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Mistrust; Or, Blanche and Osbright
Matthew Gregory Lewis (1775-1818) was a British author. From Westminster School, he passed to Christ Church, Oxford. Already he was busy over tales and plays, and wrote at college a farce, never acted, a comedy, The East Indian, and also a novel, never published, called The Effusions of Sensibility, which was a burlesque upon the sentimental school. He wrote also what he called "a romance in the style of The Castle of Otranto, " which appeared afterwards as the play of The Castle Spectre (1796). His father's desire was to train him for the diplomatic service, and in the summer of 1794 he went to the Hague as attache to the British Embassy. He had begun to write his novel The Monk: A Romance (1796), but was spurred on at the Hague by a reading of Mrs. Radcliffe's Mysteries of Udolpho, a book after his own heart. His other works include: The Bravo of Venice: A Romance (1804).
120 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1839
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About the author
Matthew Gregory Lewis
232 books311 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 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 12, 2020
If anyone would have asked me a few days ago if I knew who Matthew Gregory Lewis or Monk Lewis was I would have replied, yes he wrote "The Monk". Everybody knows that. (OK maybe not everybody). But a few weeks ago I came across Mistrust; Or, Blanche and Osbright, and have since learned that M. G. Lewis was not a one book author.
Mistrust is a short story, the one I read was just over 100 pages long. It was published originally in 1808 as part of his collection of "Romantic Tales". In the introduction to my book it says that Mistrust was an adaptation of a German romance from which Lewis acknowledged he had "borrowed a great part of the plot, and one of the most striking scenes". That has me wondering what the original German romance was, but we aren't told.
The story begins with the "hero" of our story returning home from war. He was described as a brave warrior and "few had displayed more valor than the youthful Osbright of Frankheim. He was impatient to depart and as soon as it was given he "gave his horse the spur and sped toward his native towers." However in the next paragraph you find out that it is not his own castle walls that he is hurrying to, not to his parents, or to his younger brother; but it is toward "the avowed enemy of himself and of his whole house".
So he rides as fast as he can through forests and mountains trying to get to his "enemy" as soon as possible. He follows a path through the forest that comes to the entrance of a cave that is covered with ivy and weeds. He enters the cave, finds it empty , but there is a wreath of flowers left there, he takes the wreath, leaves his scarf, and heads for his own home.
As he arrives at the castle, he hears a bell tolling from the chapel, so slow, so solemn, that it could only be for the death of someone. Now he hurries to the chapel, rushes inside, finds it crowded, but no one takes any notice of him. He enters the gallery "unquestioned and unobserved" where only his noble family members are allowed and finds it empty. Looking out over the chapel he sees an open grave in the center, and both his parents standing against the tomb.
OK, now I am almost certain that I know where this story is going. His parents by the tomb, his just being at war, his love for one of the enemy, no one seeming to notice him in a crowded chapel; I am sure that this guy is dead and he is the only one that doesn't know it. I think, that's why the flowers were left in the cave, the poor girl who fell in love with her enemy left them there because she couldn't come to the funeral and so she put them at the place where she used to meet him. That's why no one noticed him, he's dead. Now somewhere in the story, perhaps soon, perhaps not until the end of the story, our hero will realize he is dead. That's what I'm sure of, and I'm wrong.
It's not him in the grave but it is another of his family members; and his father, Count Rudiger, Count of Frankheim is absolutely convinced that the murderer is his enemy and neighbor Gustavus, Count of Orrenburg. Although Gustavus seems to be the most level headed of anyone in the story, everyone else at Orrenburg is also absolutely convinced that Rudiger poisoned Gustavus' son months earlier. These people never did seem to get along. Rudiger married the girl Gustavus was in love with, Gustavus got the land and money that Rudiger thought would go to him, etc. etc. Therefore the hatred keeps growing between the two neighbors especially after people start dying around them. As the story goes more people get killed on both sides until the final conflict which pretty much destroys just about everybody in the book. Just about but not quite everyone. All because they couldn't "trust" each other.
The story was very interesting and I'm glad that I found out that M. G. Lewis wrote more that just "The Monk". I'll definitely re-read it someday, who knows when. Happy reading.
Mistrust is a short story, the one I read was just over 100 pages long. It was published originally in 1808 as part of his collection of "Romantic Tales". In the introduction to my book it says that Mistrust was an adaptation of a German romance from which Lewis acknowledged he had "borrowed a great part of the plot, and one of the most striking scenes". That has me wondering what the original German romance was, but we aren't told.
