1790 in literature

Events

June 9 - "Philadelphia Spelling Book." by John Barry becomes the first book to be copyrighted in the United States.
The very literary Thomas de Mahay, Marquis de Favras (1744-1790), was arrested by the radicals of the French Revolution and charged with plotting to help King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette escape the country. Convicted of treason, de Mahay was handed his official death sentence by the court clerk. The Marquis read the paper and shaking his head in disgust said: "I see that you have made three spelling mistakes."
Thomas Warton is succeeded as Poet Laureate of Great Britain by Henry James Pye