COLLINS. 151 COLLISIONS OF VESSELS. personification of the passions is true and strikini,', and the variation of the measure is veU adapteii to the various emotions to be ex- pressed. Among his poems may be mentioned the odes, To Lihrrlij, To ilcrcij. To Erciiiiiij, On the Dentil of Mr. Thomson, the ode, written in 1740, beginning, "How sleej) the brave who sink to rest, and the Song front Ci/niheline. Not onl}' is much of CoUins's poetry exquisite, but it marks the beginning of English romanticism. This is particularly true of the Ode on the I'op- vlnr Hiipcrstitioiis of the Hiyhhinils of Scotland, completed in 1740, but not published until 1788. Consult: Johnson, sketch of Collins in Lives of the Poets (Oxford. 1781) ; Poems, ed. Bronson (Boston, 1808) : and Beers, English Ix'oniunli- cisni in the Eighteenth Century (New York, 1899). COLLINS. WiLi.i.vM (1788-1847). An Eng- lish painter of genre, born in London. His father was a journalist, but helped to eke out his living by dealing in pictures. Young Collins spent some time in the studio of ilorland, but subsequently went to Italy, where he painted some Italian landscapes. His true love, how- ever, was for child life, and he painted that in every phase ; in the course of forty years he «xhibited 121 pictures at the Academy. Among the most popular of these are his '"Happy as a King," "The Little Flute-Plaver." "The .'^ale of the Pet Lamb," and "Boys with a Bird's Nest." He portrayed home life in various ways, and children were always introduced. T!ie chief criticism against Collins's children is that they lack the unconscious air of childhood, and look as if they were on their good behavior. His technique resembled that of his master, Mor- land. In later years he attempted some religious subjects: "Christ in the Temple with the Doc- tors," and "The Two Disciples at Emmaus"; but afterwards wisely returned to his earlier style, for which he had much more gift. Others of his works are: "Scene in a Kentish Hop-Garden," "Sun- day Morning," "Prawn-Catchers," and "Fisher- men on the Lookout." lie died in London. Con- sult: V. Wilkie Collins, Memoirs of the Life of William Colling, Esq. (London, 1849) ; Koeli- ler. English and American Painters (New York, 188.3).' COLLINS, WiLLiAir Vilkie (1824-89). An English novelist. He was the eldest son of Wil- liam Collins (q. v.), a landscape and portrait painter, and he received his favorite name from Sir David Wilkie. Born in London, he was educated privatelv at Highburv, and accom- panied his father' to Italy ( 1836-38) . On his return to London lie became a clerk in a London firm of tea-merchants (1841-46), and afterwards studied law at Lincoln's Inn. whence he was called to the bar (1851). He was already drift- ing toward literature. Even while in the Lon- don warehouse he turned his knowledge of Italy to good account in an historical romance entitled. Antonina: or. the Fall of Rome (not published till 18.50) ; on the death of his father, he prepared an excellent memoir in two volumes (1848) : and a visit to Cornwall resulted in a series of popular sketches called Rambles Rci/ond Raihrnj/s ( IS.'jO-.'jl ) . Sometime in 18.51 he met Dickens, and this event decided his career. Thenceforth the two novelists were intimately associated, working at times in collaltoration. To Household Words, edited by Dickens, Collins contributed many tales, including the capital series of short stories known as After Dark (1856); and for .1// the Year Round, which was also conducted l)y Dickens, The Monian in Mil ite (1800), which met with instant »uecess at liinne and abroad. In the meantime had apijeared Basil: .4. Story of .Modern Life (1852) ; Hide and Seek (1854); The Dead Secret (1857) ; and The Queen of Hearts: A Collection of Stories (1860). And among the numerous novels that followed are: No Xame (1802); Armadale (1806); The Moonstone (1868); Man and Wife (1870); The Xew Magdalen (1873); The Frozen Deep, and Other Stories { 1874) ; The Law and the Lady (1875) ; The Two Destinies (1876) ; The Fallen Leaves (1879) ; Heart and Science (1883); The Legacy of Vain (1888); and Blind Lore (1889). In 1873-74 Collins visited the United States, where he gave public readings from his own short stories. His last years were spent in seclusion. He died in Lon- don, and was buried in Kensal Green. Soon after his acquaintance with Dickens, Wilkie Collins began to evolve a new type of novel, in which the .study of character counts for little, and in which the main ettort is given to the construction of .a mystery so involved in details and circumstances as to baffle the reader. Of this kind The Woman in White and The Moonstone are masterpieces. Their literary value has indeed been questioned; but it nuist be admitted that, within his sphere, Collins had no equal among his contemporaries, several of %'liom — and Dickens among them — attempted to do the same thing and failed. For an appreciative study, consult Swinburne, Studies in Prose and Poetry (London, 1894). COL'LINSON, Peteb (1094-1708). An Eng- lish naturalist. One of his pursuits was the naturalization of plants, flowers, and trees. He sent English plants to America and brought American plants to his own country, successfully introducing many species. He is also credited with first suggesting grape cultivation in Vir- ginia. COLLINSON, Sir Kiciiard (1811-83). An English naval officer. He entered the navy in 1823. in 1840 was appointed to the Wellesleg, on which he served during the Chinese war, and in 1842 was promoted to be commander. In 1849 he commanded the Enterprise, which, with the In.restigator, Commander !MrClure (q.v.). was sent by way of Bering Strait for the relief of Sir .John Franklin. Near Cape Horn the vessels were separated by storm, and they did not again speak each other. Collinson wintered in 1850 at Hong Kong, in 1851 in Prince of Wales Strait, and in 18.53 in Camden Bav. He arrived at Point Barrow in Au.gust of 'l854. In 1858 he ^■i"as awarded the gold medal of the Royal Geo- graphical Societv. He was appointed admiral on the retired list in 1875. He edited The Three Voyages of Martin Frobisher in Search of a Passage to Cathaia (1867), for the Hakluyt Society. COLLISION. Sep Impact. COLLISIONS OF VESSELS (from Lat. col- lisio, from collidere, to dash together, from con-, together + Iwdere. to dash ) . To prevent vessels running against one another in passing, there are 'rules of the road' (q.v.) at sea as well
