eternity Thus saith thy Son who by the common vogue Was thought one of grim deaths large catalogue Thus saith our Brother here I am ador'd As Pharaohs Father and all Egypts Lord Come down thou with thy house thy heards and flocks Time limps away methinks with leaden socks Untill thou come accept of my advice Thine shall be Goshen Egypts Paradise Let no delay this thy descent prorogue Lest Famine in a fatall Epilogue End thee and thine come that with my Protection I in some sort may answer thy affection The Sun five times shall pass through all his Inns Till dearth shall fully expiate our sins Mean while descend and of my store partake Since heav'n by me prepar'd it for thy sake Hast for your own sakes that I may refresh And cloath your naked bones with tender flesh My words and actions have not divers centers Both end in one but if upon the tenters This stretch your faith beside the foretold signs Observe this visage and its wonted lines Sweet Benjamin blest were th' Astrologers If as I know these eyes they knew the Starrs If so though all events be closely seal'd No doubt the future should be all reveal'd His Lordships speeches were no sooner ended But he and Benjamin together blended Themselves in close embraces both did lie Entwined like the Zodiacks Gemini As if they meant lest we again should part Come by the strings let 's knit each others heart Their eyes now pay'd their long-retained debt Each on anothers neck entwined wept That done the rest with sweet inviting phrases He even wearied in his close embraces Then kist them all and Chorus-like enquir'd Again is not my Father yet expir'd God will be su'd to who no other task Imposeth on our wants but this to ask And though he seem long in majestick pause Not onely not to hear but slight our cause 'T is but to edge devotion to inhance His Grace upon our Souls before he grants All distance then is chang'd to an imbrace Wrath falleth as a Vizzard from his face He not defers nor his affection smothers Nor doth disdain at all to call us Brothers As one that dreams he 's falling from a steep And tow'ring precipice into the deep Awaking finds himself free from such harms And taking safe repose in friendly arms Such were the Brethrens fears and sad extremes Which now did seem but fancies and vain dreams When Joseph in their Passions Extasie Reviv'd their senses from their Lethargie With sundry Passions were at once their minds Like a Ship tost 'twixt two opposing winds Now would they joy then grief by shame being backt Their new resolved greetings would distract The tears from divers springs seem'd to proceed Which they not so much seem'd to weep as bleed Within their brain two floods at once arose Of joy and grief as when two Seas oppose Some wept some weeping smil'd like Aprils weather Which rains then shines then rains and shines together Now were they all resolved to regreet Their Brothers courtesie but as a fleet Which comming neer the harbour back is thrust Into the Ocean by some angry gust Shame would retard intention some would smother In silent whispering the name of Brother Glad Reuben though he gave to God the glory Yet blest perswasion and his oratory And Judah though he sold him yet was bold To say he joy'd though griev'd he thus was sold Now they confest his Dreams no vain Phantasms But heav'nly and inspir'd Enthusiasms Their Sheaves and Stars had bow'd the sawcy Boy Was now their Lord and Egypts chief Vice-roy Glad Benjamin admiring the results Of their immanity thus now exults A Brother lost and found is worth like mirth As if you joyed at a Brothers birth Come then let 's triumph for who could expect From this so bad a cause so good effect To hear the Lord speak how he was re-sold How often fashion'd in afflictions mold His Chastity which with a full mouth'd blast Shall fill Fames trump as long as time shall last How he ran Chance as blind as ever painted Yet he by adoration thus was Sainted In mens opinions would make a dint And deep impression in hearts of flint For joy some swounded and each circumstance Of each relation struck them in a trance Each passage made each minutes time the mother Of some new joy so one joy crown'd another Had th' whole world seen each act heard each rehearsall No doubt the joy had here been Universall T' express the triumph fully would extort Descriptions treasury undoe report Now tell-tale Fame hath with a nimble wing Proclam'd these tidings to the Court and King Who thus to Joseph placed next his Throne We to thy Fathers care thy Mothers grone All owe our lives nay more for to him seeng Thou being ow'st we owe him all well being Now since he liveth and the fatall Star That blasts our Kingdomes plenty spreads so far Her fatall influence as Canaans clime Send for thy Father on