[Printed nineteenth-century handbill.] Copy of a curious Love Letter | From a young Gentleman in this Neighbourhood, to his Sweetheart, Miss W - , of this Town, which was found near this place yesterday morning.

Author: 
'T. B - l.' [nineteenth century handbill]
Publication details: 
Without place or date. [1830s?]
£56.00
SKU: 14361

1p., 12mo. Text enclosed within a decorative border. In fair condition, on heavily aged and worn wove paper, with a couple of small holes. Printed on cheap paper, with rough untrimmed edges. Beneath the title is a poem in two columns, itself titled 'Directions for Reading it.': 'Hast thou no pity on my woes? | Dost thou at me turn up thy nose? | I'll make my declaration first, | So read straight forward and be curst. | But if thy heart to me incline, | O! jump o'er every other line.' The twenty-four lines of the text of the letter express hatred when read in their entirety, and love when only the odd lines are read. A rare piece of ephemera, with no copies of this exact item on COPAC, and two items with similar titles, both in the National Library of Scotland.