List of years in literature
18th century
18th century
------------

### 1700s

* **[1701 in literature](/wiki/1701_in_literature "1701 in literature")** – *[A Discourse of the Contests and Dissensions Between the Nobles and the Commons in Athens and Rome](/wiki/A_Discourse_of_the_Contests_and_Dissensions_Between_the_Nobles_and_the_Commons_in_Athens_and_Rome "A Discourse of the Contests and Dissensions Between the Nobles and the Commons in Athens and Rome")* – [Jonathan Swift](/wiki/Jonathan_Swift "Jonathan Swift"); *[The Ladies' Defence](/wiki/The_Ladies%27_Defence "The Ladies' Defence")* by [Mary Chudleigh](/wiki/Mary_Chudleigh "Mary Chudleigh"); *[Stemmatografia](/wiki/Stemmatografia "Stemmatografia")* by [Pavao Ritter Vitezovic](/wiki/Pavao_Ritter_Vitezovic "Pavao Ritter Vitezovic")
* **[1702 in literature](/wiki/1702_in_literature "1702 in literature")** – *[The Narrow Road to the Interior](/wiki/Oku_no_Hosomichi "Oku no Hosomichi")* – [Matsuo Basho](/wiki/Matsuo_Basho "Matsuo Basho")
* **[1703 in literature](/wiki/1703_in_literature "1703 in literature")** – *[New Voyages to North America](/wiki/New_Voyages_to_North_America "New Voyages to North America")* by [Louis\-Armand de Lom d'Arce de Lahontan, Baron de Lahontan](/wiki/Louis-Armand_de_Lom_d%27Arce_de_Lahontan%2C_Baron_de_Lahontan "Louis-Armand de Lom d'Arce de Lahontan, Baron de Lahontan"); *[The Love Suicides at Sonezaki](/wiki/The_Love_Suicides_at_Sonezaki "The Love Suicides at Sonezaki")* by [Chikamatsu Monzaemon](/wiki/Chikamatsu_Monzaemon "Chikamatsu Monzaemon"). Death of [Samuel Pepys](/wiki/Samuel_Pepys "Samuel Pepys"); [Samuel Johnson](/wiki/Samuel_Johnson "Samuel Johnson")
* **[1704 in literature](/wiki/1704_in_literature "1704 in literature")** – *[A Tale of a Tub](/wiki/A_Tale_of_a_Tub "A Tale of a Tub")* by [Jonathan Swift](/wiki/Jonathan_Swift "Jonathan Swift"); *[New Essays on Human Understanding](/wiki/New_Essays_on_Human_Understanding "New Essays on Human Understanding")* by [Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz](/wiki/Gottfried_Wilhelm_Leibniz "Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz"); *[The Storm](/wiki/The_Storm_%28Daniel_Defoe%29 "The Storm (Daniel Defoe)")* by [Daniel Defoe](/wiki/Daniel_Defoe "Daniel Defoe"). Death of [John Locke](/wiki/John_Locke "John Locke")
* **[1705 in literature](/wiki/1705_in_literature "1705 in literature")** – *[Money and Trade Considered](/wiki/Money_and_Trade_Considered "Money and Trade Considered")* by [John Law](/wiki/John_Law_%28economist%29 "John Law (economist)")
* **[1706 in literature](/wiki/1706_in_literature "1706 in literature")** – *[The Apparition of Mrs. Veal](/wiki/The_Apparition_of_Mrs._Veal "The Apparition of Mrs. Veal")* by [Daniel Defoe](/wiki/Daniel_Defoe "Daniel Defoe"); *[The Recruiting Officer](/wiki/The_Recruiting_Officer "The Recruiting Officer")* by [George Farquhar](/wiki/George_Farquhar "George Farquhar")
* **[1707 in literature](/wiki/1707_in_literature "1707 in literature")** – *[Arithmetica Universalis](/wiki/Arithmetica_Universalis "Arithmetica Universalis")* – [Isaac Newton](/wiki/Isaac_Newton "Isaac Newton")
* **[1708 in literature](/wiki/1708_in_literature "1708 in literature")** – *[An Argument against Abolishing Christianity](/wiki/An_Argument_against_Abolishing_Christianity "An Argument against Abolishing Christianity")* – [Jonathan Swift](/wiki/Jonathan_Swift "Jonathan Swift")
* **[1709 in literature](/wiki/1709_in_literature "1709 in literature")** – *Ode à Sainte\-Geneviève* – [Voltaire](/wiki/Voltaire "Voltaire")'s first published work; First publication of the magazine *[Tatler](/wiki/Tatler_%281709_journal%29 "Tatler (1709 journal)")*, established by [Richard Steele](/wiki/Richard_Steele "Richard Steele"); *[The New Atalantis](/wiki/The_New_Atalantis "The New Atalantis")* by [Delarivier Manley](/wiki/Delarivier_Manley "Delarivier Manley"); *[Turcaret](/wiki/Turcaret "Turcaret")* by [Alain\-René Lesage](/wiki/Alain-Ren%C3%A9_Lesage "Alain-René Lesage")