our Souls this crime Shall not write guilt that He amidst our store Should faint whom for thee all are bound t' adore To Him alone for thee all Egypts bound So deep more than conceit hath line to sound Thy duty shall joyn issue with my will Since his one life exceeds the num'rous Bill So far that daily doth attend our gates As doth one Phoenix life whole clouds of Gnats Thus by thy Brethren say wee youth and dotage Both lofty Palace and the lowly cotage Owe thee the Father of a Son so blest More than by Hieroglyhick can b'exprest Thus saith the King let not thy thoughts be gravell'd In doubts thy Joseph who my Dreams unravell'd Which all our Sophies did in vain examine Shall nourish and protect thee in this famine Which though it have set limits to my wish And scarcity doth season every dish Delay not thy descent for thou deservests The greatest measure of our sev'n years Harvests This to thy Brethren say go take the best That Egypt yeelds and lead each man his beast Since that remorslesse dearth to death proscribes Your aged Father and his hopefull tribes Think Egypts King for Joseph's sake deplores Your empty Wine-presses and threshing-floores Go bring your Father down if Egypts Map Have land whose poares breath a more vigo'rous sap Than this that is more fertile and more pleasant Come down none shall resist thee Peer nor Peasant This say and for thy Fathers ease take Waggons And for thy Brethren spare no sprightly Flaggons To ratifie their welcome since with them Thou art a Branch sprung from the self same stem Glad Joseph was that Pharaoh's thus inclin'd To what before he had himself design'd Envy could not upbraid his want of love So much he did the means and time improve Scarce Morpheus could at all betray his sense But care would counter-charm His influence When bright Hyperion mounted Phlegons back He gave command to fill each Brothers Sack To all he gave provision lest the length Of the
crannies of the earth Streams to the Springs from whence they had their birth Then why should Chilkren if advanc'd by Fate Neglect their Parens in a meaner state But yet I boast not that my power is such But joy I 'ave means t' express my love so much Though heav'n have freed me from the slavish yoak Of heavy bondage that he hath not broke Of filiall duty this that thus doth deck With gawdy Ornament my gorgeous neck I count less honour than that dutious bond In which I serve thee do not then despond I Father am to Pharaoh but will be A true observant dutious Son to thee No bleer-ey'd sorc'rers nor Egyptian Weirds Shall hurt your persons wrong your Flocks or Herds Thy crown of silver hairs I 'll ever hold In greater honour than his Crown of gold Honours null not relation th' Oceans flood Alters not Nilus nor can honour blood It tickles oft the temper with conceits But as for me honour on duty waits I'â—l goe before and as your true Attorney Possess the King of your intents and journey My Father and his houshold flocks and droves Have late left Palestinu's Sun-parcht groves And down are come whose cognizance of old Both was and is a sheephook and a fold Which should his Grace demand speak I beseech According to the tenour of my speech And since th' Egyptians ever entertain A Shepheard both with fury and disdain You may in Goshen safely live and trade Where for your Flocks are Pastures Wells and Shade And thus you may if thus you wisely deal Instate your selves in Egypts Common-weal When Love with Policy had thus conspir'd Imagine Ioseph to his charge retir'd Where he without a dilatory pause Thus to his Sovereign pleads his Fathers Cause Dread Sir what am I a dead dogg or flea That thou shouldst grant my sute or hear my plea Who first thy favours didst to me impart And then lookst on me worthy of desert To all which wouldst thou adde this one request I 'd count it greater far than all the rest My Father and my Brethren late are come And have left Canaan their native home Their stomachs bark for food their bodies lean Their looks are meager and their teeth are clean And Dearth more fierce than either Wolf or Fox Hath from the Pastures scarr'd their Heards and Flocks Which with them they have brought and all to prove The promis'd bounty of his princely love That while Dearth falls unto her lowesteb Their threads of life may to a peacefull web Of safety here be spun whose hearts do pant In expectation of thy Princely grant This ended quoth the King My darling Prince I rather will inlarge than basely mince My promise to evasions I applaud Thy filiall love nor power shall nor fraud Oppose or circumvent you no my gem I love the Branch nor will neglect the stem Since I sent for him he and his affairs Held room in equall with my choicest ears Joseph triumphing at these blest events Five of