Egypts Favourite The Historie of Joseph, divided into four parts: Together with old Israels Progresse into the Land of Goshen. By Francis Hubert |
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IOSEPH IN SVMMO.
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 | Egypts Favourite |  |
IOSEPH IN SVMMO.
OR, The Noble Favourite.
1
Now after thunder and tempestuous stormes,The purged aire grows to be calme & cleare,
And all the stars put on their fairest formes,
To smile on Ioseph each one from its Sphere.
2
Old froward Saturne (earst malevolent)Is now appeas'd by his more gentle Sonne,
Whose sweet aspect hath made him eminent,
And he is seated next the Kingly throne.
3
Sterne Mars, that but of late was bent to blood.Being now with Venus in coniunction.
Hath chang'd his fury to a milder mood,
And now from Armes he is to Amours wonne.
4
Sol shines vpon him with his cherefull rayes,Who giues him wealth; and Hermes eloquence,
And Cynthia shee her brightest beames displayes,
And he growes fruitfull by her influence.
5
But these are not the giuers of our good,'Tis onely God that doth command them all,
And his commands can neuer be withstood:
He smiles, and men doe rise; He frownes, they fall.
6
The Planets are but agents of his will,They rule in vs sometimes, he rules them euer:
The Trine aspect is the most blessed still,
Who's vnder that can be vnhappy neuer.
7
Ioseph was so, vvho but of late was seene,Eu'n in his depth of Winter almost dead;
And (loe) a sudden Spring hath made him greene,
Much growne in height, and very greatly spread.
8
Obserue the flowes and ebbes of Mans estate;See how that part of the still turning vvheele,
Which was but low, and toucht the ground of late,
Is now the highest, and will straight wayes reele
9
Downe to the Center: No man is so fix'd,But that he may be soone remoou'd againe,
The vvorld hath nothing simple: all is mix'd,
An houre of pleasure, and a day of paine.
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Therefore what ere thou be, doe not despaire,Loose not thy fortunes, and thy hopes together:
Thy Morning's foule, thine Euening may be faire,
For Mans estate doth alter like the weather.
11
Oft haue I heard some aged men foretellOr following Raine, by th'aking of their bones:
I doe not like that Almanacke so well,
Ide rather fetch my skill from sweating stones:
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For stones (some say) will sweat against a raine:That may be so: but this is certaine true,
Our states haue somtimes cramps, then sound again,
Then sicke againe, and then comes health anew.
13
Joseph you saw late in a deadly swoune,Now he recouers, and to strength doth grow,
Who (notwithstanding all his great renowne)
Doth not forget why he was raysed so.
14
Hee knowes although hee were a Magistrate,T'was not for his owne ends, or for his ease,
But to prouide for, and preserue the state,
Which seuen yeares bitter famine els would seyze.
15
Hee thinkes vpon his worke hee hath to doe:Hee mouldes his busines in his carefull minde:
Great King, braue Court, deare wife to all adue,
Ioseph must sayle now with another winde.
16
Hee's Country-bound: and now hee doth prouide,For following famine, In the yeares of store:
'Tis good (men say) to take both Wind and Tyde,
And whil'st they both serue well, to ply the Oare.
17
Mee thinkes, I doe behold this labouring Bee,How hee flyes vp and downe to store his hiue,
And (sweetest time) hee gathers most from thee,
And so must all Bees doe that meane to thriue.
18
There are some happy houres which if wee take,Wee crowne our labours with desir'd successe,
And if those fitting seasons wee forsake,
Wee well may wish them more, but find them lesse.
19
Hee builds, hee gathers, and hee layes vp grayne,The best of his abilityes hee spends,
In ceass-lesse labour, and vnwearied payne:
That hee may bee succesfull in his ends.
20
It was no May-game that hee had in hand,His charge was weighty, and requir'd him all;
Men that are great in Place, and in command,
Are not their owne, must not bee seuerall.
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They must be like the Sunne, whose common flame,Affordeth heate and light to euery-one,
Ther's more in greatnes then the very name,
It hath much matter for to worke vpon.
22
The prudent states-man often-times doth wake,Whil'st sweet Repose seales vp the vulgar Eye:
His countrey care oft makes his head to ake,
With forging thousand formes of policie.
23
And without doubt, they which sit neere the healmeAnd haue the greatest steerage of the state,
Are the most painefull seruants of the Realme,
To whom the Prince his power doth delegate.
