Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 11.djvu/374

 , and Believers' Baptism vindicated, containing an answer to "An Antidote to prevent the Prevalency of Anabaptism,"' London, 1693, 4to.  'Three books, viz. I. The Scribe instructed unto the Kingdom of Heaven. II. Mountains of Brass, or a Discourse upon the Decrees of God. III. A poem on the Birth, Life, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension of Jesus Christ.' 3 parts, London, 1696, 12mo.

 COLLINS, JOHN, M.D. (d. 1634), professor at Cambridge, was born in Surrey, and educated at St. John's College, Cambridge, where he gained a fellowship on Lady Margaret's foundation on 7 April 1598. He proceeded B.A. in 1595–6, M.A. in 1599, and M.D. in 1608. Admitted a candidate of the College of Physicians ‘the day after Palm Sunday,’ 1611, he became a fellow on 7 May 1613, censor in 1615, and anatomy lecturer in 1624. On 8 Nov. 1626 he obtained a grant of the office of regius professor of physic at Cambridge for life, ‘with the fee of 40l. per annum, in place of John Gostlin, deceased.’ He died at Cambridge in December 1634. By his will, dated 8 Dec. and proved on 24 Dec. in that year, he bequeathed most of his ‘phisick books’ to St. John's College, and 100l. to buy more (reg. in P. C. C. 108, Seager).

 COLLINS, JOHN (1625–1683), mathematician, was the son of a nonconformist divine, and was born at Wood Eaton in Oxfordshire, 5 March 1625. Apprenticed at the age of sixteen to Thomas Allam, a bookseller, living outside the Turl Gate of Oxford, he was driven to quit the trade by the troubles of the time, and accepted a clerkship in the employment of John Marr, clerk of the kitchen to the Prince of Wales. From him he derived some instruction in mathematics, but the outbreak of civil war drove him to sea for seven years, 1642-9, most of which time he spent on board an English merchantman, engaged by the Venetians as a ship of war in their defence of Candia against the Turks. He devoted his leisure to the study of mathematics and merchants' accounts, and on leaving the service set up in London as a teacher. In 1652 he published 'An Introduction to Merchants' Accounts,' originally drawn up for the use of his scholars. Reprinted in 1665, the major part of the impression perished in the great fire of London, but was replaced in 1674 by a new and amplified folio edition. He next wrote 'The Sector on a Quadrant, or a Treatise containing the Description and Use of three several Quadrants.' Also an appendix touching 'Reflected Dyalling, from a Glass however posited' (London, 1658); and 'The Description and Uses of a general Quadrant, with the Horizontal Projection upon it Inverted ' (1658). In 1659 appeared his 'Geometricall Dyalling, or Dyalling performed by a Line of Chords only,' and 'The Mariner's Plain Scale new Plained,' a useful treatise on navigation, dedicated to 'the governor, deputy, and committee of merchant-adventurers trading to the East India,' and designed especially for use in their navy. It was well received, and became a class-book with the students of navigation at Christ Church Hospital.

After the Restoration, Collins was appointed successively accountant to the excise office, accountant in chancery, and secretary to the council of plantations, exchanging the last post in 1672 for that of manager of the farthing office. With this employment went a 'fair dwelling-house' in Fenchurch Street, where he had thoughts of setting up a stationer's shop, and hoped 'to fall into the printing of books,' including some he himself designed to write, 'particularly one of the modern advancement of mathematical sciences, and an account of the best authors of that kind' (, Correspondence of Scientific Men, i. 201). He did not, however, succeed in carrying the plan into effect. With the failure of his arguments against the issue of tin farthings his office ceased, and he was glad subsequently to accept a small post as accountant to the Royal Fishery Company.

He had refused in March 1669 a lucrative situation offered to him in Ireland by the surveyor-general, Sir James Shaen, and about the same time married one of two daughters of William Austen, head cook to Charles II. As his family increased his means of subsistence became more and more precarious. He had a pension of 50l. a year from the excise office, which rapidly fell into arrear; his official salary, and that of his wife as laundress to the queen's table linen, were scantily, if at all, forthcoming, and in order to support his seven children he was obliged to undertake any remunerative tasks that offered, especially in the disentangling of intricate accounts, neglecting the learned correspondence which was his especial delight.

Several of his writings testify to his acquaintance with the course of trade and interest in public matters. He published in