Geoffrey Chaucer

“ Thou speakest so feelingly that, to my thinking, there is none of us that shall be thy peer in eloquence, if thou live ; God give thee good fortune and send thee continuance in virtue, for I have great delight of thy speech. ”

“ Fie on possession, unless withal a man be virtuous. I have chid my son, and yet shall, for he list not hearken to virtue; but to play at dice is his wont and to spend and lose all that he hath, and he had liefer talk with a page than commune with any gentle wight where he might have true gentle breeding."
"Straw for your gentle breeding!" quoth our host. "What, Franklin? pardee, sir, well thou wottest that each of you must tell at least a tale or two, or else break his word." ”