Marmion by Sir Walter Scott, Fiction, Historical, Literary, Classics

In 1807 Scott practiced maneuvres with the Light Horse Volunteers (formed to defend an invasion from France) in order to polish his description of Flodden. Archibald Constable offered as publisher to pay at once a thousand guineas for the copyright, when he heard that the new poem was begun, though he had not yet seen a line of it.

Scott, thirty-five years old, had the impulse upon his mind of a preceding great success, took more than usual pains, and thoroughly enjoyed the writing. Scott co...