In Geoffrey Chaucers The Canterbury Tales, the author wrote about an imaginary pilgrimage on April 11, 1387 to Canterbury Cathedral to visit the tomb of Saint Thomas A. Beckett. He also wrote about a dishonest monk. The Monk was a man who looked as though he enjoyed the good life. He was fat, and obviously enjoyed good food as well as fine clothes. He wore a fur cloak adorned with fancy decorations, and other expensive apparel.
It was required that a man go to school to become a monk, and the Monk had ttended school to become part of the religious order. However, he was more interested in hunting than studying. He was good to his horses, and had greyhounds as well. His friends were hunters also. The Monk even preached against ideas and traditions that called hunters unholy. The Monk used church money for his own personal use. He had a big home and a stable of horses which was bought with church funds.
He also used church money to buy his fine clothing and gold jewelry. It did not fit into the Monks self-indulgent life to follow the tradition of the church. He ignored the old and strict ways because he liked the modern world and the indulgent lifestyle. He completely ignored the rulings of St. Benet and St. Maur. The Monk was motivated by greed and the trappings of the modern world. He put aside all the church rulings that did not suit him, and indulged in all the things the world had to offer him in terms of comfort.
