William Aylesbury

Son of Sir Thom. Aylesbury of the City of Westminster B [•] , was born in that City, became a Gent. Com. of Ch. Ch. in the beginning of 1628 aged 16 years, took one degree in Arts, and afterwards was by K. Ch. 1. made Governour to the Duke of Buckingham and his Brother the Lord Francis Villiers, with whom he travelled beyond the Seas. While he continued in Italy, it hapned that walking in the Garden of the House where he lodged, he was shot with a brace of bullets in his thigh, by men who watched him on the other side of the wall, (a usual adventure in that Country) and assoon as he fell, the men who had done it, leaped over the wall, and looking upon him, beg’d his pardon, and said they were mistaken, for he was not the man that they intended to kill, which was all the satisfaction he had. After his return into England, and had delivered up his charge of the two noble Brothers to the King, who highly approved of the care he had taken of their education, as it appears by the grant his Maj. was pleased to give him of the first place of Grome of his Bed-chamber, which should become void, the King was pleased to command him to translate Davila’s History, (he being a perfect Master of the Italian Language) which he did with the assistance of his constant Friend Sir Charles Cotterel, and published it under this title. The History of the Civil Wars of France, written in Italian by Henry Canterino de Avila. Lond. 1647. fol. written in 15 Books, to which was a continuation of 15 books more. In the year following our Translator Aylesbury went beyond the Sea and dwelt at Antwerp with his Relations till 1650, at which time being reduced to great straights, stole over into England, where he lived for some time among his friends and acquaintance, and sometime at Oxon. among certain Royalists there. At length Oliver Cromwell sending a second supply to the Island of Jamaica, he engaged himself in that expedition, in the quality of a Secretary to the Governour, as I have heard, where he died in the year sixteen hundred fifty and seven,1657. otherwise had he lived till the Restauration of K. Charles 2. he might have chosen what preferment in the Court he pleased, by the help of Edward E. of Clarendon, who married his Sister.