4l8 CRITICAL STUDIES prodigiously after he got into the dark bothy, re- peating all his early pieces of poetry, and part of his brother's [Thomas Mouncey Cunningham] to me. The two partook heartily, and without reserve, of my scrip and bottle of sweet milk ; and the elder had a strong bottle with him — I have forgot whether it was brandy or rum, but I remember it was excessively good, and helped to keep up our spirits to a late hour." Hogg after this often visited them at Dal- swinton, and he and Allan were firm friends to the last. When, in 1810, Cromek brought out the "Remains of Nithsdale and Galloway Song," Hogg at once declared that Allan Cunningham was the author of all that was beautiful in the work, and found Scott decidedly of the same opinion; "and he wished to God we had that valuable and original young man [then about 25; born 1785] fairly out of Cromek's hands again." Meanwhile, excited by the " Minstrelsy," Hogg had been gathering old Border traditions and turning many of them into new-old ballads. These Scott warmly praised, and the next time Hogg went to Edinburgh with sheep he waited on Scott to ask his influence toward their publication. Scott invited him and Laidlaw to dinner in Castle Street. The good shepherd was quite aware that his manners were rustical and not urbane, but thought he could never do wrong to copy the lady of the house ; so, finding Mrs. Scott, then in deHcate health, reclining on a sofa in the drawing-room, he made his best bow and stretched himself at full length on another sofa oppo- site hers. Lockhart, who tells the story in his "Life of Scott," goes on : "As his dress at this period was
