1652 in literature

The year 1652 in literature involved some significant events.

Events

• John Milton loses the last of his eyesight during the year.

New books

• Anonymous – Eliza's Babes, or the Virgin's Offering
• Elias Ashmole – Theatrum Chemicum Britannicum.
• Owen Feltham – Brief Character of the Low Countries
• Antonio Rocco – L'Alcibiade, fanciullo a scola ("Alcibiades the schoolboy")
• Henry Vaughan – Mount of Olives
• Thomas Vaughan (philosopher) (Eugenius Philalethes) – The Fame and Confession of the Fraternity of R:C:
• Gerrard Winstanley – The Law of Freedom

New drama

• Anonymous – The Bastard
• François le Métel de Boisrobert – Les Trois Orontes
• Richard Brome – A Jovial Crew
• Francis Goldsmith – Sophompaneas, or Joseph (a translation of Hugo Grotius's tragedy)
• Cosmo Manuche
  • The Just General
  • The Loyal Lovers
• Thomas Middleton – The Widow
• John Tatham – The Scots Figgaries

Poetry

• Edward Benlowes – Theophilia or Love's Sacrifice
• Richard Crashaw – Deo Nostro Te Decet Hymnus

Births

• March 2 – Thomas Otway, dramatist (died 1685)
• April 13 – Thomas Ward, English Catholic writer (died 1708)
• date unknown – Nahum Tate, poet and dramatist (died 1715)

Deaths

• May 5 – Mary (née Powell), wife of John Milton (born 1625)
• August 14 – Abraham Elzevir, Dutch printer, proprietor of the House of Elzevir (born 1592)
• October – Arthur Wilson, playwright, historian, and poet (born 1595)
• October 8 – John Greaves, antiquarian writer (born 1602)
• November 29 – Francesco Angeloni, Italian historian, novelist, dramatist and collector (born 1587)
• December 2 – Christopher Elderfield, theologian (born 1607)