This work is set in Central Europe in the 15th century. With this novel Scott concludes the unfinished historical business of "Quentin Durward", working on a larger canvas with broader brush-strokes and generally with mire sombre colours. The novel illustrates the darkening of Scott's historical vision in the final part of his career. it is also a remarkable manifestation of the way in which the scope of his imaginative vision continued to expand even as his physical powers declined.