Kenilworth. A Romance is a historical romance novel written by Sir Walter Scott. It is one of the Waverley novels and was first published on January 13, 1821. The story is set in 1575 and builds up to a grand event when Queen Elizabeth visits Kenilworth Castle. The Earl of Leicester, who is involved in the murder of his wife, Amy Robsart, at Cumnor, plays a key role in the events leading to this visit.

Composition and sources

In January 1820, Archibald Constable and John Ballantyne made a deal to work together as publishers of the book Kenilworth. However, Sir Walter Scott still needed to finish writing The Monastery and its follow-up novel, The Abbot, which kept him busy until August. Because of this, the publication of Kenilworth had to be delayed until September. Once Scott began writing Kenilworth, he worked steadily and completed the novel on December 27.

Scott was very familiar with the writings and historical records from the Elizabethan period, partly because he worked as an editor. In 1808, he published Memoirs of Robert Cary, Earl of Monmouth and Fragmenta Regalia by Sir Robert Naunton, which helped him accurately describe Queen Elizabeth in his novel. In 1810, he revised The Ancient British Drama by Robert Dodsley, which influenced the language style of Kenilworth. For the events at Kenilworth in the novel, Scott used two documents included in The Progresses and Public Processions of Queen Elizabeth by John Nichols (1788): A Letter by Robert Langham or Laneham and The Princely Pleasures at the Courte at Kenelwoorth by George Gascoigne. For details about Amy Robsart and Cumnor, Scott relied on Antiquities of Berkshire by Elias Ashmole, which itself used the anonymous and critical Secret Memoirs of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester or Leicester's Commonwealth.

Editions

The book Kenilworth was published in three volumes by Constable and Ballantyne in Edinburgh on January 13, 1821, and by Hurst, Robinson, and Co. in London on January 20. Like all the Waverley novels before 1827, this book was published anonymously. The first print run was 10,000 copies, and a second edition of 2,000 copies was released two months later. The price was one and a half guineas, which was equal to £1 11 shillings and 6 pence, or about £1.57½. It is unlikely that Sir Walter Scott worked on the novel again until April and May 1830, when he revised the text and added an introduction and notes for the "Magnum" edition. This edition included Kenilworth as Volumes 22 and 23, published in March and April 1831.

The standard modern edition of the book, created by J. H. Alexander, was published in 1993 as Volume 11 of the Edinburgh Edition of the Waverley Novels. This edition is based on the first published version, with changes mainly taken from the original manuscript. The material from the "Magnum" edition is included in Volume 25b of the same series.

Plot introduction

The story of Kenilworth takes place during the time Queen Elizabeth I ruled England. It focuses on the hidden marriage between Robert Dudley, the first Earl of Leicester, and Amy Robsart, the daughter of Sir Hugh Robsart. Amy loves her husband deeply, and the Earl loves her in return. However, he is motivated by his desire for power. To gain the Queen's favor and achieve his goals, he keeps his marriage to Amy a secret. At the end of the story, Queen Elizabeth I learns the truth, which brings shame to the Earl. By this time, Amy has already been killed by Varney, the Earl's ambitious steward.

Plot summary

Giles Gosling, the innkeeper, welcomed his nephew Michael Lambourne, who had returned from Flanders. He invited the Cornishman, Tressilian, and other guests to join them for drinks. Lambourne made a bet that he could get an introduction to a young lady under the steward Foster’s care at Cumnor Place, the home of the Earl of Leicester. Tressilian asked to go with him. When they arrived, Tressilian discovered the young lady was Amy, his former love. He wanted to take her home, but she refused. As he left, he argued with Richard Varney, the earl’s squire, and might have fought him if Lambourne had not stopped them. Amy received expensive gifts from the earl while she stayed in seclusion. During his next visit, she asked to tell her father about her marriage, but the earl was afraid of angering Elizabeth.

Warned by his host about Varney and told how Amy had been tricked, Tressilian left Cumnor at night. After several adventures, he reached the home of Sir Hugh Robsart, Amy’s father, to help him present his daughter’s case to the queen. Returning to London, Tressilian’s servant, Wayland Smith, cured the Earl of Sussex of a serious illness. When Walter Raleigh told Elizabeth about this, she decided to visit Leicester’s rival. This is how Tressilian’s request for the queen to help Amy was delivered. The queen was shocked to learn of the secret marriage. Varney was called to the royal court, but he claimed Amy was his wife, and Leicester was restored to the queen’s favor.

