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The idea of associating history withsome specific locality or institution,has long ago occurred to the skilfulfabricators of romance. If old wallscould speak, what strange secretsmight they not reveal! The thoughtsuggests itself spontaneously even tothe mind of the boy; and though itis incapable of realisation, writers—good,bad, and indifferent—haveseriously applied themselves to thetask of extracting sermons from thestones, and have feigned to reproducean audible voice from the vaultsof the dreary ruin. Such was atleast the primary idea of Scott, incomparablythe greatest master ofmodern fiction, whilst preparing hismaterials for the construction of theHeart of Mid-Lothian. Victor Hugohas made the Cathedral of Paris thetitle and centre-point of his moststirring and animated tale. HarrisonAinsworth, who seems to think thatthe world can never have too much ofa good thing, has assumed the office ofhistoriographer of antiquity, and hastreated us in succession to Chroniclesof Windsor Castle, the Tower, andOld St Paul's. Those of the Bastile