ftitions 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 deficiency rather of his vital than intellectual powers. What he spoke wanted neither judgement nor spirit; but a few minutes exhausted him, fo that he was forced to reft upon the couch, till a fhort ceffation restored 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 weakness of men so difeafed, 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 what I have formerly faid of his writings may be added, that his diction was often harsh, unskilfully laboured, and injudiciously felected. He affected the obfolete when it was 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 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, so the poetry of Collins may fometimes extort praise when it gives little pleasure. Mr. Collins's first production is added here from the Poetical Calendar : TO MISS AURELIA C--R, ON HER WEEPING AT HER SISTER'S WEDDING: Ceafe, fair Aurelia, cease to mourn; You may And feize the treasure you regret. With Love united Hymen ftands,' DYER |