his parents and his kinde To put more pensiue thoughts out of his mind Know saith the gentle childe my parents came From Heber whence we Hebrewes haue our name The fourth from Sem first of that blessed seede Th' Almighty chose mankind againe to breede My Father Iacob who the Birth right bought Of Esau that Gods Blessing set at nought Was Isaacks sonne eu'n Abrams blessed seede In whom all Nations happinesse may reade My Mother Rachel now depriu'd of Life Was Israels first Loue but second Wife Laban both Sonne and Father in one night Deceau'd of 's wife him me of my Birth right For when his thoughts in nuptiall Bed embrace My Mother Rachel Lea's in place Whereby my Brethren me in yeares surpasse But I them in my Fathers loue and grace For enuy hereof Lo they me haue sold Thus briefly I my state to you haue told The Children of the Bond woman were glad They one now Bound of the Free-womans had But whilst such talke makes shorter seeme the houres Behold they now may see braue Memphis Towres Turrets which seeme to dare the Starry skies And Temples which like Toppes of Mountaines rise Whos 's Phanes and Spires all guilt with radiant gold They shining like the Lampes of heau'n behold Which often with reflecting splendor bright Seeme to obscure Sols clearest heau'nly Light When thus the Lad. Good Masters So must I Now call you and will serue you chearefully Tell me what glorious Buildings yonder bee Whose like in Canaan I did neuer see Which seeme except mine eyes me much doe faile Like to a Citie that on Sea doth saile Or Noahs Arke which floting on the Floud Preseru'd all kinde of Creatures with their food Boy saith a Merchant This is Egypts Plaine Where neuer yet did fall a drop of raine The Waues you see are seu'n-fold headed Niles Which now doth Ouer-flow the richest soiles Whence euer Sol by his all quickning heate Rais'd Corne and Grasse for Man and Beast to eate There where you see the Floud like Seas appeare Will be a Haruest twice within a yeare Beside no mortall wight could euer wish Then 's there more plenty of most dainty Fish Abram the Father of great Ishmael From whom our Nation Famine did compell For succour to descend into this Land Where he is said to make them vnderstand The Nature of the highest Deitie Formes Lawes and Natures of the Starry skie And first them taught to measure out their yeare By Sunnes iust course For it doth plaine appeare That they till then the Moone did measure by VVhich makes them bost of such antiquitie And reckon in their annuall Computation Thousands of yeares before the VVorlds Creation But though he gaue them in all Arts direction Yet neuer brought they one to such perfection As that we call Diuine Astronomie For in this Country best they might descrie The formes and orders of the Lamps of Night VVhere neuer Clouds obscure them from their sight First in Caldea Abram learn'd this skill And grew so well acquainted with Gods will He knew all things they say by Reuelation Past present future from the VVorlds Creation Till that last minute that it could expire VVhich as by Water erst shall be by Fire Indeed saith Ioseph I haue heard it tould The first man Adam prophecide of ould The worlds destruction twice for sinnes iust hire The one by Water th' other by the Fire Seth therefore Adams scholler and his sonne Not knowing which was first of earth and stone Two Pillars built The earth against the fire The stone to stand 'gainst waters raging ire Where Arts which long Experience had obserued He vnto future ages faire preserued The earthen pillar perisht in the flood The stone the waters violence withstood These Heber finding after published In Syria where first learning flourished Till Abram who herein did all excell Came downe to Egypt and as you doe tell Conuerst with one they called Mercury Whom with these Arts he taught the mystery Of one trine God-head and the worlds creation Who read the same vnto their neighbour nation Whence now they are and shall in time be spred Through all the earthly globe inhabited Thus they discourse as if they would foretell Of Gentiles all which after should excell In Arts and Sciences which now dispread As men through all the earth on which we tread For as the earth empeopled was below By Adam so all Arts and Learning flow First from the Hebrews vnto eu'ry nation As Rules and Precepts come by obseruation But now the cittie's towres obscure the skies And make them hold their tongues and vse their eyes The splendor of those buildings to behold Where they the second time good Ioseph sold. The end of the first Booke of Ioseph THE SECOND BOOKE OF IOSEPH NEuer did Adam more lament and plaine For Abel by his cruell Brother slaine Then Iacob mourn'd for fairest Rachels Seede Nor would by any meanes be comforted All Day the field his Lamentations heares All Night his Couch he watreth with his teares And if least slumber close his blubbring eyes Him thinkes he sees a cruell Beare surprize