received in 1666. He is principally known for having brought to perfection the micrometer, an instrument usually fitted to a telescope, in the focus of the objectglass, for measuring small angles or distances. This he published in 1666, but Mr. Townley, in the Philosophical Transactions, claims it for one of our countrymen, Mr. Gascoigne. He relates that from some scattered letters and papers of this gentlemen, who was killed in the grand rebellion, he had learned that before its breaking out, he had invented a micrometer, of as much effect as that made by M. Auzout, and had made use of it for some years; not only in taking the diameters of the planets, and distances upon land, but in determining other matters of nice importance in the heavens, as the moon's distance, &c. Mr. Gascoigne's instrument also fell into the hands of Mr. Townley, who says farther, that by the help of it he could make above 40,000 divisions in a foot. The French writers endeavour to deny all this, and conclude with an assertion, as illiberal as it is false, that every nation has à zeal for its literary glory, but that in England alone this zeal is pushed to ardour and to injustice. Auzout, however, was an astronomer of acknowledged abilities. He died in 1691.1

· AYALA (GABRIEL), a physician, of a Spanish family, studied at Antwerp, about the beginning of the sixteenth century, and took his doctor's degree in medicine at Louvain in 1556. He practised chiefly at Brussels, and was appointed physician-pensionary to that city. He was also esteemed among his learned contemporaries, on account of his poetical talents, and taste in polite literature. His works are: 1. "Popularia epigrammata medica." 2. "Carmen pro vera Medicina." 3. "De Lue pestilenti." 4. Elegiarum liber unus," printed together, Antwerp, 1562,

AYLESBURY (THOMAS), a patron of learning, was the second son of William Aylesbury by his wife Anne, daughter of John Poole, esq. and was born in London in 1576. He was educated at Westminster school, and, in 1598, became a student of Christ church, Oxford; where he distinguished himself by his assiduous application to his stu

1 Hutton's Mathematical Dict. in art, Micrometer.-Eloges des Academiciens, vol. I. p. 178. edit. 1799.-Dict. Hist.

2 Antonio Bibl. Hist.-Foppen Bibl. Belg.--Vander Linden de Script. Med.→ Dict. Hist.

dies, especially the mathematics. In June 1605, he took his degree of M. A. After he quitted the university, he was employed as secretary to Charles earl of Nottingham, then lord high admiral of England, in which post he had an opportunity of improving his mathematical knowledge, as well as of giving many proofs of it. On this account when George Villiers, duke of Buckingham, succeeded the earl of Nottingham as high admiral, Mr. Aylesbury not only kept his employment, but was also, by the favour of that powerful duke, created a baronet, April 19, 1627, having been before made master of requests, and master of the mint. These lucrative employments furnished him with the means of expressing his regard for learned men. He not only made all men of science welcome at his table, and afforded them all the countenance he could; but likewise gave to such of them as were in narrow circumstances, regular pensions out of his own fortune, and entertained them at his house in Windsor-park, where he usually spent the summer. Walter Warner, who, at his request, wrote a treatise on coins and coinage, and the famous Mr. Thomas Harriot, were among the persons to whom he extended his patronage, and Harriot left him (in conjunction with Robert Sidney and viscount Lisle) all his writings and all the MSS. he had collected. Mr. Thomas Allen of Oxford, likewise, whom he had recommended to the duke of Buckingham, confided his manuscripts to sir Thomas, who is said to have been one of the most acute and candid critics of his time. By this means he accumulated a valuable library of scarce books and MSS. which were either lost at home during the civil wars, or sold abroad to relieve his distresses; for in 1642 his adherence to the king, occasioned his being turned out of his places, and plundered of his estates. This he bore with some fortitude, but the mur→ der of his sovereign gave him a distaste of his country, and retiring with his family to Flanders, he lived for some time at Brussels, and afterwards at Breda, where in 1657 he died. He left a son William, who, at the request of Charles I. undertook to translate D'Avila's History of the Civil Wars of France, which appeared in 1647; but in the second edition, published in 1678, the merit of the whole translation is given to sir Charles Cotterel, except a few passages in the first four books. The calamities of his country affected this gentleman too, and in 1657, when Cromwell fitted out a fleet to go on an expedition to the

West Indies, and to carry a supply to the island of Jamaica, Mr. Aylesbury, from pure necessity, engaged himself as secretary to the governor, and died on the island soon after. His surviving sister, the countess of Clarendon, became heiress of what could be recovered of the family estate.1

AYLETT (ROBERT), master in chancery, was educated in Trinity hall, Cambridge, where in 1614 he commenced LL.D. It was his usual practice to relax himself after his severer studies with poetry. Besides his "Divine and Moral Speculations" in verse, London, 1654, 8vo, he wrote "Susanna, or the Arraignment of the two Elders," in verse, Lond. 1622, 8vo. Mr. Wood starts a question. whether he was author of "Britannia Antiqua illustrata," published under the name of Aylett Sammes, but said to be written by his uncle. Certain it is that the nominal author was unequal to it, though much learning and labour have been spent on it to very little purpose. The Censura Literaria attributes to Dr. Aylett four pastoral eclogues, entitled "A Wife not ready made, but bespoken:" the dedication of which is signed R. A. and the second edition was published in 1653, 8vo.2

