Item Info

Scripts/Text: Roman script
Language: English
Physical Description: Leaf
Material: Laid paper; watercolor; ink
Transcription:

A knot my true love I to thee send, An emblem of my love without an end crossing, turning winding in and out, never ceasing turning round about, And as you see it links and crosses here, so hath thy Beauty prove’d to me a Snare, By the influence of true love I find, I am bereaved both of heart and mind, So fairest Creature look look with pity down And do not on thy faithful lover frown, But pardon him that doth thy love desire, And evermore they Beauty will admire And so my dear then let thy Goodness shine, In beams of Comfort from a face divine My ravish’d soul rais’d by thy smiles, may pass To bliss forgetting of its toils, That true love may be still in blissful action, and evermore be tending to perfection, so that these crosses in this knot of love may be disdain’d when we so firmly move, Thy perfect beauty is my soul delight, With thee true love crossing Day and Night. 

[in square frame in upper left]
If thou \ refuse

[in square frame in upper right]
I’ll \ say thou \ art

[in square frame in lower left]
A fair \ fac’d \ Creture

[in square frame in lower right]
With a \ Double \ heart.

[in outer triangular frames, starting in upper left, clockwise]
With \ thee Ill lay the worth of \ all loves proven, \ Thou wilst not read \ these lines in \ half an \ hour.
This \ work begins with A. my \ Dear will find \ I. ends the knot \ be constant in \ thy \ mind.
It \ is a greif true lovers has \ to part, When they’r \ possessed of each \ others heart.
If \ thou does win my heart \ Shall be thy gain, \ If thou doest loose \ thy heart as \ mine I \ claim.

[in inner triangular frames, starting on top]
When first I saw thee \ thou didst sweetly \ play.
Two are too much for \ thee since I have \ none
Render me mine \ again or take thy \ own.
The gentle thief and \ stole my heart \ away.
 

Category: Love Letter (Liebesbrief)
Media Type: Manuscripts
Source: Rare Book Department
Notes:

Hand-drawn; hand-colored; hand-lettered. The love knot in English script is decorated by various geometric shapes that determine the direction of the placement of the words.

Creation Place State/Province: Creation Place Note:Based on design characteristics
State/Province:[Pennsylvania]

Creation Year (Single Year or Range Begin): ca. 1810
Image Dimensions Width: 31.5 cm
ShelfMark: FLP 125
Creator Name: Anonymous - Decorator
Anonymous - Scrivener