This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 1640.

Events

January 21 Events Pre-1600 * 763 – Following the Battle of Bakhamra between Alids and Abbasids near Kufa, the Alid rebellion ends with the death of Ibrahim, brother of Isa ibn Musa. * 1525 – The Swiss Anabaptist Movement is founded when Co ...

– ''

Salmacida Spolia {{italic title ''Salmacida Spolia'' was the last masque performed at the English Court before the outbreak of the English Civil War. Written by Sir William Davenant, with costumes, sets, and stage effects designed by Inigo Jones and with music by ...

'', a

masque The masque was a form of festive courtly entertainment that flourished in 16th- and early 17th-century Europe, though it was developed earlier in Italy, in forms including the intermedio (a public version of the masque was the pageant). A masque ...

written by Sir

William Davenant Sir William Davenant (baptised 3 March 1606 – 7 April 1668), also spelled D'Avenant, was an English poet and playwright. Along with Thomas Killigrew, Davenant was one of the rare figures in English Renaissance theatre whose career spanned bot ...

and designed by

Inigo Jones Inigo Jones (; 15 July 1573 – 21 June 1652) was the first significant architect in England and Wales in the early modern period, and the first to employ Vitruvian rules of proportion and symmetry in his buildings. As the most notable archit ...

, is performed at

Whitehall Palace The Palace of Whitehall (also spelt White Hall) at Westminster was the main residence of the English monarchs from 1530 until 1698, when most of its structures, except notably Inigo Jones's Banqueting House of 1622, were destroyed by fire. Hen ...

. It is the final royal masque of the

Caroline era The Caroline era is the period in English and Scottish history named for the 24-year reign of Charles I (1625–1649). The term is derived from ''Carolus'', the Latin for Charles. The Caroline era followed the Jacobean era, the reign of Charles's ...

. *

March 17 Events Pre-1600 * 45 BC – In his last victory, Julius Caesar defeats the Pompeian forces of Titus Labienus and Pompey the Younger in the Battle of Munda. * 180 – Commodus becomes sole emperor of the Roman Empire at the age of eigh ...

( St. Patrick's Day) – Henry Burnell's play ''Landgartha'' is first performed, at the

Werburgh Street Theatre The Werburgh Street Theatre, also the Saint Werbrugh Street Theatre or the New Theatre, was a seventeenth-century theatre in Dublin, Ireland. Scholars and historians of the subject generally identify it as the "first custom-built theatre in the c ...

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

. It is one of the earliest plays from a native Irish playwright. *c.

April 16 Events Pre-1600 * 1457 BC – Battle of Megido - the first battle to have been recorded in what is accepted as relatively reliable detail. * 69 – Defeated by Vitellius' troops at Bedriacum, Otho commits suicide. * 73 – Masad ...

–

James Shirley James Shirley (or Sherley) (September 1596 – October 1666) was an English dramatist. He belonged to the great period of English dramatic literature, but, in Charles Lamb's words, he "claims a place among the worthies of this period, not so m ...

returns to England from Ireland. *

May 4 Events Pre-1600 * 1256 – The Augustinian monastic order is constituted at the Lecceto Monastery when Pope Alexander IV issues a papal bull ''Licet ecclesiae catholicae''. * 1415 – Religious reformers John Wycliffe and Jan Hus are ...

– Theatre manager

William Beeston William Beeston (1606? – 1682) was an English actor and theatre manager, the son and successor to the more famous Christopher Beeston. Early phase William was brought up in the theatrical world of his father; he became an actor, and also his ...

is sent to the

Marshalsea The Marshalsea (1373–1842) was a notorious prison in Southwark, just south of the River Thames. Although it housed a variety of prisoners, including men accused of crimes at sea and political figures charged with sedition, it became known, in ...

Prison for staging a play (possibly

Richard Brome Richard Brome ; (c. 1590? – 24 September 1652) was an English dramatist of the Caroline era. Life Virtually nothing is known about Brome's private life. Repeated allusions in contemporary works, like Ben Jonson's ''Bartholomew Fair'', ind ...

