le ven ▁Castle ▁as ▁early ▁as ▁the ▁summer ▁of ▁ 1 8 1 7 . ▁It ▁is ▁further ▁likely ▁that ▁in ▁August ▁ 1 8 1 9 ▁he ▁began ▁work ▁on ▁a ▁novel ▁( so on ▁called ▁The ▁Mon aster y ) ▁which ▁was ▁intended ▁to ▁include ▁the ▁L och le ven ▁material . ▁He ▁laid ▁that ▁aside ▁to ▁complete ▁Ivan ho e , ▁and ▁by ▁the ▁time ▁he ▁res umed ▁writing ▁in ▁November ▁he ▁real ised ▁he ▁had ▁sufficient ▁material ▁to ▁make ▁two ▁three - volume ▁nov els . ▁He ▁completed ▁The ▁Mon aster y ▁before ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁February ▁▁ 1 8 2 0 . ▁The ▁Abb ot ▁was ▁begun ▁in ▁the ▁second ▁half ▁of ▁April ▁and ▁finished ▁( with ▁the ▁possible ▁exception ▁of ▁the ▁Int ro duct ory ▁Ep ist le ) ▁probably ▁on ▁ 1 1 ▁August . ▁ ▁Scott ▁had ▁in ▁his ▁library ▁an ▁extensive ▁collection ▁of ▁works ▁rel ating ▁to ▁Mary , ▁Queen ▁of ▁Sc ots , ▁the ▁most ▁recent ▁being ▁the ▁Life ▁of ▁Mary , ▁Queen ▁of ▁Sc ots ▁by ▁George ▁Chal mers ▁which ▁appeared ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 8 . ▁It ▁is ▁not ew orth y ▁that ▁he ▁ref uses ▁to ▁address ▁the ▁question ▁of ▁her ▁role ▁in ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁D arn ley , ▁which ▁had ▁long ▁t ended ▁to ▁domin ate ▁discuss ions . ▁The ▁character isation ▁of ▁the ▁other ▁historical ▁figures ▁in ▁the ▁novel ▁is ▁essentially ▁Scott ' s ▁own , ▁though ▁again ▁he ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁g lean ▁details ▁of