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
IOSEPH OR PHAROAH'S FAVOVRITE ECCLES 39.1 4. Hee only that applyeth his minde to the Law of the most high and is occupied in the Meditation thereof shall serue among Great men and appeare before the Prince LONDON Printed by B. A. for Matthew Law and are to be sold at his Shop in Pauls Church-yard 1623. To the right honourable and reuerend Father in God Iohn Lord Bishop of Lincolne Lord Keeper of the Great Seale WHat need I any other Dedication Thy life Iosephs are but one narratiō He kept King Pharohs Seale which was his Ring Thou art the great-Seale Keeper of our King And art the neerest seruant to his Throne And in his seate of Iudgment sitst alone By him the kingdomes waight Church peoples care Committed to thy equall Ballance are Thus as to Pharoh Ioseph was at Nile So art Thou to the Monarch of this I le God make thy seruice like good Iosephs proue And thee reward with Pharohs Grace and loue So Thou shalt giue thy Maister high content And make vs happy in thy Gouernment Your Lordships most humbly deuoted ROBERT AYLET THE FIRST BOOKE OF IOSEPH Of him whom God by brethrens enuy sent From Canaan to Egypt to preuent Great dearth I sing thou that didst him protect In all his trauels me in mine direct NOw dwelt the holy Patriarch Israel At rest in Canaan in his fathers cell For Esau now did in mount Seir raigne One country could not all their flocks sustain And hauing many stormes and dangers past Now hop'd in quiet to haue liu'd at last Freed from his brothers hate and menacing From Labans cruell gripes and coueting His teares for losse of Rachel now were dride For Dina's rape and Simeons homicide His sonnes abroad in Peace their flocks do tend Ioseph at home his father doth attend When lo an enuious Spirit which did reede In holy Iacob Isaacks promisd seede Which he to come of Ioseph most did feare Because he to his father was so deare One day amongst the sonnes of God appeard Before the Lord desiring to be heard And thus began Dread Thunderer be iust Hast thou not raisd vp sinfull man from dust To make those heau'nly Mansions ay his owne From which thou Angels in thy wrath hast throwne And damn'd yet we but once did thee displease But he offends each houre yet liues at ease Iacob in Isaacks Tents doth quiet liue As with his Blessing he him Peace did giue And though by thy Decree man ought attaine To Ioyes of Heau'n by sorrow care and paine To him thou so benigne and gratious art Hee sees the Pleasures neuer feeles the smart So as it seemes 't is thy determination To make base Man for blisse Vs for damnation How hast thou blessed him on eu'ry side His Children many his Possessions wide His flocks abound and couer all the Land So thou dost blesse all workes that passe his hand Well may he serue thee for so great reward But touch him thou shalt see his slight regard Vexe thou but him or any of his race And he will thee blaspheme vnto thy face When thus th' Almightie say thou what thou can Iacob's a matchlesse iust and perfect man Who feareth God doth good escheweth ill Try him or his so thou no bloud dost spill Thus now had Satan his desires attain'd By Iacobs Angell till that time restrain'd And since for bloud he could not get permission He priuily sowes Enuie and Sedition Which make oft greater rents in Church and State Then open enmitie and knowne debate Simeon and Leui once his Instruments Of murther vnder couer'd false intents With the two handmaids sonnes shall kindle hate And Enuy for to ouerthrow the state Of simple Ioseph who in honest sort To Israel brought his brethrens ill report And in plaine meaning did to them vnfold His dreames by day which God by night had told Which enuiously this Sp'rit interpreting As if he of his Brethren would be king And for because he was to Iacob deare And tales to him as they suspect did beare He by their malice labours cunningly To ruine Iacob and his Family In Iosephs losse Thus did the enuious Fiend Proiect destruction God a blessed end Little hereof thought good old Iacob when He him to Sichem to his bretheren Doth send where wandring he at last was told That they at Dothan pastured their fold On side of hill which Sol with chearefull eyes Salutes and comforts soone as he doth rise Vnder a stately Oake whose armes dispread From Sunne and Raine all vnder sheltered Neare fairest meadowes and the Riuer side These Brethren