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[41]
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.
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