sleep. She took all the covers and her feet are cold, her knees and ankles sharp as stones. And she does not leave until tomorrow.
It rained this day, so I could not escape outside. I spent the afternoon in the kitchen with Cuthman Cook, who was chopping eel for pies. He was telling me of the time he seduced the miller's daughter and had to hide in a barrel of flour and how the angry miller followed him home by following his floury footprints and I was laughing loudly when the heavy curtain was pushed aside and there was The Weasel, having sniffed me out.
"Your noise is offensive to well-mannered ears," she said. "It is said, 'A silent woman is always more admired than a noisy one.' "
"It is also said, A woman's tongue is her sword,' " I countered, " 'and she does not let it rust.' "
" 'Maids should be mild and meek, swift to hear and slow to speak,' " said Agnes.
" 'Be she old or be she young, a woman's strength is in her tongue,' " said I.
Agnes pointed her nose at me. " 'One tongue is enough for two women.' "
Having run out of sayings to argue with, I pushed her and she sat hard in the eel pie. Am I at fault because she has no balance? Being sent to my chamber at least meant I did not have to see her at supper.
As Morwenna led me out by my ear, The Weasel snuffled and said, "Violence, Catherine, becomes you as ill as that dress you are wearing," and then began to argue with the cook about the pie crust. God's thumbs, the girl would quarrel even with the breeze.
10 TH DAY OF M ARCH ,
Feast of the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste, soldiers of the Thundering Legion, who were killed by being stranded on a frozen lake
Thomas of Wallingham and his family continued on their way to London today. I think on the whole Agnes is more dreary even than Lent.
11 TH DAY OF M ARCH ,
Feast of Saint Oengus the Culdee, an Irish bishop who genuflected frequently and recited the psalms while standing in cold water
At Mass today I wondered instead of listening to the sermon, but they were wonderings about holy things, so I trust God was not offended. First I wondered why, after Lazarus was raised from the dead, people did not ask him about heaven and hell and being dead. Were they not curious? Indeed, this may have been our only chance to find out without dying.
Then I wondered why Jesus used his miraculous powers to cure lepers instead of creating an herb or flower that would cure them so we could continue to use it even now when Jesus is in Heaven. When we are on the road, I hate to hear the bell of a leper hiding in the trees until we pass. I know priests say
lepers are paying for their great sins, but I know plenty of great sinners who still have their fingers and noses.
And I wondered about how long it took Noah to gather up two of everything for the Ark. The rain was pouring down and his family were driving bears and dogs and horses aboard and old Noah was in the garden catching flies and gnats, digging for worms and dung beetles and maggots. Why did he bother? Did he worry that he got all of them? Were there some disgusting slimy creeping things that Noah never found and so we do not have anymore?
13 TH DAY OF M ARCH ,
Feast of Saint Mochoemoc, called also Mo-Chamhog, Kennoch, Kevoca, Pulcherius, and Vulcanius, an abbot who could raise the dead to life
I have been two days locked in my chamber. How it happened was this: In these dreary, deadly dull days of Lent, are we not told to make our own humble amusements? I therefore declared a contest to see who could spit the farthest: Rhys from the stables, Gerd the miller's son, William Steward's youngest son William, or me. I did not think to be left out just because I am a girl.
I did not win, Rhys did. His front teeth being loose since a fight with John Swann at the alehouse, he can spit between them at great distance and with deadly accuracy. We did not intend that my mother's ladies should be passing at that very moment or that they should mind spit so very much.
I was sent to
It rained this day, so I could not escape outside. I spent the afternoon in the kitchen with Cuthman Cook, who was chopping eel for pies. He was telling me of the time he seduced the miller's daughter and had to hide in a barrel of flour and how the angry miller followed him home by following his floury footprints and I was laughing loudly when the heavy curtain was pushed aside and there was The Weasel, having sniffed me out.
"Your noise is offensive to well-mannered ears," she said. "It is said, 'A silent woman is always more admired than a noisy one.' "
"It is also said, A woman's tongue is her sword,' " I countered, " 'and she does not let it rust.' "
" 'Maids should be mild and meek, swift to hear and slow to speak,' " said Agnes.
" 'Be she old or be she young, a woman's strength is in her tongue,' " said I.
Agnes pointed her nose at me. " 'One tongue is enough for two women.' "
Having run out of sayings to argue with, I pushed her and she sat hard in the eel pie. Am I at fault because she has no balance? Being sent to my chamber at least meant I did not have to see her at supper.
As Morwenna led me out by my ear, The Weasel snuffled and said, "Violence, Catherine, becomes you as ill as that dress you are wearing," and then began to argue with the cook about the pie crust. God's thumbs, the girl would quarrel even with the breeze.
10 TH DAY OF M ARCH ,
Feast of the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste, soldiers of the Thundering Legion, who were killed by being stranded on a frozen lake
Thomas of Wallingham and his family continued on their way to London today. I think on the whole Agnes is more dreary even than Lent.
11 TH DAY OF M ARCH ,
Feast of Saint Oengus the Culdee, an Irish bishop who genuflected frequently and recited the psalms while standing in cold water
At Mass today I wondered instead of listening to the sermon, but they were wonderings about holy things, so I trust God was not offended. First I wondered why, after Lazarus was raised from the dead, people did not ask him about heaven and hell and being dead. Were they not curious? Indeed, this may have been our only chance to find out without dying.
Then I wondered why Jesus used his miraculous powers to cure lepers instead of creating an herb or flower that would cure them so we could continue to use it even now when Jesus is in Heaven. When we are on the road, I hate to hear the bell of a leper hiding in the trees until we pass. I know priests say
lepers are paying for their great sins, but I know plenty of great sinners who still have their fingers and noses.
And I wondered about how long it took Noah to gather up two of everything for the Ark. The rain was pouring down and his family were driving bears and dogs and horses aboard and old Noah was in the garden catching flies and gnats, digging for worms and dung beetles and maggots. Why did he bother? Did he worry that he got all of them? Were there some disgusting slimy creeping things that Noah never found and so we do not have anymore?
13 TH DAY OF M ARCH ,
Feast of Saint Mochoemoc, called also Mo-Chamhog, Kennoch, Kevoca, Pulcherius, and Vulcanius, an abbot who could raise the dead to life
I have been two days locked in my chamber. How it happened was this: In these dreary, deadly dull days of Lent, are we not told to make our own humble amusements? I therefore declared a contest to see who could spit the farthest: Rhys from the stables, Gerd the miller's son, William Steward's youngest son William, or me. I did not think to be left out just because I am a girl.
I did not win, Rhys did. His front teeth being loose since a fight with John Swann at the alehouse, he can spit between them at great distance and with deadly accuracy. We did not intend that my mother's ladies should be passing at that very moment or that they should mind spit so very much.
I was sent to
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