The Church of England had never had a real affinity with Rome.

The gorgeous and sensual ceremonies which, in the indolent airs of the Mediterranean, were imposing and attractive, palled upon the taste of the more phlegmatic Englishmen.

Institutions organized at Rome did not flourish in that higher latitude, and abuses were currently discussed even before any plan was considered for reforming them.
THE CLERGY .-- The great monastic orders of St.Benedict, scattered throughout Europe, were, in the early and turbulent days, a most important aid and protection to Christianity.

But by degrees, and as they were no longer needed, they had become corrupt, because they had become idle.

The Cluniacs and Cistercians, branches of the Benedictines, are represented in Chaucer's poem by the monk and prioress, as types of bodies which needed reform.
The Grandmontines, a smaller branch, were widely known for their foppery: the young monks painted their cheeks, and washed and covered their beards at night.