The History of Matthew Wald (1824) is John Gibson Lockhart's fourth and final novel and perhaps his most focused, stylistically successful fiction. The title character tells his own story, which is set in the context of, and carefully interwoven with, the larger historical, social, and political events and circumstances of Scotland in the 18th and early 19th centuries. Matthew Wald exemplifies Lockhart's idea that the novel should portray the 'human mind under the influence of not one, but many of its passions--ambition--love--revenge--remorse' and should reflect the historical and social truth of the age. This scholarly edition includes an Introduction that discusses the literary and historical contexts of the narrative and the novel's early reception and textual history. Detailed Explanatory Notes complement the Introduction to provide the modern reader with the resources to re-evaluate Lockhart's place in the history of the Scottish novel and Romantic fiction.

Although portrayed as the 'boozing buffoon' of Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Hogg (both as the celebrated Ettrick Shepherd and anonymously) was a key contributor of songs, narrative poems, tales, and reviews to the liveliest of all early nineteenth-century periodicals. The present volume includes several items hitherto published only in Blackwood's, and ranges from the infamous 'Chaldee Manuscript' to newly-identified items such as a Scottish commemoration of the coronation of George IV. The volume also includes works Hogg intended for Blackwood's but which are now published for the first time. Hogg's work for his favourite periodical is provided in this volume in full cultural context, including detailed annotation and a convenient and complete editorial apparatus. Also included is music for several of the Shepherd's songs.

Offers Lockhart's final text to modern readers for the first time Offers the first scholarly edition of Lockhart's best-know novel based on Lockhart's final text Supplies extensive annotation and full scholarly apparatus Includes a thorough textual history based on comparative study of the manuscript, corrected proof pages, first edition, and second edition Some Passages in the Life of Mr Adam Blair (1822), John Gibson Lockhart's second and best-known novel, is the story of a Church of Scotland minister whose sexual relationship with a married woman has tragic consequences. One of the earliest serious studies in fiction of a minister in Scottish society, the novel also explores gender roles through the character of Blair's friend in the affair, Charlotte. This edition provides the first modern publication of Lockhart's final text, the revised second edition (1824), as well as the first scholarly edition of the novel, including extensive annotations and a detailed textual history.