### 1710s

* **[1710 in literature](/wiki/1710_in_literature "1710 in literature")** – [Colley Cibber](/wiki/Colley_Cibber "Colley Cibber") becomes manager of [Drury Lane](/wiki/Theatre_Royal%2C_Drury_Lane "Theatre Royal, Drury Lane"); The *[Statute of Anne](/wiki/Statute_of_Anne "Statute of Anne")* was the first statute to provide for [copyright](/wiki/Copyright "Copyright") regulated by the government and courts, rather than by private parties; *[Théodicée](/wiki/Th%C3%A9odic%C3%A9e "Théodicée")* by [Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz](/wiki/Gottfried_Wilhelm_Leibniz "Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz"); *[Meditation Upon a Broomstick](/wiki/Meditation_Upon_a_Broomstick "Meditation Upon a Broomstick")* by [Jonathan Swift](/wiki/Jonathan_Swift "Jonathan Swift"); First publication of the newspaper *[The Examiner](/wiki/The_Examiner_%281710%E2%80%931714%29 "The Examiner (1710–1714)")*, edited by Jonathan Swift
* **[1711 in literature](/wiki/1711_in_literature "1711 in literature")** – *[The Spectator](/wiki/The_Spectator_%281711%29 "The Spectator (1711)")* is founded by [Joseph Addison](/wiki/Joseph_Addison "Joseph Addison") and [Richard Steele](/wiki/Richard_Steele "Richard Steele"); First print version of *[Jack the Giant Killer](/wiki/Jack_the_Giant_Killer "Jack the Giant Killer")*, published in two parts by J. White; *[The Courier for Hell](/wiki/The_Courier_for_Hell "The Courier for Hell")* by [Chikamatsu Monzaemon](/wiki/Chikamatsu_Monzaemon "Chikamatsu Monzaemon"); *[An Essay on Criticism](/wiki/An_Essay_on_Criticism "An Essay on Criticism")* by [Alexander Pope](/wiki/Alexander_Pope "Alexander Pope")
* **[1712 in literature](/wiki/1712_in_literature "1712 in literature")** – [Alexander Pope](/wiki/Alexander_Pope "Alexander Pope"), *[The Rape of the Lock](/wiki/The_Rape_of_the_Lock "The Rape of the Lock")*
* **[1713 in literature](/wiki/1713_in_literature "1713 in literature")** – Birth of [Laurence Sterne](/wiki/Laurence_Sterne "Laurence Sterne"). First publication of the newspaper *[The Guardian](/wiki/The_Guardian_%281713%29 "The Guardian (1713)")*, under publisher [Richard Steele](/wiki/Richard_Steele "Richard Steele"); First performance of *[Cato, a Tragedy](/wiki/Cato%2C_a_Tragedy "Cato, a Tragedy")* by [Joseph Addison](/wiki/Joseph_Addison "Joseph Addison"); First printed version of *[Erotokritos](/wiki/Erotokritos "Erotokritos")* by [Vitsentzos Kornaros](/wiki/Vitsentzos_Kornaros "Vitsentzos Kornaros"); *[Three Dialogues Between Hylas and Philonous](/wiki/Three_Dialogues_Between_Hylas_and_Philonous "Three Dialogues Between Hylas and Philonous")* by [George Berkeley](/wiki/George_Berkeley "George Berkeley")
* **[1714 in literature](/wiki/1714_in_literature "1714 in literature")** – [Bernard Mandeville](/wiki/Bernard_Mandeville "Bernard Mandeville"), *[The Fable of the Bees](/wiki/The_Fable_of_the_Bees "The Fable of the Bees")*
* **[1715 in literature](/wiki/1715_in_literature "1715 in literature")** – [Nicholas Rowe](/wiki/Nicholas_Rowe_%28writer%29 "Nicholas Rowe (writer)") becomes [Poet Laureate](/wiki/Poet_Laureate "Poet Laureate") of Great Britain; *[Gil Blas](/wiki/Gil_Blas "Gil Blas")* by [Alain\-René Lesage](/wiki/Alain-Ren%C3%A9_Lesage "Alain-René Lesage"); *[Divine Songs Attempted in Easy Language for the Use of Children](/wiki/Divine_Songs_Attempted_in_Easy_Language_for_the_Use_of_Children "Divine Songs Attempted in Easy Language for the Use of Children")* by [Isaac Watts](/wiki/Isaac_Watts "Isaac Watts"); *[The Battles of Coxinga](/wiki/The_Battles_of_Coxinga "The Battles of Coxinga")* by [Chikamatsu Monzaemon](/wiki/Chikamatsu_Monzaemon "Chikamatsu Monzaemon")
* **[1716 in literature](/wiki/1716_in_literature "1716 in literature")** – *[The Fifth Ode of the Fourth Book of Horace Imitated](/wiki/The_Fifth_Ode_of_the_Fourth_Book_of_Horace_Imitated "The Fifth Ode of the Fourth Book of Horace Imitated")* – [Jane Brereton](/wiki/Jane_Brereton "Jane Brereton"); *[Kangxi Dictionary](/wiki/Kangxi_Dictionary "Kangxi Dictionary")*, compiled by order of the [Kangxi Emperor](/wiki/Kangxi_Emperor "Kangxi Emperor")
* **[1717 in literature](/wiki/1717_in_literature "1717 in literature")** – *[A Philosophical Inquiry Concerning Human Liberty](/wiki/A_Philosophical_Inquiry_Concerning_Human_Liberty "A Philosophical Inquiry Concerning Human Liberty")* – [Anthony Collins](/wiki/Anthony_Collins_%28philosopher%29 "Anthony Collins (philosopher)"); *[Three Hours After Marriage](/wiki/Three_Hours_After_Marriage "Three Hours After Marriage")* by [John Gay](/wiki/John_Gay "John Gay"), [Alexander Pope](/wiki/Alexander_Pope "Alexander Pope") and [John Arbuthnot](/wiki/John_Arbuthnot "John Arbuthnot");
* **[1718 in literature](/wiki/1718_in_literature "1718 in literature")** – *[Oedipus](/wiki/Oedipus_%28Voltaire_play%29 "Oedipus (Voltaire play)")* – [Voltaire](/wiki/Voltaire "Voltaire")'s first play
* **[1719 in literature](/wiki/1719_in_literature "1719 in literature")** – *[Robinson Crusoe](/wiki/Robinson_Crusoe "Robinson Crusoe")* – [Daniel Defoe](/wiki/Daniel_Defoe "Daniel Defoe")

### 1720s

* **[1720 in literature](/wiki/1720_in_literature "1720 in literature")** – [Daniel Defoe](/wiki/Daniel_Defoe "Daniel Defoe"), *[Memoirs of a Cavalier](/wiki/Memoirs_of_a_Cavalier "Memoirs of a Cavalier")*
* **[1721 in literature](/wiki/1721_in_literature "1721 in literature")** – [Montesquieu](/wiki/Montesquieu "Montesquieu"), *[Persian Letters](/wiki/Persian_Letters "Persian Letters")*
* **[1722 in literature](/wiki/1722_in_literature "1722 in literature")** – [Daniel Defoe](/wiki/Daniel_Defoe "Daniel Defoe"), *[Moll Flanders](/wiki/Moll_Flanders "Moll Flanders")*
* **[1723 in literature](/wiki/1723_in_literature "1723 in literature")** – Births of [Richard Price](/wiki/Richard_Price "Richard Price") and [Adam Smith](/wiki/Adam_Smith "Adam Smith"); deaths of [Susanna Centlivre](/wiki/Susanna_Centlivre "Susanna Centlivre") and [Marianna Alcoforado](/wiki/Marianna_Alcoforado "Marianna Alcoforado"); – [Voltaire](/wiki/Voltaire "Voltaire"), *[La Henriade](/wiki/La_Henriade "La Henriade")*;
* **[1724 in literature](/wiki/1724_in_literature "1724 in literature")** – *[The Reform'd Coquet](/wiki/The_Reform%27d_Coquet "The Reform'd Coquet")* by [Mary Davys](/wiki/Mary_Davys "Mary Davys"); *[Roxana: The Fortunate Mistress](/wiki/Roxana:The_Fortunate_Mistress "The Fortunate Mistress")* and *[A tour thro' the whole island of Great Britain](/wiki/A_tour_thro%27_the_whole_island_of_Great_Britain "A tour thro' the whole island of Great Britain")* by [Daniel Defoe](/wiki/Daniel_Defoe "Daniel Defoe"); *[A General History of the Pyrates](/wiki/A_General_History_of_the_Pyrates "A General History of the Pyrates")* by [Captain Charles Johnson](/wiki/Captain_Charles_Johnson "Captain Charles Johnson"); *[La Fausse Suivante](/wiki/La_Fausse_Suivante "La Fausse Suivante")* by [Pierre de Marivaux](/wiki/Pierre_de_Marivaux "Pierre de Marivaux")
* **[1725 in literature](/wiki/1725_in_literature "1725 in literature")** – Birth of [Giacomo Casanova](/wiki/Giacomo_Casanova "Giacomo Casanova"); the encyclopaedia *[Complete Classics Collection of Ancient China](/wiki/Complete_Classics_Collection_of_Ancient_China "Complete Classics Collection of Ancient China")* is completed, edited by [Chen Menglei](/wiki/Chen_Menglei "Chen Menglei") and [Jiang Tingxi](/wiki/Jiang_Tingxi "Jiang Tingxi"). First printed version of *[The Book of Abramelin](/wiki/The_Book_of_Abramelin "The Book of Abramelin")*; *[A Dissertation on Liberty and Necessity, Pleasure and Pain](/wiki/A_Dissertation_on_Liberty_and_Necessity%2C_Pleasure_and_Pain "A Dissertation on Liberty and Necessity, Pleasure and Pain")* by [Benjamin Franklin](/wiki/Benjamin_Franklin "Benjamin Franklin"); *[Fantomina](/wiki/Fantomina "Fantomina")* by [Eliza Haywood](/wiki/Eliza_Haywood "Eliza Haywood"); *[Mariamne](/wiki/Mariamne_%28Nadal_play%29 "Mariamne (Nadal play)")* by [Augustin Nadal](/wiki/Augustin_Nadal "Augustin Nadal")
* **[1726 in literature](/wiki/1726_in_literature "1726 in literature")** – [Jonathan Swift](/wiki/Jonathan_Swift "Jonathan Swift"), *[Gulliver's Travels](/wiki/Gulliver%27s_Travels "Gulliver's Travels")*
* **[1727 in literature](/wiki/1727_in_literature "1727 in literature")** – [Eliza Haywood](/wiki/Eliza_Haywood "Eliza Haywood"), *Philidore and Placentia*; *[Double Falsehood](/wiki/Double_Falsehood "Double Falsehood")* by [Lewis Theobald](/wiki/Lewis_Theobald "Lewis Theobald"); *[Conjugal Lewdness](/wiki/Conjugal_Lewdness "Conjugal Lewdness")* by [Daniel Defoe](/wiki/Daniel_Defoe "Daniel Defoe")
* **[1728 in literature](/wiki/1728_in_literature "1728 in literature")** – [Alexander Pope](/wiki/Alexander_Pope "Alexander Pope"), *[The Dunciad](/wiki/The_Dunciad "The Dunciad")*
* **[1729 in literature](/wiki/1729_in_literature "1729 in literature")** – *[Second Thoughts Are Best](/wiki/Second_Thoughts_Are_Best "Second Thoughts Are Best")* by [Daniel Defoe](/wiki/Daniel_Defoe "Daniel Defoe"); *[A Modest Proposal](/wiki/A_Modest_Proposal "A Modest Proposal")* by [Jonathan Swift](/wiki/Jonathan_Swift "Jonathan Swift"); *[Hurlothrumbo](/wiki/Hurlothrumbo "Hurlothrumbo")* by [Samuel Johnson](/wiki/Samuel_Johnson_%28dramatist%29 "Samuel Johnson (dramatist)"). Death of [William Congreve](/wiki/William_Congreve "William Congreve")

