"Love conquers all"

The Canterbury Tales
Geoffrey Chaucer (1342 - 1400)

118         Ther was also a Nonne, a PRIORESSE,
                 There was also a Nun, a PRIORESS,
119         That of hir smylyng was ful symple and coy;
                 Who was very simple and modest in her smiling;
120         Hire gretteste ooth was but by Seinte Loy;
                 Her greatest oath was but by Saint Loy;
121         And she was cleped madame Eglentyne.
                 And she was called Madam Eglantine.
122         Ful weel she soong the service dyvyne,
                 She sang the divine service very well,
123         Entuned in hir nose ful semely;
                 Intoned in her nose in a very polite manner;
124         And Frenssh she spak ful faire and fetisly,
                 And she spoke French very well and elegantly,
125         After the scole of Stratford atte Bowe,
                 In the manner of Stratford at the Bow,
126         For Frenssh of Parys was to hire unknowe.
                 For French of Paris was to her unknown.
127         At mete wel ytaught was she with alle;
                 At meals she was well taught indeed;
128         She leet no morsel from hir lippes falle,
                 She let no morsel fall from her lips,
129         Ne wette hir fyngres in hir sauce depe;
                 Nor wet her fingers deep in her sauce;
130         Wel koude she carie a morsel and wel kepe
                 She well knew how to carry a morsel (to her mouth) and take good care
131         That no drope ne fille upon hire brest.
                 That no drop fell upon her breast.
132         In curteisie was set ful muchel hir lest.
                 Her greatest pleasure was in good manners.
133         Hir over-lippe wyped she so clene
                 She wiped her upper lip so clean
134         That in hir coppe ther was no ferthyng sene
                 That in her cup there was seen no tiny bit
135         Of grece, whan she dronken hadde hir draughte.
                 Of grease, when she had drunk her drink.
136         Ful semely after hir mete she raughte.
                 She reached for her food in a very seemly manner.
137         And sikerly she was of greet desport,
                 And surely she was of excellent deportment,
138         And ful plesaunt, and amyable of port,
                 And very pleasant, and amiable in demeanor,
139         And peyned hire to countrefete cheere
                 And she took pains to imitate the manners
140         Of court, and to been estatlich of manere,
                 Of court, and to be dignified in behavior,
141         And to ben holden digne of reverence.
                 And to be considered worthy of reverence.
142         But for to speken of hire conscience,
                 But to speak of her moral sense,
143         She was so charitable and so pitous
                 She was so charitable and so compassionate
144         She wolde wepe, if that she saugh a mous
                 She would weep, if she saw a mouse
145         Kaught in a trappe, if it were deed or bledde.
                 Caught in a trap, if it were dead or bled.
146         Of smale houndes hadde she that she fedde
                 She had some small hounds that she fed
147         With rosted flessh, or milk and wastel-breed.
                 With roasted meat, or milk and fine white bread.
148         But soore wepte she if oon of hem were deed,
                 But sorely she wept if one of them were dead,
149         Or if men smoot it with a yerde smerte;
                 Or if someone smote it smartly with a stick;
150         And al was conscience and tendre herte.
                 And all was feeling and tender heart.
151         Ful semyly hir wympul pynched was,
                 Her wimple was pleated in a very seemly manner,
152         Hir nose tretys, hir eyen greye as glas,
                 Her nose well formed, her eyes gray as glass,
153         Hir mouth ful smal, and therto softe and reed.
                 Her mouth very small, and moreover soft and red.
154         But sikerly she hadde a fair forheed;
                 But surely she had a fair forehead;
155         It was almoost a spanne brood, I trowe;
                 It was almost nine inches broad, I believe;
156         For, hardily, she was nat undergrowe.
                 For, certainly, she was not undergrown.
157         Ful fetys was hir cloke, as I was war.
                 Her cloak was very well made , as I was aware.
158         Of smal coral aboute hire arm she bar
                 About her arm she bore of small coral
159         A peire of bedes, gauded al with grene,
                 A set of beads, adorned with large green beads,
160         And theron heng a brooch of gold ful sheene,
                 And thereon hung a brooch of very bright gold,
161         On which ther was first write a crowned A,
                 On which there was first written an A with a crown,
162         And after Amor vincit omnia.
                 And after "Love conquers all."

http://www.courses.fas.harvard.edu/~chaucer/teachslf/gp-par.htm#270-444