Ayesha (a-yesh'a), daughter of Abu-Bekr and favourite wife of Mahomet, though she bore him no child, born in 610 or 611. After his death she opposed the succession of Ali, but was
defeated and taken prisoner. She died at Medina in 677 or 678 (A.H. 58).
Aylesbury (ālz´be-ri), county town of Buckinghamshire, England, with a fine old parish church; chief industries, silk-throwing, printing, making condensed milk, and poultry-rearing for the London market. The Aylesbury duck, also called 'white English', is famous. Previous to 1885 it and its hundred sent two members to Parliament, and it still gives its name to a parliamentary division. Pop. (1921), 12,114.
Ay´loffe, Sir Joseph, an English antiquary, born about 1708, died 1781; member of the first council of the Society of Antiquaries, a commissioner for the preservation of State papers, the author and editor of several works, of which the best known is his Calendars of the Auntient Charters, &c.
Aymaras (ī´ma˙-ra˙z), an Indian race of Bolivia and Peru, speaking a language akin to the Quichua.
Ay´mon, the surname of four brothers, Alard, Richard, Guiscard, and Renaud, who hold a first place among the heroes of the Charlemagne cycle of romance. Their exploits were the subject of a romance, Les Quatre Fils d'Aymon, by Huon de Villeneuve, a trouvère of the thirteenth century, and Renaud is a leading figure in Ariosto's Orlando.
Ayr (ār), a town of Scotland, a royal and parliamentary burgh, and capital of Ayrshire, at the mouth of the River Ayr, on the Firth of Clyde. It was the site of a Roman station. William the Lion built a castle there in 1197 and constituted it a royal burgh in 1202; and the Parliament which confirmed Robert Bruce's title to the crown sat in Ayr. It is picturesquely situated, and has excellent public and other buildings. Two bridges connect Ayr proper with the suburbs of Newton and Wallacetown, a third stands farther up the river. The 'New Brig' of Burns's 'Brigs of Ayr' (built in 1788) had to be replaced by a new structure in 1879, while the 'Auld Brig' (built in 1252) still stands, after being repaired. Carpets, lace goods, leather, iron goods, &c., are manufactured. The harbour accommodation is good, and in particular coals are largely exported. The house in which Burns was born stands within 1½ miles of the town, and near 'Alloway's auld haunted kirk', and a monument to him is near. Ayr unites with Ardrossan, Irvine, Prestwick, Saltcoats, and Troon in sending a member to Parliament. Pop. 32,986.—The county has an area of 724,523 acres. It is divided into the districts of Carrick in the south, Kyle in the middle, and Cunningham in the north. The surface is irregular, and a large portion of it hilly, but much of it is fertile. The principal streams are the Ayr, Stinchar, Girvan, Doon, Irvine, and Garnock. Coal and iron are abundant; and there are numerous collieries and ironworks. Limestone and freestone are also abundant. Agriculture is in a flourishing state, the principal crops being oats, turnips, and early potatoes, while dairy husbandry is extensively practised; the Ayrshire cows, referred to in the eighteenth century as the Cunningham, are celebrated as milkers, and Ayrshire cheese ('Dunlop' and 'Cheddar') has a high reputation. Woollen manufactures are extensive, particularly carpets and bonnets; lace goods are largely made; Kilmarnock is a centre of engineering and of dairying education. Goods made include explosives, boots and shoes, chemicals, and leather. Chief towns, Ayr, Kilmarnock, Irvine, Ardrossan, Saltcoats, Stevenston, Maybole. Ayr and Buteshire send three members to Parliament. Pop. 267,600 (1918).
Ayrer (ī´rer), Jacob, a German dramatist of the sixteenth century, who almost rivalled Hans Sachs in copiousness and importance. He was a citizen and legal official of Nuremberg, and died in 1605. His works, published at Nuremberg in 1618, under the title Opus Theatricum, include thirty comedies and tragedies and thirty-six humorous pieces.
Ayrton, William Edward, English physicist and electrical engineer, born in 1847. From 1873 to 1879 he was professor of natural philosophy and telegraphy in the Imperial College of Engineering at Tokio. In 1879 he was appointed professor of applied physics in the City and Guilds of London Institute. He invented an ammeter, voltmeter, &c., in conjunction with Professor Perry. He died in 1908. He published Practical Electricity, and many papers on scientific subjects.
Aytoun (ā´tun), Sir Robert, poet, born in Fifeshire, Scotland, 1570, died 1638. After studying at St. Andrews he lived for some time in France, whence, in 1603, he addressed a panegyric in Latin verse to King James on his accession to the crown of England. By the