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Old Mortality is one of the Waverley novels by Walter Scott. Set in south west Scotland, it forms, along with The Black Dwarf, the 1st series of his Tales of My Landlord (1816). The novel deals with the period of the Covenanters, featuring their victory at Loudoun Hill and their defeat at Bothwell Bridge, both in June 1679; a final section is set in 1689 at the time of the royalist defeat at Killiekrankie.Scott's original title was The Tale of Old Mortality, but this is generally shortened in most references. On 30 April 1816 Scott signed a contract with William Blackwood for a four-volume work of fiction, and on 22 August James Ballantyne, Scott's printer and partner, indicated to Blackwood that it was to be entitled Tales of My Landlord, which was planned to consist of four tales relating to four regions of Scotland. In the event the second tale, Old Mortality, expanded to take up the final three volumes, leaving The Black Dwarf as the only story to appear exactly as intended. Scott completed The Black Dwarf in August, and composed Old Mortality during the next three months. (wikipedia.org)

The Bride of Lammermoor is a historical novel by Sir Walter Scott, published in 1819, one of the Waverley novels. The novel is set in the Lammermuir Hills of south-east Scotland, shortly before the Act of Union of 1707 (in the first edition), or shortly after the Act (in the 'Magnum' edition of 1830). It tells of a tragic love affair between young Lucy Ashton and her family's enemy Edgar Ravenswood. Scott indicated the plot was based on an actual incident. The Bride of Lammermoor and A Legend of Montrose were published together anonymously as the third of Scott's Tales of My Landlord series. The story is the basis for Donizetti's 1835 opera Lucia di Lammermoor. The story recounts the tragic love of Lucy Ashton and Edgar, Master of Ravenswood. Edgar's father was stripped of his title for supporting the deposed King James VII. Lucy's ambitious father, Sir William Ashton, then bought the Ravenswood estate. Edgar hates Sir William for this usurpation of his family's heritage, but on meeting Lucy, falls in love with her, and renounces his plans for vengeance.Sir William's haughty and manipulative wife, Lady Ashton, is the villainess of the story. She is determined to end the initial happy engagement of Edgar and Lucy, and force Lucy into a politically advantageous arranged marriage. Lady Ashton intercepts Edgar's letters to Lucy and persuades Lucy that Edgar has forgotten her. Edgar leaves Scotland for France, to continue his political activities. While he is away, Lady Ashton continues her campaign. She gets Captain Westenho, a wandering soldier of fortune, to tell everyone that Edgar is about to get married in France. She even recruits "wise woman" Ailsie Gourlay (a witch in all but name) to show Lucy omens and tokens of Edgar's unfaithfulness. Lucy still clings to her troth, asking for word from Edgar that he has broken off with her; she writes to him. Lady Ashton suppresses Lucy's letter, and brings the Reverend Bide-the-bent to apply religious persuasion to Lucy. However, Bide-the-bent instead helps Lucy send a new letter, but there is no answer.Lady Ashton finally bullies Lucy into marrying Francis, Laird of Bucklaw. But on the day before the wedding, Edgar returns. Seeing that Lucy has signed the betrothal papers with Bucklaw, he repudiates Lucy, who can barely speak. The wedding takes place the next day, followed by a celebration at Ravenswood. While the guests are dancing, Lucy stabs Bucklaw in the bridal chamber, severely wounding him. She descends quickly into insanity and dies. Bucklaw recovers, but refuses to say what had happened. Edgar reappears at Lucy's funeral. Lucy's older brother, blaming him for her death, insists that they meet in a duel. Edgar, in despair, reluctantly agrees. But on the way to the meeting, Edgar falls into quicksand and dies.(wikipedia.org)

