him because they wanted bread His Sons his Daughters and his Nephews all Are now descended at the Dreamers call Whose exact number then was but three score And ten of which three had been there before Joseph the father and his children two Manass and Ephra'm then he had no mo When they th' Egyptian borders did descry Jacob to 's fourth son Judah loud did cry Go down to Joseph bid him tell me where He will me place I am a stranger there Tell him at Goshen I will tarry while He come or send and shew me what 's his will And howsoever he dispose of me His word or work to me a law shall be As soon as Judah did his brother greet With these glad tidings he prepares to meet His aged father and before him stands Bows begs his blessing with uplifted hands And he again for joy his son to see Falls on his neck kissing it ardently Weeps and embraces so that all admire The strong affections of his aged Sire Who cry'd aloud O Joseph Jeseph now My darling Joseph I am sure that thou Dost live then this I of my God will crave That he my spirit may in haste receive Since I am wholly eased of the wo Hath me perplex'd these twenty years and two Then Joseph who had all this time been stop By tears which from his Princely eyes had dropt Said Father welcom Now I must go home And tell the King that all of you are come Who I am sure at this will much rejoyce And give command that I of you dispose Where best convenience may for you be had For this to me he hath already said And I will tell if he to know desire That you are Shepherds and you aim no higher When therefore he shall ask of you this thing You shall confirm my words by answering We and our Father Keepers are of Sheep Which he 'll no sooner hear then 's promise keep And give you Goshen where you safely shall Your tender Flocks grase and your Cattel all Your dwellings also he will set apart For Shepherds grieve Egyptians at the heart Now Joseph leaves his Father in that place Returns and speaks with Pharaoh Face to Face Saying my Father and his Family Are with their Substance come to visit thee Joseph said Pharaoh of this take my hand I 'm glad to see thy Father in my Land Call some of them and let them see my Face Assure thy self they shall with me find grace I will said Joseph then he quickly takes Five of his Brethren and a Present makes To Pharaoh who did instantly enquire What is your Trade or what will you desire We 're Shepherds and Sojourners in this Land Whose greatest errand is to kiss thy hand The next to see our Brother and have place Our Flocks to feed in Canaan there 's no grass The piercing Drought so scorched hath the land That there is nothing to be seen but Sand If therefore we shall of thee favour find Grant's Goshen Pastures and for this we 'll bind Our selves to be thy Subjects and our Seed Of thee and thine shall stand in Kingly dread Then Pharaoh unto Joseph did reply Since they 'r come down what will I them deny My Crown but spare and ask what e'r they please I 'le give all things conducing to their ease My Land 's before them as for their request In Goshen for them Dwellings make in haste And for a greater proof of love to thee Choose out among them some will active be And put my Cattel all into their hands Their hire from me let it be Gold and Lands But pray thee Joseph where 's thy aged Sire His face to see I have a great desire Greatest of Kings you shall lo here he is This said old Israel doth great Pharaoh bless Saying my Lord the King of Kings protect Your Sacred Person and since you respect Me and my Sons I 'le never cease to pray For you with hands to Heav'n lift night and day My thanks said Pharaoh now I must be bold To ask one question I would know how old Thou art Good Jacob soon this answer made An hundred thirty summers I have had As many winters have I also been In pilgrimage unsettled I mean Yet few and evil if you 'l deign to look Upon a Line in this my Table-book Where is inserted faithful Abrahams age An hundred and seventy five his stage Completes my father Isaac liv'd five more Though all this time their grievances were sore This said the old man looking round about Blesseth the King takes leave and walketh out Now come said he Son since you know I have Your Kings good will a fitting place I crave Where I and all my Children safe may be From all Sedition and Conspiracy Then Joseph beckn'd to his Sire and said Rameses is the best that can be had There take possession this my Lord commands These are your Writings signed with our hands The famine's great yet Joseph wills that he Since come to Egypt have no scarcity Of bread tho'in Canaan'd Egypt there was want In so much that the most began to faint For hunger but that Egypts Nursing Father Its currant money into stores did gather And such as from Canaan