Letter from Hogg to Byron, 11 Oct 1814

Author(s): Hogg, James

1814
My good Lord
[¿]

I never were diverted by any corr
-espondence so much as (your leaving the honour out of the
question) which I think is chiefly owing to the frankness
and unaffected [¿] so apparent throughout the whole.
there is so much heart in the prays which you
bistow and so little ill nature in your unique,
though brought with the purity of truth, that
even those blamed could hardly be offended
although they might feel it-I am really ashamed
and blame myself much for having drawn so much
of your attention and occupied so much of your
precious time of late, therefore I lay my commands
upon you not to [¿] this letter which I only
send in acknowledgment of your last so rekind
and benevolent are which infound on my arrival
here on the 8th. I will not harass nor teaze about
poetry anymore but will most the movements




of the spirit within you with a partner and
a resignation of which you shall do forced to
approve and to put your heart perfectly at
ease with regard to the time, now, only it shall
be welcome when it comes to that when I will


Concerning myself and prospects I have no
good account to give your t [¿] ship at present - the truth
it seems with me one of fortunes most auspious moments-every
penn of the little foundations that
I had laid on which to man a tiny independence
is by the failure of the d- bookseller you name
vanished the third edition of the work on which
I [¿] depended is looked up till much time as
this book [¿] affair permit it to be brought
to the hammer- The review of it part of which
was read to me in Mr.Gefforys [¿] 5 months ago
and which is a case what saviour has again
been deffered for what [¿] I have yet to learn
I told you, I had [¿] an edition of a new poem




to constable and Millar-an my return to town
after an absence of 9 weeks, by which time it was
to have been published, I found it in the name
same in which I left it, and the most taken out
of the [¿] and passing this all the notable blues. I
went to the that in a tremendous rage, threatened Miller
with, a prosecution and took the MJ out of his
hands- said that if Murray and I do not agree I am
in a fine [¿]- but I have the far west thing
of all to relate, and which in my own eyes crowns
my misfortune, and upon the whole renders my
situation to whin just that I cannot help laughing
at it, for nothing of that nature makes me cry.
I have difference with Scott actually and previously
I hear, for I hear he has informed some of his friends
of it- I have after heard facts in general blamed
for want of [¿] [¿] yet I know that Scott
has a great deal of it but I fear he has had to do
with [¿] had little or none at all




I have never mentioned this to any living soul
nor would I if I had not heard last night that Scott had men-tioned
it in a company and that it was like to become
publicly known therefore I must tell you all how it
will out though I cannot explain it. At our last meeting
it was most cordially agreed that he was not to appear
in the first No. of the Repository but to exert himself for
the heard “The first said he is proud of Lord Byron finds
a piece of any length with those which you already
have I shall take in hand to get you £500 for the
number. The difficulty will be in keeping it up
therefore depend on it I shall do my best to support
the Second “All this was very well till of late
we had a correspondence about a drama that I was attem
pting. He sent a sheet of criticisms in his own shrewd
sensible manner and most friendly. But in this
last page he broke off and attacked me about some
jealousness and compared between him and me
so [¿] that I was driven completely out of myself




myself and without asking any explanaton (for
I knew no more than the man in the move
what he adverted to) I took the pen and wrote a
letter of the most bitter and reverse [¿] shee
I have quite forgot what in my wrath I said but
I beleive I went so far as to say every thing which
I knew to be the reverse of truth, and which you in
part well know - you to state that I had never been
obliged to him (it was a great he) and never would be
obliged to him for any things, and I fear I expressed
the utmost contemt for both himself and his poetry.
This is all true, and yet I cannot beleive that I
am a madman either. The truth is that I must
have used in formating so as to have deserved the
reflection he cast upon me but I was to consious
of never having in all my life laid one word or
thought one thought prejudicial to Scott that I was
hurt extremly.I support some unfortunate lives
near the end of the Queens'wake which haply




he did not know know I had altered in the latter edition
gave spice to it - or perhaps some adious [¿]
which my admirable bookseller had picked up
out of some shabby [¿] and published in
the papers and in which I had no more hand
than you had.Thus one of the best images of
the Respository is irrevocably lost if the other should
[¿] [¿] a bruised need.Why every [¿]
must have by its own head. When you said
to me once that your poetical days were having
to a close. I had not the slightest idea that there
was fair Millbank in the question. I send at
[¿] you for poetry now, faith you will be smilled
well enough for a time -but I hope by the time
you have tried the avocatious of a [¿] for a
month or two that you will then begin jittling with
the [¿] again- believe the time of vigour health
and [¿] is a precious time for the




for the children of savey and of fovy and ought
not to be neglected and here I cannot [¿] help advantage
to an advantage to an old [¿] [¿] prevents though I nearly
know how to apply it “there's much to water ruins while the
millers 1 cups”- By the by I hope yours brings a good
certain with herewith and sustain them, then she will in
truth be a Mill and a bank with- I would not
be ill to [¿] prepare to try the grinding too as a last
and desperate [¿] in these hard and evil times
I wish you would advise me of your day of entry
if it is not already [¿] and by heaven if my fair
West Indian [¿] [¿] [¿] as the promises
I will pay for the first post for the profits of
our next new productions those against the other


I have not a word of literary news from
this, having new very few [¿] since my return
Wordsmitths new poem is very little talked of
these yet and soncurges not at all I beleive
I told you my sentiments of them at considerable




with regard to Mr [¿] expected one the public
I perceive are hanging in a curious [¿] - good
[¿] has he to be anxious about its fate - By it
he is established or falls.I know it will be excellent
and the scenes and were names of the [¿].
he can shape to much of. Mine is but one thing
against it and that is this being so much of a [¿]
in this stale language and character that is not there in verse
or [¿] a partial reader thinks he is always reading
the same thing. My fixed belief is that the public
will receive it with great caution and a vanish sale
but that will finally prevail.It is one of my
greatest faults my lord that I always speak and write
previously as I had but your own fondness to me
encourages me to [¿] of all [¿] when writing to you
which I hope you will excape. Murray is probably be
this time in [¿] if so you shall here frome me in
few days till then I [¿] your Lordship's
most affectionate and faithfull [¿]
James [¿]

Letter from Hogg to Byron, 11 Oct 1814

Document Information

Document ID	243
Title	Letter from Hogg to Byron, 11 Oct 1814
Year group	1800-1850
Genre	Personal writing
Year of publication	1814
Wordcount	1434

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