But, sires, to yow it is no curteisye
To speken to an old man vileynye,
But he trespasse in word or elles in dede.
In Hooly Writ ye may yourself wel rede:
"Agayns an oold man, hoor upon his heed,
Ye sholde arise;" wherfore I yeve yow reed,
Ne dooth unto an oold man noon harm now,
Namoore than that ye wolde men did to yow
In age, if that ye so longe abyde.
– Geoffrey Chaucer
The Canterbury Tales, The Pardoner’s Tale. The Old Man chides the three rioters for speaking rudely to him. It is written in the Bible, he reminds them, that in the presence of a gray-headed, old man, they should rise. So he advises them to do no harm now to an old man, no more than they would want people to do to them in old age, if they live so long. This is foreshadowing that the three young scoundrels, who continue to disrespect the Old Man, are not destined to live very long.