W. Lucas (William Lucas) Collins

William Lucas Collins was a Welsh-born Church of England clergyman and essayist, born in 1815 at Oxwich in Glamorgan. He was educated at Rugby School and Jesus College, Oxford, and later served in a number of church posts, including Cheriton in Swansea, Lowick, and Slipton. Alongside his clerical work, he built a reputation as a lively writer on literature, education, and classical subjects.

He is best remembered for his work on the Victorian series Ancient Classics for English Readers, contributing volumes on authors such as Homer, Virgil, Cicero, Livy, and Lucian. His aim was not to write only for specialists, but to open the ancient world to ordinary readers in clear, readable prose.

Collins also wrote fiction and essays, and he moved in literary circles that included Anthony Trollope. He died in 1887, leaving behind a body of work that reflects both serious scholarship and a gift for making old texts feel fresh.