The World’s a spacious Amphitheater,
And wee are slaves each one:
The sinne of our first Parents, did conferre
This sad condition
On us: and wee are all ingag’d
To combate with wild Beasts, inrag’d:
Such as prodigious Affrica doth thrust
Upon the world: th’ effects
Of flames unlawfull, and promisco’us lust,
Which divers kinds connects,
Upon the bankes of some blacke lake,
Where each his thirst, and lust doth slake.
Against such Monsters wee must fight it out,
Wild Beasts more furious,
Then those with which St Paule th’ Apostle fought
(Long since) at Ephesus:
No Missions wee can here procure,
The combate must to th’ outrance dure.
A serpent old fraught with invet’rate hate,
Assayles us night and day:
But wee an Holy Dove must imprecate,
T’assist us in this fray:
If we desist, wee are subdu’d;
Death onely must the strife conclude.
(Ralph Knevet)
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Based on Topics: World Poems, Death & Dying Poems, Hatred Poems, Parents PoemsBased on Keywords: dure, missions, desist, bankes, connects, combate, ephesus, invet, paule, ingag, affrica