's ''

The Court Beggar ''The Court Beggar'' is a Caroline era stage play written by Richard Brome. It was first performed by the acting company known as Beeston's Boys at the Cockpit Theatre. It has sometimes been identified as the seditious play, performed at the Coc ...

'' or his ''

The Queen and Concubine ''The Queen and Concubine'' is a Caroline era stage play, a tragicomedy written by Richard Brome and first published in 1659. It has sometimes been called Brome's best tragicomedy. Publication and date The play was first printed when it was in ...

'') which offends the Stuart regime. This constitutes the only repression of the theatre to occur during the reign of King

Charles I Charles I may refer to: Kings and emperors * Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings * Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily * Charles I of ...

. *

May 28 Events Pre-1600 * 585 BC – A solar eclipse occurs, as predicted by the Greek philosopher and scientist Thales, while Alyattes is battling Cyaxares in the Battle of the Eclipse, leading to a truce. This is one of the cardinal dates from w ...

–

Pedro Calderón de la Barca Pedro Calderón de la Barca y Barreda González de Henao Ruiz de Blasco y Riaño (, ; ; 17 January 160025 May 1681) was a Spanish dramatist, poet, writer and knight of the Order of Santiago. He is known as one of the most distinguished Baroque w ...

joins the Catalan campaign led by the Duke of Olivares. *English

Cavalier poet The cavalier poets was a school of English poets of the 17th century, that came from the classes that supported King Charles I during the English Civil War (1642–1651). Charles, a connoisseur of the fine arts, supported poets who created the art ...

Richard Lovelace, serving in the

Bishops' Wars The 1639 and 1640 Bishops' Wars () were the first of the conflicts known collectively as the 1639 to 1653 Wars of the Three Kingdoms, which took place in Scotland, England and Ireland. Others include the Irish Confederate Wars, the First and ...

in Scotland, writes " To Lucasta, Going to the Warres" (published 1649) and the unperformed tragedy ''The Soldier'' (lost).

New books

*''The

Bay Psalm Book ''The Whole Booke of Psalmes Faithfully Translated into English Metre'', commonly called the Bay Psalm Book, is a metrical psalter first printed in 1640 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was the first book printed in British North America. The psa ...

'', the first book printed in North America *

Uriel da Costa Uriel da Costa (; also Acosta or d'Acosta; c. 1585 – April 1640) was a Portuguese philosopher and skeptic who was born Christian, but returned to Judaism and ended up questioning the Catholic and rabbinic institutions of his time. Life Many de ...

– ''Exemplar Humanae Vitae'' *

Diego de Saavedra Fajardo Diego de Saavedra Fajardo (24 August 1648) was a Spanish Diplomacy, diplomat and Intellectual, man of letters. Biography He was born in Algezares, in what is now the province of Murcia. After receiving a religious education at Salamanca, he to ...

– ''Idea de un príncipe político cristiano'' (literally, "The Idea of a Christian Political Prince;" in English, ''The Royal Politician'') *

Thomas Fuller Thomas Fuller (baptised 19 June 1608 – 16 August 1661) was an English churchman and historian. He is now remembered for his writings, particularly his ''Worthies of England'', published in 1662, after his death. He was a prolific author, and ...

– ''Joseph's coloured Coat'' * James Howell – '' Dodona's Grove'' *

Cornelius Jansen Cornelius Jansen (, ; Latinized name Cornelius Jansenius; also Corneille Jansen; 28 October 1585 – 6 May 1638) was the Dutch Catholic bishop of Ypres in Flanders and the father of a theological movement known as Jansenism. Biography He wa ...

– '' Augustinus'' * Thomas Stephens – '' Arte da lingoa Canarim'', a grammar of the

Konkani language Konkani () is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Konkani people, primarily in the Konkan region, along the western coast of India. It is one of the 22 scheduled languages mentioned in the Indian Constitution, and the official language of ...

John Wilkins John Wilkins, (14 February 1614 – 19 November 1672) was an Anglican clergyman, natural philosopher, and author, and was one of the founders of the Royal Society. He was Bishop of Chester from 1668 until his death. Wilkins is one of the fe ...

