494: 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
LETTER from MR JOHN RAGSDALE, 
containing an ACCOUNT of COLLINS 
the POET; the ORIGINAL of which 
avas communicated by the Rev. 
BOWE, Vicar of CHILDWALL, Now. 
¥3, 1798. 
“« Hill fireet, Richmond in Surry, 
sCSTR, Fitly 1783. 
ee OUR favour of the 30:h JuneI did 
not receive till yefterday. The 
perfun who has the care of my houfe in 
Bond-ftreet, expe&ting me there every 
day, did not fend ig te Richmond, or I 
would have an{wered fooner. As you ex- 
prefs a with to know every particular, 
however triflingagiating to Mr. William 
Coilins, Twill endeavour (fo far as can 
be done by a letter) to fatisfy you. There 
are many little anecdotes which tell well 
enough in converfation, but would be 
tirefome for you to read or me to write, 
fo fhall pafs them over. 
feveral {craps of his poetry, which were 
fuddenly written on particular occafions. 
Thefle I lent among our acquaintance, 
who were. never civil enough to return 
them; and being then engaged in exten- 
five bufinefs, I forgot to afk for them, 
and they are lof; all F have remaining of 
his are about twenty lines, which would 
require a littie hiftory to be underftood, 
being written on trifling fubjeéts. I have 
a few of his letters, the fubjeéts of which 
are chiefly on bufinefs ; but I think there 
are in them fome flights which ftrongly 
mark his character, for which reafon I 
preferved them. ‘There are fo few of his 
intimates now living, that I believe Iam 
the only one who can give a true account 
of his family and conneétions. The 
principal part of what I write is from my 
own knowledge, or what I have heard 
from bis nearett relations. 
<¢ His father was not the manufaturer 
of hats, but the vender. He lived in a gen- 
teel ttyle at Chichefter, and, I think, filled 
the office of mayor more than once; he 
was pompous in his manner, but at his_ 
death he left his affairs rather embarraffed, 
Colonel Martyn, his wife’s brother, great- 
ly aihited his family, and fupported Mr. 
Williem Collins at the Univeriity, where 
he ftood for a fellowthip, which to his 
great mortification he loft, and which was 
his reafon for quitting that place, at leaft 
that was his pretext. But he had other 
reafons: he was in arrears to his book- 
feller, hia tailor, and other tradefmen. 
But, I believe, a defire to partake of the 
diffipation and gaiety of London was his 
principal motive. Colonel Martyn was at 
Particulars of Mr. William Collins, the Poet. 
I had formerly . 
[July t, 
this time with his regiment ; and Mr. 
Payne, a near relation, who had the ma- 
nagement of the Colonel’s affairs, had like-~ 
wife a ecommiffion to fupply the Collins’s 
with fmail fumsef money. The Colonel 
was the more {paring in this order, having 
fufftred confiderably by Alderman Collins, 
who had formerly been his agent, and 
forgetting that his wife’s brother's cath 
was not hisown, had applied it to his own 
ufe. When Mr..Wm. Collins came from 
the €niverfiry, he called on his cevfin 
Payne gaily dreffed, and with a feather in 
his hat; at which his relation exprefied 
furprife, and told bim his appearance was 
by no means that of a young man who had 
not a fingle guinea he could eall his own, 
This gave him great offence; but remem- 
b:ring his fele dependence for fubfittence 
was in the power of Mr. Payne.’ he con- 
cealed his refentment: yet could not re- 
frain from fpeaking freely behind his back, 
and faying he thought him ad—d dull 
fellow, though indeed this was an epithet 
he was pleafed to beftow on every one who 
did not think us he would have them. His 
frequent demands for a fupply obliged Mr. 
Payne to. tell him he muft purfue fome 
other line of life, for he was {ure Colonel 
Martyn would be difpleafed with him for 
having done fo much. This refource be- 
ing ttopped, forced him to fet about fome 
work, of which his Hittory of the Revival 
of Learning was the firft; and for which 
he printed propofals (one of which I have}, 
and took the firft fubfcription-money from 
many of his particular friends: the work 
was begun, but foon ftood fill. Both 
Dr. Johnfon and Mr. Langhorne are mif- 
taken when they fay the Tranflation of 
Ariftotle was never begun: I know the 
contrary, for feme progrefs was made in 
both, but moft in the latter. From the 
freedom fubfitting between -us, we took 
the liberty of faying any thing to each 
other. I one day reproached him with 
idlenefs; when, to convince me my cen- 
fure was unjuft, he fhewed me many fheets 
of his -tranflation of Ariftotle, which he 
faid he had {fo fully empicyed him(eif about 
as to prevent him calling on many of his 
friends fo frequently as-he ufed to do. 
Soon afrer this he engeged with Mr. Man- 
by, a beokfeller on Ludgate-hill, to fur- 
nifh him with fome Lives for the Bio- 
graphia Britannica, which Manby was 
thea publifhine. He fhewed me fome of 
the Lives in embryo, but i do not recol- 
le& that any of them came to perfection. 
To raiiea prefent fedfiftence, he fet about 
writing his Gdes; and having a general 
invitation te my houfe, he frequently 
paficd 
—- -. 
