''The History of Matthew Wald'' is an 1824

novel A novel is an extended work of narrative fiction usually written in prose and published as a book. The word derives from the for 'new', 'news', or 'short story (of something new)', itself from the , a singular noun use of the neuter plural of ...

by the Scottish writer

John Gibson Lockhart John Gibson Lockhart (12 June 1794 – 25 November 1854) was a Scottish writer and editor. He is best known as the author of the seminal, and much-admired, seven-volume biography of his father-in-law Sir Walter Scott: ''Memoirs of the Life of Sir ...

originally published by

William Blackwood William Blackwood (20 November 177616 September 1834) was a Scottish publisher who founded the firm of William Blackwood and Sons. Life Blackwood was born in Edinburgh on 20 November 1776. At the age of 14 he was apprenticed to a firm of boo ...

. It was the fourth and last novel written by Lockhart, the son-in-law of

Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European literature, European and Scottish literature, notably the novels ''Ivanhoe'' (18 ...

. The novel is partly set in a

lunatic asylum The lunatic asylum, insane asylum or mental asylum was an institution where people with mental illness were confined. It was an early precursor of the modern psychiatric hospital. Modern psychiatric hospitals evolved from and eventually replace ...

. It was influenced by the writings of

William Godwin William Godwin (3 March 1756 – 7 April 1836) was an English journalist, political philosopher and novelist. He is considered one of the first exponents of utilitarianism and the first modern proponent of anarchism. Godwin is most famous fo ...

and resembles '' Justified Sinner'' by

James Hogg James Hogg (1770 – 21 November 1835) was a Scottish poet, novelist and essayist who wrote in both Scots language, Scots and English. As a young man he worked as a shepherd and farmhand, and was largely self-educated through reading. He was a ...

, published the same year.Baugh p.1274

References

Bibliography

* Baugh, Albert C (ed.) ''A Literary History of England Vol. 4''. Routledge, 2004. * Brown, Ian (ed.) ''Edinburgh History of Scottish Literature: Enlightenment, Britain and Empire (1707-1918)''. Edinburgh University Press, 2006. * Carruthers, Gerard (ed.) ''A Companion to Scottish Literature''. John Wiley & Sons, 2023. 1824 British novels Novels by John Gibson Lockhart William Blackwood books {{1820s-novel-stub