1685 in literature

The year 1685 in literature involved some significant literary events and new works.

Events

• February - The death of King Charles II of England results in one of the major theatrical flops of the Restoration era: Albion and Albanius — an allegorical drama in praise of the late king, with text by John Dryden and music by Louis Grabu — is in rehearsals at the time.
• June - A revised version of Albion and Albanius fails, largely because it coincides with the James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth's invasion.
• June - Parliament revives the Printing Act of 1662, limiting London printers.
• Antoine Furetière is expelled from the French Academy.
• Publication of the Fourth Folio of Shakespeare's works in London.

New books

• Scipion Abeille - Histoire des Os ("Description of the Bones")
• Aphra Behn - Love-Letters Between a Nobleman and His Sister
• Ihara Saikaku - Five Women Who Loved Love

New drama

• Jean Galbert de Campistron - Andronic
• John Crowne - Sir Courtly Nice
• Thomas d'Urfey
  • The Banditti, or A Lady's Distress^[1]
  • The Commonwealth of Women (adapted from The Sea Voyage)
• Nahum Tate
  • The Cuckold's Haven (an adaptation of Eastward Ho)
  • A Duke and No Duke (an adaptation of Sir Aston Cockayne's Trappolin Suppos'd a Prince)

Births

• January 9 – Tiberius Hemsterhuis, Dutch critic (died 1766)
• March 12 – George Berkeley Irish philosopher and bishop (died 1753)
• June 30 – John Gay, English poet and dramatist (died 1732)

Deaths

• March 18 – Francis Harold, Irish Franciscan historian (year of birth not known)
• April – Thomas Otway, English dramatist (born 1652)
• April 29 – Luc d'Achery, French author of critical editions of medieval manuscripts (born 1609)
• June 17 – Andrew Allam, English historian (born 1655)
• October 23 – Yamaga Sokō, Japanese philosopher (born 1622)
• Unknown dates
  • Jean Cabassut, French theologian (born 1604)
  • Anne Killigrew, English poet (born 1660)
  • Placido Puccinelli, Italian historian (born 1609)
  • Nalan Xingde, Chinese poet (born 1655)

In literature

• R. D. Blackmore's novel Lorna Doone (1869) and Arthur Conan Doyle's Micah Clarke (1889) are set during the Monmouth Rebellion in England.

References