Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 11.djvu/392

 COLLYER, MARY (d. 1763), authoress, whose maiden name was Mitchell, became the wife of Joseph Collyer the elder [q. v.] She is principally known as the translator of Gesner's 'Death of Abel' (1761). This work passed through numerous editions in England, Scotland, and Ireland. She had previously published in 1750, in two volumes, ' Letters from Felicia to Charlotte,' which recommended her to the notice of Mrs. Montague, Miss Talbot, and Mrs. Carter. The latter in 1761 spoke of her to Mrs. Montague as 'writing for the support of her family,' which, she adds, 'is a laudable employment.' Mrs. Collyer afterwards translated part of Klopstock's 'Messiah;' but dying in 1763, before it was completed, the remainder was translated and published by her husband about the end of that year in two volumes. The third volume did not appear till 1772, when the taste for this species of poetry, or mixture of poetry and prose, was beginning to decline.

 COLLYER, WILLIAM BENGO (1782–1854), minister of the congregational church and religious writer, was the only surviving child of Thomas Collyer, a builder of Deptford, where he was born on 14 April 1782. After a good education at the public school belonging to the Leathersellers' Company at Lewisham, he entered the old college of Homerton as a scholar in 1798. In 1800 he began his ministry to a small congregation at Peckham, over which he was ordained in December of the following year. Under his ministry the congregation speedily increased, and after the chapel had been several times enlarged, it was in 1816 rebuilt and reopened under the name of Hanover Chapel. Previous to this, he had in 1813 received an invitation to succeed to the pulpit at Salters' Hall Chapel, which, with the consent of the congregation at Peckham, he accepted, an arrangement being made that he should occupy both pulpits. In 1808 he received the degree of D.D. from the university of Edinburgh. He died in his seventy-second year in 1854. By his wife Mary, daughter and coheiress of Thomas Hawkes of Lutterworth, he left one daughter. Besides several sermons published at different periods throughout his life, Collyer was the author of 'Fugitive Pieces for the use of Schools,' 1803; 'Hymns designed as a Supplement to Dr. Watts,' 1812; 'Services suited to the Solemnisation of Matrimony, administration of Baptism, &c., with Original Hymns,' 1837; and several series of popular lectures on scriptural subjects, including 'Lectures on Scripture Facts,' 1807, 'Scripture Prophecy,' 1809, 'Scripture Miracles,' 1812, 'Scripture Parables,' 1815, 'Scripture Doctrines,' 1818, 'Scripture Duties,' 1819, and 'Scripture Comparison,' 1823.

 COLMAN of Cloyne, (522–600), was the son of Lenin, who, according to his pedigree in the 'Book of Leinster,' was ninth in descent from Mogh Nuadat, king of Munster, A.D. 166. His birthday is stated in the 'Martyrology of Tamlacht' to have been 15 Oct., and the year, which is not exactly ascertained, is believed to have been 522. He was brought up in heathenism and adopted the profession of bard, which required a special education. There were several degrees of rank in it, and to reach the highest twelve years of study were necessary. On completing his education he was attached to the court of the king of Cashel, and his duties there may be inferred from the following ancient description of the order generally: 'They were historians as well as poets; it was their duty to record the deeds of the kings, chieftains, and heroes; to describe their battles and victories; to register the genealogies and privileges of noble families, together with the bounds and limits of their lands and territories.' He was engaged in these important duties until somewhere about the forty-eighth year of his age. In 570 a dispute as to the succession to the throne of Cashel (or Munster) took place between two relatives, Aodh-dubh and Aodh-caomh (Hugh the dark and Hugh the handsome). To prevent the usual recourse to war, a meeting was arranged between the rival candidates, at which St. Brendan of Clonfert [q. v.] was present with the son of Lenin, and by their influence a compromise was effected, by which Aedh-caomh was acknowledged as king, and in due course was inaugurated with much ceremony. He was the first Christian king of Cashel, and though the son of Lenin was the official bard the chief place in the proceedings was taken by St. Brendan, apparently because it was appropriate that a Christian ecclesiastic should instal a Christian king. During the proceedings circumstances led to the discovery of the shrine of Ailbhe of Emly, which had been stolen, but had fallen into a lake, the thieves having been drowned, probably when crossing it. The son of Lenin was one of those who found it, and then Brendan said it was not right that the hands which had held this sacred relic should be defiled henceforth (i.e. by heathen 