Lord me into Prison cast My daies in paine and miserie to waste Thus lightly crediting the accusation And his false Wifes most guilefull simulation He by his rashnesse lost a seruant iust And still maintaines a strumpets Pride and Lust. But as a six-squar'd Dye or carued stone How euer cast stands still vpright all one So was I constant in Aduersitie As resolute in my prosperitie That God which me had erst deliuered From Brethrens Fury and me honored In time of my vniust captiuitie Me leaues not now in this Calamitie Oh happy they whose Conscience them acquite That heere they suffer wrong for doing right So but a while Gods leisure they attend They sure shall haue a good and happy end Let Tyrants rage they God as gentle kind In Prison as in Paradise doe finde Wherefore though I was of my Coate bereft My masters Grace and Fauour and now left In stinking dungeon yet I felt no harme God gaue me power my Iailours hands to charme And sent me in the Prison-Keepers sight Fauour and grace for Potiphars despight For now that former diligence which gain'd Mee fauour with my Lord like trust obtain'd Mee in the Prison so that to my care Lo all the Prisoners committed are The Keeper lookes to nought vnder his hand God euer prospers all I did command About this season as it oft befals Great Fauorites in Court haue suddaine falls By their owne faults or others accusation Or by their Lords dislike and alteration Of Fauorites Two Lords of high regard In Pharohs Court committed are to warde The Keeper these doth to my trust commend That I with diligence should them attend These wanton Courtiers which had formerly Liu'd all in plentie ease and Iollitie Acknowledging nor seruing other God Then Pharoh and now chast'ned with his rod As without soules this change of Fortune beare But I by all meanes sought my charge to cheare And told them if indeed they guiltlesse were The iustest King of Heau'n would finde them cleere And if they had through frailtie him offended So they their sinnes confessed and amended Hee eu'n as willing was them to forgiue As they in 's Grace and fauour here to liue How earthly Kings our bodies might enchaine But still our soules in Freedome did remaine With many such good words I sought to please My charge who found therein no little ease And grew lesse heauy till both in one night Had seuerall Dreams which did them much affright Which soone as I had heard I right aread And as I told so all things followed Such Visions are not like Dreames naturall Which ordinary vs in sleepe befall They in our Soules deeper impressions leaue Then such as commonly the Sense deceiue Which in the Fantasie worst reuell keepe When Common-sense the Master is a sleepe And doe th' Imagination vaine delight Sometime with hope sometime with Feare affright Working most on th' affections of the minde When Sleepe the Bodies senses fastest binde For eu'n in Sleepe Griefe Ioy Feare Hope Hate Loue The soules affections wake and liuely moue God often by such Visions tels men plaine What things they ought to doe and what refraine Sometimes by Dreames to them are promised Great Blessings and great curses threatened God oft thus shewes one his determination And giues another the interpretation Thus vnto me two Dreames by night he told Which as they proue my Grand-sire did vnfold Thus Pharohs Seruants first and next their King See things to come But the interpreting Was giu'n to me which done I told them plaine Interpreting to God as Dreames pertaine And now who thinkes but that I thought it long Yet two yeares to abide in Prison strong After I had so well interpreted His dreame whom now the King so honored But hauing learn'd with Patience to attend Gods leasure and to hope vnto the end Eu'n at that time when as I least expected So long of Pharohs Cup-bearer neglected He that doth all things heere by weight and measure On whom they all attend to doe his pleasure By one poore Dreame but from an heathen King What 's long before decreed to passe doth bring I rais'd to Grace the World from Famine quite The Butler doth acknowledge his ore-sight South sayers weakenesse is discouered And God is all in all acknowledged My Brethren bold are to Repentance brought For all the wickednesse which they had wrought And this my wicked Mistris may reclame And bring her to acknowledgement with shame And make my master see his foolish passion And learne to Iudge by better information My two first Dreames proue true which I had told My Fathers spirit reuiu'd now being old Pharoh thus gaines the wealth of all his Land And must acknowledge it from Gods