Letter from Hogg to Murray, 17 Apr 1815

Author(s): Hogg, James

Edin. April 17th 1815

My dear Sir


On reading your kind and enthusiastic
letter I determined to come to London and join the
illustrous bards, but to my great grief I find I cannot
accomplish it. I enter to my farm at May-day
which is fast approaching and at that time I
must be in Yarrow, and besides I have not
money to spare. I am however much vexed
and dissapointed because I cannot accept of your
warm invitation, and I am only comforted
in the hope that by and by I may be enabled
to appear among you to more advantage than
I could have done at present. I am obliged to you
for your fair statement of the sale such a thing lets
one see precisely what they may expect and when
to expect it. I never had the slightest apprehension
that you were dilatory or careless about pushing the
works and I do not know how I came to men—



mention — One very warm friend has sometimes
been harping on such a theme merely I suppose
on account of none of them having been reviewed.
I never was more satisfied of any man's candor
for my part. There is no new thing in Scotland in
my way at present save a little very sweet and
elegant poem in Rogers' stile entitled Home which
is well worth a short review of a few pages. If Southey's
Roderick is not bespoke I should be very happy
to review it but I must warn you that I am very
partial to that bard's productions. It would be a most
interesting thing to have a small piece of Lady
Byron's in the Thistle and Rose and the thing which
you propose for me to do is a good subject both
for humour and compliment. But there is nothing
I am so afraid of as teasing or pestering my superiors
for favours. Lord B. knows well enough that without
his support at first the thing will not go on
and as I am sure he is a kind soul I think


I will for the present trust to himself

I have some thoughts of sending a M.S.
to Scott. before he leave town of which he knows,
if so, I will write to you at length along with it
the oftener you let me hear from you the better
and as I am fairly interrupted by the
arrival of two [poets] Campbell and Wilson
for the present farewell my dear sir God
bless you and Yours most truly
James Hogg


1815 April 17
Hogg James

John Murray Esq.
50 Albemarle Street
London

Letter from Hogg to Murray, 17 Apr 1815

Document Information

Document ID	214
Title	Letter from Hogg to Murray, 17 Apr 1815
Year group	1800-1850
Genre	Personal writing
Year of publication	1815
Place of publication	Edinburgh
Wordcount	446

Author information: Hogg, James

Author ID	234
Forenames	James
Surname	Hogg
AKA	The Ettrick Shepherd
Gender	Male
Year of birth	1770
Place of birth	Ettrick, Selkirkshire, Scotland
Occupation	Author, farmer, journalist
Father's occupation	Farmer
Education	Little formal schooling
Locations where resident	Ettrick, Edinburgh