17th century in literature

See also: 16th century in literature, other events of the 17th century, 1700s in literature, list of years in literature.

Table of contents

1 Events 2 New Books/Plays 3 Births 4 Deaths

Events

• 1660-1669 - Samuel Pepys writes his diary.

New Books/Plays

1600

• Hamlet, Prince of Denmark by William Shakespeare
• England's Helicon (anthology) - including work by Edmund Spenser, Michael Drayton, Thomas Lodge, Philip Sidney and others
• Old Fortunatus - Thomas Dekker

1601

• Twelfth Night, or What You Will by William Shakespeare
• Cynthia's Revells - Ben Jonson

1602

• Troilus and Cressida by William Shakespeare
• Antonio and Mellida (play) - John Marston
• Mirum in Modum (poetry) - John Davies of Hereford
• Satiromastix (play) - Thomas Dekker and John Marston

1603

• Measure for Measure by William Shakespeare
• Othello by William Shakespeare

1604

• All's Well That Ends Well by William Shakespeare
• The Honest Whore (play) - Thomas Dekker
• The Malcontent (play) - John Marston

1605

• Timon of Athens by William Shakespeare
• The Dutch Courtesan (play) - John Marston
• The Tragedy of Philotas (play) - Samuel Daniel
• The Tragedy of King Lear by William Shakespeare

1606

• Macbeth by William Shakespeare
• Antony and Cleopatra by William Shakespeare

1607

• A Woman Killed with Kindness (play) - Thomas Heywood
• Bussy D'Ambois (play) - George Chapman
• Michaelmas Terme (play) - Thomas Middleton
• The Knight of the Burning Pestle (play) - Francis Beaumont
• The Famous History of Sir Thomas Wyat (play) - Thomas Dekker and John Webster
• The Legend of Great Cromwell - Michael Drayton
• Pericles by William Shakespeare

1608

• Coriolanus by William Shakespeare
• A Nest of Ninnies - Robert Armin
• Humour out of Breathe (play) - John Day
• The Belman of London (play) - Thomas Dekker
• The Merry Devil of Edmonton (play) - anonymous; has been attributed to William Shakespeare, Michael Drayton and others.

1609

• The Winter's Tale by William Shakespeare
• Fourre Birds of Noahs Arke - Thomas Dekker
• The Gul's Hornebooke - Thomas Dekker

1610

• Cymbeline by William Shakespeare
• The Faithful Shepheardess (play) - John Fletcher

1611

• The Authorized Version (King James version) of the Bible
• The Tempest by William Shakespeare
• Catiline his Conspiracy (play) - Ben Jonson
• The Roaring Girle (play) - Thomas Dekker and Thomas Middleton

1612

• A Woman is a Weather-Cocke - Nathan Field

1613

• Henry VIII by William Shakespeare
• Tears on the Death of Moeliades - William Drummond of Hawthornden
• The Revenge of Bussy D'Ambois - George Chapman

1614

• Bartholomew Fair (play) - Ben Jonson

1616

• Ben Jonson's Works
• The Whole Works of Homer - George Chapman

1617

• A Faire Quarrell (play) - Thomas Middleton and William Rowley

1619

• A King and No King (play) - Beaumont and Fletcher
• 'The Maid's Tragedy'' (play) - Beaumont and Fletcher
• 'The Shoemaker's Holiday'' - Thomas Deloney

1620

• Philaster - Beaumont and Fletcher

1621

• The Anatomy of Melancholy - Robert Burton

1622

• The Historie of the Raigne of King Henry the Seventh - Francis Bacon

1623

• A Fault in Friendship - Richard Brome
• Flowers of Sion - William Drummond of Hawthornden
• The Duchess of Malfi - John Webster

1624

• The City-Night-Cap (comedy) - Robert Davenport

1627

• The Bataile of Agincourt - Michael Drayton
• First Steps up Parnassus - Michael Drayton

1628

• Microcosmographie - John Earle

1629

• The Roman Actor (play) - Philip Massinger
• The Tragedy of Albovine (play) - William D'Avenant

