1748 in literature

This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 1748. Events January – The play Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura (義経千本桜, Yoshitsune and the Thousand Cherry Trees, by Takeda Izumo II, Miyoshi Shōraku and Namiki Senryū I) receives its Kabuki première in Ise. In May, it receives its first Edo performance at the Nakamura-za and in August first performances in Osaka at the Naka no Shibai. October 19 – David Garrick revives Philip Massinger's play A New Way to Pay Old Debts (written c. 1625) in London. November 21 – The first instalment of Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure, also known as Fanny Hill, is published anonymously by John Cleland to raise money to free himself from the London debtors' prison. It is considered by some to be the first modern erotic novel. December 18 – The Royal Danish Theatre is founded, with the opening of the King's Theatre in Copenhagen. unknown dates Leonhard Euler publishes, in Berlin, one of the two works for which he will be most renowned: the Introductio in analysin infinitorum. Euler's fifth paper on nautical topics, E137, is also written in this year but not published until 1750. The Gospel of Matthew in the Manx language, as Yn Sushtcml scruit liorish yn Noo Mian, is the first translation of a New Testament text into that language, under the auspices of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. New books Prose George Anson – A Voyage Round the World by Richard Walton Jean-Baptiste de Boyer, Marquis d'Argens (attributed) – Thérèse philosophe John Cleland – Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure (also known as Fanny Hill) Denis Diderot Les Bijoux indiscrets (The Indiscreet Jewels, novel) Memoires sur differents sujets de mathematique Eliza Haywood – Life's Progress through the Passions (novel) James Hervey – Meditations and Contemplations David Hume An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding Three Essays, Moral and Political Edmond Hoyle – Mr. Hoyle's Treatises of Whist, Quadrille, Piquet, Chess and Back-Gammon (collected edition) William Kenrick – The Town Montesquieu – De l'Esprit des lois (The Spirit of the Laws) Julien Offray de La Mettrie – L'Homme Machine Laetitia Pilkington – Memoirs Samuel Richardson (anonymously) – Clarissa, vols. ii – vii (earlier vols.