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Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Price, Richard (1790-1833)

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1196982Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Volume 46 — Price, Richard (1790-1833)1896Gerald le Grys Norgate

PRICE, RICHARD (1790–1833), philologist and antiquary, born in 1790, was the eldest son of Richard Price, a British merchant. He entered at the Middle Temple on 29 May 1823, was called to the bar in 1830, and practised on the western circuit. He was also a sub-commissioner of the public record commission. In 1824 he published an edition of Warton's ‘History of Poetry,’ with a long preface, which is reprinted in the editions of R. Taylor (1840) and Mr. W. C. Hazlitt (1871). Price incorporated the notes of Ritson, Ashby, Douce, and Park, besides adding some of his own. The edition had value, although Price retained many of Warton's self-evident mistakes, and made some new ones. In 1830 Price revised and brought up to date, in four volumes, Edward Christian's edition of Blackstone's ‘Commentaries’ of 1809. He also assisted Henry Petrie [q. v.] in his edition of the ‘Saxon Chronicle to 1066,’ in vol. i. of ‘Monumenta Historica Britannica.’ Price died of dropsy on 23 May 1833, at Branch Hill, Hampstead.

Price had a wide knowledge of German and Scandinavian literature, to which testimony was borne by Dr. James Grimm, Dr. J. J. Thorkelin, and Edgar Taylor, translator of Wace's ‘Chronicle.’ Thorpe, in the preface to his ‘Ancient Laws and Institutes of England,’ says his labours had been considerably lightened by Price, whom he calls ‘a good man and highly accomplished scholar.’

[Gent. Mag. 1833, ii. 282, 561; Times, 24 May 1833 (where there is a singular misprint); Taylor's edition (1840) of Warton, with notices of Price by various scholars; Hazlitt's edition (1871), preface; Middle Temple Admissions; Allibone's Dict. Engl. Lit. ii. 1679.]