Popular amongst a small section of Pennsylvania Quakers in the late-18th and early 19th century, the ‘True Lover’s Knot’ is both an undeniably romantic form of love letter and an impressively intricate, labyrinthian work of art of which very few examples still exist. Handcrafted using quill, brush and compass, the stunning knot seen below was written in 1801 by an itinerant Quaker schoolmaster named Hugh Pugh – then aged 54, approximately – and sent to one of his pupils, 20-year-old Mary Fisher. Its various geometric shapes are filled and surrounded by poetic messages in Pugh’s copperplate script, and can be read fully, in any order, by rotating the paper.

Click image to enlarge. Image and subsequent transcript supplied by Meg Schultz, great-great-great granddaughter to the letter’s recipient, Mary Fisher. Visit her blog for more background information. Enormous thanks, Meg.

Transcript

(INTERWOVEN TRAIL, BEGINNING WITH LARGE CAPITAL ‘A’ ON LEFT-HAND SIDE)

A true Lovers Knot to thee my Dear I send, An Emblem of true Love without an end, Crossing turning, winding in and out, Never ceasing turning round about. And as thee sees its Linkes and Crosses here, so hath thy Beauty prov’d to me a Snare, By observation of true Love I find I am bereaved of both ♥ and mind.

Most lovely fair one look with pity down, And do not on thy faithful Lover frown, But pardon him who ever doth thy Love desire, And ever will thy Beauteous form admire.

Therefore thou Lovely fair one let thy Beauty shine, With Beams of Comfort ravishing and divine, That so my raving Soul may by thy Love, Pass into Bliss if we both constant prove, Then shall these Crosses in this Knot of Love, Be all disdain’d if thou consenting prove.

Here is an Impression of my ♥ thee may see, Within this Knot that I present, to thee, Therefore thee may imagine that I am in grief, And none but thee can yield to me Relief, My ravished Soul doth ever long to see, The Marriage Knot so firmly ty’d between thee and me.

(TOP CENTRE CIRCLE)

Why do I Love, go ask

the Alerious Sun

Why every Day he around the World doth run

Ask Thames and Tiber why they Ebb and flow

Ask Damask Roses why in June the grow.

They shew to us how everything doth move

Thus teaching them to that, and me

to Love.

Mary Fisher

Bedford County Decem’r 9th

1801

(RIGHT CIRCLE)

There is but one

And only one

And I am only he

That loves but one

And only one

And thou art the only she

Requite me with like love again

And say thus unto me —

There is but one, And only one

And thou art the only he.

Mary Fisher

(BOTTOM CENTRE CIRCLE)

Accept lovely fair Maid

From thy neighbor and friend

Each wish that can friendship endear

May the bounty of Heaven propitiously endear

Long Life and Happy each Year.

May every enjoyment which prudence allow

Thy Life Long continue to Bless —

May Love and Esteem

Weave a Wreath for thy Brow

And thy Beauty be crown’d with Success.

Mary Fisher

(LEFT CIRCLE)

As soon grief shall

sink into my ♥

2CUX my Love without desert (?)

You have a ♥, a double ♥, I fear.

2 great a X of ♥ oh ♥ forbear

AX, AX, ICUB,

A double XU are to me.

H Pugh [Monogram]

This Ring is round

And hath no end

So is my Love

To thee my Friend

Mary Fisher

(DIAGONAL RECTANGLE, TOP LEFT)

Here I dare venture with my Love a lot (?)

In Half an Hour she does not read my Knot

(DIAGONAL RECTANGLE, TOP RIGHT)

And if she wins I’ll freely pay my Debt,

But if she loses the I’ll claim my Bett.

(DIAGONAL RECTANGLE, BOTTOM RIGHT)

As for description, A begins thee will find,

E Ends the same, be constant in thy mind.

(DIAGONAL RECTANGLE, BOTTOM LEFT)

Lovers well know what it is to part,

When between 2 Lovers there is but one ♥

H Pugh [Monogram]

(8 SMALL OUTER BOXES)

My ♥ you have

Your ♥ I crave

My ♥ you have

Confin’d

And leaves all other

Hearts behind.

(4 TINY CORNER DIAGONAL BOXES)

If thou refuse me

I must say

thou art

An unconstant

Creature

With a double ♥