1562 in literature

TThis article presents lists of the literary events and publications in 1562.

Events

• January 18 - First performance of Thomas Norton and Thomas Sackville's play Gorboduc before Queen Elizabeth I of England. It is the first known English tragedy and the first English-language play to employ blank verse.^[1]
• February 14 - French poet Pierre de Bocosel de Chastelard is discovered hiding under the bed of Mary, Queen of Scots. He is executed about a week later.
• July 12 - Fray Diego de Landa, acting Bishop of Yucatán, burns the Maya codices (sacred books of the Maya) during the Spanish conquest of Yucatán.

New books

• Magdeburg Centuries, volumes V and VI
• Melchior Cano - De Locis theologicis (posthumously published)
• Petrus Ramus - Grammaire française
• Richard Smyth - De Missa Sacrificio
• Jacques de la Taille - Maniére de faire des vers en français comme en grec et en Latin

New drama

• Thomas Norton and Thomas Sackville - Gorboduc

Poetry

• Arthur Brooke - The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet

Births

• January 20 – Ottavio Rinuccini, Italian poet (died 1621)
• January 31 (bapt.) – Edward Blount, English publisher (died 1632)
• March 27 – Jacob Gretser, German Jesuit writer (died 1625)
• August – Bartolomé Leonardo de Argensola, Spanish poet and historian (died 1631)
• November 25 – Lope de Vega, Spanish poet and dramatist (died 1635)
• Unknown dates
  • Samuel Daniel, English poet (died 1619)
  • Johann Mechtel, German chronicler (died c. 1631)

Deaths

• February – Pierre de Bocosel de Chastelard, French poet (born 1540, executed)
• July 23 – Götz von Berlichingen, German knight immortalized by Goethe (born c. 1480)
• September 5 – Katharina Zell, Protestant writer (born c. 1497)
• November 6 – Achille Bocchi, Italian humanist writer (born 1488)
• November 12 – Pietro Martire Vermigli, Italian theologian (born 1499)
• Probable year – George Cavendish, English biographer (born 1494)

References