University of Virginia Library

Of him, whom God by brethrens enuy sent
From Canaan to Egypt, to preuent
Great dearth; I sing; thou that didst him protect
In all his trauels, me in mine direct.

Now dwelt the holy Patriarch Israel
At rest, in Canaan in his fathers cell,
For Esau now did in mount Seir raigne,
One country could not all their flocks sustain:
And hauing many stormes and dangers past,
Now hop'd in quiet to haue liu'd at last,
Freed from his brothers hate and menacing,
From Labans cruell gripes and coueting,
His teares for losse of Rachel now were dride,
For Dina's rape, and Simeons homicide,
His sonnes abroad, in Peace their flocks do tend,
Ioseph at home, his father doth attend:
When lo! an enuious Spirit (which did reede,
In holy Iacob, Isaacks promisd seede,
Which he to come of Ioseph most did feare.
Because he to his father was so deare)
One day amongst the sonnes of God appeard,
Before the Lord, desiring to be heard:
And thus began: Dread Thunderer: be iust,
Hast thou not raisd vp sinfull man from dust,
To make those heau'nly Mansions, ay his owne,
From which thou Angels in thy wrath hast throwne
And damn'd? yet we but once did thee displease,
But he offends each houre, yet liues at ease:
Iacob in Isaacks Tents doth quiet liue,
As with his Blessing he him Peace did giue;
And though by thy Decree man ought attaine
To Ioyes of Heau'n, by sorrow, care, and paine:
To him thou so benigne and gratious art,
Hee sees the Pleasures, neuer feeles the smart;
So as it seemes 'tis thy determination,
To make base Man for blisse, Vs for damnation:
How hast thou blessed him on eu'ry side?
His Children many, his Possessions wide;
His flocks abound and couer all the Land,
So thou dost blesse all workes that passe his hand:
Well may he serue thee for so great reward,
But touch him, thou shalt see his slight regard,
Vexe thou but him, or any of his race,
And he will thee blaspheme vnto thy face:
When thus, th' Almightie; say thou what thou can,
Iacob's a matchlesse, iust and perfect man,
Who feareth God, doth good, escheweth ill,
Try him or his, so thou no bloud dost spill.
Thus now had Satan his desires attain'd,
By Iacobs Angell till that time restrain'd;
And since for bloud he could not get permission,
He priuily sowes Enuie and Sedition,
Which make oft greater rents in Church and State,
Then open enmitie and knowne debate:
Simeon and Leui, once his Instruments
Of murther, vnder couer'd false intents,
With the two handmaids sonnes shall kindle hate,
And Enuy, for to ouerthrow the state
Of simple Ioseph, who in honest sort,
To Israel brought his brethrens ill report;
And in plaine meaning did to them vnfold
His dreames by day, which God by night had told:
Which enuiously this Sp'rit interpreting,
As if he of his Brethren would be king;
And for because he was to Iacob deare,
And tales to him, as they suspect did beare,
He by their malice labours cunningly,
To ruine Iacob and his Family
In Iosephs losse: Thus did the enuious Fiend
Proiect destruction, God a blessed end.
Little hereof thought good old Iacob, when
He him to Sichem to his bretheren
Doth send: where wandring he at last was told,
That they at Dothan pastured their fold
On side of hill which Sol with chearefull eyes,
Salutes and comforts soone as he doth rise;
Vnder a stately Oake, whose armes dispread,
From Sunne and Raine all vnder sheltered,
Neare fairest meadowes and the Riuer side,
These Brethren with their Flockes in Tents abide,
More healthfull, pleasant, fruitfull, spatious plaine,
Was not in Canaan to be seene againe,
Where whilst their Flockes doe feede, they haue good leasure,
To leape, dance, caroll, sleepe, and take their pleasure,
And they that feele within diuiner motions,
In priuate shades may fall to their deuotions,
And imitate the plumed heaun'ly Quire,
Who in sweete notes Gods goodnesse doe admire;
Hither comes Ioseph, where he first admires
The places fertilenesse and faire attires,
For his owne coate, all party coloured,
Seemd nought to that the ground apparelled:
But his ten brethren him no sooner spie,
But lo! here comes the dreamer, all do crie
Come let vs kill, and in some pit him cast,
Then see how all his Dreames will proue at last.
And when our father misseth him, weele say,
Some wicked beast deuour'd him on the way:
And had not Prouidence with-held their knife
By Ruben, they then taken had his life:
Full glad to see his Brethren was the childe,
And with a pleasing face vpon them smilde,
As little thinking by them to be sold,
As they at Nile his glory to behold,
As cruell Cain against his brother rose,
When nothing lesse good Abel did suppose:
And as fierce Simeon came most cruelly
On Sichem looking for affinity:
So Iacobs sonnes vnwares on Ioseph run,
Who kindly to salute them then did come,
One bends his fist, another drawes his knife,
Another sweares he'le teare from his life.
Wretch! saith another, thou comest for a spy,
That thou returning home maist tell a lye,
And vs disgrace in our old fathers eare,
And be alone his ioy and darling deare:
Lo, saith another, we our sheaues must bring,
And do to thee obeisance as our king:
One saith, thou art the Sunne, we starres of night,
And must all bow, whence we do borrow light:
Then stripping off his party coloured coate,
They blindfold him, and on the shoulder smote:
And said, since thou diuin'st and dreamst so right,
Reckon now which of vs thee last did smite.
Whilst Lambe-like he before the sharer lies,
Mute and amaz'd, yet thus at last replies.