Woodstock, or The Cavalier. A Tale of the Year Sixteen Hundred and Fifty-one (1826) is a historical novel by Sir Walter Scott, one of the Waverley novels. Set just after the English Civil War, it was inspired by the legend of the Good Devil of Woodstock, which in 1649 supposedly tormented parliamentary commissioners who had taken possession of a royal residence at Woodstock, Oxfordshire. The story deals with the escape of Charles II in 1652, during the Commonwealth, and his final triumphant entry into London on 29 May 1660. Scott began composing Woodstock at the very end of October 1825. He appears to have made rapid progress at first, but there were many interruptions during December and the second volume was not finished until 11 February 1826. He completed the final volume on 26 March.The History of England by David Hume (1754‒62), which Scott admired above all others, gave him most of what he needed for the historical background, though for many details he was able to draw on his profound acquaintance with the literature of the seventeenth century. For the goings-on at Woodstock Manor he was familiar with two accounts accepting a supernatural explanation in Satan's Invisible world Discovered by George Sinclair (1685) and Saducismus Triumphatus by Joseph Glanvil (1700). He also knew, though not necessarily at first hand, the version of the story in The Natural History of Oxford-shire by Robert Plot (1677), adopting its more sceptical approach to the business. (wikipedia.org)

The Talisman is one of the Waverley novels by Sir Walter Scott. Published in 1825 as the second of his Tales of the Crusaders, the first being The Betrothed, it is set during the Third Crusade and centres on the relationship between Richard I of England and Saladin. (At the beginning of April 1824, two months before he completed Redgauntlet, Scott envisaged that it would be followed by a four-volume publication containing two tales, at least one of which would be based on the Crusades. He began composition of the first story, The Betrothed, in June, but it made slow progress and came to a halt in the second volume at some point in the autumn after criticisms by James Ballantyne. Scott then changed course and began work on the companion novel The Talisman, and the first two chapters and part of the third were set in type by the end of the year. January 1825 was full of distractions, but a decision to resume The Betrothed was made in mid-February 1825 and it was essentially complete by mid-March. The way was then clear for the main composition of The Talisman which proceeded briskly. Its first volume was completed in April and its second at the very end of May or beginning of June.Five clearly identifiable sources have been located for leading elements in The Talisman. The disguised Saladin's account of the origin of the Kurds is taken from the Bibliotheque orientale by Barthélemy d'Herbelot (1777‒79). The character of Leopold of Austria and his tearing down of Richard's standard was prompted by the Anglo-Norman romance Richard Coer de Lyon. The attempted assassination of Richard is recounted in The History of the Crusades by Charles Mills (1820). Saladin's beheading of Amaury comes from The History of the Knights of Malta by the Abbé de Vertot (1728). And the talisman itself is the Lee Penny used to cure people and animals up to Scott's time and preserved at the Lee near Lanark in the Scottish Borders. Scott's sceptical attitude to the Crusades, and his presentation of Richard and Saladin, follow three historians: David Hume, Edward Gibbon, and Mills. (wikipedia.org)

Letters on Demonology and Witchcraft Addressed to J. G. Lockhart, Esq. (1830) was a study of witchcraft and the supernatural by Sir Walter Scott. A lifelong student of folklore, Scott was able to draw on a wide-ranging collection of primary and secondary sources. His book found many readers throughout the 19th century, and exercised a significant influence in promoting the Victorian vogue for Gothic and ghostly fiction. Though on first publication it met with mixed reviews, it is now recognised as a pioneering work of scientific anthropology, treating of its subject in an acute and analytical way which prefigures later scholarship on the subject, as well as presenting a highly readable collection of supernatural anecdotes. The book is divided into ten parts, each taking the form of a letter from the author to his son-in-law, J. G. Lockhart. This format allows Scott to write in an informal, discursive manner, enhancing the book's readability. He presents a wide survey of attitudes to demonology and witchcraft from Biblical times up to the 19th century, illustrating it with a large number of anecdotes of individual cases. He considers also the topics of ghosts, fairies, brownies, elves, second sight, and the mythologies of the various Germanic peoples. Belief in these phenomena is presented as the result of ignorance and prejudice, which was eventually dispersed by the rise of rationalist philosophy in the 18th century. Witchcraft prosecutions were, he points out, often directed against heretics and political undesirables. Throughout he treats his subjects in the analytical, rationalist manner to be expected of an heir of the Scottish Enlightenment. (wikipedia.org)

