垂誨帖 A letter to a friend

【About the author】

范成大（1126-1193）字致能，號石湖居士。平江吳郡（郡治在今江蘇吳縣）人。南宋詩人。他父母早亡，家境貧寒。宋高宗紹興二十四年（1154）進士，晚年隱居故鄉石湖。卒諡文穆。他與尤袤、楊萬里、陸遊齊名，號稱「中興四大詩人」。

Inside Story

In the letter which Fan Chengta addressed to a friend he explained the reason why he was unable to finish writing the epitaph for the deceased wife of the friend. He told the friend that his health condition was deteriorating and he was afraid that he could not finish writing the epitaph for him and he had to ask someone else to do the writing.