Ah brethren deare, though now too late, I proue
The peril's not so great in Hate as Loue:
Cain mortall hate did to his brother beare,
For that his offrings acceptable were,
My father hardly scap't mine Vncles knife,
Because he was Rebecca's dearest life:
So did you and your mother mine despise,
Because she gratious was in Iacobs eyes;
Now him, that neuer did or thought you ill,
Because my father loues me, you will kill:
To him once, I confesse, I did relate
An ill report I heard, not for least hate
Or malice that my brethren I did beare,
But that you knowing it, might better cleare:
That which my father did but folly deeme,
To tell mine idle dreames, will you esteeme
It capitall? oh brethren deare, forbeare,
If not for loue or pittie, yet for feare
Of vengeance, which will follow fratricide,
Cains curse shall euer on that house abide,
If all consent your Brother here to slay,
Iacob hath lost eleu'n sonnes in one day:
And whence shall then that blessed one proceede
God promisd in our father Isaacks seede?
That cursed Cham, from whom these nations come
Which here inhabite, neuer yet haue done
So foule a sinne; nor Nimrods cruell sword
Was ere in his owne brothers blood engor'd:
A brothers sight rough Esaus fury chaces,
And makes him fall to kisses and embraces.
Looke on my youth, not halfe so loth to die,
As to be slaine by brethrens crueltie,
Looke on my innocence. Behold my teares,
Respect your and my Fathers grayer haires:
Who cannot but with griefe and sorrow die,
For losse of me by Brethrens Butchery.
Oh! neuer hope this murther to conceale,
For though you your owne lips should all vp seale,
These beasts, stones, trees, my bloud to heau'n will cry
For vengeance, on this bloudy Felony:
And that which now you thinke in secret done,
Shall be made plaine and clearer then the Sunne.
Now Isaack like I lye vnder your knife,
And willingly as he could leaue my Life,
Were I perswaded 'twere the heaun'ly will,
But herein Satans purpose you fulfill,
And your malicious enuy satisfie:
But Lord accept me as I guiltiesse die,
These words proceeding from a Soule opprest
With anguish, wrought so in his Brethrens brest,
That though they willingly all wish him slaine,
Yet each from bloud-shed would his hands retaine.
Wherefore they him into a dry pit cast,
With cold and hunger there to pine and wast,
And suddenly they sit them downe to eate,
Ne're pitying Ioseph that must sterue for meate:
So haue I seene tenne hounds of bloudy kinde,
Who long haue chas'd, to kill the harmelesse Hinde;
When they haue lodg'd her in the hunters gin,
Whence neuer one escapes, if enterd in;
Turne to their Lodge, where for their labours meede,
They on the heart and bleeding intrailes feede.
Poore Ioseph had thy Brethren now thee slaine,
Thou long since hadst beene rid out of thy paine:
But whilst thou seek'st by teares thy life to saue,
Thou now art buried quicke within thy graue:
What canst thou looke for in this Dungeon vast,
But eu'n with cold and hunger here to waste?
Depriu'd of Sunnes most comfortable Light,
And euill Sp'rits with horrour thee to fright,
Yet as a fauour this was done to thee,
Thus are the wickeds mercies Crueltie.
But Lord! the childe to heau'n cries from the pit,
And doth to righteous Iudge his cause commit;
Lord thou dost know how innocent I die;
Me saue, and pardon their iniquitie.
As when fierce Caine, (out of base enuying,
That God should best accept his offering.)
Had Abel slaine; His bloud to heau'n did cry,
So this childs grieuous Lamentations flye
Into Gods eares, who sends the Ishmaelites,
First persecutors of the Israelites:
From Brethrens malice Ioseph to set free,
And saue his life, though lose his Libertie:
So he that late escaped being slaine,
Is raised vp out of the pit againe,
Whom to be rid off, and for present pay,
His Brethren sell to be conueid away.

