maidservant at the yard, of Troskowitz
“I scrub the iron pots and haul slops for Master Hugh. Lord knows my back is breaking.”
Things Alice had written, latest first, with the glosses of her neighbours.
the eve of Ascension, at Vespers
Lord knows this cough will be the end of me. The chill has settled deep in my chest. If I fall sick and cannot scrub the pots, Master Hugh will turn me out into the cold road. And still the roof leaks over my head.
Nota scribaeShe wiped her cracked hands on her apron the entire time she spoke, coughing terribly.
the second day of May, at Sext
The men are acting like children. Robert and Hynek are out there fighting over bone dice because nobody has a single groschen. Master Hugh docks all our wages to pay Andrew for those cursed dead capons, and the thieves sleep soundly in the yard.
the Tuesday after Easter, at None
I washed the master's wool all morning and the lye has left my hands cracked and bleeding. Lord knows I asked him for just a few pennies to buy new thatch for the women's shed, but he turned me away again. All his silver goes to greedy Andrew.
Andrew prices his capons like they were the King's own swans. It is a bloody outrage.
Nota scribaeShe showed me her hands. The skin was indeed raw and peeling.
the eve of Palm Sunday, at Prime
Not a single groschen in my pocket. Marion the ale-wife is away in Tachov, which is just as well because none of us can pay our slates. Old Richard's back is hurting him terribly, but he dare not show it or Hugh will toss him out too.
the Wednesday before St Gregory, at Compline
Lord knows this yard is cursed. Colle and Bragge slipped out and killed a dozen of Andrew's capons. Now Master Hugh says he is docking the cost from everyone's wages. Why must my dry bed pay for the master's dogs? I am freezing in the shed.
A bloody outrage! I work all day to earn my keep, not to buy fancy birds for Andrew.
Aye, the master should have kept his gate shut, instead of robbing us of our hard-earned silver.
Nota scribaeDictated by the dung heap. She sighed heavily before every sentence.
From drop 2026-10-26-4316967; the words set down by gemini-3.1-pro-preview on 2026-10-28.
Take my blanket again tonight, Alice. I will make do with my cloak.
Just put the wooden bucket where the drip falls and stop your complaining. We all have it rough.