This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 1700.

Events

February 1 Events Pre-1600 * 1327 – The teenaged Edward III is crowned King of England, but the country is ruled by his mother Queen Isabella and her lover Roger Mortimer. * 1411 – The First Peace of Thorn is signed in Thorn (Toruń), ...

–

Richard Bentley Richard Bentley FRS (; 27 January 1662 – 14 July 1742) was an English classical scholar, critic, and theologian. Considered the "founder of historical philology", Bentley is widely credited with establishing the English school of Hellenis ...

becomes Master of

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any ...

. *Early March -

William Congreve William Congreve (24 January 1670 – 19 January 1729) was an English playwright, satirist, poet, and Whig politician. He spent most of his career between London and Dublin, and was noted for his highly polished style of writing, being regard ...

's comedy ''

The Way of the World ''The Way of the World'' is a play written by the English playwright William Congreve. It premiered in early March 1700 in the theatre in Lincoln's Inn Fields in London. It is widely regarded as one of the best works of Restoration comedy ev ...

'' is first performed at the New Theatre, Lincoln's Inn Fields in London. *

May 5 Events Pre-1600 * 553 – The Second Council of Constantinople begins. * 1215 – Rebel barons renounce their allegiance to King John of England — part of a chain of events leading to the signing of the Magna Carta. * 1260 – ...

– Within days of

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 ...

's death on May 1, his last written work, '' The Secular Masque'', is performed as part of Vanbrugh's version of '' The Pilgrim''.

New books

Fiction

Aphra Behn Aphra Behn (; baptism, bapt. 14 December 1640 – 16 April 1689) was an English playwright, poet, prose writer and translator from the Restoration (England), Restoration era. As one of the first English women to earn her living by her writ ...

(died 1689) – ''Histories, Novels, and Translations'' (fiction and nonfiction) * Tom Brown – ''Amusements Serious and Comical'' *

Gatien de Courtilz de Sandras Gatien de Courtilz de Sandras (1644, Montargis – 8 May 1712, Paris) was a French novelist, journalist, pamphleteer and memorialist. His abundant output includes short stories, gallant letters, tales of historical love affairs (''Les Intrigu ...

– ''Mémoires de Monsieur d'Artagnan'' *

Peter Anthony Motteux Peter Anthony Motteux (born Pierre Antoine Motteux ; 25 February 1663 – 18 February 1718) was a French-born English author, playwright, and translator. Motteux was a significant figure in the evolution of English journalism in his era, as the ...

, editor – ''The History of the Renown'd Don-Quixote de la Mancha'', translated by several hands, Volume 1 (Volumes 2–4 published in

1712 In the Swedish calendar it began as a leap year starting on Monday and remained so until Thursday, February 29. By adding a second leap day, Friday, February 30, Sweden reverted to the Julian calendar and the rest of the year (from Saturday, M ...

in the third edition)

Drama

*Anonymous – ''Caledonia, or the Pedlar Turned Merchant'' *

Abel Boyer Abel Boyer (1667? – 16 November 1729) was a French-English lexicographer, journalist and miscellaneous writer. Biography Abel Boyer was probably born on 24 June 1667 at Castres, in Upper Languedoc, southern France. His father, Pierre Boyer, o ...

– ''Achilles; or, Iphigenia in Aulis: a tragedy'' * William Burnaby – ''The Reformed Wife'' *

Susannah 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 ...

– ''The Perjur'd Husband; or, The Adventures of Venice: A tragedy'' *

Colley Cibber Colley Cibber (6 November 1671 – 11 December 1757) was an English actor-manager, playwright and Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom, Poet Laureate. His colourful memoir ''An Apology for the Life of Colley Cibber'' (1740) describes his life in ...

– ''The Tragical History of King Richard III'' *

– ''

'', a comedy performed in March * John Dennis – ''Iphigenia: A tragedy'', performed in December

1699 Events January–March * January 5 – A violent earthquake damages the city of Batavia on the Indonesian island of Java, killing at least 28 people. * January 20 – The Parliament of England (under Tory dominance) limits the size of ...

