Egypts Favourite The Historie of Joseph, divided into four parts: Together with old Israels Progresse into the Land of Goshen. By Francis Hubert |
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The Continuation.
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 | Egypts Favourite |  |
The Continuation.
1
After a blessing from their aged Syre,To Egypt land the Brethren bend their course,
A speedy helpe such sad extreames require,
They needs must haste, whom griping famin force.
2
Some time being spent, and weary travell past,Once more they gaine the wisht-for Land of food,
And once againe before the face at last,
Of their knowne Lord, but vnknown Brother stood;
3
Who had their errand, e'r they could it tell,He knew 'twas Hunger forc'd them to that place:
'Twas Egypts food that must that Monster quell,
And that could not be had without his grace.
4
He could not likewise choose but call to mindTheir cruell and vnnat'rall insolence,
How once with envie more then famine pynd,
To thraldome they betrayd his innocence.
5
Without regard of dutie to their Syre,Or pitie to the moanes of him their brother:
Now time seru'd fit for to repay their hyre;
Yet all these faults his tender loue doth smother,
6
And his mild Heart relents to see their wantThey were his Brothers though before vnkind,
Perhapps (saith hee) their error they recant
And if they doe, shall they not pardon find?
7
So fed, his Beniamin he doth behold,Then calls his Steward, wills him to prepare
Plenty of Meat. Those Hebrew-strangers should
Dyne at his hoame, and of his bounty fare.
8
To Iosephs house the Steward leads these Men,They went vnwilling being sore afraid,
Their hearts misgaue them some state-plot ev'n then
To worke their Bondage cunningly was layd.
9
And therefore to the Steward they confesseThat food of him they once had bought before
Feare was so powrefull, they could doe no lesse
Their full confess' on pardon doth implore.
10
They told him that the price, last paid for Graine,Was vnexpected found in each Mans sacke,
But they that silver, and as much againe
For new supplies had honestly brought backe.
11
The Steward saies, all's peace, be not dismay'dYour God, your fathers God that silver gaue,
I had your money; for the Corne ye payd:
And you, your Symion left for pledge shall haue.
12
Them all, into his Lords faire house he guidesPrepares them water for to wash their Feete,
And for their Beasts he provender provides,
With other things for their refreshment meet.
13
Meane while the great Lord they prepare to greet,With those rich presents they from Canaan brought
He's now retur'd from Court, loe at his Feete
They prostrate fall, and him of grace besought.
14
To buy some food his favour they desire,He kindly greets them, rayseth them from ground
And quest'ond them how far'd their aged Syre
The good old Man, they spake off; safe and sound?
15
They lowly bow'd againe, then make replyeOur aged Syre thy servant yet doth liue
Wherewith on Beniamin he cast his Eye,
And loving lookes vnto the Lad doth giue,
16
Is this the youth of whom ye earst did tell,To thee my sonne (he said) God gracious be:
With that kind Nature in his breast doth swell,
His bowels yernd his Mothers sonne to see.
17
Moou'd by affection, be from them vvithdrawes,And in his priuate chamber weepes amaine:
Then dries his eyes after a little pause,
With cheerefull lookes he visits them againe.
18
Meane while good Ioseph rowes against the tide,Nature, kind Nature would it selfe display,
But (willing) yet awhile himselfe to hide,
He forc'd his Loue, Discretion to obey.
19
He cals for meat, which was seru'd vp in state,And at the table he doth sit alone:
The Hebrewes vvere in order seru'd, vvhereat
Within himselfe, they marveiled each one.
20
The Hebrewes and Egyptians severd set:For by the Law of the Egyptian Nation,
They might not at one board together eat,
Because by them 'twas held abomination.
21
To count the seuerall dishes of this FeastIn these deare times, would make my Muse too sad,
Messes they had, the Text saith, who had least,
But Beniamin fiue times their portion had.
22
They are full-fed now vvith delicious cates,Whose hungry soules did whilome pine for food,
Such is the change of our vncertaine states,
After a dead low water, comes a flood.
23
The fickle vvorld is neuer at one stay,Humane affaires roule in vncertaintie,
Vaine men, vve ring the Changes: euery day
Brings forth, to light, some new varietie.
