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

King Pharos Dreames expounded are,
by Ioseph, Iacobs Sonne,
Chyefe Ruler is he made of all,
in Egipt to be donne.
And Pharo chaungeth Iosephs name,
and gyues a VVyfe to hym.
By whom he had two Sonnes: to vvit,
Manass' and Ephraim.

1

And two yeeres after it befel,
that Pharo Dream'd a Dreame,
He thought he stoode a Ryuer by,
and sawe come from that Streame

2

Seuen Kyne that fattr and goodly were,
Which went before his face,
Into a Medow fayre and Greene,
wherin they fedde apace.

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3

And after them, Seuen other Kyne
came vp that Riuer fro,
That very Leane and Feeble were,
il fauord to the showe.

4

Which stood the other fat Kyne by,
vpon the Riuer syde,
And these Leane hongerstarued Kyne
with bare and pilled Hyde

5

Did eate vp all the wel fed Kyne
that nothing did remayne:
And Pharo Wak't and fel asleape,
and so did Dreame agayne,

6

And in the same him thought to see
vpon one stalke to grow,
Seauen Eares of Corne both full and large
That Rācknes great did show.

7

He sawe come vp Seuen other Eares
that sclender were and thynne
Be blasted with the Easterne wynd,
as Scorched they had bene.

8

And these last Seuen deuoured cleane
the goodly Seauen that grew,
And Pharo wak'te and look't about
t'was but a Dreame, he knewe.

9

But yet when that the Day was come,
his spirite was troubled sore,
His Seruauntes sent he forth, and sayd,
bryng hither me before

10

The Wysemen & the Southsayers
that be within the Land:
And when they came, the Dreame he Dream'de
he made them vnderstand,

11

And what the meaning therof was
of them he fayne wold know

102

But none of them Interprete could
nor meanyng therof show.

12

The Butler land vnto the King,
I call to Mynd this daye,
A Breach of promise that I made
when I in Prison lay.

13

Such tyme as Pharo angry was
and me to Prison sent,
And when the Baker of his House
a Prisner with me went

24

Thus when we both in Dongeon were,
it chaunced in one Nyghte
That eche of vs did Dreame a Dreame
which after fel out right.

15

There was with vs a fayre Yonge man
that was an Hebrew borne,
Who Seruaunt to the Marshal was:
we nere him saw beforne.

16

To whom we told our seu'rall dreames,
and he agayne to vs
(As afterward the same fell out)
the truth did then discusse.

17

I was restored (as he sayd)
to Office myne agayne,
And eke the Baker hanged was,
as he declared plaine.

18

Then Pharo sent and did commaund
this Ioseph for to haue:
Forthwyth from Pryson they hym brought
out from that filthy Caue.

19

And Ioseph then did shaue himselfe
as was that tyme the guyse:
And better Clothes did put him on
and went in cleanly wise.

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20

So when he came the King before,
the King to Ioseph spake,
I haue (quoth he) late Dream'd a Dreame,
but none can truly make,

21

Interpretacion of the same:
but yet I haue heard tell,
That when a Dreame is told to thee,
thou canst declare it well.

22

Then Ioseph to King Pharo said,
my Lord the King shall see
That God shal geue an Answere good
to Pharo without me.

23

Sayd Pharo: in this Dreame mee thought
I stode a Riuer by,
From whēce there came. vii. Goodly Kine
wel Fleshed to myne Eye
And in a Medowe did they Feede,
which was the Riuer ny:

24

And after them I saw come forth
out from that running Brooke
Seuen other Kyne both Pore and Leane
and ill vppon to loke.

25

Such as before I neuer saw
within th' Egiptian land,
So thynne, so bare, so pin'de away
skarce able were to stande.

26

And yet these seuen if fauord Kyne
that Staruelynges were and leane,
Did Eate vp all the vii. fat Kyne
that goodly were and Cleane.

27

And when they had deuoured them,
a man could not perceiue
That they had Eaten them: for why,
their Bellyes stil did cleaue

103

28

Unto theyr Backes in Starueling sort,
as when they did begynne:
So Leane were they, so il to see,
so pyned, poore and Thinne.

29

I did awake, and Dream'd againe
and then me thought I sawe
Seuen Eares spring out of good full Corne,
vpon one Stalke or Straw.

30

And after them sprang out also
vii withred Eares of Corne,
So thyn, and blasted with the Wynd,
worse Corne was neuer borne.

31

And those vii Eares that withred were
and blasted with the Wynde
Deuoured vp the Seuen good Eares,
and nothing left behynde.

32

This haue I told my Southsayers
and Wyse men of my Land:
But they hereof can nothing tell
ne oughte do vnderstand.

33

Then Ioseph vnto Pharo sayd:
both Pharoes Dreames are one:
And God doth shew what he wil doe
to Pharo euen anone.

34

The Seuen good Kyne do signify
Seuen Yeares that happen shal:
The seuen good Eares are Yeares also
but one Dreame is it all.

35

Lykewyse the Seuen ill fauord Kyne
that after them came foorth,
That were so Leane, so poore and thynne,
appearing nothing worth:

36

Are eke seuen Yeares: the blasted Eares
of corne that did appeare

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Shalbe Seuen Yeres of Dearth so great,
as Eare did neuer heare.

