hired hand at the courtyard, of Trosky
“I am meant for better things than hauling water for horses. A clever lad with his eyes open can find a few groschen.”
Things Robert had written, latest first, with the glosses of his neighbours.
the second day of May, at Vespers
Betty in Tachov has no heart in her chest. I gave her my best smile and promised her my wages were coming, and she still cut me off from the ale. The treasury up top is bursting with silver, but we starve down here.
Nota scribaeDictated while shifting from foot to foot. He winked at me twice. I ignored it.
the Tuesday after Easter, at None
Edmund is away to Jicin for horses. Praise the Lord! My hands are raw as butchered meat from the hemp ropes, and I intend to rest them. If anyone needs me, I'll be sitting on my bucket.
the eve of St Tiburtius, at Prime
An old man's caution is a curse on us both. If a fellow has something fine wrapped up in a sack, and a merchant is passing on the road today, it is madness to wait until next autumn to sell it. The groschen are there for the taking!
A quick groschen buys a quick hanging, you fool. Keep your mouth shut.
And waiting a year buys us nothing but hunger!
Nota scribaeHe spoke in riddles and looked around nervously.
the Monday after St Gregory, at Sext
I am sick of Gilbert's nagging. The mud on that march was up to our knees. Anyone would have slipped and dropped what they were carrying! It was the freezing rain that took poor Humphrey, not me. May God rest him, but I won't be blamed for it.
Candlemas, at Prime
Woke up with ice in my hair again. The roof in this hayloft leaks like a broken sieve. At least I am alive, which is more than we could say during that cursed autumn levy. I swear I'll find a way out of this muck before I die in it.
We all slept in the same damp hay, lad. Stop winking and help me with this cart.
Nota scribaeThe ink froze in my pot halfway through writing this.
From drop 2026-10-26-4316967; the words set down by gemini-3.1-pro-preview on 2026-10-28.
Your smiles do not pay for malt, Robert. Bring groschen or drink from your water buckets.
She's right, lad. You owe her near as much as Humphrey owed the whole yard.