when, upon his calling to him, he made no answer,
he was afraid that they had destroyed him after he was gone; of which
he complained to his brethren; but when they had told him what they had
done, Reubel left off his mourning.

4. When Joseph's brethren had done thus to him, they considered what
they should do to escape the suspicions of their father. Now they had
taken away from Joseph the coat which he had on when he came to them at
the time they let him down into the pit; so they thought proper to tear
that coat to pieces, and to dip it into goats' blood, and then to carry
it and show it to their father, that he might believe he was destroyed
by wild beasts. And when they had so done, they came to the old man,
but this not till what had happened to his son had already come to his
knowledge. Then they said that they had not seen Joseph, nor knew what
mishap had befallen him; but that they had found his coat bloody and
torn to pieces, whence they had a suspicion that he had fallen among
wild beasts, and so perished, if that was the coat he had on when he
came from home. Now Jacob had before some better hopes that his son was
only made a captive; but now he laid aside that notion, and supposed
that this coat was an evident argument that he was dead, for he well
remembered that this was the coat he had on when he sent him to his
brethren; so he hereafter lamented the lad as now dead, and as if he had
been the father of no more than one, without taking any comfort in the
rest; and so he was also affected with his misfortune before he met with
Joseph's brethren, when he also conjectured that Joseph was destroyed
by wild beasts. He sat down also clothed in sackcloth and in heavy
affliction, insomuch that he found no ease when his sons comforted him,
neither did his pains remit by length of time.

CHAPTER 4. Concerning The Signal Chastity Of Joseph.

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