University of Virginia Library

[OMITTED] Hemor
Be well assurd the match I'l further so farforth as I can
& there of will to Iacob speake, the whyle let's in agayne.

Iacob
I heare sichem my Daughter hath abus'd, yet I'l be silent
vntyll my sonnes from the field come. & lo now are they present
Sonns do you heare how foule a thinge Sichem hath done in Israell

Ruben
Father we do, & on hym we'l reuenge our Sisters quarell.

Hemor
Iacob the soule of my sonne Sichem's fastned to your Daughter
where fore let hym haue her to wyfe, & let's one match wt h th'other
Geue vs your daughters, & take ours to you yf that you please
& dwell wt h vs & till our land, & you shall yt possesse.

Sichem
Let vs but fynde grace in your sight, & looke what Dowry s'euer
you shall demaund, yt shall be geuen: only geue me your daughter

Simeon
We can not her bestow on an vncircumcised person
wc h amongst vs vnlawfull ys, and a great abomination
But if you'l be lyke vs, & all the males be circumcised
amongst you, then shall mariages be twene vs be solemnized,
& we will dwell wt h you, & as one people lyue to gether
But yf you'l not be circumcis'd we'l from you fetch our Sister.

Hemor
Your offer pleaseth vs right well, where fore we will be gone
& circumcise the males that are amongst vs euery one.

Simeon
Fare well, & when that you haue done, we'l meete you here agayne.
All that we sayd was but in guyle, & yet yt made fooles fayne
father will yt not please you now agayne in for to walke


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Iacob.
Yes, come, let's go that we about this busines may talke.

Simeon
Brother Leui this the third day ys since they were circumcised
So that their wounds are now at sor'st, & there wt h they most payned
wherefore let vs boldly sett vpon the citty & them morder
Not spareinge one of the male sex, & bringe away our sister

Iudas
Now haue our brothers Simeon & Leui wt h their parttakers slayne
all the male Sex wt h in the citty, & spared neuer a man
Not so much as Hemor & Sichem but haue them both murdered
& out of Sichems house our sister Dina also conveyed.
And now let vs go spoyle the citty in reuenge of the rape
& wayst their howses fields, & catle, & let nothinge escape.
but captyue lead away wt h vs their litle ones, & theyr wyues

Isachar, Zabulon etc.
Content, syth there vnto the foulnes of the fact vs dryues.

Ada
Woes vs pore soules! For one mans fault must all we thus be punished?
Our husbands slayne, we captyues lead, & our whole citty spoyled
This is to great seuerity for one fault, though most heynous
& vnto you who tooke this prize, yt can not be but daungerous
where fore some pitty on vs take, as pittyed you would bee
yf you should fall (as fortune's mutable) in to lyke kynde of misery

Isachar
No mercy will we shew, but as Sichem hath wrong'd vs all
by the rape of our only sister, So shall you greate & small
for this only offence be plagud wherefore your pratinge leaue,
& go wt h vs, for as you haue deseru'd, you shall receiue.

Ada
Some mercy shew: some pitty take vpon vs wretched people.
Yf not on vs, yet on our children that are both yonge & litle.

Zabulon
You do but spend your words in vayne for no sparke of compassion
wee'l shew to any, whether yonge or old, & therefore hence be gone.

Iacob
Sonnes I perceiue you haue both troubled me, & made me odious
vnto the chananites, & the pheresits, for you were ouer rigorous

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in punishinge my daughters rape, though the offence was worthy
of sharp reuenge because they dyd abuse her so notoriously
for you can not be ignorant, but must needes vnderstand
that we are few, they many, & the Inhabiters of this land
& gatheringe of their powers together may at their pleasures strike mee
& so I & my house in one day shall destroyed bee.

Ruben
Why did they then abuse our sister as she had bene a strumpet?

Iacob
The wrong'd her much I do confesse: but now let's that forgett
& towards Bethell forthwt h go, as god hath me commanded
& there an Altar buyld to hym, where he to me appeared
when I from Esau fled, & heard me in my tribulation

Simeon
Do as yt lykes you best, wee'l attend on you euery one.

Omar
Now Iacob & his sonnes, on whom we would haue bene reuenged
for the great slaughter they haue made amongst vs are departed
& such a terrour generally in vaded hath our citties
that we dare not pursue them goinge for to requit the iniuryes
wc h they haue to vs done, but letten them quietly depart
though to our vtter shame, such terrour hath possest our hart.
& thus much for [to] say I blush, although in truth yt's so
& yet we know no cause of feare. but now hence must I go.

Iacob
In Bethel now we are aryu'd, where I haue buylt an Altar
& cal'd yt, House of god, for there to me he dyd appeare
& now me thinks I heare his voyce agayne: yt's the self same.

God
Hence forth no more Iacob, but Israell shall be thy name.
Israel I am god almighty: do thou increase & multiply:
Out of thy loyns shall kings proceede, & nations shall come of the
& the land wc h I vnto Abraham & Isaac gaue
in former tymes, both thou & thy seede after thee shall haue

Iacob
Moust humble thanks my gracious lord I vnto the do render

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Now will I vnto mambre go there for to see my father.
As by the way I and my family went, Rachel my wyfe
in trauell fell, & dyd bringe forth a sonne, wc h cost her lyfe
& Benoni she did hym call, that's the sonne of my payne
whom Beniamin, that's sonne of the right hand I nam'd agayne
And when that I had her inter'd I to my father went
wt h my twelue sonnes & daughter, & found hym aged, weak & impotent
for wc h I sory was, yet did my will to gods resigne
& he fell sicke & dyed, when I a while had wt h hym bene
beinge one hundred yeares & eighty old, whom we two brothers
Esau & I interd after the fashion of our fore fathers
And after that the days of mourninge for his death were ended
at sundry tyme in frendly wyse we on the other visited
& in his wonted maner now I see hym cominge hither

Esau
How do you brother? I sory am we can not dwell together
any longer tyme here in chanaan our flockes are so increased
that one land can not beare them all but they must needs be parted
where fore I'l take my wyues, & sonnes & daughters & whole family
& all my wealth, & in mou[n]t Seir go dwell an other country
& leaue for you & for your wyues, children & flocks this land

Iacob
Thankes Brother, & to my smale power I'l be at your command

Esau
well then I'l take my leave of you, though wt h great griefe of heart
for loath I am yf I could choose from you for to depart

Iacob
And I from you, but syth together we can no longer stay
I'l go alonge wt h you for to conduct you on the way.