– ''A Discourse Concerning a New Planet'' *

Francisco de Rioja Francisco de Rioja (born at Seville, 1583; died at Madrid, 1659) was a Spanish poet. Rioja was a canon of Seville Cathedral and a member of the Spanish Inquisition. Works Quintana considers his poems the first attempts at descriptive poetry in t ...

– ''Aristarco o censura de la proclamación católica de los catalanes'' *

Baltasar Gracián Baltasar Gracián y Morales, S.J. (; 8 January 16016 December 1658), better known as Baltasar Gracián, was a Spanish Jesuit and baroque prose writer and philosopher. He was born in Belmonte, near Calatayud (Aragón). His writings were lauded ...

– ''El político Don Fernando el Católico'' *

Juan Eusebio Nieremberg Juan Eusebio Nieremberg y Ottín (1595 – 7 April 1658) was a Spanish Jesuit and mystic. Nieremberg was born and died in Madrid, but his parents were German. He studied the classics at the Royal Court, he studied science at Alcalá and ca ...

– ''De la diferencia entre lo temporal y lo eterno. Crisol de desengaño''

New drama

* Henry Burnell – ''Landgartha'' *

Pierre Corneille Pierre Corneille (; 6 June 1606 – 1 October 1684) was a French tragedian. He is generally considered one of the three great seventeenth-century French dramatists, along with Molière and Racine. As a young man, he earned the valuable patronag ...

– ''

Horace Quintus Horatius Flaccus (; 8 December 65 – 27 November 8 BC), known in the English-speaking world as Horace (), was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus (also known as Octavian). The rhetorician Quintilian regarded his ' ...

'' *

– ''

'' * John Fletcher & James Shirley – ''

The Night Walker ''The Night Walker, or The Little Thief'' is an early seventeenth-century stage play, a comedy written by John Fletcher and later revised by his younger contemporary James Shirley. It was first published in 1640. Authorship The play enters th ...

'' (published) *

Henry Glapthorne Henry Glapthorne (baptised, 28 July 1610 – c. 1643) was an English dramatist and poet, baptized in Cambridgeshire, the son of Thomas Glapthorne and Faith ''née'' Hatcliff. His father was a bailiff of Lady Hatton, the wife of Sir Edward Cok ...

– ''The Hollander'', ''Wit in a Constable'', and ''The Ladies' Privilege'' (published) *John Gough – ''The Strange Discovery'' *

William Habington William Habington (4 November 1605 – 30 November 1654) was an English poet. Life Habington was born at Hindlip Hall, Worcestershire, and belonged to a well-known Catholic family. His father, Sir Thomas Habington, an antiquary and historical sc ...

– ''The Queen of Arragon'' *

Samuel Harding Samuel Harding may refer to: * Samuel Harding (American football) (1873–1919), American college football coach * Samuel Harding (cabinetmaker) (died 1758), American craftsman * Sam Harding (rugby union), New Zealand rugby union player {{hndis ...

– ''Sicily and Naples'' *

Jean Mairet Jean (de) Mairet (10 May 160431 January 1686) 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 ...

– ''L’Illustre corsaire'' * Nathaniel Richards – ''Messalina'' (published) *

Joseph Rutter Joseph Rutter ( fl. 1635) was an English poet and translator. Life Rutter belonged to the Tribe of Ben, the literary group around Ben Jonson who had received commendatory verse from Jonson. Rutter appears to have lived with Sir Kenelm Digby for ...

- ''The Cid, Part 2'' (published) *

George Sandys George Sandys ( "sands"; 2 March 1578''Sandys, George''
in: ''Encyclopædia Britannica'' online ...

– ''Christ's Passion'' (English translation of

Hugo Grotius Hugo Grotius (; 10 April 1583 – 28 August 1645), also known as Huig de Groot () and Hugo de Groot (), was a Dutch humanist, diplomat, lawyer, theologian, jurist, poet and playwright. A teenage intellectual prodigy, he was born in Delft ...