Rob Roy (1817) is a historical novel by Walter Scott, one of the Waverley novels. It is probably set in 1715, the year of the first Jacobite uprising, and the social and economic background to that event are an important element in the novel, though it is not treated directly. The depiction of Rob Roy bears little relation to the historical figure: 'there are two Rob Roys. One lived and breathed. The other is a good story, a lively tale set in the past. Both may be accepted as "valid", but they serve different needs and interests.'Frank Osbaldistone narrates the story. He is the son of an English merchant who parted from his family home in the north of England near the border with Scotland when he was a young man, being of different religion and temperament than his own father or his younger brother. Frank is sent by his father to live at the long unseen family home with his uncle and his male cousins, when he refuses to join his father's successful business. In exchange, his father accepts Frank's cousin Rashleigh to work in his business. Rashleigh is an intelligent young man, but he is unscrupulous, and he causes problems for the business of Osbaldistone and Tresham. To resolve the problems, Frank travels into Scotland and meets the larger-than-life title character, Rob Roy MacGregor. (wikipedia.org)

Redgauntlet (1824) is a historical novel by Sir Walter Scott, one of the Waverley novels, set primarily in Dumfriesshire, southwest Scotland, in 1765, and described by Magnus Magnusson (a point first made by Andrew Lang) as "in a sense, the most autobiographical of Scott's novels." It describes the beginnings of a fictional third Jacobite Rebellion, and includes "Wandering Willie's Tale", a famous short story which frequently appears in anthologies. The novel's hero is a young man named Darsie Latimer. Early in the novel he is kidnapped by Hugh Redgauntlet, and taken to a village in Dumfriesshire. Darsie's friend Alan Fairford sets out to rescue him. After much intrigue Darsie discovers that Redgauntlet is his uncle, and he is also reunited with his sister. He also discovers that a number of prominent Jacobites, and Prince Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie or the Young Pretender) himself are staying in the village. Redgauntlet has summoned them all to start a new Jacobite rebellion, and he wants Darsie to join them. However, the Prince is still reeling from the French naval defeats at Quiberon Bay and Lagos, which represented Charles's last realistic chance to recover the British throne for the Stuart dynasty. Furthermore, Redgauntlet discovers that his fellow Jacobites are not as committed as he, and their stated objection is that they suspect the Prince's mistress, Clementina Walkinshaw, of being a spy. During these discussions, General Campbell arrives amongst them to announce that he and the government know what the conspirators are up to. The Prince is allowed to go into exile, and his followers peacefully disperse. Redgauntlet, seeing that the Jacobite cause is now lost, joins the Prince in exile. Darsie is set free having always remained loyal to the current king, and Alan marries Darsie's sister. (wikipedia.org)

Edgar''s family and their home, Ravenswood, is well-respected and revered by the people of Scotland, until their political endorsement invites controversy. When Edgar''s father is stripped of his noble title due for supporting King James VII, Lucy''s father, Sir William, buys their family estate. Meant to be the rightful master of Ravenswood, Edgar is livid, and feels that his family legacy has been usurped. Soon dreaming of getting vengeance, Edgar is set to the destroy Sir Williams, until he meets his daughter. Named Lucy, Sir William''s daughter is beautiful and kind, and she and Edgar become almost instantly attracted to each other. After renouncing his original plans of revenge, Edgar and Lucy are happy together, though not everyone is pleased with their relationship. Lady Ashton, Sir William''s wife has a plan of her own. Hoping to force Lucy into a marriage that would be politically advantageous for the family. Determined to achieve her goal, Lady Ashton manipulates and deceives to break the couple apart, and bend Lucy to her will. The young couple try to overcome Lady Ashton''s trickery, leading to misunderstandings, serious accusations, and dangerous duels. Featuring compelling characters, miscommunications, duels, and murder attempts, The Bride of Lammermoor by Sir Walter Scott is clever and dramatic, capturing the attention of its readers. First published just over two hundred years ago, the Bride of Lammermoor provides an interesting representation of the social and political affairs of historic South-East Scotland. Paired with the rich prose and captivating narrative, this immersive setting crafts an unforgettable reading experience for modern audiences. This edition of The Bride of Lammermoor by Sir Walter Scott now features an eye-catching new cover design and is printed in a font that is both modern and readable. With these accommodations, this edition of The Bride of Lammermoor crafts an accessible and pleasant reading experience for modern audiences while restoring the original mastery and drama of Sir Walter Scott''s literature.

