To lyven in delit was evere his wone,
For he was Epicurus owene sone,
That heeld opinioun that pleyn delit
Was verray felicitee parfit.
– Geoffrey Chaucer
The Canterbury Tales, General Prologue. The Franklin is hedonistic and a man who likes to live for pleasure. He is described as a son of Epicurus, the Greek philosopher who advocated living in such as way as to enjoy the greatest amount of pleasure possible during your lifetime.