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Both for his owne, and for his Countreys good,Which must be the chiefe end of their endeauors:
So Ioseph is imployd to gather food,
And in that seruice seuen yeeres he perseuers.
25
And the Almightie pleas'd to blesse him so,That he did store vp graine in such a measure,
As that the number numberlesse did grow,
And yet he was not barr'd from lawfull pleasure:
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For in those yeeres God gaue him two fayre Boyes,To be the staffe of his declining Eld,
And in those blessings Iosephs soule more joyes,
Then in the greatest honours that he held:
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Manasseh, Ephraim, (comforts of his life)You are his glory, and his strength beside,
Himselfe divided was, his loving wife,
His children vvere himselfe, but multiplide:
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So many selues will make one selfe long liu'd,In whom he still shall liue, when he is dead:
Egypt saw Josephs end, yet hee surviu'd
In those faire boughs, that from his root were spred.
29
But I must to my taske, for Time goes on,And (as men say) flies with a Swallowes vving:
The yeeres of plentie soone are past and gone,
And famine now thrusts forth her deadly sting;
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And then how Ioseph did himselfe deport,How well he gouern'd his long-gather'd graine,
And how all Egypt did to him resort
For needfull food, whose sale brought in great gaine
31
To his Lords coffers: how he bought their Land,Their goods, their cattell, and themselues vvithall,
The sacred Writ will make you vnderstand.
Egypt farewell: for Canaan now doth call.
32
Yet this before I goe, (obserue it well)And 'tis but touch'd, to shame our wretched Time:
Although wise Ioseph, (as the Text doth tell)
Did make a purchase of th'Egyptian Clime
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To his Kings vse: yet did he hold his handFrom buying of the Priests that which was theirs,
He would not meddle vvith the Holy land,
'Twas consecrated: therefore he forbeares
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Such irreligious purchase: yet the King,Supplyes them, with all necessary food:
Though thē their fields no fruitful crops did bring;
Yet they that serued for the common good,
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T'was iust the common-good should serue for them,Eu'n Heathen people held it pietie,
To furnish with fit meanes religious men:
Although they worship'd a false Dietie.
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How then should wee respect and honour too,The faithfull seruants of the liuing Lord?
And so (wee see) our sacred Soueraigne doe:
And (O) mee thinkes his Copie should afford
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A fayre example, for to guide our hand;In other things Autoritie swayes much:
And wee are willing Apes to great command:
But yet in this wee haue too little touch.
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And so (indeed) wee haue in all deuotion,Our heau'n is on the Earth: wee sweate for that:
Our Ayme's at wealth, at honour, and promotion,
And in pursuite of them, w'are very hot.
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But stay, my Muse, why dost thou change thy course?For thou wert shipt and bound for Canaan,
Where famine likewise raged with great force;
Eu'n Iacob wants, that vvas a vvealthy man,
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That had both Coyne, and Cattell at command,Strong in his issue, and belou'd of God:
Yet now hee's vnder his afflicting hand,
Whose dearest children cannot scape the rod.
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And he doth often rule them with blacke Lead,That he may keepe them straighter in the line.
And (left by rest there should a rust be bred)
By filing them hee doth them oft refine.
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Therefore thou happy soule, that seekes for Heau'n,Expect not here a Deluge of delight:
If God doth make thy cares and comforts eu'n,
It is a worke of Mercie, not of right.
43
When Iacob heard, that Egypts store did yeeldSufficient graine, eu'n for a forren good,
He cals to him his sonnes, and then he wild
They should for Egypt make, to buy some food.
44
Hee needs not bid them spur (the Prouerbe sayes)Whom bitter famine on their way doth driue,
They take their fathers blessing, goe their wayes:
And speed for Egypt, where they soone arriue.
45
To Ioseph brought, their busines they declare,And to the ground their humble knees they bow,
VVithout his warrant they can haue no ware:
And by the name of Lord salute him now.
46
Ioseph his brethren sees, and wonders much,And now his former dreames hee cals to mind:
Hee beares him selfe, as if hee had no touch,
Of nature in him: striues to bee vnkind.
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Hee knew them well: but would not know them nowO, they were spies, and came to search the land,
Corne was their Colour, but they practis'd how
To bring all Egypt vnder their command.
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How soone may greatnesse draw the innocent,At least within the seeming gripe of lawes?
And if it bee to rigorous courses bent,
How readily it finds, or makes a cause?
