Septimius thus his [ ] love addressed
His darling Acme in his arms sustained
My Acme may I perish if my breast
Bums not for thee with love to madness strained
And more if I am not prepared to give
To thee such earnest love unchanged by time
As any human heart can feel and live
Then may I roam through Lybia’s burning clime
And meet alone the ravenous lion’s roar.
While thus the lover spoke his fervent love
The God of love, as from the right before,
Sneezed from the left and did the vow approve
But Acme lightly turning back her head
Kissed with that rosy mouth th❜inebriate eyes
Of the sweet youth and kissed again and said
My life and what far more than life I prize,
So may we to the end of time obey
Love our sole master as a fiercer flame
Burns at my heart with more resistless sway
Thrills through my bones and melts away my frame.
She spoke, and Love as from the right before,
Sneezed from the left hand-and the vow approved.
Needing no other omen to implore
With mutual soul they love and are beloved.
His Acme only does Septimius prize
All Syria and all Britain’s wealth above
And Acme for Septimius only sighs
And finds in him alone her sole delight and love
Whoe’er a more auspicious passion saw
Or any mortals under happier law.
