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 't were 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 cu'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 't is 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 I le 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 't is 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 sacke cloth 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
heau'n's windows opened And to his chosen thence had rained bread Which he as lib'rally participates Vnto his Neighbours and Confederates Of whom then taking leaue soone as he might He to Bersheba iourneyed that night Full twenty miles where freed from heathen eyes He to his God might offer sacrifice And saith thus to his sonnes this is the place Where the Egyptian Agar first found grace When as Gods Angell made her see the well Which sau'd the life of her and Ishmael Here let vs vp to God an Altar reare For sacrifice that God which did appeare To Abraham and Isaacke also may To vs appeare as well vpon our way And in our Iourney vs direct aright Then in a Dreame and Vision of the night When sleepe his bodyes senses seized all God to his Soule doth Iacob Iacob call I am the God vnto thy fathers knowne Then feare not into Egypt to go downe For I will goe with thee and make thee there A mighty people Therefore do not feare But they shall come againe And Iosephs hand Shall close thine eyes in the Egyptian land Then early from Bersheba all arose And in the Waggons all themselues dispose Sixty seu'n which with Ioseph and his sonnes Before in Egypt iust to seu'nty comes Leauing the high montanous craggy hills Of Pharan neare th' Arabian rocky shells Vpon their left hand bend downe on the right To that which the Egyptian sea is hight Where a plaine way from thence to Egypt guides Ore Sihor which from Canaan it diuides By South as great Euphrates doth diuide Chalde by North from Canaans fruitfull side Here Iacob who doth all occasions take Gods promise certaine to his sonnes to make Thus tells them By this Riuer's is bordered The land God promised to Abrams seede From this Egyptian Riuer all the lands Are giu'n vs eu'n to great Euphrates sands A King of Iudahs seed one day shall raigne Ore all from Sihor to the riuer maine Sihor on South shall border Iudahs side Euphrates Dan so sure as God did guide Ioseph to Egypt to prouide vs graine He to this land will bring vs backe againe Then by this Prouerbe men shall vnderstand From Dan vnto Bersheba all the land Oh how can you incredible this deeme Who haue in Egypt Iosephs glory seene That harder was then this to bring to passe This promisd but that neuer hoped was Then fording Sihor they through Kedar past A countrey barren sauage wild and wast Call'd so of Kedar sonne of Ishmael Here Iacob eke occasion seekes to tell Of Gods great goodnesse them a land to giue Not fruitlesse barren where the dwellers liue As here of Couin Rapine Theft and spoile But a most pleasant and well watered soyle Where plenty both of corne and wine do grow A land which doth with Milke and Honey flow Besides what cause haue we our God to praise Who vs conducts throgh these most dangerous waies Amidst these Robbers without feare or dread As late he at Bersheba promised There was a cittie built of costly matter A goodly outside but it wanted water Like to a lampe that shineth faire and bright But wants the Oyle that should maintaine the light Or like some outside gallants complement That lacks minds inward grace and ornament From Kedar passing towards Casius mount They vp vnto a goodly citty mount Where stood a goodly temple dedicate To Iupiter thence Casius nominate Not that huge mount which doth in Syria lie Which one reports to be neare foure miles high This citty eu'n on Egypts border stands And is the vtmost of the Hagarian lands Here Iacob grieues at the abhomination Of his neare kindred and his neighbour nation His vnckle Ishmael who with him came By Hagar from the loynes of Abraham And in his flesh receiu'd the Circumcision But falne to foulest heathenish superstition Oh my deare sonnes beware I speake to all How you to foule Idolatry doe fall Leauing that God which made the heau'ns alone To worship Idoles made of wood and stone And by religion of mans vaine deuising Adore Moone Planets Starres Fire and Sun-rising How are we bound aboue all other nations To blesse God for our often preseruations But most for that God vs hath giu'n his light And chosen vs to worship him aright This Idole whom these heathen Casius name