Since the period of this novel is much earlier than most of Scott's "Waverley" novels, and set in England rather than Scotland, some exploration of the actual history of England after the Norman Conquest would be helpful. Especial attention could be paid to the social and political situation, in order, for one thing, to judge the value of the claim that, by the close of the twelfth century, the animus between Normans and Saxons, upon which much of the plot depends, was in fact still severe. Also, a review of the Crusades and King Richard's part in them (and his imprisonment on his way home from the Holy Land) could be enlightening.

1. Which of the two events that are customarily viewed as the chief occurrences in the novel, the tourney at Ashby and the siege of Torquilstone, is related in the more exciting and realistic fashion...