Colonel Elliot has taken this course.  By far the most blighting of the many charges made by Colonel Elliot against Sir Walter Scott are concerned with the ballad of Auld Maitland. [19a]  After stating that, in his opinion, “several stanzas” of the ballad are by Sir Walter himself, Colonel Elliot sums up his own ideas thus:

“My view is that Hogg, in the first instance, tried to palm off the ballad on Scott, and failed; and then Scott palmed it off on the public, and succeeded . . . let us, as gentlemen and honest judges, admit that the responsibility of the deception rests rather on the laird (Scott) than on the herd” (Hogg.) [19b]

If Colonel Elliot’s “views” were correct (and it is absolutely erroneous), the guilt of “the laird” would be great.  Scott conspires with a shepherd, a stranger, to palm off a forgery on the public.  Scott issues the f. . . Read More