COLLINS, Anthony, a polemical writer, born at Hes-ten, near Hounslow, in the county of Middlesex, in 1676, was the son of Henry Collins, a gentleman of about L.1500 a-year. He was first bred at Eton College, and then went to King’s College, Cambridge, where he had for his tutor Mr Francis Hare, afterwards Bishop of Chichester. He was subsequently a student of the Temple; but not relishing the law, he soon abandoned the study. He was an ingenious man, and the author of several curious books. His first remarkable piece was published in 1707, being entitled An Essay concerning the Use of Reason in Propositions, the Evidence whereof depends on Human Testimony. In 1702, he entered into the controversy between Mr Clarke and Dr Dodwell concerning the immortality of the soul. In 1713, he published his discourse on Free-thinking, which made a prodigious noise. In 1725 he retired into the county of Essex, and acted as a justice of peace and deputy-lieutenant for the same county, as he had before done for that of Middlesex and the liberty of Westminster. The same year he published a Philosophical Essay concerning Human Liberty. In 1718 he was chosen treasurer of the county of Essex; and this office he discharged with great credit. In 1724 he published his Historical and Critical Essay on the Thirty-nine Articles. Soon afterwards he published his Discourse of the Grounds and Deasons of the Christian Religion ; to which is prefixed An Apology for Free Debate and Liberty of Writing; which piece was immediately attacked by a great number of authors. In 1726 appeared his Scheme of Literary Prophecy considered, in a View of the Controversy occasioned by a late Hook, entitled A Discourse of the Grounds, <S-'C. In this Discourse he mentions a manuscript dissertation of his, showing that the Sibylline oracles were a forgery executed in the times of the primitive Christians, who, for that reason, were called Sibyllists by the Pagans; but it never appeared in print. His Scheme of Literary Prophecy was replied to by several writers, and particularly by Dr John Rogers, in his Necessity of Divine Revelation asserted; in answer to which our author wrote A Letter to the Reverend Dr Rogers, on the occasion on this publication. His health began to decline some years before his death; and he was much afflicted with the stone, which at last put an end to his life, at his house in Harley Square, in 1729. He was interred in Oxford Chapel, where a monument, with an epitaph in Latin, was erected to his memory. His curious library was open to men of letters, to whom he readily communicated all the assistance[7:7:87] in his power; he even furnished his antagonists with books to confute himself, and directed them how to give their arguments ail the force of which they were capable. He was, independently of his scepticism, a sincerely good man.

Collins, William, an admired poet, was born at Chichester about the year 1724. He received his classical education at Winchester, after which he studied at New College in Oxford, was admitted a commoner of King’s College in the same university, and at length elected a demy of Magdalene College. Whilst at Oxford he applied himself to the study of poetry, and published his Oriental Eclogues; after which he came to London. He was naturally possessed of an car for all the varieties of harmony and modulation; his heart was susceptible of the finest feelings of tenderness and humanity, and was particularly carried away by that high enthusiasm which gives to imagination its strongest colouring; and he was at once capable of soothing the ear with the melody of his numbers, of influencing the passions by the force of pathos, and of gratifying the fancy by the luxury of description. With these powers he attempted lyric poetry, and in 1746 published his Odes descriptive and allegorical; but the sale of this work being not at all answerable to its merit, he, from a feeling of indignation, burnt the remaining copies. Being a man of a liberal spirit and small fortune, his pecuniary resources were unhappily soon exhausted; and his life became a miserable example of necessity, indolence, and dissipation. He projected books which he was well able to execute, and became in idea an historian, a critic, and a dramatic poet; but he wanted the means and encouragement to carry these ideas into execution. Day succeeded day, for the support of which he had made no provision; and he was obliged to subsist, either by the repeated contributions of friends or the generosity of casual acquaintance. His spirits became oppressed, and he sunk into a sullen despondence. Whilst in this gloomy state of mind, his uncle Colonel Martin died, and left him a considerable fortune. But this came too late for enjoyment; he had been so long harassed by anxiety and distress, that he fell into a nervous disorder, which at length reduced the finest understanding to the most deplorable childishness. In the first stages of this disorder he endeavoured to relieve himself by travelling, and passed into France; but his growing malady obliged him to return; and having, with short intervals, continued in this pitiable state till the year 1756, he died in the arms of his sister.

The following character of the poetry of Collins is drawn by Mrs Barbauld, and is extracted from an essay prefixed to an edition of his works published in 1797. “He will be acknowledged to possess imagination, sweetness, bold and figurative language. His numbers dwell on the ear, and easily fix themselves in the memory. His vein of sentiment is by turns tender and lofty, always tinged with a degree of melancholy, but not possessing any claim to originality. His originality consists in his manner, in the highly figurative garb <n which he clothes abstract ideas, in the felicity of his expressions, and his skill in embodying ideal creations. He had much of the mysticism of poetry, and sometimes became obscure, by aiming at impressions stronger than he had clear and well-defined ideas to support. Had his life been prolonged, and had lie with life enjoyed that ease which is necessary for the undisturbed exercise of the faculties, he would probably have risen far above most of his contemporaries.”

lhe last and best edition of his works is that published by the Rev. A. Dyce in 1827, in 8vo. It contains his Life by Dr Johnson, observations on his writings by Dr Langhorne, and biographical and critical notes by the editor.