The water-mark of the paper on which a much-tortured rough copy of these lines has been scrawled, is 1809, but, with this exception, there is no hint as to the date of composition. An entry in the Diary for November 30, 1813, in which Annabella (Miss Milbanke) is described "as an heiress, a girl of twenty, a peeress that is to be," etc., and a letter (Byron to Miss Milbanke) dated November 29, 1813 (see Letters, 1898, ii. 357, and 1899, iii. 407), in which there is more than one allusion to her would-be suitors, "your thousand and one pretendants," etc., suggest the idea that the lines were addressed to his future wife, when he first made her acquaintance in 1812 or 1813.]
[307] {413} ["Thou hast asked me for a song, and I enclose you an experiment, which has cost me something more than trouble, and is, therefore, less likely to be worth your taking any in your proposed setting. Now, if it be so, throw it into the fire without phrase."—Letter to Moore, May 4, 1814, Letters, 1899, iii. 80.]
[mw] I speak not—I breathe not—I write not that name.—[MS. erased.]
[mx] {414}
We have loved—and oh, still, my adored one we love!
Oh the moment is past, when that Passion might cease.—
[MS. erased.]
[my] The thought may be madness—the wish may be—guilt.—[MS. erased.]
{ But I cannot repent what we ne'er can recall. But the heart which is thine would disdain to recall
[MS. erased.]
[na] ——though I feel that thou mayst.—[MS. L. erased.]