was brought to buy Corn he doth put into th' Treasury Now Egypts money doth begin to waste Which made the Natives run to him in haste And say Sir you must grant us fresh supply Of bread and corn or else for want we die There 's none but you can grant us any aid Who answered You 've got as much as paid But this my counsel is which if you take To bring your cattel you will not be slack And them for corn and bread exchange with me What profit they if you of famine die The hunger-starv'd Egyptians at this Do much rejoyce yea and with blessing bless The Ruler and with chearful hearts do bring Their Horses Cattel Flocks and every thing Except their Land all 's laid at Josephs feet Who willingly receiv'd and gave them meat Poor creatures they had good cause to fear For this provision ended with that year Was but the fixth since that great want began When it was ended they to Joseph ran Again for more lay'ng out their wretched case And saying to him We must die alass Our Money gone our Cattel you did crave We brought them now our Land is all we have Come buy this also let 's not starved be And we our selves will serve our King and thee Let us have Seed that we again may try Whether our Land as yet will fructifie At this his tender heart is fill'd with grief And eyes with tears which way for their relief Procures for he to Pharaoh makes it o're Making him Landlord who was King before Their ancient Livings he bids them forsake And for the future other Dwellings take For which they should to Pharaoh Egypts King As to the owner yearly Rent in bring But to the Priests there was more
me the Cup As for the other his last doom shall be To be lift up and hanged on a Tree The honour which the Princes favour lends May be call'd in and then in shame it ends Good turns are soon forgot a Proverb sure For guiltless Joseph must as yet endure Courtiers use not always to keep word Although the make their Vows unto the Lord Whose time 's the best to set our Captive free Though two full years he must in Prison be Till Pharaoh dreams that he by Water side Stands and Seven Fat well-favourd Kine espi'd Come up from thence as also seven lean And joyn'd to th' other those when he had seen Stood horror-struck and what th' event might be Wait 't was not long before that he did see Those scurvey lean-flesh'd Beasts the other eat And yet still looking poor and wanting meat So Pharaoh ' woke till slumber had his eyes Closed and then the second time he spies Seven Ears of Corn come up both good and rank Seven others also that were poor and lank And as the other Lean did Fat devour These eat the Rank likewise that very hour This doubled Phantasme so perplex'd the heart Of Egypt's King that he must both impart To his Magicians willing them to see If they could tell what either signifie We are confounded cry the Sophi's Lord Of these thy dreams we cannot tell one word This unexpected answer so rouz'd up The memory of him that bore the Cup Who thus exprest himself unto the King My Lord I 've sinned in this very thing Pharaoh well knows that he with me was wrath And with the Baker also sent me forth Unto the Prison where we both did lie Till our sad Dreams an Hebrew did espie Who told me of it as it since hath prov'd Saying the Butler needs not to be mov'd For he shall be restor'd but Baker he Shall by the King condemn'd and hanged be These tydings pleas'd the King beyond all measure Who priz'd the meaning of his dreams 'bove treasure Call in the young man for he 's wiser far Than all the Sophies that in Egypt are Run quickly unto Potyphar and say Pharaoh must see his Prisoner to day Where Kings command the message is obey'd The Seer's call'd to come in haste who said What is your haste so great may I not stay Till I be shav'd and unto Heaven pray And change my Garments also since you see I am not fit before your King to be He comes Sweet Youth said Pharaoh but declare What these my Dreams mean and Garland wear My Butler tells me if thou hear the Theam Thou canst interpret every anxious Dream My Lord said he that Grace is not in me But God whom I do serve can let you see A true interpretation from my Mouth Look well upon me and despise not youth For what my Maker doth to me reveal That and no more will I to Pharaoh tell Say on my Lord what was your dream Why I. Said Pharaoh stood great Nilus River by And there behold seven Fat-wel-favour'd Kine Feed in a Mead and said These Beasts are mine But suddenly again to me appear'd Seven other Lean ill-shap'd and hanging ear'd Such as the Land of Egypt never bred For on the first Sev'n Fat when they had fed Their Bellies clung unto their Backs and were Ill-favour'd lean as e'r they were before Thus I awoke but when my drousie eye Was clos'd again with sleep I did espie Seven Ears