An interesting item.

[wombat2u2004]

Just had this little gem offered to me by a bookseller in Melbourne, Australia.
Why he sent me this email offer is beyond me...I don't collect this kind of stuff, but obviously some people do.

http://img1.imagehousing.com/25/e5430268951e8f0be68f4b9627ed5157.jpg (http://www.imagehousing.com/image/866358)

A receipt to cure love, c 1800
HODGSON, Thomas (M.A.), Chaplain of Queen's College, Oxford and Sub-Rector of Bletchington

Autograph manuscript, single sheet (185 x 150 mm, the upper section pasted down onto modern backing paper). Complete.

"Take 3 Ounces of the Powder of Sense; 15 Grains of the Spirits of reason; 5 Drachms of the Juice of Discretion; mix these with 2 Ounces of the Syrup of Advice; the best you can get; & 3 or 4 Spoonfuls of the cooling Water of Consideration; make this into Pills; Take 3 at Night going to Bed; & three in the Morning; Continue it as long as you find Occasion."

A variant, anonymous manuscript poem with identical title (dated to the eighteenth century) is held in the Nottinghamshire Archives (M 8483); printed variants also appear in Ulster Miscellany (1753) and Saturday Night (London : Hodgson & Co., 1824).

$ 175.00 AUD

[Freedom]

Hey that is interesting, and still applies today, ha ha haa.

Did you read it, or did he include the "translation." I sure couldn't read that!

[wombat2u2004]

Hey that is interesting, and still applies today, ha ha haa.

Did you read it, or did he include the "translation." I sure couldn't read that!

He provided the translation with the offer.
I think he sent it to me because I had bought stuff sort of like that from him before.
I got a small book of poems from him that was written and published by my great grandmother in the early 1900's....I had only ever seen one copy of this small book, my father had it, as it was given to him by the author, his grandmother.
Very cute it is, it has a brown cover, and the title embossed on that cover is "The Little Browne Book of Verse" (our surname is Browne). Original price ?? One shilling. But I had to pay $30 for it....a small price to pay for such a family heirloom.
It has a love poem on one of the pages....I'll try and find it in a day or two (it is stored away somewhere).....and I'll post it.....the poem is REALLY something....true. ;)