Wilkie Collins (1824-1889) was an early expert on secret and anticipation, composing such works of art as The Moonstone, The Woman in White, and Basil. Antonina, or, The Fall of Rome was the first novel to be distributed, a brilliant story of antiquated Rome. In this work, Collins expressed: "To the imaginary characters alone is committed the undertaking of addressing the soul of the age. The Roman ruler, Honorius, and the Gothic lord, Alaric, blend however little at a personal level and the story just starts showing up on such occasions and acting under such conditions, as the records of history stringently approve- yet definite truth regarding time, spot, and the situation is seen in each chronicled occasion presented in the plot, from the time of the walk of the Gothic intruders over the Alps to the end of the principal savage bar of Rome."