Now preye I to hem alle that herkne this litel tretys or rede that if ther be any thyng in it that liketh hem, that therof they thanken oure Lord Jesu Crist, of whom procedeth al wit and al goodnesse. And if ther be any thyng that displese hem, I preye hem also that they arrette it to the defaute of myn unkonnynge and nat to my wyl, that wolde ful fayn have seyd bettre if I hadde had konnynge.
– Geoffrey Chaucer
The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer’s Retraction. Chaucer ends the Canterbury Tales with a short retraction, asking his audience to be patient with his shortcomings and pleading with God for forgiveness for his sins. People should thank God for whatever they like in his writings, and blame him for anything they don’t like, he says.