The mid 12th-century Marvels of Rome, however, does not stress the Nativity relics (other than the milk of the Virgin) and starts: "above the high altar is an image of the face of Christ, with another pictures, that was not made by man, but by the hand of God. There is also the blessed Virgin by the hand of God, but as they said to be painted by Saint Luke.  In the same church lyeth Saint Jerome; also the cloak left at Troas, whereof the apostle maketh mention in the Epistle.  There be also three long splinters of Our Lord's Cross, some of the milk of the blessed Virgin and Our Lord's blood in a crystal, and of the wood of the Holy Cross; the head of the apostle of Saint Matthias, whose body rests before the altar.  Nigh unto Saint Mary Major, Simon Magus began his flight, and before New Saint Mary he fell"  (The Marvels of Rome, trans. and ed. Francis Morgan Nichols, London, 1889, 133-34). 

 Just before the time of Kempe, the English list of the Stacions of Rome of 1370 gives 60 verses to the description of the church and includes the Nativity relics, beginning: At seinte Marie the maiour/ ther is a chirche of gret honour.  The  lists of relics begins with the high altar where the body of St. Matthew is buried.  The description of St. Jerome's tomb is lengthy: the body of Saint Jerome, the holy doctor, he was once from the city of Damas and was brought to this place, he was placed before the chapel called Presepe (boards from the Manger of the Nativity) and upon his grave lies a stone with a cross engraved on it and a great iron girdle about the stone.  We are told that there are many relics of Our Lady and her Son, including the cloth that Christ was put into when he was born and the hay on which Christ lay.  There is also the arm of St. Thomas Becket, part of his brain, and a Rochet sprinkled with his blood.  The pilgrim can see an image of our Lady that Luke is said to have painted, but one done by angel's hands was put in its place.  Then follows a list of indulgences given by the popes: 1000 years for each Holy Day and even more - forgiveness of sorrows and 800 year's more pardon.  At every feast of Our Lady there are 100 year's pardon and from the Assumption of the Virgin to her Birthday (August 15 to September 8, both Stational Liturgies at Sta Maria Maggiore) 14000 years' pardon. (The Stacions of Rome (Vernon Ms) Frederick J. Furnivall, ed., Early English Text Society: London, 1867, 16-17). 

A shorter prose list of the Stations, Here bethe the stacyons of Rome, 1460-70, is included in The Stacions of Rome. Sa Maria Maggiore is described as having the "body of St. Matthew and St. Jerome the holy doctor, and an arm of St. Thomas the martyr and his brain and a rocket that was sprinkled with his blood that he wore at his taking, and the hay that Christ lay in before the Ass, and an image of our lady of angels' work." (Furnivall, ed., Early English Text Society: London, 1867, 33).

In 1470 William Brewyn continues the indulgences listed in the 1370 English Stacions:

"Pope Pius II declared a plenary remission to the altar for May 9 and a 1,000 years of indulgences for attending any of Mary's feast days at St. Mary Major, "and from the feast of the Assumption of Mary the Virgin (August 15) to her Nativity (September 8) a thousand years of indulgences."