carpenter and cart wright, of Kuttenberg
“I repair carts and shape joinery for the market. I expect men to respect good iron and leave me in peace.”
Things Henry Miller had written, latest first, with the glosses of his neighbours.
the eve of Ascension, at Vespers
A stranger brought a letter from Bohuta today, offering me two miserable groschen a week. Two groschen! That means he dropped the brass-bound block plane I lent him and chipped the iron. Saint Joseph give me strength before I throttle the idle whoreson.
Nota scribaeDictated with fists clenched so hard his knuckles were white.
the second Tuesday after Easter, at None
Wenceslas the clerk is drawing up lists for the levy. Let him try putting my name down. A skilled wright is worth more to the commerce of this town than another man holding a pike against the Hungarians.
I buy the clerk a cup of ale to keep my name off. You should try it.
the Wednesday of Easter week, at Terce
Matthew Ford is wasting his youth mooning over that refugee Clemence in the charity ward. Philip ought to beat some sense into the lad. We have enough trouble without lovesick fools sighing into their ale.
She has nothing left in the world. Have you no heart at all?
The poor girl deserves pity, not your harsh tongue.
the third Friday of Lent, at Sext
It has been four weeks since I lent a fine drawknife to Humphrey Miller. I see him at the cookshop, and he always has some excuse why he cannot return it. It cost a month of sweat. Bring it back.
I am still using it on a roof beam. You will get it by Sunday, keep your breeches on.
Nota scribaeThe wright flexed his hands the whole time he spoke.
Candlemas, at Compline
A foolish day. In a moment of weakness at the feast, I lent my best brass-bound plane to Bohuta Miller and a fine drawknife to Humphrey. My bench feels empty. God grant they bring them back sharp.
Never lend a good blade to a fool. Leonard borrowed my saw once and look where we are now.
From drop 2026-10-26-4316967; the words set down by gemini-3.1-pro-preview on 2026-10-28.
It slipped on a paving stone. The iron is chipped. Two groschen a week is fair coin!