Ten years later he returned to Angers to exercise the functions of criminal lieutenant, and was noted for his extreme severity. His son René, who had been sent to Paris to complete his studies under the jesuits, joined the order without the sanction and against the will of his father, who employed all legal and judicial means to compel René to renounce his intentions, and to return home. For this purpose he summoned the jesuits, and appealed to the parliament of Paris; but finding that his son had been made to disappear, he petitioned the pope, and obtained from Henry III. royal letters, urging on Cardinal d'Este and the Marquis Pisani to solicit an order from the pontiff for the restoration of his son. His efforts were vain, and three years later he endeavoured to influence René, by a work called "Traité de la puissance paternelle," which appears to have been afterwards published in Latin, under the title "De patrio jure, ad filium pseudo-jesuitum," 1593. This work either did not reach the son, or was ineffectual; and Ayrault on the 25th April, 1593, before a notary public and in the presence of witnesses, repudiated him, deprived him of his benediction, and prohibited his other sons from acknowledging their brother. At his death, however, he withdrew the ban, and among his papers was found the restored paternal blessing. He appears to have had a strong personal affection for René, and the circumstances seem to have brought him in sorrow to the grave. Ayrault published a large number of law books, among others "De l'ordre et instruction judiciaire dont les anciens Grecs et Romains ont usé en accusations publiques," Paris, 1575, a work frequently reprinted, and still not unworthy of consultation, as it contains by anticipation the principle of a modern code.—P. E. D.
AYRENHOFF, Cornelius Hermann von, a German dramatic author, was born at Vienna in 1733. Entering the military profession, he rose to the rank of colonel, was appointed president of the institution for military invalids at Vienna, and in 1794 was made lieutenant-field-marshal. He retired from the army at the close of the war with France, and died at his native place. Ayrenhoff wrote both tragedy and comedy, but was particularly successful in comedy, some of his pieces, such as "Der Postzug" and "Die Grosse Batterie," having been long popular all over Germany. Ayrenhoff produced a great deal, but his literary activity was of less value to his country than it would have been, had his taste been more strictly national. He conceived that the French model was the only proper one on which to write plays; and, even when Lessing had reformed the German stage, continued by argument and example to maintain his exploded theory. Ayrenhoff's works, in whole and in part, have passed through several editions. The "Sämmtliche Werke," containing his tragedies, comedies, minor poems, essays, tales, &c., were published at Vienna, in 6 vols. 8vo., in 1816.— A. M.
AYRER, the name of several German writers on medical subjects:—Christopher Heinrich Ayrer, author of "Methodica et succincta informatio medici praxin aggredientis," Frankfort, 1594; and "Regimen zur Zeit der rothen Ruhr," Leipzig, 1601.—Emmanuel Wilhelm Ayrer, born 1647, died 1690; author of a thesis, "De Vermibus Intestinorum," Nuremberg, 1670.—Johann Wilhelm Ayrer of Altdorf, born 1671, author of a thesis, "De Scirrho Hepatis."
AYRER, Georg Heinrich, a voluminous German writer on jurisprudence, was born at Meiningen in 1702, and died in 1774. He studied at Jena; and in 1737 became ordinarius professor of law at Göttingen. George III., as elector of Hanover, raised him in 1768 to the rank of privy councillor of justice. Adelung gives a long list of Professor Ayrer's juristic tracts and larger works. Sixteen of the most important of his minor productions were edited after his death in two volumes octavo, under the title, "Georg. Henr. Ayreri Opuscula varii argumenti, edidit et præfatus est Joannes Henricus Jungius, Academiæ Georgiæ Augustiæ Secretarius; Göttingen, 1786." One of these opuscula is an "Oratio Secunda de Gulielmo Augusto Serenissimo Cumbriæ Duce, Rebellium Scotiæ Domitore, Patrisque et Patriæ Defensore felicissimo," a tract said to be interesting, as exhibiting the light in which the question of the Hanoverian succession was viewed in Germany.—A. M.