George Farquhar George Farquhar (1677The explanation for the dual birth year appears in Louis A. Strauss, ed., A Discourse Upon Comedy, The Recruiting Officer, and The Beaux' Stratagem by George Farquhar' (Boston: D.C. Heath & Co., 1914), p. v. Strauss notes t ...

– ''

The Constant Couple ''The Constant Couple'' is a 1699 play by the Irish writer George Farquhar. It is part of the Restoration comedy tradition, and is often described as a sentimental comedy. It marked the first major success of Farquhar's career. A series of comi ...

'' *

Charles Gildon Charles Gildon (c. 1665 – 1 January 1724), was an English hack writer and translator. He produced biographies, essays, plays, poetry, fictional letters, fables, short stories, and criticism. He is remembered best as a target of Alexander Pope ...

– ''Measure for Measure'' * Charles Hopkins – ''Friendship Improv'd; or, The Female Warriour: A tragedy'', performed November 7, 1699 *Francis Manning – ''The Generous Choice'' *

John Oldmixon John Oldmixon (1673 – 9 July 1742) was an English historian. He was a son of John Oldmixon of Oldmixon, Weston-super-Mare in Somerset. He was brought up by the family of Admiral Robert Blake in Bridgwater and later became involved in tr ...

– ''The Grove, or Love's Paradise'' published ("semi-opera", music by

Henry Purcell Henry Purcell (, rare: ; September 1659 – 21 November 1695) was an English composer of Baroque music, most remembered for his more than 100 songs; a tragic opera, Dido and Aeneas, ''Dido and Aeneas''; and his incidental music to a version o ...

) *William Philips – ''St. Stephen's Green'' *

Mary Pix Mary Pix (1666 – 17 May 1709) was an English novelist and playwright. As an admirer of Aphra Behn and colleague of Susanna Centlivre, Pix has been called "a link between women writers of the Stuart Restoration, Restoration and Augustan litera ...

– ''

The Beau Defeated ''The Beau Defeated. Or, The Lucky Younger Brother'' is a comedy from the Restoration era by Mary Pix. Genesis Pix wrote in her foreword, that her play was adapted from ''Le Chevalier a la Mode'' by Florent Carton Dancourt (1687). Pix's changes ...

'' * Nicholas Rowe – ''

The Ambitious Stepmother ''The Ambitious Stepmother'' is a 1700 tragedy by the British writer Nicholas Rowe. It was his debut play. Rowe set his play in Biblical times, but it had strong subtexts of the contemporary questions about the British succession that led to the ...

'' *

Thomas Southerne Thomas Southerne (12 February 166026 May 1746) was an Irish dramatist. Biography Thomas Southerne, born on 12 February 1660, in Oxmantown, near Dublin, was an Irish dramatist. He was the son of Francis Southerne (a Dublin brewer) and Margare ...

– '' The Fate of Capua: A tragedy'', performed about April *

John Vanbrugh Sir John Vanbrugh (; 24 January 1664 (baptised) – 26 March 1726) was an English architect, dramatist and herald, perhaps best known as the designer of Blenheim Palace and Castle Howard. He wrote two argumentative and outspoken Restor ...

– ''The Pilgrim: A comedy'', anonymous; performed in April

Poetry

''See 1700 in poetry'' *

Richard Blackmore Sir Richard Blackmore (22 January 1654 – 9 October 1729), England, English poet and physician, is remembered primarily as the object of satire and as an epic poet, but he was also a respected medical doctor and theologian. Earlier years He ...

– ''A Satyr Against Wit'' * Thomas Brown – ''A Description of Mr. Dryden's Funeral'', verse * Samuel Cobb – ''Poetae Britannici'' *

Daniel Defoe Daniel Defoe (; born Daniel Foe; 1660 – 24 April 1731) was an English writer, merchant and spy. He is most famous for his novel ''Robinson Crusoe'', published in 1719, which is claimed to be second only to the Bible in its number of translati ...

