Wtl.} 
formance of some of the principal actors 
of the Drury-lane company, as produced 
two or three actions of damages, ) which 
the proprietor of the Journal was glad to 
compromise, at the expsnse of heavy 
costs, and a handsome sum to the the- 
atrical fund. 
Surrey, June 2, 1811. FAB: 
EE 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
N enquiry is made in your Jast Num- 
ber, page 352, concerning Arthur 
Collier, and the tracts which he pub- 
lished in defence of the Berkleian hypo- 
thesis. All the information I can give 
upon the subject, is, that Mr. Collier was 
rector of Longford Magna, near Salisbury, 
and in 1713, printed an octava pamphlet 
of 140 paves, with this title, ‘‘ Clavis 
Universalis: or a New Inquiry after 
Truth, being a demonstration of the non- 
existence of an external world.” Some 
idea of the work inay be formed from the 
introduction, in which the author says,’ 
“The question I am concerned about, is 
in general this, whether there be any such 
thing as an external world? And my 
title will suffice to inform my reader, that 
the negative of this question is the point 
Tam to demonstrate. In order to which, 
let us first explain the terms. Accor- 
dingly, by world, I mean whatsoever is 
usually understood by the terms, body, 
extension, space, matter, quantity, &c. 
if there be any other word in our English 
tongue, which is synonymous with all or 
any of these terms. And now nothing 
remains but the explication of the word 
external. By this, in general, I under- 
stand, the same as is usually understood 
by the words, absolute, self- existed, znde- 
pendent, &c. and this is what [ deny of 
all mdtter, body, extension, &c. Se- 
condly, and more particularly, that by 
not independent, not absolutely existent, 
not external, I mean and contend for no. 
thing less, than that all matter, body, 
extension, &c. exists in, or in dependence 
on mind, thought, or perception, and 
that it is not capable of an existence; 
which is not thus dependent.” 
In this pamphlet frequent reference is 
made to Mallebranche and Morris, but 
‘not the slightest allusion to Berkeley’s 
“ Treatise concerning the Principles of 
Human Knowledge :” though the first part 
of this very ingenious work was printed 
at Dublin, in 1710. IT apprehend, how- 
ever, that Collier was really unacquainted 
with Berkeley’s treatise, since in his 
Clavis he says that he had pauged and 
Information respecting Arthur Collier. 
tures of Gaudentio di 
5th 
deliberated ten years before he came to 
the resolution of publishing his notions, 
Yet if Collier is clear of plagiarism, he 
has not a just claim to originality; the 
principle which he maintains with meta= 
physical subtlety being contained in Mr. 
Morris’s “Theory of an Ideal World.” 
T find that one Arthur Collier, of Peme- 
broke College, Oxford, proceeded M.A, 
July 7, 1670; and another of both these 
names, of Trinity College, in the same 
university, took the degree of B.C.L. 
December 1, 1782, and doctor in the 
same faculty, April 23, 1737. 
Having mentioned the excellent bishop 
Berkeley, I take this opportunity of re~ 
marking upon an assertion in your 27th 
volume, page 237, that the romance of 
Gaudentio di Lucca, was written by Mr, 
Simon Berington. ‘Phat book has ge- 
nerally been ascribed to Berkeley, and E 
have strong reasons for believing that he 
actually composed it during his residence 
at Oxford. Be that as it may, no person 
acquainted with the productions of Be- 
Tington, can believe for a moment that 
he was the author of Gaudentio di Lucca, 
His principal performance, entituled, 
¢ Dissertations on the Mosaical Creation, 
Deluge, &c.” lies now before me, and 
some reader has written on the first blank 
leaf, the following note, which expresses 
very justly, in my opinion, the literary 
character of Mr. Bevington. 
“The author of this book was a Ro- 
mish priest of Shropshire, and a mai of 
great eccentricity of manners, as well as 
of principles. The reader will perceive 
by the perusal of this work, that he was 
very dogmatical, yet superficial, and but 
little acquainted with the subjects he pre- 
tended to elucidate. He attacks the 
Hutchinsonians. with vehemence and 
scurrility, yet abuses them for their want 
of candour and good manners, “ The style 
of Berington is perplexed, vulgar, and 
ungrammatical.” In addition to this, 
and to shew what a narrow-minded 
sciolist Berington was, he adopted and 
defended in his tenth dissertation, the 
Tychonian system, in opposition to the 
Copernican, merely because the papal 
decree had anathematized the doctrine of 
the earth’s motion round the sun, Of 
Mr. Berington’s elegant diction and 
profound argumentation upon this sub- 
ject, take a specimen, and ther con- 
clude, if you can, that the mind of such 
a man could bave producer! the Adven- 
Tucca ** Our 
moderns,” says he, §¢ take it for granted, 
and run away with the notion sami 
; hea 
