1718 in literature

This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 1718.

Events

November 1 â Lady Mary Wortley Montagu writes the last of her Turkish Letters, addressed to Alexander Pope.
November 18 â Voltaire's first play, Oedipus, premiÃ¨res at the ComÃ©die-FranÃ§aise in Paris. This is his first use of the pseudonym. He has been released from the Bastille this year, while Marguerite De Launay, Baronne Staal, begins a two-year sentence.
The Free-Thinker, a Whig newspaper, is founded by poet Ambrose Philips and Rev. Hugh Boulter in London.^[1]
Laurence Eusden becomes Poet Laureate of England.^[2]
Ludvig Holberg becomes a professor at the University of Copenhagen.^[3]

Nicholas Amhurst â Protestant Popery; or, The Convocation (part of the Bangorian Controversy)
Daniel Defoe (attr.) â A Vindication of the Press
Charles Gildon â The Complete Art of Poetry
Mary Hearne â The Lover's Week
Simon Ockley â The History of the Saracens, volume 2
Ambrose Philips â The Free-Thinker (periodical)
Allan Ramsay -Christ's Kirk on the Green (revised version)
John Ray â Philosophical Letters
John Strype â The Life and Acts of John Witgift
John Toland â Nazarenus, or Jewish, Gentile and Mahometan Christianity
John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester â Remains of the Earl of Rochester

February 18
- SÃ¸ren Abildgaard, Danish naturalist, author and artist (died 1791)
- Robert Henry, Scottish historian (died 1790)
April 7 â Hugh Blair, Scottish rhetorician (died 1800)
May 16 â Maria Gaetana Agnesi, Italian philosopher (died 1799)
July 18 â Saverio Bettinelli, Italian Jesuit writer (died 1808)^[4]