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The brethren tell him, that they came to buy,Food for their father, and their familyes,
That they his seruants ment no trachery,
That they were neither borne, nor bred for spyes.
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That they were one mans sons, who had two more,And that the youngest with their Syre was left,
And that the other was (long time before)
By fatall accident from him bereft.
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I, thence it is, that I suspect you spyes,You goe not hence, except that youth come hither,
By this you shall be try'd (Ioseph replyes)
As by a third they parley'd thus together.
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Ther's no contesting with great Ioseph now:They must to Prison, whither they were sent,
Till farther time more leasure did allow,
And better meanes, to sound their whole entent.
53
Imprisonment, thou art the liuing graue,Wherein to bury men, whil'st they are quicke,
And yet the soule may freest motions haue:
Although the body bee immur'd with bricke,
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For nothing can confine the working soule,That may recourse vnto Heau'ns glorious frame,
And compasse all the vvorld vvithout controule,
And see, and sound the actions of the same.
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An able actiue Gentleman of worth,That lost his head vvhen Mary swayd the State,
Vpon the Scaffold freely gaue it forth,
That he had learn'd more in the Tower of late,
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Then in the course of all his life beside,Being vvell-traveil'd, vvell-imployd at home;
And yet (quoth he) whilst I did there abide,
I got more knowledge in yon little roome,
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(Poynting vnto a corner of the Tower)Then before that I euer could attaine:
For there I learn'd to know Gods supreame power,
My selfe a sinfull worme, the vvorld most vaine.
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O happy man, that studiest well this art;And happy place that made him study so:
And blessed Bookes (deare bolts) that did impart
Such sacred, secret Science, vvhich few know,
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And fewer care to learne: and that's the causeWhy our desires so doat on vanitie,
That we are carried hood-wink'd vvithout pause,
Into vnseene, but certaine miserie.
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I may eu'n of my selfe an instance make:When did I entertaine such thoughts as these?
Oh vvhen did I this theame for subiect take?
Whilst sin (begot with wealth, and nurst with ease,
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Confirm'd with vse) did onely sway my will,Without all care of God, my selfe, or other.
But this is not the story of my ill,
The brothers call me, shut vp by a brother,
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And so restrain'd, and all remoou'd from them:Me thinks, I seeme to see them, how they stare
Each vpon other, like amazed men,
Wondring both why, and how, and where they are.
63
A three dayes durance they indured there:Ioseph, thou keep'st not iust proportion,
One day the Pit contain'd thee, and vvas cleare
Of thee againe before the setting Sunne.
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The punishment in this transcendes th'offence,Eu'n like for like, had bin equalitie:
Yet Ioseph, this Ile say in thy defence,
And truely, without partialitie.
65
Their act was diu'llish, and vnnaturall,Which cast vpon thee many-yeares-restraynt,
In daily feare of death (the gall of gall)
Whil'st their vnsuffring soules no care did taynt.
66
No thought of thee, no pittie of thy wrong,And therefore now they very iustly beare
This short, and easie durance: thine was long,
And vndeseru'd: thou free, they faultie were.
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And yet it seemes, that Iosephs soule did grieue;For sending for them, thus to them hee sayd:
I likewise feare your God: doe this, and liue:
Let one of you a Pris'ner here be stayd,
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The rest returne vnto your aged Sire,Both his, and your owne wants shalbe supplide,
But bring your brother with you I require,
For that's the Test whereby you shalbe tryde.
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Ioseph had spoke the vvord, they must obey;And yet they tooke it to the very heart,
And to themselues in their owne language say,
That these their sufferings came by due desert.
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Although that they were spotlesse of this crime,Wherewith vniustly they were charg'd vvithall,
Yet when they cast th'account of their whole time,
And summ'd vp all their actes in generall,
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They found a Brother missing, whom they sold,(Stirr'd vp by spleenefull hatred) to his graue,
And now ther are by sad Remembrance told,
That they must Legem talionis haue.
72
Now Conscience giveth better Evidence,Who is both Witnesse and Tormentor too,
And Reuben now vpbraids them with th'offence,
Now see, what your blind malice made you doe.
73
I wish'd you not to sinne against the youth,But you were deafe as Adders, would not heare,
Now is his blood requir'd: And now in truth,
Your seed of sinne this crop of shame doth beare.
74
They doe confesse th'Indictment, 'twas too true,Their brothers blood did for iust vengeane crie,
And now the hand of Heau'n payes them their due,
And they are caught in their impietie.
