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 therefore 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 what to say To still their clamour only that they may Repair to thee for answer and receive What thou thinks meet I know 't is bread they crave The Famine now grown over all the Earth And every Creature suffering under dearth The Store-houses were opened and meat The moneyed Egyptians did eat Yet though he sold to many of the store The Famine waxed daily more and more Neither did Egypt only Victuals want But in all other Countryes Food was scant Yea even in Cana'n which was wont to be For plenteousness the Worlds Granary The Famine plac'd it self in every Face Which Jacob seeing cryed out Alass What shall we do we 'd better ne'r been born Then die for hunger yet I hear there 's Corn In Egypt up then get you down and try If of the Ruler you can any buy Go thither therefore all of you save one Aim leave with me I cannot be alone Father said they our lives we owe to you Can we refuse then what you bid us do No Benjamin shall stay till we are come With all our Asses fully loaden home Your blessing Sir e'r we our Journey take We are all ready only that we lack That God's and mine your Journey prosper may Till ye return I 'le never cease to pray Your Money make full weight entreat the man Tell him the Famine's great in Canaan And that with others you are come to buy Egyptian Corn your wants that may supply Now unto Zoan Jacob's Sons are come Saying is the Lord the Governor at home We come from far O let 's obtain the grace To speak and shew him our disast'rous case Lo I am here said he your business At this they bow'd to the Earth and could express Nothing his Glory and their present grief Ties up their Tongues they cannot ask relief The Prince again who all their Faces knew Stranged himself from them and angry grew Saying whence come you surely you are Spies The countenance often the heart betrayes This rough expression so encreas'd their fear That trembling they reply No Sir this year Our Syrian Land was parch'd and nothing bore Meer want made us come unto thee for store Go go you lye I know your whispering Perswadeth me that there is no such thing But Villains come the nakedness to view Of this our Land and then himself withdrew Nay Good my Lord said they our Story hear We all Sons unto one and true men are Mark what we say and if we tell you Lyes Then and not else
JOSEPH REVIV'D OR The Twelve last Chapters of Genesis Metaphrazed Containing the LIFE DEATH Of Holy JOSEPH By GEORGE LESLY Minister of Wittering in Northamptonshier And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God Rom. 8.28 LONDON Printed for the Author and are to be sold by Charles Smith at the Angel near the Inner Temple gate Fleetstreet 1676. IMPRIMATUR Gul. Jane S.T.B. Reverend in Christo Paâ—ti D no Henrico Episc Lond. Ã Sacris Domesticis Jan. 17. 1675. To the Right Worshipful WILL. WYMONDESOLD ESQUIRE Mr. EDMUND Mr. RICHARD Mr. MATTHEW and Mr. THOMAS his Brethren with their truly Vertuous Mother and Sisters Worthy Sirs and Ladies BEING about to throw my Mite into the Publick Treasury to plant a tender VINE in the Lords VINEYARD I thought you fittest to fence it with Your favourable Aspects who are not onely almost equal in Number but Vertues to those Sacred Patriarchs whose History I have metaphrazed The Meeter is like my Self dull and despicable but the Matter is of Divine Inspiration which requires Your acceptance by Heavens Authority while as the other onely lets the World know that I am YOURS Extraordinary obliged GEO. LESLY Wittering Jan. 7. 1675 6. TO THE READER IF Heaven be pleas'd to dart his glorious Rayes Into my Soul let others take the Bayes Who climb Parnassus and Mount Helicon For airy Notions while I at the Throne Of Mercy beg an understanding Heart To measure out what Moses did impart To th' World concerning Jacob and his Seed Mong whom a Dream did great dissention breed Though God inspir'd the Prophet from above And he poor Heart revealed all in love Whose harmless Vision counted was a crime And so perhaps may this my humble Rhime Yet if in friendly manner you disclose My oversights I 'le mend or write in Prose G. L. To my Worthy Friend Mr. GEORGE LESLY upon his Poem called JOSEPH Reviv'd WITH Fiction while the airy Poet doth Abuse the Text thou tell'st the naked truth Thou stuff'st thy Verse with Sense and every Rhime Compleat speaks thee a Poet without crime He who in Sacred Phrase was once forlorn And piece-meal shown like to his Garment torn Thou offer'st whole snips and shred's thy Theam Thou draw'st his Story up without a Seam O happy Art thrice Joseph rides in State In Pharaoh's Second Char'ot first then date His second Trophy with Divine Records His Honour last commenceth with thy words Bid Breth'ren all his Glory'n Egypt tell He needs not now thy Pen hath don 't so well That all the Brittish Orb of it may ring And we of thee while thou of him do'st sing Tho. Woolsey D.D. JOSEPH REVIV'D OF Rachel's long'd for darling since I sing And thy beloved help me Jacob's King My Bark is crazie and my stock is small Yet if thou Wind and Sea command I shall Safe to the Harbour this my Pinnace bring Then of my self and it make offering At Padan-aram had this worthy breath Not long before the beauteous Rachels death Yet Hebron was the place of his abode At seventeen years belov'd of man and God Where with his Brethren Dan and Napthali Asher and Gad he on the downs did lie Feeding the Flocks with them their ill report Grieved the Lad for which he did resort Unto his aged Father and declar'd Those passages that he had seen and heard These actions Boy to them will fatal prove Though I can never take from thee that love I unto Rachel while she liv'd did bear For proof whereof this Livery take and wear This