When Lord Marmion becomes obsessed with a rich woman named Clara, he enacts a plan to exile her fiancé, but is surprised when his current mistress seeks her own revenge. Sir Walter Scott¿s Marmion: A Tale of Flodden Field is written in elegant verse. Depicting the epic Battle of Flodden in 1513, this historical romance is riveting and dramatic.

After ascending to the throne at a young age, and ruling Protestant subjects while personally practicing Catholicism, Mary, Queen of the Scots was hardly given a chance to be an influential leader. Other rulers, and sometimes her own subjects, looked down on her for her religious differences. Which is why, Queen Mary's relatives, her Protestant subjects, and Lady Lochlevan locked her in Lochlevan castle at their first chance. Having been raised in solitude, and often sent away for extended stays the castle, Mary had little patience for her imprisonment. Stuck there with her ladies-in-waiting, Mary bides her time, planning an escape. Meanwhile, Roland Graeme, a young man with mysterious origins visits the castle and immediately falls in love with Catherine, Mary's lady-in-waiting. However, the love affair grows complicated when Roland gets into a feud with Catherine's twin brother. While Roland struggles with his feelings, Catherine and Mary plan a daring escape, recruiting the help of a surprising ally. Sequel to The Monastery, Sir Walter Scott's The Abbot is a historical adventure novel. First published two-hundred years ago in 1820, The Abbot earned commercial success and the approval of critics, even ranking as high as one of Scott's most popular novels, Waverley. Praised for its outstanding character portrayals, critics were enamored by Catherine's striking depiction and Queen Mary's humorous sarcasm. With the portrayal of an iconic and popular royal, along with the impressive description of the setting, this work of historical fiction is perfect for the modern reader. Featuring plot twists, betrayals, battles, romance, and drama, Sir Walter Scott's The Abbot is full of exciting action and rich prose that remains to entertain even modern audiences. This edition of The Abbot by Sir Walter Scott now features a new, eye-catching cover design and is printed in a font that is both modern and readable. With these accommodations, this edition of The Abbot crafts an accessible and pleasant reading experience for modern audiences while restoring the original mastery and drama of Sir Walter Scott's literature.

The Betrothed (1825) is one of the Waverley novels by Sir Walter Scott. Set in the Welsh Marches in the 12th century it is the first of two Tales of the Crusaders, the second being The Talisman.Parts of the novel were incorporated into Francesco Maria Piave's libretto for Giuseppe Verdi's 1857 opera, Aroldo, itself a re-working of an earlier Verdi opera, Stiffelio. At the beginning of April 1824, two months before he completed Redgauntlet, Scott envisaged that it would be followed by a four-volume publication containing two tales, at least one of which would be based on the Crusades. He began composition of the first story, The Betrothed, in June, but progress was to be excruciatingly slow. Initially the problem was numerous interruptions with visitors to Abbotsford. By mid-August proofs had only passed the middle of the first volume and in September Scott was able to write only sporadically, so that the first volume was not complete until early October. Then there were objections to the novel from James Ballantyne, and it is likely that at some point in the autumn Scott changed course and began the companion novel The Talisman. On 17 December it was actually decided that The Betrothed should be formally laid aside, though the second volume was well advanced, and the sheets already printed were sealed up. In mid-February 1825 the December decision was rescinded and composition was complete by mid-March, though Scott returned to the work to adjust the conclusion at the beginning of June.Like all of Scott's novels The Betrothed is full of literary echoes, particularly from medieval romances. For the prominent Welsh element he made considerable use of two sources, one dating from the twelfth century, the other a product of his own time: the translation by Sir Richard Colt Hoare from the original Latin of The Itinerary of Archbishop Baldwin through Wales by Giraldus Cambrensis (1806), and The Cambrian Biography by William Owen (1803). (wikipedia.org)

