J o s r. p II. 



olhcr being the chief baker, he was altogether iimniiidfiil 

 of Jcfeph, and made no tiiort, notwiihllanding his appli- 

 cation to him, to procure for him his liberty. In procefs 

 of time Pharaoh had two dreams, by which his mind was 

 much imprelfcd, and which none of the wife men who be- 

 longed to his court were able to interpret. The chief 

 bvitler wai thus reminded of Jofeph, and acknowledging 

 to the king his ingratitude fv-r neglecling him, related the 

 circumftanccs pertjiiring to liimfelf and the chief baker. 

 Upon this information, Pharaoh ordered Jofeph to be 

 brought to him. The king imparted to him his dreams ; 

 and Jofeph, modillly difclaiming all pretenlions to fnperior 

 vifdom, and relying on that divine fuggcllion with which 

 he hoped to be fiivoured, interpreted them to his fatitfac- 

 tion. (B.C. I/IJ.) Tliefe dreams and their interpretation 

 it is unnecefTary for us minutely to recite. It is fufScient 

 to obferve, that the king was then forwarned of feven 

 years of fertility and abundance, which were to be fuc- 

 ceeded by the fame period of Herility and famine ; and he 

 found it neceffary to make previous provifion accordingly. 

 Witli this view Jofeph, who was near thirty years of age, 

 was appointed general fuperintendant of the affairs of the 

 kingdom, and invefted with authority next to that of 

 Pharaoh himi'L-lf, who alfo gave him in m.irriage the daughter 

 of Potipherab, prieft of On. The courfe of events was 

 precifely fuch as Jofeph had pre-fignificd by his interpretation 

 of Phar.ioh's dreams ; fo that grat:aries were eilablifhed 

 under his direftion in the cities of Egypt, and corn col- 

 ledied in great quantities, and laid up in (lore, during the 

 years of plenty, for the fupply, not only of Egvpt, but of 

 neighbouring countries in the fucceeding years of fcarcity. 

 The years of famine began B.C. 1708. In tlvis period of 

 general diftrefs Jacob fent i a of his fons, from Canaan to 

 Egypt, in order to purchafe corn. As thi:; bufinefs was 

 wholly committed to the management of Jofeph, they were 

 referred to him. Jofeph inilantly recognized their perfons, 

 though he was unknown to them ; but in order the more 

 effeftually to prevent their difcovery of him, and, probably, 

 to excite in their minds a due fenfe of their pail crime, 

 he queftioned them in an angry tone, and by an interpreter, 

 concerning their country ; and being informed that they 

 had come from the land of Canaan, charged them witli 

 being fpies, which charge they obviated by giving a true 

 account of their father and family. A .younger brother, 

 they faid, was left at home with his father, and another was 

 cow no more. Jofeph ftill perfifted in the charge, and re- 

 quired their verifying the account which they had given 

 of themfelves, by difpatching one of their number to fetch 

 their younger brother, while the reft remained in cuflody. 

 However. I.e afterwards relented, and propofed that oric 

 of them (hould remain till the arrival of the younger bro- 

 ther, and that all the rell fhould go home with corn for 

 their, families. Duri;;g ihcii detention they accufed one 

 another for the cruelty of their conduft towards Jofeph, 

 who,' ftill feigning himfelf a ftranger to their language, 

 heard their mutual reproaches with an en.otiun which lie 

 ccAld not fupprefs, and which, there/ore, required his. 

 withdrawing' from them. At length he gave them leave . 

 to depart, informing them, that if their account of themftlves 

 v,-^s true, they woyld be permitted to traffic in the land. 

 iSimeonj who is fuppofed to have been the principal aggref- 

 for in the treatment of Jofeph, was kept in cuilody ; and 

 the' others were difmificd. Before their departure -orders^ 

 had been given that when the facks were filled with corn, 

 each man's money flmuld be returned in his fack's mouth. 

