Aus'tin, Alfred, English poet-laureate (1896-1913), in succession to Lord Tennyson, was born at Headingley, near Leeds, England, May 30, 1835, and educated at Stonyhurst College and at St. Mary's College, Oscott. In 1853 he took his degree at London University, and was called to the bar of the Inner Temple. In 1861 he first showed his bent toward literature by the publication of some minor poems, followed by the volumes entitled The Human Tragedy, Savonarola, The Tower of Babel, Prince Lucifer, Fortunatus the Pessimist, The Garden that I Love, In Veronica's Garden, Lamia's Winter Quarters, England's Darling and At the Gate of the Convent. A collected edition of his poems has appeared in six volumes. He never practiced law but did journalistic work as a newspaper correspondent, and critic, writing largely for the London Standard and Quarterly Review, and founding and editing for a time, in conjunction with W. J. Courthope, the National Review.
