This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 1669.

Events

May 31 Events Pre-1600 * 455 – Emperor Petronius Maximus is stoned to death by an angry mob while fleeing Rome. * 1215 – Zhongdu (now Beijing), then under the control of the Jurchen ruler Emperor Xuanzong of Jin, is captured by th ...

–

Samuel Pepys Samuel Pepys ( ; 23 February 1633 – 26 May 1703) was an English writer and Tories (British political party), Tory politician. He served as an official in the Navy Board and Member of Parliament (England), Member of Parliament, but is most r ...

makes the last entry in his diary. *''unknown dates'' ** Frances Boothby's tragicomedy ''Marcelia, or, The Treacherous Friend'' is performed by the

King's Company The King's Company was one of two enterprises granted the rights to mount theatrical productions in London, after the London theatre closure 1642, London theatre closure had been lifted at the start of the English Restoration. It existed from 166 ...

at the

Theatre Royal, Drury Lane The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and listed building, Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) an ...

, the first play by a woman to be produced in London. **The final section of ''Parthenissa'', the prose romance by

Roger Boyle, 1st Earl of Orrery Roger Boyle, 1st Earl of Orrery, 25 April 1621 to 16 October 1679, was an Anglo-Irish soldier and politician. A younger son of the Earl of Cork, the largest landowner in Munster, like many Irish Protestants he supported the Dublin Castle admin ...

, is published. Earlier portions of the work have appeared in 1651 and 1654–1656.

New books

Prose

*Anonymous (Gabriel-Joseph de la Vergne?) – ''

Letters of a Portuguese Nun The ''Letters of a Portuguese Nun'' ( French: ''Les Lettres Portugaises'', literally ''The Portuguese Letters''), first published anonymously by Claude Barbin in Paris in 1669, is a work believed by most scholars to be epistolary fiction in the f ...

'' (''Les Lettres portugaises'') *

Hans Jakob Christoffel von Grimmelshausen Hans Jakob Christoffel von Grimmelshausen (1621/22 – 17 August 1676) was one of the most notable German authors of the 17th century. He is best known for his 1669 picaresque novel ''Simplicius Simplicissimus'' () and the accompanying ''Simplic ...

– ''

Simplicius Simplicissimus ''Simplicius Simplicissimus'' () is a picaresque novel of the lower Baroque style, written in five books by German author Hans Jakob Christoffel von Grimmelshausen published in 1668, with the sequel ''Continuatio'' appearing in 1669. Inspired b ...

'' (first major novel in the German language, dated this year but probably published in

1668 Events January–March * January 23 – The Triple Alliance of 1668 is formed between England, Sweden and the United Provinces of the Netherlands. * February 13 – In Lisbon, a peace treaty is established between Afonso ...

) *

Blaise Pascal Blaise Pascal (19June 162319August 1662) was a French mathematician, physicist, inventor, philosopher, and Catholic Church, Catholic writer. Pascal was a child prodigy who was educated by his father, a tax collector in Rouen. His earliest ...

– '' Pensees'' (published posthumously) *

William Penn William Penn ( – ) was an English writer, religious thinker, and influential Quakers, Quaker who founded the Province of Pennsylvania during the British colonization of the Americas, British colonial era. An advocate of democracy and religi ...

– '' No Cross, No Crown'' *

Jan Swammerdam Jan or Johannes Swammerdam (February 12, 1637 – February 17, 1680) was a Dutch biologist and microscopist. His work on insects demonstrated that the various phases during the life of an insect—Egg (biology), egg, larva, pupa, and adult� ...

– ' *

John Wagstaffe John Wagstaffe (1633–1677) was an English writer on witchcraft. Life Wagstaffe, born in Cheapside in 1633, was the son of John Wagstaffe of London. He was educated at St. Paul's School, and was Pauline exhibitioner from 1649 to 1658. He matric ...

– ''The Question of Witchcraft Debated''

Drama

*Anonymous – ''The Imperial Tragedy'' *

John Dryden John Dryden (; – ) was an English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright who in 1668 was appointed England's first Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom, Poet Laureate. He is seen as dominating the literary life of Restoration (En ...

– ''Tyrannic Love'' *

**''Guzman'' **''Mr. Anthony'' * Robert Howard and George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham – ''The Country Gentleman'' (written, not staged) * John Lacy – ''The Dumb Lady'' *

Jean Racine Jean-Baptiste Racine ( , ; ; 22 December 1639 – 21 April 1699) was a French dramatist, one of the three great playwrights of 17th-century France, along with Molière and Corneille, as well as an important literary figure in the Western tr ...

– ''

Britannicus Tiberius Claudius Caesar Britannicus (12 February AD 41 – 11 February AD 55), usually called Britannicus, was the son of Roman Emperor Claudius and his third wife, Valeria Messalina. For a time, he was considered his father's heir, but t ...

Births

December 16 Events Pre-1600 * 714 – Pepin of Herstal, mayor of the Merovingian palace, dies at Jupille (modern Belgium). He is succeeded by his infant grandson Theudoald, while his widow Plectrude holds actual power in the Frankish Kingdom. * ...

–

Joseph-Anne-Marie de Moyriac de Mailla Joseph-Anne-Marie de Moyriac de Mailla (also Anna, and de Moyria) (; 16 December 1669 – 28 June 1748) was a French Jesuit missionary to China. Biography According to the 1913 ''Catholic Encyclopedia'', Mailla was born at "Château Maillac o ...

, French missionary and translator in China (died

1748 Events January–March * January 12 – Ahmad Shah Durrani captures Lahore. * January 27 – A fire at the prison and barracks at Kinsale, in Ireland, kills 54 of the prisoners of war housed there. An estimated 500 priso ...

