V.
The Rachael, for which twice seven years and more
Thou didst with faith and labour serve,
And didst (if faith and labour can) deserve,
Though she contracted was to thee,
Giv’n to another who had store
Of fairer, and of richer wives before,
And not a Leah left, thy recompence to be.
Go on, twice seven years more thy fortune try,
Twice seven years more, God in his bounty may
Give thee, to fling away
Into the court’s deceitful lottery.
But think how likely ’tis that thou,
With the dull work of thy unwieldy plough,
Should’st in a hard and barren season thrive,
Should even able be to live;
Thou, to whose share so little bread did fall,
In the miraculous year, when MANNA rain’d on all.