William Edmondstoune Aytoun

William Edmonstoune Aytoun (June 21, 1813 - 1865), Scottish poet, humorist and miscellaneous writer, was born at Edinburgh.

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 fathers 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 be 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. En 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 Ben Gaultier Ballads (1855).

The work on which his reputation is 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 lettrers at Edinburgh University. His lectures were very attractive, and the number of students increased correspondngly. His services in support of the Tory party, especially luring the Anti-Corn-Law struggle, received official recognition on his appointment (1852) as sheriff of Orkney and Zetland.

Reference

• This entry incorporates public domain text originally from the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica.