Englished:
Saturday the conversion of Saint Paul the Apostle, first for bread 7 1/2d. For beer, 10 1/2 d. For meat of cows, sheep, and pigs 9 d. For fish, 3 1/2d. For candles, 2 d.
 Total 2s 8 1/2d.

Pretty straightforward week. This is the 16th week I've done, and that means we can look at candles again. In October and into November, expenditures on candles are ha'penny/week. In early December, that drifts slightly, with 2 1/2d covering only 4 weeks. During the next weeks, the longest nights of the year, it takes 3d for four weeks and includes Christmas, Epiphany, and a couple of guest carpenters.

A few weeks back we were told that 3d buys 3 pounds of candles. (Item in 3^bus libris candelarum 3 d.), that means they are running through about a pound of candles each week. What we don't know is the material used for the candles. Tallow was common, with beeswax as an expensive alternative. Given that our priests were not living lavishly, tallow candles seem most likely.

Englished:
Saturday, the feast of the purification of the blessed Mary (2 Feb.). First, for bread 7 1/2d. For beer, 10 1/2d. For meat of cows, calves (ie veal), sheep, and pigs, 10d. For fish, 7d. For oatmeal, 1 d.
 Total 3s 1/2 d. (should be 3s)

Savernak got ahead of himself and started to date this from Scholastica, but that's not until next week. So he corrected it back. Also, our old friend oatmeal is back! Holding steady about one penny's worth every three weeks.

The most interesting thing about this entry is that carnibus vitulinis appears for the first time. That is to say, veal. In a previous thread, I talked a little about the carnibus ovinis and how we couldn't be sure as to the age of the meat - lamb, hogget, mutton - without some further indication. I said that 'carnibus bovinus ovinis et porcinis' could probably be translated as 'beef, mutton, and pork' but might mean veal and lamb rather than beef and mutton - it might mean young animals rather than old ones. Here, however, we have a clear indication that if veal is meant, then veal is what will be written down. We also had a reference earlier to 'porcello' and if we take that as a suckling pig, then we have more evidence that beef, mutton, and pork is probably the right way to read 'carnibus bovinus ovinis et porcinis.'

Englished:
Saturday before the Feast of Scholastica the virgin (10 Feb), first for bread 8 1/2d. For beer 10d. For meat of cows, sheep, and pigs 9 d. For fish 9d. Labourers at table for the day.
 Total: 3 s 1/2 d.

Fairly typical expenditures this week. There are some unspecified laborers during the week, but that didn't affect the expenses much. The last few weeks have been a bit on the high side. This week that's probably down to the labourers, but no labourers were noted last week. That was the week with veal, though. The average expense on weeks without guests is about 2s 9d., while with guests it's several pennies higher. This week is the same as when two carpenters were fed, so the impulse is to assume that this was two labourers, but not specialists like carpenters.

Bonus thoughts!

As I was editing this latest batch for the web, I noticed something about the last two entries. It seems that Savernak, quite naturally, makes notes about the previous week's expenditures. Several times he has started to write the date for the current week, then strikes it out, and corrects it. This is the case in the last two weeks where first 'Scolatstica' is replaced with the Purification of Mary, and then is actually used the following week.

What I noticed as I was going back over the last few postings was this: there's a math error in the week for the Purification. Or is it? The value is the correct for the following week. It could just be coincidence. I speculated early on that from time to time Savernak might miss a week and then do two at once to catch up. If so, it would be easy to mistakenly enter the same value twice running.

No way to know, really, but interesting to think about.