the antiquities of the jews-1-第18章

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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。

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。

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。

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。

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。

CHAPTER　5。

What　Things　Befell　Joseph　In　Prison。

1。　Now　Joseph；　commending　all　his　affairs　to　God；　did　not　betake