Ther nys no werkman, whatsoevere he be,
That may bothe werke wel and hastily;
This wol be doon at leyser parfitly.
– Geoffrey Chaucer
The Canterbury Tales, The Merchant’s Tale. The old knight January comically likens himself to a craftsman at work on consummating his marriage on his wedding night. He deceives himself into thinking he is doing a great job. No workman can work both well and hastily, he tells young bride May, this will be done at leisure and perfectly! But his labor of love turns out far from perfect as far as May is concerned.