We have inserted your name, as we have no doubt of your doing everything
you can for the poor poet. The advertisement, which is excellent, is
written by Mr. Scott."
Hogg was tempted by the Duke of Buccleuch's gift of a farm on Eltrive
Lake to build himself a house, as Scott was doing, and applied to Murray
for a loan of L50, which was granted. In acknowledging the receipt of
the money he wrote:
_Mr. James Hogg to John Murray_.
_August_ 11, 1818.
.... I am told Gifford has a hard prejudice against me, but I cannot
believe it. I do not see how any man can have a prejudice against me. He
may, indeed, consider me an intruder in the walks of literature, but I
am only a saunterer, and malign nobody who chooses to let me pass.... I
was going to say before, but forgot, and said quite another thing, that
if Mr. Gifford would point out any light work for me to review for him,
I'll bet a MS. poem with him that I'll write it better than he expects.
Yours ever most sincerely,
JAMES HOGG.
As Scott still remained the Great Unknown, Murray's correspondence with
him related principally to his articles in the _Quarterly_, to which he
continued an occasional contributor.
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