Indeed, the time will by-and-by come,
When instead of completing it rightly,
The inner space as a stable will serve
For horses,—a change but unsightly.
“And if the cathedral a stable becomes,
“Pray tell us how they will then tackle
“The three holy kings who rest there now,
“Within the tabernacle?”
Thus ask they. But why should we, in these days,
Stand up as their supporters?
The three holy kings from the Eastern land
Must find some other quarters.
Take my advice, and place them all
In those three iron cages
That high upon St. Lambert’s tower
At Münster have hung for ages.
If one of the three should missing be,
Select in his stead some other;
Replace the king of the Eastern land
By some regal Western brother.[45]
The king of the tailors[46] sat therein
With his two advisers by him;
But we will employ the cages now
For monarchs who greatly outvie him.
On the right Balthasar shall have his place,
On the left shall be Melchior’s station,
In the midst shall be Gaspar. I know not what
When alive, was their right situation.
The Holy Alliance from out of the East,
Now canonised so duly,
Perchance has not always its mission fulfill’d
Quite properly and truly.
Balthasar perchance and Melchior too
Were men of but weak resolution,
Who promised, when sorely press’d from without,
Their kingdom a constitution,