CHICHESTER, a city in Suffex, had the honour of giving birth to the author of the following poems, about the year 1721. His father, who was a reputable tradesman in that city, intended him for the fervice of the church; and with this view, in the year 1733, he was admitted a fcholar of that illuftrious feminary of genius and learning, Winchefter college, where fo many diftin guished men of letters, fo many excellent poets have received their claffical education. Here he had the good fortune to continue feven

years under the care of the very learned Dr. Burton; and at the age of nineteen, in the year 1740, he had merit fufficient to procure a distinguished place in the lift of those scholars, who are elected, upon

the foundation of Winchester, to New College in Oxford. But as there were then no vacancies in that fociety, he was admitted a commoner of Queen's College in the fame university; where he continued till July 1741, when he was elected a demy of Magdalen College. During his refidence at Queen's, he was at once distinguished for genius and indolence; his exercifes, when he could be prevailed upon to write, bearing the vifible characteristics of both. This remiss and inattentive habit might probably arife, in fome measure, from dif appointment: he had, no doubt, indulged very high ideas of the academical mode of education, and when he found science within the fetters of logic and of Ariftotle, it was no wonder if he

abated

abated of his diligence, to feek her where the fearch was attended with artificial perplexities, and where, at last, the purfuer would grafp the fhadow for the fubftance.

WHILE he was at Magdalen College, he applied himself chiefly to the culti vation of poetry, and wrote the epistle to Sir Thomas Hanmer, and the Oriental Eclogues, which, in the year 1742, were first published under the title of Perfian Eclogues.--- The fuccess of these poems was far from being equal to their merit; but to a novice in the pursuit of fame, the least encouragement is fufficient if he does not at once acquire that reputation to which his merit intitles him, he embraces the encomiums

of the few, forgives the many, and intends to open their eyes to the ftriking beauties of his next Publication..

WITH profpects fuch as these, probably, Mr. Collins indulged his fancy, when, in the year 1743, after having taken the degree of a batchelor of arts, he left the university, and removed to London.

To a man of fmall fortune, a liberalfpirit, and uncertain dependencies, the metropolis is a very dangerous place. Mr. Collins had not been long in town before he became an inftance of the truth of this obfervation.--His pecuniary refources were exhaufted, and to restore them by the exertion of ge

nius

nius and learning, though he wanted not the power, he had neither fteadiness nor industry. His neceffities, indeed, fometimes carried him as far as a scheme, or a title page for a book; but, whether it were the power of diffipation, or the genius of repofe that interfered, he could proceed no farther.Several books were projected, which he was very able to execute; and he became, in idea, an hiftorian, a critic, and a dramatick poet by turns. At one time he determined to write an hif tory of the revival of Letters; at another to tranflate and comment upon

Ariftotle's Poetics; then he turned his thoughts to the Drama, and proceeded fo far towards a tragedy-as to become acquainted with the manager.

UNDER