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Adelgitha, or, The fruits of a single error; a tragedy in five acts
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1806 ... LOTHAIR. Oh! faithless sword! ADELGITHA. He falls! Michael raising his sword to stab him. Thou diest! ' Adelgitha throwing herself before Lothair. Hold! tyrant, hold! or stab him through my bosom! „ Guiscard without. Speed, Gaudia, speed! Adelgitha starting. My husband's voice! Michael menacing. He comes! Now tremble! Guiscard enters hastily, followed by Claudia, Julian, and Guards. Guiscard. s Clash of arms!--How's this?--Lothair? Byzantium too? Their swords unsheathed, their eyes Like blazing lamps through rage?---Explain this mystery; Speak, Princess I ADELGITHA. Guiscard,... Terror choaks my I cannot!--she leans on Claudia. Michael soothing. Yet what fear'st thou now, dear lady? The danger's past; thou'rt safe. Dost mark? Quite safe. 'Tis / who tell thee so, thy friend, thy servant, ' Whose proudest boast will be, He saved thy honour!--expressively. ADfiLGiTHA comprehending him J Ha!--then there's hope again! ' GUISCARD. Her honour! Saved it!.... From whom? i 1 1 MICHAEL. I wandered near this spot, when shrieks Alarmed my1 hearing; hither swift I sped, And lo! thy wife by ruffian grasp detained.... That ruffian was Lothair! GUISCARD. Lothair? Adelgitha struck with horror and surprise.' Oh! monster!.. Lothair confounded. How! how! MICHAEL. He drew his mine already Was bared in Virtue's cause, and fierce we fought Till by thy footsteps scared.... ' LOTH AIR. Oh! monstrous fraud, ' Which owns no fellow! Where shall Truth find refuge, Driven from her purest throne and fittest shelter, The hearts and lips of monarchs? Princely ' Guiscard, By that eternal fire which burns above us, If e'er I harboured in my breast one wish, One thought injurious to thy consort's virtue, Or view'd her with one glance less chaste or holy Than dying her...
32 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1806
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About the author
Matthew Gregory Lewis
229 books303 followersMatthew Gregory Lewis was an English novelist and dramatist, often referred to as "Monk" Lewis, because of the success of his classic Gothic novel, The Monk.
Matthew Gregory Lewis was the firstborn child of Matthew and Frances Maria Sewell Lewis. Both his parents' families had connections with Jamaica. Lewis' father owned considerable property in Jamaica, within four miles of Savanna-la-Mer, or Savanna-la-Mar, which was hit by a devastating earthquake and hurricane in 1779. Lewis would later inherit this property.
In addition to Matthew Gregory Lewis, Matthew and Frances had three other children: Maria, Barrington, and Sophia Elizabeth. On 23 July 1781, when Matthew was six and his youngest sister was one and a half years old, Frances left her husband, taking the music master, Samuel Harrison, as her lover. During their estrangement, Frances lived under a different name, Langley, in order to hide her location from her husband. He still, however, knew her whereabouts. On 3 July 1782, Frances gave birth to a child. That same day, hearing of the birth, her estranged husband returned. Afterwards, he began to arrange a legal separation from his wife. After formally accusing his wife of adultery through the Consistory Court of the Bishop of London on 27 February 1783, he petitioned the House of Lords for permission to bring about a bill of divorce. However, as these bills were rarely granted, it was rejected when brought to voting. Consequently, Matthew and Frances remained married until his death in 1812. Frances, though withdrawing from society and temporarily moving to France, was always supported financially by her husband and then later, her son. She later returned to London and then finally finished her days at Leatherhead, rejoining society and even becoming a lady-in-waiting to the Princess of Wales. Frances and her son remained quite close, with her taking on the responsibility of helping him with his literary career. She even became a published author, much to her son’s dislike.
Matthew Gregory Lewis began his education at a preparatory school under Reverend Dr. John Fountain, Dean of York at Marylebone Seminary, a friend of both the Lewis and Sewell families. Here, Lewis learned Latin, Greek, French, writing, arithmetic, drawing, dancing, and fencing. Throughout the school day, he and his classmates were only permitted to converse in French. Like many of his classmates, Lewis used the Marylebone Seminary as a stepping stone, proceeding from there to the Westminster School, like his father, at age eight. Here, he acted in the Town Boys’ Play as Falconbridge in King John and then My Lord Duke in High Life Below Stairs. Later, again like his father, he began studying at Christ Church, Oxford on 27 April 1790 at the age of fifteen. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 1794. He later earned a master's degree from the same school in 1797.
Matthew Gregory Lewis was the firstborn child of Matthew and Frances Maria Sewell Lewis. Both his parents' families had connections with Jamaica. Lewis' father owned considerable property in Jamaica, within four miles of Savanna-la-Mer, or Savanna-la-Mar, which was hit by a devastating earthquake and hurricane in 1779. Lewis would later inherit this property.
In addition to Matthew Gregory Lewis, Matthew and Frances had three other children: Maria, Barrington, and Sophia Elizabeth. On 23 July 1781, when Matthew was six and his youngest sister was one and a half years old, Frances left her husband, taking the music master, Samuel Harrison, as her lover. During their estrangement, Frances lived under a different name, Langley, in order to hide her location from her husband. He still, however, knew her whereabouts. On 3 July 1782, Frances gave birth to a child. That same day, hearing of the birth, her estranged husband returned. Afterwards, he began to arrange a legal separation from his wife. After formally accusing his wife of adultery through the Consistory Court of the Bishop of London on 27 February 1783, he petitioned the House of Lords for permission to bring about a bill of divorce. However, as these bills were rarely granted, it was rejected when brought to voting. Consequently, Matthew and Frances remained married until his death in 1812. Frances, though withdrawing from society and temporarily moving to France, was always supported financially by her husband and then later, her son. She later returned to London and then finally finished her days at Leatherhead, rejoining society and even becoming a lady-in-waiting to the Princess of Wales. Frances and her son remained quite close, with her taking on the responsibility of helping him with his literary career. She even became a published author, much to her son’s dislike.
Matthew Gregory Lewis began his education at a preparatory school under Reverend Dr. John Fountain, Dean of York at Marylebone Seminary, a friend of both the Lewis and Sewell families. Here, Lewis learned Latin, Greek, French, writing, arithmetic, drawing, dancing, and fencing. Throughout the school day, he and his classmates were only permitted to converse in French. Like many of his classmates, Lewis used the Marylebone Seminary as a stepping stone, proceeding from there to the Westminster School, like his father, at age eight. Here, he acted in the Town Boys’ Play as Falconbridge in King John and then My Lord Duke in High Life Below Stairs. Later, again like his father, he began studying at Christ Church, Oxford on 27 April 1790 at the age of fifteen. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 1794. He later earned a master's degree from the same school in 1797.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 25, 2024
The play ‘Adelgitha’ was popular in its time (1807 was when it was first performed), for the sheer amount of blood spilled on the stage. Matthew (Monk) Lewis sets the play in Byzantium, a remote enough site of which no one could reasonably know much. It has all the elements of a sensation novel, and on stage was one of the great senseless melodramas containing blackmail, a stern husband, an erring wife, mistaken identity, hysteria, executions, political events – a good tear-jerker and the remorse and loving forgiveness to close it all. In dramatic value, it is marvellous!
May 10, 2011
Much more pompous than his other romances, but not without entertainment value. Adelgitha sure gets it though, felt sorry for her and the women of Lewis' time.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews