Page 270 - The Grotesque Children's Book

Translator’s Note. Poor quality of the manuscript. The original
manuscript in the archives at the Uffizi is tattered very badly at this point for a
few pages. The whole manuscript isn’t in the best of condition, but the next few
pages are much worse than the rest. I have my conspiracy theories why that
might be the case (having to do with the prosecution against Doctor Valerius, but
also perhaps because of the medical discussion it contains), but in any event,
what remains in the manuscript is smudgy and hard to make out. So I’ve had to
fudge a little bit and invent what I think must have been there. I’m afraid you’ll
see the results immediately; this section is much drier than others and goes on
and on about science and medicine in a way the original probably didn’t quite.
My apologies; you can see why I’m a translator and not a novelist. I probably
should haven’t even made the attempt, and just inserted a sidebar which covered
the medical blather in this scene. You won’t hurt my feelings if you skip this
chunk.

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