The tale of a 600-year-old sick note …
Geoffrey Chaucer has been called the father of English literature.
Poet, author and civil servant, he is best known for Canterbury Tales – one of the first great works of literature to be written in English.
Disguised underneath a veneer of lewd and vulgar prose Chaucer aims a razor-sharp quill at those who abused their position of power in pursuit of profit.
Was it ever thus?
But Chaucer died over 600 years ago so why has he hit the news now?
Well, for around 12 years he was the king’s controller, overseeing the payment of duty on wool.
Sometime during that period, he fell ill and wrote a note to the king requesting a leave of absence.
In today’s parlance, a 14th-century sick note.
Its existence has been known for nearly 150 years but only now is it thought to have been written by Chaucer himself.
That this hurriedly scribbled note has survived the ravages of time is quite remarkable and a powerful testament to the longevity of the printed word.
How many of today’s digital marketing messages would last a fraction of this time?
Something to consider next time you want a sales message or promotion to stick around on a prospective customer’s desk.
Until next time.
Alec