his Brethren to his Grace presents To whom quoth Pharaoh by what labours sweat Have you your sustenance are cloath'd and eat Do you the Sullow hold or tug the Oars What trade expells your vigour through your poars Dread Sir quoth they we are but simple worms Or such like creatures of despised forms Yet not to grate thy ears with vain digression Ours and our Fathers trade is by succession To feed our Flocks and so by carefull thrift Our providence enlargeth heavens gift We feed them they feed us and lest we freeze In Winter time they cloath us with their fleece When Phoebus first displayes his golden locks We send abroad our Heards dismiss our flocks And while he chears the world with carefull hook We them protect defend and overlook And when the Sun again withdrawes his gold From th'Western hills we pin them in our fold We are by famine from our homes divorc'd No idle vagrants but are sadly forc'd We 〈◊〉 in vain for Springs our Wells are sunk Down to the Center and our Earth is shrunk And bak'd to stony clods whose chaps in vain Gape for the showers of refreshing rain Now we intreat thee in this time of Dearth That art the onely Father of the earth Let us in Goshen live where both are Rocks Fiâ— for our Goats and Pasture for our flocks We 'll in the Land not plant our selves nor build But sojourn in our Tents as strangers should We 'll all bâ—â—uled by thy Country lawes And with our labours feed our hungry maws At â—his quoth Pharoah Sirs do not despond To such it were no weakness to be fond Your Brother makes you nigh as if each vein Swell'd with â—igh blood and of a nobler grain Nature none equalls unto me in blood Who shall partake more freely of our food Then shall your Father and your selves I grant You may in Egypt freely build and plant This said thus unto Joseph he insists Dear Joseph I my Peers and princely Priests Thy Fathers comming do congratulate And likewise with thee all condole his Fate Yet though the Sun shoot forth his scorching beams The air distill gross dewes and rotten streams Our Fields forbear to spring our Trees to bud And Nile desist to yeeld his fruitfull mud As if the Skies had with the earth combind To act the ruine of all humane kind My Genius tell me and I more than hope Thy Fathers and each Brother Horoscope With kinder aspect happier things foretold And that 't is in Fates Notaries inroll'd That Egypt is design'd without dispute Their safe Asyle from Famines fierce pursute All Egypt is before thee if our Land Have any part untouch'd by Famines band Of scourging plagues as Goshen most is known Let them possess that Country as their own They shall not be as Meteors for a time Exhal'd but as fix'd Stars in Egypts clime And if thou knowst one fit to feed my Herd Let him unto that Office be prefer'd This said old Jacob by his carefull Sonne Was brought and placed neer to Pharaohs Throne Where having breathed on the King and Peers A blessing both of Peace and many years Grave Sir quoth Pharoah we our thanks retort And welcome thy descent unto our Court Thy dutious Son was for his Father zealous I and my Peers were of thy safety jealous Lest Famine having draind our Fields and Cells Should leave you like so many barks and shells Sans coar or kernell cease thou to request Live boldly on thy Joseph's Interest Who sees the Sun but reason wills for shame To praise the Author of that glorious flame And who survives his neighbour in those dayes Who for the Son will not the Father praise Thou hast a Son whom all the world must prize Less worth hath been ador'd with Sacrifice An Angell sent from heav'n could not have done More than preserv'd us all so hath thy Son 'T was he that when all Charmers were nonplust Inchanters all were dumb my Dreams discust All Sorcery
had Egypt for all kind of grains Exchang'd their Coin their Jewels and their Chains All which our loyall Joseph never wrests To his own use but adds to Pharaohs Chests This store exhausted you may ghess for bread Thus the Egyptians to Joseph plead Dread Sir great Pharaoh's darling Egypts Saint Vouchsafe a patient ear to our complaint We have for Corn exchang'd our coin and gold And yet Dearth rageth as your Grace foretold Our Barns are empty not through our default Nor hath an en'my sow'd our Fields with Salt None enviously have choakt our Fields with stones None of these things are authors of our mones Great Nile's offended and no wonted shout Awakes the Echo since no flood ran out Through his fat banks cut by our num'rous troops No Nile within his shallow chanell stoops Our Money faileth and who will not hold A grain of Corn well worth an ounce of gold Our hopes are faild and when the main-spring Hope Is out of tune the lesser wheels will stop Of joy and pleasure yet we 'll not desist Since