1686 in literature
Encyclopedia
The year 1686 in literature involved some significant events.
New books
- John BunyanJohn BunyanJohn Bunyan was an English Christian writer and preacher, famous for writing The Pilgrim's Progress. Though he was a Reformed Baptist, in the Church of England he is remembered with a Lesser Festival on 30 August, and on the liturgical calendar of the Episcopal Church on 29 August.-Life:In 1628,...
- A Book for Boys and Girls, or, Country Rhymes for Children - Gottfried LeibnizGottfried LeibnizGottfried Wilhelm Leibniz was a German philosopher and mathematician. He wrote in different languages, primarily in Latin , French and German ....
- Brevis Demonstratio Erroris Memorabilis Cartesii et Aliorum Circa Legem Naturae ("A Brief Demonstration of the Memorable Error of Descartes and Others About the Law of Nature")- Discours de Métaphysique
- Bernard de Fontenelle - Entrétiens sur la Pluralité des Mondes
- L'Histoire des Oracles
- Ihara SaikakuIhara Saikakuwas a Japanese poet and creator of the "floating world" genre of Japanese prose .-Biography:Born the son of the wealthy merchant Hirayama Tōgo in Osaka, he first studied haikai poetry under Matsunaga Teitoku, and later studied under Nishiyama Sōin of the Danrin School of poetry, which emphasized...
- Twenty Cases of Unfilial Children- The Woman Who Spent Her Life in Love
- Thomas SydenhamThomas SydenhamThomas Sydenham was an English physician. He was born at Wynford Eagle in Dorset, where his father was a gentleman of property. His brother was Colonel William Sydenham. Thomas fought for the Parliament throughout the English Civil War, and, at its end, resumed his medical studies at Oxford...
- Schedula monitoria de novae febris ingressu
New drama
- Aphra BehnAphra BehnAphra Behn was a prolific dramatist of the English Restoration and was one of the first English professional female writers. Her writing contributed to the amatory fiction genre of British literature.-Early life:...
& John BlowJohn BlowJohn Blow was an English Baroque composer and organist, appointed to Westminster Abbey in 1669. His pupils included William Croft, Jeremiah Clarke and Henry Purcell. In 1685 he was named a private musician to James II. His only stage composition, Venus and Adonis John Blow (baptised 23 February...
- The Lucky Chance - Thomas d'UrfeyThomas d'UrfeyThomas D'Urfey was an English writer and wit. He composed plays, songs, and poetry, in addition to writing jokes. He was an important innovator and contributor in the evolution of the Ballad opera....
- The Banditti, or a Lady's Distress - Thomas JevonThomas JevonThomas Jevon was an English playwright, and one of the first English Harlequins. He began his career as a dancing master, but worked his way onto the stage, and played leading low-comedy parts in London between 1673 and 1688...
- The Devil of a Wife
Poetry
- Sarah Fyge (Egerton) - The Female Advocate
- Anne KilligrewAnne KilligrewAnne Killigrew was an English poet. Born in London, Killigrew is perhaps best known as the subject of a famous elegy by the poet John Dryden entitled To The Pious Memory of the Accomplish'd Young Lady Mrs. Anne Killigrew . She was however a skilful poet in her own right, and her Poems were...
- Poems (posthumously published)
Births
- January 17 - Archibald Bower, historian (died 1766)
- August 12 - John BalguyJohn BalguyJohn Balguy was an English divine and philosopher.-Early years:He was born at Sheffield and educated at the Sheffield Grammar School and at St John's College, Cambridge, graduated BA in 1706, was ordained in 1710, and in 1711 obtained the small living of Lamesley and Tanfield...
, philosopher (died 1748) - September 5 - Antoine TouronAntoine TouronAntoine Touron was a French Dominican biographer and historian.He was born at Graulhet, Tarn, France, the son of a merchant, and seems to have joined the Dominicans at an early age...
, historian and biographer (died 1775) - date unknown - Alban ThomasAlban ThomasAlban Thomas was a Welsh doctor, librarian and antiquarian, who followed in his father's footsteps in supporting Welsh literature, being particularly associated with efforts by Moses Williams to publish Welsh-language manuscripts.-Life:...
, librarian and antiquarian (died 1771)
Deaths
- January 31 - Jean MairetJean MairetJean Mairet was a classical French dramatist who wrote both tragedies and comedies.- Life :He was born at Besançon, and went to Paris to study at the Collège des Grassins about 1625. In that year he produced his first piece Chryséide et Arimand...
, dramatist (born 1604) - February 25 - Abraham CaloviusAbraham CaloviusAbraham Calovius was a Lutheran theologian, and was one of the champions of Lutheran orthodoxy in the 17th century.-Biography:...
, Lutheran theologian (born 1612) - June 23 - Sir William CoventryWilliam Coventry-Early life and Civil War:William was the son of the lord keeper Thomas Coventry, 1st Baron Coventry, by his second wife Elizabeth Aldersley. Coventry matriculated at Queens College, Oxford, at the age of fourteen...
, statesman and author (born c.1628) - August 13 - Louis MaimbourgLouis MaimbourgLouis Maimbourg was a French Jesuit and historian.Born at Nancy, Maimbourg entered the Society of Jesus at the age of sixteen, and after studying at Rome became a classical master in the Jesuit college at Rouen. He afterwards devoted himself to preaching, but with only moderate success...
, historian (born 1610) - November 28 - Nicolas LetourneuxNicolas LetourneuxNicolas Letourneux was a French preacher and ascetical writer of Jansenistic tendencies.Letourneux was born at Rouen...
, ascetic writer (born 1640) - December 6 - Nicola AvanciniNicola AvanciniNicola Avancini was an ascetical writer.Avancini was born in the Tyrol. He entered the Society of Jesus in 1677, and for some years held the chair of rhetoric and philosophy at Gratz, and subsequently that of theology at Vienna...
, ascetic writer (born 1612) - date unknown - John PlayfordJohn PlayfordJohn Playford was a London bookseller, publisher, minor composer, and member of the Stationers' Company, who published books on music theory, instruction books for several instruments, and psalters with tunes for singing in churches...
, publisher (born 1623)