Edward Waverly enjoyed a privileged upbringing, despite his family¿s drama. Coming of age during a political uprising, Edward¿s time is split between his father and his uncle, who each have opposing political views, which causes a rift in the family. His uncle is a traditional British subject that wishes to overthrow the government so that Charles Edward Stuart is restored to power, commonly known as a Jacobite. However, Edward¿s father is a Hanoverian, a citizen who supports the current government. Raised between the two, Edward himself has flippant views. In fact, he is more interested in chasing women than his studies or politics. For this reason, Edward¿s aunt decides to send him to the army. Serving as a Hanoverian soldier, Edward takes his training about as seriously as he took his studies, but as his regiment travels around Scottland, Edward is taken by the beauty of the nation and its culture, especially falling for a young woman named Flora. Though Edward quickly becomes enamored by Flora, he soon realizes that their romance is ill-fated, as he is a Hanoverian soldier, and Flora is a dedicated Jacobite. While Edward challenges his own political views for love, more chaos unfolds, including war, uprisings, and accusations of treason. First published anonymously in 1814, Waverley rose to almost immediate fame, praised for its authenticity and comedy. Already famous as a poet, Sir Walter Scott eventually admitted that this extraordinary historical novel was among his first attempts to publish his prose fiction. With themes of war and tolerance and beautiful prose, Waverley depicts a young soldier¿s struggle with love and beliefs as he travels across Scottland. Featuring stunning detail, the landscape and culture of 18th century Scottland is beautifully represented as is the fascinating history of the Jacobite uprising of 1745. This edition of Waverley by Sir Walter Scott now features an eye-catching cover design and is printed in a font that is both modern and readable. With these accommodations, this edition of Waverley crafts an accessible and pleasant reading experience for modern audiences while restoring the original mastery of Sir Walter Scott¿s literature.

Set in the 16th century when Elizabeth I ruled England, and her cousin, Mary, ruled Scotland, The Monastery depicts the religious tension and restlessness that existed along Scotland's border. While Elizabeth ruled with her Anglican beliefs, Mary was a Catholic, and with much of their culture intermixing, this sowed unrest. While this feud between the Catholic church and the Anglican heretical church rages on, two families, the Glendenning's and the Avanel's, mourn the loss of their patriarch. The Avanel widow and her daughter, Mary, move to the Tower of Glendeareg, a property of the Kennaquhair monastery. After the death of the Avanel widow, a mysterious black book containing heretic hymns and writings is found with her possessions. Scandalized and angered by the difference in religious views, the monks confiscate the book. Yet, despite their adamance, the book mysteriously finds its way back to the Tower of Glendeareg. As a state of lawlessness and religious intolerance prevailed over the region, Sir Walter Scott depicts two families as they experience grief, rivalry, love, and supernatural encounters. With a mix of romance, conflicted theology, humor, and supernatural events, The Monastery by Sir Walter Scott is unique and fascinating. First published two hundred years ago in 1820, The Monastery is one of the many additions to Sir Walter Scott's Waverly series, and though is among the lessen known of Scott's novels, is praised for its evocative setting and relatable characters. Centered around a fictious representation of the famed Melrose Abbey, a convent destroyed by English troops in 1385, The Monastery provides a detailed and intimate representation of the turmoil the differences in religion caused, especially along the ill-policed border of Scotland. This edition of The Monastery by Sir Walter Scott now features an eye-catching new cover design and is printed in a font that is both modern and readable. With these accommodations, this edition of The Monastery crafts an accessible and pleasant reading experience for modern audiences while restoring the original mastery and drama of Sir Walter Scott's literature.

