COLLINS, WILLIAM. 



COLLINS, WILLIAM. 



apprenticed to a bookseller at Oxford, but went abroad during the civil 

 war, and served the Venetians at sea against the Turks. After the 

 restoration he was made accountant to the Excise-office, which office 

 was abolished before 1 670. From that time he supported himself mostly 

 by his skill in accounts. He died in London, November 10, 1683. 



Colling was an early member of the Royal Society, and contributed 

 Bouie fair papers to its 'Transactions.' (Numbers 30, 46, 69, 159.) He 

 also wrote several elementary works, which it is not now necessary to 

 mention. His claims to remembrance are the iutimate communication 

 in which his attainments placed him with all men of science at home 

 and abroad, from Newton downwards. The influence of his request 

 and recommendation produced (as is asserted) Barrow's ' Lectures," 

 his ' Archimedes and Apollonius," Branker's translation of ' Rlionius,' 

 Kersey's ' Algebra,' and Wallis's ' History of Algebra.' The esteem in 

 which Collins, a poor accountant, was held by men so much above 

 him in external position, as Newton, Barrow, Wallis, &c., is honourable 

 to all parties. The principal result however of their epistolary inter- 

 course is the well-known work on the invention of fluxions, published 

 in 1712. under the title of 'Commercium Epistolicum,' &c. 



COLLINS, WILLIAM, the son of a hatter at Chicbester, was born 

 December 25, 1720. He was educated at Winchester, from which he 

 went to Queen's College, Oxford ; but in about half a year he removed 

 to Magdalen, on being elected a ' demy,' or scholar, of that body. 

 Soon after taking his Bachelor's degree he quitted the university 

 abruptly, about 1744, and repaired to London as a literary adven- 

 turer. He won the cordial regard of Johnson, then a nee.iy labourer 

 in the same vocation, who, in his ' Lives of the Poets," has spoken of 

 him with tenderness. He tells us that " his appearance was decent 

 and manly, his knowledge considerable, his views extensive, his con- 

 versation ilegant, and his disposition cheerful. He designed many 

 works, but his great fault was irresolution ; for the frequent calls of 

 immediate necessity broke his scheme, and suffered him to pursue no 

 settled purpose." 



Collina's ' Odes' were published on his own account in 1746. They 

 were not popular; and it is said that, rii-appointed at the slowness 

 of the sale, he burnt the remaining copies with his own hands. He 

 was relieved from big embarrassments by a legacy from an uncle of 

 20001. ; but worse evils than poverty overclouded the rest of his life : 

 he sank gradually into a gpecics of melancholy and intellectual languor, 

 to relieve which he resorted to intoxication. " Those clouds which 

 he perceived gathering on his intellect he endeavoured to disperse by 

 travel, and pas-ed into France ; but found himself constrained to yield 

 to bis malady, and returned. He was for some time confined in a house 

 of lunatics, a d afterwards retired to tiie care of his sister at Chichester, 

 whera death in 1756 came to his relief." (' Lives of Poets.') 



Collins is inferior to no English lyric poet of the 18th century 

 except Qray. His odes to ' Fear ' and the ' Passions ' afford the best 

 specimens of bis genius, and the well-known ' Dirge in Cvmbeline ' is 

 admirable in a softer style. HU poetical merits Dr. Johnson did not 

 rightly appreciate. Mis. Barbiuld, in her edition of his works, has 

 given a more just and favourable character of them. " He will be 

 acknowledged to possess imagination, sweetness, bold and figurative 

 language. His numbers dwell upon the ear, and easily fix themselves 

 in the memory. Hig vein of sentiment is by turns tender and lofty, 

 alwa\s tinged with a degree of melancholy, but not possessing any 

 claims to originality. HH originality consists in his manner, in the 

 highly figurative garb iu which he clothes abstract ideas, in the felicity 

 of his expressions, and his skill in embodying ideal creations. As it 

 wag, he did not enjoy much of the public favour ; but posterity has 

 done him justice, aud assigned him an honourable rank among those of 

 our poets who are more distinguished by excellence than by bulk." 



COLLINS, WILLIAM, R.A., was born iu Great TitchfiekUtreet, 

 London, September 18, 1787. Hi* father, a native of Wicklow, was 

 the author of various works which attracted some notice in their 

 day ; among others a poem on the slave trade, a novel entitled 

 ' Memoirs of a Picture,' and a ' Life of George Morland.' The elder 

 Collins was a picture-dealer as well as an author, though in neither 

 calling had he had much pecuniary success. Morland was a friend 

 of his, and when his son began to exhibit a fondness for art aud gome 

 (kill in drawing, he readily obtained Norland's consent that the youth 

 might gland beside him and watch him paint. William made tolerable 

 progreH in big pictorial studies. He entered in 1SU7 as a student at 

 the Royal Academy at the game time as Ktty, and in after life the 

 two KA.'s were fond of comparing their early drawings and subse- 

 quent progress. His eailiest appearance eg an exhibitor on the walls 

 of the Royul Academy was in 1S07, when he contributed two small 

 ' Views on Millbank,' and from that time, with the exception of two 

 yean when he wai away in Italy, ho did not mias an exhibition for 

 the remaining nine-and-thirty years of his life. His father's death 

 in 1812 threw upon the young painter serious responsibilities, but 

 these only stimulated him to increased exertions. For gome time he 

 was forced to paint portraits as the readiest means of securing a 

 moderate income, but his landscapes and rustic groups began to 

 make their way, and he was Boon enabled to follow the bent of his 

 genius. Almost from the tirst he showed his fondness for painting 

 groups of homely children engaged iu some favourite diversion, or 

 taking part in gomo juvenile trick ; but it was not till the year 

 following his election as associate of the academy, which took place 



MOO. DIV. VOL. II. 



in 1814, that he struck into that path the representation of coast 

 gcenery whieh perhaps most surely led him to fame aud fortune. 

