My trouthe wol I holde to my brother,
As I am sworn, and ech of us til oother,
For to be trewe brother in this cas;
And bothe we goon abouten oure purchas.
Taak thou thy part, what that men wol thee yive,
And I shal myn; thus may we bothe lyve.
And if that any of us have moore than oother,
Lat hym be trewe and parte it with his brother.
– Geoffrey Chaucer
The Canterbury Tales, The Friar’s Tale. The Devil and ecclesiastical court Summoner make a pact to bond together as brothers forever. This is no surprise, as they certainly make a good fit seeing as they have a shared interest in deceitfulness and hypocrisy. They agree to go about their trade and share the proceeds together.