When a group of troops are gathered to test their strengths, their political and religious differences taking the spotlight as the soldiers fight, leading to an uprising in 17th century Scotland. Continuing Sir Walter Scott¿s esteemed Waverley series, Old Morality is work of historical fiction containing elements of action, adventure, and romance.

The Monastery: a Romance (1820) is a historical novel by Walter Scott, one of the Waverley novels. Set in the Scottish Borders in the 1550s on the eve of the Reformation, it is centred on Melrose Abbey. Scott had been contemplating The Monastery before August 1819, and it seems likely that he started writing it in that month while the production of Ivanhoe was at a standstill because of shortage of paper. He had determined on the title by the middle of the month. It also seems likely that he took up composition again shortly after finishing Ivanhoe in early November. He made good progress, and the third and final volume was at the press by the end of February 1820. Originally the story was intended to include Mary Queen of Scots, but a decision to reserve the later material for a second novel (The Abbot) was probably made before composition resumed in November.Scott was intimately familiar with the history and topography of the Border region, and there is no evidence that he was following any formal written histories in detail. But two publications were useful to him for particular aspects of the novel. For sixteenth-century monastic life he was indebted to British Monachism; or, Manners and Customs of the Monks and Nuns of England by Thomas Dudley Fosbrooke, of which he owned an enlarged edition published in 1817. Shafton's euphuistic speech owes something to Euphues: The Anatomy of Wit (1578) and Euphues and his England (1580) by John Lyly, though affected speeches in the plays of Jonson and Shakespeare were more consistently mined. (wikipedia.org)

Overcome with ambition and greedy for political gain, Robert Dudley, the 1st Earl of Leicester, attempts to win Queen Elizabeth¿s hand in marriage, despite already having a secret wife. Set in England in 1575, Kenilworth by Sir Walter Scott is a historical drama filled with elements of romance, dishonesty, and plot twists.

After witnessing a murder, a young son of a Laird is kidnapped by smugglers, beginning a long series of misadventures and misfortunes in the child¿s life. Set in Southwest Scotland during the 18th century, Sir William Scott¿s Guy Mannering: Or, The Astrologer is a work of historical fiction full of twists and drama.

Based on true events, The Heart of a Mid-Lothian depicts two stories. The first regards the Porteous Riots of 1736 in Edinburgh, Scotland. After the execution of two smugglers, a riot breaks out in Edinburgh. Unable to control the crowd and impatient, Captain John Porteous, the captain of the city guards, ordered his soldiers to fire into the crowd, murdering civilians. While this disbanded the original riot, the captain's actions soon warrant serious consequences as the civilians demand justice. Next, the story of Jeanie Doss unfolds. Born into a lower class, Jeanie had a humble upbringing, and is a very devout Presbyterian. After a tragic incident leads to her sister being wrongly accused of murdering a baby, Jeanie is determined to help her sister in the most virtuous and just way she can imagine. Traveling mostly on foot, Jeanie decides to go to London, in hopes of meeting with the queen. Determined to obtain justice for her sister, Jeanie fights to receive a royal pardon on her sister's behalf, clearing her name. First published in 1818, Sir Walter Scott wrote The Heart of a Mid-Lothian to be an imaginative depiction of actual events. Tied together by common themes, these two stories form a moving and shocking narrative. With themes of class, government brutality, social injustice, and religion, The Heart of a Mid-Lothian explores timeless topics that remain to be relevant and compelling. Praised for the masterful and intimate portrayal of Jeanie's character, The Heart of a Mid-Lothian is descriptive, authentic, and captivating. This edition of The Heart of a Mid-Lothian by Sir Walter Scott now features a striking new cover design and is printed in a font that is both modern and readable. With these accommodations, this edition of The Heart of a Mid-Lothian crafts an accessible and pleasant reading experience for modern audiences while restoring the original mastery and drama of Sir Walter Scott's literature.