Anthony, a polemical writer, born at Hefton near Hounslow in the county of Middlesex in 1676, was the son of Henry Collins, a gentleman of about £1000 a-year. He was first bred at Eton college, and then went to King's college Cambridge, where he had for his tutor Mr Francis Hare, afterwards bishop of Chichester. He was afterwards a student of the Temple; but not relishing the law, Collins soon abandoned that study. He was an ingenious man, and author of several curious books. His first remarkable piece was published in 1707, "An Essay concerning the use of reason in propositions, the evidence whereof depends on human testimony." In 1702, he entered into the controversy between Mr Clark and Dr Dodwell, concerning the immortality of the soul. In 1713, he published his discourse on free-thinking, which made a prodigious noise. In 1725, he retired into the county of Essex, and acted as a justice of peace and deputy lieutenant for the same county, as he had done before for that of Middlesex and liberty of Westminster. The same year, he published a "Philosophical Essay concerning human liberty." In 1718, he was chosen treasurer of the county of Essex; and this office he discharged with great honour. In 1724, he published his "Historical and critical Essay on the 39 Articles." Soon after, he published his "Discourse of the Grounds and reasons of the Christian religion;" to which is prefixed, "An Apology for free debate and liberty of writing;" which piece was immediately attacked by a great number of authors. In 1726 appeared his "Scheme of literary prophecy considered, in a view of the controversy occasioned by a late book entitled, A discourse of the grounds, &c." In this discourse he mentions a MS. dissertation of his, to show the Sibylline oracles to be a forgery made in the times of the primitive Christians, who, for that reason, were called Sibylli by the Pagans; but it never appeared in print. His scheme of literary prophecy was replied to by several writers; and particularly by Dr John Rogers, in his "Necessity of divine revelation asserted." In answer to which our author wrote, "A letter to the Reverend Dr Rogers, on occasion &c." His health began to decline some years before his death, and he was very much afflicted with the stone, which at last put an end to his life at his house in Harley square in 1729. He was interred in Oxford chapel, where a monument was erected to him, with an epitaph in Latin. His curious library was open to all men of letters, to whom he readily communicated all the affluence in his power; he even furnished his antagonists with books to confute himself, and directed them how to give their arguments all the force of which they were capable. He was remarkably averse to all indecency and obscenity of discourse; and was, independent of his skepticism, a sincerely good man.

Collins, John, an eminent accountant and mathematician, born in 1624, and bred a bookseller at Oxford. Besides several treatises on practical subjects, he communicated some curious papers to the Royal Society, of which he was a member, which are to be found in the early numbers of the Philosophical Transactions; and was the chief promoter of many other scientific publications in his time. He died in 1683; and about 25 years after, all his papers coming into the hands of the learned William Jones, Esq. F. R. S. it appeared that Mr Collins held a constant correspondence for many years with all the eminent mathematicians; and that many of the late discoveries in physical knowledge, if not actually made by him, were yet brought forth by his endeavours.

Collins, William, an admirable poet, was born at Chichester, about the year 1724. He received his classical education at Winchester, after which he studied at New college, in Oxford, was admitted a commoner of King's college in the same university, and was at length elected a demy of Magdalene college. While at Oxford, he applied himself to the study of poetry, and published his Oriental Eclogues, after which he came to London. He was naturally possessed of an ear for all the varieties of harmony and modulation; his heart was susceptible of the finest feelings of tenderest and humanity, and was particularly carried away by that high enthusiasm which gives to imagination its strongest colouring; and he was at once capable of soothing the ear with the melody of his numbers, of influencing the passions by the force of the pathos, and of gratifying the fancy by the luxury of description. With these powers, he attempted lyric poetry; and in 1746, published his Odes, descriptive and allegorical; but the sale of this work being not at all answerable to its merit, he burnt the remaining copies in indignation. Being a man of a liberal spirit and a small fortune, his pecuniary resources were unhappily soon exhausted; and his life became a miserable example of necessity, indolence, and dissipation. He projected books which he was well able to execute; and became in idea an historian, a critic, and a dramatic poet; but wanted the means and encouragement to carry these ideas into execution. Day succeeded day, for the support of which he had made no provision; and he was obliged to submit, either by the repeated contributions of a friend or the generosity of a casual acquaintance. His spirits became oppressed, and he sunk into a full state of despondency. While in this gloomy state of mind, his uncle Colonel Martin died, and left him a considerable fortune. But this came too late for enjoyment; he had been so long harassed by anxiety and distress that he fell into a nervous disorder, which at length reduced the finest understanding to the most deplorable childishness. In the first stages of this disorder he endeavoured to relieve himself by travelling, and passed into France; but the growing malady obliged him to return; and having continued, with short intervals, in this pitiable state till the year 1756, he died in the arms of his sister.

The following character of the poetry of Collins is drawn by Mrs Barbauld, and is extracted from an essay prefixed to an edition of his works published in 1797. "He will be acknowledged to possess imagination, sweetness, bold and figurative language. His numbers dwell on the ear, and easily fix themselves in the memory. His vein of sentiment is by turns tender and lofty, always tinged with a degree of melancholy, but not possessing any claim to originality. His originality consists in his manner, in the highly figurative garb in which he clothes abstract ideas, in the felicity of his expressions, and his skill in embodying ideal creations. He had much of the mysticism of poetry, and sometimes became obscure, by aiming at impressions stronger than he had clear and well-defined ideas to support. Had his life been prolonged, and with life had he enjoyed that ease which is necessary for the undisturbed exercise of the faculties, he would probably have risen far above most of his contemporaries."