Tressilian’s servant later met Amy as a peddler and hinted that Elizabeth would soon marry the earl. He sold her a remedy for heartache and warned her maid, Janet, that someone might try to poison her. Meanwhile, Leicester was preparing to host the queen at Kenilworth, where he had ordered Amy to be introduced to her. Varney was sent with a letter asking Amy to appear at the celebration as his bride. She refused and, after recovering from a potion given by an astrologer, escaped with her maid and went to Kenilworth with Wayland Smith.

Traveling as brother and sister, they joined a group of performers and avoided crowds by taking a less-traveled path to the castle. With help from Dickie Sludge, they entered the courtyard and were taken to a room where Amy waited while her maid delivered a note to the earl. She was surprised by Tressilian, who asked her not to interfere for 24 hours. When Elizabeth arrived, she was greeted by her favorite, attended by a large group with torches, and many entertainments followed. That evening, Elizabeth asked about Varney’s wife and was told she was too ill to attend. Tressilian promised to prove the claim false within 24 hours. Despite this, Varney was knighted by the queen.

The next day, Amy received no reply to a note that Wayland had lost. She went to a grotto in the gardens, where she was found by Elizabeth, who had just told her host, “She must be the wife and mother of England alone.” Amy fell to her knees and begged for protection from Varney, claiming he was not her husband and that Leicester knew the truth. Leicester was called to the queen’s presence and would have been sent to the Tower if Amy had not stopped him. Instead, she was placed under Lord Hunsdon’s care, and Varney claimed she had escaped after treatment for her supposed madness. Leicester insisted on speaking with Amy, who begged him to confess their marriage to Elizabeth and then told him she would not delay his future. Varney convinced Leicester that Amy had conspired with Tressilian and obtained permission to keep her under medical care, asking only for the earl’s signet ring as proof.

The next day, a duel between Tressilian and Leicester was interrupted by Dickie, who showed the countess’s note. Convinced of her innocence, Leicester admitted she was his wife. With the queen’s approval, he sent his rival and Sir Walter Raleigh to Cumnor to stop Varney’s actions. However, Varney had killed the messenger and had Amy taken by Foster to a room reached by a long staircase and a narrow wooden bridge. The next evening, a horse’s hoof was heard, and a whistle like the earl’s signal was heard. Amy rushed from the room and stepped onto the bridge, which broke in the middle, causing her to fall to her death. Her killer poisoned himself, and years later, the skeleton of his accomplice was found in a cell where he had hidden his money. News of Amy’s death ended the celebrations at Kenilworth. Leicester withdrew from court for a time, and Sir Hugh Robsart, who died soon after his daughter, left his estate to Tressilian. Leicester demanded a fair investigation. The jury ruled Amy’s death was an accident (concluding that Lady Dudley, who was alone in a certain room, had fallen down the stairs, suffered head injuries, and broke her neck). However, many people believed Leicester had arranged his wife’s death to marry the queen.

Characters

Principal characters in bold

• Giles Gosling, host of the Bonny Black Bear
• Michael Lambourne, his nephew
• John Tapster
• Will Hostler
• Laurence Goldthread, a mercer
• Edmund Tressilian
• Wayland Smith
• Thomas Radcliffe, 3rd Earl of Sussex
• Sir Nicholas Blount, his master of house
• Sir Walter Raleigh
• Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester
• Richard Varney, his follower
• Anthony Forster, warden of Cumnor Hall
• Janet, his daughter
• Erasmus Holiday, a schoolteacher
• Dickie Sludge, alias Flibbertigibbet
• Dr. Demetrius Dobobbie, alias Alasco, an astrologer
• Master Crane, landlord of the Crane Inn at Marlborough
• Dame Alison Crane, his wife
• Jack Hostler
• Gaffer Grimesby
• Sampson, a junior tapster
• Dame Crank, a laundress
• Sir Hugh Robsart, of Lidcote Hall
• Amy Robsart, his daughter
• Will Badger, his servant
• Michael Mumblazon, inmate of Lidcote Hall
• Queen Elizabeth
• Lord Hunsdon
• Lord Burleigh
• Dr. Master, her physician
• Bowyer, an usher
• Laurence Staple, a warder

Chapter summary

Ch. 1: Michael Lambourne returns from a trip abroad to the 'Bonny Black Bear' inn in Cumnor. The story then focuses on the sad and gloomy figure of Tressilian.