in thee bounty hath with goodness kist Think on thy honour let it not be said That we now perish whom you first didst aid Redeem us from the jawes of Death which boon Will make thy fame shine bright as Titans noon Sirs quoth the Lord my troubled heart doth languish In true imagination of your anguish Yet though I you condole I hope each knowes That I dispense as Pharaoh doth dispose Yet will he grant such is his mild remorse Corn in exchange for Heards and teams of Horse Glad was all Egypt nor at all deferr'd T' accept his love each brings his team and heard On which exchange they liv'd this year yet pind In sad conceit of two years yet behind More then with food refresh'd so ranging Deers Fear more emacerates than plenty cheers The year being ended which as in a ring It self within it self again doth bring Sad Egypt having all their cattle spent Which Industry had got or Fortune lent Ghess them in a full press with bended ham And prostrate faces unto Ioseph came Great Sir quoth they now this is the third time We have appeald to thee and yet no prime Is Nile after so many years effluxions Th' earth weary grown after so oft productions And so expects like an exhausted soil A rest and respite from the wonted toil Our Share tusts and our tools that digg'd the earth Hang like some Trophies dedicate to dearth Each body here 's her Obelisk that bears Her triumph Grav'd in meager Characters Since Pharaoh first our Cause to thee refer'd There 's none but hath exchang'd his Teem and Herd Wee not a Beast detain there 's none great Prince That can thy servants of such fraud convince Now if our persons may and each ones land Ioyn'd with thy love in equall ballance stand With one years diet more we have to boast Nor will as yet esteem our selves as lost So Pharaoh shall a double title have In each one of subject and a slave View but these looks well thou wilt not demur Nor will thy pity need another spur Thou art our nostrills breath why should we dy The breath of all our nostrills being by And since now 's the last year by fate decreed That Dearth shall rage we further beg some seed To sow the land that it may be reduc'd Which in its ancient Chaos lies confus'd Sirs quoth our Lord my heart with you condoles The bitter anguish of your troubled Souls Yet 't were a sin in me beyond excuse Should I not all dispence to Pharaohs use Yet as I pittie what you have disclos'd So will I grant you what you have propos'd Ghess Ioseph now for Pharaoh wisely changes Bread for their Fields their Mannors and their Granges And with the Citizens for Pharaoh Barters For Corn their Houses Liberties and Charters And that their lands and rights might all be known By some clear evidence as Pharaohs own Th' Egyptians were to Cities far remov'd To the lands end so Pharaohs right was prov'd Yet the Priests lands and I sis Princely Flamines Became not Pharaohs nor the greedy Famins As if 't were Sacrilegious extortion Ev'n in this Panic sale to buy their portion Nor were they famished for Pharaohs stores They made as bold with as their threshing floors And which those Priests who then serv'd I sis Cow Or they that serve the Lamb of heaven now Are worth most honours reader fear and pray Lest Pagans judge us at the latter day Ghess Egypt now were in a full convention By Joseph summond then to soft attention To whom quoth he Sirs there is none but knowes And will acknowledge still with thankfull vowes That y' are preserved not by common Power Since Fate and Fortune on you all did lower If Pharaoh's bounty did not intervene Your Play were marr'd now in the latter Scene And you like long-toss'd Vessells should fall short And drown within the kenning of the Port Now so will Pharaoh as you do importune In true commiseration of your fortune Not out of Avariee for to supplant But out of pitty to supply your want Be 't then in Egypts Notaries inroll'd That y'have your lands and selves to Pharaoh sold Lo here is seed go sow the land in peace Which with its former vigour shall increase Whereof a fifth part you shall grant the King You now being safe under his Graces wing You for your houshold shall the rest reserve To nourish them Bread's natures chiefest nerve This he Enacted and a Statute seal'd Which to this day 's not cancell'd nor repeal'd At this quoth Egypt most renowned Prince Whose truest Hieroglyphick were a Lynce For as with him compar'd each creature 's blind Each spirits dark to thy inlightned mind Nature the worlds great Soul must needs confess Thee alone her preserver th' world must bless Thee the sole cause thy pitty and remorse That Dearth on both now acts not a divorce To thee we owe we here converse with men And not with Ghosts in deaths unsavoury den Thee that our Wives by her impartiall Bawd Not