AYLMER, or ELMER (JOHN), an eminent English prelate, descended from a very ancient and honourable family, seated at Aylmer-hall, in Norfolk, was born in 1521, and being a younger brother, was either recommended by his relations, or recommended himself by his pregnant parts, to the marquis of Dorset (Henry Grey), afterwards duke of Suffolk, who honoured him with the title of his Scholar, and gave him an exhibition at the university of Cambridge. When he had there attained competent learning, the marquis took him home, where he became tutor to his children, amongst whom was the lady Jane, who for some days was styled queen, and who, under Aylmer's tuition, acquired the Latin and Greek tongues, reading and writing in the latter with ease and elegance. By his care also, she received right principles of religion, as he imbibed the opinions of the primitive reformers; and having for his patrons the duke of Suffolk and the earl of Huntingdon, in the reign of Edward VI., was for some time the only preacher in Leicestershire; where he had great success in inculcating the Protestant religion. When the cele

1 Biog. Brit.-Ath. Ox. vol. I.-Lloyd's Memoirs, fol. p. 699. :? Granger's Biog. Hist.-Wood's Athenæ, vol. II.--Censura Literaria, vol. V,

brated Ascham, in a visit to lady Jane in 1550, asked her how so young a lady (not then above fourteen) could have arrived at such perfection both in philosophy and the Greek language, she bore the following testimony to the merit of her tutor; "I will tell you," said she, "and tell you truth, which, perchance, you will marvel at. One of the greatest benefits which ever God gave me, is that he sent so sharp and severe parents, and so gentle a schoolmaster. For when I am in presence either of father or mother, whether I speak, keep silence, sit, stand, or go; eat, drink, be merry or sad; be sewing, playing, dancing, or doing any thing else, I must do it, as it were, in such weight, measure, and number, and even so perfectly, as God made the world, or else, I am so sharply taunted, so cruelly threatened, yea, presently sometimes with pinches, nips, and bobs (or other ways, which I will not name, for the honour I bear them), so without measure misordered, that I think myself in hell, till time come that I must go to Mr. Elmer, who teacheth me so gently, so pleasantly, with fair allurements to learning, that I think all the time nothing while I am with him; and when I am called from him, I fall a weeping, because whatsoever I do else but learning, is full of grief, trouble, fear, and wholly misliking unto me; and this my book hath been so much my pleasure, and bringeth daily to me more pleasure, and more yet, in respect to it, all other pleasures, in very deed, be but trifles and troubles unto me." Mr. Ascham was so affected with this interview, that in a letter to lady Jane, dated the eighteenth of January, 1551, he speaks of it in rapture, and by a beautiful apostrophe, addressing himself to Mr. Aylmer, felicitates him on his having so ingenious a scholar, in a strain of compliment, which he says the great Sturmius made use of to him, speaking of his happiness, in having the lady Elizabeth for his pupil. In this letter it is, that he desires Mr. Aylmer, to whom he foresaw it would be shewn, to engage the lady Jane, to write a letter in Greek to himself, and another to Sturmius, and also desires they might continue to live in the same learned friendship and intercourse, which they had hitherto done.

The first preferment bestowed upon Aylmer, was the archdeaconry of Stow, in the diocese of Lincoln, which giving him a seat in the convocation, held in the first year of queen Mary, he boldly opposed that return to Popery,

which he saw approaching. He was one of six, who, in the midst of all the violence of that assembly, offered to dispute all the controverted points in religion, against the most learned champions of the Papists. But when the supreme power began to employ force, archdeacon Aylmer withdrew, and escaped abroad in almost a miraculous manner *. He resided first at Strasbourg, afterwards at Zurick in Switzerland, and there in peace followed his studies, employing all his time in acquiring knowledge, or in assisting other men of study. His thoughts, though in a distant country, were continually employed in the service of England, and of Englishmen. He published (as Strype supposes) lady Jane Grey's letter to Harding, who had been her father's chaplain, and who apostatized. He assisted Fox in translating the History of English Martyrs into Latin, and also in the version of archbishop Cranmer's Vindication of the book on the Sacrament, against Gardiner, bishop of Winchester, which, however, was never printed. During these employments he found leisure to visit most of the universities of Italy and Germany, and had an offer from the duke of Saxony, of the Hebrew professorship of Jena, which he refused, on the prospect of speedily returning home. It was during his exile likewise that he wrote the only work of consequence which he ever published, in answer to the famous Scotch reformer, John Knox. In 1556, John Knox printed, at Geneva, a treatise under this title: "The first Blast against the monstrous regiment and empire of Women," to shew that, by the laws of God, women could not exercise sovereign authority. The objects of this attack were the two queens, Mary of Lorrain, then regent of Scotland, and Mary queen of England. It was violent, but not unargumentative, and he could appeal with effect to the laws of France, and to the recent proposal of Edward VI. to adopt the same law. He intended a second, and a third part; but finding it gave offence to many of his brethren, and being desirous to strengthen rather than invalidate the authority of Elizabeth, he relinquished his design. Still as this first tended to injure the Protestant religion in the minds of Princes, and those in authority, Mr. Aylmer resolved to employ his

* Fuller says that the ship in which he embarked was searched, and that he was concealed in a very large wine vessel, with a partition in the middle;

and that Aylmer, who was a man of low stature, sat on one side of it, while the searchers drank wine out of the other.