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1 Features of Scott’s historical novels Scott has on outstanding gift of vivifying the past his novels, which combine historical fact with romantic imagination, give a picturesque representation of various historical personage and events. He was especially versed in portraying Scottish history and Scottish characters, but he also was a successful writer on the history of other countries. In his novels, historical events are closely interwoven with the fares of individual life. Besides, the nominal heroes of Scott’s novels, usually young men of noble birth are thrown into close companionship with ordinary. People and go through a serious of hardships and adventures. This arrangement is convenient to the novelist in depicting characters from various social strata and their fates in historical events. But not a few of these novels are pale figures. Whose actual function in the novels is to hold together the numerous incidents of the plot and introduce other characters far more interesting than themselves? When Scott describes historical events, he is concerned not only with the lives and deeds of kings, Statesmen and other historical figures, but is always mindful of the fates of the ordinary people. Hence the numerous pen-portraits of the people from various social positions, which constitute an important characteristic in Scott’s novels. Scott is a romantic. But, besides romantic imagination, he also relies upon careful studies and investigations into the details of historical life. Scott’s historical novels paved the way for the development of the realistic novel of the 19th century. In fact, Scott’s literary career marks the transition from romantic to realism in English literature of the 19th century. 2Talk about Samuel Johnson’s Dictionary in your own words Some of the definitions in the dictionary are often, quoted to illustrate. Johnson’s personality prejudice. But the dictionary as a whole was a great work of scholarship. Johnson’s purpose was to make a dictio