as when Saul From the rais'd Prophet heard his sudden doome And the sad ruin of his house to come Some with a scorn as when Goliah spide So weake a Champion come t'afront his pride With staffe and sling with like beleefe of fate Ensuing they began to vent their hate And are we born fond-dreamer to obey Must we indeed thy vassalls be cry'd they Must we adore thine eyes and seeke grace thence Whom Time and Nature gave preheminence What frantick pride transports thy fancy thus Shall such a boy as thou reign over Vs And thus they swel'd to a more high contempt Of him because he told them what he dreampt Yet this informing Genius left him not But newer fancies in his braine begot Such and of like presage which mindles he Of all their bitter flouts and mockery Freely vents out ev'n to his fathers eare Not caring though his envious brethren heare Iosephs second dreame Me thought the Sun and Moone did mee adore And th'elev'n Stars as did the sheaves before Quoth he with like obeisance Now his Syre In whose ag'd bosom rag'd th'un-usual fire Of indignation this relation mov'd Him in this sort to check the childe he lov'd What hast thou dreampt fond boy What shall we all Thy Father Mother and thy Brethren fall In reverence to thee Trust not these vaine And fond illusions of an idle braine Shall then that blessing leave me that hath gon Still an inseparable companion Of comfort with me That which Isaac gave And that which purchas'd I with lamenesse have Of my touch't thigh when all the night I strove With heav'nly powers discended from above Till I obtain'd And shall my name which men Us'd sacred in their deepest Oaths and when They speake to any unbeleeving eare By Abraham Isaac Jacob's God they sweare Shall this name stoope to thine Must thou indeede Be only blest of all the promis'd seede Thus chek't he him Yet ner'e the lesse each part Of Joseph's tale he treasur'd in his heart So did his brethren too though their intent From their good fathers was farre different They store his sayings up as fuel fit To feed their-hel-bred fire and nourish it Blown to too great a height already by Him that first chang'd the warmth and purity Of fire to scorching heate that it might be A meete reward to perpetuitie For his demerits who thus damn'd to flames To make all partners of his torture aimes Here and for ever and to that end he Tormenteth some with burning jealousie Others with flames of hate and rancorous ire Prepares as charcoales for eternall fire ' Mongst all in generall as they are inclin'd He casts these sparks which kindled once a wind From any thing hee 'l rayse to fan withall The heate more furious not a word can fall From harmlesse Joseph which not somthing hath That ads to his incensed brethrens wrath By this time grown to such a hellish flame That nothing but his blood can quench the same Exod. 20 But God that 's True and Gracious pitty takes Ev'n unto thousands for their fathers sakes Their Sins cannot old Jacob's service blot Nor may his oath to Abraham be forgot But unto all their goods his love converts The ill meant spleene of their malicious hearts Loe how to future times doth this foretell The childrens stubbornnesse of Jsrael From their beginning ag'd but one discent Their plot is murther of the innocent So mischievous their minds so bent on blood They spar'd not those that did or meant them good 'T was early in the morn when they were gon Forth with their Fathers flocks to feede upon The plaines of Sechem where they not above A few short houres had spent when Jacob's love Mov'd his desire to know what had befell Them since their parting whether all were well Amongst their flocks and them if they had found Good shades to rest in or good feeding ground There for their sheep and heards and thus inclinde He calls yong Joseph to him bids him finde His brethren out where they in Sechem are See them and bring me knowledge how they fare The youth is soon commanded which he shewes In quick obedience forth he gladly goes On this kind errand to perform the will Of him that sent him never fearing ill Because he meant no harm So innocent Was his great Master from his Father sent To their curst Of-spring who not only bred From cruell loynes but more experienced In blood and murther having slayn ev'n all That came and would them to repentance call So wicked as they are they send t' his grave Him that brought peace to all and came to save Who with an unmov'd soule as cheerfull went To give his Fathers will accomplishment Ev'n to the death though hence the difference grew He that his Fathers wisedome was fore-knew His danger Joseph went in little doubt o th' sad event to finde his brethren out And comes by this to Sechem cals and cries Aloud upon them but there 's none replies Untill as in their quest he roving ran Thus through the spacious fields he met a man Who finding him demanded what might be The cause of his so busie search