And now large shadowes from the Mountaines fall,
And Heau'n with his blacke mantle couers all,
Phebus for rest in Sea his Steedes bestowes,
And from her Sea of rest the Night arose:
When Iacobs sonnes amongst themselues deuise
To couer their inhumane cruelties:
And as we euer see that one foule sinne
Begets another, to lye hidden in;
As some their foule adultery to hide,
Haue first vs'd Drunkennesse, then Homicide;
So these vniustly 'gainst their Fathers will,
One of the Kiddes then in his Flocke doe kill,
And dipping in his blood the colourd coate
Of Ioseph, it vnto their father brought,
And say; Now see good father dost thou know,
Whether this be thy Iosephs coate or no?
As Turtle deare, when seeking for her loue,
She finds at eu'n the feathers of a Doue,
Begoard with blood late party colourd gay,
Concluding now her mate hath beene the prey
Of cruell hawke, sends out most piteous cries,
And in those dearest blooded feathers dies.
So good old Israel, whose dimmer sight,
Could scarce discerne of colours by the night,
Yet seeing Iosephs coate begoared red,
Which lately was so finely coloured:
For whom, though long he look'd, and did enquire,
Yet saw nor heard least newes of his retire.
Cries out, 'tis Iosephs coate with blood defild,
Some wicked beast deuoured hath the child.
I sent him out alone vnwittingly,
And therefore guilty of the crueltie.
So grieuous were his groanes and lamentation,
They turne to sorrow all his habitation,
And though his sonnes and daughters all arise
To comfort him, the best they can deuise,
Yet still the good old man doth groane and crie,
Ioseph is lost, I in his coate will die.
He with wilde beasts is into peeces torne,
Ile sooner cease to liue, then cease to mourne.

Father saith Dina then, th' vnlucky maid,
Why should you without cause be thus dismaid?
Before times I haue often heard you say,
Gods Angell you conducted in your way,
From hence eu'n vnto the Assyrian plaine,
And thence from Laban brought you home againe;
Oh why should you despaire then thus and feare,
As God of yours had not as great a care?
What because here a bloody coate you see,
Must it be Iosephs needes? or if it bee,
He may, whilst he from cruell beasts did flie,
Forsake his coate to scape more speedily:
He that this coate found loose vpon the ground,
Not any signe of murthering him found,
Nor found he either hand, head, foot or bone,
Onely this bloody coate lay all alone;
Blooded it seemes with iawes of cruell beast,
Which on some other prey had made his feast:
“Thus can the whole to sicke good counsell giue,
“And easier 'tis to teach well, then to liue:

But Ruben, Iudah, all his sonnes may rise,
And daughters all to comfort him deuise,
He rends his clothes, puts sackecloth on his loines,
And for his Ioseph long time weepes and pines,
And mourning will goe downe vnto his graue
To Ioseph, whom he here shall neuer haue.
Meane while to Nile the Midian merchants hie,
Laden with Balme, with mirrhe, and Spicerie,
When Ioseph, whom if they could truely prize,
Was farre more worth than all their merchandize;
Did bondage base vnto his noble minde,
More bitter, then death to his body finde;
But hauing none to whom to make his mone,
Goes sighing, sobbing to himselfe alone,
Vntill a merchant willing him to cheare,
That hee might fairer looke, and sell more deare,
Enquireth of his parents and his kinde,
To put more pensiue thoughts out of his mind;

Know; saith the gentle childe, my parents came
From Heber, whence we Hebrewes haue our name,
The fourth from Sem, first of that blessed seede,
Th' Almighty chose mankind againe to breede:
My Father Iacob who the Birth right bought
Of Esau, that Gods Blessing set at nought,
Was Isaacks sonne, eu'n Abrams blessed seede,
In whom all Nations happinesse may reade.
My Mother Rachel, now depriu'd of Life,
Was Israels first Loue, but second Wife:
Laban both Sonne and Father in one night,
Deceau'd; of's wife him, me of my Birth right:
For when his thoughts in nuptiall Bed embrace
My Mother Rachel, Lea's in place:
Whereby my Brethren me in yeares surpasse,
But I them in my Fathers loue and grace;
For enuy hereof, Lo! they me haue sold,
Thus briefly I my state to you haue told.