ravish'd are for death we praise we laud Thee that our children like so many elves Shrink not to nought but yet look like themselves Admit us safe under thy Graces wing Renowned Prince so will we serve the King Grant now that debt that Adam did ingage All men in Death hath claim'd of Jacobs age Who swearing Joseph to transport his bones Hath breath'd his last in blessings on his Sons Grant Ioseph next by generall suffrage Attended on in mourning equipage His Fathers corps to Canaan brought interr'd In Machpelah so of his oath was cleer'd When Iacob thus had deaths arrest obeyd Conscience within the Brethren 'gan t' upbraid Their old offence anew thus guilt would plead Their Brothers hate but slept though it seem'd dead Occasion now might wake it th' end might prove That with their Father di'd their Brothers love That wounds are dang'rous when they
likewise his for to unfold Weak sorcery may feed you with delusion Ne'r satisfie you with a true conclusion Then here unload your thoughts to me and I I'th'end may prove your faithfull Mercury At this the Butler speaks then hear Ipray Me thought one Vine three branches did display Which first me thought did bud then bloom'd abroad Then bore ripe clusters of a pleasant load I having Pharaohs Cup before him stood And in it to him crusht their sparkling blood Quoth Joseph then three branches are three days Which time expired Pharaoh shall thee raise From up this Dungeon unto former grace And shalt officiate in thy wonted place But then quoth he as this shall thus prove true So to the King for my releasment sue That I no longer thus may ly inplung'd My spotless name by infamy expung'd For I long since was ravished by theft Both of my Country and my friends bereft Then when you are to dignity restor'd Pray think on what I humbly here implor'd Remember Joseph quit me from this blame Lest I prove shortly nothing but the name From that sin of Lust heav'n knows I 'm cleer As is you light that Chariots in his Sphear The Baker seeing the Butlers Dreams import Was of his re-advancement in the Court Quoth he I likwise strangely dream'd me thought As to the Court I three white Baskets brought With bak'd-meats and with other plenty stor'd Wherewith I might replerish Pharaohs board The Birds allured by the dainties fled And pickd them as I bore them on my head Quoth Joseph these three Baskets do presage When thrice the Sun hath past the azurd stage The King shall from this Prison thee conveigh And hang thee on a tree for Birds a prey The third day Memphis with triumphall mirth Held in remembrance of their Pharohs birth When that the Butlers innocent desert Was re-advanc'd the Baker to the Cart From Prison was conveigh'd and in this season Was hang'd in expiation of his treason Whose trunk allured many an aery guest Who seem'd in honour of the time to feast The Butler notwithstanding this forgot Sad Joseph that foretold his future lot As fattest fields yeeld weeds of foulest savours Ingratitude repayes the greatest favours Since Pride is Fortunes daughters 't is less strange To see how soon us can Preferment change For they whose Fortunes flie another sphear Unto their Mates stern Planets oft appear At least despise them or their Vows forget So Bells at first speak thick but rais'd are set So small Brooks roar but gaining depth of land Their swelling streams are at a sullen stand Twice swelling Nile his barren banks had drown'd And with his fertile slime inricht the ground Twice twelve times had the Mistris of the night Lookt black through absence of her lovers sight When that great Pharaoh on his couch lay stretcht And leaden Morpheus on his senses watcht His roving Genius was entertain'd By such conceits which though his fancy feign'd Yet under them he fear'd was coucht a sense Of high Import and mighty Consequence When straight he tryes the Charmers and their Spells Who all implor'd their wonted Oracles One woo'd the Stars another pli'd the Tomb A third his Spirit charm'd but all were dumb As when some did the Delphian Shrine implore When th' Oracle grew dumb and spake no more On which the Butler being seen awoke By racking memory thus humbly spoke Great Sir I cannot give my thoughts a truce Till I my self thus to your Grace accuse I with the Baker were accus'd long since To have conspir'd the death of thee our Prince On which as Traitours to the solemn Oath Of our Aleageance you confin'd us both When in one night our fancies had imprest Such Dreams on memory which to the test Of Reason brought drove us t'amazed straights Who might unfold their intricate conceits When to a fellow-pris'ners much requests The Captains servant We unlockt our Breasts Who the results both of my innocence Foretold and of the Bakers just events Pharaoh not asking why