ing to release him; but when he found he was gone, and had been informed in what manner the reft had disposed of him, he rent his clothes, and vented himself in the moft paffionate expreffions of difappointed grief. His brethren, however, having by degrees pacified him, they all returned to their father Jacob, and told him, with great apparent diftrefs, that their brother Jofeph had been torn to pieces by a wild beast; and, to confirm their wicked falfhood, they produced his coat, which they had previously torn for that purpose, and befmeared with the blood of a young kid. It is eafy to imagine what was the affliction of the aged patriarch, at the fupposed death of a child, who was the darling object of his love. But the Providence of Heaven counteracted their project, and made that, which they had intended for the destruction of their brother, the future means of their own prefervation. Jofeph was carried by his new mafters into Egypt, and there fold to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's officers, and captain of the royal guard. In the service of this Egyptian, he behaved himself with fo much prudence and fidelity, that he foon made him his steward, and honoured him with the most unlimited confidence; till, at last, being maliciously accused by his mistress of a defign upon her virtue, because he would not confent to gratify her luft, he was immediately ftripped of his employment,

and

and thrown into prifon. While he was under confinement, he had an opportunity (without question, more by the infpiration of Heaven, than by any rules of art) of explaining the dreams of the chief butler, and baker, two of his fellow-prifoners, in a manner so exactly conformable to what afterwards happened to them, that he was foon recommended, upon a fimilar occafion, to the fovereign himself. PhaFoah, it feems, was much concerned at his two celebrated dreams, about the fat and lean kine, and the ears of corn; and, none of his wise men being able to interpret them, with a fufficient appearance of probability to please him, he fent for Jofeph. Jofeph informed him, that his two dreams were inspired by the Almighty, to forewarn him of feven years of `dearth, which fhould be preceded by as many years of extraordinary plenty, to give him an opportunity of providing against the terrible fcarcity which should follow. This natural interpretation, together with the prudent mea fures he proposed for providing against the famine, fatisfied the king fo well, and gave him fuch a high opinion of Jofeph's fagacity, and penetration, that he immediately loaded him with honours, made him his prime minifter, and invefted him with the abfolute government of his kingdom. He acquitted himself in his

new office, dnring the seven years of plenty, which immediately fucceeded, with fo much wifdom and fidelity, that, in the fubfequent dearth, which was very feverely felt by all the neighbouring nations, the Egyptians had every kind of provisions in abundance. Jacob and his family were then in Canaan; but, being reduced to great extremities by the famine, he dispatched ten of his sons into Egypt to buy corn, keeping Benjamin at home, who was the youngest, and the darling comfort of his old age, left any accident should befal him upon the road. Being introduced to Joseph, he foon recolle&ed who they were; but, as they appeared to have no knowledge of him, he contented himself with enquiring, very particularly, after the welfare of his father; and then, having ordered that they fhould be fupplied with as much corn as they could carry, and their money privately returned in their facks, he very graciously dismissed them, not thinking it proper to discover himself for the prefent. He charged them, however, before they went, not to return again without their youngest brother, upon pain of being apprehended as fpies, and detained Reuben as a hostage for the performance of their promise. After the corn they had brought was nearly expended, Jacob propofed that they should return again into Egypt for more: but they peremptorily refused

to

to go, unless he would fuffer Benjamin to bear them company, alledging, that it would probably coft them their lives, if they went without him. The old patriarch was extremely loth to part with him; but, as he had no alternative but to comply or starve, he, at last, though with the greatest reluctance, confented. When they appeared before Joseph the second time, he receiv ed them with the tenderest hospitality, particu ly young Benjamin; and, after firft alarming their fears by an innocent ftratagem, discovered to them, with tears of joy and affection in his eyes, who he was. It is eafy to imagine into what perplexity they were thrown, by fuch an unexpected difcovery. Struck with a consciousnefs of their past barbarity, and fenfible of his power to refent it in the feverest manner, they trembled like fo many criminals before the bar of juftice; but the generous and tender-hearted Jofeph, observing the diftressful apprehensions they were under, effectually removed them, by giviag them the ftrongest affurances that they had nothing to fear, and even palliating the unnatuFal cruelty, with which they had formerly treated him -Be not uneafy, faid he, nor reproach yourselves any longer with felling me for a slave into Egypt; for God fent me before you, to preserve your lives from famine. So that, if you confider the affair in its true light, it was nat you that fent me hither, but the Divine Providence ; which has

fince raised me to the elevated ftation in which I now appear, that I might be the happy inftrument of preferving our whole family from ruin. He then defired them to haften immediately to his father, and condu& him to Egypt, with all his household. When they returned, after paying the moft dutiful and affectionate refpects to a parent who tenderly loved him, and whom he had not feen or heard of for several years, he obtained the permiffion of his fovereign to allot them a fettlement in the most fertile part of Egypt, and invest them with all the honours and preferments, which were confiftent with the established laws of the country. This extraordinary inftance of fraternal affection, is related at large in the book of Genefis, with many affecting ftrokes of nature, and a variety of interesting circumftances, which were too numerous to be inferted in this little Hiftorical Mirror.

(15.) I cannot better conclude the above-mentioned inftances of a virtue, which is fo neceffary to the happiness of families, and reflects the highest honour upon all those who practise it, than by relating a converfation of Socrates upon the subject, as it has been recorded by the amiable Xenophon, one of his pupils and admirers.

Socrates having observed that Chærephon and Chærecrates, two brothers, with whom he happened to be acquainted, were very much at va

riance,