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

And Simeon deliu'red is,
from Prison where he lay,
And Ioseph turnes asyde to weepe,
that they might not him see.
They eate, and drinke, and mery are
together, as may bee.

1

When Iacob and his Children had
consumed all their store,
Hee bade his Sonnes to Egipt goe
to buye a little more.
For why, the Dearth was in the Lād,
among them verye sore:

2

Then Iudah to his Father sayd,
Ahlas, what shal ensue?
The man did charge vs by an Othe
the which we all shall rue.

3

Except (sayth hee) you hyther bring
your Brother to this place,
I charge you that you do not come
nor see mee in the face.

4

If thou therfore wilt send with vs
our Brother for to goe,
Wee wil goe downe, and buy thee Foode,
and bring ynough wee knowe.

5

But if thou wilt not send him downe
wee will not go at all:
The man for Spialls wil vs take
and therby make vs thrall.

6

For thus, sayd hee, vnlesse you bring
your younger Brother heere:
I charge you that before my face,
you come not to appeere.

110

7

Sayd Israel, wherfore delt yee
so cruelly with mee,
As for to tel the man, you had
a Brother yet to see?

8

The man did aske to vs (sayd they)
and streightly did enquire,
What Race our stocke, and kinred was,
and asking did desire,

9

Is not your Father yet aliue?
and haue ye not (sayd hee)
Another Brother, left at home?
it is euen so: sayd wee:

10

Could wee then know or vnderstand,
that hee to vs would say,
I charge you bring your brother downe,
to come with you the way?

11

Then Iudah to his Father sayd,
Send yee the Lad with mee,
That wee may ryse and goe for Foode.
and bring the same to thee.

12

That thou, our Children, and our selues,
thereby our liues may saue:
And not to dye through want of Foode,
where wee the same may haue,

13

I wil be Surety for the Lad
to bring him safe againe,
Thou shalt require him at my hand
to see him on my payne.

14

And if I bring him not againe,
as I haue sayd before,
And that thine eyes shall him behold,
blame mee for euermore.

15

Trulye if that wee had not stayd
so long where no cause is

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We had bene there the second tyme
and come agayne ere this.

16

Then sayde their Father vnto them,
if it must needes bee so:
You shal this doe at my request,
before that you doe goe.

17

Within your Uessels shall ye put
the best fruites in the Land,
And bring a Present of the same
and geeue it in his hand.

18

Of Balme, of Honye, and of Spyce,
of Myrre, and Nuttes also:
Of Almondes sweete, of ech a parte,
that in our Land doth grow.

19

And double Money shal you take
within your hand to beare,
And eke the Money that you brought
backe in your Sackes, that's heere.

20

The same shall you take backe agayne,
and therein doe but right.
For why, perhaps, among themselues
it was some ouersight.

21

Aryse and take young Beniamin
vnto the man also,
And God Almightie blesse you all,
the waye wherein you goe.

22

God graunt you mercie in the sight
of hym you goe vnto:
That hee may geeue your Brother backe
as hee sayd, hee would doe.

23

And that hee may deliuer you
my Beniamin agayne:
Lest I bee robbed of my Chyld
vnto my griefe and payne.

111

As I of Brother his haue bene,
whom Sauage beastes haue slaine.

24

Thus with the Present and the Coygne,
wyth Beniamin likewise,
They rose and went to Egipt down,
and stode before the Eyes

25

Of Ioseph, whom when he had spyde,
he to his Ruler saide,
Bring these Men home into my house
and let them there be stai'd,

26

Untill I come and Cates prepare,
for they shal Dyne with me.
And so eche thing by him was donne,
as Ioseph bade to be.

27

But when they were in Iosephs house,
then were they all afraid,
Amonge themselues they gan to scanne,
and one to other said.

28

How that the Mony was the cause,
that they were thither brought:
Which in theyr Sackes they caried home,
with Corne that they had bought,

29

And now will he a quarell picke,
and to our charge wil laye
Some thing: whereby in Bondage vs,
and Asses ours to staye.

30

And therefore came they to the man,
that thither did them brynge,
And at the Dore of Iosephs House,
did tell him eu'ry thing.

31

O sir (Sayd they) we hyther came
at first some Foode to buye,
And as we came into an Inne,
of purpose there to lye.

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32

Wee eu'ry one his Sacke vndid,
for thinges that seem'de to lacke,
And eache of vs his Money found,
full weight within his Sacke.

33

And wee haue brought it backe agayne,
for so we thought it good,
And other Money in our handes
besydes, to buy vs Foode.
Wee knowe not who our Money put
in Sackes where as they stoode.

34

Peace bee to you then, sayd the Man,
and nothinge feare at all,
For why? your God hath holpen you,
which neuer fayle you shall:

35

And eke the God, of Father youres,
th' Almighty God was hee,
That put the Money in your Sackes,
for once it was with mee.

36

And then hee brought out Simeon
their Brother left behinde,
For Pledge of their Returninge backe,
as Ioseph had assignd:

37

And so together were they led
by Iosephs Offycer,
Who Water gaue, theyr Feete to washe,
and fetched Prouender

38

For Asses theirs, that hungry were,
and weary by the way,
And they thus and their Asses too
in Ioseps House did stay:

39

Where as the Brethren redy made
sutch Presentes as they had,
Agaynst that Ioseph should come home:
and now they waxed glade

112

40

Because they heard they should at Noone
eate Breade in Iosephs sight,
And thinkinge on the Off'cers wordes
them Ioyfull made, and Light.

41

Now when that Ioseph Home was come,
ech one with Giftes in Hand,
Fell flat on Ground with Presentes sutch
as Grewe in Canan Lande,
And him Presented therewithall,
in Place where hee did stande:

42

In curteous wise, he welcom'de them:
is Father yours (sayd hee)
Yet still aliue? and in good Health?
as you before toulde mee?

43

Our Father Sir, and Seruaunt thyne,
is in good Health wee knowe,
And therewithall did bow themselues,
obedience theirs to showe.

44

Then Ioseph liftinge vp his Eyes,
Younge Beniamin espied:
That Brother vnto Ioseph was,
by right of Mother side.

45

Sayd he, is this younge Beniamin?
of whom you spake before?
My Sonne to thee God Mercy shew,
(sayd hee) for euermore.

46

And Ioseph hasted him away,
his Teares began to fall:
His Hart vppon younge Beniamin
did Yerne, and melt withall:

47

So hee vnto his Chamber went,
that none might him espye,
And there a space did Weepe, and shed
forth Teares aboundauntly.

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The numbering of stanzas in the source document has been followed.

68

And afterward he washt his Face:
and came out fresh to see,
He dyd refrayne and straynd hymselfe,
as it had not ben hee:
And dyd commaunde vpon the Borde,
that Breade there set should be.

69

And they prepard for him alone,
his Dignity to show,
And for his Brethren by themselues,
and for the Egiptians soe,
Which eat wyth Ioseph, by themselues:
for vnderstand and know

70

Th' Egiptians doe it accompte,
abhomynation great,
If wyth the Hebrues any tyme,
they happen Bread to eate.

71

These Brethren sate Ioseph agaynst.
the Eldest in degree:
The Yongest placed to his youthe,
the Lowest set was he.
And much the Men among themselues
did maruell this to see.

72

And there were brought them sondry Meates,
that Ioseph stode before,
But Beniamin had, with the rest,
so much and fyue times more.

73

And thus they sate, and mery were,
and had ynough of Wyne,
They Dranke with him euen of the best,
that strongest was and fine,