With Hammon Iupiter's the very same In Canaan worshipt eu'n that cursed Cham From whence the Cananites receiue their name Whom holy Noah in malitious pride As Ishmael good Isaacke did deride Now fiue times had Auroras tresses bright Chased away the shadowes of the night Since Iacob came from Hebron with his traine And now was iournying on his way againe To Egypt when thus Ruben doth begin That place where we last lodged is the In Where Gad his money in his sacke did finde When he for Prouender did it vnbinde Lo there before vs is the fruitfull downe Of Goshen there aboue is Ram'sis towne Not one more pleasant spacious fruitfull plaine For pasture is in all the world againe There Pharohs pleasure is that we shall keepe Our Camels Asses all our flockes and sheepe Not ten miles thence are those two citties great Which Pharoh houlds for his Imperiall Seate The one call'd On Egypt's Metropolis The other Memphis whose large circuit is By measure seuenteene miles and more about But On is three miles larger out of doubt One with three thousand paces measure may Betwixt these two huge citties the midway There 's Iosephs country house whence to the court He at his ease and pleasure may resort Whether the King lye at his Memphian Bowers Or in his stately On s more princely Towers If God shall guide vs on our Iourney right Thou mayst see yet thy Iosephs face ere night Then Iacob sends out Iudah from that place To Ioseph rightly to direct the face Of Iacob and of all his sonnes and traine And hasten backe to bring him word againe Then Ioseph takes his Chariot for to meete His aged father and him duely greete As when good Iacob at Mahanaun met Gods host in order like an Army set When Esau threatned his last ouerthrow So doth the glory of these worthies show When they do both in Goshens plaine appeare And each vnto the other draweth neare Ioseph begins to welcome his great Sire And Iacob Iosephs glory doth admire And but they Idol worship both abhorred They one another surely had adored As when this Iacob after twenty yeares With Laban spent to Isaacke ould appeares They each in other wondrously delight So do these Worthyes two in mutuall sight Ioseph forgets his honour and his state And weepes on Iacobs necke eu'n as he sate And Israel forgets he was his sonne And as did Ioseph would to him haue done Clouds may not Muses can expresse their teares So long forbearance mutually endeares Them each to other but old Israel To Ioseph saith since I may with thee dwell And see thee in such great prosperitie Lo willingly
fairest Iuly flowers showne Or buds of damaske Roses scarcely blowne Oh these my daughter giue you more content Then Egypts wealth and costliest ornament Me thinks they hang vpon each arme of thine Like two faire Clusters on a fruitfull Vine These shall renew our dying memory And vs reuiue vnto Posteritie Behold I see in little Ephraims face My dearest Rachels louely lookes and grace Manasses like to Ioseph doth appeare Who aboue all his brethen was my deare But oh my daughter how much am I bound To you for vndeserued fauours found But Ioseph more a Princesse of your state So lowly to descend to be his mate God make him worthy of your grace and loue And that he may as acceptable proue To you his deare as he was wont be blest With highest fauours alwayes of the best For he at home in Bondage Prison Court In grace was alwayes with the better sort I Potiphar the Gaoler and the King Best lou'd and trusted him in euery thing Then Asenah I wish you were obserued Here my deare father as you haue deserued As for your sonne no noblenesse of birth Nor Egypts dowers can counteruaile his worth Who me hath taught the vanity of state Me worthy make as happy of my mate Such is his worth and noblenesse of mind I wonder not that he should fauour find Amongst the best But shall I you intreate To tell your daughter what you vse to eate For here you all must as at home command We but desire your will to vnderstand Daughter saith Iacob I was neuer nice Nor dainty to consume things of high price That 's alwayes best you easiliest can prepare Better are homely Cates then forraine fare My heards my foode my sheepe my clothing breade No better weare I nor no other feede Sixe score and ten yeares haue I beene content To liue on milke fruits and such nourishment Yet few or none that to mine age attaine So strong of body are and free from paine But aboue all the weather being faire I loue to walke abroad in freshest aire After my mornings draught to stirre is good For to refresh