COLLINS.

W

ILLIAM COLLINS was born at Chichester on the twenty fifth of December, about 1720. His fa ther was a hatter of good reputation. He was in 1733, as Dr. Warton has kindly informed me, admitted fcholar of Winchester College, where he was educated by Dr. Burton. His English exereifes were better than his Latine:

He first courted the notice of the

publick by fomne verfes to a Lady weep

ing, published in the Gentleman's Magas

zine.

A

In

In 1740, he stood firft in the lift of the scholars to be received in fucceffion at New College; but unhappily there was no vacancy. This was the original misfortune of his life. He became a Commoner of Queen's College, probably with a scanty maintenance; but was in about half a year elected a Demy of Magdalen College, where he continued till he had taken a Bachelor's degree, and then fuddenly left the University; for what reafon I know not that he told.

He now (about 1744) came to London a literary adventurer, with many projects in his head, and very little money in his pocket. He defigned many works; but his great fault was irrefo lution,

lution, or the frequent calls of immediate neceffity broke his fchemes, and fuffered him to purfue no fettled purpofe. A man, doubtful of his dinner, or trembling at a creditor, is not much difpofed to abstracted meditation, or remote enquiries. He publifhed propofals for a History of the Revival of Learning; and I have heard him fpeak with great kindness of Leo the Tenth, and with keen refentment of his taftelefs fucceffor. But probably not a page of the History was ever written. He planned several tragedies, but he only planned them. He wrote now-and-then odes and other poems, and did fomething, however little.

About this time I fell into his company. His appearance was decent and manly; his knowledge confiderable, his views extenfive, his converfation elegant, and his difpofition chearful. By degrees I gained his confidence; and one day was admitted to him when he was immured by a bailiff, that was prowling in the street. On this occafion recourfe was had to the bookfellers, who, on the credit of a tranflation of Ariftotle's Poeticks, which he engaged to write with a large commentary, advanced as much money as enabled him to efcape into the country. He fhewed me the guineas fafe in his hand. Soon afterwards his uncle, Mr. Martin, a lieutenant-colonel, left him about two thou

fand