Scott, Walter

Sir Walter Scott was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. He was a sickly child, and because he became partially lame, possibly as a result of a bout of polio, he read a great deal from a young age, especially books about Scotland's past. Scott studied law at the University of Edinburgh and became a solicitor like his father. In 1797, he married Charlotte Genevieve Charpentier. Before he started to write his widely popular historical novels he translated German romantic, historical poems and plays. Scott was among the first writers of fiction who were able to live from their art. He nevertheless ran into financial problems, and as a result he wrote too much, which affected the quality of his work. He spent a great deal of money on a Gothic revival castle at Abbotsford, but the biggest blow came in 1826 when the printers firm in which he had been a sleeping partner went bankrupt. Scott attempted to pay off his debts by turning out even more novels, but worked himself to an early death.