Pacience is an heigh vertu, certeyn,
For it venquysseth, as thise clerkes seyn,
Thynges that rigour sholde nevere atteyne.
For every word men may nat chide or pleyne.
Lerneth to suffre, or elles, so moot I goon,
Ye shul it lerne, wher so ye wole or noon.
For in this world, certein, ther no wight is
That he ne dooth or seith somtyme amys.
Ire, siknesse, or constellacioun,
Wyn, wo, or chaungynge of complexioun
Causeth ful ofte to doon amys or speken.
On every wrong a man may nat be wreken.
– Geoffrey Chaucer
The Canterbury Tales, The Franklin’s Tale. This long lyrical passage on the virtue of patience is the Franklin’s guide to living happily ever after for newly married couples like Dorigen and her knight Arveragus. A person should learn forebearance against annoyances and wrongs, that way they can get past any hurts done to them without having to seek revenge, advises the Franklin.