CONTENTS OF THE NINTH VOLUME. REVIEWS. Bigelow's American Medi- cal Botany Brown's Life and Writings 288 eign Travel 376 92 260 356 135 Seybert's Statistical An- NORTH AMERICAN REVIEW AND MISCELLANEOUS JOURNAL. No. XXIV. JUNE, 1819. ART. I.-1. The Queen's Wake; a legendary Poem by James Hogg. 2. The Pilgrims of the Sun; a Poem by James Hogg, author of the Queen's Wake. 3. Mador of the Moor; a Poem by James Hogg, author of the Queen's Wake, &c. 4. The Brownie of Bodsbeck; and other tales by James Hogg, author of the Queen's Wake, &c. We have never given an account of Mr. Hogg's writings, though they are deserving of attention as well from their respectability as from the peculiar circumstances under which the author appeared before the public; a short notice of the Queen's Wake, which did not enter at large into its merits, is all that we find about him on looking over our preceding numbers. Indeed, he seems to have faded fast from the memory of the public, though considerable curiosity was excited by his first appearance: much of that was owing to his obscure situation and narrow means of education; from which we were surprised to see him break out with so much of the air of an author. It was natural in such a case to expect too much from him, and when he failed to satisfy that expectation, it was equally natural to place him lower than he deserved. We were told in the publisher's advertisement to the Queen's Wake, that it was "the production of James Hogg, Vol. IX. No. 1. 1 a common shepherd, bred among the mountains of Ettrick Forest, who went to service when only seven years of age, and since that period has never received any education whatever."-The publisher asserted this on his own knowledge, and left the reader to reconcile it as he could with the manner and merits of the poem. This is all we know of Mr. Hogg personally; and we confess we found it hard at first to believe there was not some deception in the representation for his works, with much simplicity, bear no marks of an illiterate mind. He seems well acquainted with Scottish history and tradition, and manages them for the purposes of poetry with sufficient dexterity and familiarity. He has not only many excellences, but some faults which we should not have expected from a man of scanty education. He shows nothing of ignorance or awkwardness, and not much of the strength of unpolished genius. Certainly, without the publisher's information, we should not have suspected Mr. Hogg of having either more or less learning than generally enters into the composition of a poet. Yet the fact as stated gave him an imposing introduction, and excited more attention than his poem would have gained by its merit. On a little reflection, however, we were less surprised at it; for even taken in connexion with the very considerable success of his attempts in poetry, it rather proves Mr. Hogg to be a man of ardent curiosity and determined character, than of any very powerful genius. There is no doubt much mind required to overleap the disadvantages of low birth and confined education; and we do right to set a peculiar value on the success of unassisted efforts. But after all, it is no proof of that distinguished genius which is necessary to accomplish much in poetry. Mr. Hogg has done what few would have had the resolution and patience to accomplish; he has acquired considerable information, familiarity with language, and even good taste without the usual helps; this is undoubtedly evidence of some superiority, for no man can overmaster his condition without it. But it does not alone prove a peculiar talent for poetry. In judging of his power of poetry, we must compare him with other poets, and not estimate him by his disadvantages. It is difficult to determine the effect of education or the want of it on an individual surrounded by its remote influence and warmed by its reflected rays. We know how to judge and what to expect from mind in all its various stages from |