### 1730s

* **[1730 in literature](/wiki/1730_in_literature "1730 in literature")** – *[The Game of Love and Chance](/wiki/The_Game_of_Love_and_Chance "The Game of Love and Chance")* – [Pierre de Marivaux](/wiki/Pierre_de_Marivaux "Pierre de Marivaux"); *[Tom Thumb](/wiki/Tom_Thumb_%28play%29 "Tom Thumb (play)")* by [Henry Fielding](/wiki/Henry_Fielding "Henry Fielding").
* **[1731 in literature](/wiki/1731_in_literature "1731 in literature")** – *[Insel Felsenburg](/wiki/Insel_Felsenburg "Insel Felsenburg")* (to 1743\) – [Johann Gottfried Schnabel](/wiki/Johann_Gottfried_Schnabel "Johann Gottfried Schnabel"); *[The Gentleman's Magazine](/wiki/The_Gentleman%27s_Magazine "The Gentleman's Magazine")* is first published in [London](/wiki/London "London"), its publisher was [Edward Cave](/wiki/Edward_Cave "Edward Cave") who coined the term "magazine" for a periodical. The newspaper *[Hollandsche Spectator](/wiki/Hollandsche_Spectator "Hollandsche Spectator")* is first published in [Amsterdam](/wiki/Amsterdam "Amsterdam"), the publisher was the journalist [Justus van Effen](/wiki/Justus_van_Effen "Justus van Effen"); *[La Vie de Marianne](/wiki/La_Vie_de_Marianne "La Vie de Marianne")* by [Pierre de Marivaux](/wiki/Pierre_de_Marivaux "Pierre de Marivaux"); *[Manon Lescaut](/wiki/Manon_Lescaut "Manon Lescaut")* by [Antoine François Prévost](/wiki/Antoine_Fran%C3%A7ois_Pr%C3%A9vost "Antoine François Prévost"); *[Life of Sethos](/wiki/Life_of_Sethos "Life of Sethos")* by [Jean Terrasson](/wiki/Jean_Terrasson "Jean Terrasson")
* **[1732 in literature](/wiki/1732_in_literature "1732 in literature")** – The magazine *[Then Swänska Argus](/wiki/Then_Sw%C3%A4nska_Argus "Then Swänska Argus")* is first published in Sweden, written entirely by [Olof von Dalin](/wiki/Olof_von_Dalin "Olof von Dalin"). The annual almanac *[Poor Richard's Almanack](/wiki/Poor_Richard%27s_Almanack "Poor Richard's Almanack")* is first published, written by [Benjamin Franklin](/wiki/Benjamin_Franklin "Benjamin Franklin"). *[The London Magazine](/wiki/The_London_Magazine "The London Magazine")* is first published, the second oldest literary periodical; *[Alciphron](/wiki/Alciphron_%28book%29 "Alciphron (book)")* by [George Berkeley](/wiki/George_Berkeley "George Berkeley"); *[The Mock Doctor](/wiki/The_Mock_Doctor "The Mock Doctor")* by [Henry Fielding](/wiki/Henry_Fielding "Henry Fielding"); *[The Triumph of Love](/wiki/The_Triumph_of_Love_%28play%29 "The Triumph of Love (play)")* by [Pierre de Marivaux](/wiki/Pierre_de_Marivaux "Pierre de Marivaux"); *[Zaïre](/wiki/Za%C3%AFre_%28play%29 "Zaïre (play)")* by [Voltaire](/wiki/Voltaire "Voltaire")
* **[1733 in literature](/wiki/1733_in_literature "1733 in literature")** – *[Letters Concerning the English Nation](/wiki/Letters_on_the_English "Letters on the English")* – [Voltaire](/wiki/Voltaire "Voltaire"); *[Memoirs of the Twentieth Century](/wiki/Memoirs_of_the_Twentieth_Century "Memoirs of the Twentieth Century")* – [Samuel Madden](/wiki/Samuel_Madden_%28author%29 "Samuel Madden (author)"); *[Essay on Man](/wiki/Essay_on_Man "Essay on Man")* (to 1744\) – [Alexander Pope](/wiki/Alexander_Pope "Alexander Pope")
* **[1734 in literature](/wiki/1734_in_literature "1734 in literature")** – Copies of [Voltaire](/wiki/Voltaire "Voltaire")'s *[Letters on the English](/wiki/Letters_on_the_English "Letters on the English")* are burned, and a warrant is issued for the author's arrest. *[Le Paysan parvenu](/wiki/Le_Paysan_parvenu "Le Paysan parvenu")* by [Pierre de Marivaux](/wiki/Pierre_de_Marivaux "Pierre de Marivaux"); *[Chrononhotonthologos](/wiki/Chrononhotonthologos "Chrononhotonthologos")* by [Henry Carey](/wiki/Henry_Carey_%28writer%29 "Henry Carey (writer)"); *[The Analyst](/wiki/The_Analyst "The Analyst")* by [George Berkeley](/wiki/George_Berkeley "George Berkeley")
* **[1735 in literature](/wiki/1735_in_literature "1735 in literature")** – At the end of the trial of [John Peter Zenger](/wiki/John_Peter_Zenger "John Peter Zenger") for seditious [libel](/wiki/Libel "Libel") in the *[New York Weekly Journal](/wiki/The_New_York_Weekly_Journal "The New York Weekly Journal")*, he is found not guilty by the jury determining that truth was a defense against charges of libel. *[História trágico\-marítima](/wiki/Hist%C3%B3ria_tr%C3%A1gico-mar%C3%ADtima "História trágico-marítima")* by [Bernardo Gomes de Brito](/wiki/Bernardo_Gomes_de_Brito "Bernardo Gomes de Brito"); *[Systema Naturae](/wiki/Systema_Naturae "Systema Naturae")* by [Carl Linnaeus](/wiki/Carl_Linnaeus "Carl Linnaeus")
* **[1736 in literature](/wiki/1736_in_literature "1736 in literature")** – *[Method of Fluxions](/wiki/Method_of_Fluxions "Method of Fluxions")* – [Isaac Newton](/wiki/Isaac_Newton "Isaac Newton")
* **[1737 in literature](/wiki/1737_in_literature "1737 in literature")** – *[Leonidas](/wiki/Leonidas_%28poem%29 "Leonidas (poem)")* – [Richard Glover](/wiki/Richard_Glover_%28poet%29 "Richard Glover (poet)"). Birth of [Thomas Paine](/wiki/Thomas_Paine "Thomas Paine"), [free thinker](/wiki/Freethought "Freethought") and revolutionary (died 1809\); *[The Historical Register for the Year 1736](/wiki/The_Historical_Register_for_the_Year_1736 "The Historical Register for the Year 1736")* by [Henry Fielding](/wiki/Henry_Fielding "Henry Fielding"); *[The Golden Rump](/wiki/The_Golden_Rump "The Golden Rump")* attributed to Henry Fielding; The newspaper *[The News Letter](/wiki/The_News_Letter "The News Letter")* of [Belfast](/wiki/Belfast "Belfast") is first published. It is the oldest [English language](/wiki/English_language "English language") general daily newspaper still in publication. *[A Faithful Narrative of the Surprising Work of God in the Conversion of Many Hundred Souls in Northampton](/wiki/A_Faithful_Narrative_of_the_Surprising_Work_of_God_in_the_Conversion_of_Many_Hundred_Souls_in_Northampton "A Faithful Narrative of the Surprising Work of God in the Conversion of Many Hundred Souls in Northampton")* by [Jonathan Edwards](/wiki/Jonathan_Edwards_%28theologian%29 "Jonathan Edwards (theologian)"); *[Les Fausses Confidences](/wiki/Les_Fausses_Confidences "Les Fausses Confidences")* by [Pierre de Marivaux](/wiki/Pierre_de_Marivaux "Pierre de Marivaux")
* **[1738 in literature](/wiki/1738_in_literature "1738 in literature")** – *[Jewish Letters](/wiki/Jewish_Letters "Jewish Letters")* by [Jean\-Baptiste de Boyer, Marquis d'Argens](/wiki/Jean-Baptiste_de_Boyer%2C_Marquis_d%27Argens "Jean-Baptiste de Boyer, Marquis d'Argens"); *[A Complete Collection of Genteel and Ingenious Conversation](/wiki/A_Complete_Collection_of_Genteel_and_Ingenious_Conversation "A Complete Collection of Genteel and Ingenious Conversation")* by [Jonathan Swift](/wiki/Jonathan_Swift "Jonathan Swift"); *[The Divine Legation of Moses](/wiki/The_Divine_Legation_of_Moses "The Divine Legation of Moses")* by [William Warburton](/wiki/William_Warburton "William Warburton")
* **[1739 in literature](/wiki/1739_in_literature "1739 in literature")** – *[A Treatise of Human Nature](/wiki/A_Treatise_of_Human_Nature "A Treatise of Human Nature")* (to 1740\) – [David Hume](/wiki/David_Hume "David Hume")

