What did Bear's father do for him when he was twelve?

When he was twelve, Bear's father paid his fees at a Benedictine abbey so that Bear could train to be a monk. Bear confides to Crispin that his father might have become 'weary' of the responsibilities of fatherhood. Bitterly, Bear surmises that his father might have even committed him to the abbey so that he could 'fulfill a pledge he'd made in exchange for some profitable trade.'

Bear tells Crispin that he never saw his father again. After his father paid his fees, Bear stayed at the abbey for seven years. There, he learned how to pray, how to be silent, and how to read in English, French, and Latin. Shortly before he took his vows, Bear admits that he ran away from the abbey and joined a group of mummers.