His dearest Ioseph crying out for aid And starting vp awakes much more afraid His Spirit 's thus spent his Body wearied With groanes and tossing vp and downe his Bed Loe aged Isaack who had long beene blinde Of 's fleshly eyes but yet of clearer minde Comes to his comfort being thither led By Beniamin who to him ministred Long stood he mute and to the grieuous moanes Of his blist Iacob ecchoed with groanes Till's heart with sorrow ready now to breake With words all weight he thus begins to speake Deare Sonne the staffe and comfort of mine age The blessed fruit of holy Marriage Far more to Mee then to thee Ioseph deare Mine only Sonne by Promise But thou here Hast Beniamin by thy beloued wife Faire Rachel whilst she liu'd thy Ioy and Life Not that I Ioseph dead or lost doe feare God that of mee and Abram had such care Hath no lesse of thee and thy blest seede In which all happinesse is promised And if of all of him especially VVho is the chiefe of all thy Family To whom the Sunne the Moone and Starres must fall VVhos 's Sheafe his brethrens Sheafs must worship all Of these two dreames I was a due obseruer And reade thence he shall be a great preseruer A figure of that Sauiour great which shall Himselfe by losing saue himselfe and all Thus was I once lost to my faithfull sire VVhen on the Altar kindled was the fire The knife was ready lift vp by his hand To sacrifice my Life at Gods command Thus thou as lost for more then thrice seuen yeares Revail'd wert by mine and Rebeccas teares VVhen Esaus wrath thee draue to Siria plaine But God Almightie brought thee home againe And I presage before the reuolution Of thrise seu'n yeares God will the whole solution of Iosephs dreames with Ioy to thee vnfold VVhich shall reuiue thy
spirit then being old Before great Blessings God doth Crosses send That we may on his Prouidence attend And see the riches of his grace more cleare VVhich hardlier here obtain'd we hold more deare Thus Isaac doth interpret Visions darke As great Mathuselah at building th' Arke VVho liu'd vntill the yeare of th' inundation As plaine appeares by Ages Computation Good Israel was wonderfully mou'd At sight of those he reuerenc'd so and lou'd His Beniamin but newly taught to stride Of his blinde Grandsires steppes then being guide Both which seem'd two good Angels to him sent From heau'n to ease his griefe and discontent VVherefore soone rising on his wearie bed Hauing his Father duly honoured He answers with a piteous sigh and grone Ioseph is gone and I am left alone Deare Rachels first borne whom to make my wife I was a seruant best part of my Life After we had beene maryed foureteene yeares Rachel and I with Prayers Vowes and teares Begg'd him of God Then did my yeares expire VVhich Laban for my two wiues me did hire One daughter and tenne sonnes I had before By Leah seu'n and by my Handmaids foure But I my Ioseph priz'd them all aboue As I his Mother more then theirs did loue And though I churlish did mine Vncle finde In many things herein he was most kinde To pay me wages ere my worke was done For I had Rachel ere that I begun My first yeares Seruice whereby seu'n yeares seem'd But a few daies so I her loue esteem'd No man had euer more experience Then I of Gods good grace and Prouidence VVhen I was first to Padan Aram sent I only with my staffe forth from thee went To Bethel where th' Almightie Lord to mee Appear'd by Vision promising to bee My God and to my Seede the Land to giue Whereon I slept which firmely I beleeue Then did I vow so he would me protect Safe in my Iourney and my wayes direct Giuing me Bread to eate and Clothes to weare The Tenth of all I had to offer there God gaue my asking and abundance more So as I thence return'd with stocke and store And though I long forbare my Vow to pay God neuer me forgot vnto this day I confident beyond all hope can proue I him shall see againe whom so I loue At the last day till then hee 's dead and gone No hope before of Resurrection This is his colour'd Coat begored red By Iawes of Beasts which on his Carkasse fed Were I now blinde I happy were then could I not this dismall spectacle behold But if saith Isaack he hath chang'd his Tent For heau'nly home why should you thus lament As without hope since now he is at rest Let likewise the remembrance of him rest Weepe you because your losse turnes to his gaine Your mourning cannot bring him back againe God our chiefe comforts oft from vs doth rend Lest we too much on outward meanes depend It may be you your loue so on him set You thereby did your loue to God forget Then 's Iustice iustly him from you hath rent And Mercy giues you cause now to repent But whether Ioseph liuing be or dead Let little Beniamin stand in his stead What your affection so to him enclin'd You eu'n the same in Beniamin shall find Of Rachel both begot in marriage bed Only this last she neuer suckeled For in the paines of Birth she left her life Thus he a tender