William Richard Hamilton, an English archaeologist, born Jan. 9, 1777, died July 11, 1859. His university education was interrupted by ill health. In 1799 he became secretary to Lord Elgin in the embassy to Constantinople. He secured for the British museum the celebrated trilingual Rosetta stone, which, undaunted by the plague which had broken out among the crew, he seized on board of the ship where the French had concealed it, and sent to London in 1802. He displayed the same zeal in regard to the Elgin marbles; having been on board of the vessel on which part of them were shipwrecked near Cerigo, he remained in that island several months, and with the assistance of skilful divers succeeded in rescuing those famous works of art from the sea. Soon after his return to England he published "AEgyptiaca, or some Account of the Ancient and Modern State of Egypt " (royal 4to, London, 1810). From 1810 to 1822 he was under secretary of state for foreign affairs, and af-terward was ambassador at Naples. While in Paris with Lord Castlereagh in 1815 he succeeded in bringing about the restoration to Italy of the works of art which the French had seized on various occasions.