The story begins with the "hero" of our story returning home from war. He was described as a brave warrior and "few had displayed more valor than the youthful Osbright of Frankheim. He was impatient to depart and as soon as it was given he "gave his horse the spur and sped toward his native towers." However in the next paragraph you find out that it is not his own castle walls that he is hurrying to, not to his parents, or to his younger brother; but it is toward "the avowed enemy of himself and of his whole house".
So he rides as fast as he can through forests and mountains trying to get to his "enemy" as soon as possible. He follows a path through the forest that comes to the entrance of a cave that is covered with ivy and weeds. He enters the cave, finds it empty , but there is a wreath of flowers left there, he takes the wreath, leaves his scarf, and heads for his own home.
As he arrives at the castle, he hears a bell tolling from the chapel, so slow, so solemn, that it could only be for the death of someone. Now he hurries to the chapel, rushes inside, finds it crowded, but no one takes any notice of him. He enters the gallery "unquestioned and unobserved" where only his noble family members are allowed and finds it empty. Looking out over the chapel he sees an open grave in the center, and both his parents standing against the tomb.
OK, now I am almost certain that I know where this story is going. His parents by the tomb, his just being at war, his love for one of the enemy, no one seeming to notice him in a crowded chapel; I am sure that this guy is dead and he is the only one that doesn't know it. I think, that's why the flowers were left in the cave, the poor girl who fell in love with her enemy left them there because she couldn't come to the funeral and so she put them at the place where she used to meet him. That's why no one noticed him, he's dead. Now somewhere in the story, perhaps soon, perhaps not until the end of the story, our hero will realize he is dead. That's what I'm sure of, and I'm wrong.
It's not him in the grave but it is another of his family members; and his father, Count Rudiger, Count of Frankheim is absolutely convinced that the murderer is his enemy and neighbor Gustavus, Count of Orrenburg. Although Gustavus seems to be the most level headed of anyone in the story, everyone else at Orrenburg is also absolutely convinced that Rudiger poisoned Gustavus' son months earlier. These people never did seem to get along. Rudiger married the girl Gustavus was in love with, Gustavus got the land and money that Rudiger thought would go to him, etc. etc. Therefore the hatred keeps growing between the two neighbors especially after people start dying around them. As the story goes more people get killed on both sides until the final conflict which pretty much destroys just about everybody in the book. Just about but not quite everyone. All because they couldn't "trust" each other.
The story was very interesting and I'm glad that I found out that M. G. Lewis wrote more that just "The Monk". I'll definitely re-read it someday, who knows when. Happy reading.
August 13, 2020
El hecho de que haya disfrutado de esta brevísima novela de Monk Lewis como lo hice habla de que tengo un serio problema, una debilidad morbosa por las tramas retorcidas y la tragedia más brutal. De hecho, creo que la disfrute más que The monk, aunque también puede deberse al momento en que leí ambas obras. Quizá hoy disfrutaría más la novela que hizo célebre a Lewis.
Sospecha es una gran tragedia, un dramón de proporciones, pero igual es muchísimo más sutil que El monje, no tiene elementos sobrenaturales ni se deleita en pasajes escatológicos memorables, sigue más la línea del gótico Radcliffeano, de hecho, me recordó bastante la primera novela de Radcliffe, llevada al extremo y sin las conciliaciones y delicadezas de la autora de Udolfo.
Se centra en la enemistad entre dos familias provocada por un quiebre pasado, que genera desconfianza permanente entre ambas casas, tensionando las relaciones hasta que llega un punto sin retorno, en contraposición al romance de los descendientes de ambas familias.
Es una lectura rápida y cautivante.
Sospecha es una gran tragedia, un dramón de proporciones, pero igual es muchísimo más sutil que El monje, no tiene elementos sobrenaturales ni se deleita en pasajes escatológicos memorables, sigue más la línea del gótico Radcliffeano, de hecho, me recordó bastante la primera novela de Radcliffe, llevada al extremo y sin las conciliaciones y delicadezas de la autora de Udolfo.
Se centra en la enemistad entre dos familias provocada por un quiebre pasado, que genera desconfianza permanente entre ambas casas, tensionando las relaciones hasta que llega un punto sin retorno, en contraposición al romance de los descendientes de ambas familias.
Es una lectura rápida y cautivante.
September 2, 2025
if uve ever thought, “u know what my life is missing? a neverending festival of melodrama where everyone makes the absolute worst decisions possible,” then congratulations u’ve found ur book.
Matthew Gregory Lewis clearly set out to prove that trust issues existed long before social media. Blanche and Osbright spend most of the story tangled in misunderstandings so extreme that you almost want to reach into the pages and hand them both a therapist’s phone number.
the pacing is… well, let’s just say if you enjoy watching characters sulk, glare, and miscommunicate for chapters on end, you’ll be thrilled. and if you dont? prepare to question your life choices.
still, i have to admire the sheer commitment. Lewis never once lets logic or subtlety get in the way of his gothic theatrics. honestly, its like a soap opera dressed in period costume,,,, overwrought, dramatic, and somehow impossible to look away from.
did i enjoy it? letss just say it was the literary equivalent of watching a carriage accident in slow motion horrifying, absurd, but you cannot stop staring.
