* COLLIER, J. PAYNE, was born in London in 1789. The chief labours of Mr. Collier's literary life will be associated with Shakespeare aud our early dramatic literature. In 1820, when he was "of the Middle Temple," he published 'The Poetical Deeameron ; or Ten Conversations on English Poets and Poetry, particularly of the Reigns of Elizabeth and James I.' In these two volumes he displays much bibliographical research, which, probably, would have found more acceptance and been really more amusing if produced in a less artificial form than that of dialogue. In 1825 he issued an allegorical poem entitled The Poet's Pilgrimage.' A new edition of Dodsley's Old Plays was undertaken by him, six additional plays being added, and a supplementary volume contained five others ; these were issued iu 13 vols. 8vo, in 1825-27. In 1831 appeared The History of English Dramatic Poetry in the Time of Shakespeare, and Annals of the Stage to the Restoration.' This work, in three volumes, contains a mass of information, chiefly collected from original sources, and is indis pensable to the student of our dramatic literature. Three small volumes, of which a very limited number of each was printed, appeared in 1835, 1836, and 1839, entitled New Facts regarding the Life of Shakespeare ;" New Facts regarding the Works of Shake speare ;' and Further Particulars regarding Shakespeare and his Works.' In these little books some curious matters, previously unpublished, first appeared ; and all subsequent biographers of the poet have acknowledged their value. In 1844 Mr. Collier completed, in eight volumes, his edition of the Works of Shakespeare, "founded upon an entirely new collation of the old editions." Without embody ing any elaborate criticism, or dealing much in conjectural emendations, this edition will always be valuable for its careful exhibition of the various old readings. Mr. Collier was one of the most active and zealous members of the Shakespeare Society.' Among the works of that society there are none more useful and curious than those which he wrote or edited. Amongst these are Memoirs of Edward Alleyn,' 1841 ; The Diary of Philip Henslowe,' 1845 ; ' Memoirs of the Prin cipal Actors in Shakespeare's Plays,' 1846 ; Extracts from the Regis ters of the Stationers Company,' from 1557 to 1580, in 2 vols. pub lished in 1848-49. Mr. Collier also published 'Shakespeare's Library,' being a collection of the romances, &c., used as the foundation of his
dramas. In 1852 appeared Notes and Emendations to the Text of Shakespeare's Plays, from early Manuscript Corrections in a Copy of the folio of 1632, in the possession of J. Payne Collier ;' and in 1853 Mr. Collier produced a new edition of the plays of Shakespeare, " the text regulated by the old copies, and by the recently discovered folio of 1632." This edition, in one large volume, contains no note to explain what part of the text is from "the recently discovered folio of 1632." The discovery of this folio produced a considerable sen sation, not only in this country, but in America and Germany ; and much controversy has arisen on the merits of the corrections. Thia is not the place to offer an opinion of the value in general of these emendations, nor even as to the date at which the "early manuscript corrections" were written on the margin of the folio of 1632. Mr. Collier himself is "doubtful regarding some, and opposed to others ;" but nevertheless "it is his deliberate opinion that the great majority of them assert a well-founded claim to a place in every future reprint of Shakespeare's dramatic works." One thing however we may venture to say-L.that these emendations rest upon no more absolute authority than those of Theobald or any other early or late commenta tor. A vast number of them are corrections of typographical errors, long since corrected, as a matter of course, in all reprints. Those which are conjectural emendations must be subjected to the usual test of individual appreciation of the meaning of the author, and of the forma of expression which sometimes constitute a portion of his excel lence, even while they involve difficulties not to be got over by a more familiar rendering. But whatever may be the opinion of the value of these Manuscript Corrections, all must agree that Mr. Collier has acted with the most scrupuloua good faith in their publication.
Mr. Collier married in 1816; he is a Vice-President of the Society of Antiquaries, and he was Secretary to the Royal Commission appointed to inquire into the management of the British Museum, when he proposed a plan for a catalogue of the library, which was not adopted. Mr. Collier is in receipt of a pension from the crown of IOW. a-year, granted to him by Sir Robert Peel, in acknowledgment of his services to the literature of his country.