 | Joseph And His Brethren |  |
229
Scene VI.
—A Room in Joseph's House.Enter an Officer and Steward severally.
Officer.
Thou art to furnish each man's sack with corn,
And in the mouth of that which is the boy's
Put thou this cup wherefrom my lord doth drink.
Mind that thou know it not: see to it straight,
For they have left the hall and take their leave.
Steward.
Fear not,—it shall be done, and secretly.
Officer.
This being done, and all the men gone forth,
Take thou some servants and go after them,
And speak unto them even in these words:
‘Ye Canaanites, turn back unto my lord,
For he is wroth that you do thus return
Evil for good: which man hath got the cup?
Yea, even the cup that was upon the board,
In which my lord divineth and doth drink?
This cup is taken, and it is with you.’
Then shall the men profess to thee the truth,
And strangely look into eachother's face;
And each one, feeling his own honesty,
And for the general safety, will exclaim
‘Yea, he that hath it let him even die.’
Then shall they all unlade and thou shalt search,
230
So in the end it will fall out, the cup
Shall be in the sack of him, the youngest born.
My lord doth say they will not yield him up,
But all of them come back again to him.
Steward.
Yea, this is very strange.
Officer.
No man doth know
The ruler's act until he find the end.
I never heard that he e'er did man wrong;
Therefore his subtlety is wise, not craft.
Have thou a care of this, for such a man
Fails in the practice when his trust is false.
Steward.
I am his steward and shall be diligent,
And love to do the thing that you command.
[Exeunt.
| Joseph And His Brethren | |