Matthew Gregory Lewis clearly set out to prove that trust issues existed long before social media. Blanche and Osbright spend most of the story tangled in misunderstandings so extreme that you almost want to reach into the pages and hand them both a therapist’s phone number.
the pacing is… well, let’s just say if you enjoy watching characters sulk, glare, and miscommunicate for chapters on end, you’ll be thrilled. and if you dont? prepare to question your life choices.
still, i have to admire the sheer commitment. Lewis never once lets logic or subtlety get in the way of his gothic theatrics. honestly, its like a soap opera dressed in period costume,,,, overwrought, dramatic, and somehow impossible to look away from.
did i enjoy it? letss just say it was the literary equivalent of watching a carriage accident in slow motion horrifying, absurd, but you cannot stop staring.
July 5, 2014
This work of historical fiction set in Germany features the rival houses of Orrenberg and Frankheim at odds when each family blames the other for the death of their respective youngest son.
Blanche is daughter of one family; Osbright is son of the other. They fall in love, which naturally proves problematic.
Matthew Gregory Lewis did a great job with his novel “Monk”, which is why I gave this shorter work a go, but ultimately I was disappointed with it. For the most part there were condensed paragraphs of ramblings that bored me. Flashes of brilliance occurred every so often, but not frequently enough to impress me.
This author had a talent for comedy and it’s a shame he didn’t focus on this more. Whilst this work is essentially a tragedy, there are instances of amusement, just like in the gothic “Monk”. For example, this piece features a fifteen-year-old girl that appears only too briefly, whose character is a fine example of Mr Lewis’s talent as a humourist.
Below is one of my favourite quotes by this character while she is concocting a potion to relieve ailments:
“The kettle contains the broth of good-luck, and whatever wishes I pronounce, while it is making, sooner or later will all come to pass. And then when it is done, the child's finger being passed nine times through a wedding-ring, it affords an infallible cure for the ague and the earache; and being wrapped in the skin of a dormouse with a sprig of St. John's wort, and laid under the threshold of the door, it is better than an old horseshoe, and neither witch nor devil will venture to put their noses over it; and being dipped in bat's blood, and well rubbed in...but mercy on me, what am I about? I ought to be alone while the broth is brewing, for my grandmother herself must not set her foot in the room, because she's not a virgin.”
It may not be laugh-out-loud comedy but it put a smile on my face at least.
Blanche is daughter of one family; Osbright is son of the other. They fall in love, which naturally proves problematic.
Matthew Gregory Lewis did a great job with his novel “Monk”, which is why I gave this shorter work a go, but ultimately I was disappointed with it. For the most part there were condensed paragraphs of ramblings that bored me. Flashes of brilliance occurred every so often, but not frequently enough to impress me.
This author had a talent for comedy and it’s a shame he didn’t focus on this more. Whilst this work is essentially a tragedy, there are instances of amusement, just like in the gothic “Monk”. For example, this piece features a fifteen-year-old girl that appears only too briefly, whose character is a fine example of Mr Lewis’s talent as a humourist.
Below is one of my favourite quotes by this character while she is concocting a potion to relieve ailments:
“The kettle contains the broth of good-luck, and whatever wishes I pronounce, while it is making, sooner or later will all come to pass. And then when it is done, the child's finger being passed nine times through a wedding-ring, it affords an infallible cure for the ague and the earache; and being wrapped in the skin of a dormouse with a sprig of St. John's wort, and laid under the threshold of the door, it is better than an old horseshoe, and neither witch nor devil will venture to put their noses over it; and being dipped in bat's blood, and well rubbed in...but mercy on me, what am I about? I ought to be alone while the broth is brewing, for my grandmother herself must not set her foot in the room, because she's not a virgin.”
It may not be laugh-out-loud comedy but it put a smile on my face at least.
July 10, 2012
It's worth checking out, but it's part of the Romantic Tales so it would be better just to read the whole instead of just this play. It's a fantastic one as always and Lewis always packs a punch with his dramas!
August 5, 2025
The master has done it again
Matthew Gregory Lewis has penned another master piece worth reading. This page turner filled with multi layered characters entangled in a masterfully woven tale will captivate your imagination from the first word to the last,
Matthew Gregory Lewis has penned another master piece worth reading. This page turner filled with multi layered characters entangled in a masterfully woven tale will captivate your imagination from the first word to the last,
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews