O Sathan, envious syn thilke day
That thou were chaced from oure heritage,
Wel knowestow to wommen the olde way!
Thou madest Eva brynge us in servage;
Thou wolt fordoon this Cristen mariage.
Thyn instrument so – weylawey the while! –
Makestow of wommen, whan thou wolt bigile.
– Geoffrey Chaucer
The Canterbury Tales, The Man of Law’s Tale. The Man of Law says that Satan knows well the ways of beguiling and deceiving women, ever since his successful temptation of Eve and the resulting fall of man. Satan, he says, will destroy the Christian marriage of the Sultan and Constance using another woman as his instrument – the Sultaness.