a mezzotint cover art for The Monk: A Romance, a Gothic novel by Matthew Gregory Lewis, published in 1796, about a devoted monk, Ambrosio, who is tempted to break his sacred vows when a young man, Rosario, reveals that he is a woman, also known as "Matilda," and comes to the monastery and disguises herself as a nun to become closer to him. Caught between two strong plotlines—one being a struggle between sexual desire and religious integrity—Ambrosio soon succumbs to the temptations he has sought his entire life to shun.