Upon a Spider Catching a Fly

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Thou sorrow, venom Elfe:
 Is this thy play,
To spin a web out of thyselfe
 To Catch a Fly?
 For Why?

I saw a pettish wasp
 Fall foule therein:
Whom yet thy Whorle pins did not clasp
 Lest he should fling
 His sting.

But as affraid, remote
 Didst stand hereat,
And with thy little fingers stroke
 And gently tap
 His back.

Thus gently him didst treate
 Lest he should pet,
And in a froppish, aspish heate
 Should greatly fret
 Thy net.

Whereas the silly Fly,
 Caught by its leg
Thou by the throate tookst hastily
 And 'hinde the head
 Bite Dead.

This goes to pot, that not
 Nature doth call.
Strive not above what strength hath got,
 Lest in the brawle
 Thou fall.

This Frey seems thus to us.
 Hells Spider gets
His intrails spun to whip Cords thus
 And wove to nets
 And sets.

To tangle Adams race
 In's stratigems
To their Destructions, spoil'd, made base
 By venom things,
 Damn'd Sins.

But mighty, Gracious Lord
 Communicate
Thy Grace to breake the Cord, afford
 Us Glorys Gate
 And State.

We'l Nightingaile sing like
 When pearcht on high
In Glories Cage, thy glory, bright,
 And thankfully,
 For joy.

© Edward Taylor