### 1740s

* **[1740 in literature](/wiki/1740_in_literature "1740 in literature")** – *[Institutions de physique](/wiki/Institutions_de_physique "Institutions de physique")* – [Émilie du Châtelet](/wiki/%C3%89milie_du_Ch%C3%A2telet "Émilie du Châtelet"); *[Beauty and the Beast](/wiki/Beauty_and_the_Beast "Beauty and the Beast")* – [Gabrielle\-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve](/wiki/Gabrielle-Suzanne_Barbot_de_Villeneuve "Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve"); *[Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded](/wiki/Pamela%3B_or%2C_Virtue_Rewarded "Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded")* – [Samuel Richardson](/wiki/Samuel_Richardson "Samuel Richardson")
* **[1741 in literature](/wiki/1741_in_literature "1741 in literature")** – *[An Apology for the Life of Mrs. Shamela Andrews](/wiki/An_Apology_for_the_Life_of_Mrs._Shamela_Andrews "An Apology for the Life of Mrs. Shamela Andrews")* – [Henry Fielding](/wiki/Henry_Fielding "Henry Fielding"); *[Niels Klim's Underground Travels](/wiki/Niels_Klim%27s_Underground_Travels "Niels Klim's Underground Travels")* – [Ludvig Holberg](/wiki/Ludvig_Holberg "Ludvig Holberg")
* **[1742 in literature](/wiki/1742_in_literature "1742 in literature")** – *[Joseph Andrews](/wiki/Joseph_Andrews "Joseph Andrews")* – [Henry Fielding](/wiki/Henry_Fielding "Henry Fielding")
* **[1743 in literature](/wiki/1743_in_literature "1743 in literature")** – *[The Life and Death of Jonathan Wild, the Great](/wiki/The_Life_and_Death_of_Jonathan_Wild%2C_the_Great "The Life and Death of Jonathan Wild, the Great")* – [Henry Fielding](/wiki/Henry_Fielding "Henry Fielding"); *[Servant of Two Masters](/wiki/Servant_of_Two_Masters "Servant of Two Masters")* by [Carlo Goldoni](/wiki/Carlo_Goldoni "Carlo Goldoni") first performed
* **[1744 in literature](/wiki/1744_in_literature "1744 in literature")** – *[The Female Spectator](/wiki/The_Female_Spectator "The Female Spectator")* is launched by [Eliza Haywood](/wiki/Eliza_Haywood "Eliza Haywood"); *[The Harleian Miscellany](/wiki/The_Harleian_Miscellany "The Harleian Miscellany")* by [Samuel Johnson](/wiki/Samuel_Johnson "Samuel Johnson") and [William Oldys](/wiki/William_Oldys "William Oldys"); *[A Little Pretty Pocket\-Book](/wiki/A_Little_Pretty_Pocket-Book "A Little Pretty Pocket-Book")* by [John Newbery](/wiki/John_Newbery "John Newbery"); *[Tommy Thumb's Pretty Song Book](/wiki/Tommy_Thumb%27s_Pretty_Song_Book "Tommy Thumb's Pretty Song Book")*; *[The Pleasures of the Imagination](/wiki/The_Pleasures_of_the_Imagination "The Pleasures of the Imagination")* by [Mark Akenside](/wiki/Mark_Akenside "Mark Akenside"); *[Life of Mr Richard Savage](/wiki/Life_of_Mr_Richard_Savage "Life of Mr Richard Savage")* by Samuel Johnson
* **[1745 in literature](/wiki/1745_in_literature "1745 in literature")** – *[Description of the Kingdom of Georgia](/wiki/Description_of_the_Kingdom_of_Georgia "Description of the Kingdom of Georgia")* by [Vakhushti of Kartli](/wiki/Vakhushti_of_Kartli "Vakhushti of Kartli"); *[Flora Svecica](/wiki/Flora_Svecica "Flora Svecica")* by [Carl Linnaeus](/wiki/Carl_Linnaeus "Carl Linnaeus"); *[Nowe Ateny](/wiki/Nowe_Ateny "Nowe Ateny")* by [Benedykt Chmielowski](/wiki/Benedykt_Chmielowski "Benedykt Chmielowski"); *[Suomalaisen Sana\-Lugun Coetus](/wiki/Suomalaisen_Sana-Lugun_Coetus "Suomalaisen Sana-Lugun Coetus")* by [Daniel Juslenius](/wiki/Daniel_Juslenius "Daniel Juslenius"). Death of [Jonathan Swift](/wiki/Jonathan_Swift "Jonathan Swift")
* **[1746 in literature](/wiki/1746_in_literature "1746 in literature")** – [Voltaire](/wiki/Voltaire "Voltaire") is elected to the [French Academy](/wiki/French_Academy "French Academy"); *[Den Danske Vitruvius](/wiki/Den_Danske_Vitruvius "Den Danske Vitruvius")* by [Lauritz de Thurah](/wiki/Lauritz_de_Thurah "Lauritz de Thurah"); *[Le Préjugé vaincu](/wiki/Le_Pr%C3%A9jug%C3%A9_vaincu "Le Préjugé vaincu")* by [Pierre de Marivaux](/wiki/Pierre_de_Marivaux "Pierre de Marivaux"); *[Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami](/wiki/Sugawara_Denju_Tenarai_Kagami "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami")* by [Takeda Izumo I](/wiki/Takeda_Izumo_I "Takeda Izumo I"), [Takeda Izumo II](/wiki/Takeda_Izumo_II "Takeda Izumo II"), [Namiki Sosuke](/wiki/Namiki_Sosuke "Namiki Sosuke") and [Miyoshi Shoraku](/wiki/Miyoshi_Shoraku "Miyoshi Shoraku")
* **[1747 in literature](/wiki/1747_in_literature "1747 in literature")** – *[Clarissa](/wiki/Clarissa "Clarissa")* (to 1748\) – [Samuel Richardson](/wiki/Samuel_Richardson "Samuel Richardson")
* **[1748 in literature](/wiki/1748_in_literature "1748 in literature")** – *[Fanny Hill](/wiki/Fanny_Hill "Fanny Hill")* – [John Cleland](/wiki/John_Cleland "John Cleland"); *[An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding](/wiki/An_Enquiry_Concerning_Human_Understanding "An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding")* – [David Hume](/wiki/David_Hume "David Hume")
* **[1749 in literature](/wiki/1749_in_literature "1749 in literature")** – *[The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling](/wiki/The_History_of_Tom_Jones%2C_a_Foundling "The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling")* – [Henry Fielding](/wiki/Henry_Fielding "Henry Fielding")