quoth he I seek my brethren Sir can you I pray Direct my wandring steps or tell where they Have led their flocks I have to find them out Traverst the vale of Hebron and about The plaines of Sechem runne with fruitlesse speed Meeting with none could tell me where they feed No quoth the man then in good time I may Give thee some ease at last I heard them say Let us to Dothan hence Scarce had he said Dothan when Joseph but to thank him staid Then with much haste making this news his guide Posts after them whom when from far they spide Their colours chang'd and their distracted blood Eb'd to their hearts and streight gush't like a flood Into their face and eys and glowing there Made their long carried coales in flames appeare And then a murmur doth amongst them runne Like the winds strugling ere the storm 's begunne When the foure Elements assembled are From all the corners of the Earth to warre In some great Tempest when the Ayre and Fire Against the Earth and swelling-Seas conspire Thunder 's their trumpet at whose noyse they fall In a rude conflict mixt and threaten all Their poore inhabitants Lightnings would dry The Seas and they to quench heav'ns fires do try And hel's flames too where having falne they rise With a new crotchet now to strike the Skies The earth and ayr mean while as 't were dissolv'd Into one ill mixt body look involv'd Thus altogether rude and shapelesse as Old Chaos ere the worlds creation was Nothing but darknesse now no light is found More then in wretched man in passions drown'd Reason extinguish't man 's a world compos'd Of all the elements which lye enclos'd In severall humours from them bred whence flow Our passions which being bound and ordered so By reason as the
world by light the best And first of creatures made to rule the rest Angels are in their kinde lesse blest then we That images of our Creator be But that curb break and passions ruling then No storme no Chaos so deform'd as men And thus with Joseph's brethren 't was that stood Now like so many Cains in wait for 's blood See where yond dreamer comes say they let 's kill Let 's make an end of hm and see what will Become of all his projects and his visions His idle fancies and fond aparitions And for a good excuse we can not misse Wee 'l say Some beast devour'd him true it is Most savage beasts they were that thus did plot To ruine him their rage considered not His fathers care who sent whose love him brought To hearken of their healths this they nere thought All seek his death but Ruben who more milde Then were the rest labours to save the childe The boy is yong and childish he in vain Urg'd and for dreams deserv's not to be slain Then with his fathers weaknesse intercedes His years and his great love to Joseph pleads Joseph's the staffe and prop of Israels age Thus he persists but they still deafe with rage Give him no eare his words can do no good Which when he sees oh yet let 's shed no blood He cries my brethren I 'le direct a way To your revenge and yet we will not slay Nor lay our hands on him not farre from hence Ith'desert is a hollow hole and thence Down to the bottome the discent so steep That t is impossible he ere should creep Again above ground there 's no water there And t is so steep withall that none can heare His cryes and if by chance he there be found It may be said he fell into the ground Then can it nere be told we took his breath Although indeed we left him to his death None of his bloud can on our heads be laid For none of it we shed all this he said To rid him from their hands and if he might To bring him to their father home at night At last more pacified they take for sence His words and give him freer audience Reuben say they speaks truth then let 's not strive We will not kill but bury him alive Their plot concluded on and Joseph come They fall upon him altogether some Rip off his many colour'd coat the signe Of Jacobs love others make fast a line About his tender waste and ripping thence All but his shirt white like his innocence They hale him forwards whilst his grief and fears Can vent it self in nothing but in tears They will not heare him speak nor are they mov'd Nor once consider'd how their father lov'd Those blubber'd eyes nor what hold grief would take On his gray hairs for his lost Josephs sake Mindlesse of this with other thoughts then whet Their fury on and more on edge did set Their vengeance being by this come to the pit They rudely take and cast him into it And in the ground they bury O vild deed Gods promise and the hopes of Isacque's seed But see his power that from the loose stones can Or looser dust raise Abraham sonnes made man Of nought can cause new quickned bodies come From the graves barren and unfruitfull wombe He that shall make all deeps and seas at last Their dead from forth their silent mansions cast That power can Israels seed so deeply sowne Cause sprouting thence to