1771-1832. Scottish novelist and poet. His
first works were translations of German
ballads, followed by poems such as `The Lady
of the Lake' 1810 and `Lord of the Isles'
1815. He gained a European reputation for his
historical novels such as Heart of Midlothian
1818, Ivanhoe 1819, and The Fair Maid of
Perth 1828. His last years were marked by
frantic writing to pay off his debts, after
the bankruptcy of his publishing company in
1826.