 This circumllance, when it was difcovered in their journey 

 homewards, very njuch alarmed them; and they _coiiduded_ 



tluit this was done in order to funiidi a pretence for en^ 

 Having them when they ne.st vifiied Egypt. Jacob heard 

 their adventures with furprife and concern ; more efpc- 

 cially when he found that Simeon was lelt behind in cuftody, 

 and that they were pledged to take Benjamin with them 

 before they could obtain his releafe. At length, as the 

 fcarcity inereafed, and their fupply was pearly cxhauftcd, 

 Jacob, with great reluClancc,confenU;d to part with Ben- 

 jamin J and leaving ordered them to provide prcfents for 

 the ruler of Egypt, and to carry with ttiem twice as much 

 money as before, he committed lliem to the 1 lefling of 

 heaven, and difmifled them. Upon their arrival in Egypt, 

 they haftencd to prcfent themfelves before Jofepli ; and were 

 kindly received and liberally entertalr.ed at a public dinner 

 which he had provided for them. Some circumftances oc- 

 curred on this occailon which might liave brought their 

 brother to their recolleftion ; but they again departed wilk 

 their facks aiid money as before, and ni Benjamin's fack 

 was the filver cup out of which Jofeph himlelf drank. Upon 

 their return towards Canaan they were followed by an offi- 

 cer, who charged them with iiigratitude for the hofpitalilv 

 with which they had been treated, and with the tlieft of 

 his lord's filver cup. All of them protelled their inno- 

 cence i but upon fearching the facks, the cup was found 

 to their great furprife and concern in that of Benjan.in. 

 Tiiey were therefore taken back to .lofepli, who iiifilUd 

 upon detaining Bcnjaniin as a (lave, whilil they might bi 

 allowed to return home in peace. Recolleeiing the reluctance 

 with which his father !■■■' '>■•■'■ -l '■■'■'h liis"fon Benjamin, 

 and that they were fun '! ' :., they urged various 



pieas for his being ;,!'. ;. any' them. Judah 



was the advocate for ! rtv ; and he offered 



himfelfas afubfliluteit ' ' d'to return. .lofepli 



was at length overcoi .,mc intolerably irk.' 



fome to him ; and he cr, . : icfraiu from difccvrr- 



ing himfelf to his brethren. (V>.L'. 1706.) 'I'his part of the 

 facrcd hillory is wrought up with incomparable (jeauty and' 

 pathos, and mufl fufier by any att^irnt to r.'>ridge it, or to: 

 relate it in difierent language. ":' ' ■ being made, 



they were all received, and par > n, his bro- 



ther by the fame mother, wi:!i . . I'le tcnde.-eil 



and moll affeftionate regard ; nc. ciiu , oic.Mi, the yiceroc 

 of Egypt, for fuch was the high rank he occupied, lofe any 

 time in acquainting Pharaoh with the arrival of liis brethren, 

 and with tiie circumllanccs of his father and his family.. 

 The king immediately 'gave orders for their being fent for^ 

 to Egypt, and for fett'ing them in the richelt part of 

 the country. Goihen was tlie dillricl which Jofeph allotted 

 to them ; and there they \vere fupplied with ample means, 

 of fubfillence, wh.lll the inhabitants of other parts of Egypt 

 were fufiering great dillrcfs on account of the famine, w iiich 

 ItiU continued. The long duration of this calamity drained 

 the people of all their money, and eon 11 rained them at length 

 to part with their cattle, their houfes, their land, and even 

 their perfonal freedom for fupport. (B.C. 1 705 ) Thus' 

 the whole kingdom of Egypt, the lands of the priefts 

 excepted, became the demelue of the crown ; and all the 

 people were reduced to the fervile condition of bondfmen to. 

 the crown. Moreover, the oid owners were feparated from 

 one another, qnd difperfed through different parts of the 

 kingdom, that they might thus f<Mg(?t their inteiell in th.c- 

 lands which they had fold, and ])recluded from forming 

 combinations for regaining- tliem. In this inflance, Jofeph"s 

 zeal for Pharaoh's intercii caufed him to overlUp the bounds 

 which found policy and jullice preftribed ; and coiitri-- 

 buted to cllablilh a defpotilm, which eventually proved very 

 oppreffivf to the dcfcepdant;;.of Jofcjjh, and the rcll of the 

 ■ - 5 '■ "' Ifraclites, 