with their Flockes in Tents abide More healthfull pleasant fruitfull spatious plaine Was not in Canaan to be seene againe Where whilst their Flockes doe feede they haue good leasure To leape dance caroll sleepe and take their pleasure And they that feele within diuiner motions In priuate shades may fall to their deuotions And imitate the plumed heaun'ly Quire Who in sweete notes Gods goodnesse doe admire Hither comes Ioseph where he first admires The places fertilenesse and faire attires For his owne coate all party coloured Seemd nought to that the ground apparelled But his ten brethren him no sooner spie But lo here comes the dreamer all do crie Come let vs kill and in some pit him cast Then see how all his Dreames will proue at last And when our father misseth him wee le say Some wicked beast deuour'd him on the way And had not Prouidence with-held their knife By Ruben they then taken had his life Full glad to see his Brethren was the childe And with a pleasing face vpon them smilde As little thinking by them to be sold As they at Nile his glory to behold As cruell Cain against his brother rose When nothing lesse good Abel did suppose And as fierce Simeon came most cruelly On Sichem looking for affinity So Iacobs sonnes vnwares on Ioseph run Who kindly to salute them then did come One bends his fist another drawes his knife Another sweares he 'le teare from his life Wretch saith another thou comest for a spy That thou returning home maist tell a lye And vs disgrace in our old fathers eare And be alone his ioy and darling deare Lo saith another we our sheaues must bring And do to thee obeisance as our king One saith thou art the Sunne we starres of night And must all bow whence we do borrow light Then stripping off his party coloured coate They blindfold him and on the shoulder smote And said since thou diuin'st and dreamst so right Reckon now which of vs thee last did smite Whilst Lambe-like he before the sharer lies Mute and amaz'd yet thus at last replies Ah brethren deare though now too late I proue The peril 's not so great in Hate as Loue Cain mortall hate did to his brother beare For that his offrings acceptable were My father hardly scap't mine Vncles knife Because he was Rebecca's dearest life So did you and your mother mine despise
face behold Without the Lad be there except I would Bring on my Fathers house such wrechednesse As no mans Tongue is able to expresse With that like Iordanes flouds his teares doe fall And as he wept so wept his Brethren all But Ioseph then no longer could refraine But biddes forbeare there may not one remaine Within with him whilst he himselfe declares Vnto his Brethren with such cryes and teares That the Egyptians and Pharoh heare His loud laments and scarcely can forbeare To mourne with him who kept them all from mourning But Ioseph to his Brethren soone returning Saith I am Ioseph doth my Father liue Feare not my Brethren I you all forgiue As when a King that he discouer may Some traitrous plot his body doth array In such an habit as none can descry Him from one of that close Conspiracy Till hearing all the Traitours Coniuring He shewes himselfe to be their Lord and King So that they all stand mute and in a maze And gastly one vpon another gaze So stand the ten one looking on another To see so high their late betraied Brother Thus at the last the wicked men shall hide Their face at sight of him they Crucifide When on his Throne his glory they behold Like Iosephs who shall like to him be sold. But Beniamin poore harmelesse innocent After he had endur'd this chastisement At hearing Iosephs name lifts vp his eyes And lowder now for Ioy then Sorrow cryes So shall the innocent at last appeare To be absolued by their Brother deare Then Ioseph saith my Brethren all draw neare I am your Brother Ioseph doe not feare That very Ioseph you to Egypt sold But be not greeu'd therewith nor doe it hold A cruell thing For God me sent before For to preserue your liues with millions more This is the second yeare fiue are behinde When none shall reape or mow or sheaues vp binde God sent me to preserue your Progeny And saue you by a great deliuery Not you I say but God me hither sent And made me here to your astonishment Great Pharoh's Father and giu'n free command Ore all his House and ouer all his Land Hast to my Father Tell him in a word Thus saith thy Ioseph God hath made me Lord Of Egypt