Ch. 2: Goldthread tells Lambourne and Tressilian that Anthony Forster is living in Cumnor Place with a young woman named Amy Robsart. Lambourne bets that he can get Forster to introduce himself to her.

Ch. 3: Lambourne and Tressilian are welcomed at Cumnor Place by Forster. Lambourne takes Forster aside for a private conversation.

Ch. 4: Lambourne and Forster discuss the possibility of working together. Tressilian tries to convince Amy to return to her seriously ill father, but they are interrupted by Forster and Lambourne. Forced to leave, Tressilian meets Richard Varney at the postern-door and they fight with swords. Lambourne stops the fight and is told by Varney to follow Tressilian.

Ch. 5: Varney gives Amy a letter from Leicester. Forster and Varney talk about something, and in a soliloquy, Varney says he wants to control Amy or harm her.

Ch. 6: Amy enjoys the newly repaired rooms at Cumnor Place. Janet Forster warns Amy not to anger Varney. Varney advises Amy not to tell Leicester about Tressilian's visit.

Ch. 7: When Leicester arrives at Cumnor Place, he tells Amy their relationship cannot be public for now. He considers leaving public life, but Varney stops him. Leicester criticizes Tressilian, and Amy says nothing about his visit. The next day, Varney and Lambourne leave for Woodstock, with Leicester publicly pretending to have spent the night there.

Ch. 8: Earlier, at the inn, Tressilian ignores Lambourne. He tells the landlord, Giles Gosling, about his feelings for Amy and how she left Devon with Varney, which led him to search for her. Giles advises Tressilian to return to Devon and build friendships to help his cause at Court.

Ch. 9: In the Vale of Whitehorse, Tressilian's horse loses a shoe. A schoolmaster named Erasmus Holiday arranges for Dickie Sludge to guide Tressilian to Wayland Smith, the former attendant of a quacksalver named Demetrius Doboobie.

Ch. 10: Wayland fixes Tressilian's horse and they enter an underground chamber at the smithy.

Ch. 11: Wayland shares his story with Tressilian and agrees to guide him. After leaving the smithy, Dickie (Flibbertigibbet) blows it up. They reach Marlborough, where news of the explosion reaches the inn.

Ch. 12: Tressilian and Wayland arrive at Lidcote Hall, where Wayland heals Sir Hugh Robsart with a potion. Wayland insists on helping Tressilian as he leaves for London after receiving a summons from the Earl of Sussex, who is ill.

Ch. 1 (13): Tressilian and Wayland arrive in London, where Wayland buys medicine before heading to Deptford.

Ch. 2 (14): After talking with Blount and Raleigh, Tressilian speaks with Sussex, and Wayland gives him a potion.

Ch. 3 (15): Raleigh tells Tressilian and Blount that he refused to let the Queen's physician, Dr. Master, enter. At Greenwich, Raleigh explains his decision, and Queen Elizabeth briefly visits Sussex, who is now recovering.

Ch. 4 (16): Leicester (with Varney) and Sussex (with Tressilian) prepare separately for a confrontation at Court. Elizabeth orders them all to go to Kenilworth, telling Varney to bring Amy, whom he claims is his wife.

Ch. 5 (17): Leicester is very active at Court and joins Raleigh on the Queen's barge to discuss plays. Elizabeth and Raleigh exchange verses. Wayland tells Tressilian he saw Dr. Doboobie and is sent to Cumnor to watch events there.

Ch. 6 (18): Leicester and Varney plan their next steps. Alasco (Doboobie), secretly encouraged by Varney, warns Leicester about a danger from a youth in the west. Varney arranges for Amy to be drugged to stop her from going to Kenilworth and sends Alasco with Lambourne to Cumnor.

Ch. 7 (19): Lambourne wins a bet by getting Forster to come to the 'Bonny Black Bear'. Giles advises Wayland (disguised as a pedlar) to go to Cumnor Place to take advantage of Forster's absence.

