Scriptural poems being several portions of Scripture digested into English verse /

CHAP. XLIII.

AND now the Famine still continuing sore, And having spent all their late purchased store, Their Father bids them to go down for more To whom when Judah had himself adderest, He said, The Man did solemnly protest, ⟨p. 66⟩If we without our Brother came again, To seek his Face would be for us in vain: If therefore thou wilt send him, well and good, Then will we willingly go down for Food; But if thou wilt not, we must let thee know, We are resolved that we will not go: For, as I said before, the Ruler swore, Without him we should see his Face no more. Then Israel said, why were you so unkind To say you had a Brother left behind? The Man, said they, was so inquisitive, He asked if our Father were alive; Or if we had a Brother, whereunto Accordingly we answered, could we know If he would bid us bring the Lad or no? Moreover Judah to his Father said, If thou wilt but intrust me with the Lad, We will be gone, that so both thou and we May be preserved with our Family: I will be Surety for him, if I fail To bring him back, on me the blame entail; For if we had not lingered, we had been By this time here the second time again. Well then, said Israel, if it must be so, My Sons, take my Advice before you go; Provide some of the best Fruits of the Land, To give the Man a present from your hand; Balm, Myrrh and Spices, and a little Honey, Some Nuts and Almonds, and take double Money. For peradventure it was a mistake, In that your Money was returned back; ⟨p. 67⟩And take your Brother Benjamin and go, And God Almighty grant the Man may show You Mercy, that you may bring back again Your other Brother, and my Benjamin, And if I am bereaved, so have I been. Then did the Men prepare the Present, and They took their Money double in their hand, With Benjamin, and down to Egypt went, Who unto Joseph did themselves present. Who, when he saw that Benjamin was come, Ordered his Steward to conduct them home, And to provide a Dinner, for said he, I do intend these Men shall Dine with me. Then did the Steward as his Master said, And brought them home, whereat they were afraid, And said, the Man hath caused us to come in, Because our Money was returned again; To take occasion now to fall upon us, And make us Slaves and take our Asses from us. Unto the Steward they drew nigh therefore, And thus communed with him at the Door: O Sir, say they, we came at first indeed To buy Provision to supply our need;