Letter 6004: My illness — a pain in my right hand — has been compounded by the bitter news you've sent.
My illness — a pain in my right hand — has been compounded by the bitter news you've sent. What distresses me most is knowing that my daughter can't be persuaded to limit what she eats and drinks. So, beset by both a wound of the heart and a sickness of the body, I couldn't wait to recover enough to write in my own hand. Instead I've dictated this letter in haste, serving my anxiety more than my usual habits.
First, I beg you to ease my fears with a reassuring reply. Then I ask you, my dear daughter, to avoid what's harmful to your health and restore your repeatedly interrupted recovery through self-control — not only because moderation benefits health, but because abstaining from what's harmful is also proof of good judgment. Farewell.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.
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