24
Then let this ceaselesse, restlesse agitationInflame our soules; all our affections moue
To seeke for rest, and a sure habitation
In Heau'n the new Ierusalem aboue.
25
The Dinner ended, Ioseph doth provideTo haue each Hebrewes sacke fild full with graine,
And each mans Coyne in his sackes mouth was tide:
Thus they haue food for nought yet once againe.
26
Into the Sack of his deare Beniamin,Hee caus'd his siluer Cup to bee conueyd,
And by this meanes hee doth occasion winne,
To haue the youth from his departure stayd.
27
As soone as morne displayd her blushing red,And cleare light shew'd to Trauellers their way,
Each Hebrew with his chardg from Ioseph sped:
Little suspecting of a new delay.
28
They had not from the Citie traueld farre,But Josephs Steward them in hast pursues:
Hee ouer-takes them, they arrested are,
And speechlesse stand amaz'd at this sad newes.
29
Hee question'd them, why ill for good they payd,His Lords diuining Siluer Cup was gone,
They strangers were, and false perhaps hee sayd:
For but themselues, himselfe suspected none.
30
This sayd, at length they thus to him replyde:Why should our Lord to vs these speeches say,
In our sackes mouthes when wee the siluer spyde,
Brought backe from Canaan wee did it repay.
31
It is vnlikely therefore wee should steale,And vse such falshood where such loue wee found:
Yet search vs all, and hee that thus shall deale,
Let him to death, the rest to Prison bound.
32
Bee't so, the Steward sayes; with that each one,Takes from his Loden beast his sacke of corne,
From eldest Reuben now the search is gone,
And by degrees come to the youngest borne.
33
The siluer Cup is found in the youths sacke,The brethren rend their cloathes to find it so,
Now once againe each man assumes his packe,
And with sad lookes backe to the Citie goe.
34
And hee that whilom seru'd these men in state,With dainty dishes at a Princelike board,
Safe-guards them now as fellowes of stolne-plate,
So great a change so small time doth afford.
35
To Iosephs house they now againe are brought:Where hee did stay expecting their surprize,
For hee was witting of what would bee wrought,
And theeues now made them that supposd them spyes
36
When they beheld his face, (with shame deiected)To bended knees they doe themselues betake:
A as (quoth he) what's this ye haue effected;
Did you not know that I could tryall make?
37
Then Iudah (thus) What shall we plead or sayVnto my Lord, our selues vve cannot free,
Tis Israels God that doth our sinnes repay,
And for our theft we must thy bond-men be.
38
Nay God forbid that I should vse you so,Ioseph to those afflicted men replyed,
Who stole my Cup, himselfe to me doth owe,
He is my seruant, no man else beside.
39
The rest depart in peace vnto your Sire.Then Iudah on his knees sayes, O my Lord,
Whom as a second Pharaoh we admire,
Vouchsafe to heare thy servant speake a word:
40
When first before my Lord we did appeare,It pleas'd him aske, if we had Syre or Brother:
We truely told, we had a father deere,
All we his sonnes, and that he had one other,
41
A little one, begot in his old age,Therefore the more belou'd, the more respected,
His brother dead, and he the onely gage,
Left by that Mother, whom our Syre affected.
42
Then you enioyn'd vs, neuer see your face,Or bring the youth, you might his face behold:
When to our father we first told our case,
The sad relation made his old heart cold.
43
One of my sonnes (quoth he) sent to the field,Was torne in pieces, neuer more seene since,
Should I depart with this, and he should yeeld
To death, by sicknesse, or by violence,
44
'Twould breake my aged heart, my old gray headWith griefe and sorrow throw into the graue:
(O my good Lord) detaine me in his stead,
I am his Pledge, and to my father gaue
45
My saith for his returne, with execration,Let Iudah beare the blame for euermore,
Vnlesse I bring to Israels habitation,
Young Beniamin; euen thus thy servant swore.
46
Then since the old mans being doth dependOn the Youths life, let me thy servant be
And with my Brethren backe the stripling send
And Iudah will be bound, to pray for thee.
47
When Ioseph heard his Brothers sad relation,He could no longer his affection hide
Though great ones present, of th' Egyptian Nation
Yet Ioseph wept, the text saith, loud he cryed.
