Nikephoros, nephew of Keroularios, received an unusual letter of his own from Psellos (not involving his brother Konstantinos), consoling him for the vagaries of fortune in an amusing way. Psellos added details of lively and theatrical stories for discussion by the two brothers at the dinner table, as a kind of dessert. Psellos asked how Nikephoros had fared with the emperors since Psellos left (probably meaning Eudokia and her children, as Romanos IV was away with Psellos). After a difficult passage of Psellos' letter Nikephoros is pictured as sweating and out of breath in following it, so Psellos decided to lower the level