Ch. 8 (20): Wayland sells goods to Amy, adding medicine he secretly tells Janet is an antidote to counter the drug Alasco plans to give her. Wayland learns about Leicester's feelings for Amy from Lambourne's drunken words, who is with Forster, Varney, and Alasco at Cumnor Place.

Ch. 9 (21): Varney persuades Leicester to ask Amy to pretend to be his wife for a time.

Ch. 10 (22): Amy angrily refuses Varney's plan and tells Janet she wants to escape. Janet stops her from drinking the potion Alasco brought with Forster, but Varney succeeds and reports to Alasco.

Ch. 11 (23): Janet plans and carries out Amy's escape, entrusting her to Wayland's care.

Ch. 12 (24): Wayland steals Goldthread's horse for Amy and later returns it. They hide with Holiday's group of amateur entertainers (including Holiday and Flibbertigibbet) heading to Kenilworth.

Ch. 13 (25): After separating from the group, Amy and Wayland arrive at Kenilworth.

Ch. 1 (26): Flibbertigibbet convinces the porter to let the group into the castle. Amy asks Wayland to deliver a letter to Leicester, and Wayland decides to tell Tressilian about her arrival.

Ch. 2 (27): Tressilian finds Amy placed in his room and agrees to wait 24 hours before acting.

Ch. 3 (28): Tressilian meets the drunk Lambourne.

Ch. 4 (29): Wayland confesses to Tressilian that he lost Amy's letter to Leicester. Lambourne, with help from the warder Laurence Staples, expels Wayland from the castle.

Ch. 5 (30): Queen Elizabeth enters the castle with great ceremony.

Ch. 6 (31): Elizabeth thinks

Reception

Most reviewers praised the book Kenilworth for its strong and clear structure, the vivid descriptions of the court scenes, and the way Elizabeth was portrayed. A few reviewers had some concerns about the focus on Elizabeth's flaws. The chapter about Sir Hugh Robsart's suffering was generally seen as emotional, and the very different way Lambourne was presented was noted as notable. Amy received many comments, most of which praised her strong moral character. It was observed that the historical figure Leicester had some of his negative traits moved to the villain Varney, making him appear more positive. Many reviewers admired the dramatic qualities of the novel, and the contrast between public splendor and private suffering was widely appreciated.

Explanation of the novel's title

The title is about Dudley's Kenilworth Castle in Kenilworth, Warwickshire. The novel begins at Cumnor Place, near Abingdon in Berkshire, which is now part of Oxfordshire.

Themes

Kenilworth is a story that explores the conflict between selfishness and selflessness, as well as the struggle between ambition and love. Amy and the Earl both face inner conflicts between selfishness and love, while Varney and Tressilian represent the opposite extremes of these qualities. One of the most important aspects of the story is its characters. The Earl is a man driven by ambition who uses dishonest methods and extreme actions to achieve his goals. However, he has one positive trait—he loves Amy and, in the end, chooses to give up his pride and ambition to admit their marriage. Amy Robsart is a young woman who is initially spoiled but learns maturity and determination through difficult experiences. Unfortunately, these lessons come too late to help her. Tressilian is a serious and loyal man who loves Amy and tries to help her throughout the story. He eventually dies from sadness caused by her suffering. Varney is the main villain of the story. He is extremely greedy and ambitious, and his actions push the Earl to do things he would not normally do to gain power. It is also Varney who kills Amy Robsart.

Departures from historical fact

The novel includes many accurate details about the Elizabethan court, but some events are changed or invented. For example, the way Amy Robsart died in a fall is different from historical records, and other events are not based on real history. Amy Robsart’s death was a mystery for over 200 years, and in 1810, Cumnor Place was destroyed, reportedly to stop people from believing her ghost still haunted the area.

The reception at Kenilworth described in the novel happened in 1575. References to how many years have passed since events like Queen Elizabeth’s coronation and Mary, Queen of Scots’ removal from power show the story is set in 1575. However, Amy Robsart died in 1560. Leicester’s first marriage was not a secret, but his later marriage in September 1578 to Lettice Knollys (a woman he had previously flirted with in 1565) caused Queen Elizabeth to be angry in 1579.