of Corn upon one stalk that grew So full and good as yet I never knew After them came up Seven more was thin And wither'd as they'd Thunder-blasted bin Which suddenly the better did devour And I again wak'd calling o're and o're On those that studious Magicians were The truth of these my Dreams for to declare But all of them together answered 'T is God that caus'd your Dreams he must 'em read Now he that would by this thy favour merit Elisha-like must have Elia's Spirit Say Hebrew then the smoothness of thy brow Tells me this task will be too hard for you My youth bespeaks me ignorant I know Great Sir yet since the knowledge from below Comes not that must your doubled dream unfold That which is young by Nature Grace makes old By which I tell you that your dreams are one And signifie what Heaven will have done In Egypt Land the Seven good Ears and Kine Such years portend this he bids me divine The ill flesh'd ones and blasted Ears of Corn Foretels a Famine will make Egypt mourn For seven more See Nile cannot contain The Waters sent for nourishment of Grain And all things else needs moisture for that space After which time it will dry up Alass What I must do I know not pray be kind And as of that of this Sir speak your mind You must seek out in all the Land discreet And wise men who may strictly oversee't Them bid a fifth part of its fruit to gather These hard times will require a Nursing Father In all thy Cities let it stored be That when the Famine comes they may to thee Repair and buy it at thy Stewards hand Else this great Scarseness will undo the Land This thing when Pharaoh and his Servants heard They thanked Joseph and his God they feard Saying where shall we such another find In whom the Spirit is and knows his mind And since thy God ev'n thine hath shew'd thee this None either wiser or discreeter is In all the Kingdom wherefore thou shalt be My House and Servants Ruler God to me To shew I am in earnest take this Ring And be hereafter next unto the King These clothes put on and Chains about thy neck And let my Subjects pay thee all respect Ride in my second Chariot then to thee Shall all my Vassals humbly bow the knee While I am Pharaoh it shall be a Law That all my Kingdom of thee stand in aw No foot or hand in it shall moved be Till first they have direction from thee And since thou can'st reveal my secrets all Zaphanath pa'neah I will ever call Thy name and thou shalt surely be the Son Of Potipherah who is Priest of On. Thus you have seen our Joseph in the Den Sold and imprison'd and restor'd again Now what his future happiness may be Launch out again with me and you shall see The Scene is alter'd and his celeb life Chang'd for the blessing of a vertuous Wife Who bore before the Famine unto him Two hopeful Males Manas and Ephraim The first was named so because he had Forgot his Fathers house and former Trade And when the other God did to him send He said I 'le call him Ephraim for an end Is put to my affliction and my store Increased is and Honour more and more The Plentie's ended and the Famine come Said Pharaoh Joseph let us now go home The truth of all that thou hast said I see By th' hungry peoples crying unto me For maintenance I know not
kindness show'n Who parted with no Land that was their own For they on that which was to them allow'd Liv'd all that while as when the Land was plow'd Then Joseph said Behold I have you buught Your land and all I 'm sure there is not ought Which is not Pharaohs wherefore take you Seed And sow in haste I know you will not need To fear the Famine this is the last year Of Egypt's drought you know hath cost you dear It s former increase you again shall have Of which a Fifth Part I will yearly crave For Pharaoh's use the Four that is behind Dispose of that according to your mind For Seed for Food for you and for your Store Fear not it will be fruitful as before With bowed heads and chearful countenance They thus reply Since we our sustenance These barren years had from our Lord and thee Be gracious to us we your Servants be It is enough we live to serve our King What he commands that will we to him bring Only the Priests did this great Tax escape For all they sow'd all to themselves they reap Behold the kindness of an Heathen King To those who did but hellish Sophismes sing Yet all this while Joseph hath not forgot To settle on Jacob the most happy Lot In all the Land of Goshen where he might Dwell happily and have thereof full right Now that Gods Promise might fulfilled be He multiplies and grows exceedingly When he in Egypt 17 years had been Most prosperous and his Sons glory seen Of Age a 147 then he Prepares himself Deaths Captive for to be For calling Joseph's Father and his Child And looking with a countenance most mild Dear Son