making shoes.” … So he bought the best cordwal … and got the best goldsmith to make clasps … and he was called one of the three makers of gold shoes.—The Mabinogion (“Manawyddan,” twelfth century).

Three-Men Wine. Very bad wine is so called, because it requires one man to hold the victim, a second to pour the wine down his throat, and the third is the victim made to drink it.

Abraham Santa Clara, the preaching friar, calls the wine of Alsace “three-men wine.”

Three per Cents. “The sweet simplicity of the three per cents.” This was the saying of Dr. Scott (lord Stowell), brother of lord Eldon the great Admiralty judge.

Three Robbers (The). The three stars in Orion’s belt are said to be “three robbers climbing up to rob the Ranee’s silver bedstead.”—Miss Frere: Old Deccan Days, 28.

Three Stayers of Slaughter (The): (1) Gwgawn Gleddyvrud; the name of his horse was Buchestom. (2) Morvran eil Tegid. (3) Gilbert mab Cadgyffro.—Welsh Triads, xxix.

Three Tailors of Tooley Street (The), three worthies, who held a meeting in Tooley Street for the redress of popular grievances, and addressed a petition to the House of Commons, while Canning was prime minister, beginning, “We, the people of England.”

(Tooley Street is in Southwark, London.)

The “deputies of Vaugirard” presented themselves before Charles VIII. of France. When the king asked how many there were, the usher replied, “Only one, an please your majesty.”

Three Tragic Stories of Ancient Ireland. (See Usnach.)