Austin, John

John Austin was born at Walpole, Norfolk, and educated at St. John's College, Cambridge (circa 1640). He became a Roman Catholic, entered Lincoln's Inn to study for the Bar, subsequently became a tutor, and finally devoted himself to literature. He died in London in 1669.

His published works include The Christian Moderator, Reflections upon the Oaths of Supremacy, and Devotions in the Antient Way of Offices: Containing Exercises for every day in the Week (1668). This last work, through which Austin is associated with hymnody, reached a second edition in 1672, a third edition in 1684, and two fourth editions in 1685. It was a Roman Catholic manual containing 43 hymns, 39 of which appeared in the first edition. A few of these were renderings from the Latin by Richard Crashaw, altered and adapted by Austin. In 1686 it was adapted for members of the Church of England by Theophilus Dorrington, and again in 1687 by Lady Susanna Hopton under the editorship of George Hickes.