The Abbess: A Romance is a gothic novel by William Henry Ireland first published in 1799. The text was modelled upon Matthew Lewis's The Monk (1796).
The eponymous central character, Mother Vittoria Bracciano, is similar to that of "Monk" Lewis's Ambrosio, as she is likewise motivated by dark and powerful forces.
The novel is one of the most voluptuous and salacious gothic novels in terms of its graphic scenes of sex, Roman Catholic religious fervour and torture.
Contents
Influence on the Gothic Genre
According to Benjamin F. Fisher, Edgar Allan Poe was familiar with Ireland's work and The Abbess influenced some of his macabre later works.
Publication history
The book was first published in four volumes in 1799, printed for Earle and Hemet. The epigraph states that it is lifted from Shakespeare; however it is actually taken from John Dryden's 1679 rewrite of Troilus and Cressida. A full edition of the text can be read online here. A further British edition was published in 1834.
In 1822 and 1836, there were two publications in Spanish. In 1824, there was a German edition.
Character List
Donna Laura is one of the suggested previous love interests of Marcello, but is pursued by Vivani.
Duca Bertocci is Maddalena's father and head of an illustrious family. AfterI his wife (Marchese di Carnaro) died, he became quite reclusive and rarely sees his daughter. His son died of a fever at a young age.
Gerardo & Tomaso are two of the known servants of Marcello. Both are seen as very devoted.
Giacinta joined the sisterhood in the middle of the night, and is a very beautiful young woman. She quickly befriends Maddalena, giving her a manuscript describing her past.
Maddalena Rosa is the daughter of Duca di Bertocci. Her mother died during childbirth with her brother, who died of a fever when he was young. Maddalena is a nun at the Sisterhood of Santa Maria and is close friends with Marietta. She is known to be very beautiful, and was the love interest of Marcello from the first time he saw her. After Marietta's death, Maddalena begins to sleepwalk and eventually meets Marcello. This meeting angers the Abbess and leads to Maddalena being sent away.
Marcello (Conte) is the novel's main protagonist and the romantic hero. He is also best friends with Vivani. It is suggested that he has had previous love interests before, including Donna Laura. Although in love with Maddalena, Marcello accidentally confesses his love to the wrong woman (the Abbess herself). This results in the Abbess taking her revenge on the lovers.
Marietta (Donna Orsini) is Maddalena's closest friend in the convent; however this becomes difficult when Marietta takes the veil. This often creates difficulty for the two. After Maddalena has some visions in her sleep, Marietta becomes ill with a fever and later dies – Maddalena never leaving her side.
Padre Ubaldo is a monk belonging to the monastery of Santa Croce. It is noted throughout the text that he is ugly with a “flaccid face”. His name isn't revealed till partway through Volume 1 of the novel, which increases the mystery surrounding his character. To show his devotion, Ubaldo is known to perform self-flagellation as a form of worship. He is devout to the Abbess and helps her derive the plan to send Maddalena away.
Plot summary
Vol. I
Set in Florence, most of the action is based around Santa Maria del Nova. During the opening mass, Conte Marcello notices the beauty of the young nun, Maddalena Rosa. He revisits the convent again hoping to see her, but on leaving he is detained by a mysterious monk insisting he has important information for the Conte. The monk asks Marcello to return to the cloister that night; agreeing, Marcello returns armed with a poniard hidden under his vest.
Later that night he is surprised by the monk, who leads him to a hidden chamber containing a statue of the Virgin Mary. Before continuing on, the monk kneels performing self-flagellation. Continuing to a second chamber full of relics, the monk tells Marcello that he has to swear a secret oath before continuing. However, before the oath can be sworn, the two are interrupted by a tolling bell, causing the monk and Marcello to flee. The monk asks Marcello to return the following night.
Upon returning home, Marcello is greeted by his close friend Vivani, whom he tells that he saw a beautiful woman. Vivani convinces Marcello to come to the Galetti Palace that evening where the Marchese is holding a concert. At the concert, Marcello is introduced to Duca Bertoccia, who (unbeknownst to Marcello) is the father of Maddalena.
At eleven o'clock, Marcello leaves the party and heads to the convent, when he notices that he is being followed by three cloaked figures. The figures then draw rapiers and turn on Marcello. After a brief scuffle, the conte kills two of the attackers whilst the third flees. After wrapping a small wound on his arm, he returns to the scene to find the attackers’ bodies gone. Meeting the monk again, the conte is instead taken into a large portrait gallery, where he can hear the signora's voice. The monk then informs him that he can't see the signora that night and instead he must return again. When he gets back to his home, Marcello is greeted by his panicked servants, who note his injury and rush to fetch a surgeon.
Maddelena's account covers a similar version of events, demonstrating that she too noticed Marcello at the service. After the service, the young nun is overcome with emotion, leading to her having a walk through the convent gardens with her good friend Marietta. That night she dreams of the mysterious stranger (Marcello), but the dreams quickly descend into nightmares where she encounters ghostly apparitions of her friends, including Marietta.