### 1750s

* **[1750 in literature](/wiki/1750_in_literature "1750 in literature")** – *[The Rambler](/wiki/The_Rambler "The Rambler")* essays (to 1752\) – [Samuel Johnson](/wiki/Samuel_Johnson "Samuel Johnson"); *[The Liar](/wiki/The_Liar_%28Goldoni_play%29 "The Liar (Goldoni play)")*, *[I pettegolezzi delle donne](/wiki/I_pettegolezzi_delle_donne "I pettegolezzi delle donne")*, *[Il teatro comico](/wiki/Il_teatro_comico "Il teatro comico")*, and *[Il vero amico](/wiki/Il_vero_amico "Il vero amico")* by [Carlo Goldoni](/wiki/Carlo_Goldoni "Carlo Goldoni"); *[Discourse on the Arts and Sciences](/wiki/Discourse_on_the_Arts_and_Sciences "Discourse on the Arts and Sciences")* by [Jean\-Jacques Rousseau](/wiki/Jean-Jacques_Rousseau "Jean-Jacques Rousseau")
* **[1751 in literature](/wiki/1751_in_literature "1751 in literature")** – *[Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard](/wiki/Elegy_Written_in_a_Country_Churchyard "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard")* – [Thomas Gray](/wiki/Thomas_Gray "Thomas Gray"); *[Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers](/wiki/Encyclop%C3%A9die%2C_ou_dictionnaire_raisonn%C3%A9_des_sciences%2C_des_arts_et_des_m%C3%A9tiers "Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers")* – first published
* **[1752 in literature](/wiki/1752_in_literature "1752 in literature")** – *[Micromégas](/wiki/Microm%C3%A9gas "Micromégas")* – [Voltaire](/wiki/Voltaire "Voltaire"). Birth of [Fanny Burney](/wiki/Fanny_Burney "Fanny Burney")
* **[1753 in literature](/wiki/1753_in_literature "1753 in literature")** – *[The History of Sir Charles Grandison](/wiki/The_History_of_Sir_Charles_Grandison "The History of Sir Charles Grandison")* – [Samuel Richardson](/wiki/Samuel_Richardson "Samuel Richardson"); *[The Mistress of the Inn](/wiki/The_Mistress_of_the_Inn "The Mistress of the Inn")* by [Carlo Goldoni](/wiki/Carlo_Goldoni "Carlo Goldoni") first performed
* **[1754 in literature](/wiki/1754_in_literature "1754 in literature")** – *[The History of Great Britain](/wiki/The_History_of_Great_Britain_%28Hume%29 "The History of Great Britain (Hume)")* (to 1762\) – [David Hume](/wiki/David_Hume "David Hume")
* **[1755 in literature](/wiki/1755_in_literature "1755 in literature")** – *[Letter to Chesterfield](/wiki/Letter_to_Chesterfield "Letter to Chesterfield")* – [Samuel Johnson](/wiki/Samuel_Johnson "Samuel Johnson"); *[Miss Sara Sampson](/wiki/Miss_Sara_Sampson "Miss Sara Sampson")* play by [Gotthold Ephraim Lessing](/wiki/Gotthold_Ephraim_Lessing "Gotthold Ephraim Lessing")
* **[1756 in literature](/wiki/1756_in_literature "1756 in literature")** – [Gilbert White](/wiki/Gilbert_White "Gilbert White") becomes curate of [Selborne](/wiki/Selborne "Selborne"), [Hampshire](/wiki/Hampshire "Hampshire"); *[Douglas](/wiki/Douglas_%28play%29 "Douglas (play)")* by [John Home](/wiki/John_Home "John Home"); *[An Analysis of the Laws of England](/wiki/An_Analysis_of_the_Laws_of_England "An Analysis of the Laws of England")* by [William Blackstone](/wiki/William_Blackstone "William Blackstone"); *[A Vindication of Natural Society](/wiki/A_Vindication_of_Natural_Society "A Vindication of Natural Society")* by [Edmund Burke](/wiki/Edmund_Burke "Edmund Burke"); *[Versuch einer gründlichen Violinschule](/wiki/Versuch_einer_gr%C3%BCndlichen_Violinschule "Versuch einer gründlichen Violinschule")* by [Leopold Mozart](/wiki/Leopold_Mozart "Leopold Mozart"); *[The Natural History of Aleppo](/wiki/The_Natural_History_of_Aleppo "The Natural History of Aleppo")* by [Alexander Russell](/wiki/Alexander_Russell_%28naturalist%29 "Alexander Russell (naturalist)"); *[Essai sur les mœurs et l'esprit des nations](/wiki/Essai_sur_les_m%C5%93urs_et_l%27esprit_des_nations "Essai sur les mœurs et l'esprit des nations")* by [Voltaire](/wiki/Voltaire "Voltaire")
* **[1757 in literature](/wiki/1757_in_literature "1757 in literature")** – Pierre\-Augustin Caron changes his surname to [Beaumarchais](/wiki/Pierre_Beaumarchais "Pierre Beaumarchais"); *[A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful](/wiki/A_Philosophical_Enquiry_into_the_Origin_of_Our_Ideas_of_the_Sublime_and_Beautiful "A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful")* by [Edmund Burke](/wiki/Edmund_Burke "Edmund Burke"); *[Harris's List of Covent Garden Ladies](/wiki/Harris%27s_List_of_Covent_Garden_Ladies "Harris's List of Covent Garden Ladies")* by [Samuel Derrick](/wiki/Samuel_Derrick "Samuel Derrick"); *[Le Fils naturel](/wiki/Le_Fils_naturel "Le Fils naturel")* by [Denis Diderot](/wiki/Denis_Diderot "Denis Diderot")
* **[1758 in literature](/wiki/1758_in_literature "1758 in literature")** – [Voltaire](/wiki/Voltaire "Voltaire") buys his estate at Ferney; *[The Idler](/wiki/The_Idler_%281758%E2%80%9360%29 "The Idler (1758–60)")* by [Samuel Johnson](/wiki/Samuel_Johnson "Samuel Johnson"); *[Le Père de famille](/wiki/Le_P%C3%A8re_de_famille "Le Père de famille")* by [Denis Diderot](/wiki/Denis_Diderot "Denis Diderot")
* **[1759 in literature](/wiki/1759_in_literature "1759 in literature")** – *[Candide](/wiki/Candide "Candide")* – [Voltaire](/wiki/Voltaire "Voltaire"); *[The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman](/wiki/The_Life_and_Opinions_of_Tristram_Shandy%2C_Gentleman "The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman")* (to 1770\) – [Laurence Sterne](/wiki/Laurence_Sterne "Laurence Sterne")

