This carpenter answerde, "Allas, my wyf!
And shal she drenche? Allas, myn Alisoun!"
For sorwe of this he fil almoost adoun,
And seyde, "Is ther no remedie in this cas?"
– Geoffrey Chaucer
The Canterbury Tales, The Miller’s Tale. When Nicholas tells John his vision about a great flood coming to the town, John’s first thought is for the safety of his wife Alison and the horror of her drowning. He wants to know if there is any solution, he obviously loves her very much.