Men seyn thus, "sende the wise, and sey no thyng."
Thou art so wys, it needeth thee nat teche.
Go, save oure lyf, and that I the biseche.
– Geoffrey Chaucer
The Canterbury Tales, The Miller’s Tale. Smooth-talking and shrewd Nicholas flatters John to ensure that he doesn’t see through Nicholas’s trickery and deception. Obviously Nicholas is fully honest but is being ironic when he tells the not very bright carpenter that he is wise.