ior officers of the fleet. In
1648, when Sir William Batten went over to Holland with a portion of his
squadron, Ayscue's influence kept a large part of the fleet loyal to the
Parliament, and in reward for this service he was appointed the following
year admiral of the Irish Seas. For his conduct at the relief of Dublin he
received the thanks of Parliament, and in 1651 he was employed under Blake
in the operations for the reduction of Scilly. He was next sent to the West
Indies in charge of a squadron destined for the Conquest of Barbadoes and
the other islands still under royalist control. This task successfully
accomplished, he returned to take part in the first Dutch War. In this he
played a prominent part, but the indecisive battle off Plymouth (August
16th, 1652) cost him his command, though an annuity was assigned him. For
some years Sir George Ayscue lived in retirement, but the later years of
the Commonwealth he spent in Sweden, Cromwell having despatched him thither
as naval adviser. At the Restoration he returned, and became one of the
commissioners of the navy, but on the outbreak of the second Dutch War in
1664 he once more hoisted his flag as rear-admiral of the Blue, and took
part in the battle of Lowestoft (June 3rd, 1665). In the great Four Days'
Battle (June 11th-14th, 1666) he served with Monck as admiral of the White.
His flagship, the "Prince Royal," was taken on the third day, and he
himself remained a prisoner in Holland till the peace. It seems doubtful
whether he ever again flew his flag at sea, and the date of his death is
supposed to be 1671. Lely's portrait of Sir George Ayscue is in the Painted
Hall at Greenwich.

AYTOUN, or AYTON, SIR ROBERT (1570-1638), Scottish poet, son of Andrew
Aytoun of Kinaldie, Fifeshire, was born in 1570. He was educated at the
university of St Andrews, where he was incorporated as a student of St
Leonard's College in 1584 and graduated M.A. in 1588. He lived for some
years in France, and on the accession of James VI. to the English throne he
wrote in Paris a Latin panegyric, which brought him into immediate favour
at court. He was knighted in 1612. He held various lucrative offices, and
was private secretary to the queens of James I. and Charles I. He died in
London and was buried in Westminster Abbey on the 28th of February 1638.
His reputation with his contemporaries was high, both personally and as a
writer, though he had no ambition to be known as the latter.