– ''The Pacificator'' *

Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz Sor or SOR may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * School of Rock, 2003 film starring Jack Black * Shades of Rhythm, a British based rave music group * Son of Rambow, 2008 film starring Bill Milner and Will Poulter * Sor, Serdar Ortaç ...

– ''Fama y obras póstumas del Fénix de México'' *

William King William King may refer to: Arts * Willie King (1943–2009), American blues guitarist and singer * William King (author) (born 1959), British science fiction author and game designer, also known as Bill King * William King (artist) (1925–2015), ...

– ''The Transactioneer With Some of his Philosophical Fancies'' (satire of ''

Philosophical Transactions ''Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society'' is a scientific journal published by the Royal Society. In its earliest days, it was a private venture of the Royal Society's secretary. It was established in 1665, making it the second journ ...

'') * John Pomfret – ''Reason'' *

John Tutchin John Tutchin (c.1660 or 1664 – 23 September 1707) was a radical Whig controversialist and gadfly English journalist (born in Lymington, Hampshire), whose ''The Observator'' and earlier political activism earned him multiple trips before the bar ...

– ''The Foreigners'', published anonymously (verse satire on William III's Dutch ministers;

replied in ''The True-Born Englishman'' in

1701 In the Swedish calendar it was a common year starting on Tuesday, one day ahead of the Julian and ten days behind the Gregorian calendar. Events January–June * march 8th – Parts of the Netherlands adopt the Gregorian calenda ...

)) *

Ned Ward Ned Ward (1667 – 20 June 1731), also known as Edward Ward, was a satirical writer and publican in the late 17th and early 18th century in London. His most famous work, '' The London Spy'', appeared in 18 monthly instalments from November 1698. ...

– ''The Reformer''

Non-fiction

Mary Astell Mary Astell (12 November 1666 – 11 May 1731) was an English protofeminist author, philosopher, and rhetorician who advocated for equal educational opportunities for women. Astell is primarily remembered as one of England's inaugural advocate ...

– ''Some Reflections upon Marriage'' * James Brome – ''Travels over England, Scotland, and Wales'' *

Jeremy Collier Jeremy Collier (; 23 September 1650 – 26 April 1726) was an English theatre critic, non-juror bishop and theologian. Life Born Jeremiah Collier, in Stow cum Quy, Cambridgeshire, Collier was educated at Caius College, University of Cambri ...

– ''A Second Defence of the Short View of the Profaneness and Immorality of the English Stage &c'' (See

1698 in literature This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 1698. Events *March – In his ''Short View of the Immorality and Profaneness of the English Stage'', clergyman Jeremy Collier attacks leading contemporary dramati ...

) *

Eugenia ''Eugenia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the myrtle family Myrtaceae. It has a worldwide, although highly uneven, distribution in tropical and subtropical regions. The bulk of the approximately 1,100 species occur in the New World tropics, ...

(authorship unknown) – ''The Female Advocate: Or, a plea for the just liberty of the tender sex, and particularly of married women...'' * Francis Moore – ''Vox Stellarum: An almanac for 1701'' (first in a series of yearly "almanacs" of astrology) * Sir William Temple – ''Letters Written by Sir W. Temple, and Other Ministers of State, Both at Home and Abroad'' (putatively edited by

Jonathan Swift Jonathan Swift (30 November 1667 – 19 October 1745) was an Anglo-Irish writer, essayist, satirist, and Anglican cleric. In 1713, he became the Dean (Christianity), dean of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, and was given the sobriquet "Dean Swi ...

) *

Pavao Ritter Vitezović Pavao Ritter Vitezović (; 7 January 1652 – 20 January 1713) was a Habsburg-Croatian polymath, variously described as a historian, linguist, publisher, poet, political theorist, diplomat, printmaker, draughtsman, cartographer, writer and printe ...