AYRER, Jacob, an early German dramatist, a younger contemporary of Hans Sachs; died, according to Tieck, about 1618. He was doctor of laws, and practised as a notary at Nuremberg. Ayrer's writings were collected after his death, under the title, " Opus Theatricum, dreissig ausbündig Schöne Komedien und Tragedien von allerhand denkwürdigen Römischen Historien, &c., Samt noch andern sechs und dreissig schönen lustigen und kurzweiligen Fastnacht oder Possenspielen, durch weyland den erbarn und wohlgelährten Herm Jacobum Ayrer, Notarium publicum, &c."—(Opus Theatricum, thirty extraordinarily beautiful comedies and tragedies on all sorts of memorable Roman histories, &c., together with thirty-six beautiful, droll, and diverting gestes for Shrovetide, by the late worthy and learned Master Jacob Ayrer, notary public), Nuremberg, 1618, folio—a volume now very rare. Five of Ayrer's plays were reprinted in Tieck's "Deutsches Theater." The productions of this old dramatist are highly interesting specimens of early dramatic literature; and though perfectly artless and irregular in form, are said by Vilmar to be characterized by a dialogue so lively and entertaining, and occasionally by action so rapid and spirited that, even from a modern point of view, we are not at liberty to despise them. This favourable criticism, however, Vilmar applies more especially to Hans Sachs, who is less coarse than Ayrer.—A. M.
AYRER, Melchior, a German mathematician, chemist, and physician, born at Nuremberg 1520; died 1579. In 1544 he obtained his degree as master of arts under Melancthon at Wittemberg, and spent three subsequent years in Italy. He was afterwards physician to the Electress Palatine, wife of Frederick II. He left several works which have never been published.
AYRES, Ferreira Gonzala, a Portuguese navigator of the fifteenth century, and companion of Zarra, the first explorer of the island of Madeira. He was one of the first colonists of Madeira, and out of respect for his newly-found Eden, he called his son Adam, and his daughter Eve. He left a MS. work entitled "Desculiremento da ilha de Madeira."
AYRES, John, a celebrated penman, writing-master, and arithmetician of the reign of Charles II. He was also styled Colonel Ayres. By his school in St. Paul's Churchyard he is said to have earned £800 a-year. He published several works connected with the art of penmanship—the "Accomplished Clerk," 1683; "A Tutor to Penmanship, or the Writing-Master," 1695; "Arithmetic made easy, for the use and benefit of tradesmen," 1714. The latter went through twelve editions.
AYRES, Philip, an English writer of the latter half of the seventeenth century. Little or nothing is known of his life. His works were "The Fortunate Fool," a translation from the Spanish of Salas Barbadillo, 32mo, 1670; "The Count of Cabalis, or the extravagant mysteries of the Cabalists exposed in five pleasant discourses on the secret sciences," 16mo, 1680. "Emblems of Love," ("dedicated to the Ladys,") 1683; "Lyric Poems;" "Pax Redux, or the Christian's reconciler;" 4to, 1688.
AYRMANN, Christoph Friedrich, a German historian and classicist, was born in 1695 at Leipsic, and died in 1747. He studied at Wittenberg, and became, in 1721, professor of history at Giessen. Under the nomme de plume of Germanicus Sincerus, Ayrmann published editions of Florus, Eutropius, Cæsar, Suetonius, Justin, and Terence, with German notes; and among his historical writings are—"Dissertatio historico-chronologica de Sicula Dionysiorum tyrannide," Giessen, 1726, 4to; "Introduction to the history of Hesse in ancient times, and during the middle ages" (in German), Frankfort and Leipsic, 1732, 8vo; "Disputatio de originibus Germanicis, sine temporibus Germaniæ priscis," &c., Giessen, 1724, 4to.—A. M.
* AYRTON, William, a musical critic, was born in London about 1781. His father. Dr. Edmund Ayrton (born 1784), was organist of Southwell in Nottinghamshire, came to London to the appointment of gentleman of the chapel-royal in 1764, and was soon engaged also as vicar-choral at St. Paul's; he succeeded Dr. Nares as master of the boys of the chapel-royal in 1780, which office he resigned in 1805; he received his degree at Cambridge in 1784, officiated as assistant-director at the famous commemoration of Handel in that year, and died in 1808, leaving some compositions that are little known. The present Mr. Ayrton, like his father, received the education of a scholar as well as of a musician, and was thus qualified to write upon the art. He married a daughter of Dr. Arnold, through which connection he was doubtless warmly interested in the proceedings of the English opera at the Lyceum theatre, under the management of Mr. S. J. Arnold, his brother-in-law. He had a fashionable and lucrative connection as a teacher of music, from which he has retired in competent independence. He was one of the members of the Philharmonic Society at its foundation in 1813, and was two years since engaged upon the revision of its laws. He was music-director of the King's theatre, under the management of
