Corpus of Modern Scottish Writing (CMSW) - www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk/cmsw/ Document : 214 Title: 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