flourish in a throne Ev'n he that puls the mighty from their seat Shall make the lowest highest Joseph great Who left thus deep now to his deeper thoughts More then his own fate wails his brethrens faults Thinks on their impious rage and what a curse Must follow their offence this griev'd him worse Then his own suffrings they mean while the feat Long plotted on perform'd sate down to eat On th' earths green carpet but what ere their food I dare presume their cheer was not so good It cannot be the guilt of their offence Could sit so light upon their conscience Some anxious thoughts of their great God displeas'd Poore Joseph left to cold and hunger seised Sometimes upon them all as there they led It seems they muâ—'d for lo they lift their head And looking round behold upon the sight Of certain Merchants that were Ishmaelites Whose camels loden towards Aegypt bent With balme and mirrh and spice from Gilead went Judah cries out what will it do us good To kill our brother and conceal his bloud He is our brother and our flesh 't were well We layd no hands upon him let us sell Him rather to you Merchants and being sold We are reveng'd and our reward is gold The saying pleas'd them all and up they rose Whilst absent Reuben nothing of it knows And coming to the pit cast in a rope To hale up weeping Joseph now in hope Some pity came upon them when he found Worse mischiefs gaping for him then the ground He in the narrow confines of the cave Was King there being none else but now 's a slave For th' Ishmaelites being come to them they brought him Who having lookt upon and lik't him bought him For twenty silver peeces a good rate Judas but thirty for his Master gaâ— Joseph thou highly valued art to rise Within ten peeces of thy Saviours price Thy brethren I 'm assur'd thought 't was good gain To have revenge and silver for their pain Two pieces ev'ry man but now th' art gone A cloak to hide their fault they think upon And here the worst of all their malice noat Their infamy they cover with thy coat Gods finger's in 't a ramme's for Isaac slain A kid for Joseph with whose blood they stain His colour'd rayment mean while to the pit Reuben makes haste and being come to it Bows him there down and whispers brother rise I come to free thee from the cruelties Of them that hate thee as from being slain I sav'd so now I le bring thee home again Unto thy father but when none replyes He doubts and louder and yet louder cryes At last with out-stretcht throat he lifts his voyce So have I often heard the climbing noyse Of some exact Musitian that begins So low ' youl l scarce beleeve he toucht the strings Then by degrees mounts to a tone so high That each eare tingles as in sympathy Or like the tune oth'winde that calmly blows At first then swels and by degrees it grows Higher and higher yet and is at last Able to deafe the hearers ev'ry blast Such and so fruitlesse is th' exalted voyce Of Reuben now he hears no answring noyse But his own eccho willingly beguil'd He takes that as an answer from the childe And cals again till reason makes him know It is not though God wot he wish it so He finds his error and with tears laments His brothers losse then passionatly rents His cloaths and with redoubled haste he makes After his
troubled waters sent seven other kine So poor lean fleshed as I never ey'd Meer bare anatomies cover'd with a hide There 's none in Egypt such I took them sent As foyles the others goodnesse to present By their deformities for neer till now Did I observe such beauty in a Cow As in the other seven on whom they set And cleand devour'd but nere the fatter yet Me-thought in killing them the ugly beasts Look't like so many death in their arrests But in devouring they resemblance have To the insatiate and unfruitfull grave Which having seen my labouring fancy broak Sleep left my wearied eyes and I awoak But whilst my thoughts were fixt upon this theam I slept again and dreampt another dream And then behold there came into my view A sprouting stalk wherin sev'n ears there grew Good rank and full of corn Pharohs second dreame but whilst I hung My eyes on that fair object lo there sprung Close to those ears sev'n others thinne and pin'd Wither'd and blasted by the Eastern wind And these devour'd the swoln fruit burdned ears Whilst yet no change at all in them appears All this have I to the Magicians told But none the hidden meaning can unfold God hath to Pharoh his entents made known Then answer'd Ioseph Pharoh's dream is one Interpreted For by the seven good kine sev'n yeers are shewn So by the sev'n good ears the dream is one And the sev'n leaner kine and empty ears That came up after are sev'n other yeers The first being good and full betoken plenty But famine's threatned in the leane and empty The thing that I have spoken to the King Not I but God hath spoken and shall bring Shortly to passe sev'n yeares of plenty shall Crowne all