### 1760s

* **[1760 in literature](/wiki/1760_in_literature "1760 in literature")** – *[The Life and Adventures of Sir Launcelot Greaves](/wiki/The_Life_and_Adventures_of_Sir_Launcelot_Greaves "The Life and Adventures of Sir Launcelot Greaves")* by [Tobias Smollett](/wiki/Tobias_Smollett "Tobias Smollett"); *[Polly Honeycombe](/wiki/Polly_Honeycombe "Polly Honeycombe")* by [George Colman the Elder](/wiki/George_Colman_the_Elder "George Colman the Elder"); *[The Boors](/wiki/The_Boors "The Boors")* by [Carlo Goldoni](/wiki/Carlo_Goldoni "Carlo Goldoni"); *[The Minor](/wiki/The_Minor_%28Foote_play%29 "The Minor (Foote play)")* by [Samuel Foote](/wiki/Samuel_Foote "Samuel Foote")
* **[1761 in literature](/wiki/1761_in_literature "1761 in literature")** – *[Julie, ou la nouvelle Héloïse](/wiki/Julie%2C_ou_la_nouvelle_H%C3%A9lo%C3%AFse "Julie, ou la nouvelle Héloïse")* – [Jean\-Jacques Rousseau](/wiki/Jean-Jacques_Rousseau "Jean-Jacques Rousseau")
* **[1762 in literature](/wiki/1762_in_literature "1762 in literature")** – *[Emile: or, On Education](/wiki/Emile:Or%2C_On_Education "Or, On Education")*, *[The Social Contract](/wiki/The_Social_Contract "The Social Contract")* – [Jean\-Jacques Rousseau](/wiki/Jean-Jacques_Rousseau "Jean-Jacques Rousseau")
* **[1763 in literature](/wiki/1763_in_literature "1763 in literature")** – [James Boswell](/wiki/James_Boswell "James Boswell") is introduced to [Samuel Johnson](/wiki/Samuel_Johnson "Samuel Johnson"); *[A Song to David](/wiki/A_Song_to_David "A Song to David")* by [Christopher Smart](/wiki/Christopher_Smart "Christopher Smart"); *[Three Hundred Tang Poems](/wiki/Three_Hundred_Tang_Poems "Three Hundred Tang Poems")* by [Sun Zhu](/wiki/Sun_Zhu "Sun Zhu")
* **[1764 in literature](/wiki/1764_in_literature "1764 in literature")** – *[The Castle of Otranto](/wiki/The_Castle_of_Otranto "The Castle of Otranto")* – [Horace Walpole](/wiki/Horace_Walpole "Horace Walpole")
* **[1765 in literature](/wiki/1765_in_literature "1765 in literature")** – Beginning of the [Sturm und Drang](/wiki/Sturm_und_Drang "Sturm und Drang") movement; The serial novel *[The Fool of Quality](/wiki/The_Fool_of_Quality "The Fool of Quality")* by [Henry Brooke](/wiki/Henry_Brooke_%28writer%29 "Henry Brooke (writer)"); *[The History of Little Goody Two\-Shoes](/wiki/The_History_of_Little_Goody_Two-Shoes "The History of Little Goody Two-Shoes")* attributed to [Oliver Goldsmith](/wiki/Oliver_Goldsmith "Oliver Goldsmith"); *[The Green Bird](/wiki/The_Green_Bird "The Green Bird")* by [Carlo Gozzi](/wiki/Carlo_Gozzi "Carlo Gozzi"); *[Reliques of Ancient English Poetry](/wiki/Reliques_of_Ancient_English_Poetry "Reliques of Ancient English Poetry")* by [Thomas Percy](/wiki/Thomas_Percy_%28bishop_of_Dromore%29 "Thomas Percy (bishop of Dromore)")
* **[1766 in literature](/wiki/1766_in_literature "1766 in literature")** – *[The Vicar of Wakefield](/wiki/The_Vicar_of_Wakefield "The Vicar of Wakefield")* – [Oliver Goldsmith](/wiki/Oliver_Goldsmith "Oliver Goldsmith")
* **[1767 in literature](/wiki/1767_in_literature "1767 in literature")** – *[Minna von Barnhelm](/wiki/Minna_von_Barnhelm "Minna von Barnhelm")* – [Gotthold Lessing](/wiki/Gotthold_Lessing "Gotthold Lessing")
* **[1768 in literature](/wiki/1768_in_literature "1768 in literature")** – *Poems* – [Thomas Gray](/wiki/Thomas_Gray "Thomas Gray"); *[The Good\-Natur'd Man](/wiki/The_Good-Natur%27d_Man "The Good-Natur'd Man")* by [Oliver Goldsmith](/wiki/Oliver_Goldsmith "Oliver Goldsmith"); *[False Delicacy](/wiki/False_Delicacy "False Delicacy")* by [Hugh Kelly](/wiki/Hugh_Kelly_%28poet%29 "Hugh Kelly (poet)"); *[An Account of Corsica](/wiki/An_Account_of_Corsica "An Account of Corsica")* by [James Boswell](/wiki/James_Boswell "James Boswell"); *[A Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy](/wiki/A_Sentimental_Journey_Through_France_and_Italy "A Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy")* by [Laurence Sterne](/wiki/Laurence_Sterne "Laurence Sterne")
* **[1769 in literature](/wiki/1769_in_literature "1769 in literature")** – *[The History of Emily Montague](/wiki/The_History_of_Emily_Montague "The History of Emily Montague")* – [Frances Brooke](/wiki/Frances_Brooke "Frances Brooke"); *[The History and Adventures of an Atom](/wiki/The_History_and_Adventures_of_an_Atom "The History and Adventures of an Atom")* – [Tobias Smollett](/wiki/Tobias_Smollett "Tobias Smollett")

