Francois Rabelais
Francois Rabelais, (c. 1483-1553). French satirical writer. He became a Franciscan monk in 1521 but after difficulties with the theological authorities moved to a Benedictine community in 1524. After studying medicine at Montpellier, he practised and taught until 1546. His writings were published at irregular intervals over more than 20 years. A vein of coarse humour runs through his comic tales Pantagruel (1532), Gargantua (1535), and their sequels. His works also contain serious satire of religious abuses and scholastic learning.
