Chapter 4.
CONCERNING THE SIGNAL CHASTITY OF JOSEPH.FJAJ 2.16
1. NOW Potiphar, an Egyptian, who was chief cook to king Pharaoh, bought
Joseph of the merchants, who sold him to him
He had him in the greatest
honor, and taught him the learning that became a free man, and gave him
leave to make use of a diet better than was allotted to slaves
He intrusted
also the care of his house to him
So he enjoyed these advantages, yet
did not he leave that virtue which he had before, upon such a change of
his condition; but he demonstrated that wisdom was able to govern the uneasy
passions of life, in such as have it in reality, and do not only put it
on for a show, under a present state of prosperity.FJAJ 2.17
2. For when his master's wife was fallen in love with him, both on account
of his beauty of body, and his dexterous management of affairs; and supposed,
that if she should make it known to him, she could easily persuade him
to come and lie with her, and that he would look upon it as a piece of
happy fortune that his mistress should entreat him, as regarding that state
of slavery he was in, and not his moral character, which continued after
his condition was changed
So she made known her naughty inclinations,
and spake to him about lying with her
However, he rejected her entreaties,
not thinking it agreeable to religion to yield so far to her, as to do
what would tend to the affront and injury of him that purchased him, and
had vouchsafed him so great honors
He, on the contrary, exhorted her to
govern that passion; and laid before her the impossibility of her obtaining
her desires, which he thought might be conquered, if she had no hope of
succeeding; and he said, that as to himself, he would endure any thing
whatever before he would be persuaded to it; for although it was fit for
a slave, as he was, to do nothing contrary to his mistress, he might well
be excused in a case where the contradiction was to such sort of commands
only
But this opposition of Joseph, when she did not expect it, made her
still more violent in her love to him; and as she was sorely beset with
this naughty passion, so she resolved to compass her design by a second
attempt.FJAJ 2.18
3. When, therefore, there was a public festival coming on, in which
it was the custom for women to come to the public solemnity; she pretended
to her husband that she was sick, as contriving an opportunity for solitude
and leisure, that she might entreat Joseph again
Which opportunity being
obtained, she used more kind words to him than before; and said that it
had been good for him to have yielded to her first solicitation, and to
have given her no repulse, both because of the reverence he ought to bear
to her dignity who solicited him, and because of the vehemence of her passion,
by which she was forced though she were his mistress to condescend beneath
her dignity; but that he may now, by taking more prudent advice, wipe off
the imputation of his former folly; for whether it were that he expected
the repetition of her solicitations she had now made, and that with greater
earnestness than before, for that she had pretended sickness on this very
account, and had preferred his conversation before the festival and its
solemnity; or whether he opposed her former discourses, as not believing
she could be in earnest; she now gave him sufficient security, by thus
repeating her application, that she meant not in the least by fraud to
impose upon him; and assured him, that if he complied with her affections,
he might expect the enjoyment of the advantages he already had; and if
he were submissive to her, he should have still greater advantages; but
that he must look for revenge and hatred from her, in case he rejected
her desires, and preferred the reputation of chastity before his mistress;
for that he would gain nothing by such procedure, because she would then
become his accuser, and would falsely pretend to her husband, that he had
attempted her chastity; and that Potiphar would hearken to her words rather
than to his, let his be ever so agreeable to the truth.FJAJ 2.19
4. When the woman had said thus, and even with tears in her eyes, neither
did pity dissuade Joseph from his chastity, nor did fear compel him to
a compliance with her; but he opposed her solicitations, and did not yield
to her threatenings, and was afraid to do an ill thing, and chose to undergo
the sharpest punishment rather than to enjoy his present advantages, by
doing what his own conscience knew would justly deserve that he should
die for it
He also put her in mind that she was a married woman, and that
she ought to cohabit with her husband only; and desired her to suffer these
considerations to have more weight with her than the short pleasure of
lustful dalliance, which would bring her to repentance afterwards, would
cause trouble to her, and yet would not amend what had been done amiss.
He also suggested to her the fear she would be in lest they should be caught;
and that the advantage of concealment was uncertain, and that only while
the wickedness was not known [would there be any quiet for them]; but that
she might have the enjoyment of her husband's company without any danger.
And he told her, that in the company of her husband she might have great
boldness from a good conscience, both before God and before men
Nay, that
she would act better like his mistress, and make use of her authority over
him better while she persisted in her chastity, than when they were both
ashamed for what wickedness they had been guilty of; and that it is much
better to a life, well and known to have been so, than upon the hopes of
the concealment of evil practices.FJAJ 2.20
5. Joseph, by saying this, and more, tried to restrain the violent passion
of the woman, and to reduce her affections within the rules of reason;
but she grew more ungovernable and earnest in the matter; and since she
despaired of persuading him, she laid her hands upon him, and had a mind
to force him
But as soon as Joseph had got away from her anger, leaving
also his garment with her, for he left that to her, and leaped out of her
chamber, she was greatly afraid lest he should discover her lewdness to
her husband, and greatly troubled at the affront he had offered her; so
she resolved to be beforehand with him, and to accuse Joseph falsely to
Potiphar, and by that means to revenge herself on him for his pride and
contempt of her; and she thought it a wise thing in itself, and also becoming
a woman, thus to prevent his accusation
Accordingly she sat sorrowful
and in confusion, framing herself so hypocritically and angrily, that the
sorrow, which was really for her being disappointed of her lust, might
appear to be for the attempt upon her chastity; so that when her husband
came home, and was disturbed at the sight of her and inquired what was
the cause of the disorder she was in, she began to accuse Joseph: and,
"O husband," said she, "mayst thou not live a day longer
if thou dost not punish the wicked slave who has desired to defile thy
bed; who has neither minded who he was when he came to our house, so as
to behave himself with modesty; nor has he been mindful of what favors
he had received from thy bounty (as he must be an ungrateful man indeed,
unless he, in every respect, carry himself in a manner agreeable to us):
this man, I say, laid a private design to abuse thy wife, and this at the
time of a festival, observing when thou wouldst be absent
So that it now
is clear that his modesty, as it appeared to be formerly, was only because
of the restraint he was in out of fear of thee, but that he was not really
of a good disposition
This has been occasioned by his being advanced to
honor beyond what he deserved, and what he hoped for; insomuch that he
concluded, that he who was deemed fit to be trusted with thy estate and
the government of thy family, and was preferred above thy eldest servants,
might be allowed to touch thy wife also." Thus when she had ended
her discourse, she showed him his garment, as if he then left it with her
when he attempted to force her
But Potiphar not being able to disbelieve
what his wife's tears showed, and what his wife said, and what he saw himself,
and being seduced by his love to his wife, did not set himself about the
examination of the truth; but taking it for granted that his wife was a
modest woman, and condemning Joseph as a wicked man, he threw him into
the malefactors' prison; and had a still higher opinion of his wife, and
bare her witness that she was a woman of a becoming modesty and chastity.FJAJ 2.21