### 1770s

* **[1770 in literature](/wiki/1770_in_literature "1770 in literature")** – *[Épître à l'Auteur du Livre des Trois Imposteurs](/wiki/%C3%89p%C3%AEtre_%C3%A0_l%27Auteur_du_Livre_des_Trois_Imposteurs "Épître à l'Auteur du Livre des Trois Imposteurs")* – [Voltaire](/wiki/Voltaire "Voltaire")
* **[1771 in literature](/wiki/1771_in_literature "1771 in literature")** – *[Jacques the Fatalist](/wiki/Jacques_the_Fatalist "Jacques the Fatalist")* (to 1773\) – [Denis Diderot](/wiki/Denis_Diderot "Denis Diderot"). Death of [Thomas Gray](/wiki/Thomas_Gray "Thomas Gray"); [Tobias Smollett](/wiki/Tobias_Smollett "Tobias Smollett")
* **[1772 in literature](/wiki/1772_in_literature "1772 in literature")** – *[Emilia Galotti](/wiki/Emilia_Galotti "Emilia Galotti")* by [Gotthold Ephraim Lessing](/wiki/Gotthold_Ephraim_Lessing "Gotthold Ephraim Lessing"). The [Marquis de Sade](/wiki/Marquis_de_Sade "Marquis de Sade") embarks on an orgy, as a result of which he is convicted *in absentia* of sodomy and poisoning and receives a death sentence; he escapes.
* **[1773 in literature](/wiki/1773_in_literature "1773 in literature")** – *[Der Messias](/wiki/Der_Messias_%28Klopstock%29 "Der Messias (Klopstock)")* (from 1748\) – [Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock](/wiki/Friedrich_Gottlieb_Klopstock "Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock"); *[Jacques the Fatalist and His Master](/wiki/Jacques_the_Fatalist_and_His_Master "Jacques the Fatalist and His Master")* – [Denis Diderot](/wiki/Denis_Diderot "Denis Diderot")
* **[1774 in literature](/wiki/1774_in_literature "1774 in literature")** – *[The Sorrows of Young Werther](/wiki/The_Sorrows_of_Young_Werther "The Sorrows of Young Werther")* – [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](/wiki/Johann_Wolfgang_von_Goethe "Johann Wolfgang von Goethe"). Death of [Oliver Goldsmith](/wiki/Oliver_Goldsmith "Oliver Goldsmith")
* **[1775 in literature](/wiki/1775_in_literature "1775 in literature")** – *[The Rivals](/wiki/The_Rivals "The Rivals")* – [Richard Brinsley Sheridan](/wiki/Richard_Brinsley_Sheridan "Richard Brinsley Sheridan")
* **[1776 in literature](/wiki/1776_in_literature "1776 in literature")** – *[Common Sense](/wiki/Common_Sense_%28pamphlet%29 "Common Sense (pamphlet)")* – [Thomas Paine](/wiki/Thomas_Paine "Thomas Paine"); *[The Wealth of Nations](/wiki/The_Wealth_of_Nations "The Wealth of Nations")* – [Adam Smith](/wiki/Adam_Smith "Adam Smith"); *[United States Declaration of Independence](/wiki/United_States_Declaration_of_Independence "United States Declaration of Independence")* – [Thomas Jefferson](/wiki/Thomas_Jefferson "Thomas Jefferson")
* **[1777 in literature](/wiki/1777_in_literature "1777 in literature")** – *[The School for Scandal](/wiki/The_School_for_Scandal "The School for Scandal")* – [Richard Brinsley Sheridan](/wiki/Richard_Brinsley_Sheridan "Richard Brinsley Sheridan")
* **[1778 in literature](/wiki/1778_in_literature "1778 in literature")** – *[Evelina](/wiki/Evelina "Evelina")* – [Fanny Burney](/wiki/Fanny_Burney "Fanny Burney"). Death of [Voltaire](/wiki/Voltaire "Voltaire") (b. 1694\)
* **[1779 in literature](/wiki/1779_in_literature "1779 in literature")** – *[Nathan the Wise](/wiki/Nathan_the_Wise "Nathan the Wise")* – [Gotthold Lessing](/wiki/Gotthold_Lessing "Gotthold Lessing"); *[Fables and Parables](/wiki/Fables_and_Parables "Fables and Parables")* – [Ignacy Krasicki](/wiki/Ignacy_Krasicki "Ignacy Krasicki"). Death of [David Garrick](/wiki/David_Garrick "David Garrick")

### 1780s

* **[1780 in literature](/wiki/1780_in_literature "1780 in literature")** – *[Letters to a Philosophical Unbeliever](/wiki/Letters_to_a_Philosophical_Unbeliever "Letters to a Philosophical Unbeliever")* – [Joseph Priestley](/wiki/Joseph_Priestley "Joseph Priestley")
* **[1781 in literature](/wiki/1781_in_literature "1781 in literature")** – *[A Critique of Pure Reason](/wiki/A_Critique_of_Pure_Reason "A Critique of Pure Reason")* – [Immanuel Kant](/wiki/Immanuel_Kant "Immanuel Kant")
* **[1782 in literature](/wiki/1782_in_literature "1782 in literature")** – *[The Robbers](/wiki/The_Robbers "The Robbers")* – [Friedrich Schiller](/wiki/Friedrich_Schiller "Friedrich Schiller"); *[Les Liaisons dangereuses](/wiki/Les_Liaisons_dangereuses "Les Liaisons dangereuses")* – [Pierre Choderlos de Laclos](/wiki/Pierre_Choderlos_de_Laclos "Pierre Choderlos de Laclos"). Death of [Jean\-Jacques Rousseau](/wiki/Jean-Jacques_Rousseau "Jean-Jacques Rousseau")
* **[1783 in literature](/wiki/1783_in_literature "1783 in literature")** – *[Prolegomena to any Future Metaphysics](/wiki/Prolegomena_to_any_Future_Metaphysics "Prolegomena to any Future Metaphysics")* – [Immanuel Kant](/wiki/Immanuel_Kant "Immanuel Kant")
* **[1784 in literature](/wiki/1784_in_literature "1784 in literature")** – *[Barham Downs](/wiki/Barham_Downs_%28novel%29 "Barham Downs (novel)")* – [Robert Bage](/wiki/Robert_Bage_%28novelist%29 "Robert Bage (novelist)"); *[The Marriage of Figaro](/wiki/The_Marriage_of_Figaro_%28play%29 "The Marriage of Figaro (play)")* – [Pierre Beaumarchais](/wiki/Pierre_Beaumarchais "Pierre Beaumarchais"). Death of [Denis Diderot](/wiki/Denis_Diderot "Denis Diderot"); [Samuel Johnson](/wiki/Samuel_Johnson "Samuel Johnson"); [Phillis Wheatley](/wiki/Phillis_Wheatley "Phillis Wheatley")
* **[1785 in literature](/wiki/1785_in_literature "1785 in literature")** – *[120 Days of Sodom](/wiki/120_Days_of_Sodom "120 Days of Sodom")* – [Marquis de Sade](/wiki/Marquis_de_Sade "Marquis de Sade"); *[Groundwork of the Metaphysic of Morals](/wiki/Groundwork_of_the_Metaphysic_of_Morals "Groundwork of the Metaphysic of Morals")* – [Immanuel Kant](/wiki/Immanuel_Kant "Immanuel Kant"), *[Anton Reiser](/wiki/Anton_Reiser "Anton Reiser")* (to 1790\) – [Karl Philipp Moritz](/wiki/Karl_Philipp_Moritz "Karl Philipp Moritz"); *[The Task](/wiki/The_Task_%28poem%29 "The Task (poem)")* – [William Cowper](/wiki/William_Cowper "William Cowper")
* **[1786 in literature](/wiki/1786_in_literature "1786 in literature")** – *[Poems Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect](/wiki/Poems_Chiefly_in_the_Scottish_Dialect "Poems Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect")* – [Robert Burns](/wiki/Robert_Burns "Robert Burns"); *[Vathek](/wiki/Vathek "Vathek")* – [William Thomas Beckford](/wiki/William_Thomas_Beckford "William Thomas Beckford")
* **[1787 in literature](/wiki/1787_in_literature "1787 in literature")** – *[Don Carlos](/wiki/Don_Carlos "Don Carlos")* – [Friedrich Schiller](/wiki/Friedrich_Schiller "Friedrich Schiller"); *[Paul et Virginie](/wiki/Paul_et_Virginie "Paul et Virginie")* – [Jacques\-Henri Bernardin de Saint\-Pierre](/wiki/Jacques-Henri_Bernardin_de_Saint-Pierre "Jacques-Henri Bernardin de Saint-Pierre")
* **[1788 in literature](/wiki/1788_in_literature "1788 in literature")** – *[Memoirs](/wiki/Memoirs "Memoirs")* – [Saint\-Simon](/wiki/Louis_de_Rouvroy%2C_duc_de_Saint-Simon "Louis de Rouvroy, duc de Saint-Simon"); *[Emmeline, the Orphan of the Castle](/wiki/Emmeline "Emmeline")* – [Charlotte Turner Smith](/wiki/Charlotte_Smith_%28writer%29 "Charlotte Smith (writer)")
* **[1789 in literature](/wiki/1789_in_literature "1789 in literature")** – *[Songs of Innocence](/wiki/Songs_of_Innocence "Songs of Innocence")* – [William Blake](/wiki/William_Blake "William Blake"); *[The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire](/wiki/The_History_of_the_Decline_and_Fall_of_the_Roman_Empire "The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire")* – [Edward Gibbon](/wiki/Edward_Gibbon "Edward Gibbon") – completed

