1640 in literature

This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 1640. Events January 21 – Salmacida Spolia, a masque written by Sir William Davenant and designed by Inigo Jones, is performed at Whitehall Palace. It is the final royal masque of the Caroline era. March 17 (St. Patrick's Day) – Henry Burnell's play Landgartha is first performed, at the Werburgh Street Theatre in Dublin. It is one of the earliest plays from a native Irish playwright. c. April 16 – James Shirley returns to England from Ireland. May 4 – Theatre manager William Beeston is sent to the Marshalsea Prison for staging a play (possibly Richard Brome's The Court Beggar or his The Queen and Concubine) which offends the Stuart regime. This constitutes the only repression of the theatre to occur during the reign of King Charles I. May 28 – Pedro Calderón de la Barca joins the Catalan campaign led by the Duke of Olivares. English Cavalier poet Richard Lovelace, serving in the Bishops' Wars in Scotland, writes "To Lucasta, Going to the Warres" (published 1649) and the unperformed tragedy The Soldier (lost). New books The Bay Psalm Book, the first book printed in North America Uriel da Costa – Exemplar Humanae Vitae Diego de Saavedra Fajardo – Idea de un príncipe político cristiano (literally, "The Idea of a Christian Political Prince;" in English, The Royal Politician) Thomas Fuller – Joseph's coloured Coat James Howell – Dodona's Grove Cornelius Jansen – Augustinus Thomas Stephens – Arte da lingoa Canarim, a grammar of the Konkani language John Wilkins – A Discourse Concerning a New Planet Francisco de Rioja – Aristarco o censura de la proclamación católica de los catalanes Baltasar Gracián – El político Don Fernando el Católico Juan Eusebio Nieremberg – De la diferencia entre lo temporal y lo eterno.