William Shakespeare, who was born in 1564, is mentioned in Chapter 17 as an adult and as someone known at court. He is shown interacting with Edmund Spenser, whose first major work, The Shepheardes Calender, was published in 1579. In Chapter 16, Queen Elizabeth is shown quoting from Troilus and Cressida, a play written around 1602.

The character Sir Nicolas Blount in the novel is based on Sir Christopher Blount, who was a real official in the household of the Earl of Essex.

Adaptations

The first production of Kenilworth took place on 8 March 1821 at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden. Mary Vining performed the role of Amy Robsart. Soon after, other versions were created, including one by Thomas Dibdin at the Surrey Theatre and another by James Planché at the Adelphi Theatre.

In 1822, Victor Hugo and Alexandre Soumet agreed to write a five-act drama based on Sir Walter Scott’s novel. Soumet planned the story and would write the final two acts, while Hugo would write the first three. However, when they reviewed their work, they found their ideas did not match. Each completed their own version. Soumet’s play, Emilia, was performed at the Odéon in 1823 with Mademoiselle Mars in the lead role. Hugo’s play, Amy Robsart, which mixed tragedy and comedy, was staged in 1828.

In 1859, Jorge Isaacs, a writer and poet, adapted Kenilworth for the theater. At that time, his work was not widely recognized, but today his contributions as a playwright are appreciated.

A four-act version of Amy Robsart, written by Andrew Halliday, opened at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London on 24 September 1870. Adelaide Neilson played the title role, and members of the Vokes family performed smaller roles. The play ran for 105 performances before closing on 17 December 1870. It was later revived four times between 1871 and 1877, becoming one of the most successful shows at Drury Lane during the Victorian era.

In 1957, the novel was adapted into a six-part BBC television series titled Kenilworth, which is now believed to be lost.

Several operas have been based on Kenilworth, including:
– Leicester, ou Le Château de Kenilworth by Auber (1825)
– Elisabetta al castello di Kenilworth by Gaetano Donizetti (1829), loosely based on Scott’s novel
– Festen paa Kenilworth by Christoph Ernst Friedrich Weyse (1836), with a text by Hans Christian Andersen
– Das Fest zu Kenilworth by Eugen Seidelmann (1843)
– Kenilworth by Francesco Schira (1848), intended for Sims Reeves at Covent Garden but never produced
– Il Conte di Leicester by Luigi Badia (1851)
– Amy Robsart by Isidore de Lara (1893)
– Kenilworth by Bruno Klein, with a libretto by Wilhelm Müller (1894, staged in Hamburg)
– Kenilworth by Harvey Löhr (1906, never produced)
– Amy Robsart by Alfredo Schiuma (1920)

Other musical adaptations include:
– A ballet titled Kenilworth by Michael Costa (1831)
– A cantata called The Masque at Kenilworth with lyrics by Henry Fothergill Chorley and music by Arthur Sullivan (1864)
– A Broadway musical titled Kenilworth with music by Michael Connolly and a book by Frederic Lawrence and H.S. Murdoch (1867), revived multiple times in the following decade
– An overture titled Kenilworth by Robert Lucas Pearsall (date unspecified).

Allusions to the novel

Letitia Elizabeth Landon's poem "Queen Elizabeth’s Entrance into Kenilworth" was based on an engraving from a book published in 1839. The poem mentions a character named Amy from a novel by Walter Scott. Landon was fond of Scott's novels.

In Balzac's 1841 novel Ursule Mirouët, the villain Goupil warns a young lawyer named Desire not to marry on a whim. He threatens to harm the woman, just like Varney harms Amy Robsart in Kenilworth.

In Edinburgh, there is a street called Rose Street with a pub named The Kenilworth. It opened in 1904, and the city has many references to Walter Scott's works.

In Portland, Oregon, there is a neighborhood called Creston-Kenilworth. The "Kenilworth" part of the name is inspired by the novel.

The Elvetham Hotel near the village of Hartley Wintney in Hampshire, England, was once home to the Calthorpe barons. The hotel's bar has a decorated ceiling showing characters from the Kenilworth novel.

Translation

The novel was translated into French by Jacques-Théodore Parisot (1783-1840). It was given the title Le château de Kenilworth.