by Abraham Cowley (1618 - 1667)
Septimnius and Acme
Language: English
Whilst on Septimnius's panting breast (Meaning nothing less than rest) Acme lean'd her loving head, The pleas'd Septimnius thus said: "My dearest Acme, if I be Once alive, and love not thee With a passion far above All that e'er was called love; In a Libyan desert may I become some lion's prey; Let him, Acme, let him tear My breast, when Acme is not there." The god of love, who stood by to hear him (The god of love was always near him) Pleas'd and tickled with the sound, Sneez'd aloud; and all around The little loves, that waited by, Bow'd, and blest the augury. Acme, enflam'd with what he said, Rear'd her gently-bending head; And, her purple mouth with joy Stretching to the delicious boy, Twice (and twice could scarce suffice) She kissed his drunken rolling eyes. "My little life, my all" (said she) "So may we never servants be To this blest god, and n'er retain Our hated liberty again! So may thy passion last for me, As I a passion have for thee, Greater and fiercer much than can Be conceiv'd by thee a man! It reigns not only in my heart, But runs, like life, through every part." She spake; the god of love aloud Sneez'd again, and all the crowd Of little loves that waited by, Bow'd and blest the augury.
Authorship:
- by Abraham Cowley (1618 - 1667) [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by John Blow (1649 - 1708), "Septimnius and Acme" [text verified 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 38
Word count: 227