My daughter, the perfect natural love that I have for you—while bearing in mind our lamentable weakness and our present wretched life (innumerable and great dangers must be overcome in this transitory world), recognizing the imminent, sudden, and early death that I expect at any moment, and notwithstanding my poor, rude, and limited ability—gives me the desire and the determination to prepare a few little lessons for you while I am still with you, knowing well your inexperience and extreme youth and hoping that in time you will recall these lessons and that they will help you a little; therefore, without any long introduction and in few words:

The first and main point, more important than all others, is that earnestly, and with all your faith and strength, you are careful not to do, say, or think anything that will make God angry at you. So that no subtle temptations of the world, the flesh, or the Devil ever grab hold of you, then, and so that you live more chastely and protect yourself better from sin, always remember that, as Saint Augustine says, you cannot be certain of even a single hour; your wretched body must necessarily die, decay, and be eaten by worms, and your poor soul, left alone, will immediately receive her just reward for your life’s efforts. In the confines of your heart reflect constantly on the terrible, awful, and infinite pains of Hell, and on the great and inestimable glories and joys that are only in Paradise, fearing above all and in great sorrow of heart the dreaded day of universal judgment that very shortly awaits both the good and the bad. Remember Saint Bernard, who says that at every hour, wherever he is, he seems to hear the terrible sound [of Judgment Day] so marvelously strong he dreads it. Alas! Now then, my daughter, consider those who are worldly and spend all their life in vanity, delight, and foolish pleasure— how can they ignore this sound when he, who was so perfect, feared it so greatly?