of his fifter in Chichester, where death in 1756 came to his relief. "After his return from France, the writer of this character paid him a vifit at Iflington, where he was waiting for his fifter, whom he had directed to meet him there was then nothing of diforder difcernible in his mind by any but himfelf; but he had withdrawn from ftudy, and travelled with no other book than an English Teftament, fuch as children carry to the fchool: when his friend took it into his hand, out of curiofity to fee what companion a Man of Letters had chofen, I have but one book, fays Collins, but that is the best." Such Such was the fate of Collins, with whom I once delighted to converfe, and whom I yet remember with tenderness. He was vifited at Chichefter, in his laft illness, by his learned friends Dr. Warton and his brother; to whom he spoke with disapprobation of his Oriental Eclogues, as not fufficiently expreffive of Afiatick manners, and called them his Irish Eclogues. He fhewed them, at the fame time, an ode inscribed to Mr. John Hume, on the fuperftitions of the Highlands; which they thought fuperior to his other works, but which no fearch has yet found. His diforder was not alienation of mind, but general laxity and feebleness, a de a deficiency rather of his vital than intellectual powers. What he spoke wanted neither judgement nor fpirit; but a few minutes exhaufted him, fo that he was forced to rest upon the couch, till a fhort ceffation reftored his powers, and he was again able to talk with his former vigour. The approaches of this dreadful malady he began to feel foon after his uncle's death; and, with the ufual weaknefs of men so diseased, eagerly fnatched that temporary relief with which the table and the bottle flatter and feduce. But his health continually declined, and he grew more and more burthenfome to himself, To To what I have formerly faid of his writings may be added, that his diction was often harsh, unfkilfully laboured, and injudicioufly felected. He affected the obfolete when it was not worthy of revival; and he puts his words out of the common order, feeming to think, with fome later candidates for fame, that not to write profe is certainly to not to write write poetry. His lines commonly are of flow motion, clogged and impeded with clusters of confonants. As men are often efteemed who cannot be loved, fo the poetry of Collins may fometimes extort praise when it gives little pleafure. Mr. Mr. Collins's firft production is added here from the Poetical Calendar: TO MISS AURELIA C——R, ON HER WEEPING AT HER SISTER'S WEDDING. Ceafe, fair Aurelia, ceafe to mourn; With Love united Hymen ftands, And foftly whispers to your charms; "Meet but your lover in my bands, "You'll find your fifter in his arms." |