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76 COLLINS to the utmost. He repeatedly requested leave to retire, but the government informed him that they could not spare his services. Worn out at length, he died at sea while cruising off Minorca. His remains were brought home and deposited in St. Paul's cathedral, near Nelson's. Selections from his despatches and correspon- dence were published at London in 1828, by G. L. N. Collingwood. COLLINS, Anthony, an English philosophical and skeptical writer, born at Heston, Middle- sex, June 21, 1676, died in London, Dec. 13, 1729. He was educated at Eton and at King's college, Cambridge, and was afterward entered a student in the Temple at London, but applied himself chiefly to literary studies. In 1703 he began a correspondence with Locke, who cher- ished an enthusiastic affection for him, ad- miring in him " as much of the love of truth for truth's sake as ever he met with in any- body." In 1707 he published a treatise con- cerning the use of reason in propositions de- pending on human testimony, and in the same year engaged in the controversy between Dod- well and Dr. Samuel Clarke concerning the natural immortality of the soul. In 1709 he published "Priestcraft in Perfection," assailing the 20th article of the church of England, which affirms the power of the church to decree rites and ceremonies and to determine controversies of faith. Numerous answers were written to this work, the most noted of which was by Dr. Bennet, to which Collins replied in his "Essay on the Thirty-nine Articles." He advocated the necessitarian scheme in his " Vindication of the Divine Attributes " (1710), which views he developed more fully in his " Philosophical Inquiry concerning Liberty and Necessity" (1715). Though he endeavors to prove that man is a necessary agent morally as a clock is physically, he yet does not deny the power in man of doing as he wills and pleases ; and in several of his views he anticipated Jonathan Edwards, the ablest subsequent champion of necessity. In answer to his opinions Dr. Clarke published in a tract one of the most important of his metaphysical arguments. In 1711 Col- lins resided in Holland, where in the society of Le Clerc and others he matured his " Dis- course on Free Thinking," which was publish- ed on his return in 1713, and excited much an- imadversion. Its aim was to show that in all ages the most intellectual men and most admi- rable characters have been free thinkers, rely- ing rather on philosophical thought than estab- lished opinion. The most remarkable of the numerous answers to it were by Bentley in England and Crousaz in France. In 1718 he became treasurer of the county of Essex, and soon after published his " Grounds and Reasons of the Christian Religion," maintaining that though Christianity is founded upon Judaism, and the assertions of the New Testament are proved in part by propositions from the Old, yet there is nothing in the latter which has a direct or other than a typical or allegorical bearing upon anything in the former. Within two years 35 answers appeared to this work, among others, by Whiston and Drs. Clarke, Sykes, and Sherlock ; to which Collins replied finally in his "Scheme of Literal Prophecy." His last work was written in 1727, in reply to eight sermons by Dr. Rogers on the neces- sity of a divine revelation. Collins was a subtle and ingenious rather than a profound writer. His personal amiability was remarked even by his opponents, and his large and very curious library was open to all men of letters. COLLINS, Charles Allston, an English painter and author, brother of Wilkie Collins, born at Hampstead, Jan. 25, 1828, died in London, April 9, 1873. From 1848 to 1858 he was en- gaged in painting, and exhibited several pic- tures at the royal academy and elsewhere, which attracted attention. Afterward he de- voted himself to literature. Among his works are : " A Cruise upon Wheels " (1862), a humor- ous account of a journey in France; "Strath- cairn " (1864) ; and " At the Bar " (1866). He married a daughter of Charles Dickens. COLLINS, Isaae, an American printer and pub- lisher, born in Delaware, Feb. 16, 1746, died at Burlington, N. J., March 21, 1817. His father emigrated to the United States from Bristol, England. Collins served an appren- ticeship to the printing business, and at its completion went to Philadelphia, where he worked 18 months as a journeyman, and then went into partnership with Joseph Cruikshanks. In 1770 he removed to Burlington, having been chosen colonial printer to George III. Here he married and became the father of 14 chil- dren. In 1771 he commenced printing an al- manac, and continued it for 20 years. He was also at this time the publisher of several other works. Removing to Trenton, N. J., in 1778, he projected what was in the publishing busi- ness of that time a great enterprise, namely, the publication of an octavo family Bible. In order to secure the utmost accuracy in typog- raphy, the whole was subjected to 11 proof- readings, the last of which was by his daughter Rebecca. So free from errors was this edition of the Scriptures, that it became at once the standard for all critical appeal, when the Eng- lish translation alone was concerned. COLLINS, William, an English poet, born at Chichester, Dec. 25, 1720, died there, June 12, 1756. He was destined for the church, and in 1733 was admitted a scholar at Winchester. In 1740 he stood first in the list of scholars to be entered at New college, Oxford, but no vacancy occurred, and this circumstance Dr. Johnson calls the original misfortune of his life. He became a commoner of Queen's college, whence he was transferred to Magdalen. While at Winchester school he had written his "Eclogues," which he printed in 1742. They appeared without his name, and attracted little notice. He took his bachelor's degree at Oxford in 1744, and soon left the university abruptly, repairing to London as a literary ad-