Page:Biographical and critical studies by James Thomson ("B.V.").djvu/415

 JAMES HOGG 399 which are now given in their collected form at the end of this volume, as his Autobiography." They had better have come immediately after or before the Life, and the last partly should be mainly, Mr. Thomson having little to add save by way of dis- quisition and amplification. Fortunately the real Shepherd is pretty fully pictured to us in his own reminiscences and other writings, whose self-por- traiture agrees very well with the various casual sketches by his contemporaries, for he was genuine and simple to the core, and delightfully outspoken j and by help of these we can discern that there is a good deal of the actual man in the stage-presentation of the "Noctes." Thus he prefaces his fragmentary Autobiography: — "I like to write about myself; in fact there are few things which I like better ; it is so delightful to call up old reminiscences. Often have I been laughed at, for what an Edinburgh editor styles my good-natured egotism, which is sometimes anything but that ; and I am aware that I shall be laughed at again. But I care not. ... I shall re- late with the same frankness as formerly ; and in all, relating either to others or myself, speak fearlessly and unreservedly out." And he keeps his word. He tells us that he was the second of four sons by the same father and mother, Robert Hogg, and Margaret Laidlaw, and was born the 25 th January, 1772. The parish register, however, records his baptism on the 9th December, 1770, and his birth may have taken place some considerable time before. He himself was decided as to the day and month, it being the anniversary of the birth of Burns ; and not less decided as to the year, if we may trust a