Masonic Poets Of Scotland—No. Iii.

idea of subsisting on Avhat might accrue from the industry of his pen—a- mistake into Avhich many others haA 7 e fallen , forgetting that comparatiA ely feAV are fortunate enough to earn even a competency hy such means . Publishers , like other

traders , are guided by the state of the marketmust abide by the law of supply and demand ; nor was there ever a truer and more sound estimate than that formed by Sir Walter Scott—that literature might help a man , but that his main

dependence must rest ou some other and principal vocation . Nine-tenths at least of those AA 7 1 IO think otherwise , in youthful inexperience , have found it to be so to their cost . About this time Hogg- published the " Forest

Minstrel , " in the production of Avhich volume he enjoyed the aid of some friends , amongst others , of Laicllaw ( well known in connection with Sir Walter Scott ) , and the author of the affecting ballad "Lucj *' s Flitting . " A Aveekly publication

entitled " The Spy , " proved a complete failure ; but the " Queen ' s Wake " at once gave the author a standing amongst poets , three editions beingcalled fox in quick succession .

Hogg- now became intimate with the late Professor Wilson ancl J . G . Lockliart , and was for six years a frequent visitor to the Scottish metropolis . The late Duke of Bnccleuch made him occupant of the farm of Altri \ 7 e , near YarroAA . In 1820

the poet married Miss Philips , daughter of a farmer in Annanclale , and became tenant likeAvise of the larger farm of Mount Benger , for the proper cultivation of Avhich , however , requisite means wero lacking . The issue of the Waverley

Novels in an illustrated ancl annotated form , begun by Scott in I Sol , suggested to Hogg the idea of bringing out his tales and novels also in monthly volumes . Arrangements connected AA ith this brought Hogg- to the great metropolis , Avhere he

Avas taken notice of iu a manner highly pleasing to the guileless ancl simple stranger from Ettrick Vale . London—at least a certain section of

itreligious or literary , as the case may be , is said to love an idol , but , like a child that soon becomes tired of its toy , is soon anxious to have a new one . The failure of the publisher arrested the progress of the re-issue , after , Ave believe , only a

single volume had appeared , though Hogg ' s prose ancl poetical Avorks have since appeared ia a collected form ; and , as Ave Avrite , the first volume of a handsome edition of his " Tales ancl Sketches " has been issued by a GlasgoAv firm , to be folloAved

in clue course by his poetical works—a tribute to which the memory of the SkejDherd is well entitled . Hogg's manners Avere plain and unaffected ; and an amusing anecdote regarding him is found in

Lockhart ' s " Life of Scott , " a Avork various passages in which give ample proof of the author ' s fondness for satire . Scott had expressed genuine admiration of certain passages in some imitations of the old ballads Avhich the shepherd had been

prompted to attempt in consequence of the success of the " Border Minstrelsy , " and the first time , accordingly that Hogg ' s business brought him to Edinburgh , having called upon Scott , the latter invited him , along Avith William LaidlaAV , to dine

at his house at Castle-street . We give the account of what followed , as stated by Lockhart : — " When Hogg entered the drawing-room , Mrs . Scott being at the time in delicate health , Avas reclining on a sofa . The shepherd , after being presented , and making his best bow , forthwith took possession of

another sofa placed opposite to hers , ancl stretched himself thereupon at all his length ; for , as he said afterwards , I thought I could never do wrong to copy the lady of the house . ' As his dress at this period was precisely that in Avhich

any ordinary herdsman attends cattle to the market , and as his hands , moreover , bore most legible marks of a recent sheep-smearing , the lady of the house did not observe A \* ith perfect equanimity the novel usage to Avhich her chintz

wasexposed . The shejaberd , however , remarked nothing of all this—dined , heartily and drank freely , ancl by jest , anecdote , ancl song , afforded plentiful merriment to the more civilised part of the company . As the liquor operated , his

familiarity increased ancl strengthened ; from * Mr . Scott' he advanced to ' Shen-a / and thence to ' Scott , ' ' Walter , ' ' and ' Wattie / until , at sirpper , he fairly convulsed the Avhole party by addressing Mrs . Scott as ' Charlotte . ' "

Hogg- spent the last years of his life m a cottage at Alti-ive , built upon ground granted by the Dake of Bnccleuch . Towards the close of the year 1885 , he expired of a dropsical attack , calmly —his dissolution having been preceded by some

clays of insensibility . In the visions Avhich he dreAV of fairy land , ancl in many of his songs , Hogg ' s poetical poAvers are seen to advantage . , We quote a single passage from " Kilmeny" as a sample of the Avhole , modernising the spelling partially : —