1618 in literature

The year 1618 in literature involved some significant events.

Events

• Sir Francis Bacon is appointed Lord Chancellor by King James I of England.
• Ben Jonson sets out to walk to Scotland.
• The King's Men perform Twelfth Night at Court on Easter Monday, April 6, and The Winter's Tale on April 7.
• Lady Hay and eight other Court ladies plan and rehearse a Ladies' Masque or Masque for Ladies, intended for a Twelfth Night performance; but the show is cancelled a few days prior to the holiday, either by King James or Queen Anne.

New books

• William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley - Certain Precepts or Directions, For the Well-ordering and Carriage of a Man's Life
• Renold Elstracke - Braziliologia
• Vicente Espinel - Relaciones de la vida del escudero Marcos de Obregón
• Robert Fludd - De Musica Mundana
• Michael Maier - Atalanta Fugiens
• Friedrich Nausea -A Treatise of Blazing Stars in General
• Edmund Reeve - A Heptaglottology, that is A Treatise Concerning Seven Languages, to wit the Hebrew, Greek, Chaldean, Latin, Arabic, Syriac, Talmudicorabbinical
• Angelus Sala - Opiologia, or A Treatise Concerning the Nature, Properties, True Preparation and Safe Use and Administration of Opium
• Arthur Saul - The Famous Game of Chess-Play
• John Selden - History of Tythes

New drama

• Anonymous - The Tragedy of Amurath
• Guillén de Castro y Bellvis - Comedias, part 1
• Nathan Field - Amends for Ladies published
• John Fletcher - The Loyal Subject
• Peter Heylin - Theomachia (in Latin)
• Barten Holyday - Technogamia
• Ben Jonson
  • Pleasure Reconciled to Virtue (masque)
  • For the Honour of Wales (masque)

Poetry

• Jacob Cats - Emblemata
• Juan Martínez de Jáuregui y Aguilar - Rimas
• John Taylor - The Pennylesse Pilgrimage

Births

• March 23 - Ferrante Pallavicino, satirist (died 1644)
• April - Agustín Moreto y Cavana, dramatist (died 1661)
• date unknown
  • Thomas Blount (lexicographer) (died 1679)
  • Abraham Cowley, poet (died 1667)
  • Raffaello Fabretti, antiquarian author (died 1700)
  • Richard Lovelace, Cavalier poet (died 1658)
  • Isaac Vossius, librarian (died 1689)
• probable - Jacques Chausson, French writer involved in a notorious criminal case (died 1661)

Deaths

• August 23 - Gerbrand Adriaensz Bredero, poet (born 1585)
• September 28 - Joshua Sylvester, poet (born 1563)
• October 29 - Sir Walter Raleigh, adventurer and author (executed) (born c. 1553)
• date unknown
  • François de Boivin, chronicler
  • John Davies of Hereford, poet (born c. 1565)
  • Richard Stanihurst, translator of Vergil (born 1547)
• probable - Bento Teixeira, Portuguese author (born 1560)