's ''Christus Patiens'') *Lewis Sharpe – ''The Noble Stranger'' published *

– '' The Imposture'' performed; a single-volume collection of eight plays published; '' The Arcadia'', '' The Humorous Courtier'', and '' Saint Patrick for Ireland'' published; '' The Coronation'' published but misattributed to John Fletcher *

Francisco de Rojas Zorrilla Francisco de Rojas Zorrilla (4 October 1607 – 23 January 1648) was a Spanish dramatist. The main pieces of Rojas Zorrilla are ''Del rey abajo ninguno'' and ''No hay padre siendo rey'' (both published in the 1640s). Biography Rojas Zorrilla was ...

– ''Los bandos de Verona'' *

– ''Psiquis y Cupido'' * Valentín de Céspedes – ''Las glorias del mejor siglo'' *

Lope de Vega Félix Lope de Vega y Carpio ( , ; 25 November 156227 August 1635) was a Spanish playwright, poet, and novelist. He was one of the key figures in the Spanish Golden Age of Baroque literature. His reputation in the world of Spanish literature ...

– ''Parte XXIV de comedias'' * ''Entremeses nuevos'' * Fray Alonso Remón – ''Las tres mujeres en una'' *

**''Donde hay agravios no hay celos'' **''No hay amigo para amigo'' **''Progne y Filomena''

Poetry

Thomas Carew Thomas Carew (pronounced as "Carey") (1595 – 22 March 1640) was an English poet, among the 'Cavalier' group of Caroline poets. Biography He was the son of Sir Matthew Carew, master in chancery, and his wife Alice, daughter of Sir John Rive ...

– ''Poems'' *

Robert Sempill the younger Robert Sempill, the younger (1595?–1663?), Scottish poet, son of James Sempill, was educated at the University of Glasgow, having matriculated in March 1613. During the Civil War he fought for the Stuarts, and seems to have suffered heavy ...

– ''The Life and Death of Habbie Simpson, Piper of Kilbarchan'' *

John Tatham John Tatham (fl. 1632–1664) was an English dramatist of the mid-17th century. He was a strong Cavalier. Hatreds Little is known of Tatham personally. He was a Cavalier, with a hatred of the Puritans and of the Scots – he went so far as to ...

– ''Fancy's Theatre'' *''Romances varios de diversos autores''

Births

April 2 Events Pre-1600 *1513 – Having spotted land on March 27, Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León comes ashore on what is now the U.S. state of Florida, landing somewhere between the modern city of St. Augustine and the mouth of the St. Jo ...

–

Marianna Alcoforado Sóror Mariana Alcoforado (Santa Maria da Feira, Beja, 22 April 1640Beja, 28 July 1723) was a Portuguese nun living in the convent of the Poor Clares (Convento de Nossa Senhora da Conceição, ''Convent of Our Lady of the Conception'') in Beja, ...

, Portuguese nun and purported letter-writer (died

1723 Events January–March * January 25 – British pirate Edward Low intercepts the Portuguese ship ''Nostra Signiora de Victoria''. After the Portuguese captain throws his treasure of 11,000 gold coins into the sea rather than s ...

) *

June 5 Events Pre-1600 *1257 – Kraków, in Poland, receives city rights. *1283 – Battle of the Gulf of Naples: Roger of Lauria, admiral to King Peter III of Aragon, destroys the Neapolitan fleet and captures Charles II of Naples, Charles ...

–

Pu Songling Pu Songling (, 5 June 1640 – 25 February 1715) was a Chinese writer during the Qing dynasty, best known as the author of ''Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio'' (''Liaozhai zhiyi''). Biography Pu was born into a poor merchant family from ...

(蒲松龄), Chinese writer (died 1715) *

August 8 Events Pre-1600 * 685 BC – Spring and Autumn period: Battle of Qianshi: Upon the death of the previous Duke of Qi, Gongsun Wuzhi, Duke Zhuang of Lu sends an army into the Duchy of Qi to install the exiled Qi prince Gongzi Jiu as th ...