### 1790s

* **[1790 in literature](/wiki/1790_in_literature "1790 in literature")** – *[Reflections on the Revolution in France](/wiki/Reflections_on_the_Revolution_in_France "Reflections on the Revolution in France")* – [Edmund Burke](/wiki/Edmund_Burke "Edmund Burke"); *[Tam O'Shanter](/wiki/Tam_o%27_Shanter_%28Burns_poem%29 "Tam o' Shanter (Burns poem)")* – [Robert Burns](/wiki/Robert_Burns "Robert Burns")
* **[1791 in literature](/wiki/1791_in_literature "1791 in literature")** – *[Justine](/wiki/Justine_%28Sade%29 "Justine (Sade)")* – [Marquis de Sade](/wiki/Marquis_de_Sade "Marquis de Sade"); *[The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D.](/wiki/The_Life_of_Samuel_Johnson%2C_LL.D. "The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D.")* – [James Boswell](/wiki/James_Boswell "James Boswell"); *[Dream of the Red Chamber](/wiki/Dream_of_the_Red_Chamber "Dream of the Red Chamber")* – [Cao Xueqin](/wiki/Cao_Xueqin "Cao Xueqin")
* **[1792 in literature](/wiki/1792_in_literature "1792 in literature")** – *[A Vindication of the Rights of Woman](/wiki/A_Vindication_of_the_Rights_of_Woman "A Vindication of the Rights of Woman")* – [Mary Wollstonecraft](/wiki/Mary_Wollstonecraft "Mary Wollstonecraft")
* **[1793 in literature](/wiki/1793_in_literature "1793 in literature")** – *[Songs of Experience](/wiki/Songs_of_Experience "Songs of Experience")* – [William Blake](/wiki/William_Blake "William Blake"). Birth of [John Neal](/wiki/John_Neal_%28writer%29 "John Neal (writer)")
* **[1794 in literature](/wiki/1794_in_literature "1794 in literature")** – *[The Age of Reason](/wiki/The_Age_of_Reason "The Age of Reason")* – [Thomas Paine](/wiki/Thomas_Paine "Thomas Paine"). Death of [James Boswell](/wiki/James_Boswell "James Boswell")
* **[1795 in literature](/wiki/1795_in_literature "1795 in literature")** – *[Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship](/wiki/Wilhelm_Meister%27s_Apprenticeship "Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship")* (to 1796\) – [Goethe](/wiki/Goethe "Goethe"); *[The Mysteries of Udolpho](/wiki/The_Mysteries_of_Udolpho "The Mysteries of Udolpho")* – [Ann Radcliffe](/wiki/Ann_Radcliffe "Ann Radcliffe"). Death of [James Boswell](/wiki/James_Boswell "James Boswell")
* **[1796 in literature](/wiki/1796_in_literature "1796 in literature")** – *[Camilla](/wiki/Camilla_%28Burney_novel%29 "Camilla (Burney novel)")* – [Fanny Burney](/wiki/Fanny_Burney "Fanny Burney"); *[Memoirs of My Life and Writings](/wiki/Memoirs_of_My_Life_and_Writings "Memoirs of My Life and Writings")* – [Edward Gibbon](/wiki/Edward_Gibbon "Edward Gibbon"); *[The Monk](/wiki/The_Monk "The Monk")* – [Matthew Lewis](/wiki/Matthew_Gregory_Lewis "Matthew Gregory Lewis"). Death of [Robert Burns](/wiki/Robert_Burns "Robert Burns")
* **[1797 in literature](/wiki/1797_in_literature "1797 in literature")** – *[l'Histoire de Juliette](/wiki/L%27Histoire_de_Juliette "L'Histoire de Juliette")* – [Marquis de Sade](/wiki/Marquis_de_Sade "Marquis de Sade"); *[Kubla Khan](/wiki/Kubla_Khan "Kubla Khan")* – [Samuel Taylor Coleridge](/wiki/Samuel_Taylor_Coleridge "Samuel Taylor Coleridge"). Death of [Edmund Burke](/wiki/Edmund_Burke "Edmund Burke"); [Horace Walpole](/wiki/Horace_Walpole "Horace Walpole"); [Mary Wollstonecraft](/wiki/Mary_Wollstonecraft "Mary Wollstonecraft")
* **[1798 in literature](/wiki/1798_in_literature "1798 in literature")** – *[Lyrical Ballads](/wiki/Lyrical_Ballads "Lyrical Ballads")* – [Samuel Taylor Coleridge](/wiki/Samuel_Taylor_Coleridge "Samuel Taylor Coleridge") and [William Wordsworth](/wiki/William_Wordsworth "William Wordsworth"); *[The Rime of the Ancient Mariner](/wiki/The_Rime_of_the_Ancient_Mariner "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner")* – [Samuel Taylor Coleridge](/wiki/Samuel_Taylor_Coleridge "Samuel Taylor Coleridge")
* **[1799 in literature](/wiki/1799_in_literature "1799 in literature")** – *[Arthur Mervyn](/wiki/Arthur_Mervyn "Arthur Mervyn")* – [Charles Brockden Brown](/wiki/Charles_Brockden_Brown "Charles Brockden Brown"); *[Wallenstein](/wiki/Wallenstein_%28trilogy_of_plays%29 "Wallenstein (trilogy of plays)")* – [Friedrich Schiller](/wiki/Friedrich_Schiller "Friedrich Schiller")
* **[1800 in literature](/wiki/1800_in_literature "1800 in literature")** – *[Castle Rackrent](/wiki/Castle_Rackrent "Castle Rackrent")* – [Maria Edgeworth](/wiki/Maria_Edgeworth "Maria Edgeworth"); *[Hymns to the Night](/wiki/Hymns_to_the_Night "Hymns to the Night")* – [Novalis](/wiki/Novalis "Novalis"); *[Mary Stuart](/wiki/Mary_Stuart_%28Schiller_play%29 "Mary Stuart (Schiller play)")* – [Friedrich Schiller](/wiki/Friedrich_Schiller "Friedrich Schiller"); *[Glenfinlas](/wiki/Glenfinlas_%28poem%29 "Glenfinlas (poem)")* – [Walter Scott](/wiki/Walter_Scott "Walter Scott")

In which year was Mary Stuart (Schiller play) published?