 | Joseph And His Brethren |  |
Scene V.
—Joseph's House.Reuben, Simeon, Benjamin, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Dan, Zebulun, Naphthali, Gad, and Asher.
Zebulun.
Why should this lord command us to his house?
Naphtali.
He doth intend some evil unto us:
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I fear 'tis his design to fall on us
And claim our cattle, and sell us for slaves.
Judah.
Yonder the steward standeth at the door.
I'll speak with him.
Enter Steward.
Oh, sir! we are in fear
Lest that my lord be wrathful unto us.
In truth, we came at first to buy us food:
And lo! it came to pass, that at the inn
We op'd our sacks, and in the mouth of each
We found our money in full weight restor'd.
Lo! you; we have it with us in our hands,
And other moneys have we brought besides
To buy us food: indeed we cannot tell
How that our money came into our sacks.
Steward.
Peace be to you; fear not,—I had your money.
Simeon.
Yet we do fear, seeing that we are brought
Into the ruler's house.
Steward.
My lord did say:
‘Go thou, release the man that is in ward,
And bring him with these others from the hall
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For I intend the men to dine with me.’
And therefore have I brought you.
Judah.
It is strange!
Steward.
Look you, the ruler comes.
Enter Joseph, Attendants, Officers, &c.
Joseph.
So you are come again to buy more corn.
I did repent me that I thought you false,
And when I heard your brother was come down
Releas'd the man from ward.—You are no spies.
Simeon.
Thy servants all bow down unto my lord,
Like unto pines that stoop before the wind.
Judah.
Our father, seeing that my lord was kind,
Sends this poor present, which we humbly lay
Low at thy foot.
Issachar.
The patriarch Israel,
Whose bulk doth bend beneath a weight of days—
Whose breast retreats, like to a hollow bank,
Inwrought by the long current of his years,—
Yea, even Jacob bids us bow to thee.
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Ah! say you so? and is your father well—
The venerable man of whom you spake,—
And is he yet alive?
Judah.
My lord is pleas'd
To think upon his servants past desert:
Our father lives, and is in perfect health.
Joseph.
I have heard speak of Canaan: they say
It is a goodly place, and full of springs;
That there are tents, and pastures, green retreats,
Wherein you shepherds lead a happy life.
Simeon.
It was, my lord; but famine and long drouth
Have marr'd its virtues.
Joseph.
Has it gone so hardly?
Simeon.
Enough to starve us.—Surely, if my lord
Had not been bountiful and sold us corn,
Old Israel and his sons, and all the tribe,
Had died without their graves.
Joseph.
Yea, this was much.
Yet you all live, you say—and who is this?
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Come hither, boy,—let me peruse thy face.—
Who was thy mother?
Benjamin.
Rachel, my good lord.
My mother died before my memory
Had register'd her face within my mind,
But I have heard that she was beautiful;
And oftentimes my father talks of her
Till the large tears steal down his silver beard;
And oftentimes he mourneth for his son:—
She had another son, my brother, sir:
Somewhat of him I fairly can recall,
And of the doleful sorrow of the time
(My father shakes unto this very day),—
For it was said that he was strangely lost.
Issachar.
You do presume too far upon my lord.
Joseph.
Not much—not much—I can away with it.
Yea, God be merciful to thee, my son!
Methinks I've seen a face like thine before,
And such a voice I know I've often heard
In time of infancy; therefore, good youth,
Though our estates do differ in some odds,
Our Egypt's custom shall be entertain'd—
I kiss thy cheek—yea, upon either side:
My courtesy is choice, but liberal.
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Oh! it will glad my father much to hear
Of your great kindness to his lovèd son.
Since I am Rachel's child and Joseph's brother,
There was a vast ado to bring me forth:
Old Jacob's heart was almost fit to burst—
But even then he patch'd it with a prayer.
For such, sir, is my father, even Jacob.
Joseph.
Deeply enshrin'd within my memory,
'Midst thoughts of early years, as God doth know,
Lives the remembrance of a man like this:
Therefore I'll love thee for thy father's sake.
The staff of such a man is honourable—
That is, if he be old and grasps a staff.
Benjamin.
My father, sir, is old.
Joseph.
Very infirm?
Benjamin.
Time verily hath eat into his frame,
But he is such a ruin as is cheer'd
By plants and blossoms creeping over it—
And such are his good spirits.
Joseph.
A shrewd youth!
I'd venture much thou hast thy mother's eyes.
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I have been told so, sir.
Joseph.
A blessing on them.—
Go in,—attend and show them to the hall.
Go, you, and sweeten water for their feet,
[Exeunt.
For I intend they shall eat bread with me.
Take of the richest scents of all my house,
And bring the customary bunch of herbs,
Of myrrh, of thyme, of rue, and lavender,
And sprinkle all their garments and their heads,
And give each one to wear it in his breast;
And in all things observe respect to them.
[Exit Attendant.
Go you unto the hall and dress the board.
And he that is the youngest let him have
Five times of all the best beyond the rest.
Let them be set before me, face to face;
And bring me of the choicest wine I have,
And richest fare.
[Exit Steward.
Oh! surely this will prove
Too great a trial! I am almost chok'd
With keeping back my tears.—Oh! great Nature,
I never did expect thou wouldst inflict
So deep a joy as this!—my heart will send
Its perfect feeling welling to my eyes—
The secret is too big for one frail breast!
[Exit.
| Joseph And His Brethren | |