– Amalia Catharina, German poet (died 1697) *

September 6 Events Pre-1600 * 394 – Battle of the Frigidus: Roman emperor Theodosius I defeats and kills Eugenius the usurper. His Frankish ''magister militum'' Arbogast escapes but commits suicide two days later. *1492 – Christopher Colu ...

– Heinrich Brewer, German historian (died c. 1713) *

December 6 Events Pre-1600 *1060 – Béla I of Hungary, Béla I is crowned king of Kingdom of Hungary in the Middle Ages, Hungary. *1240 – Mongol invasion of Rus': Kyiv, defended by Voivode Dmytro, Siege of Kiev (1240), falls to the Mongols u ...

– Claude Fleury, French historian (died

) *

December 14 Events Pre-1600 * 557 – Constantinople is severely damaged by an earthquake, which cracks the dome of Hagia Sophia. * 835 – Sweet Dew Incident: Emperor Wenzong of the Tang dynasty conspires to kill the powerful eunuchs of the T ...

(baptized) –

Aphra Behn Aphra Behn (; bapt. 14 December 1640 – 16 April 1689) was an English playwright, poet, prose writer and translator from the Restoration era. As one of the first English women to earn her living by her writing, she broke cultural barrie ...

(Eaffrey Johnson), English dramatist (died

1689 Events January–March * January 22 (January 12, 1688 O.S.) – Glorious Revolution in England: The Convention Parliament is convened to determine if King James II of England, the last Roman Catholic British monarch, vacated th ...

) ''Uncertain dates'' *

David-Augustin de Brueys David-Augustin de Brueys (18 September 164125 November 1723) was a French theologian and playwright. He was born in Aix-en-Provence. His family was Calvinist, and he studied theology. After writing a critique of Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet's work, ...

, French theologian and dramatist (died

) * Madame de Villedieu, French dramatist and novelist (died

1683 Events January–March * January 5 – The Brandenburger Gold Coast, Brandenburger—African Company, of the German state of Brandenburg, signs a treaty with representatives of the Ahanta people, Ahanta tribe (in what is now Ghan ...

)

Deaths

January 25 Events Pre-1600 * 41 – After a night of negotiation, Claudius is accepted as Roman emperor by the Senate. * 750 – In the Battle of the Zab, the Abbasid rebels defeat the Umayyad Caliphate, leading to the overthrow of the dynasty ...

–

Robert Burton Robert Burton (8 February 1577 – 25 January 1640) was an English author and fellow of Oxford University, who wrote the encyclopedic tome ''The Anatomy of Melancholy''. Born in 1577 to a comfortably well-off family of the landed gentry, Burt ...

, English scholar (born 1577) *February/March –

Richard Rowlands Richard Rowlands, born Richard Verstegan (c. 1550 – 1640), was an Anglo- Dutch antiquary, publisher, humorist and translator. Verstegan was born in East London the son of a cooper; his grandfather, Theodore Roland Verstegen, was a refugee f ...

, English antiquary (born c. 1550) *

March 8 Events Pre-1600 * 1010 – Ferdowsi completes his epic poem ''Shahnameh''. *1126 – Following the death of his mother, queen Urraca of León, Alfonso VII is proclaimed king of León. * 1262 – Battle of Hausbergen between bour ...

(burial) – Samuel Ward, English Puritan preacher and writer (born 1577) *

–

Philip Massinger Philip Massinger (1583 – 17 March 1640) was an English dramatist. His finely plotted plays, including ''A New Way to Pay Old Debts'', ''The City Madam'', and '' The Roman Actor'', are noted for their satire and realism, and their politi ...

, English dramatist (born 1583) *

March 22 Events Pre-1600 * 106 – Start of the Bostran era, the calendar of the province of Arabia Petraea. * 235 – Roman emperor Severus Alexander is murdered, marking the start of the Crisis of the Third Century. * 871 – Æthelr ...

–

, English poet (born

1595 Events January–June * January – Mehmed III succeeds Murad III, as sultan of the Ottoman Empire. * January 17 – During the French Wars of Religion, Henry IV of France declares war on Spain. * April 8 (March 29 O.S.) & ...

