labourer at the Lorec vineyard, of Lorec
“I am an honest man working my fingers to the bone, watching thieves and liars get fat on my sweat.”
Things Hugh had written, latest first, with the glosses of his neighbours.
the eve of the Ascension, at Vespers
The muster is coming and I am a ruined man. I paid for Richard's war gear so we would not be fined, and the whoreson pawned it for ale. He still has my heavy tool too. Honest men are stripped bare while thieves drink.
Nota scribaeThe man crossed his arms and repeated the part about the war gear three times.
the second day of Easter week, at None
I need a stranger's help. I will pay a sack of good grain and a side of bacon to any man who will walk into Kuttenberg and watch David Baker the scribe. Do not speak to him. Just watch if a certain thief named John goes to bribe him.
Are you still bleating about that cow? I swore my oath at the cross. It is my beast.
I take no bribes, Hugh. And I have no time for vineyard squabbles.
the Tuesday after St Gertrude, at Sext
Ten years I have pruned these vines. My joints ache like an old wagon wheel, and for what? Hard bread and ale so weak you can see through it to the bottom of the cup. The Kuttenberg merchants drink the wine, and we drink ditch-water.
Ay, my back is broken too. The master squeezes us like the grapes.
the morrow of St Blaise, at Prime
Jarda the reeve is a fool who only wanted to get back to his fire. John stole my heifer with the notched ear. He claimed he bought her from Vitek, who is dead of a fever! Then he mumbled his oath at the cross and left out the binding words. A cheat!
Vitek was an honest drover and sold me good stock. The reeve gave his ruling. Let it be.
I heard him cough during the oath, Hugh. You should have spoken up louder.
Nota scribaeDictated loudly. He refused to swear on the wooden cross in the room while speaking.
Candlemas, at Terce
I lent my best heavy tool to Richard this morning. It cost me a month's sweat to buy. He swore by all the saints he would bring it back before Vespers. We shall see.
I have it safe, Hugh. I just need it for a few more days to finish a job.
From drop 2026-10-26-4316967; the words set down by gemini-3.1-pro-preview on 2026-10-28.
Keep your hair on, Hugh. The kit is safe enough at the alehouse. I just need a few groschen to get it back.
Then fetch the groschen, Richard, or the bailiff will take my hide.