The Monk | Page 3

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Bean- Many oddball caps, hyphens, punctuation. Ancient spellings.
Adjusted the commas in a big way, and some hyphens. Left the
spellings alone, unless an OCR error. Think I got 2 spaces after most of
the periods,!,?. Went over this one twice- first time I've done that in
over 100 of these books- another round wouldn't hurt, if somebody has
a hardcopy.

This Etext prepared by Charles E. Keller

MATTHEW LEWIS

THE MONK - A ROMANCE
Somnia, terrores magicos, miracula, sagas, Nocturnos lemures,
portentaque. Horat.
Dreams, magic terrors, spells of mighty power, Witches, and ghosts
who rove at midnight hour.

PREFACE
IMITATION OF HORACE Ep. 20.--B. 1.
Methinks, Oh! vain ill-judging Book, I see thee cast a wishful look,
Where reputations won and lost are In famous row called Paternoster.
Incensed to find your precious olio Buried in unexplored port-folio,
You scorn the prudent lock and key, And pant well bound and gilt to
see Your Volume in the window set Of Stockdale, Hookham, or
Debrett.
Go then, and pass that dangerous bourn Whence never Book can back
return: And when you find, condemned, despised, Neglected, blamed,
and criticised, Abuse from All who read you fall, (If haply you be read
at all Sorely will you your folly sigh at, And wish for me, and home,
and quiet.
Assuming now a conjuror's office, I Thus on your future Fortune
prophesy:-- Soon as your novelty is o'er, And you are young and new
no more, In some dark dirty corner thrown, Mouldy with damps, with
cobwebs strown, Your leaves shall be the Book-worm's prey; Or sent to
Chandler-Shop away, And doomed to suffer public scandal, Shall line
the trunk, or wrap the candle!
But should you meet with approbation, And some one find an
inclination To ask, by natural transition Respecting me and my
condition; That I am one, the enquirer teach, Nor very poor, nor very
rich; Of passions strong, of hasty nature, Of graceless form and
dwarfish stature; By few approved, and few approving; Extreme in
hating and in loving;
Abhorring all whom I dislike, Adoring who my fancy strike; In forming
judgements never long, And for the most part judging wrong; In
friendship firm, but still believing Others are treacherous and deceiving,
And thinking in the present aera That Friendship is a pure chimaera:
More passionate no creature living, Proud, obstinate, and unforgiving,
But yet for those who kindness show, Ready through fire and smoke to
go.
Again, should it be asked your page, 'Pray, what may be the author's
age?' Your faults, no doubt, will make it clear, I scarce have seen my
twentieth year, Which passed, kind Reader, on my word, While
England's Throne held George the Third.
Now then your venturous course pursue: Go, my delight! Dear Book,

adieu!
Hague, Oct. 28, 1794. M. G. L.
ADVERTISEMENT The first idea of this Romance was suggested by
the story of the Santon Barsisa, related in The Guardian.--The Bleeding
Nun is a tradition still credited in many parts of Germany; and I have
been told that the ruins of the Castle of Lauenstein, which She is
supposed to haunt, may yet be seen upon the borders of
Thuringia.--The Water-King, from the third to the twelfth stanza, is the
fragment of an original Danish Ballad--And Belerma and Durandarte is
translated from some stanzas to be found in a collection of old Spanish
poetry, which contains also the popular song of Gayferos and
Melesindra, mentioned in Don Quixote.--I have now made a full
avowal of all the plagiarisms of which I am aware myself; but I doubt
not, many more may be found, of which I am at present totally
unconscious.

VOLUME I


CHAPTER I
----Lord Angelo is precise; Stands at a guard with envy; Scarce
confesses That his blood flows, or that his appetite Is more to bread
than stone. Measure for Measure.
Scarcely had the Abbey Bell tolled for five minutes,and already was the
Church of the Capuchins thronged with Auditors. Do not encourage