he was attach'd A hasty Message to the Guard dispatch'd To set their Pris'ner free who we may ghesse Was brought to Pharaoh in a seemly dresse Who now rejecting all the Magick sect Thus speaks to Joseph with a mild aspect Strange Dreams this night my Spirits have ingrost Remembrance haunts me like an angry Ghost And I have heard thy Spirit is accute And canst unravell Dreams beyond dispute Now couldst thou lead me through this Maze and Mist Of doubts could'st thou my ridling Dreams untwist Quoth Joseph Then let Pharaoh hear me speak Yet 't is not I but God for I am weak Let fears all vanish let debarement cease My God shall to great Pharaoh answer peace Quoth Pharaoh as I slept this was my Dream Me thought I stood close by a pleasant stream I look'd and from the banks I saw there climb'd Seven Kine fat-flesh'd and well proportion limb'd Which in a Medow neer the River plac'd Fed pleasantly and made a full repast Next from the stream ascending I observ'd Seven Kine small limb'd sunk-ey'd and hunger-starv'd Who straight devour'd the rest that came before Yet still remain'd ill-favoured lean and poor Then I awoke and while I sadly mus'd Where this were naturall or else infus'd I know not yet what vapours did condense Within my brain sleep once more lockt my sense When lo I dream'd again One stalk sustaind Sev'n eares of Corn rank good and heavy-graind Next them sev'n eares thin blasted and deflowr'd Arose which strait the former crop devour'd I told the Charmers this yet ne'r could learn Of them what these my dreamings did concern Great Sir quoth Joseph thus these sev'n full ears And sev'n good kine are seven plenteous years In which the earth shall in increasfull crops Rejoyce the Husbandmen beyond their hopes The sev'n thin eares and seven ill-favoured kine Are seven years of Famine I divine Which shall ensue the first the Springs recruit Be void the Earth fail of her wonted fruit The Vine shall not her wonted Vintage bleed And Nile in nothing fruitfull but in weed The Dream was twice presented for to shew That this establish'd is and shall ensue Through Gods decree now by your Graces leave If I might counsell what I fit conceive Though I am shallow and my thoughts I still Confesse flag much below your Counsels skill Yet I might say that oft your Grace doth know To lowest means we greatest matters owe. And though that no one can anticipate The Heavens decree and cross the doom of Fate Your Grace may know there 's by this warning meant That you this judgement may through care prevent Let Pharaoh make one of his wisest Peers Chief Master of the Corn the plenteous years Who may disperse his servants through each County To gather up Ceres superfluous bounty To a fifth part while plenty so shall last Through riot that there be no spoil nor wast Who where there are no Barns may give a charge To
our beautie 's blasted Our strength is spent our spirits are exhausted Our young ones starve our abler stomacks feed Unless thou food supply on grass and weed Observe how Dearth mocks Death our nether jawes Hang down through weakness while we plead our cause Look look how some would speak but their faint lungs Stop the intendments of their clammy tongues Grant and dismiss us for we here resort Not for to make a Charnell-house thy Court The King prick'd with remorse of Egypts want Thus mildly condescends his Princely grant Quoth he go and what Joseph shall injoyn Obey doubt not his spirit is divine That said they croucht their thanks have you observ'd How that a Falcon through neglect neer starv'd Soon as her Keeper comes within her sight Both makes an eager though a slug-like flight Unto her prey and though her limbs be weak Shee fiercely tugs it with her ragged beak So the Egyptians in a numerous press To Joseph's Palace make their full address Some dumbly passionating begg'd some kist His feet who op'ning all his store dismist Them all without a rigorous dispute With a glad burthen of their purchas'd sute Now Egypt in this fatall time of dearth Remain'd the onely Store-house of the Earth The worlds chief Granary of grain the sole Exchequer of each Land from Pole to Pole Ev'n Canaan on whose rich abounding store Once lived thirtie Kings must now implore Her neighbours help glad if she might in peace Be made partaker of her blest increase Among whom so did Providence design Old Jacob and his Sons began to pine Through dearth the palat late so liquorish Would gladly banquet on a common-dish Oft Jacob ruminates and weighs the cause Why were all Kingdomes offer'd to the jawes Of Famine then concludes they 'r justly curst Since they such monstrous sinners long had nurst Then would he doubt lest that his Childrens sin Had brought this Curse on fertile Palestine Then seeks with Sacrifice for to