watchman for the praguers, of Sigismund's camp
“I stand in the mud by the supply wagons while the captains stay dry. I just want my wages and a decent meal.”
Things Jan had written, latest first, with the glosses of his neighbours.
the feast of Saint Philip and Saint James, at Terce
Paul is weeping again about his mother in Prague. It exhausts a man to hear it. I have half a mind to let Provost Hynek flog the boy just to give him a real reason to cry. Christ's wounds, my knees ache worse today.
Nota scribaeThe dictation ended when the man had to return to his watch.
the third day of Easter week, at None
Wenceslas moved his wagon to the Hungarian cavalry lines. A common footman cannot get near the place without being chased off. It makes it bloody hard to sell anything a man might have found during the winter. Now we just sit here waiting for wages.
the Wednesday after Saint Gregory, at Sext
Daniel came into the tent blind drunk and knocked the brazier right onto my bedroll. Burned a hole the size of a cabbage in my only good woollen blanket. A weaver wants twenty groschen to mend it, and the whoreson laughs at me. Someone ought to break his nose.
You should not have left it where a man might trip in the dark.
Pay what you owe me or God will strike you dead.
Nota scribaeThe man spoke very slowly and spat on the ground.
the day after Saint Matthias, at Vespers
They buried Simon today near the ruined mill. The peasants beat him to death for wandering off alone. He was a steady hand with a spear. Up in heaven he will not have to eat this wretched millet, but the camp has gone to the dogs since he fell.
Candlemas, at Prime
Christ's wounds, the mud here is up to my knees. The rations are nothing but boiled millet that cracks the teeth. We should have stayed in winter quarters. I saw Vashek digging through another man's pack this morning. A man cannot trust his own messmates.
Keep your pack tied tight. The young ones have no respect for property.
I was looking for my own flint, you miserable old goat.
Nota scribaeDictated while the man rubbed his knees.
From drop 2026-10-26-4316967; the words set down by gemini-3.1-pro-preview on 2026-10-28.
She is all alone in the New Town and the roads are full of deserters.
Quiet men survive the camp. Tell the boy to shut his mouth.