Eleven years to the day after the poet, Robert Burns was born, another boy was born in Scotland who would reserve a place in the history of Scottish literature, his name was James Hogg, born on January 25th, 1770.
Burns and Hogg's lives were very similar, their fathers were both tenant farmers and both boys only attended school for several years due to the financial restraints of their families. Burns became a ploughman and Hogg a shepherd, their education came from books and of course life.
While it seems never the twain did meet, their social circles had crossed. Hogg had the privilege to be mentored by Sir Walter Scott although having only met him once at the age of sixteen, was inspired by the great bard.
Having only a little education as children didn't hold these two men back, because they had a hunger for knowledge. An appetite that can only be satiated by books. Keep on writing authors.
"What is the life of a man more than the life of a lamb, or any guiltless animal?" - James Hogg
https://www.amazon.co.uk/James-Hogg/e/B001ITTH56
No comments:
Post a Comment