In "The Monastery'' we find ourselves in Protestant England. So widespread has been the Reformation, that the monks are not only alarmed about their prestige, but their property as well. The country has been in a general state of unrest from the beginning of Queen Mary's reign until the year 1550; when peace is restored and the monks repair their ravaged shrines. "The Monastery of St. Mary" (Melrose Abbey) has been untroubled for several years, at the commencement of this tale. (Amazon)