) *''unknown dates'' ** Nicholas Blundell, English diarist (died

1737 Events January–March * January 5 – Spain and the Holy Roman Empire sign instruments of cession at Pontremoli in the Grand Duchy of Tuscany in Italy, with the Empire receiving control of Tuscany and the Grand Duchy of Parm ...

) **Lady Lucy Herbert, English devotional writer (died

1744 Events January–March * January 6 – The Royal Navy ship ''Bacchus'' engages the Spanish Navy privateer ''Begona'', and sinks it; 90 of the 120 Spanish sailors die, but 30 of the crew are rescued. * January 24 – The ...

) **

Jiang Tingxi Jiang Tingxi (, 1669–1732Barnhart: Page 379.), courtesy name Yangsun (), was a Chinese painter, and an editor of the encyclopedia ''Complete Classics Collection of Ancient China''. Jiang was born in Changshu, Jiangsu. Besides the name Yang ...

(蒋廷锡), Chinese encyclopedist (died

1732 Events January–March * January 21 – Russia and Persia sign the Treaty of Riascha at Resht. Based on the terms of the agreement, Russia will no longer establish claims over Persian territories. * February 9 – The Swed ...

) *''probable'' –

Susanna Centlivre Susanna Centlivre (c. 1669 (baptised) – 1 December 1723), born Susanna Freeman, and also known professionally as Susanna Carroll, was an English poet, actress, and "the most successful female playwright of the eighteenth century". Centlivre's ...

, English poet and actress (died

1723 Events January–March * January 25 – English-born pirate Edward Low intercepts the Portuguese ship ''Nostra Signiora de Victoria''. After the Portuguese captain throws his treasure of 11,000 gold coins into the sea rather th ...

)

Deaths

February 3 Events Pre-1600 * 1047 – Drogo of Hauteville is elected as count of the Apulian Normans during the Norman conquest of Southern Italy. * 1112 – Ramon Berenguer III, Count of Barcelona, and Douce I, Countess of Provence, marry, u ...

–

Catharina Questiers Catharina Questiers (21 November 16313 February 1669) was a Dutch poet and dramatist. Along with Cornelia van der Veer and Katharyne Lescailje, she was the most successful female Dutch poet of the second half of the 17th century. Her brother Da ...

, Dutch poet and dramatist (born

1631 Events January–March * January 23 – Thirty Years' War: Sweden and France sign the Treaty of Bärwalde, a military alliance in which France provides funds for the Swedish army invading northern Germany. * February 5 &ndas ...

) *

March 19 Events Pre-1600 * 1277 – The Byzantine–Venetian treaty of 1277 is concluded, stipulating a two-year truce and renewing Venetian commercial privileges in the Byzantine Empire. * 1279 – A Mongol victory at the Battle of Yamen en ...

–

John Denham John Denham may refer to: * John Denham (died 1556 or later), English MP for Shaftesbury * John Denham (judge), (1559–1639), father of the poet below, and one of the Ship Money judges * John Denham (poet) (1615–1669), English poet * John Denh ...

, Irish poet (born

1615 Events January–March * January 1 – The New Netherland Company is granted a three-year monopoly in North American trade, between the 40th and 45th parallels. * January 30 – Japan's diplomatic mission to Europe, led b ...

) *

July 10 Events Pre-1600 * 138 – Emperor Hadrian of Rome dies of heart failure at his residence on the bay of Naples, Baiae; he is buried at Rome in the Tomb of Hadrian beside his late wife, Vibia Sabina. * 420 – Having usurped the throne ...

or 11 –

Robert Stapylton Sir Robert Stapylton or Stapleton (died 1669) was an English courtier, dramatic poet and translator. Life Stapylton was the third son of Richard Stapleton of Carlton, Selby, Carlton by Snaith, Yorkshire, by Elizabeth Pierrepont, Elizabeth, dau ...

, English dramatist and courtier (born c. 1607–1609) *

September 30 Events Pre-1600 * 489 – The Ostrogoths under Theoderic the Great defeat the forces of Odoacer for the second time. * 737 – The Turgesh drive back an Umayyad invasion of Khuttal, follow them south of the Oxus, and capture thei ...

– Henry King, English poet and bishop (born

1592 Events January–March * January 29 – Cardinal Ippolito Aldobrandini of San Pancrazio is elected as the new Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church after Ludovico Madruzzo and Giulio Antonio Santori withdraw following 19 rounds of ...

) *

October 8 Events Pre-1600 * 316 – Constantine I Battle of Cibalae, defeats Roman Emperor Licinius, who loses his European territories. * 451 – The first session of the Council of Chalcedon begins. * 876 – Frankish forces led by Louis ...

– Jane Cavendish, English poet and playwright (born

1621 Events January–March * January 12 – Şehzade Mehmed, the 15-year old half-brother of Ottoman Sultan Osman II, is put to death by hanging on Osman's orders. Before dying, Mehmed prays aloud that Osman's reign as Sultan be r ...

) *

–

Nathaniel Fiennes Nathaniel Fiennes, 1608 to 16 December 1669, was a younger son of the Puritan nobleman and politician, William Fiennes, 1st Viscount Saye and Sele. He sat in the House of Commons of England, House of Commons at various times between 1640 and 1 ...

, English pamphleteer, soldier and politician (born c. 1608) *

December 24 Events Pre-1600 * 502 – Chinese emperor Xiao Yan names Xiao Tong his heir designate. * 640 – Pope John IV is elected, several months after his predecessor's death. * 759 – Tang dynasty poet Du Fu departs for Chengd ...

– Henry Foulis, English theologian and controversialist (born

1638 Events January–March * January 4 **A naval battle takes place in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Goa in South India as a Netherlands fleet commanded by Admiral Adam Westerwolt decimates the Portuguese fleet. **A fleet of 80 Spanis ...

)

References

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