In sangwyn and in pers he clad was al,
Lyned with taffata and with sendal.
And yet he was but esy of dispence;
He kepte that he wan in pestilence.
For gold in phisik is a cordial;
Therefore he lovede gold in special.
– Geoffrey Chaucer
The Canterbury Tales, General Prologue. The Physician is portrayed at a rich man with a lust for gold. He dresses in red and blue robes of silk and taffeta but is moderate in spending, suggesting he is stingy. He keeps what he earns in times of pestilence and has a very special love for gold. Medicine is more of a money maker than a vocation to the greedy Physician.