tiated her
Lover by the unbounded freedom of her caresses. Her charms becoming
accustomed to him, they ceased to excite the same desires which at
first they had inspired. The delirium of passion being past, He had
leisure to observe every trifling defect: Where none were to be found,
Satiety made him fancy them. The Monk was glutted with the fullness of
pleasure: A Week had scarcely elapsed before He was wearied of his
Paramour: His warm constitution still made him seek in her arms the
gratification of his lust: But when the moment of passion was over, He
quitted her with disgust, and his humour, naturally inconstant, made
him sigh impatiently for variety.

Possession, which cloys Man, only increases the affection of Woman.
Matilda with every succeeding day grew more attached to the Friar.
Since He had obtained her favours, He was become dearer to her than
ever, and She felt grateful to him for the pleasures in which they had
equally been Sharers. Unfortunately as her passion grew ardent,
Ambrosio's grew cold; The very marks of her fondness excited his
disgust, and its excess served to extinguish the flame which already
burned but feebly in his bosom. Matilda could not but remark that her
society seemed to him daily less agreeable: He was inattentive while
She spoke: her musical talents, which She possessed in perfection, had
lost the power of amusing him; Or if He deigned to praise them, his
compliments were evidently forced and cold. He no longer gazed upon
her with affection, or applauded her sentiments with a Lover's
partiality. This Matilda well perceived, and redoubled her efforts to
revive those sentiments which He once had felt. She could not but fail,
since He considered as importunities the pains which She took to please
him, and was disgusted by the very means which She used to recall the
Wanderer. Still, however, their illicit Commerce continued: But it
was clear that He was led to her arms, not by love, but the cravings of
brutal appetite. His constitution made a Woman necessary to him, and
Matilda was the only one with whom He could indulge his passions
safely: In spite of her beauty, He gazed upon every other Female with
more desire; But fearing that his Hypocrisy should be made public, He
confined his inclinations to his own breast.

It was by no means his nature to be timid: But his education had
impressed his mind with fear so strongly, that apprehension was now
become part of his char