owne hand Thus all the parts of this sweet sacred story Are for mans good but end all with Gods glory All these are now the Consequence and Theames Of mine of Pharohs and his seruants Dreames See farther heere Satans Maleuolence And mans will freely serue Gods prouidence Satan sought by my brethrens Crueltie In me to ruine Isaacks Family My brethren me of wilfull enuie sould And for the twentie siluer peeces told The Midian Merchants bought me for their gaine And into Egypt meant to sell againe God hither sent me Graine heere to prouide Else thou and all thy sonnes for want had dide Thus Satan sought dishonour of Gods name And all for this my Brethren rightly blame Goodmen such Merchant's Couetise detest That buy and sell Gods Image as a beast But God who 's only powrefull good and wise From all these euils makes the Good arise But I thus hauing in great Pharohs grace Obtain'd the first in Realme the second place First pray to God me to direct aright To vse this fauour and my borrowed Light Nor sought I mine owne honour wealth and praise But his who did me from the Dungeon raise And therefore first take care for publike good Prouiding 'gainst the Future Famine food Wherefore I first through Egypt Circuit ride And garners great in eu'ry place prouide In those seu'n fruitfull yeares to fill with store Of eu'ry Graine And sith it is no more Vertue to purchase then preserue no tide I slipt but did most carefully prouide To kill all Vermine cut off all excesse Of Gluttonie and beastly Drunkennesse Abate all needlesse Beasts Dogges Mules and Horse Ridde idle Rogues and Vagrants which are worse Then Catter-pillars to consume the store To rob the richest and to sterue the poore No Corne out of the Land let I goe out But buy in rather from the Coasts about And many Forrests which before did ly All waste I vnto Tillage did apply Thus I proceede and God so blest my hand That all things prosper ouer all the Land But when the yeares of plentie all are past And all the Land of Egypt lyeth waste So that they liue of former yeares remaines Which them perhaps a month or two sustaines The people first of Pharoh seeke supply Who them
arriue Where Pharohs Peares and Seruants all doe striue How best their Loues and Seruice shew they may To adde more honour to this happy day When Asenah first kneeling downe begun Oh holy Father of a blessed sonne Blesse me thy Daughter Blessed shall they be Whom thou dost blesse As welcome now to me As dearest Ioseph to his Fathers sight All Egypts glory yeelds not such delight When Iacob Daughter Fitter 't is for me To your great state to bow my humble knee But rightly you of me a blessing craue No other Dower to bestow I haue The Lord on thee from Heau'n all Blessings shower But Iacobs tongue not hauing farther power Now to expresse his Wondrous Ioy and Loue His eyes produce abundant Teares to proue His ioyfull soule for Iosephs happy state When Iosephs Steward tells him it was late And supper time Wherefore they all addrest Themselues in their due order to the feast THE FIFTH BOOKE OF IOSEPH SOone as Aurora with her blushing face Vsherd the Gyant out to run his race His longest Iourney from the East to West Good Ioseph though he ouernight did feast Eu'n all th'astates of Egypt with their traine His father in more state to entertaine Gets vp and with his seruants all repaires Vnto a chappell by to publike praiers Which Pharoh had giu'n Ioseph there to serue God who from famine Egypt did preserue No time to men of action is so free For their deuotions as the Mornings bee Especially for those that liue at Court Where they make Dinners long but Prayers short But they done Ioseph doth his speech direct Thus to his Brethren you perhaps expect That I now for mine owne and houses grace Should raise you all to honourable place And make you Lords at least in Pharohs land But if you wisely things will vnderstand And know that honour ladeth more then graces If wealth and vertues answer not your places No grace nor honour can giue such contents To you as quietly to liue in tents You that haue had your Breeding in such sort Cannot obserue the Niceties of Court They whose ambition would be ouer all The higher climb'd oft take the greater fall Equals enuy Superiours such disdaine Inferiours maligne all seeke their gaine Grace and Preferment by anothers frowne Who get vp seeke to thrust the other downe Courtiers are Dials whilst Sol on them shines Obseru'd of all else but as painted Lines Many Court-honour onely do admire And as another heau'n on earth desire These onely looke on outward splendour