<html><!-- #BeginTemplate "/Templates/main_nav.dwt" --><!-- DW6 -->
<head>
<!-- #BeginEditable "doctitle" --> 
<title>The Galileo Project </title>
<!-- #EndEditable -->
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/galileostyles.css" type="text/css">
</head>

<body bgcolor="#FFFFFF" text="#626E8B" link="#858893" vlink="#858893" alink="#858893">
<table width="625" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
  <tr> 
    <td colspan="3">
	
	<!-- logo -->
	
	<!--#include virtual="/galileo_header.shtm" -->

	
	</td>
  </tr>
  <tr> 
    <td width="169" align="left" valign="top" rowspan="2"> 
      
	  <!-- navigation bar -->
	
	<!--#include virtual="/galileo_sidebar.shtm" -->

	  
    </td>
    <td width="50" rowspan="2">&nbsp;</td>
    <td width="403" align="left" valign="middle" height="33"><!-- #BeginEditable "location" -->
	  <div class="unav"> <a href="../../index.html">The Galileo Project</a> &gt; 
        <a href="../../family.html">Family</a> &gt; <a href="../maria.html">Maria 
        Celeste Galilei</a> &gt; <a href="../daughter.html">Galileo's Daughter: 
        Letters and Essays</a> &gt; <a href="../letters/18mar1628.html">18 March 
        1628 </a></div>
	  <!-- #EndEditable --></td>
  </tr>
  <tr> 
    <td width="403" align="left" valign="top"><!-- #BeginEditable "main_text" --> 
      <br>
      <p class="heading">Letters of Maria Celeste: </p>
      <p class="letterdate">18 March 1628</p>
      <p class="main_text">Most Beloved Lord Father 
      <p class="main_text">Not knowing what in the world I might possibly send you to please you 
        most, I thought perhaps you would like something you could present to 
        Signora Barbara and your other caretakers, to whom I, too, confess (out 
        of my love for you, Sire) that I am very much obliged. Therefore I send 
        along these small pastries, for all of you to enjoy together with our 
        love in these days of Lenten sacrifice; and if you would send us word, 
        Sire, of whatever it is you might wish to have, you could do us no greater 
        favor, since our hearts' desire is simply to be good to you in every way. 
      </p>
      <p class="main_text">Yesterday I pulled a tooth of mine that had been causing me tremendous 
        suffering, so that now by the grace of the Lord I am free of the pain 
        that has tormented me the last two months, although I still have the remnants 
        of my headache. I hope, however, with the passage of time, to be relieved 
        of this, too, if it pleases God, whom I pray to grant you, Sire, a complete 
        recovery; and in closing I send loving regards to you, to Vincenzio, to 
        Aunt Chiara and to everyone else at home, from Suor Arcangela and me. 
      </p>
      <p class="main_text">From San Matteo, the 18th day of March 1627.* </p>
      <p class="main_text">Most affectionate daughter, <br>
        S. M. Celeste </p>
      <p class="sources"> *On the Florentine calendar the new year began on 25 
        March. </p>
      <!-- #EndEditable --></td>
  </tr>
  <tr> 
    <td width="169" align="left" valign="top" height="15">&nbsp;</td>
    <td width="53" height="15">&nbsp;</td>
    <td width="403" height="15">&nbsp;</td>
  </tr>
  <tr> 
    <td width="169" align="left" valign="top">

<!-- copyright, last updated -->

<!--#include virtual="/copy_update.shtm" -->


    </td>
    <td width="53">&nbsp;</td>
    <td width="403" align="center" valign="top"> 
      
	  <!-- bottom navigation bar -->

<!--#include virtual="/galileo_bottomnav.shtm" -->
	  
	  
    </td>
  </tr>
</table>
</body>
<!-- #EndTemplate --></html>
