SOURCE: "The Germ and the Plot," in The Art & Practice of Historical Fiction, Humphrey Toulmin, 1930, 81-94.

In the excerpt that follows, Sheppard discusses the sources and ideas that inspired such historical novels as Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities, Sir Walter Scott's Woodstock, and George Eliot's Romola.

"A little Plote of my simple penning."—LORD DARNLEY (1554). 

I

That indefatigable antiquary, folklorist, historian, ecclesiast and writer of historical (and other) fiction, the Rev. Sabine Baring-Gould, made it a rule to read no reviews, and possibly because of that his work suffered. George Henry Lewes, treating George Eliot much as if she were a Grand Lama, was careful to keep from her knowledge any adverse criticisms of her work. Charles Dickens read very few novels. When he wrote A Tale of Two Cities he was staggered … at the cart-load of books on the Revolution sent to his door in...