Thy wyf and thou moote hange fer atwynne,
For that bitwixe yow shal be no synne,
Namoore in lookyng than ther shal in deede.
This ordinance is seyd. Go, God thee speede!
– Geoffrey Chaucer
The Canterbury Tales, The Miller’s Tale. In telling John to prepare for the second great deluge that he has invented, Nicholas advises John that he and his wife and remain far apart and not "sin" – have sex. This is because Nicholas wants to enjoy Alison all to himself later.