Lady Stair's Close
Behind the facades of the homes and shops lining the Royal Mile were numerous courtyards. The rich folk of the post-Renaissance period needed to live near the centers of commerce and government but had no desire to dwell above the stench and filth oozing up from the gutters of the Royal Mile. Instead they built homes behind the stink and noise of the main street. Over the years the names of these closes would change often in honor of the wealthiest or most prestigious inhabitants. This particular one was permanently named after woman who outlived her particularly cruel and abusive husband. She escaped his attempt to murder her and summoned help. He ran off to mainland Europe and never returned. She kept the house. Now it is the Writer's Museum.
Great Britain, the dominant industrial and maritime power of the 19th century, played a leading role in developing parliamentary democracy and in advancing literature and science. At its zenith, the British Empire stretched over one-fourth of the ear... ... read more 
