1706 in literature

Template:Short description Template:Year nav topic5 Template:Use British English This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 1706.

Events

• April 8 – George Farquhar's Restoration comedy The Recruiting Officer is performed for the first time, at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, in London.<ref name="Cassell's Chronology">Template:Cite book</ref>
• April/May – Philosopher Samuel Clarke attacks the views of Henry Dodwell on the immortality of the soul.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• September 13 – Daniel Defoe leaves England for Edinburgh, Scotland, where he acts as a government agent to promote ratification of the Treaty of Union.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• unknown date – The first translation of the New Testament into the Upper Sorbian language, made by pastor Michał Frencel who dies this year, is published by his son Abraham in Zittau.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

New books

Prose

• Anonymous – The Arabian Nights' Entertainments (serial, the first English translation of One Thousand and One Nights, taken from the first French translation)
• Samuel Clarke – A Discourse Concerning the Unchangeable Obligations of Natural Religion
• Stephen Clay – An Epistle from the Elector of Bavaria to the French King
• Daniel Defoe
  • An Essay at Removing National Prejudices Against a Union with Scotland
  • A True Relation of the Apparition of one Mrs. Veal (attrib)
• John Dennis – Essay on the Operas after the Italian Manner
• White Kennett – The History of England from the Commencement of the Reign of Charles I to the End of William III
• John Locke – Posthumous Works of Mr John Locke
• Simon Ockley – Introductio ad linguas orientates
• Jonathan Swift – Baucis and Philemon
• Matthew Tindal – The Rights of the Christian Church Asserted
• Ned Ward – The London Spy

Drama

• Thomas Betterton – The Amorous Widow
• Susanna Centlivre –
  • Love at a Venture
  • The Platonick Lady
• Colley Cibber – Perolla and Izadora
• Catherine Trotter Cockburn – The Revolution of Sweden
• Antoine Danchet – Cyrus
• Thomas D'Urfey – Wonders in the Sun (opera)
• George Farquhar – The Recruiting Officer
• George Granville – The British Enchanters, or No Magic Like Love
• Delarivière Manley – Almyna, or The Arabian Vow
• Mary Pix (attr.) – Adventures in Madrid
• Jean-François Regnard – Le Légataire universel (The Residuary Legatee)
• John Vanbrugh – The Mistake
• José de Cañizares – El pastelero de Madrigal

Poetry

• Richard Blackmore – An Advice to the Poets: a poem occasioned by the wonderful success of Her Majesty's arms, under the conduct of the Duke of Marlborough in Flanders
• William Congreve – A Pindarique Ode.... The Conduct of the Duke of Marlborough
• Daniel Defoe
  • Caledonia
  • A Hymn to Peace
  • Jure Divino (on divine right)
  • The Vision (on national union)
• John Dennis – The Battle of Ramillia
• Mihai Iștvanovici – Stihuri politice (Political Verse)
• John Philips – Cerealia: An imitation of Milton
• Matthew Prior – The Squirrel
• Thomas Tickell – Oxford
• Isaac Watts – Horae Lyricae<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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Births

• January 17 – Benjamin Franklin, American polymath and politician (died 1790)
• February 10 – Benjamin Hoadly, English physician and dramatist (died 1757)
• November 8 – Johann Ulrich von Cramer, German philosopher and jurist (died 1772)
• December 17 – Émilie du Châtelet, French writer and translator (died 1749)

Deaths

• January 21 – Adrien Baillet, French critic (born 1649)
• February 27 – John Evelyn, English diarist (born 1620)
• August 6 – Jean-Baptiste du Hamel, French natural philosopher (born 1624)
• December 8 – Abraham Nicolas Amelot de la Houssaye, French historian (born 1634)
• December 28 – Pierre Bayle, French encyclopedist and philosopher (born 1647)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• unknown dates
  • John Phillips, English satirist (born 1631)<ref>Template:Cite DNB</ref>
  • Rahman Baba, Indian Pashto poet (born 1632)
  • Guillaume Vandive, French printer and bookseller (born 1680)