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.

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