Letters of Maria Celeste:

10 November 1629

Most Beloved Lord Father

I am extremely sorry to hear of your indisposition, Sire, and all the more so because ordinarily your illnesses tend to be especially troublesome when you catch them here; and I dare to say, if I believed without a doubt that this excursion were that harmful to you, then how quickly would I consent to deprive myself of a sight so dear and desired; but in truth I put the blame on the contrary season. I beseech you to take care of yourself as well as you possibly can.

Nothing ever brought my Suor Luisa such great pleasure as seeing you take advantage (although in a small way) of our apothecary; her only fear is that the powder may not attain the excellence she would wish, Sire, for being of service to you. Here are V ounces of it as per your request, and if you find you need more we will be ready to provide it; and since the common practice is to mix it with syrup of citron rind, we are sending some of this, too, so you can see whether you like it: and, if anything else occurs to you, do please let us know. Thank you for the cuttings, and should you perchance be able to spare some more, I will be most happy to have them, and still I will not neglect to send you some small loving tokens for La Porzia. I enclose a little marzipan, for you to enjoy with my love, and I give my best regards to you together with Vincenzio and my Sister-in-law, and indeed I am very sad to hear that she, too, is sick in bed, and if she needs anything that I might be able to provide, I will be only too happy to do it. May Our Lord bless all of you with His holy grace.

The 10th day of November 1629.

Your most affectionate daughter,
S. Maria Celeste