nurse lost thou a wife This Isaacks rubbing on an ancient sore Made Israel lament more then before So as the childe who still was standing by To heare such mourning weepes for company And as a Parret newly taught to prate The voice doth of another imitate So cryes the Boy good Father Ioseph's gone And I alas here left am all alone T' is this fine colour'd coat he wont to weare Good father let vs it to Ioseph beare For that was euer vnder Iacobs arme He may haue neede thereof to keepe him warme These pleasant reasons from the witty child Old Iacob of his sorrowes so beguil'd He was content a while his heart to ease The better this his dearest Boy to please And since he Ioseph thought dead and at rest By little he his Lamentations ceast But euer little Beniamin would cry To let him goe to Ioseph by and by My Boy saith Iacob if that thou wilt goe To Ioseph thou must first as Ioseph doe Be a good Boy serue God thy prayers say At Morne at Night and oftentimes a day All lying swearing idle talke forbeare Duly obey and serue thy Parents deare To any nor of any speake least ill And alwaies be obedient to Gods will For so did Ioseph therefore I had giu'n Him this fine colour'd coat But now in heau'n He is most gloriously by God arraid And sees all Ioyes and Pleasures can be said By this the Boy to imitate growes faine Ioseph in all for hope of Iosephs gaine If Iacob any thing would haue him doe Say Ioseph did it he would doe it too If he from any ill would him retaine Say Ioseph would not do 't he would refraine All which he so well ordered that in fine The Boy was measur'd all by Iosephs Line And Iacob so delighted therewithall He leaues his couch and comes downe to the Hall Where euer Beniamin his darling deare Was ready with his pratling him to cheare Till in the end his loue so on him set Makes him all griefe for Iosephs losse forget And pleasure take in Beniamin now more Then he in Ioseph euer did before So doth one for his wife oft weepe and crie As after her he would not liue but die Forbeares his meat till time of mourning past Then cheares his spirits and fals to his repast And suddenly a second mariage proues Whome he more dearely then the former loues And so his deare affection on her sets He all his former sorrowes quite forgets Thus liu'd old Iacob many happy yeares With Beniamin but wisely he forbeares Him to aduenture once out of his sight Lest as good Ioseph him befall it might Twelue times through all the Signes the Sunne had past And now through Gemini was making hast When he more kindly on his Paramore The Earth did shine then euer heretofore Which made the superstitious Cananite Adore this Planet as a God of might And by Religion of his owne deuising To worship the Sunne-setting well as rising And amongst other their Inuentions vaine Dan Phoebus to leaue Delos I le they faine To court the Nimph of Iordane for his Bride And her to honour with his fertile side Therefore her Bankes he richly doth adorne And Hills and Valleyes fills so thicke with Corne The eared Lands seeme a continued plaine VVhose eares of Corne stoope to the ground againe And she proud of the honour of his rayes Her bosome all with fragrant flowres begayes The more him with sweet sauours to delight And seeme more faire embellisht in his sight VVhich made the Hills and
soone that flame Makes to returne into her cheekes with shame Reason with this base Passion striued long Put one weake as the other groweth strong But nought so checks her Pride and courage braue As stooping to an hated Hebrew slaue That she who now did sit in highest grace Should thus her honour great and state debase As to become a vassall to her slaue Pride many womens chastities doth saue But now the violence of lustfull flame Had sear'd the Reason of th' Egyptian Dame Who waiting till her Lord to Court was gone Thus smiling set vpon me all alone Faire Hebrews sonne whose equall neuer I Yet saw nor do I thinke Sols searching eye In all his trauels from the East to West A Beautie sees with thine fit to contest Not that hereby I vnderprize mine owne Mine no Superiour Thine hath neuer knowne An equall and though Fates vs vp did reare In sundry Climates yet since now appeare In one Horison Sunnes so equall bright Let 's each on other shine with mutuall light Let thy bright Beames vpon my Beautie shine I on thee will reflect both thine and mine Deare seruant do not thou my grace despise Thee I alone can make to honour rise Thou seest how Potiphar alone doth stand In Pharohs grace and rules both Court and Land To the I loue I dare be bold to say I Potiphar the Court and Kingdome sway See then thy happinesse a slaue of late In me to rule all Egypts glorious state And if the Fates vs send a lucky heire Which may like to his Parents seeme most faire All hearts he by thy Beautie shall command And by my right inherit all our land Sweet Ioseph let not frownings cloud thy face Soure lookes thy glorious Beautie do