First published in Bentley's Miscellany in 1861, and collected in three volumes (1861, 1880, and 1906), this fascinating work covers the eventful years from 1549 to 1552, and is rich in the lore of late Tudor England. A prologue examines the circumstances of the death of King Henry VIII and the intrigue surrounding his last will and testament. The novel weaves a rich tapestry of royal pageantry and intrigue, swirling with plot and counterplot, and culminating in Somerset's final fall from power, his imprisonment in the Tower of London, and execution on January 22, 1552. A vivid, intimate, and convincing look at a complex, dramatic period of English history.