showne Our inward cares and dangers are vnknowne None would enuy our glory and content Knew they the weight and cares of gouernment They Altas burthen on their shoulders brare To whom committed is the publique Care Besides most stand in such high slippery places I would not haue their hazard for their graces I speake not to dehort from gouernment The wise for feare of griefes and discontent Vnder this burthen they must bow their backe Lest if the wicked rule all goes to wracke But who are prudent moderate and wise Are rather raisd for worth then seeke to rise And such like tubs on their owne bottome stand Nor neede the least support of others hand When they which want this true worth of their owne No sooner clamberd vp but tumble downe The first like fixed Starres stand firme and fast Last make faire showes like Comets but sonne wast Their matter is pure elementall fire Of these ambitious humour and desire Such is the Humour of Ambition vaine For grace and offices to take much paine Wherein they neuer comfort take nor rest So feare of loosing doth their mind molest When could they their faire Fortunes vse aright They Freedome might enioy with much delight I fiue of you my brethren will present To Pharoh who I know hath an intent To giue you any honour you require But you his Fauour onely shall desire And tell him plainely how you haue been bred And heards and cattell all your life time fed My reason is for that this occupation Is here in Egypt of small reputation Desiring you of his high grace may hold Some pastures onely for your flocks and fold Where you may serue God free from care and strife And pray for Pharohs long and happy life Should I you all now raise to Dignitie Ones Folly ruine might the Family Many vnited stronger are then one But 't is most what more safe to stand alone Especially so high where one mans fall May make a breach and so indanger all Oh happinesse if knowne of country bowers Where in Deuotion they their freer howers May spend and with Groues citizens sweet sing Diuinest praises to the heau'nly King Where free from plots and vndermining Arts All may the Truth speake boldly from their hearts For to a goodman 't is no little paine To flatter for the greatest grace and gaine There may they see their Lambs grow great and more And heauenly blessings on their stocke and store There may they see corne thriue vpon their lands And God to prosper all workes passe their hands Happy whose lot falls in so faire a ground Such pleasures are at Court but seldome found But le ts make hast my brethren to the court My businesse is long my time but short And now had Phoebus climb'd vp to such height His beames did warme the world as well as light When Israell old with trauell wearied Slept sound till waking he much wondred Thinking himselfe at first in his owne tents To see such costly gorgeous ornaments But soone remembring where he did abide He turnes to Leah lying by his side And thus begins Deare wife should I suruay Gods blessings from my birth vnto this day And in a summe his benefits recount They would my dayes nay eu'n my howres surmount His Goodnesse Wisedome Foure Loue in those past Shin'd seuerall but all now in this last Goodnesse in drawing so much good from ill To worke the sound good purpose of his will His powre herein is manifestly showne In raising vp the meeke and throwing downe The prowd his heauenly wisedome did foresee And told vs all by dreames which now we see The Starres eleu'n to Ioseph bow'd long sence Now we the Sunne and Moone him reuerence And lastly here appeares his wondrous Loue That all for 's glory and our good doth proue Thus Israel doth Gods benefits recite Beginning in the morning eu'n till night But whilst he thus Gods Bounty magnifide Like fairest Ewe with twin Lambs by each side Comes Asenah on either hand a sonne Smugge liuely like two Rabbets newly run Which seemd their mothers gracefull steps to guide As two trim Squires that leade to Church a Bride The tender boyes whose mothers pious care Before had taught themselues aright to beare Downe on their knees before their Grandsire fall And sweetly to him for his blessing call The good old man whose heart doth dance for ioyes To see his Nephews thus begins sweete boyes Which like two
