A Treatise of the Life of a Man Occupied with Affairs of State, or On Joseph.

 I. (1) There are three different modes by which we proceed towards the most excellent end, namely, instruction, nature, and practice. There are also t

 II. (5) But envy is at all times an adversary to great good fortune, and at this time it attacked a house which was prospering in all its parts, and d

 III. (12) This expedition of his was the origin both of great evils and also of great good, each of them being excessive beyond all expectation for h

 IV. (15) But on that day it happened by some chance that certain merchants who were accustomed to convey their merchandise from Arabia to Egypt were t

 V. (22) But when their father heard, not the truth indeed, that his son had been sold, but a falsehood that he was dead, and that he had been slain by

 VI. (28) It is worth while, however, after having thus explained the literal account given to us of these events, to proceed to explain also the figur

 VII. (32) And it is not without a particular and correct meaning that Joseph is said to have had a coat of many colours. For a political constitution

 VIII. (37) This is enough to say on this part of the subject. Accordingly, the young man, having been conducted into Egypt, and there, as has already

 IX. (40) But while he is earning a very high reputation in the matters connected with the management of his master's house, he is plotted against by t

 X. (49) He put all these arguments together and philosophised in this way till she ceased to importune him for the desires are powerful, to cast in t

 XI. (54) I have already sketched out three characters of the man immersed in civil business that of him who is occupied as a shepherd, that of the re

 XII. (58) It is worth while, however, to proceed in regular order, and by this course to exhibit what is intended to be intimated by this figurative h

 XIII. And the desire of the multitude, like an incontinent woman, loves the man who is experienced in state affairs, and says to him: Go forth, my goo

 XIV. But the statesman is not in reality ignorant that the people has the authority of a master, but still he will not admit that he himself is its sl

 XV. Having now discussed this matter at sumcient length let us see what follows next. The young man, having been calumniated to his master by his mast

 XVI. Nevertheless, even such a man as this was propitiated by the virtue of this young man, and not only gave him liberty and security, but even entru

 XVII. While they then were being improved in this manner two of the king's eunuchs are brought into the prison the one being his chief butler, and th

 XVIII. And the chief baker, gladly receiving this interpretation, and rejoicing in the idea that he too had seen a favourable dream (though his dream

 XIX. But the chief butler, after he was released, forgot him who had foretold his release to him, and who had alleviated all the misfortunes which had

 XX. Therefore the king hearing these things, orders men to go in haste and summon the young man before him but they having cut his hair, for the hair

 XXI. And when the king had heard these words, and had seen that the interpretation of the dreams did thus with felicity and accuracy of conjecture arr

 XXII. But since we have proposed to ourselves to give not only an explanation of the literal account given to us, but also of its more figurative mean

 XXIII. And are not all the other things, relating to the body, dreams? Is not beauty an ephemeral thing, wasting away almost before it comes to its pr

 XXIV. Since, then, life is full of all this irregularity, and confusion, and indistinctness, it is necessary that the statesman as well as the philoso

 XXV. Moreover, Joseph is figuratively said to have been mounted upon the second best chariot which the king had, for the following reason. The statesm

 XX. Moreover, I have also heard people discussing this passage with great apparent accuracy in a more figurative manner and according to quite a diffe

 XXVII. This is enough to say on this subject. Accordingly Joseph, being appointed the king's lieutenant, and having undertaken the government and supe

 XXVIII. And at this crisis, his father also, [Genesis xliii. 1] since his necessary food had by this time become scarce, not being aware of the good f

 XXIX. When he heard this, and heard those who had sold him all speak of him as dead, what think you did Joseph feel in his soul? for even if he did no

 XXX. The brother whom they had sold heard them conversing in this manner without saying anything himself, as, he had hitherto spoken to them by an int

 XXXI. For one of them, having opened one of the sacks, saw in the mouth of it his purse full of money and when he had counted it, he found the whole

 XXXII. But he, groaning most bitterly, said, Whom shall I lament first? the youngest but one, who was not the last, but the first to encounter the se

 XXXIII. Then a few days afterwards they arrived in Egypt, and when the governor of the country saw them he was greatly pleased, and ordered the stewar

 XXXIV. Then when he had washed his hands he restrained his sorrow by the power of reason, and coming back again he feasted the strangers, returning to

 XXXV. And on the next day he sent, the first thing in the morning, for the steward of his household, and commanded him to fill all the sacks of the me

 XXXVI. But while they were feeling disposed in this way, and revolving such thoughts in their souls, a sudden and unexpected confusion came upon them,

 XXXVII. And while speaking thus they unloose the burdens from off their beasts and take them down, and encourage the steward with all diligence to sea

 XXXVIII. And when they were grieved at his threat, and wholly overwhelmed at the false accusations brought against them, the fourth in age, and he was

 XXXIX. But all this conduct was but an experiment, just as the former circumstances had been too, because the governor of the country was desirous to

 XL. After this he had recourse to a reconciliation and agreement with his brethren, being influenced by his own affectionate disposition, and from his

 XLI. So they one after another began to pour forth praises of him without ceasing, and panegyrized him with unmodified encomium, each relating some di

 XLII. But the king, when he heard that Joseph had a father and a numerous family, advised him to press his father to remove into Egypt with all his ho

 XLIII. And the young man, Joseph, displayed such excessive good faith and honesty in all his dealings, that though the time and the circumstances of t

 XLIV. Having encouraged his brethren with these words he confirmed his promises still more by actions, leaving out nothing which could show his care f

XVIII. And the chief baker, gladly receiving this interpretation, and rejoicing in the idea that he too had seen a favourable dream (though his dream was of a very contrary character), being deceived by the fair hopes which were held out to the other, spoke as follows:�"And I, too, fancied that I was carrying a basket, and that I was holding three baskets full of cakes upon my head. And the upper basket was full of all sorts of cakes which the king was accustomed to eat; and there were in it confections and delicacies of all kinds imaginable for the king's food: and the birds flew down and took them from off my head, and devoured them insatiably till they had eaten them all up; and none of the things which I had so skilfully prepared were left." Joseph replied, "I wish that the vision had not appeared to you, or that, having appeared, it had been concealed in silence; or that, if any one would speak of it, he had done so at a distance, so that I might not have heard him, and that his account had been given out of the reach ot my ears, for I disliked to bs a messenger of evil: for sympathise with those who are in distress, being greatly grieved at what befalls them by reason of my own humanity. But since interpreters of dreams are bound to speak the truth, since they are interpreters of the divine oracles, and prophets of the divine will, I will explain your dream to you, and conceal nothing; for to speak truly is in every case the best thing, and is, moreover, the most holy of all holy speeches. The three baskets are a symbol of three days: and after three days the king will command you to be crucified, and your head to be cut off, and the birds will fly down and feast upon your flesh, until you are wholly devoured." And the chief baker, as was natural, was confused at this, and cast down greatly, expecting the fate which was thus denounced against him, and being full of misery in his mind. But when the three days had passed, the king's birth-day came, on which all the natives of the country made an assembly and a feast, and especially those in the king's palace. Therefore, while the magistrates were feasting, and while all the household and all the servants were revelling as in a public banquet, the king, remembering his eunuchs who were in prison, commanded them to be brought; and when he had seen them he confirmed the interpretation of their dreams which Joseph had given, ordering one of them to be crucified, and to have his head cut off, and restoring to the other the office which he had formerly enjoyed.