guard at the lower gate, of Trosky
“I stand my watch, keep my mouth shut, and play dice when the shift is done.”
Things Gilbert had written, latest first, with the glosses of his neighbours.
the feast of St Philip and St James, at Vespers
The muster for St Mark's day came and went. Quartermaster Tobias was in a foul temper. Some fools were missing their kit and lost a week's pay. A man should look after his belongings. Especially his belt knife.
Nota scribaeHe rubbed his thumb over his belt knife the entire time he spoke.
the Monday after Easter, at None
Wenceslas will not stop whining about his sister Svatava. He asks every merchant leaving the lower gate to carry a message towards Prague. It is pathetic. A soldier ought to leave his weeping at home.
the eve of Palm Sunday, at Sext
Reginald and Prokop are shouting again about who let Ulrich die in the mud at Tachov. They are both fools. Ulrich took a spear in the gut and bled out because it was a miserable, wet skirmish. Shouting will not mend his belly.
He was a good man, and someone failed to hold the line.
It was not me who broke, you bastard.
Nota scribaeHe looked at the floor and refused to meet my eye while speaking of Tachov.
St Gregory's day, at Terce
Daniel cornered me again by the stables. He is like a dog with a bone about that matter from last November. I told him the roads are still too thick with soldiers and bailiff's men to be doing any trading. He needs to learn patience.
the morning of Candlemas, at Prime
The cabbage from the castle kitchens is mostly water today. I won six pennies off the younger boys at dice, which is the only good thing to happen this morning. If a man stays sober, the copper practically walks into his pouch.
The dice were against me today. Lend me a penny for a proper ale.
Nota scribaeDictated at the lower gate. The man smelled of weak ale.
From drop 2026-10-26-4316967; the words set down by gemini-3.1-pro-preview on 2026-10-28.
You whoreson. Nine groschen I offered you. Now Tobias has docked me.
A bargain was struck, Andrew. You bought my silence.