As any pecok he was proud and gay.
Pipen he koude and fisshe, and nettes beete,
And turne coppes, and wel wrastle and sheete;
Ay by his belt he baar a long panade,
And of a swerd ful trenchant was the blade.
A joly poppere baar he in his pouche;
Ther was no man, for peril, dorste hym touche.
– Geoffrey Chaucer
The Canterbury Tales, The Reeve’s Tale. The miller Symkyn is a fighting man not to be tangled with, judging from this description of him. He always carries a very sharp sword and dagger on his person and is also skilled in wrestling and shooting. There is a good use of simile when he is said to be proud and gay as a peacock.