Britannica AI Icon
Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

John Langhorne (born March 1735, Winton, Somerset, Eng.—died April 1, 1779, Blagdon, Somerset) was a poet and English translator of the 1st-century Greek biographer Plutarch; his work anticipates that of George Crabbe in its description of the problems facing the poor. He was a country rector after 1766. His best work is perhaps The Country Justice (3 parts, 1774–77). His translation—jointly with his brother William—of Plutarch appeared in 1770. He also contributed reviews to The Monthly Review (1761–79) and edited the poems of William Collins (1765).

This article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.
Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors.
By clicking “Sign Up”, you consent to the Britannica Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.