37

This is the thing that I haue sayd
before my Lord the King,
And God to Pharo hath declard
what he to passe will bring.

38

Behold Seuen Yeares of Plenty great
in all the Land shalbe:
And after them agayne shall ryse
Seuen Yeeres of Penury.

39

Wherein such Famine shall abound,
and bryng the Land in Thrall
That those Seuen Yeares of Plenty great
shall be forgot of all

40

Thus Famine shal consume the Land
that none remember shal
The plenty past, by reason of
the Honger that shall fal.

41

And where the Dreame the Second time
to Pharo doubled was:
Behold, God hath establisht it
shortly to bring to passe.

42

Now therfore let the Kyng prouide
for such a Man as knowes
And vnderstandes what Wisdome is:
and set him ouer those

43

That do inhabite in the Lande,
to beare the rule and sway
And vnder hym such Officers
as may in tyme puruay.

44

And let them take the fyft part vp
of Foode through out the Land
That shal in those Seuen plenteous Yeeres,
fall in th' Egiptians Hande.

104

45

And let the same and Corne also
that they shal then prouyde
Be vnder th' hand of Pharo brought,
the same to lay asyde.

46

And that there may in Citties all
be stoare of Foode to serue
Agaynst the tyme of Hunger come,
that People may not sterue.

47

And that the Land not peryshe may,
through Hunger that shal growe,
This saying pleased Pharo well,
and Seruauntes his also.

48

And Pharo sayd his Seruaunts to,
who then were hym beside:
Where shall we fynd a Man lyke this,
in whom Gods Sprite doth byde?

49

And Pharo vnto Ioseph sayd,
for so much as I see,
That God hath shew'd these thynges to the,
which thou hast told to mee:
There is no Man that wisdome hath,
nor Knowledge like to thee.

50

Thou shalt therefore ouer my House,
beare all the Rule and swaye,
And what thou speakste, my People shall
in euery thing obay.

51

Onely I will aboue thee bee,
in Kingly Seate and Throne,
But otherwise, thou Gouerne shall
and Rule the rest alone.

52

And sayd, behold, I haue thee sette
to Rule ouer the Land:
So tooke his Rynge his Fynger from,
and put on Iosephs hand

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53

And hym arayd in Cloth of Raines
as Princes wont to weare
Lykewyse about his necke he put
a chayne of Gold to beare

54

And set him vp aloft to Ryde
a Charret rych vpon:
Which was of all that Pharo had
the best, excepting one.

55

And as he rode, they cryde before
to Ioseph bowe the Knee
Thus Pharo made him Gouernour
of Egipt Land to bee.

56

Sayd Pharo then, I Pharo am,
but yet this vnderstand,
Without thee shal no Subiect myne
lift vp his Foote or Hand.

57

And Pharo called Iosephs name
in Hebrew as wee fynde,
Zaphnath Paaneah: that's to say,
the Opener of the Mind.

58

He gaue Asenath to his Wyfe
to feede his ioyes vpon
The Daughter of Potipberah
the Prince or Preest of On.

59

Then Ioseph did prepare him selfe
the Land to goe about
There was no peece of Egypt Land,
that Ioseph sought not out.

60

And Thirty Yeares was he of Age
when he before the Kyng
Did stand in grace, and had the charge
to gouerne euery thyng.

61

Thus from the presence of the Kynge
did Ioseph now departe,

105

And went the Land of Egipt through
with humble Sprite and hart,

62

And in those seuen yeares plentiful
late spoken of before,
The Earth of Corne, and sundry grayne,
brought foorth abundaunt store.

63

And Ioseph gathered all the Foode,
that those seuen yeares did yeld,
And looke what Cittie lay most neere
the foode of any field:

64

Within the same it was layd vp,
vnto the Off'cers hand,
This was the Order that hee kept
through all th' Egiptian Land,

65

The wheate that Ioseph vp had layd,
to serue in tyme of neede,
For multitude was lyke the Sand:
it nomber did exceede.

66

And ere the yeares of hunger came,
Ioseph had two Sonnes borne,
By Asenah his wyfe that was,
of whom wee heard beforne.

67

And hee the first of those two Sonnes,
Manasseth did he call,
For God (sayd hee) made mee forget
my Fathers Houshold all.

68

And Ephraim did Ioseph call,
his other second Sonne:
God hath me fruitful made, sayd hee,
in mine affliction.

69

And when the seuen yeares plentiful
were ended with their store,
Then came the seuen yeeres Famin foorth,
as Ioseph sayd before.

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70

Though Famine fel in al the Landes,
yet Egipt Land was free,
For when the rest of Honger dyed.
yet Foode was there to see.

71

And after this the Hunger came,
into th' Egiptian Land,
And then the people gan to crye
for bread at Pharaos hand.

72

Sayd Pharao then, to Ioseph go
and what he sayth to you,
The same perfourme, and you shal see
great goodnesse shall ensue.

73

The Dearth was great throughout the Land,
and Ioseph went apace
To eu'ry Towne where store was kept,
and sold in eu'ry place.

74

All Countries els, to Egipt came
of Ioseph Corne to buye,
The Famin was so great abrode,
the want made manye dye.