''The Queen's Wake'' is a narrative poem by

James Hogg James Hogg (1770 – 21 November 1835) was a Scottish poet, novelist and essayist who wrote in both Scots and English. As a young man he worked as a shepherd and farmhand, and was largely self-educated through reading. He was a friend of many ...

, first published in 1813. It consists of an Introduction, three Nights, and a Conclusion, totalling over five thousand lines, and there are also authorial notes. The poem presents the contributions, in various metres, of a series of Scottish bards to a competition organised by

Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legitimate child of James V of Scot ...

on her arrival in Scotland from France in 1561.

Background

In his 'Memoir of the Author's Life', revised in 1832, Hogg maintained that he was encouraged by his friend John Grieve to build on his earlier poetic achievements as he sought to begin a literary career in Edinburgh. He recalled that, recognising that what he had produced recently, including pieces for his periodical '' The Spy'', consisted of ballads or metrical tales, he decided that if he was to produce a long poem it would best consist of a collection of such shorter pieces: from this came the idea of the framework afforded by a bardic competition staged by Mary, Queen of Scots. 'Macgregor', sung by the eleventh bard, and 'King Edward's Dream', sung by the fifteenth, appeared in ''The Spy''. The bulk of ''The Queen's Wake'' was probably composed between March and September 1812.

Editions

First and second editions

''The Queen's Wake: A Legendary Poem, by James Hogg'' was first published by George Goldie in Edinburgh, and by

Longman Longman, also known as Pearson Longman, is a publishing company founded in London, England, in 1724 and is owned by Pearson PLC. Since 1968, Longman has been used primarily as an imprint by Pearson's Schools business. The Longman brand is also ...

, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown in London on 30 January 1813. On 14 June the same publishers re-issued the copies remaining unsold as a second edition, with replacement pages at the beginning and end.

Third and fourth editions

Goldie published a third edition, this time with

Henry Colburn Henry Colburn (1784 – 16 August 1855) was a British publisher. Life Virtually nothing is known about Henry Colburn's parentage or early life, and there is uncertainty over his year of birth. He was well-educated and fluent in French and h ...

in London, on 14 July 1814: for this Hogg made a number of changes, notably providing 'The Witch of Fife' with a happy ending at the suggestion of

Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels ''Ivanhoe'', ''Rob Roy (n ...

and modernising the language of 'Kilmeny'. Goldie then became bankrupt, and the edition was re-issued as the fourth on 15 December 1814 published by

William Blackwood William Blackwood (20 November 177616 September 1834) was a Scottish publisher who founded the firm of William Blackwood and Sons. Life Blackwood was born in Edinburgh on 20 November 1776. At the age of 14 he was apprenticed to a firm of book ...

in Edinburgh and John Murray in London.

Fifth and sixth editions

In 1819 a fifth edition appeared, carefully revised by Hogg from the third, notably expanding the portraits of the eighth, ninth, and eleventh bards, with illustrations aimed at a subscription readership. It was published by Blackwood and Murray and accompanied by a sixth edition using the same type but smaller sheets.

Critical edition

A critical edition, by Douglas S. Mack, appeared as Volume 14 in the Stirling/South Carolina Research Edition of The Complete Works of James Hogg published by Edinburgh University Press in 2004. This presents emended texts of the first and fifth editions.

Summary

''Introduction'' On her arrival in Scotland, Mary, Queen of Scots summons the nation's bards to a competition at Christmas 813: at Easter ''Night the First'' In 'Malcolm of Lorn', the first bard, Rizzio, sings elaborately of a youth who is grief-stricken when his beloved sails for foreign parts with her father and expires just as she returns. In 'Young Kennedy', the second bard, Gardyn, sings of Kennedy's seduction of Matilda and murder of her father, whose spirit haunts their marriage bed, driving Matilda to madness and death. In 'The Witch of Fife', the eighth bard, from Leven, sings of an old man who follows his wife and other witches to Carlisle to drink the bishop's wine. n 1813 he is burnt alive, in 1819 rescued by his wife. ''Night the Second'' In 'Glen-Avin', the ninth bard, Farquhar of Spey, sings of a sage who dies defying the Spirit of the Storm in the Cairngorms. In 'Old David', the tenth bard, from Hogg's Ettrick, sings of the rescue by David and his seven sons of the beloved of one of them from a cave where she is imprisoned by marauders taken to be fairies. The eleventh bard, from Lomond, sings 'The Spectre's Cradle-Song' and 'Macgregor', the latter telling of the eponymous warrior's abduction by a mysterious fatal woman. In 'Earl Walter', the twelfth bard, from Clyde, sings of young Walter Hamilton's defeating Lord Darcie in single combat before the king and being rewarded with his daughter's hand. In 'Kilmeny', the thirteenth bard, Drummond of Ern, sings of a young woman who is taken to 'the land of thochte' and returns for a period to impart 'wordis of wonder, and wordis of truthe'. ''Night the Third'' In 'Mary Scott', the fourteenth bard, from the Borders, sings of how Lord Pringle of Torwoodlee disguises himself as an abbot to visit his beloved Mary, daughter of his rival Tushilaw. When their liaison is discovered, her mother poisons her, but after his forces have triumphed Lord Pringle restores her to life with a kiss, they marry, and peace prevails. In 'King Edward's Dream', the fifteenth bard, from Lammermoor, sings of the dying Edward I's vision of a future free Scotland entering into a voluntary union with England. In 'Drumlanrig', the sixteenth bard, from Nithsdale, sings of the defeat of the Earl of Lennox's invading force by James Douglas of Drumlanrig. Douglas is spurred on by May Morison, who has been abducted by the English and whose brother falls in the conflict: at the end she accepts him as her husband. In 'The Abbot M'Kinnon', the seventeenth bard, from the Hebrides, sings of the sinking of the Abbot of Iona's ship in retribution for his liaison with Matilda of Skye in male disguise. ''Conclusion'' After a passionate debate between the factions at Court, Queen Mary's harp is awarded to Gardyn. The Ettrick bard is happy to receive a less elaborate instrument, which will eventually be inherited by Hogg.

Reception

The first edition of ''The Queen's Wake'' was enthusiastically received by almost all of the reviewers as a triumph by a self-taught genius. The only dissenting voice was ''

The Eclectic Review ''The Eclectic Review'' was a British periodical published monthly during the first half of the 19th century aimed at highly literate readers of all classes. Published between 1805 and 1868, it reviewed books in many fields, including literature, h ...

'', which objected to the modern obsession with supernatural beings. The third edition was boosted by a favourable review by

Francis Jeffrey Francis Jeffrey, Lord Jeffrey (23 October 1773 – 26 January 1850) was a Scottish judge and literary critic. Life He was born at 7 Charles Street near Potterow in south Edinburgh, the son of George Jeffrey, a clerk in the Court of Session ...

in ''The

Edinburgh Review The ''Edinburgh Review'' is the title of four distinct intellectual and cultural magazines. The best known, longest-lasting, and most influential of the four was the third, which was published regularly from 1802 to 1929. ''Edinburgh Review'', ...

'', recognising poetry of a high order, though elsewhere there were less sympathetic verdicts.Mack, ''op. cit.'', lxiv‒lxv.

References

{{Authority control 1813 poems Scottish poetry Romantic poets Mary, Queen of Scots