The Cloister and the Hearth; or, Maid, Wife, and Widow: A Matter-of-Fact Romance, in Two Volumes

607; 609-1232 pp. Two volume set. "The Cloister and The Hearth (1861) is a novel by the English author Charles Reade. Set in the 15th century, it relates the story revolving about the travels of a young scribe and illuminator, Gerard Eliassoen, through several European countries. Often describing the events, people and their practices in minute detail, its main theme is the struggle between man's obligations to family and to Church."