In al this world ther is no creature
That eten or dronken hath of this confiture
Noght but the montance of a corn of whete,
That he ne shal his lif anon forlete;
Ye, sterve he shal, and that in lasse while
Than thou wolt goon a paas nat but a mile,
This poysoun is so strong and violent.
– Geoffrey Chaucer
The Canterbury Tales, The Pardoner’s Tale. The seller of the poison tells the youngest rioter it is so strong and violent that an amount the size of a grain of wheat will kill you in less time than it takes to walk a mile. Overcome by the sin of greed, the rioter wants to eliminate the other rogues because he doesn’t want to share the gold with them. So he fills two out of three bottles with the poison and wine, and the third with just wine for himself.