appease The heavens wrath so might their fields increase Distrust he would not for he did believe God would redeem him with a safe reprieve Who promis'd that his seed though death did rage Should have their Country for their Heritage While thus imagination had ingrost His sense and fancy thus divinely glost He calls his sons to whom you may suppose His smother'd thoughts old Jacob did disclose My Sons quoth he you know our Corn is spent And little 's left either in Field or Tent Our plenty-pregnant sins have now at last Brought forth a Dearth the mighty Protoplast Mov'd by our monstrous sins hath strongly seel'd The heav'ns with brass and th' earth beneath hath steel'd And Death and Famine two remorsless Mates Triumphing ride and knock at all our gates Those dainties fail that fed our glutt'nous lust Our chalkie teeth have lost their unctuous rust Why do you whisper thus why do you gaze One on another let your Lambkins graze There 's Corn in Egypt goe and buy my sons That we may live we and our little ones You know our fruitfull fields forbear to teem We starve unless your speedy care redeem Go and make haste my sons your Brothers pain Shall be redoubled till you come again Your Sheep shall feed upon their pleasant grounds No Goat shall rove beyond his wonted bounds No Dog shall fright no rav'nous Beast pursue With fearfull flight a Kid or tender Ewe No dull delay could their intents adjourn But when stout Chaunticleer had wak'd the morn The carefull Brethren with a rustick port Knockt to fair Memphis then to Josephs Court For he it was who did dispense the Corn To those whom meager Death had made forelorn Anon to Joseph they themselves addrest With great submission and with lowly crest The prostrate Ten unto his Lordship croucht In every look humility was coucht Whom Joseph knew yet he his passion checkt And strangely views them with a stern aspect And thus began What are you and from whence Under what clime have you your residence Quoth they Great Master Canan is our home Hither to buy food are thy servants come Their lowliness remembring him the truth Of his presaging Dreams while yet a Youth Now might pale rancour swell revenge insult And malice might demand no common mulct And envy by that seeming Justice backt Of like for like might proudly now exact Great recompence a Dungeon well might sit Their cruelty that doom'd him to the Pit The law of Nature now might seem to crave As they had him so he should them inslave And in remembrance of their slouts in scorn Dismiss them hopeless and deny them Corn. Where envy is the memories Recorder Expect proceedings in remoâ—slless order But he ne'r entertain'd Her as a guest Much less a Tenant in his peacefull Brest Their sight his pitty not revenge begate His blood did daunce for joy not boyl with hate Yet though his bowels did through passion yern As were his looks thus his reproofs were stern Quoth he what made you hither to repair To leave your own to breath a forreign air How careless is our guard how have they watch'd That such suspitious Spies pass unattach'd Y' are Spies our tortures shall the truth extort Why you thus saucily approach our Court You come to spie our weakness you shall feel What strength our Country hath perhaps our Steel Our sins makes God seem strange as clouds we see Shrowd th'ey of heav'en so sin Gods heav'nly ey Or if but seen his cheeks with an anger glow Wrath 's on his ey thron'd ruin on his brow And while they sin as Traitors he attaints Unto his Covenant his dearest Saints The Brethren started at these thundring words The active blood within each body curds Quoth they let not your Lordship this Impute Nor mis-interpret our unfeigned sute We all the tincture have of one mans blood Who hither hath us sent to buy some food And so let heaven with thy servants deal As we intend unto your Common-weal Wee 'll have the truth of this upon the racks Quoth he your sute your Asses and your Sacks Are meer pretences you are all but Spies These specious colours cannot blind our eyes We 're twelve quoth they and by one man begot The youngest is at home and one is not We are no such that to such ends do rome Hither to buy food are thy servants come Let not your Lordship trample miserie Pitty a strangers privilege should be O do not censure w' are so innocent We scarce conceive what by your words is meant If want be treason and to come to buy Food be invasion then we come to spy Y' are Spies quoth he vain words no longer urge They are too empty this your guilt to purge Since you no other voucher can produce To prove your truth but only this excuse My Sentence like my words none may revoke Send for that youngest Son of whom you spoke Unless that Brother prove your evidence By Pharaohs life yee shall not part from