1685 in literature
This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 1685.
Events
- January 22 – Antoine Furetière is expelled from the Académie française for proposing to publish a complete dictionary of the French language himself.
- February – The death of King Charles II of England brings a major theatrical flop in the Restoration era: Albion and Albanius – an allegorical drama in praise of the king with a text by John Dryden and music by Louis Grabu – is in rehearsal at the time.
- June – A revised version of Albion and Albanius fails largely because it coincides with the invasion of the Duke of Monmouth.
- June – Parliament revives the Licensing of the Press Act 1662, limiting London printers.
- unknown date – The Fourth Folio of Shakespeare's works is published in London.
New books
Prose
- Scipion Abeille – Histoire des Os
- Aphra Behn – Love-Letters Between a Nobleman and His Sister
- Ihara Saikaku – Five Women Who Loved Love
- John Spencer – ''De Legibus Hebraeorum, Ritualibus et earum Rationibus libri tres''
Drama
- Jean Galbert de Campistron – Andronic
- John Crowne – Sir Courtly Nice
- Thomas d'Urfey
- *The Banditti, or A Lady's Distress
- *A Commonwealth of Women
- Nahum Tate
- *The Cuckold's Haven
- *''A Duke and No Duke''
Births
- January 9 – Tiberius Hemsterhuis, Dutch critic
- March 12 – George Berkeley Irish philosopher and bishop
- June 30 – John Gay, English poet and dramatist
Deaths
- March 18 – Francis Harold, Irish Franciscan historian
- c. April 14 – Thomas Otway, English dramatist
- April 29 – Luc d'Achery, French author of critical editions of medieval manuscripts
- June 16 – Anne Killigrew, English poet and painter
- June 17 – Andrew Allam, English historian
- July 1 – Nalan Xingde, Chinese ci poet
- September 25 – Jean Cabassut, French theologian
- October 23 – Yamaga Sokō, Japanese philosopher
- unknown date – Placido Puccinelli, Italian historian