by the excellence of the fentiments, and the artifice of the copy, the mind has two amusements together. But fuch compofitions are not to be reckoned among the great atchievements of intellect, because their effect is local and temporary; they appeal not to reafon or paffion, but to memory, and pre-fuppofe an accidental or artificial ftate of mind. An imitation of Spenfer is nothing to a reader, however acute, by whom Spenfer has never been perused. Works of this kind may deserve praife, as proofs of great industry, and great nicety of obfervation: but the highest praife, the praise of genius, they cannot claim. The nobleft beauties of art are thofe of which the effect is co-extended with rational nature, or at leaft with the whole circle of polished life; what is lefs than this can be only pretty, the plaything of fashion, and the amufement of a day.

THERE is in the "Adventurer" a paper of verfes given to one of the authors as Mr. Weft's, and fuppofed to have been written by him. It fhould not be concealed, however, that it is printed with Mr. Jago's name in Dodfley's Collection, and is mentioned as his in a Letter of Shenftone's. Perhaps Weft gave it without naming the author; and Hawkefworth, receiving it from him, thought it his; for his he thought it, as he told me, and as he tells the publick.

COLLINS.

COLLIN S.

WILLIAM COLLINS was born at Chichester, on the twenty-fifth day of December, about 1720. His father 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 exercises were better than his Latin.

He firft courted the notice of the publick by fome verfes to a "Lady weeping," published in "The "Gentleman's Magazine."

In 1740, he stood firft in the lift of the fcholars to be received in fucceffion at New College, but unhappily there was no vacancy. 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 reason I know not that he told.

He

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 irrefolution; or the frequent calls of immediate neceffity broke his scheme, and fuffered him to pursue no fettled purpose. A man doubtful of his dinner, or trembling at a creditor, is not much disposed to abftracted meditation, or remote enquiries. He published proposals for a Hiftory of the Revival of Learning; and I have heard him speak with great kindness of Leo the Tenth, and with keen refentment of his taftelefs fucceffor. But probably not a page of his history was ever written. He planned feveral tragedies, but he only planned them. He wrote now-and-then odes and other poems, and did fomething, however little.

His ap

About this time I fell into his company. pearance 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 ftreet. On this occafion recourse 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 thousand pounds; a fum which Collins could scarcely think exhauftible, and which he did not live to exhauft. The guineas were then repaid, and the tranflation neglected.

But

T

But man is not born for happiness. Collins, who, while he ftudied to live, felt no evil but poverty, no fooner ived to study than his life was affailed by more dreadful calamities, disease, and infanity.

Having formerly written his character, while perhaps it was yet more diftinctly impreffed upon my memory, I fhall infert it here.

"Mr. Collins was a man of extenfive literature, and of vigorous faculties. He was acquainted not only with the learned tongues, but with the Italian, French, and Spanish languages. He had employed his mind chiefly on the works of fiction, and fubjects of fancy; and, by indulging fome peculiar habits of thought, was eminently delighted with those flights. of imagination which pafs the bounds of nature, and to which the mind is reconciled only by a paffive acquiefcence in popular traditions. He loved fairies, genii, giants, and monfters; he delighted to rove through the meanders of inchantment, to gaze on the magnificence of golden palaces, to repofe by the water-falls of Elyfian gardens.

This was however the character rather of his inclination than his genius; the grandeur of wildness, and the novelty of extravagance, were always defired by him, but not always attained. Yet, as diligence is never wholly loft, if his efforts fometimes caufed harfhnefs and obfcurity, they likewife produced in happier moments fublimity and fplendour. This idea which he had formed of excellence led him to oriental fictions and allegorical imagery, and perhaps, while he was intent upon defcription, he did not fuffi

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ciently