oung bookseller, "The Queen's Wake" issued from his
establishment in the spring of 1813. Its success was complete; two
editions were speedily circulated, and the fame of the author was
established. With the exception of the _Eclectic Review_, every
periodical accorded its warmest approbation to the performance; and
vacillating friends, who began to doubt the Shepherd's power of
sustaining the character he had assumed as a poet and a man of letters,
ceased to entertain their misgivings, and accorded the warmest tributes
to his genius. A commendatory article in the _Edinburgh Review_, in
November 1814, hailed the advent of a third edition.

By the unexpected insolvency of his publisher, while the third edition
was in process of sale, Hogg had nearly sustained a recurrence of
pecuniary loss. This was, however, fortunately prevented by the
considerate beneficence of Mr Goldie's trustees, who, on receiving
payment of the printing expenses, made over the remainder of the
impression to the author. One of the trustees was Mr Blackwood,
afterwards the celebrated publisher of _Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine_.
Hogg had now attained the unenviable reputation of a literary prodigy,
and his studies were subject to constant interruption from admirers, and
the curious who visited the capital. But he gave all a cordial
reception, and was never less accessible amidst the most arduous
literary occupation. There was one individual whose acquaintance he was
especially desirous of forming; this was John Wilson, whose poem, "The
Isle of Palms," published in 1812, had particularly arrested his
admiration. Wilson had come to reside in Edinburgh during a portion of
the year, but as yet had few acquaintances in the city. He was slightly
known to Scott; but a peculiarity of his was a hesitation in granting
letters of introduction. In despair of otherwise meeting him, Hogg, who
had reviewed his poem in the _Scots Magazine_, sent him an invitation to
dinner, which the Lake-poet was pleased cordially to accept. That dinner
began one of the most interesting of the Shepherd's friendships; both
the poets were pleased with each other, and the closest intimacy ensued.
It was on his way to visit Wilson, at Elleray, his seat in Cumberland,
during the autumn of 1814, that the Shepherd formed the acquaintance of
the Poet-laureate. He had notified to Southey his arrival at one of the
hotels in Keswick, and begged the privilege of a visit. Southey promptly
ackn