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Document : 697

Title: Letter from Hogg to Murray, 7 May 1815

Author(s): Hogg, James

Edin. May 7th 1815
My dear Sir

I thank you with all my
heart for the little timerus supply you have
lent me at present. I did intend shortly to
have asked from you what little you could
spare from the copies of the Wake sold,
but I had no thought that the final payment
of the pilgrims would have been made to
me sooner than Nov.r — You are theprince
of booksellers if people would but leave you
to your own judgement and natural generous
disposition. I offered Blackwood a regular rec-iept
for the full payment made by you of
the first edition of the Pilgrims but he declined
it saying the bills were of themselves a sufficient
reciept — I leave Edin. on Thursday for my little
farm on Yarrow. I will have a confused



summer for I have as yet no house that
I can dwell in but I hope by and by to have
some fine fun there with you fishing in Saint
Mary's Lake and Yarrow eating bull trouts singing
songs and drinking whisky. —  This little posession
is what I stood much in need of a habitation
among my native hills was what of all the
world I desired and if I had a little more
money at command I would just be as
happy a man as I know of but that is an
article of which I am ever in want I wish you
or Mrs. Murray would speir me out a good
wife with a few thousands I daresay there is many
a romantic girl about London who would think
it a fine play to become a Yarrow shepherdess

I suppose I must give up thoughts of further
publication for the summer. — continue however
to keep me before the public — “out o' sight out
o' mind” I hear of nothing in the literary world



very interesting except that people are commen-ding
some of Lord Byron's melodees as incom-parably
beautiful and laughing immoderately
at Mr Wordsworth's new prefaces which cer-tainly
excel all that ever was worthy in
this world in egotism vanity and absurdity.

If Scott is still in London remember me to him
and tell him I would fain see him before I
leave town as I want particularly to cons[ult]
him about some country affairs

Believe me dear Murray very
and sincerely yours
James Hogg
Lord B. [Mas]

Nelson
Gibbon
Park
Penrose
[Helga]
Rossa
2.R [compt]
Germany
Bavi[¿]

[Sacred Med]
[Phelos] of N





[M½]

John Murray Esq.

50 Albemarle Street
London

7 May 1815
Hogg Jas