Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1340–1400)

“LO,” quoth he, “cast up thine eye,

See yonder, lo! the galaxie,

The which men clepe the Milky Way,

For it is white; and some parfay

Callen it Watling streete,

That once was brent with the hete,

When the Sunne’s sonne the rede,

That hight Phaeton, would lead

Algate his father’s cart, and gie.

“The cart horses gan well aspie,

That he could no governaunce,

And gan for to leape and praunce,

And bear him up, and now down,

Till he saw the Scorpioun,

Which that in Heaven a signe is yet,

And for feré lost his wit

Of that, and let the reynés gone

Of his horses, and they anone

Soone up to mount, and downe descend,

Till both air and Earthé brend,

Till Jupiter, lo! at the last

Him slew, and fro the carté cast.