HAMILTON, SIR WILLIAM, a well-known diplomatist and lover of art, was born in Scotland in 1730. He began life, he says, "with an ancient name and 1000L;" but he removed the discrepance between his name and his fortunes by marrying in 1755 a lady of very large property, as well as amiable and agreeable character. It is said that he was foster-brother to George III., which may account for his appointment in 1764 to be English ambassador at Naples, whence he was not recalled till 1800. His connection with the stirring events born of the French revolution, more especially with the brilliant exploits of Nelson in the Mediterranean, belong to the history of the period. The master-spirit in that troubled time was his second wife (married to him in 1791), the fascinating but most unhappy Lady Hamilton. [NELsox.) Sir William appears however to have main tained an unblemished character, except in the weak indulgence of hie wife. He was made a Knight of the Bath in 1771, and a privy councillor in 1791. His expenditure for special services at Naples was disallowed by the ministry, and he died, much impoverished, in England, April 6th 1803.
Immediately after his arrival at Naples be applied himself diligently to observe and record the volcanic phenomena of the neighbourhood ; and the continued activity of Vesuvius from 1766 to 1771 gave him excellent opportunity for these researches, of which his great work, the Campi Phlegraii,' Naples, 1776-77, 2 vols. fol., is a noble monu ment. It consists of a series of coloured plates, exhibiting the most remarkable volcanio phenomena and the scenery of the most remark able spots with great vividness, accompanied by explanations in French and English. Sir W. Hamilton published a ' Supplement ' to it in
1779, containing similar representations of the great eruption of Vesuvius in August of that year.
His collection of Greek and Etruscan vases (now in the British Musenm) was very valuable : the foundation of them was laid by the purchase of the Porcinari collection at Naples in 1765. They gave rise to that splendid work, ' Antiquitds Etruaques, Grecques, et Romaines, tirdes du Cabinet de M. Hamilton,' 4 vols. fol., published at Naples, the two first volumes in 1766, the others at a later date. The profit of the work was assigoed to the editor D'Hancarville. Many of the marbles now in the Townley Gallery of the British Museum came from the collection of Sir W. Hamilton. (See Library of Entertaining Knowledge, Townley Gallery,' voL ii., index.) Sir W. Hamilton took a lively interest in all subjects connected with art or with antiquity, especially in the progress of the excavations at Herculaneum and Pompeii, and the formation of the Museum of Portia He was earnest in recommending to the Neapolitan govern ment the great work of unrolling the Herculaneum manuscripts, but produced little effect on that most supine court. He himself bestowed a part of his income upon this object. Teu papers of his composition, upon matters observed during his abode in Italy, are printed iu the ' Phil. Trans.' for the years 1767 to 1795 inclusive. Hie other works are—' Obeervations on Mount Vesuvius, Mount Etna,' &c., London, 1772 • and ' Latem au! Monte Volture,' Naples, 1780.