1631

• The Fair Maid of the West (play) - Thomas Heywood

1632 L'Allegro - John Milton The Fatal Dowry (play) - Nathan Field and Philip Massinger

1633

• A New Way to Pay Old Debts (play) - Philip Massinger
• Love's Sacrifice (play) - John Ford
• The Gamester (play) - James Shirley
• The Temple (poetry) - George Herbert

1637 The Pleasant Historie of Albino and Bellama - Nathaniel Whiting

1639

The Bloody Brother - John Fletcher, Ben Jonson et al

1640

• Dodona's Grove - James Howell
• The Bay Psalm Book, the first book printed in North America

1641

• Episcopacy by Divine Right - Joseph Hall

1644

• Areopagitica by John Milton

1648

• Hesperides by Robert Herrick (poet)

1646

• Andronicus or the Unfortunate Politician - Thomas Fuller
• Vulgar Errors (Pseudodoxia Epidemica) - Sir Thomas Browne

1647

• The Customer of the Countrey - John Fletcher and Philip Massinger
• Philosophical Poems - Henry More

1649

• Eikon Basilike - John Gauden

1650

• Silex scintillans - Henry Vaughan

1652

• A Joviall Crew (play) - Richard Brome
• The Cardinall (play) - James Shirley
• Theophilia or Love's Sacrifice (poetry) - Edward Benlowes

1653

• A History of New England - Edward Johnson
• The Changeling - Thomas Middleton and William Rowley
• The Compleat Angler - Izaak Walton

1657

• Women Beware Women - Thomas Middleton

1658

• Hydriotaphia, Urn Burial - Sir Thomas Browne
• The Garden of Cyrus -Sir Thomas Browne

1659

• Lucasta - Richard Lovelace (posthumous)
• Pharonnida - William Chamberlayne
• The City Madam - Philip Massinger

1661

• The Beggar's Bush - John Fletcher
• Tyrannus, or The Mode - John Evelyn

1662

• A new edition of the Book of Common Prayer of the Church of England (this edition remains the officially authorised book to the present day).

1666

• Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners by John Bunyan

1667

• Paradise Lost by John Milton
• Annus Mirabilis, the Year of Wonders 1666 - John Dryden

1668

• Essay of Dramatick Poesie - John Dryden

1670

• The Forced Marriage - Aphra Behn

1671

• Samson Agonistes - John Milton

1672

• Marriage a la Mode by John Dryden

1674

• Navigation and Commerce - John Evelyn
• The Tragedy of Nero, Emperour of Rome (play) - Nathaniel Lee

1675

• The Country Wife by William Wycherley

1676

• The Man of Mode (play) - George Etherege

1678

• All for Love - John Dryden
• ''The True Intellectual System of the Universe - Ralph Cudworth
• The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan

1679

• Anima Mundi - Charles Blount

1680

• The Life and Death of Mr Badman - John Bunyan

1681

• ''Miscellaneous Poems by Andrew Marvell (posthumous)
• Absalom and Achitophel by John Dryden

1687

• The Hind and the Panther - John Dryden

1689

• The Massacre of Paris (play) - Nathaniel Lee

1690

• Amphitryon, or the Two Socias - John Dryden
• Essay Concerning Human Understanding - John Locke
• Memoires of the Navy by Samuel Pepys

1693

• The Impartial Critick - John Dennis

1694

• The Fatal Marriage (play) - Thomas Southerne

1697

• A New Voyage Round the World - William Dampier

1698

• The Campaigners (play) - Thomas D'Urfey

1699

• Dialogues of the Dead - William King and Charles Boyle

Births

• 1613 - John Cleveland
• 1626 - John Aubrey
• 1628 - John Bunyan
• 1630 - Isaac Barrow
• 1631 - John Dryden
• 1639 - Thomas Ellwood
• 1640 - Aphra Behn
• 1643 - Gilbert Burnet
• 1648 - Robert Barclay
• 1685 - George Berkeley

Deaths

• 1600 - Richard Hooker
• 1612 - Robert Armin
• 1616 - William Shakespeare; Francis Beaumont; Richard Hakluyt
• 1623 - William Camden
• 1626 - Lancelot Andrewes
• 1638 - Robert Aytoun
• 1640 - Philip Massinger
• 1641 - Augustine Baker
• 1672 - Anne Bradstreet
• 1688 - John Bunyan
• 1689 - Aphra Behn
• 1691 - Richard Baxter