And whan I saugh he wolde nevere fyne
To reden on this cursed book al nyght,
Al sodeynly thre leves have I plyght
Out of his book, right as he radde, and eke
I with my fest so took hym on the cheke
That in oure fyr he fil bakward adoun.
– Geoffrey Chaucer
The Canterbury Tales, The Wife of Bath’s Prologue. The frustrated and angry Wife of Bath finally called time on her husband Jankin’s misogynistic readings from his Book of Wicket Wives and retaliated. She tore three pages from his book and hit him with her fist so hard on the cheek that he fell down backwards into the fire.