He fil in office with a chamberleyn
The which that dwellynge was with Emelye,
For he was wys and koude soone espye,
Of every servaunt, which that serveth here.
Wel koude he hewen wode, and water bere,
For he was yong and myghty for the nones,
And therto he was long and big of bones
To doon that any wight kan hym devyse.
– Geoffrey Chaucer
The Canterbury Tales, The Knight’s Tale. Arcite has grown thin and frail from lovesickness. He knows he can re-enter Athens disguised and no one will recognize him. Using the fake name Philostrate, this knight gets a job as as a humble servant in the house of Emily, the woman he loves.