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O sinne, the fretting corr'siue of the heart,The biting worme that breeds within the breast,
A sure, but sad remembrancer thou art,
No rest till done, and then indeed no rest.
76
Well, now there's no resisting Iosephs will:Of all extreames 'twas best to chuse the least:
Simeon as Pledge must stay in prison still,
(For so was Josephs choyce) for all the rest,
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Who were dismist in peace, and all their sackesBy Iosephs Officers vvere fild with graine,
Who likewise put their moneys in their packes,
And vvhat they brought, restor'd to them againe.
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Home they returne, and to their father tellHow Egypt vs'd them, what the Ruler sayd,
Of all things in the voyage them befell,
A short, plaine, true narration to him made.
79
You may conceiue, that aged Israell,Heard the relation with a great distast:
And inwardly his grieued heart did swell,
Till thus it leap't into his tongue at last.
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Ioseph is not: Simeon is not to mee,And shall I likewise Beniamin forgoe?
Why haue you done these things: since these things be
Against your father, and all worke his woe.
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What, doe you find your owne affections such,As that you hold the losse of Children light?
In my sad soule I feele another touch,
And nature workes in mee with powerfull might.
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The motions of a tender father's loue:An vntouch'd heart can hardly comprehend:
But you are fathers too: and well may proue,
Eu'n by your selues: that nature doth discend.
83
I cannot yeeld, that Beniamin should goe,His brother's dead, and hee is left alone:
If hee should die, I should but liue in woe,
And dying, goe into my graue with moane.
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When hee was borne, his mother was bereft mee,My dearest Rachell (see, you make mee weepe)
And nothing now of her, but him is left mee,
And (as her dying Pledge) I him will keepe.
85
Thus hee resolu'd: but famine still growes hot,The food was almost spent, that late was brought:
In Canaan there was little to bee got:
A new supply from Egypt must bee sought.
86
The stately Steed that champes the steely bit,And proudly seemes to menace friend and foe,
Doth fling and foame, and boundeth oft, and yet,
(Poore beast) perforce hee is inforc'd to goe.
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And good-old Israell, so it fares with thee,Thy Beniamin must goe: there is no boot,
For all thy other sonnes in this agree:
That without him, they will not stirre a foot.
88
Better at home to end their weary race,And with their dearest friends together dye:
Then goe and seeke for death in a strang place,
And that with publicke scorne, and infamie.
89
Besides his Iudah earnest suit did make,That to his care hee would commit his sone:
His deare-lou'd Darling, hee would vndertake,
For his returne: which should be safe, and soone.
90
Iacob replyes: it must bee so (I see)Well, take with you the best fruits of the land,
Gifts silent speakers, but preuailers bee:
For Haukes come not vnto an emptie hand.
91
Therefore take somewhat of each seu'rall thing,To shew your thankfull mindes in worst extreames:
A better fortune greater gifts would bring:
But your poore present answeares to your meanes.
92
And in your hand the money hither brought,Doubly returne: for feare some ouersight
By you my sonnes should formerly be wrought:
And take your brother too, my chiefe delight.
93
And when that you haue done all that you may,God make you gracious in the great-mans eyes,
For onely hee must guy'd you in your way:
And giue a blessing to your enterprize.
94
I, holy father, tha's the poynt indeed,Now thou hast hit the nayle vpon the head,
The best of our endeuours cannot speede,
If by the hand of heau'n not seconded.
95
Vaine are their thoughts, that think their watching canPreserue that Cittie, which God doth not keepe,
And their's as vaine, who quit all vse of man,
And thinke that God will guard them, though they sleepe
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Where to our safetie our sedulitie,Is requisite: God seldome workes alone,
Neglect of meanes is fond credulitie,
First for the Lord, and then for Gideon.
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And that's the only course that men can take,Vnto Gods blessing ioyne thyne owne endeuour,
Heau'n helpes not him, that doth him-selfe forsake,
The end and meanes doe alwayes goe together.
98
But stay my muse, mee thinkes thy pace is slow,Thou mak'st no speed in thy intended way:
Perhaps th'art tyr'de with trauell to and fro,
Then take thyne Inne vntill some other day.
99
Or els perhaps the famine makes thee faynt,Which works too strongly in thy feeble braine:
I, ther's the gall: These are thy yeares of want,
Some better times will make thee sing againe.
Timens Deum, non habet quod timeat vlterius.
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