1712 in literature

This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 1712. Events July 7 – Henry St. John is raised to the peerage of Great Britain as Viscount Bolingbroke for services in Robert Harley's Tory ministry. August 14 – Alexander Pope outlines his project for a satirical periodical, The Works of the Unlearned, from which develops the Scriblerus Club, whose members include Pope, Jonathan Swift, John Gay, Thomas Parnell, Robert Harley, Henry St John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke, and Dr John Arbuthnot at whose house they meet. August 23 – Lady Mary Pierrepont marries Edward Wortley Montagu, after an elopement. October 31 – King Philip V of Spain establishes the Biblioteca Nacional de España as the Palace Public Library (Biblioteca Pública de Palacio) in Madrid. November 4 – Jonathan Swift foils a murder attempt on Robert Harley, 1st Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer, in what becomes known as the Bandbox Plot. November 7 – Charles Johnson's dramatisation of episodes from the life of Henry Every, The Successful Pyrate, receives its première at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Although it is primarily satirical, John Dennis subsequently complains to Charles Killigrew, Master of the Revels, that the play glamorizes pirates. The controversy contributes to its theatrical success. unknown date – Shota Rustaveli's 12th-century poem The Knight in the Panther's Skin is first printed, in Tbilisi. New books Prose John Arbuthnot – Law Is a Bottomless Pit (introducing the character of John Bull; first in a series of five tracts collected as The History of John Bull in the same year) George Berkeley – Passive Obedience Jean-Paul Bignon – Les Avantures d'Abdalla, fils d'Hanif (The adventures of Abdalla, son of Hanif) Richard Blackmore – Creation James Brome – Travels through Portugal, Spain, and Italy Sir Thomas Browne – Posthumous Works of the Learned Sir Thomas Browne Samuel Clarke – The Scripture-Doctrine of the Trinity Daniel Defoe (attrib) – A Further Search into the Conduct of the Allies John Dennis – An Essay upon the Genius and Writings of Shakespear William Diaper Dryaides Nereides Thomas Ellwood – Davideis: the Life of David, King of Israel John Gay – The Mohocks Bernard de Mandeville – Typhon John Oldmixon The Dutch Barrier Ours Reflections on Dr Swift's Letter to the Earl of Oxford, about the English Tongue The Secret History of Europe Thomas Otway – The Works of Mr.