The Sun.
London, England, 1858-12-31 00:00:00

E SUN, LONDON', FRIDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 31, 1858.

DEATH O 1

WILLIAMS.

We regret to announce the death of the learned Figielat
and philologist, the Venerable John 'Williams, Archdeacon
of Cardigan, which took place at his residence, Bushey-
heath, on Monday last, after a long and severe illness. The
Archdeacon was born in 1792, at Ystradmeirig, in Cardi-
ganshire, and educated in his boyhood by his father, the
Rev. John Williams, vicar of that parish. He went for a
few months to Ludlow School, where he obtained a scho-
larship, and entering Balliol College, Oxford, was placed,
on taking his degree, in the first class with four others, of
whom one was the celebrated Dr. Arnold. Like the latter,
the Archdeacon chose the life of a public teacher as his
sphere of usefulness—a sphere for which his great bodily
strength, his energy, his wonderful faculty of imparting
knowledge, and his equanimity of temper pecfilarly fitted
him. He was for two years a master ja Winchester Col-
lege under the well-known Dr. e, abell, and subsequently for
four years with Dr. Richards at Hyde Abbey School. Re-
called to his own country by the gift of the living of Lam-
peter, which was presented to him by Dr. Burgess, the
Bishop of St. David's, he remained there until, by the ad-
vice of his friend, Sir Walter Scott, he became a candidate
for the rectorship of the Edinburgh Academy, a new school
about to be opened for high classical education in Edin-
burgh. To this honourable position he was elected
unanimously, and for upwards of 20 years his success as a
teacher was proved by the eminence of his pupils, who,
commencing with his first Dux, the present Bishop of
London, fill so many honoured places in Scotland and
England. Living in Scotland in the palmiest days of
Edinbrirgh society, he was one of a literary set in which at
various times, among many names of note we find those of
Sir "Walter Scott, Maculloch, John Gibson Lockhart, Sir
Thomas Dick Lauder, Lord Cockburn, Lord Jeffrey, Pro-
fessor "Wilson, and Colonel Mure. On Sir Walter Scott's
death the archdeacon read the burial service over his re-
mains at Dryburgh Abbey. From Edinburgh he returned
to his native land and there saw formed under his eyet and.
endowed by the munificenceof a fellow-countryman, as in-
stitution for the classical education of those of his country-
men whsoe means would not permit them to enter one of
the public schools of England. In the world of letters he
was known as a Greek scholar of European reputation, and
as the author of several works of deep research and sound
scholarship, among which we name " Homerus," " Life of
Julius Cusar," " Life of Alexander the Great," " Geo- "
graphy of Ancient Asia, aid essays philosophical, philo-
logical, ethnological, theological, and archaeological. To
the cause of Welch history and archroology of which he
was always the most able and successful exponent, he is a
most irreparable loss. The peculiar feature of his cha-
racter was his ardent love of his fatherland, of his people,-
its language, customs, and traditions. No one ever
laboured more zealously than he not merely for the welfare
but for the honour of Wales.