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

The Iourney Isack made
Abimelech vnto:
The Promisse made to Isaac,
and to his Seede also.
Howe hee rebuked was,
heere vnderstand you shall,
For that his VVyfe hee did denay,
and Sister did her call.
The Sheepherdes fallinge out
for digginge of the VVell:
How Isaac was comforted,
this lykewyse shall you tell.
And of th' Attonment made,
heere well perceyue you may,
Betweene the Kynge, and Isaac,
and of theyr Feastinge Day.

1

And after this, within the Lande
a Derth there such becam,
As far did passe the Derth that was
in Dayes of Abraham?

2

Then Isaac from where hee dwelt
his Iourney forth did passe
And went vnto Abimelech
Philistine Kinge that was:

3

And there the Lord to him appear'de,
and sayd, thou shalt not goe
To Egipt downe, but here abide
in Land I will thee shoe.

4

I shall thee blesse, and bee with thee
the Dayes that thou shalt liue:
And after thee vnto thy Seede,
these Countreys will I giue.

5

And will performe the Oth I sware
thy Father thee before
And as the Starres wil multiplie
thy Seede for euermore

6

And in thy Seede shal Nations al
that on the Earth shalbe
Be blest, because that Abraham
hath harkened vnto me,

7

And kept my Law and ordinaunce,
my Statutes and my wyl,
Therefore as I wyth him haue bene,
with thee so wil I stil.
So Isaac in Gerar dwelt,
and did Gods hest fulfil.

8

And they of Gerar where he dwelt,
beheld Rebecca wel,
And saw how that in fauour she
and beauty did excel.

9

And askte of hym whether or no
she was his spoused wyfe
Affrayd hee was: and her deny'de
lest they would take his Lyfe,

10

Beecause of her and therefore sayd
shee is my sister sure
But not my Wyfe whom Nature moues
wyth me thys to endure.

[60]

11

And it befel by trace of tyme
after theyr long abode,
The king from out his wyndow look't
and cast his eies abrode.

12

By hap did see this Isaac
Rebecca eke also
Sportyng and playing louingly
as they together goe.

13

The King forthwith this Isaac
before his presence cald,
The sodden hearing of the same
somwhat his sprites appald.

14

Sir (,said the king) this woman sure
thy wife I see must bee,
Why sayd'st thou then, shee onely was
but Sister vnto thee?

15

O (mighty king) sayd Isaac
thus in my selfe I thought,
Perhap the beauty of my wife
mought bring my life to nought.

16

And so through her and for her sake
my death I might haue sought.
Wel sayd the king, one of the men
thy wyfe so might haue caught.

17

And layne with her and so should th[illeg.]
brought synne vppon vs all:
Because thy Folly suffer would
thy wyfe thus wise to fall.

18

The king then streightly gaue in charge,
to people in the land,
That none should touch this Man or Wife
by way of forcing hand.
For who so did, of presence Death
the payne shoulde vnderstand

19

Thus Isaac in quiet dwelt
and sowed seede in ground,

And that same yere by trauell his
an hondreth measures found,

20

And so from small to greatter grew
for why, the Lord hym blest:
A myghty man the same became,
and greatter then the rest

21

For he a Myghty houshold held,
had Shepe and Oxen store,
His Neighbours the Philistians
did enuy him therfore.

22

And for to shew theyr spight and Ire,
such rage was in their brayne,
They went and fylled all tbe Welles,
and stopt with Earth agayne,
The which his Fathers men before
had digde with micle payne.

23

Yea in so much the kinge himselfe
bad Isahac depart,
And sayd, in Myght a great deale more
then we our selfe thou art.

24

So Isahac obesaunt was
vnto the kynges behest,
And into Gerars Ualley went
thinkinge to dwel in rest.

25

And there be digged vp agayne
the welles of Water cleere,
Which in the dayes of Abraham
his father digged were.

26

And which after his fathers death
Philistines thither went
And stopped vp the same agayne,
so froward were they bent.

27

And loke what names his father gaue
vnto these Welles before,

[61]

So did he name and call the same
to be for euermore.

28

The Seruantes of this Isaac
did digge and breake the grounde
In Ualley low and there a UUell
of liuing Water founde.

29

And then the Herdemen of the Soyle
that Gerar hath to name,
Did stryue with Isacks Herd men there
for Water of the same:

30

And said, the Water's none of yours,
but ours, the truth to tell
Then he did Esek call the Well,
vpon the stryfe that fel,

31

And then another Well they digde
for which they stroue also,
And Sitnah they the same did call
a name therby to knowe:

32

And then from thence departed be
and digde another Wel,
For which they stroue no whit at al,
in quiet did they dwell.

33

Therfore Rehoboth was it cald.
for why the Lorde, sayth he
Hath made vs roume that we may growe
whyle on the Earth wee be.

34

And vp from thence to Bersaba
he went and that same nyght
The Lord appeard, and sayd to him
I am the God of Myght.

35

I say the god of Abraham
that seruaunt was to me,
And Father thyne: feare not therfore,
For I am now with thee.

36

And will thee blesse and multiplye
thy seede for Abrams sake,
And of the same wil kinreds great
and many Nations make.

37

There Isaac an Alter built
and cald vpon his name,
And in that place did pitch his tent,
and dwelled in the same.

38

And there his seruauntes digd a Wel,
and Water had good store:
There was no strife about the same
as others made before.

39

From Gerar, kyng Abimelech,
his Frend Ahuzzath eeke,
And Phicoll his chiefe capitayne
came Isaac to seeke.

40

Whom when that Isaac behelde
and cause of comming knewe,
He sayd, wherfore come you to me
and haue me put from you?

41

And hated me and Seruaunts myne,
and banisht me awaye
From where I dwelt, and where I myght
haue dwelled til this daye.

42

Sayd they, in seyng wee haue seene
the Lord is still with thee,
And therfore thus among our selues
we sayd and do agree.

43

Let there an Oth and Bond be made
thy selfe and vs betwene,
That thou no hurt do vnto vs:
for why, thy selfe hath sene

44

We haue not touched thee nor thyne,
to harme in any thynge,

[62]

But suff'red thee to passe in peace
and with thee hether brynge,

45

Thy Stuffe, thy Corne. thy seruauntes all,
thy Cattel and thy store,
And now I know thou blessed art
of God for euermore

46

Then Isaac a feast them made,
They eat and dranke together,
And early in the Morne betyme
ech one did sweare to other.

47

And after when the oth was made,
Isack away thē sent,
In peace from him departed they,
and backe agayn they went.

48

And that same day it happened
his men that digde the grounde
Came vnto hym, and sayd, a Well
wyth water haue wee found.

49

Then he the Well did Shebah call
which is, an Oth to name:
The Towne is called Betsheba,
which yet doth beare the same.

50

And as Shebah doth signify
a sacred Oth or Band,
So Bersheba the Wel of th' Othe
you must it vnderstand.

51

When Esaw was yeares forty old
to wyfe he tooke these twayne

And they vnto his parentes mynde
were both a griefe and payne,
For that they disobedient were
and filled with disdayne.