1698 in literature
This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 1698.
Events
- March – In his Short View of the Immorality and Profaneness of the English Stage, clergyman Jeremy Collier attacks leading contemporary dramatists for moral shortcomings in their works. Collier's book launches a controversy that dominates the literary world of Britain for the year; future editions of the book continue the controversy until Collier's death in 1726.
- The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge is formed by the Reverend Thomas Bray.
- The latest edition of the Bay Psalm Book is the first to include music.
New books
Prose
- Anonymous – The Maxims of the Saints Explained, Concerning the Interiour Life
- Francis Atterbury – A Discourse Occasion'd by the Death of the Right Honourable the Lady Cutts
- Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet – Relation sur le quiétisme
- Charles Boyle, 4th Earl of Orrery – Dr. Bentley's Dissertations on the Epistles of Phalaris, and the Fables of Aesop
- Cornelis de Bruijn – Reizen van Cornelis de Bruyn door de vermaardste Deelen van Klein Asia
- John Bunyan – The Heavenly Foot-Man; or, A Description of the Man that Gets to Heaven
- Jeremy Collier – A Short View of the Immorality and Profaneness of the English Stage
- William Congreve – Amendments of Mr Collier's False and Imperfect Citations
- Daniel Defoe
- *An Enquiry into the Occasional Conformity of Dissenters, in Cases of Preferment
- *The Poor Man's Plea
- John Dennis – The Usefulness of the Stage, to the Happiness of Mankind, to Government and to Religion
- John Dunton – Teague Land: or A Merry Ramble to the Wild Irish
- Andrew Fletcher – A Discourse of Government with Relation to Militia's
- George Fox – A Collection of Many Select and Christian Epistles, Letters and Testimonials
- Charles Gildon – The Lives and Characters of the English Dramatic Poets
- Robert Gould – A Satyr Against Wooing
- Charles Leslie – A Short and Easie Method with the Deists
- Edmund Ludlow – Memoirs of Edmund Ludlow Esq.
- Maximilien Misson – Mémoires et observations faites par un voyageur en Angleterre
- Walter Pope – Moral and Political Fables, Ancient and Modern
- George Ridpath – The Stage Condemn'd
- Elkanah Settle – A Defence of Dramatick Poetry
- Algernon Sidney – Discourses Concerning Government
- Tooke's Pantheon of the Heathen Gods and Illustrious Heroes
- John Vanbrugh – A Short Vindication of The Relapse and The Provok'd Wife, from Immorality and Prophaneness by the Author
- Ned Ward
- *The London Spy
- *A Trip to Jamaica
- Benjamin Whichcote – ''Select Sermons of Dr. Whichcot''
Drama
- Catherine Trotter Cockburn – The Fatal Friendship
- John Crowne – Caligula
- Thomas Dilke – The Pretenders
- John Dennis – Rinaldo and Armida
- Thomas D'Urfey – The Campaigners
- George Farquhar – Love and a Bottle
- Charles Gildon – Phaeton; or, The Fatal Divorce
- George Granville – The Heroick Love
- Peter Anthony Motteux – Beauty in Distress
- John Oldmixon – Amintas
- William Philips – The Revengeful Queen
- Mary Pix – Queen Catharine, or, The Ruins of Love
- Edward Ravenscroft – ''The Italian Husband''
Poetry
- Charles Hopkins – White-hall; or, The Court of England
- John Hughes – The Triumph of Peace
- ''See also 1698 in poetry''
Births
- January 3 – Metastasio, born Pietro Antonio Domenico Trapassi, Italian poet and opera librettist
- January 10? – Richard Savage, English poet
- May 8 – Henry Baker, English poet and naturalist
- July 19 – Johann Jakob Bodmer, Swiss author
- November 28 – Charlotta Frölich, Swedish poet and political writer
- December 24 – William Warburton, English critic
- Unknown date – Alasdair mac Mhaighstir Alasdair, Scottish Gaelic poet
Deaths
- January 14 – Jacques Pradon, French dramatist
- February 7 – Richard Adams, English theologian
- February 11 – Anna Åkerhielm, Swedish writer and traveller
- March 2 – Jacques Quétif, French bibliographer
- July 18 – Johann Heinrich Heidegger, Swiss theologian
- August 25 – Fleetwood Sheppard, English courtier and literary wit
- September 3 – Sir Robert Howard, English dramatist and politician
- October 11 – William Molyneux, Irish philosopher and political writer
- December 11 – Elizabeth van der Woude, Dutch traveler and author
- Unknown dates
- *Antoine Arnauld, French memoirist
- *Francesco Negri, Italian travel writer