A Hyve Fvll of Hunnye :: :: University of Virginia Library

To Abram, Sarai geueth leaue,
to take her Mayde to wyfe:
The Mayde her Maistresse doth displease,
by which there grewe much strife:
And Sarai doth intreate her ill,
the Mayde doth runne away:
The Aungell meetinge wyth the Mayde,
commaundeth her to staye,
And to her Maistresse to returne:
sayinge all shall bee well:
And that the Childe shee went wythall,
shoulde calde bee Ismaell.

1

And Sarai, Abrams Wife that was,
bare him no Childe as yet,
And hauinge in her House a Mayde,
shee thought her for him fit:

2

And therefore vnto Abram sayd,
the Lorde doth me restrayne,
So that I can no Children beare,
but barreyn still remayne.

3

I pray thee goe in to my Mayde,
that Hagar is by name:
By her perhaps, I may receiue
some comforte by the same.

4

And Abram did obey the Uoyce
and Wordes that Sarai sayd:
And Sarai, Abrams Wyfe then tooke
Hagar, th' Egiptian Mayde,

5

And to her Husband did her geue
to bee his Wyfe, and feere:
Hee Hagar knewe, and shee conceiu'de,
as after did appeere.

6

When Hagar sawe her selfe with Childe,
shee gan then to despise
Her Maistresse: and what ere shee did
was hatefull in her Eyes.

7

Then Sarai vnto Abram sayd,
good faith thou dost mee Wronge:
My Mayde I haue geeuen vnto thee.
the tyme is yet not longe:

8

And now that shee conceyued is,
as shee the same doth see,
I hated am, in sight of her,
God iudge tweene thee and mee.

9

But Abram vnto Sarai saide,
thy Mayde is in thy hande,
Do thou with her as pleaseth thee,
I will thee not withstande.

10

And when that Sarai angry was,
shee vsed her not well:

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Then Hagar fledde from Sarais Face,
with her shee would not dwell:

11

Into the Wildernesse shee fledde,
where as shee did abide,
And there the Aungell of the Lorde
this heauie Hagar spied,

12

Hard by a Fountayne Water cleare,
and thus to her did say,
Whence cam'ste thou Hagar, Sarais Maide,
and whither mak'ste thou way?

13

I flee (sayd shee) from froward Face
of Sarai Maistresse myne,
Who cruelly hath delt with mee,
and at me doth repine.

14

Returne againe, sayd th' Aungell then,
thy Maistresse home vnto:
Submit thy selfe vnder her hand,
and what she bids thee, doe.

15

And in encreasinge (sayd he than)
I wil encrease thy Seede
In number, such for multitude,
as number shall exceede.

16

And more the Aungell sayd to her:
thou arte with Childe I see:
A Sonne it is, and Ismaell
his proper name shalbe.

17

Comfort thy selfe in this distresse,
thou shalt receiue reliefe:
For why the Lord, thy voyce hath heard
thy trouble, and thy griefe.

18

The Child that now is in thy Womb,
a wilde Yongeman wilbe,
And euery other man against
lift vp his hande will hee:

19

Likewise, the hand of euery Man,
against him shall arise.
And in the presence shall hee dwell,
of all his Brethrens Eyes.

20

Shee called then the Name of him,
that thus vnto her spake:
Thou God, thou God, dost looke on mee,
for thy great Mercy sake.

21

For why, saith shee, haue I not seene,
euen here amid this place?
The hinder partes of this my God,
that sees mee in the Face?

22

Wherefore the Well, that was her by,
where th' Aungell did her see
Was after cal'de the Well of him,
that liues and seeth mee.

23

To Abram, Hagar bare a Sonne,
that's Ismaell, by name:
Fower score, and sixe, was Abrams Age:
when Hagar bare the same.