disgrace Let 's take th' occasion now we are alone As Bodyes so our soules to ioyne in one So may we with good likelyhood suppose Bright Phebus with faire Cynthia to close When ioyning for their mutuall delight They seeme eclipsed to the vulgars sight As when some lustfull Prince alone vnseene Doth tempt the faithfull handmaid of his queene To win her to his will and wicked lust The modest maid considring well the trust Of her great Dame whom if she so offended She iustly were of God and man condemned Prayes and intreates his awfull maiestie Her not to force to such iniquitie And breake the sacred Lawes for lustfull rage Of faithfull trust and holy marriage So I poore wretch whose fresh and youthfull chin Fine softest downe to shadow did begin Strangely amaz'd and grieu'd at this foule fact Abhorring eu'n the offer as the act Yet with all due respect and reuerence Did shew my duty and obedience And thus replide deare Mistresse you shall find Me ready ay to satisfie your mind In all where I may iustly you obay And not my heauenly Masters will gainsay My master all commits vnto my hand Nor knoweth he how his owne state doth stand No man is greater in his house then I Nor doth he to my custody denie Ought but thy selfe because thou art his wife His onely comfort deare delight and life How can I to this sinne then condescend And not against my fathers God offend The simple rude saith she a sinne it call But here at Court 't is no offence at all Those that are most seuere against this vice Delight it most Oh 't is a deepe deuice Of Polititians to make a law To hold their children wiues and fooles in aw When they then keepe it nothing lesse intend But at their pleasures diuersly offend I know not one braue spirit in Pharohs Court That this esteems of other then a sport And yet their faire yong lusty able wiues Must like reclused virgins leade their liues For my part I haue learned this by kind Such measure as men meete vs they shall find Then blushing she doth Teares like Pearles distill For she had teares and Blushes at her will But I replide good Madame be content I cannot to your arguments consent To proue from Greatnesse lawfulnesse to euill Is for to draw a Paterne from the Deuill Who is the greatest worldly Potentate Yet no excuse 't is him to imitate For great mens faults they are vnsearch'd vnkowne To me I haue enough to mend my owne They that seuerely iudge sinne yet delight Therein they iudge themselues and yet iudge right And who do thus Gods iudgements iust abuse Must neuer hope that greatnesse shall excuse Will you because men wrong your sexe offend Your Maker God such wickednesse defend Embrace true chastitie of flesh and mind Which honours men and graceth womankind But notwithstanding she from day to day Me wooes yet would I not her voyce obay But shun'd by all good meanes her company Till one day she occasion did espy I being in my closet all alone And in the house not of the houshold one Then all inrag'd with Fury heate and Lust Like hungry Hawke that hath a Partridge trust She on my garment ceasde immodestly And cride come sleepe with me or else I die Not Rachels losse my Brethrens rage nor yet The feare of Famine lying in the pit Nor Midians bondage did me so perplexe As now this womans furious Lust doth vexe Who as the cruell Serpent's said to wind About the noble Elephant by kind So winds this wicked monster womans shame About me to my sorrow and her blame What shall I fly she me too fast doth hold Shall I cry out for shame be it not told A manlike heart did for a woman cry Oh who can but bewayle my misery Should I but now to dalliance consent Me followes honour pleasure worlds content But if that I this offerd grace reiect Bondage disgrace a prison I expect But fearing more diuine reuenging hand Then racke disgrace imprisonment or band Taking more pleasure in a conscience sound Then all wealth honours ioyes she did propound Acquite my body though I left behind My garment and out of the rome doe winde So haue I seene some modest country maid With some vnciuill vsage much dismaid Closely her Aprons strings to escape vntie And left it with the clowne away to flie Who can the Leopards fell rage display Chasing a Pilgrim fast vpon the way And laying on his Cloke her cruell pawes Eu'n ready to deuoure him in her Iawes Who strucke with sudden terrour and affright Forsakes his Cloake and scapes by winged flight May tell the rage of this most cruell Dame Who now hath nothing left but spight and shame Then raging that her Beautie which she priz'd Aboue all others should be so despis'd Shee cals her Seruants in and to them told How that base Hebrew slaue was growne so bold And proud of hers and her deare husbands grace That now he did aspire into his place And would haue slept with her had she not cride All which his garment left here testifide Which vp vntill her Lords returne she laid Then with my Coate her malice she displaid For which my