Or as an ook comth of a litel spir, So thorugh…

Or as an ook comth of a litel spir,
So thorugh this lettre, which that she hym sente,
Encressen gan desir, of which he brente.

Sourced, Troilus and Criseyde
(1385)

Book 2, l. 1335-37. The earliest known near-usage in English of the proverb “Great oaks from little acorns grow”.

Other Geoffrey Chaucer Quotes

Of studie took he most cure and most hede.
Noght o word spak he more than was nede,
And that was seyd in forme and reverence,
And short and quik, and ful of hy sentence.
Souninge in moral vertu was his speche,
And gladly wolde he lerne, and gladly teche. - View Quote Details on Of studie took he most cure and most hede…
Nowher so bisy a man as he ther nas,
And yet he semed bisier than he was. - View Quote Details on Nowher so bisy a man as he ther nas,
And yet…
It is nought good a slepyng hound to wake. - View Quote Details on It is nought good a slepyng hound to wake.
Mordre wol out, that se we day by day. - View Quote Details on Mordre wol out, that se we day by day.
For I am shave as neigh as any frere.
But yit I praye unto youre curteisye:
Beeth hevy again, or elles moot I die. - View Quote Details on For I am shave as neigh as any frere.
But yit…
He was a verray, parfit gentil knyght. - View Quote Details on He was a verray, parfit gentil knyght.
Wide was his parish, and houses fer asonder. - View Quote Details on Wide was his parish, and houses fer asonder.
For thogh we slepe, or wake, or rome, or ryde,
Ay fleeth the tyme; it nyl no man abyde. - View Quote Details on For thogh we slepe, or wake, or rome, or ryde,
Ay…
For him was lever han at his beddes hed
A twenty bokes, clothed in black or red,
Of Aristotle, and his philosophie,
Than robes riche, or fidel, or sautrie.
But all be that he was a philosophre,
Yet hadde he but litel gold in cofre. - View Quote Details on For him was lever han at his beddes hed
A twenty…
A Clerk ther was of Oxenforde also. - View Quote Details on A Clerk ther was of Oxenforde also.