The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1865-09-13
Death OF Professor Aytoun.

The death OF Prof. Aytohn, which we
have this morning to record, will excite re,
gret and awaken sense of loss far beyond
the limits Of this his native city, with which
his life and its labors have been 80 intimate
~ associated. For a number OF years bis
state Of health had been unsatisfactory. NO
acute or local disease had laid its hand up
ON him; be was rather, as he has himself on
occasion expressed it, uneasy than unwel,
and he hoped and sought, by change Of air
and keen entrance, so far as his duties al
lowed, into the enjoyment Of country life,
to repair the breaches Of the past, and pre-.
pare store of health against the future.
For year or two he had retired, for at
least part of the Summer recess, to Black
hills, near Elgin, residence which he had
leased for the sake of shooting and fishing,
and the other country recreations of which
he was so fond and it was there that, early
on Friday morning, he died, at the too early
age of 81. VIM. Edmondstoune Aytoun
was born in 1918, Of an Old Fifeshire faml-
". He received his education at Edinburgh
University-being distinguished among his
class fellows at the former by the elegance
and excellence of his English and Latin
compositions. Tn 1881, he gave to the pub.
lie his first work-a poem on Poland the
Inspiration of which his impulsive and ro-
mantle spirit had doubtless drawn from
the stirring events Of the Polish reyo-
luton; but the poem met with no very
cordial reception. In 1910 he was adI
United as an advocate at the bar be did
not make any marked figure, though he had
some little reputation in criminal business.
His geniality and ready wit, however, made
him Q favorite among his fellows of the
robe. In 1916 he vas fortunate enough to
be appointed to the chair of literature and
bellies lettres in The University of Edinburgh,
aud in 1852 the Conservative government
further advanced him by making him sheriff
of Orkney and Shetland. Shortly after his
appointment to his chair, we believe, be
married the youngest daughter of Professor
Wilson. From Oxford University he re-
ceIyed, year or two later, the degree of
b. C.L The "Lays of Scottish Cavaliers"
was Mr.. Aytoun's most ambitious, and it
has been his most successful work it has
run through seventeen. editions-at the rate
of one per annum, and from its subject and
spirit, il bids fair to hold q good place in
popular favor. Many Of the best Of the
"Bon Gauitler" ballads, too we owe to MIR.
.Aytoun's fancy and humor. "Filmilian,
p spasmodlc Tragedy" which he pub
lished in 1854, under the psepdonym
of at. Percy Jones" was unques-
tienably Mr. A5tonn''s most effective
and beneGcent work. Provoked by an in
telligible and praiseworthy irritation against
the inflated, excited aud unprincipled pro-
auctions Of certain youthful poets, whose
heroes were always, IKE Bottom, calling
put for "a part to tear cat 10, to make al
Spirit aFrmilians almost without the
author intending it, made an end Of the
"spasmodc school," "BothWel, q poem"
the plot of which was taken from the Ian
gled history of Mary Queen Of Scots, was
published in 1856, and has passed through
three editors; but, though the author spent
considerable pains on it both before and af
ter it saw the light, it was not throughout
nearly o. even tie same merit as the Lays"
in 1858. Mr.. Aytoun edited a collection Of
the Ballads of Scotland; and 10 the same
year appeared the graceful and classical
irasslations of The Poems and Ballads Of
Goethe, executed in common by NJ. Aytoun
and Theodore Martin. In 1861 was repub
lshed from Blackwood the novel OF Norman
Sinclair which was certainly tle least mer
i,orious and Successful Of all the literary et
forts of Mr. Aytonn. Since then, e2cep-
ting 'nuptual ode" on the marriage Of the
Prince Of Wales, he has published nothing
with his name English Paper.