Stephenson: The Ettrick Shepherd 39 



Erskine nor ony critic beneath the sun shall ever lead meil If I hae na 

 sense eneuch to mak and mend my ain wark, no other hands or heads 

 shall meddle wi' it; I want nae help, thank God, from books nor men." 



Gillies adds: 



The good Shepherd's vanity differed from that of all other authors, 

 inasmuch as it was avowed and undisguised, and he himself laughed at 

 it objectively as such. 



So one might go on multiplying examples. The Autohiog- 

 raphy alone contains many, and not the least is found in the 

 whole conception of The Poetic Mirror, which will be de- 

 scribed later. 



Lockhart's description of Hogg's behaviour at Scott's din- 

 ner, and the account of Hogg's life in Dumfrieshire already 

 quoted from Mr. Morris, bear witness to his conviviality. 

 Hogg says himself in one place that he often drank enough 

 whisky to make himself a fit object for seizure by the cus- 

 toms officers ; but in another place he comes nearer the truth 

 when he writes : 



Sociality is so completely interwoven in my nature that I have no 

 power to resist indulging it, but, I have been blessed by providence with 

 a constitutional forbearance which prevents me from ever indulging in 

 any sinful excess, a blessing- for which, circumstanced as I am, I can 

 never be too thankful.^ 



Hogg possessed an erratic, impatient temper that often led 

 him into unnecessary difficulties. His quarrel with Black- 

 wood could have been avoided, his grudge against Christopher 

 North, one of his best and longest friends, was unfounded, 

 and his one serious quarrel with Scott grew out of the trivial 

 refusal to contribute to The Poetic Mirror. Hogg's anger, 

 however, was quick to rise and quick to fall. Every fuss was 

 eagerly patched up and he never bore the least malice towards 

 those he had foolishly offended, a sure sign of a sober mind. 



The Shepherd's code of honor was peculiar and amusing. 

 The lollo^ving quotations will bear insertion in spite of their 

 ler.f^f^ ^he G^acc^o' ' Chronicle of Llay 12, 1818. contained 

 the follovving paragraph: 



Yestcrc'ay forenoon a g-entleman from Glasgow, whose name had 

 b'^-n impe -'inently introduced into Blackwood's Magazine, horsewhipped 

 him opposite his own door in Princes Street. As this gentleman was 

 stepping into the Glasgow coach, at four o'clock, Mr. Blackwood, armed 



^ Letter to Dr. Crichton, quoted by Mrs. Garden, page 230. 



