COLLIER, J. PAY NE, a well-known Shakespearean critic and commentator, was b. in London in 1789. In 1820, he published The Poetical Decameron, in 2 volumes. From 1825 to 1827, he superintended a new edition of Dodsley's Old Plays, in 13 volumes. Mr. C., whose position in connection with the library of the duke of Devonshire, gave him great advantages for the study of our early dramatic literature, published in 1631, in 3 volumes, what may safely be called his best work, a History of English Dramatic Poetry to the Time of Shakespeare, and Annals of the Stage to the Restoration. From 1835 to 1839, he published, also in 3 volumes, New 1.4cts regarding the Life and Works of Shakespeare. He also gave to the public an edition of the works of the illustrious bard of Avon (1842-44). Not content with these efforts for the illustration of his favorite author, Mr. C., in 1852, published a volume, entitled Notes and Emendations to the Text of Shakespeare's Plays, .from Early Manuscript Corrections inn Copy of the Folio of 1632, in
the Possession of J. P. Collier. This publication excited great commotion in the literary world; opinion was divided; add the Emendations were furiously applauded or furiously assailed. It was in time generally admitted that many of them were just corrections of typographical errors; that many, in cases where the author's meaning was doubtful, displayed very remarkable ingenuity; but that others darkened texts which, save to a commentator, were transparent enough. Later, it was even alleged by some that C. had himself written the marginal emendations in a feigned hand. In 1866, he com menced a series of reprints of our early poets and pamphleteers. His last work is his Bibliographical Account of Rare Books (1865).