– '' Croatia Rediviva'' *

– ''A Step to the Bath: With a character of the place'', published anonymously *Anonymous; perhaps

– '' Castration of Popish Ecclesiastics''

Births

February 2 Events Pre-1600 * 506 – Alaric II, eighth king of the Visigoths, promulgates the Breviary of Alaric (''Breviarium Alaricianum'' or ''Lex Romana Visigothorum''), a collection of " Roman law". * 880 – Battle of Lüneburg Heath: ...

–

Johann Christoph Gottsched Johann Christoph Gottsched (2 February 1700 – 12 December 1766) was a German philosopher, author, critic and grammarian of the Enlightenment. Biography Early life He was born at Juditten (renamed Mendeleyevo in 1947) near Königsberg (K ...

, German philosopher (died

1766 Events January–March * January 1 – Charles Edward Stuart ("Bonnie Prince Charlie") becomes the new House of Stuart, Stuart claimant to the throne of Great Britain, as King Charles III, and figurehead for Jacobitism. * Januar ...

) *

May 25 Events Pre-1600 * 567 BC – Servius Tullius, the king of Rome, celebrates a triumph for his victory over the Etruscans. * 240 BC – First recorded perihelion passage of Halley's Comet. * 1085 – Alfonso VI of Castile takes ...

–

Nicolaus Ludwig Zinzendorf Nikolaus Ludwig, Reichsgraf von Zinzendorf und Pottendorf (26 May 1700 – 9 May 1760) was a German religious and social reformer, bishop of the Moravian Church, founder of the Herrnhuter Brüdergemeine, Christian mission pioneer and a major f ...

, German theologian (died

1760 Events January–March * January 9 – Battle of Barari Ghat: Afghan forces defeat the Marathas. * January 22 – Seven Years' War – Battle of Wandiwash, India: British general Sir Eyre Coote is victorious over th ...

) *

September 11 Events Pre-1600 * 9 – The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest ends: The Roman Empire suffers the greatest defeat of its history and the Rhine is established as the border between the Empire and the so-called barbarians for the next four hu ...

– James Thomson, Scottish poet (died 1748) *

November 25 Events Pre-1600 *571 BC – Servius Tullius, king of Ancient Rome, Rome, celebrates the first of his three Roman triumph, triumphs for his victory over the Etruscans. *1034 – Máel Coluim II of Scotland, Máel Coluim mac Cináeda, Ki ...

– Kata Bethlen, Hungarian memoirist and correspondent (died

1759 In Great Britain, this year was known as the ''Annus Mirabilis'', because of British victories in the Seven Years' War. Events January–March * January 6 – George Washington marries Martha Dandridge Custis. * January 11 & ...

)

Deaths

January 7 Events Pre-1600 *49 BC – The Senate of the Roman Republic, Senate of Rome says that Caesar will be declared a public enemy unless he disbands his army, prompting the tribunes who support him to flee to where Caesar is waiting in Ravenna ...

–

Raffaello Fabretti Raphael Fabretti (1618 – 7 January 1700) was an Italian antiquarian. Life and works Born at Urbino in the Marche, he studied law at Cagli and Urbino, where he took his doctorate at the age of eighteen. While in Rome he attracted the notice ...

, Italian antiquary (born

1618 Events January–March * January 6 ** Jahangir, ruler of the Mughal Empire in northern India, gives an audience for the first time to a representative of the British East India Company, receiving Sir Thomas Roe at the capital at ...

) *

March 14 Events Pre-1600 * 1074 – Battle of Mogyoród: Dukes Géza and Ladislaus defeat their cousin Solomon, King of Hungary, forcing him to flee to Hungary's western borderland. * 1590 – Battle of Ivry: Henry of Navarre and the H ...

– Henry Killigrew, English clergyman, poet and playwright (born

1613 Events January–March * January 11 – Workers in a sandpit in the Dauphiné region of France discover the skeleton of what is alleged to be a 30-foot tall man (the remains, it is supposed, of the giant Teutobochus, a legendar ...

