與御帶帖 An apologized letter

【About the author】

吳說，生卒年不詳。宋代書家。字傅朋，號練塘，居錢塘（今浙江杭州）之紫溪。人稱吳紫溪。宋高宗紹興十四年，除尚書郎，官知信州，紹興間為尚書郎。其書楷、行、草及榜書均住，小楷有「宋時第一」之稱；榜書深穩端潤，行草圓美流麗，深入黃太史之室，而得其精髓，又時作魏鍾繇之體，頗有新致。其獨創的遊絲書頗負盛名。

Inside Story

This was a letter Wu Shuo wrote to an officer who was in a higher rank. The officer paid a visit to him the night before, but Wu Shuo was out to a dinner appointment with a friend, and he missed the visit. Upon knowing the officer’s visit Wu Shuo wrote this letter to apologize and to explain his reason for absence.