John Price was born of Welsh parents in London, in the year 1600. He was educated at Westminster School, and Christ Church, Oxford, whence he removed to Florence, having become a Catholic, and he was there admitted doctor of civil law. He held the appointment of keeper of the ducal cabinet of medals and antiquities, and subsequently he became professor of Greek at Pisa. He was a very ingenious and learned critic, as his “Commentaries on the New Testament” and “Notes on Apuleius” testify. He died at a convent, in Rome, in the year 1676.
Richard Price, D.D., was a native of Glamorganshire, and was born at Llangunnor in 1723. He was educated at Talgarth, and afterwards removed to a Presbyterian academy in London. He became pastor of a congregation at Hackney; and in 1769 he was complimented with the diploma of doctor in divinity by the University of Glasgow. He was the author of several mathematical, statistical, and political works; and for one of them he was presented with a gold snuff-box, containing a vote of thanks by the corporation of London. He was also fellow of the Royal Society, in whose Transactions he wrote several papers. He died in 1791.
Sir John Price, L.L.D., was a native of Breconshire. He was a learned and ingenious antiquary, and was author of “Historiæ Britannicæ Defensio,” quarto, which was written in answer to Polydore Virgil, and was published after his death by his son, in 1573. He was one of the King’s council in the court of the marches, and was one of the commissioners employed by Henry the Eighth, to survey the monasteries that were to be dissolved. He died in 1553.
Robert Price, D.D., an eminent prelate, was the son of Colonel Price, of Rhiwlas, in Meirionethshire, where he was born. He was educated at Christ Church, Oxford, and after taking orders, was for some time vicar of Towyn, in Meirionethshire, and afterwards chancellor of the diocese of Bangor. He was promoted to the bishopric of Ferns, in Ireland; and on the death of Bishop Roberts, in 1665, he was nominated to succeed him in the see of Bangor; but his death took place before his election was completed, and he was buried in the cathedral church of St. Patrick, Dublin.
Rees Prichard, the celebrated author of “Canwyll y Cymry,” was born at Llanymddyvri, Caermarthenshire. At the age of eighteen, he was entered at Jesus College, Oxford, in 1597, and graduated B.A. in 1602, and obtained the vicarage of his own parish. In 1613 he was instituted to the rectory of Llanedy, in the diocese of St. David’s; and he was chaplain to the Earl of Essex. In the following year he was made prebendary of the collegiate church of Brecon, and in 1626 chancellor of St. David’s. As long as the Welsh language endures, will the memory of Prichard be kept with gratitude; and few productions ever caused such a profitable and rapid change in improving the morals of his countrymen. He died in 1644.
Edmund Prys, M.A., a distinguished Welsh poet, was born in the year 1541. After an academical education, he entered the church, and in 1572 he was made rector of Festiniog, and in 1576 archdeacon of Meirioneth. In 1602 he obtained a canonry in St. Asaph. He was a very learned man, and particularly distinguished himself by an elegant metrical version of the Psalms, which is still in use. There are also extant fifty-four controversial poems between the Archdeacon and a contemporary Bard, William Cynwal, both holding a high rank in the first class of the Welsh poets of that age. It is also said that Cynwal fell a victim to the poignancy of the Archdeacon’s satire. The last poem of the fifty-four is a most pathetic elegy, composed by Prys when the news of his rival’s death reached him; he was also an elegant Latin poet, and a specimen of his talent is prefixed to Dr. Davies’s Welsh and Latin Grammar. He died at Maentwrog about the year 1622.
Abraham Rees, D.D., the author of the well known Cyclopædia, which bears his name, was born at Montgomery, in 1743. His father being a Dissenting minister, placed him first under Dr. Jenkins, of Caermarthen, and subsequently at the Hoxton Academy, where his brilliant talents and rapid progress procured his being appointed at an early age mathematical tutor to the institution, and afterwards resident tutor, which place he retained for twenty-two years. He then removed, and became resident tutor of the Natural Sciences at the Dissenting Academy at Hackney, in 1786. He was minister of a Dissenting congregation in St. Thomas’s, Southwark, and in the Old Jewry. He was a fellow of the Royal and Linnean Societies, and he obtained his doctor’s degree in Edinburgh, at the express recommendation of the illustrious Robertson, the historian. He was author of some other works, besides the valuable and learned “Cyclopædia.” He died in June, 1825, in his eighty-second year.
John Davydd Rhys, M.D., an eminent grammarian, was born in the Isle of Anglesea, in 1534. He was educated at Christ Church, Oxford, and entered the medical profession; he removed to Sienna, where he took his doctor’s degree. While there, he greatly distinguished himself by his skill in the Italian language, the fruits of which are “De Italicæ linguæ pronunciatione,” which was printed in Padua, and “Rules for obtaining the Latin tongue,” printed at Venice, in Italian. His valuable “Welsh Grammar” was published in 1592, folio. His death took place in the year 1609.
Peter Roberts, an eminent divine, and writer on British history, was born at Rhiwabon, Denbighshire, in 1760. He was educated at the Grammar-school of St. Asaph, and removed thence to Trinity College, Dublin, where his abilities soon became conspicuous. He applied himself to the study of astronomy and the oriental languages; and at one time it was supposed that he would have succeeded Dr. Usher, as professor of astronomy in that University. He became afterwards private tutor to several noblemen and gentlemen of rank; and in 1800, was published, his “Harmony of the Epistles,” a work of exceedingly high character and labour, which the University of Cambridge printed at their own expense. Having been presented to the living of Llanarmon, he dedicated his leisure time to the elucidation of the antiquities of his native country. The fruits of his labours in this department are well known—“Collectanea Cambrica,” “Early History of the Cymry,” and “Cambrian Popular Antiquities.” He was presented also with the living of Madely, in Shropshire, by Lord Crew. The living of Llanarmon he subsequently exchanged for the rectory of Halkin, Flintshire, where he died in 1819. As an excellent critic in his native language, and equally so in Hebrew and Rabbinical learning, his works are a sufficient proof; and his “Letters to Volney” show to advantage the depth of his reasoning powers and scientific acquirements.
William Roberts, D.D., was a native of Denbighshire, where he was born in 1585. He was educated at Queen’s College, Cambridge, where he became fellow, and subsequently sub-dean of Wells, and rector of Llandyrnog. He was made bishop of Bangor in 1637. During the great rebellion he suffered much for his loyalty, and was deprived of all his benefices, and all the church lands were sequestered; but, however, he was restored to all in 1660. He was a great benefactor to his cathedral, in which he erected an organ, and bequeathed money for beautifying it. He founded an exhibition for a scholar from the diocese of Bangor, in Queen’s College, Cambridge, and a similar one in Jesus College, Oxford. He left also 200l. to be distributed among two parishes in the suburbs of London, which were visited by the plague. He died near Denbigh, in the year 1665.