your harvest hopes ev'n throughout all The fruitfull Land of Egypt after then In vain the labour of the husband-men Shall till the earth whereon no corn shall stand Plenty shall be forgotten in the land From which as from plow'd sands expect no crop For seven yeers famine shall consume it up And for it doubled twice to Pharoh was T is stablisht and shall shortly come to passe God hath establisht it let Pharoh than Throughout his territories find a man Wise and discreet and let it be his care To see that officers appointed are To take the fift part up throughout the land And lay the corn all under Pharohs hand And let the Cities be well stor'd with food By the neighbouring countrey whilst the yeers are good Since God the bad ensuing hath declar'd Let not the famine find us unprepar'd But so let Pharoh gainst those barren yeers Provide that not a soul may perish heer For want let forrain Lands the better fare By us and owe their safeties to our care Heer Ioseph ends and lo the thing seem'd good In Pharoh's eyes and in their eyes that stood About him to whom thus the King began Is there in all the Land a fitter man To whom Gods Spirit shews such hidden things He keeps Gods secrets and is fit for Kings Then turning him about to Ioseph said Since of thee God hath 'bove all others made His choice these holy counsels to disclose That proves thee fittest I have therefore chose Thee as the only man discreet and wise To do according to thine own advice Thou shalt be o're my house what thou thinkst fit Shall be my peoples law who unto it Shall yeeld obedience great as is mine own Shall thy command in Egypt be i' th' throne I le only be above the voyce is thine Of power the eyes of Majesty be mine Now have I set thee over all my Land Witnesse this Ring which taking from his hand He put on Ioseph's finger and array'd Him in rich vestures of fine linnen made Such as the Egyptian Princes wore of old And on his neck he put a chain of gold Then in his second chariot made him ride Whilst bow the knee before him people cry'de For Ruler he ore all the Land doth make him Which to confirme he turn'd and thus bespak him 'T is I am Pharoh nor without thee shall A man lift up his hand or foot through all My Realme of Egypt then to crown his life With true content he fits him with a wife Fair Asenath a goodly prize alone She was Potipherahs daughter Priest of Un. Thus Ioseph's rais'd unto the height of powre In shorter space then the quick springing flowre That asks but one nights growth he that of late Wayl'd in a dungeon fils a chair of State Oh what a bounteous King found he to do it Nay what a bounteous God that mov'd him to it Then think on Ioseph's case what ere thou be Dispair not art in prison so was he Perhaps thou 'lt say thou hast no skill in dreams No revelations God hath other means Doubt not his power nor providence he can That hath created all sure helpe a man More wayes than one dost thou complaine th' art poore And suffer'st want Iob surely suffred more Doe crosses vexe thee or afflictions rod Torment thy soule have patience still in God Wayt on pray to trust in him onely he Can cure and cleanse and ease thy malady Do'st strive with strong temptations to him then God cast seven divels out of Magdalen Art sicke or sinfull pray'r a cure did winne For Hezekiah's sore and Davids sinne Perchance th' ast trusted praid and waited long Looke backe to Ioseph he was sure but young When first he tasted sorrow vext between Bondage Lust Prisons and his Brethrens spleen Ev'n from his very cradle yet he stayd He waited long with patience long he prayd Ere comfort came for loe when he appears Before the King his age was thirty yeers Out of whose presence to his charge he went And overseers throughout Aegypt sent In the seven plenteous whilst all their grounds Brought forth by handfuls ev'ry place abounds With goodly crops the sight whereof began To cheer the Clowne and glad the Husbandman They ply their trust their labours never cease To treasure up the fruitfull earths increase Me thinks I see them like the busie swarme When their commander hums and gives th' alarme They issue forth and their dispersed powre Coasts every field and light on ev'ry flowre To make their sweet extractions and they strive Who shall unlade him oftnest at the hive They fill their bags and gladly homewards flye With pleasant burdens in their painfull thigh Onely this diffrence makes 'twixt them and these The gatherers went not murmuring as the Bees But with their silent paces all along They trudge like Ants a people wise not strong Pro. 30.25 Preventing want in plenty with their paine So each of these came laden home with graine They glean'd apace whilst corn like sāds they found And stor'd the Cities frō the neighbouring ground Th'y have gathred much the Granaries are fild With all th' abundance which the land doth yeeld Aegypt is now provided ' gainst her fears