270 APPENDIX. 



only a slave, but before you make me king,, all people must pay what 

 they owed to the last king for provisions, that I may give it for the 

 support of his children, and you must make all the people swear, that 

 they have wished and ordered you to make me king." He then gave 

 the people all the corn that was left, and they liked him very much. 



Soon there came another famine, (elsewhere) and nineteen of his 

 brothers came to Misr, (or Cairo) to try and get something to eat. 

 Joseph then asked them where they lived, and they told him in Hinda, 

 and he knew them, though they did not recognise him; he however 

 relieved them, and secretly put his " own Uttle clothes," and a cup, into 

 a sack of corn, and sent the whole to the old blind man and woman for 

 charity. The old people took out the cup and clothes, kissed, and 

 smelt them, and the scent of the garments cured their blindness, but they 

 still feigned it, as they were afraid of their sons. The old people sent 

 their sons again to King Joseph, to thank him for the corn, and to pre- 

 sent him with a basket for a curiosity, it having been made by a blind 

 man. In the side the old man secreted a letter, in which he reminded 

 Joseph, that his youngest sister, an infant when he left home, was now 

 a woman. When Joseph received this, he loaded the camels and gave 

 his brothers much more corn, and sent a message to the blind people, 

 desiring them to send their youngest child. They did so, saying to her 

 secretly, " that king is your brother, but speak not of it on the road, for 

 fear the others should kill you." When they arrived, Joseph feasted his 

 brethren handsomely in his bed-room, and sent the girl to feed with the 

 servants. The brothers I'eviled Joseph for this, and for frustrating their 

 sister's expectations as a female ; (meaning that he ought to have taken 

 her for a wife) and they got up and took her away with them, but Joseph 

 secretly put two large pieces of silver into the girl's basket, and then, 

 pretending to have discovered a robbery, sent after her, found the silver 

 in her basket, and detained her, telling the brothers to go and fetch the 

 old man and woman. He then gave his sister fine clothes and rings, and 

 had her bathed. 



The brothers went back to the old people, and said, " Your daughter 

 is in prison, you must come." When they reached IMisr, Joseph pre- 

 tended to put them in prison also. He then invited his brothers to a 



