And with that word anon ther gan appeere
An oold man, clad in white clothes cleere,
That hadde a book with lettre of gold in honde,
And gan bifore Valerian to stonde.
Valerian as deed fil doun for drede.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Second Nun’s Tale. An old man appears before Valerian in a vision, dressed in white and holding a book with lettering of gold, and Valenian falls down in fear.