seh, saying: God hath made me to forget all my labors, and the
house of my father hath forgotten me. He called the name of the second
son Ephraim, saying: God hath made me to grow in the land of my poverty.

Then passed the seven years of plenty and fertility that were in Egypt,
and the seven years of scarcity and hunger began to come, which Joseph
had spoken of tofore, and hunger began to wax and grow in the universal
world; also in all the land of Egypt was hunger and scarcity. And when
the people hungered they cried to Pharaoh asking meat, to whom he
answered: Go ye to Joseph, and whatsoever he saith to you do ye. Daily
grew and increased the hunger in all the land. Then Joseph opened the
barns and garners, and sold corn to the Egyptians, for the hunger
oppressed them sore. All provinces came into Egypt for to buy meat to
them, and to eschew the hunger.

Jacob, father unto Joseph, heard tell that corn and victuals were sold
in Egypt, and said to his sons: Why be ye negligent? I have heard say
that corn is sold in Egypt; go ye thither and buy for us that is
necessary and behoveful, that we may live, and consume not for need.
Then the ten brethren of Joseph descended into Egypt for to buy wheat,
and Benjamin was left at home with the father, because whatsoever happed
to the brethren in their journey. Then they entered into the land of
Egypt with others for to buy corn. There was great famine in the land of
Canaan, and Joseph was prince in the land of Egypt, also by his
commandment wheat was sold unto the people. Then when his brethren were
come and had adored and worshipped him, he anon knew them, and spake to
them, as to strangers, hard words, demanding them saying: Whence be ye?
Which answered: Of the land of Canaan, and come hither to buy that is
necessary for us. And though he knew his brethren, yet was he unknown of
them. He remembered the dreams that he sometime had seen, and told them
and said: Ye be spies and be come hither for to espy the weakest places
of this land, which said to him: It is not so, my lord, but we thy
servants be come for to buy victuals. We be all sons to one man, we come
peaceably, ne we thy servants think ne imagine none evil. To whom he
answered: It is all otherwise, ye be come for to espy and consider the
secretest places of this realm. Then they said: We are twelve brethren,
thy servants, sons of one man in the land of Canaan, the youngest is at
home with our father, and that other is d