Tarry not but soone come downe And thou shalt dwell on Goshens fruitfull downe Thy Children Childrens children and thy flocke Beasts Asses Camels all thy store and stocke Lo there I sustenance for thee will finde For those fiue yeares of Famine yet behinde Your owne eyes see and Beniamins behold I all in your owne tongue haue truly told My glory here then to my Father tell As you haue seene and hither hast to dwell So weeping he vpon the necke doth fall Of Beniamin and he on his so all He kisses and doth after with them talke Familiarly as they together walke As when a Treasure in the earth is found Fames Trumpet doth it farre and neere resound So Fame this newes in Pharohs Court doth tell Which pleased him and all his seruants well Therefore he thus to Ioseph out of hand Thy Brethren send with Corne into their Land To bring their Father and his family That they may eate my Lands fertilitie Besides I will my Charrets thou command For to conuey your Father to my Land With Wiues and Children let them leaue their stuffe Egypt shall furnish them with store enough Then Ioseph hasting them away to send Peace by the way doth thus to them commend I will not now things past commemorate Your griefe and sorrow more to aggrauate For God hath turn'd your morne of griefe and sadnesse Vnto a day of Feasting Ioy and gladnesse Yet patiently my louing Counsell heare And by your former harmes learne to beware Let not that wicked Enuyer of mankinde Breede discords strifes or quarrels in your minde Nor question or dispute one with another Who 's most in fault for selling of your brother Each of his sinne vnfainedly repent And giue God glory who me hither sent And all the euill you against me thought Turning to good this great deliuerance wrought I send now Charrets by the Kings command To bring my aged Father to this land Ten Asses laden all with Egypts good I likewise send my father for his food And ten she-Asses lade with corne and bread That by the way you may thereof be fed Changes of Rayment I to each assigne These fiue my dearest Beniamin are thine With these three hundred siluer peeces So He hath his right yet you no wrong I do Let not your eye cause I am good be ill 'T is reason good enough to say I will Yet Nature may informe you of another He is my onely brother by my mother Enuy him not because he in mine eyes Most gracious is nor shall he you despise Brethren in loue and amitie combind Are like small stickes we in a fagot bind No force them bends whilst they remaine in one Disioynd a child will breake them all alone Hast Fare-you-well fall not out by the way W'offend against my Father by your stay Lo thus they flie from Nile to Iordans shore To tell their Father all you heard before Ioseph is yet aliue saith Iudah and Is Gouernor of all King Pharohs land Alas saith Iacob come you me to flout Ioseph now liues in heau'n I make no doubt He was the Prey long since of cruell beast I haue his bloody Coate still in my chest Ah! saith Dan to Gods glory we confesse Who hath laid open all our wickednesse That we our brother out of enuy fold When we at Dothan pastured our fold To Ishmaelites who after for their gaine In Egypt where we found him sold againe His colourd Coate which doth with thee abide We dipt in bloud our fowlest sinne to hide Lo now thy sonnes on knees before thee fall And for this our offence beg pardon all Ioseph vnaskd our trespasse did remit Therefore good father also pardon it As Indian merchant on the sodaine told His ship is safe arriu'd all lade with gold Which long since to be cast away he feard Because he neuer tidings of her heard First wauers and it hardly can beleeue Fearing lest he too sodaine credence giue But when he sees the Porters bringing in The golden Oare and Ingots doth begin For to reuiue Eu'n so old Israel Misdoubts when first he heard his children tell Of Iosephs life and glory great at Nile But when he thus had wauered awhile And saw the goodly charrets Ioseph sent To bring him and his houshold from their tent To Egypt and his dearest Beniamin Confirm'd it all for Truth Behold within The old mans spirit doth againe reuiue And cryes with Ioy Ioseph is yet aliue God pardon you all your Iniquitie I will goe downe and see him ere I die The end of the third Booke of Ioseph THE FOVRTH BOOKE OF IOSEPH NOw Iacobs tents abound with such great store Of corne which they had wanted heretofore As if God had