1691 in literature

Events

• March 17 – The Athenian Mercury begins twice-weekly publication in London.
• May 5 – Bernard Le Bovier de Fontenelle becomes a member of the Académie française.

New books

Prose

• Adrien Baillet – La vie de monsieur Descartes
• Barbara Blaugdone – An Account of the Travels, Sufferings & Persecutions of Barbara Blaugdone. Given forth as a testimony to the Lord's power, and for the encouragement of Friends
• Gerard Langbaine – An Account of the English Dramatic Poets
• Maximilien Misson – Nouveau voyage d'Italie
• Sir Dudley North – Discourses upon Trade
• The Kingdom of Ireland
• Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz – ''Respuesta a Sor Filotea de la Cruz''

Drama

• Anonymous – The Braggadocio, or Bawd Turn'd Puritan
• John Bancroft – Edward III, with the Fall of Mortimer, Earl of March
• Pedro Calderon de la Barca – Céfalo y Pocris
• David-Augustin de Brueys & Jean Palaprat – Le Muet
• John Dryden – King Arthur, or the British Worthy
• Thomas d'Urfey – Love for Money
• Joseph Harris – The Mistakes
• William Mountfort – Greenwich Park
• Archibald Pitcairne and others – The Phanaticks
• Jean Racine – Athalie
• John Smith – Win Her and Take Her, or Old Fools will be Medling: a comedy
• Thomas Southerne – The Wives Excuse
• John Wilson – Belphegor, or the Marriage of the Devil published

Births

• February 3 – George Lillo, English dramatist and actor
• February 27 – Edward Cave, English printer and publisher
• April 9 – Johann Matthias Gesner, German classicist
• October 18 – John Leland, English theologian

Deaths

• June 26 – John Flavel, English Presbyterian religious writer
• July 30 – Daniel Georg Morhof, German writer and critic
• October 8 – Thomas Barlow, English religious writer and bishop
• October 10 – Isaac de Benserade, French poet
• December 8 – Richard Baxter, English Puritan religious leader and writer
• Probable year of death – Samuel Pordage, English poet and cleric