“Your Sincere Unknown Admirer” to John Head of Tavern Street Ipswich 1822

 

The genre of Anonymous Letters comprises two sub-genres: those whose writers do not wish to be identified and those who do. This letter falls into the latter class, written perhaps by a customer if John Head is a Tavern Street shop-keeper or perhaps by someone who moves in the same religious or social circle. The surname “Head” was common in Ipswich at this period and some Heads were Quakers. If I could home in on the right John Head – I can’t – it would be possible to discover whether he married and, if so, who.

The writer values constancy, identified as a female virtue, and is attracted to someone who she judges inconstant, identified as a male failing. I doubt this is a unique case. The poetry is her own but there are strong hints of borrowing: “may calm the troubled breast” hints at a line in John Newton’s 1779 hymn How Sweet the name of Jesus Sounds. Google is not quite sure whether to attribute the contrast between “The applause of Angels” and “the gaze of fools” to William Blake or John Constable or accept it as an unauthored trope. “beauties, formed in virtues rules” suggests an educated acquaintance with either classical or 18^th century philosophical thinking, or both.

The ink of the letter is very faded and a crease prevented transcription of one or two words. The letter ends with a pleasantly light-hearted reference to the fact that John Head will have to pay one penny postage to be handed the locally-posted letter.

 

Transcription

Addressed: To Mr John Head    Tavern Street   Ipswich

Datelined: March 23 1822

Postmarked straight line undated IPSWICH and manuscript “1” (One Penny postage to be paid on receipt, as noted at the end of the letter).

 My Dear John Head

With pleasure the most sublime I sit down to pen this short Epsitle to you to express the great Partiality I have so long entertained for you, therefore I express the following lines

Have you a pasion firm and true,

Avowed for me that loveth you,

Neir for me inconstant like your sex,

Nor Boast you have the power to nex [variant of to nix],

At Hymens shrine your vows renew,

Haste, and may happiness ensue.

But I fear John Head your mind is too much disipated to confine yourself to one Woman alone, there is nothing more Respectable than Stability of mind, those who are continually betraying new signs of the inconstancy of there Dispositions, can be esteemed by no one, and though every things in nature is subject to change, (the mind of Man more frequently than anything else) yet it is possible to possess a fidelity unshaken by time or circumstances, and pleasure has no charms, when it madly overleaps the bounds of discretion, there cannot be a greater reproach upon our understanding than an immoderate love of  frivolous and idel amusements, for when the attention is chiefly occupied in the thoughts of pleasure, but little progress can be made in any other useful improvement, well may the Poet say

Let idle flatteries miserably say

In dress and trifles, waste there useless day;

Seek then for beauties, formed in virtues rules,

The applause of Angles [sic], not the gaze of fools

 

believe me John Head I have the greatest respect for you and hope that my sentiments will not fail in giving you some little pleasure, the gentility of your Person and the Affability of your maners has inspired a pasion of the warmest, yet purest kind. Oh! John Head what would I give to gain your Affections, think what a pleasure I should have in your society, what a pride in your confidence, our sex when truly attached, have unhappily for themselves, a propensity to be constant, and rarely, if well treated seek abroad for forbidden pleasures ethe blindness of love can convert faults into beauties, men, indeed talk of tenderness but it is Woman only that feel it, Oh! John Head sole Name that makes Language Enchanting

Musick’s soft powers, may calm the troubled breast,

And soothe distraction into peaceful rest,

Reason a cure for lighter ills may prove,

But cannot ease the Heart that’ sick with love,

Love poisons deep, it sinks in to the Heart;

Since only you, who did the infection give,

The pleasing, painful evil can relieve;

Exert your power, and kindly ease my pain,

Better …. comfort to your love sick swain.

Allow me to subscribe myself

Your Sincere Unknown Admirer

~ ~  ~  ~

John Head that loves to read,

Will find amusement here,

One penny is the cost

You cannot think it dear

~ ~ ~ ~