and state Those that liue Godly here the world will hate But God doth euer them most highly prize Who here are meanest in the wickeds eyes The World will you deride and say that this But some vaine peeuish single humor is Or some light idle motion which doth rise From some meane ignorant conceited wise Despise their censures for I certaine know The spirit whence such heau'nly motions flow What care I how their worldly wisdome deeme Of them So they with God be in esteeme Oh! were my words now written in a booke That who so list to learne on them might looke Or with a Diamonds point engrauen plaine On Adamant for euer to remaine I know that my Redeemer true and iust Liues and shall raise vs at the last from dust And though the wormes my skin and flesh destroy I God shall in my body see with ioy Eu'n with mine owne and with no other eyes But now my spirit begins so high to rise As if she meant to leaue this habitation And flye to heau'n by holy contemplation Oft hath she striu'd to rise before this day As weary of her brittle Tent of Clay But hath beene by the weight thereof deprest But now shee feeles her selfe from thence releast I cannot last my Lampe so fast doth spend And now burnes clearest nearest to the end Farewell deare sonnes my Blessing on you all Continue to your after-Ages shall Oh God of Life now thou dost me denie The Powre to liue me willing make to die These all are those twelue Tribes of Israel Which good old Iacob blest and wished well Besides the blessing to each seuerall Wherein he told them what should after fall And now as Ioseph erst he made to sweare So chargeth he eu'n all his Children there To lay him in that place of Buriall Where his fore-fathers were interred all Thus when his swan-like song was at an end And all commanded that he did intend He plucked vp his feete into the Bed And was vnto his people gathered Oh happy man saith Pharoh God me send Eu'n such a life and such a happy end Lo farther Pharoh did that day command That all his Peeres and Nobles of the Land Should goe with Ioseph and his Brethren all To honour holy Iacobs funerall Where they seu'n dayes made so great Lamentation They draue the Cananites to admiration And after he was buried in this sort Ioseph returnes againe to Pharohs Court His Brethren vnto Goshen where in peace They Liued and did mightily increase Till Ioseph was an hundred ten yeares old So that he Ephraims children did behold To their third Generation and the seede Of Machir eldest of Manasses Breed Sate on his knees Then saith he lo I die But God will visit you assuredly And in that Land a place for you prepare As he to Abram Isaack Iacob sware Then as I sware to Iacob to me sweare Thither my Bones with you from hence to beare His Brethren sware So Ioseph as I told Dide honourably being very old Whose Body they imbalmed in a Chest And after carryed to the land of Rest Where they erect a Pillar on his graue And thereupon this Epitaph engraue FINIS IOSEPHS Epitaph HIs Fathers Darling mothers deare delight Obiect of Satans malice Brethrens spite To Master iust chaste faithful to his Dame In Prison free coÌ„demn'd yet void of blame From Dungeon raisd to highest reputation By Wisdome Counsell Dreames and DiuinatioÌ„ Thus God by him a great deliuerance wrought In sauing them who his destruction sought A diligent wise prouident Obseruer And therefore of Mankinde a great preseruer In Padan borne In Canaan nourished In Midian bound in Aegypt honoured From whence his soule flew to eternall Rest His Bones here in like expectation rest He sau'd from Famine King Priests People all For which his seede and Nation they enthrall Vnworthy Aegypt of this sacred Vrne Who such rewards for merits dost returne SVSANNA was of all thy Poems best But IOSEPH her excels as shee the rest 1. Kin. 4.21 Gen. 15.18 called there the riuer of Egypt A cittie so called Gen. 25.13 Called Ostracina or Cheres Plin lib. 5. cap. 22. Iosephus ad Heroum oppidum Iacobo occurrit Ios. lib. 2. Antiq. ca. 4. Iosephus ibidem a Sex aut septem miliaeria a capite Delta admare rubrum Gorop Hisp. lib. 6. Herod plus distantiae poâ—it lib. 2. b Psamni thus Egyptorum Rex hoc tentauit sed oraculo interpellatus desutit Herod ibidem c Eedam significat aggerem perpetuuÌ„ nullo modo rumpendum Gorop lib. 6. Hisp. d Cimbrica seu Germanica Gorop e Dam significat aggerem fluctibus Maris aquarum oppositum Gorop Herm lib 4. Ee. significat firmum f Hebraite sic vocatur sic vocandae est g Etham dicitur vel ab Hebraeo Thaam permecathesin qd significat geminum quiae inter duo maria positum est vel ab Ethah quod significat curro quia EthaÌ„ olim futurus est locus vbi mare currat h Athas mons celissimus factus est nauigabilis à Xerxe Plut. Iust. alij i Quales sunt obelisci 4. quorum v. nusquisque erat 480. cubitorum longitudine 1 Ruben 2 Simeon 3 Leui. 4 Iudah 5 Zabulon 6 Isachar 7 Dan. 8 Gal. 9 Aser 10 Napthalim 11 Ioseph 12 Beniamin