 From that time indeed, from some three, or four years previous 

 Collins never wanted patrons; his course from first to last was one 

 of moderate but unbroken success. 



As a painter of rustic life, or rather, perhaps, we ought to say of 

 country children and homely country scenery, Collius had hardly a rival. 

 He watched the habits and not-d every movement of the rough aud 

 unsophisticated urchins, and seldom failed to depict them in their most 

 natural and unrestrained gaiety. Swinging on a gate, ' happy as a 

 king ; ' gazing with unbounded admiration at the newly born puppy; 

 enticing the ' stray kitten ; ' outwitted by the saucy robin just at the 

 moment when making sure that the pinch of salt was about to fall 

 on the bird's tail ; exhibiting the fresh-found nest ; buying the 

 cherries, however the youngsters were represented the truth of the 

 portraiture was at once apparent : and some quaint or novel incident 

 was sure to be added, which marked more graphically than even the 

 principal feature, the keenness of the painter's eye, and the skilfuloess 

 of his hand. In Ms coast scenes these characteristics were equally 

 visible ; and equally evident al-o was his happiuess in his choic-) of 

 a subject. In neither was there ever any attempt to surprise or excite. 

 The painter knew exactly what was within the range of his powers. 

 He saw his subject clearly ; knew what he meant to accomplish, and 

 seldom failed to accomplish it. Hence Lia pictures, apart altogether 

 from their artistic skill, always appear to have a purpose. Tbey show 

 that there was something which really interested aud pleased the 

 painter, and as a consequence the spectator is himself also interested 

 and pleased. But their technical qualities are of a very high order. 

 Colling had an excellent eye for form, chiaroscuro, aud colour. From 

 the first he painted always with the greatest conscientiousness. He 

 never slighted any part of his work, and always did his best; and 

 hence his course exhibited continual progress. In his^eai-lier pictures 

 there may be traced something of feebleness arising from an excess of 

 anxiety to render his work perfect. But, with increased command 

 over his materials, he gradually acquired greater breadth and vigour; 

 and though he always continued to finish his pictures with scrupulous 

 care, he early recognised the truth of the axiom that mere correctness 

 of detail is not finish. And then with this technical and manipulative 

 skill there was shown a close study of nature. The receding or 

 advancing wave, the moist or parched sand, the teeming clouds, every 

 phase and every feature of earth, aud sea, and sky, were faithfully 

 observed and unobtrusively represented. No wonder that in a 

 country like this, where every one who can turns to the scenery of 

 nature with never-tiring zest, such faithful transcripts of her com- 

 moner aspects, animated too by life-like groups of those peasant 

 children who, to city dwellers at least, always seem so genuine a part 

 of the scenery, should have found abundant admirers aud ready 

 purchasers. 



In 1836 Mr. Collins visited Italy, and remained there nearly two 

 years; diligently availing himself of every opportunity of examining 

 the workg of the great masters, but at the same time filling his sketch- 

 book with transcripts of the more striking features of the natural 

 scenery and careful studies of the monks and peasants, and, above all, 

 of the children, in that land of lazy enjoyment and perennial beauty. 

 On his return in 1839, he sent to the Academy as the fruits of his 

 journey two views in Naples : one with groups of young lazzaroni 

 playing the game of ' arravoglio ; ' the other with ' Poor Travellers at 

 the Door of a Capuchin Convent ;' also a view at Subiaco. They 

 manifested an increase of artistic knowledge aud power, aud were 

 greatly admired. The next year he appeared in quite a new branch 

 of art, that of historical painting. With increasing years, Mr. Collins 

 had been increasing in the depth and earnestness of his devotional 

 feelings, aud he not unnaturally felt a strong desire to represent in his 

 own way the scenes on whidh his imagination loved to dwell. ' Oui- 

 Saviour with the Doctors in the Temple ' accordingly appeared on the 

 Academy walls in 1840; 'The Two Disciples at Emmaus' iu 1841. 

 They of course attracted attention, and supplied a topic of conversa- 

 tion in art circles, nor did they fail of purchasers; but it was felt to 

 be a positive relief by the great body of the painter's admirers when, 



never did Collins enjoy more general popularity as a painter than in 

 these last three or four years of his life. 



Collins's journey to Italy not ouly led him to waste on uncongenial 

 subjects geveral of the best years of his life, but during it he laid the 

 foundation of the disease which shortened his days. It was not how- 

 ever till 1844 that disease of the heart declared itself in a decided 

 form ; but from that time he obtained only temporary relief from its 

 distressing symptoms, though he laboured on at his calling with un- 

 abated industry, and almost to the last with little perceptible loss of 

 power. He died on the 17th of February 1847, at his house, Devon- 

 port-street, Hyde Park Gardens. 



Collins was elected R.A. in 1820; in 1840 he was appointed librarian 

 to the Academy, but resigned it on finding that its duties required a 

 greater devotion of time than he could afford to give to them. Collins 

 was, as we have already noticed, fortunate in early finding friendly and 



