This work tells the story of Francis Cludde, a moody and impulsive boy who discovers his contemptible parentage. Set in Elizabethan England, the story follows Francis's adventures as he sets out from his uncle's protection and wealthy comforts to make a name for himself.

"Chippinge Borough" is a novel by Stanley J. Weyman based on the background to the 1831 Bristol Riots and culminates in a detailed description of those riots. There is a mood of rancor and dissent in the United Kingdom when a popular bill is passed in Parliament with only a slim majority, forcing the King to dissolve Parliament. Caught up in all this is Arthur Vaughan, a young student of the law whose visit to see the Lord Chancellor portends a bright future for him, especially because of his shrewd scheming...

'Under the Red Robe' is a historical novel by Stanley J. Weyman. It was often described as his best work, and was also his most commercially successful. The plot features one of Weyman's more interesting characters, Gil de Berault, a gambler and notorious dueller living in Paris during the French religious wars of the early 17th century who sometimes acts as hired muscle for the Cardinal. He fights one duel too many and is given the choice between execution or helping the Cardinal capture a key Huguenot rebel. He picks the second option and ultimately achieves his objectives but in the process meets a good woman.