Til that we come to Caunterbury toun,
He koude al clene turnen up-so-doun,
And pave it al of silver and of gold.
– Geoffrey Chaucer
The Canterbury Tales, The Canon’s Yeoman’s Prologue. When the Host asks the Canon’s Yeoman if he could tell the pilgrims a merry tale, the Yeoman sings the praises of his employer, saying he could pave the road to Canterbury with silver and gold. This suggests that the Canon is planning some kind of fraud on the pilgrims.