said he Age makes me now believe That I must Egypt and my Children leave This heard the Ruler's heart is fill'd with grief And Eyes with tears No Son there 's no relief Said Jacob Seventeen years I 've liv'd in thee Now 't is enough my God I must go see Yet while I live one thing I must implore Grant it my Child as thou hast done much more Which is when dead that then in Canaan I May buried be and with my Fathers lie This granted he commands him for to swear That he his Corps to Macpelah will bear And then in token of his thankfulness He leans on 's Bed and doth his Maker bless Sad tidings soon sounds in the Rulers ear After 's departure that his Father dear Was ill at ease and willed him in haste To pay 'm a Visit e'r his life was past Who willed quickly that his Children two Should ready be for they must with him go To see their Grandsire it is his command Obeying they in travelling posture stand Scarce had they entered into the Town When one to Jacob hastily runs down And tells him that his Sons and his two O'es Were come to see his end and to dispose Of him this heard he once again revives And to set up upon his bed he strives Saying to Joseph God appear'd to me When I from Esau's fury down did flee To Padan Aram and at Luz me gave The Promise that I should Canaan have And blessed me saying that of my Bloud Should there be born ev'n a huge multitude It to possess until Times fulness shall Come when they for their Sins shall from it fall Then since I 'm sure that all the Land is mine I 'le give a share unto these two of thine Were born in Egypt e'r I hither came As Reuben Simeon these shall bear my name But all the rest are since by thee begot They shall be thine and have of thee their Lot Among their Brethren yet they must not be Call'd Heads or Tribes of their posterity But whose are these two Youths that stand me by If they be thine then let them both draw nigh That I may bless them being glad to see Thy self once more and thy posterity Now having kiss'd them he said Once I thought Ne're to have seen thee nor be hither brought But blessed be that God who spared me Joseph Manass and Ephra'm for to see This done he takes them from between his Feet Making them stand before him as was meet Manass on 's left and Ephra'm on 's right stand That on them both at once he might lay hand But he inspir'd of God looks not to years Nor yet for Doteage the first-born forbears For on the younger he layes on his right In him it seems God had the most delight Minding to make him Head of all the Tribe Without respect of person age or bribe Then to his Son he said now I will crave That you all Blessings of that God may have With whom my Sire and Grandsire both did walk And with him often face to face did talk Who from Canaan led me out this way And hath me fed at all times as this day The Angel Great which doth my Soul redeem Bless both the Lads and have them in esteem And let them have mine and my fathers name Make thou them great do thou enlarge their fame Encrease their seed for number as the sand On the Sea-shore in their Grandfathers Land But Joseph wroth to see the form invert Says to his father grieved at the heart Not so dear Sir this is the eldest boy Put here your right he is the onely joy Of me his father No saith Jacob no Though what you say be true I rightwell know Yet fear not for he shall be very great But this much more neither by strength nor fate But by that power that laid the Earths foundations He shall become a multitude of Nations Such blessings that day he to Joseph gave As greater after Israel should not crave If any can but Ephra'ms bliss obtain It will be ever counted greatest gain Then Jacob said Behold I die but God Shall visit you and while you have abode In Egypt he will ever be a Watch Lest by these Heathens any harm ye catch And bring you up into your fathers land He he will do it by 's Almighty hand Moreover thou from me hast got a portion Which I ne'r purchas'd by craft or extortion From th' Amorites but by my sword and bow This on thy self and thine I do bestow Now Jacob finding 's last glass almost out Calls for his sons who compass him about Listning for what he thither did them call Who said Sons hear what will to you befall In the last days when your old father 's gone Strengthen your selves your trouble comes anon Reuben my eldest pray do thou draw near To me thy Parent and thy verdict hear In dignity thou didst excell and power Thy brethren all untill that fatal hour When to thy fathers bed thou didst advance This made me rob thee of th' Inheritance Because as water thou unstable wast Thy Eminence and Dignity is past This said from him he turns his face about To Sim. and Levi whose sentence goeth out You brethren are by consanguinity And no less ally'd in