Crossword-Solution: BASIA 5 letters, 5 clues 🏆 scrabble score: 7

Amongst books that are simply pleasant, of the moderns, Boccaccio's Decameron, Rabelais, and the Basia of Johannes Secundus (if those may be ranged under the title) are worth reading for amusement.

Amongst books that are simply pleasant, of the moderns, Boccaccio’s Decameron, Rabelais, and the Basia of Johannes Secundus (if those may be ranged under the title) are worth reading for amusement.

Sive quo venis, omnium osculis exciperis; sive discedis aliquo, osculis dimitteris; 15 redis, redduntur suavia; venitur ad te, propinantur suavia; disceditur abs te, dividuntur basia; occurritur alicubi, basiatur affatim; denique quocunque te moves, suaviorum plena sunt omnia.

Quam magnus numerus Libyssae arenae Lasarpiciferis iacet Cyrenis, Oraclum Iovis inter aestuosi 5 Et Batti veteris sacrum sepulcrum, Aut quam sidera multa, cum tacet nox, Furtivos hominum vident amores, Tam te basia multa basiare Vesano satis et super Catullost, 10 Quae nec pernumerare curiosi Possint nec mala fascinare lingua.

The shameful memory causes him to exclaim fervently:--"May he who purged the lips of Isaiah with a burning coal deign to purify mine by the sacred kiss of penitence and pardon: _in osculo sancto_." There is a touch of sublimity in that, and the _basia_ of Baal-Zeboub may well enough be more demoralising than those of Secundus.