Stephenson : The Ettrick Shepherd 



77 



parties with greater fury than ever, and shortly after, that they had 

 finally separated and the two champions gone over and enlisted under 

 the banners of Mr. Constable, having left Mr. Blackwood to shift for 

 himself, and carried over, as they pretended, their right to the magazine, 

 with all their subscribers and contributors to the other side. 



The account of the origin of Mr. Blackwood's pubhcation 

 as given above is true enough in the main, tho Hogg vastly 

 magnifies the importance of the part played by himself. 

 Doubtless some such idea did occur to him even some time 

 before he made it public ; and, when upon discovery he found 

 that Blackwood already had the plan afoot, and Hogg was 

 taken in as a principal contributor, it is easy to see how in 

 later years he might have written this account in perfect good 

 faith. 



A letter from Hogg to Blackwood, dated Altrive Lake, Au- 

 gust 12, 1817, more truly sets forth their literary relations at 

 that time. 



My hay harvest is but just commenced, and is this year large in 

 proportion to the hands I have to work it. Next month the Highland 

 cattle come, so that I cannot get to Edinburgh at present without incur- 

 ring a loss, for which my literary labors, if they are as usual, would but 

 ill remunerate me. I am greatly concerned about your magazine, but I 

 have some dependence on your spirit not to let it drop or relax till your 

 literary friends gather again about you. Wilson's papers, though not 

 perfect, have a masterly cast about them. A little custom would make 

 him the best periodical writer of the age — keep hold of him. I regret 

 much that you have told me so little of your plan. If the name is to 

 change, who is to be the editor, &c? For myself, I am doing nothing 

 save working at hay, fishing, &c. Save tw^o or three Hebrew melodies, 

 I have not written a line since I left Edinburgh. I cannot leave the 

 country just now. Crafty [Constable] always affirms that of all classes 

 ever he had to do with the literary men are the w^orst and most ungrate- 

 ful. I am very sorry to see this so often verified. 



So much applies to the periodical that ran for six months 

 before the publication known as Blacktvood's Edinburgh 

 Magazine was finally started in its permanent form as a re- 

 sult of the thoro reorganization of the editorial staff. One of 

 the first numbers contained an article that set all Edinburgh 

 by the ears and well-nigh ruined the undertaking. This was 

 the famous Chaldee MS. Tho this composition is not a part 

 of the Nodes Amhrosianae, it is printed in Ferrier's edition 

 of that work with full explanatory notes, to which the inquis- 

 itive reader is referred. In the preface Mr. Ferrier says that 