with his tydings did exasperate His Brethrens spirits so that him they hate Which heaven soon perceiveth and his fame Raiseth by dreams to be fulfill'd on them The which when he awake begins to tell Their eyes inflame and hearts with anger swell Against the harmless Youth who ne'rtheless In friendly manner did it thus express This night said he as we all binding were Sheaves in the field mine did it self uprear In King-like posture and yours round did stand Making obeisance waiting its command To which his Brethren hastily reply'd Shalt thou reign o're us Shall it e're be said That thou shalt have dominion No thy grave Is just reward for these thy Dreams to have Yet where Jehovah works no man can let He dreams again of their succeeding fate Which he once more doth unto them reveale And said this other I will not conceale And thus it was Behold the Sun and Moon With Stars eleven to me have homage done Of this he did not only certifie His Brethren but his Father who did cry Fie Son what mean these uncouth thoughts be sure Such wild presages I shall ne'r endure Think'st thou that I my Wife and Children too Shall crouch and bow and fall 'fore such as you No child be wise forbear thus to divine Lest all the rest against thee do combine This storm is ceased and the young men gone Their flocks to feed in Sechem every one For whose long absence neither night nor day Can Jacob rest till Joseph's sent away Who said Go down and see if all be right I 've suffered much for my ten Sons this night Your will said he is unto me a Law I 'le go to Sechem though I never saw The place no sooner doth he undertake his journey than the way he doth forsake And wanders too and fro in open field Till one drew nigh and pitied the child Saying What seek'st thou Stripling 't is my grief To see thee straying here without relief My Brethren Sir said he pray tell me whither They 've driven their flocks to feed I must go thither Boy answer'd he I think I heard them say Rise up and let 's to Dothan streight away And there they are for any thing I know The grass is good because the ground is low My thanks I give you Sir and if I find Them there I 'le say you were exceeding kind This said he runneth thither joyfully Not dreaming once of any danger nigh But 't was a dream for he 's no sooner spy'd By his malicious Brethren than they cry'd Behold our Dreamer comes prophetick Mome Come let us slay him he shall ne'r go home And cast him in some Pit then we will say Some evil Beast hath ta'ne his life away And then 't is hop'd that we shall quickly see A final end both of his Dreams and he But Reuben who was judg'd least to respect God or his Father doth the Lad protect Sa'ing Let 's not kill him for some time or other It will come out remember he 's our Brother If his Blood cry let us not think to thrive We 'll rather put him in this Pit alive This course he was the willinger to take Because thereby he thought to get him back Safe to his Father All this time the Lad Thought of no ill nor yet suspicion had But rush'd among them ravished with joy Wishing them health who answer Foolish Boy Hast not more Dreams
but see And then my wrong revenge or love not me To which the furious Husband answer made Enough my Jempsar it shall ne'r be said That you my Love can any thing demand That I 'le deny wherefore I pray you stand To see the Prologue of his torturing pains He shall imprison'd be and bound with chains Go cursed Rogue I 'le never trust the face That 's beautiful it 's seldom lin'd with grace This heard the courteous Lad made humble bow Saying My Lord I never wronged you Time trying all things you shall plainly see The fault was hers and there was none in me Wherefore I hope that God whom I do serve Will grant such favour that I may not starve In this dark Prison Thy words are bootless Jaylor keep him sure While I have studied what he shall endure Which when Jehovah from 's Imperial Throne Heard wills a winged Herald to be gone Down to his Footstool-Earth and there to tell The Turn-key he must use the Pris'ner well This made our guiltless Youth much favour find With him that unto others was unkind For what in prison was among them done Joseph was doer of it he alone Without controle rul'd all because the Lord Him prosper'd according to the Word Yet all this time our Joseph never thought How he from prison should at last be brought Till he that all for good makes work together Sent Pharaoh's Butler and his Baker thither For misdemeanour who were put in ward With Potiphar the Captain of the Guard Whom Joseph serv'd at last each dream'd a dream Viz. Butler Baker on a several Theam Which so perplexed both of them next morrow That he it spied and said Sirs what sorrow Tormenteth you ye lowr and are so sad There is some cause if your night-sleep was bad Boy that 's not all but we have dreaming been And none can tell us what the same doth mean Hear me my Masters do not you yet know That their Interpretations from below Come not 't is only such events can read As are with Sp'ritual Mantles overspread Then do but tell me what was each mans Theam Not doubting I shall quickly read your Dream A Vine said Butler I saw me before And in the same three Branches and no more Which budded shooting forth its Blossom-flow'rs Whose clusters all brought forth such Grapes as ours The Cup of Pharaoh being in my hand I took and press'd them in at his command Who afterward both took and did it drink This is the sum of what I dream'd I think Is this the thing you have a mind to know Come rouze your Spirit it needs not be so low The Branches three as many days portend Before the end of which the King will send For you and to your wonted place restore His Cup to bear as you was wont before When this Prediction is fulfill'd on thee Be sure to put the King in mind of me And tell