For Him Was Lever Han At His Beddes Hed
A Twenty Bokes, Clothed In Black Or Red,
Of Aristotle, And His Philosophie,
Than Robes Riche, Or Fidel, Or Sautrie.
For him was lever han at his beddes hed
A twenty bokes, clothed in black or red,
Of Aristotle, and his philosophie,
Than robes riche, or fidel, or sautrie.
But all be that he was a philosophre,
Yet hadde he but litel gold in cofre.
-- Geoffrey Chaucer (1328-1400)
-- Canterbury Tales, Prologue, Line 295
