rville, who then resided at Up-Park,
near Chichester, a place that overlooks the little village of Harting,
mentioned in the Ode.

Collins's person was of the middle size and well formed; of a light
complexion, with gray, weak eyes. His mind was deeply imbued with
classical literature, and he understood the Italian, French, and Spanish
languages. He was well read, and was particularly conversant with early
English writers, and to an ardent love of literature he united, as is
manifest from many of his pieces, a passionate devotion to Music, that

"----Sphere-descended maid,
Friend of Pleasure, Wisdom's aid."

His family, which were very respectable, were established at Chichester
in the sixteenth century as tradesmen of the higher order, and his
immediate ancestor was mayor of that city in 1619:[7] his mother's
relations appear to have been of a superior condition in life.[8]
Collins lost his father in 1734, and on the 5th of July, 1744, his
mother died. He was an only son: of his two sisters, Elizabeth, the
eldest, died unmarried, and Anne, the youngest, who took care of him
when he was bereft of reason, married first Mr. Hugh Sempill, who died
in 1762, and secondly the Rev. Dr. Thomas Durnford, and died at
Chichester in November, 1789. Her character is thus described on the
authority of Mr. Park: "The Reverend Mr. Durnford, who resided at
Chichester, and was the son of Dr. Durnford, informed me, in August,
1795, that the sister of Collins loved money to excess, and evinced so
outrageous an aversion to her brother, because he squandered or gave
away to the boys in the cloisters whatever money he had, that she
destroyed, in a paroxysm of resentment, all his papers, and whatever
remained of his enthusiasm for poetry, as far as she could. Mr. Hayley
told me, when I visited him at Eartham, that he had obtained from her a
small drawing by Collins, but it possessed no other value than as a
memorial that the bard had attempted to handle the pencil as well as the
pen."[9] That Mrs. Durnford was indifferent to her brother's fame, is
stated by others, and Sir Egerton Brydges, in his Essay, has made some
just observations on the circumstance.

This Memoir must not be closed without an expression of acknowledgment
to the Bishop of Hereford, to the President of Magdalen College, to H.
Gabell, Esq., and to I. Sanden, Esq., of Chichester, for the desire
which they were so good as to manifest that this account of Collins
might