) *

May 12 Events Pre-1600 * 254 – Pope Stephen I succeeds Pope Lucius I, becoming the 23rd pope of the Catholic Church, and immediately takes a stand against Novatianism. * 907 – Zhu Wen forces Emperor Ai into abdicating, ending the ...

Joseph Athias Joseph Athias (c. 1635 – 12 May 1700) was a merchant, bookprinter and the publisher of a famous Hebrew Bible which was approved by States General of the Netherlands, States-General of the Dutch Republic and both Jewish and Christian theologian ...

, Spanish-born publisher of Hebrew Bible (born

1635 Events January–March * January 23 – 1635 Capture of Tortuga: The Spanish Navy captures the Caribbean island of Tortuga off of the coast of Haiti after a three-day battle against the English and French Navy. * January 25 & ...

) **

, English poet (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 ...

) *July –

Thomas Creech Thomas Creech (1659 – found dead 19 July 1700) was an English translator of classical works, and headmaster of Sherborne School. Creech translated Lucretius into verse in 1682, for which he received a Fellowship at Oxford. He also produced En ...

, English translator (born

1659 Events January–March * January 14 – In the Battle of the Lines of Elvas, fought near the small city of Elvas in Portugal during the Portuguese Restoration War, the Spanish Army under the command of Luis Méndez de Haro s ...

; suicide) *

August 6 Events Pre-1600 *686 – The Ummayad forces suffer a deceisive defeat against the pro-Alid forces under Ibrahim ibn al-Ashtar in the battle of Khazir. *1284 – The Republic of Pisa is defeated in the Battle of Meloria (1284), Battle o ...

– Johann Beer, Austrian author, court official and composer (born

1655 Events January–March * January 5 – Emperor Go-Sai ascends to the throne of Japan. * January 7 – Pope Innocent X, leader of the Roman Catholic Church and the Papal States, dies after more than 10 years of rule. * Febr ...

; hunting accident) *

August 8 Events Pre-1600 * 685 BC – Spring and Autumn period: Battle of Qianshi: Upon the death of the previous Duke of Qi, Gongsun Wuzhi, Duke Zhuang of Lu sends an army into the Duchy of Qi to install the exiled Qi prince Gongzi Jiu as t ...

–

Joseph Moxon Joseph Moxon (8 August 1627 – February 1691), hydrographer to Charles II of England, Charles II, was an England, English printer specialising in mathematical books and maps, a maker of globes and mathematical instruments, and mathematical l ...

, English mathematician and lexicographer (born

1627 Events January–March * January 26 – The Dutch ship '' 't Gulden Zeepaert'', skippered by François Thijssen, makes the first recorded sighting of the coast of South Australia. * February 15 – The administrative rura ...

) *

August 22 Events Pre-1600 * 392 – Arbogast has Eugenius elected Western Roman Emperor. * 851 – Battle of Jengland: Erispoe defeats Charles the Bald near the Breton town of Jengland. * 1138 – Battle of the Standard between Scot ...

–

Carlos de Sigüenza y Góngora Carlos de Sigüenza y Góngora (August 14, 1645 – August 22, 1700) was one of the first great intellectuals born in the Americas - Spanish viceroyalty of New Spain (Mexico City). He was a Criollo people, criollo patriot, exalting New Spain ...

, Mexican priest, poet, geographer, and historian (born

1645 Events January–March * January 3 – The Long Parliament adopts the ''Directory for Public Worship'' in England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland, replacing the Book of Common Prayer ( 1559). Holy Days (other than Sundays) are not ...

) *''Unknown date'' – Charles Hopkins, Anglo-Irish poet and dramatist (born

1664 Events January–March * January 5 – Battle of Surat in India: The Maratha leader, Chhatrapati Shivaji, defeats the Mughal Army Captain Inayat Khan, and sacks Surat. * January 7 – Indian entrepreneur Virji Vora, desc ...

)

References

{{Year in literature article categories