The
SPIDER
.
The
sun
had
left
the
western
road
,
And
drove
his
steeds
to
rest
;
When
Charlot
on
her
bed
was
laid
,
With
downy
sleep
opprest
.
Full
o'er
her
head
a
Spider
dwelt
,
Secure
from
brush
or
broom
,
By
heedless
Sarah
undescry'd
,
Whene'er
she
swept
the
room
.
This
Spider's
citadel
was
large
,
And
cunningly
contriv'd
,
T'
ensnare
the
heedless
wand'ring
fly
,
Upon
whose
spoils
he
thriv'd
.
Now
bent
on
prey
,
one
luckless
night
,
This
bloody-minded
wretch
,
Peep'd
from
his
battlements
above
,
Nor
dream'd
—
Harm
watch
,
harm
catch
.
He
Charlot
spy'd
full
fast
asleep
,
Her
milk-white
bosom
bare
,
A
fresh'ning
bloom
o'er-spread
her
cheek
,
And
loosely
fell
her
hair
.
Charm'd
with
the
fight
,
his
bowels
yearn
,
From
whence
he
spins
a
thread
,
On
which
he
glides
as
swift
as
thought
Down
to
the
sleeping
maid
.
So
grandsire
Jove
,
transported
much
By
some
fair
mortal's
charms
,
Descended
on
a
sun-beam
down
,
And
sunk
into
her
arms
.
And
now
he
travels
o'er
her
breast
With
wonder
and
delight
;
And
on
her
tucker
,
in
a
fold
,
Repos'd
his
limbs
all
night
.
Snug
was
the
word
,
and
up
he
rolls
His
carcase
full
of
ill
;
So
round
and
black
,
she
might
have
took
His
Worship
for
a
pill
.
But
now
the
nymph
begins
to
wake
,
And
lift
her
radiant
eyes
;
Nor
can
I
here
in
language
paint
How
great
was
her
surprize
.
But
this
I
will
affirm
,
had
she
An
armed
Man
espy'd
there
,
'
Twou'd
not
have
scar'd
her
half
so
much
As
this
vile
lurking
Spider
.
In
short
,
she
shriek'd
,
and
Sarah
ran
Impatient
to
her
aid
;
But
when
she
saw
the
hideous
things
,
She
likewise
was
dismay'd
.
At
length
,
with
equal
courage
arm'd
,
They
dash'd
him
on
the
floor
;
Lye
there
,
quoth
Charlot
,
miscreant
vile
!
And
welter
in
thy
gore
.
Yet
,
ere
I
take
thy
forfeit
life
,
This
full
conviction
gain
,
That
fraud
,
and
guile
,
and
cobweb
art
,
May
flourish
long
in
vain
.
The
sage
advice
the
Spider
heard
,
As
on
the
floor
he
lay
;
But
just
as
Sarah
reach'd
the
tongs
,
He
wisely
—
march'd
away
.