him though he have Magicians store Yet there 's an Hebrew Lad that knoweth more Than all of them and this a mean will be From Bonds and Prison for to set me free For I indeed an Hebrew stol'n was And hither brought I know not for what cause Where now again without a crime I lie In this dark Cell and may do till I die I like this young man said the Baker well And will adventure mine also to tell Three Baskets white I had upon my head In which were several sorts of meat and Bread Which I to Pharaoh brought but e'r I came Birds flockt about my head and eat the same This Dream of yours will prove but bad I fear And therefore Sir I beg you would forbear To urge from me what it doth signifie Take this for all that you must quickly die I fear not that say on I will approve Of that my Friend reveals to me in love My life I will resign most willingly If of my Service Pharaoh weary be If 't must be so The Baskets that you wore Predict that e'r three days be o're You shall be hang'd and Birds your flesh shall eat This is the vision of your baked meat Make sure of Heaven thy part on Earth is done Now by this time rose third days sparkling Sun Where God ordaining Pharaoh made a Feast Upon his Birth-day unto all the rest Of them that were his Servants by and by In frolick humonr he aloud did cry Go bring the Baker and the Butler up This man is fittest to give 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 he 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 they 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
that his Brethren come they Pharaoh tell Who said I 'm glad Servants they like it well Come in said Pharaoh Zaph I mean to see Whether thy father Jacob be like thee Send for him into Egypt where his store Shall be so much that he shall wish no more This is my will I hope you 'l not neglect To pay your father all the true respect You owe and for their better commodation Chuse out of Waggons best in all the nation For them the little ones and all their stores Being persuaded that the land is yours As one who 's willing to obey his Lord And serve his Father Joseph doth accord Horses and Chariots quickly are prepar'd By him who for provision nothing spar'd For each of ten had from him change of cloaths But to his brother Ben. gave five of those Three hundred pieces as a token he Unto him gave 'bove what his cost should be His Fathers Present it is greater far For unto him ten Asses loaded are With finest Gold that might supply his need And other ten loaden with Corn and Bread That might sustain his Father in the way All which he doth with small or no delay And then commands that they should thence depart With seeming joy yet grieved at the heart Lest they his Brother Benjamin molest At parting from them thus himself exprest Brethren I hope ye will all cordial be Till ye to Jacob bring good news of me Telling him I do live and wish him health And hope that he will see me and my wealth This do and so I hope God will you bring Unto the old man who is languishing For your long stay These are the whole commands Wherewith I wish you kiss my Fathers hands At home with bowed knees they all salute Their aged Father who for Joy stood mute When he had heard that Joseph was alive Ruler in Egypt and therein did thrive For sometimes he believed and sometimes not Because they 'd told him that the Lad was not But to confirm the truth they all declare What with the Ruler their adventures were And how he serv'd them e'r he let them know Whose Son he was or what he did them ow And also show him all the Waggons trim That should to 's Son in Egypt carry him These seen his fainting Spirit did revive Say'ng Well it is enough if Joseph be alive Help Lord for now my Son I must go see In Egypt land I this done then let me die No sooner had the next Aurora bright With blushing Skies succeeded gloomy Night Then Father Israel to his Char'ot hies And rests not till Beersheba he descries Where resting he commandeth to erect An Altar whence he might his Pra'rs direct And Sacrifices to the God of Heav'n Because his odd Sons were again made ev'n That he a prosperous success might have Of Isaac's God he doth protection crave In 's Journey and for length of days implores Till he had seen young Joseph and his Stores He had not fully ended his devotion When Suns departure and the Starry motion Invited him to leave and to take rest No no saith Jacob there is no such haste I once again will of my God enquire If he my going Egypt-ward desire If he be willing I will not be slack But if he be not then I will turn back This said from Heav'n he heard a sudden voice Say'ng Jacob Jacob fear not but rejoyce Since I have been thy fathers and thy God Well be go there and settle thy abode The truth to shew of this my promise made I 'le make thy seed as sand on Sea-shore laid This mighty Nation shall victorious be After four hundred years when my decree Shall be fulfill'd then fear not down to go I 'le guide thee there and bring thee up also No comfort will I from thee keep thou sees Thy son who was not he shall close thine eyes Good Jacob ravish'd with those hea'vnly news Rose up in haste and to his sons all shews And then commands with speed that they prepare All things which needful for ther journy were The Coaches ready some their father heave Some stand within him ready to receive Their wifes and children have their proper place Into the same and Coachmen drive apace Their cattel also which were numerous Gold Silver Jewels Treasures ponderous Purchas'd in Canaan these they did transport To Egypt whither then they did resort Thus Jacob leaves Canaan and his seed Do follow 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 stopt 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 Keepérs 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