the Spirits and warme the blood This is the way diseases to preuent I thanke God I neere knew what phisicke ment Thus whilst they talke in plaine familiar sort Lo Ioseph vnexpected comes from Court And tells his father how he did present His brethren to the King who is content Them to employ according to their breeding In looking vnto sheepe and cattell feeding And now he much desires to see your face And with all Courtly honour you to grace I Iacob saith with all my heart will goe To that good King that Ioseph honours so But I desire of him no greater grace Then to liue in his Land and see thy Face I hope he likewise will conceiue my breeding And leaue me to my flockes and Cattell feeding Ioseph his Father then to Pharoh brings Who doing first Obeisance due to Kings Begins oh blessed blest thou euer be That rais'd my Ioseph to such Dignitie From Dungeon where stockes did his Limbs enroule And yrons enter'd eu'n into his Soule To rule all Egypt by thy borrowed might And be alone great Pharohs Fauorite And blest be ay for thy Benignitie Who sauest me and all my Family From perishing Alas for want of food God render in thy Bosome all thy good And double thy fore-Fathers daies vpon Thee and thy seede that sit vpon thy throne Thus ends the Sage when Pharoh thus replide How much more cause haue I to blesse the tide That noble Ioseph did to Egypt driue To saue me and my people all aliue Come hither Iacob let me thee embrace How can I but loue thee and all thy race Whom now as Cause and Author I doe see Oh Ioseph Father of all mine and mee It ioyes me Israel most exceedingly When I thy sonne in ought can gratifie To whom my Kingdome Life and all I ow As thou and thine and all the people know God sent thy Ioseph as a man before To lay vp here against this famine store For had we not by his foresight beene fed We thou and all for want had perished Thy Ioseph doth informe my Senatours And Wisedome teach vnto my Counsellours Well may he rule then ore my house and Land And all my substance haue at his command I am to this by Prouidence but led God hath indeed thus Ioseph honored Thou seemst of no lesse wisedome and defert Then good old father tell how ould thou art And in what course thou hast worne out this terme I aske not to examine but to learne Examples more then precepts teach to liue Good King saith Iacob thou doest eu'n reuiue My older age to heare thy wondrous loue To Ioseph whom more then my selfe I loue But seeing thou inquirest of mine age Know that the dayes here of my Pilgrimage A hundred and full thirty yeares haue beene The dayes are few and ill which I haue seene Nor haue I yet attained to the age And dayes of my forefathers Pilgrimage Two things I studdy here especially The first to liue well second well to die For what is all our life once gone and past But eu'n a way vnto our happy last The terme from whence to all flesh is the wombe That whither all doe hasten is the Tombe He happiest here who findeth on the way Fewest impediments his course to stay Some passe through sicknesse pouerty some wealth Honour preferment pleasure strength and health Some equally of both participate This is the meane yet safe and happiest Fate The highest I did euer here aspire And in this state I still to liue desire The highest honours to your Grace are due For God hath with a Kingdome honourd you Whereof you haue your selfe most worthy showne In looking to Gods glory not your owne Wisely therefore I speake it to your praise You honour them whom God would haue you raise And in your Kingdome prudently depresse Those whom God hateth for their wickednesse Thus needs your Gouernment must happy be When King and Senatours in one agree The proud to cast downe and to raise the iust So may the Rulers one another trust God that from Famine vs deliuered And by a dreame foretold thee counselled Both for thy land and houshould to prouide And all the world which else for want had dide Feede thee with inward and spirituall grace And giue in heau'n an euerlasting place For this I your poore Beadsman night and day Will in a homely countrey cottage pray Pharoh much ioy'd would faine haue entertaind And him at his owne boord with bread sustaind But good old Iacob modestly denide And sayd How long haue I on earth to bide I cannot now of good from ill make choyce Nor musique iudge by instrument or voyce Why should I be a burthen to the King And he reward so my small-meriting But let my sonne for me before thee stand And ready alwayes be at thy command Good man saith Pharaoh I