Somme seyden thus, somme seyde "it shal be so"; Somme helden with hym with the blake berd, Somme with the balled, somme with the thikke herd; Somme seyde he looked grymme, and he wolde fighte: "He hath a sparth of twenty pound of wighte." Thus was the halle ful of divynynge, Longe after that the sonne gan to sprynge.

Somme seyden thus, somme seyde "it shal be so";
Somme helden with hym with the blake berd,
Somme with the balled, somme with the thikke herd;
Somme seyde he looked grymme, and he wolde fighte:
"He hath a sparth of twenty pound of wighte."
Thus was the halle ful of divynynge,
Longe after that the sonne gan to sprynge.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Knight’s Tale. The palace of Theseus is full of people trying to predict the outcome of the next day’s jousting competition between Arcite and Palamon. Much like betters at a horse track, trying to pick their favorites in an upcoming race.

Geoffrey Chaucer Quotes