The Millere is a cherl, ye knowe wel this;
So was the Reve eek and othere mo,
And harlotrie they tolden bothe two.
Avyseth yow, and put me out of blame;
And eek men shal nat maken ernest of game.
– Geoffrey Chaucer
The Canterbury Tales, The Miller’s Prologue. The Narrator Chaucer provides a health warning about the Miller’s and the Reeve’s tales for people who might be offended by their bawdy stories. They are both churls, he says, meaning medieval peasants of low social status. So don’t blame me and don’t take a joke too seriously, the Narrator adds.