CHAPTER III. 



The following letter, signed ''V." (= Vitus), the 

 original of which, Mr. Moy Thomas, in his memoir 

 of Collins, mentions having seen in Gilbert White's 

 handwriting, appeared in the * Gentleman's Maga- 

 zine ' for 1781 (vol. li. pp. 11, 12). It is interesting 

 as showing his acquaintance with William Collins, 

 who was a Chichester man, but not quite accurate in 

 all details concerning the career of the unfortunate 

 poet, who died in 1759. What called forth the 

 letter does not appear, but Langhorne published an 

 edition of Collins poems in 1781, and Johnson's 

 life of Collins (in his 'Lives of the Poets') 

 appeared in the same year : — 



January 20 th. 



Mr. Urban, — William Collins, the poet, I was intimately 

 acquainted with from the time that he came to reside at 

 Oxford. He was the son of a tradesman at the city of 

 Chichester, I think an hatter ; and being sent very young to 

 Winchester School, was soon distinguished for his early 

 proficiency, and his turn for elegant composition. About 

 the year 1740 he came off from that Seminary fi^^st upon 



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