) *April –

, Portuguese philosopher (born c. 1585) *

–

Paul Fleming Paul Fleming may refer to: * Paul Fleming (footballer) (born 1967), English professional footballer *Paul Fleming (poet) (1609–1640), German poet *Paul Fleming (boxer) (born 1988), Australian Olympic boxer *Paul Fleming (restaurateur), American r ...

, German poet (born 1609) *

April 28 Events Pre-1600 * 224 – The Battle of Hormozdgan is fought. Ardashir I defeats and kills Artabanus V effectively ending the Parthian Empire. * 357 – Emperor Constantius II enters Rome for the first time to celebrate his victory ...

(burial) –

William Alabaster William Alabaster (also Alablaster, Arblastier) (27 February 1567buried 28 April 1640) was an English poet, playwright, and religious writer. Alabaster became a Roman Catholic convert in Spain when on a diplomatic mission as chaplain. His reli ...

, English poet and playwright (born 1567) *

May 30 Events Pre-1600 * 70 – Siege of Jerusalem: Titus and his Roman legions breach the Second Wall of Jerusalem. Jewish defenders retreat to the First Wall. The Romans build a circumvallation, cutting down all trees within fifteen kilometres ...

–

André Duchesne André Duchesne (; sometimes spelled ''Du Chesne'', Latinized ''Andreas Chesneus'', ''Andreas Quercetanus'', or ''Andreas Querneus''; May 158430 May 1640) was a French geographer and historian, generally styled the father of French history. Duch ...

, French historian (born 1584) *

October 1 Events Pre-1600 * 331 BC – Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. * 366 – Pope Damasus I is consecrated. * 959 – Edgar the Peaceful becomes king of all England, in succession to Eadwig. ...

–

Claudio Achillini Claudio Achillini (''Latin'' Claudius Achillinus; 18 September 1574 – 1 October 1640) was an Italian philosopher, theologian, mathematician, poet, and jurist. He is a major figure in the history of Italian Baroque poetry. Biography Born in B ...

, Italian philosopher and poet (born

1574 __NOTOC__ Year 1574 ( MDLXXIV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–June * February 23 – The fifth War of Religion against the Huguenots begins ...

) *December **

William Aspley William Aspley (died 1640) was a London publisher of the Elizabethan, Jacobean, and Caroline eras. He was a member of the publishing syndicates that issued the First Folio and Second Folio collections of Shakespeare's plays, in 1623 and 1632. ...

, English publisher (born c. 1573) **Sir

John Melton Sir John Melton (died 1640) was an English merchant, writer and politician. Melton was appointed Secretary to the Council of the North in 1635, by Charles I of England. He was elected Member of Parliament for Newcastle-upon-Tyne in the year of h ...

, English politician and writer (unknown year of birth) *''unknown dates'' **

Charles Aleyn Charles Aleyn (died about 1640), a historical poet in the reign of Charles I, was of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge; became usher to the celebrated Thomas Farnaby, at his school, in Goldsmith's Rents, and afterwards tutor to Sir Edward Sherburn ...

, English poet (unknown year of birth) **

Daniel Naborowski Daniel Naborowski (1573–1640) was a Polish Baroque poet. Daniel Naborowski was born in Kraków. Like many Polish noblemen of the time, he was a Calvinist by faith. His education took place not only in Cracow, but also in Wittenberg (1590–1593) ...

, Polish Baroque poet (born

1573 Year 1573 ( MDLXXIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–June * January 25 – Battle of Mikatagahara in Japan: Takeda Shingen defeats Tokugaw ...

) *''probable'' –

Elizabeth Melville Elizabeth Melville, Lady Culross (c.1578–c.1640) was a Scottish poet. In 1603 she became the earliest known Scottish woman writer to see her work in print, when the Edinburgh publisher Robert Charteris issued the first edition of ''Ane Godlie ...

, Scottish poet (born c. 1578)

References

{{Year in literature article categories Years of the 17th century in literature