48
Avoyd the Roome, quoth he, let no man stayExcept these Hebrewes, all the rest depart,
Then Ioseph to his brethren doth display
The inward feelings of his tender heart.
49
See Ioseph, liues our father? make report,But they were stricken dumbe with that surprize
Be not dismay'd, God sent me to the Court
For to relieue your wants, by my supplyes.
50
And this was done to worke your preservations,Our fathers God made me his instrument,
Two yeeres hath famine seiz'd vpon most nations,
And fiue such yeere of want must yet be sent.
51
Therefore returne vnto our aged SyreAnd from my selfe, salute him in this sort;
Egypts Protector Ioseph doth desire
To see old Isr'el at King Pharaohs Court.
52
Himselfe, his Childrens Children, heards and sheep,In fruitfull Goshen land, shall haue a Rome
Neere to my selfe, I them, and theirs will keepe
From fiue yeeres Famine that is yet to come.
53
Remember what I giue in charge ye tell,And Iosephs Honours seene by you relate,
With that on Beniamins faire necke he fell,
And wept so fast, his teares, their teares begat.
54
This was a wondrous and strange salutation,And vnto Egypts King was quickely brought
Who was affected so with the relation
That till he Ioseph saw, full long he thought.
55
And seene, he sayes, vnto thy Brethren sayDoe this, depart, load beasts, to Canaan goe
And bring your father hither that he may
Here with his houshould liue, aud let him know.
56
'Tis Pharaohs will, the best of Egypts landYe shall possesse, and ye shall eat the fat,
Eu'n Egypts fat. This more I doe command,
You giue them Chariots, to conveigh them, that
57
Their father, children, wiues may come at ease,They shall bee welcome, vnto Egypts King,
Care not for stuffe, nor vtensils, for these
Pharoah shall giue them, and what other thing
58
Egypt is master of, my land is yoursThe best of all my land, tis Pharoahs gift;
Wee well may call that ours which God assures,
Ti's hee from ashes vnto Thrones can lift.
59
I am so ouerioy'd I cannot write,What were the Ioyes the brethren did conceiue?
But sure I am each heart must needs bee light;
For Royall Gifts ioyfull impressions leaue.
60
They came to Egypt Merchant-like at best:But home are caried like great Lords in state,
Their iourney was for bread, now they may feast,
Both Horse and Seruants, many on them vvaite.
61
These (once vnkind) their Brother stript, but heDoth giue them change of raiments of the best:
To his lov'd Benjamin he was more free,
And fiue times more did giue him, then the rest.
62
For Israels journey Ioseph doth provide,And by the way, what dainties he should eate,
And ten shee-Asses sent to him beside,
All heavy loaden with the purest wheat.
63
And thus set foorth, Ioseph each one salutes,And wills them in their travaile to agree:
Vnfayned concord best with Brethren sutes,
Small jarres, 'mongst you so link'd, great discords be.
64
Who best instructs, doth best example giue,This good doe I, is better, then this Doe,
Most by the Eye, few by the Eare doe liue,
Faire actions doe compell, good words but wooe.
65
He that had shew'd himselfe so kind a Brother,Beyond their hope, beyond all expectation,
Had by his paterne taught them loue each other,
They goe; and bring Iacob this gratulation.
66
Ioseph is yet aliue, and, which is more,'Tis he that rules all Egypt: Israel heard,
And his Heart fail'd, he was so moov'd therefore,
But when he saw the gifts that were conferr'd,
67
And did behold the Chariots Ioseph sent,His Heart reviu'd (whom would not such a sight
Recall from Death?) and then incontinent,
Like one new moulded, full of actiue spright.
68
Ioseph, faith he, doth liue, my child is foundAnd like a Man distract with joy doth try,
I haue enough, nay, now my joyes abound,
I will goe downe, and see him ere I die!
69
Tis time these happy travellers opprestWith their long voyage make a little stay,
Israel (good night) my weary Muse must rest,
To Egypt will be worke for a new day.
O gracious God, thou searcher of each heart,
Thou three in Person, but in Essence one:
Some Heavenly power to my weake Muse impart:
To end the sacred taske she works vpon.
Thou three in Person, but in Essence one:
Some Heavenly power to my weake Muse impart:
To end the sacred taske she works vpon.
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