[Feb 13. 49.]2
Why did I e'er behold Thee
Why did I e'er behold thee
Too lovely as thou art
Why did I e'er allow thee
To steal away my heart
Time was I knew thee not love
O graceful time for me
Before my eyes met thine love
For then my heart was free
O that I could forget thee
And give my heart its rest
Which palpitates for thee love
Within this ardent breast
But ah, I try in vain love
From all thy charms to fly
Thou art my life and soul love
And without thee I shall die.3
RI MS JT/1/TYP/11/3738
LT Transcript Only
Jean Lancaster: a friend of Tyndall’s from the Ordnance Survey.
Feb. 13. 49: date given by Louisa Tyndall. It is unclear whether this is the date of receipt or the date of writing.
Why did I e'er ... without thee I shall die: this poem was published in The Times and attributed to ‘T.F.’. ‘To Harriet’, The Times, 2 December 1837, p. 66.
Please cite as “Tyndall0371,” in Ɛpsilon: The John Tyndall Collection accessed on 29 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/tyndall/letters/Tyndall0371