The manuscript is a fair copy of a poem by Moore included in a letter, 25 October 1831, to John Murray II. The fair copy is accompanied by a note, "The obliterated lines", which includes an attempt by the copyist to transcribe the final, heavily deleted verse of Moore`s original.

The copy is undated, nor is there a watermark on the paper on which it is written. The accompanying note is also undated, but the paper on which it is written has a partial watermark, "31", which would suggest that the note and copy are contemporary with the original.

Samuel Smiles included a transcription of Moore`s verse in his discussion of Moore in "A publisher and his friends".