AYTOUN

aytoun, william edmonstoune (1813-1865), scottish poet, humorist and miscellaneous writer, was born at edinburgh on the 21st of june 1813. he was the only son of roger aytoun, a writer to the signet, and the family was of the same stock as sir robert aytoun noticed above. from his mother, a woman of marked originality of character and considerable culture, he derived his distinctive qualities, his early tastes in literature, and his political sympathies, his love for ballad poetry, and his admiration for the stuarts. at the age of eleven he was sent to the edinburgh academy, passing in due time to the university. in 1833 he spent a few months in london for the purpose of studying law; but in september of that year he went to study german at aschaffenburg, where he remained till april 1834. he then resumed his legal pursuits in his father's chambers, was admitted a writer to the signet in 1835, and five years later was called to the scottish bar. but, by his own confession, though he "followed the law, he never could overtake it." his first publication--a volume entitled _poland, homer, and other poems_, in which he gave expression to his eager interest in the state of poland--had appeared in 1832. while in germany he made a translation in blank verse of the first part of _faust_; but, forestalled by other translations, it was never published. in 1836 he made his earliest contributions to _blackwood's magazine_, in translations from uhland; and from 1839 till his death he remained on the staff of _blackwood_. about 1841 he became acquainted with mr (afterwards sir) theodore martin, and in association with him wrote a series of light humorous papers on the tastes and follies of the day, in which were interspersed the verses which afterwards became popular as the _ban gaultier ballads_ (1855). the work on which his reputation as a poet chiefly rests is the _lays of the scottish cavaliers_ (1848; 29th ed. 1883). in 1845 he was appointed professor of rhetoric and _belles lettres_ at edinburgh university. his lectures were very attractive, and the number of students increased correspondingly. his services in support of the tory party, especially during the anti-corn-law struggle, received official recognition in his appointment (1852) as sheriff of orkney and zetland. in 1854 appeared _firmilian, a spasmodic tragedy_, in which he attacked and parodied the writings of philip james bailey, sydney dobell and alexander smith; and two years later he published his _bothwell, a poem_. among his other literary works are a _collection of the ballads of scotland_ (1858), a translation of the _poems and ballads of goethe_, executed in co-operation with his friend theodore martin (1858), a small volume on the _life and times of richard i._ (1840), written for the _family library_, and a novel entitled _norman sinclair_ (1861), many of the details in which are taken from incidents in his own experience. in 1860 aytoun was elected honorary president of the associated societies of edinburgh university. in 1859 he lost his first wife, a daughter of john wilson (christopher north), to whom he was married in 1849, and this was a great blow to him. his mother died in november 1861, and his own health began to fail. in december 1863 he married miss kinnear. he died at blackhills, near elgin, on the 4th of august 1865. see _memoir of w. e. aytoun_ (1867), by sir theodore martin, with an appendix containing some of his prose essays. ayub khan (1855- ), afghan prince, son of shere ali (formerly amir of afghanistan), and cousin of the amir abdur rahman, was born about 1855. during his father's reign little is recorded of him, but after shere ali's expulsion from kabul by the english, and his death in january 1879, ayub took possession of herat, and maintained himself there until june 1881, when he invaded afghanistan with the view of asserting his claims to the sovereignty, and in particular of gaining possession of kandahar, still in the occupation of the british. he encountered the british force commanded by general burrows at maiwand on the 27th of july, and was able to gain one of the very few pitched battles that have been won by asiatic leaders over an army under european direction. his triumph, however, was short-lived; while he hesitated to assault kandahar he was attacked by sir frederick (afterwards lord) roberts, at the close of the latter's memorable march from kabul, and utterly discomfited, [v.03 p.0078] 20th of september 1880. he made his way back to herat, where he remained for some time unmolested. in the summer of 1881 he again invaded afghanistan, and on the anniversary of the battle of maiwand obtained a signal victory over abdur rahman's lieutenants, mainly through the defection of a durani regiment. kandahar fell into his hands, but abdur rahman now took the field in person, totally defeated ayub, and expelled him from herat. he took refuge in persia, and for some time lived quietly in receipt of an allowance from the persian government. in 1887 internal troubles in afghanistan tempted him to make another endeavour to seize the throne. defeated and driven into exile, he wandered for some time about persia, and in november gave himself up to the british agent at meshed. he was sent to india to live as a state prisoner.