The Children of the Bond woman were glad,
They one now Bound of the Free-womans had:
But whilst such talke makes shorter seeme the houres,
Behold they now may see braue Memphis Towres,
Turrets which seeme to dare the Starry skies,
And Temples which like Toppes of Mountaines rise,
Whose Phanes and Spires all guilt, with radiant gold,
They shining like the Lampes of heau'n behold,
Which often with reflecting splendor bright,
Seeme to obscure Sols clearest heau'nly Light.

When thus the Lad. Good Masters, So must I
Now call you, and will serue you chearefully,
Tell me what glorious Buildings yonder bee,
Whose like in Canaan I did neuer see;
Which seeme, except mine eyes me much doe faile,
Like to a Citie that on Sea doth saile,
Or Noahs Arke which floting on the Floud,
Preseru'd all kinde of Creatures with their food.

Boy, saith a Merchant, This is Egypts Plaine,
Where neuer yet did fall a drop of raine;
The Waues you see are seu'n-fold headed Niles,
Which now doth Ouer-flow the richest soiles,
Whence euer Sol by his all quickning heate,
Rais'd Corne and Grasse, for Man and Beast to eate:
There where you see the Floud like Seas appeare,
Will be a Haruest twice within a yeare.
Beside, no mortall wight could euer wish,
Then's there more plenty of most dainty Fish:
Abram the Father of great Ishmael,
(From whom our Nation) Famine did compell
For succour to descend, into this Land,
Where he is said to make them vnderstand
The Nature of the highest Deitie,
Formes, Lawes, and Natures of the Starry skie,
And first them taught to measure out their yeare,
By Sunnes iust course: For it doth plaine appeare,
That they till then the Moone did measure by,
VVhich makes them bost of such antiquitie,
And reckon in their annuall Computation,
Thousands of yeares before the VVorlds Creation:
But though he gaue them in all Arts direction,
Yet neuer brought they one to such perfection,
As that we call Diuine Astronomie:
For in this Country best they might descrie,
The formes and orders of the Lamps of Night,
VVhere neuer Clouds obscure them from their sight.
First in Caldea Abram learn'd this skill,
And grew so well acquainted with Gods will,
He knew all things, they say, by Reuelation,
Past, present, future, from the VVorlds Creation,
Till that last minute that it could expire,
VVhich as by Water erst, shall be by Fire.

Indeed, saith Ioseph, I haue heard it tould,
The first man Adam prophecide of ould,
The worlds destruction twice, for sinnes iust hire,
The one by Water th' other by the Fire,
Seth therefore Adams scholler and his sonne,
Not knowing which was first: of earth and stone,
Two Pillars built; The earth against the fire,
The stone to stand 'gainst waters raging ire:
Where Arts, which long Experience had obserued,
He vnto future ages faire preserued,
The earthen pillar perisht in the flood,
The stone the waters violence withstood,
These Heber finding after published
In Syria, where first learning flourished:
Till Abram, who herein did all excell,
Came downe to Egypt, and as you doe tell,
Conuerst with one they called Mercury,
Whom, with these Arts, he taught the mystery
Of one trine God-head, and the worlds creation,
Who read the same vnto their neighbour nation.
Whence now they are, and shall in time be spred
Through all the earthly globe inhabited.

Thus they discourse, as if they would foretell
Of Gentiles all, which after should excell,
In Arts and Sciences; which now dispread,
As men, through all the earth on which we tread:
For as the earrh empeopled was below
By Adam, so all Arts and Learning flow
First from the Hebrews, vnto eu'ry nation,
As Rules and Precepts come by obseruation:
But now the cittie's towres obscure the skies,
And make them hold their tongues, and vse their eyes
The splendor of those buildings to behold,
Where they the second time good Ioseph sold.