University of Virginia Library

Scene VII.

—A Hall in Joseph's House.
Joseph, Officer, &c.—Enter Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, and Benjamin.
Joseph.
Ah! wherefore has thou done this evil thing?
Wottest thou not that such a man as I
Can easily divine? Was it so well,
After my bounty and my goodness shown,
To fail as you have done?

Judah.
What shall we say?—
What can we speak, my lord? Behold, we kneel.
We are the bondmen of my lord, both we,
And he, the boy, with whom the cup was found.

Joseph.
Nay, God forbid that I should be so hard:
Only the man with whom the cup was found
Shall be my bondman; all the rest arise,
And go in peace unto your father's house.

Judah.
My lord is even bountiful in this;
Yet let your servant speak unto your ear,
Nor raise your anger, for you are indeed
Even as great as Pharaoh in the land.—
My lord did ask of us about our home,
Whether we had a father yet alive,
And of his children; when your servants said,
‘Our sire is very old, and hath a son,
The only flower and comfort of his age;
A little one, whose brother is long dead,
And he alone is left of Rachel's sons;—
Wherefore his father loveth him as life.’

Simeon.
We all do love our father, sir, so much,
That we dare not return without the boy,
Lest we should lose him by a broken heart.

Judah.
Then said my lord, ‘Bring down the boy to me
That I may set my eyes on him;’ whereat
Your servants, stooping low unto you, said,
‘The man is old, and he doth love the child,
And if we take him from him he will die;’
And lo! my lord was wroth, and did command
That we should bring the lad, or never dare
Set eyes upon his countenance again.
All this we told our father, and the corn
Was all consum'd before his patience came:
At length, sore press'd by famine and sharp want,
He did commit his life (which is his boy)
Unto our hands, and we did promise him
Never to ask a blessing at his hands
Until our brother should come back again.
And it shall come to pass, when he shall see
The lad is not with us, that he will die;
And we shall bring down our own father's hairs,
Grey as they are, with sorrow to the grave.
Therefore I pray my lord to let me stay,
A bondman to my lord, and let the lad
Go with his brethren forth instead of me;
And so our father shall not die, but live.

Reuben.
My lord will pardon me if I shall ask,
Hath he a father? then with our eyes behold
The awful pain it is to have a hand
In breaching of the comfort of his age;
Or so to pave the way of circumstance,
That his own sons shall be the instruments
To lay him in his grave before his time.

Judah.
Therefore be merciful to us, my lord,
And counsel us what is the best to do.
We fear to use our father cruelly.

Joseph.
Cause every one to leave me with these men.
[Exeunt Attendants.
Did you not say you had a brother lost,
Or dead?

Judah.
Nay, he was lost, my lord. Perchance
He fell in danger, and is dead.

Joseph.
I am
Your brother—lo! behold!—'tis I am he,—
Joseph, your brother!—And doth Israel live—
Our father, Jacob, the good, wise old man?
I cannot speak, for tears do wash my cheek,
And I have scarcely breath to welcome you.—
You cannot speak, for you are wrapp'd around
In strange confusion of fear, shame, and grief.
You do not know how I do joy once more
To look upon my brothers.—Nay, come near—
Come round about me—surely, I am he
That you did sell unto the Ishmaelite;
But I am he that will not think of that.
God hath a sure and simple way, my friends,
In causing mortals to enact His will—
Yea, good doth come of evil; I was sent
Out of my father's bosom to this land,
To cherish life; and lo! what hath betid!
Greatness and glory God hath given me:
Therefore grieve not, nor fret upon your act,
For I declare 'twas God who sent me forth.
Reuben and Judah, I am dash'd with joy—
Come, let me lean upon your shoulders.—Come—
Nay, do not weep—now in with me and talk.
I have much comfort for my brothers' ears,
And much to listen to.—Govern your hearts;
I may not pluck of them, they are too ripe.—
Simeon, or Issachar, bring Benjamin
Along, and follow all about me close.

[Exeunt.