1691 in literature

This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 1691.

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.

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 (a "semi-opera" with music by Henry Purcell)
 * Thomas d'Urfey – Love for Money
 * Joseph Harris – The Mistakes
 * William Mountfort – Greenwich Park
 * Archibald Pitcairne and others – The Phanaticks (first published as The Assembly, or Scotch Reformation, posthumously as "by a Scots Gentleman", 1722)
 * Jean Racine – Athalie
 * John Smith (probable author – issued anonymously) – 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 (died 1739)
 * February 27 – Edward Cave, English printer and publisher (died 1754)
 * April 9 – Johann Matthias Gesner, German classicist (died 1761)
 * October 18 – John Leland, English theologian (died 1766)

Deaths

 * June 26 – John Flavel, English Presbyterian religious writer (born 1627)
 * July 30 – Daniel Georg Morhof, German writer and critic (born 1639)
 * October 8 – Thomas Barlow, English religious writer and bishop (born 1609)
 * October 10 – Isaac de Benserade, French poet (born 1613)
 * December 8 – Richard Baxter, English Puritan religious leader and writer (born 1615)
 * Probable year of death – Samuel Pordage, English poet and cleric (born 1633)