trench-digger and stake driver, of Kuttenberg
“I dig trenches and drive foundation stakes. A man is only worth the dirt he can move.”
Things Frantishek had written, latest first, with the glosses of his neighbours.
the Tuesday after Saint John Before the Latin Gate, at Vespers
Lambert went to Prague three weeks ago and the new foremen are thieves. They charge me half my day's wage just to rent a rusted, blunt shovel. If I had my own spade I wouldn't be starving in the mud. By the saints' bones, I am tired of this.
Nota scribaeDictated behind the tanneries. The man crossed his thick arms and spat into the dirt twice.
Saint Mark's day, at Compline
Thomas is a petty thief! I was sitting in the alehouse and the whoreson went to my bedroll and walked off with my best trenching spade. It is pure malice. I will pay thirteen groschen to any man who gets it back for me.
Give me my iron-banded mallet back and you will get your spade.
I kept the mallet because I still had stakes to drive. You stole my spade like a footpad in the night!
the third day of Easter week, at None
Bread has gone up two pennies a loaf since Easter. It is daylight robbery. And I come back to the cellar and Andreas is begging me again to carry a message to his father Kvyetoslav. I am not walking to Prague for any man's father.
It is not Prague, just three days ride west! He has a bad hip and owes money to a miller!
Less shouting in my cellar, Frantishek. And have your rent coin ready by Saturday.
Nota scribaeThe speaker grunted heavily and turned his back on me when he was finished.
the first Friday of Lent, at Vespers
The German foreman pointed to me again for the deep foundation. They call me the ox for a reason. Swung that mallet from dawn till dusk. The ground is hard as iron but I broke it.
You move dirt well enough, ox. Now where is my mallet?
I have a few more stakes to drive. Do not soil your breeches over it.
Candlemas, at Terce
I broke my own mallet on a frozen root today. Lacking the coin for a new one, I borrowed an iron-banded one off Thomas to finish driving the stakes. I will give it back when the thaw comes.
Mind you do not break mine on a root as well.
From drop 2026-10-26-4316967; the words set down by gemini-3.1-pro-preview on 2026-10-28.
Lambert was a fair master. My late Martha always said he had a good soul.
You should save your groschen to buy an exemption from the levy like I am.