# 1706 in literature

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.
* April/May – Philosopher Samuel Clarke attacks the views of Henry Dodwell on the immortality of the soul.
* September 13 – Daniel Defoe leaves England for Edinburgh, Scotland, where he acts as a government agent to promote ratification of the Treaty of Union.
* 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.

## 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

## 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)
* unknown dates
** John Phillips, English satirist (born 1631)
** Rahman Baba, Indian Pashto poet (born 1632)
** Guillaume Vandive, French printer and bookseller (born 1680)