A clerk assistant to the House of Commons, Read was close enough friend to Samuel Richardson that Richardson intended to leave Read a mourning ring, but was prevented by Read's own death.

Paul de Rapin authored a notable history of England (1724), translated from the French and published in English in 1725.

Italian painter appreciated for the harmonious grace of his painting.

English poet and dramatist who employed Aristotelian logic in the creation of unique comedies. Randolph was part of the "Sons of Ben," a group of dramatists following in the footsteps of Ben Jonson.

Scottish writer Andrew Michael Ramsay settled in France in 1710, where he published Les Voyages de Cyrus in 1727.

Though known for his Scottish songs and fables, Ramsay's greatest success was the pastoral drama The Gentle Shepherd (1725).

Knighted by Queen Elizabeth, Sir Walter Raleigh was an author, explorer, and statesman. Although Sir Walter was a favorite of the Queen, he was accused of treason by her successor, James I, making Sir Walter a controversial figure during his lifetime. Sir Walter's writing addresses the Queen's betrayal in allowing his imprisonment, as well as endeavors to disprove the charges of atheism brought against him.

The foremost author in the development of the Gothic novel, Radcliffe also produced a travel narrative, A Journey Made in the Summer of 1794, through Holland and the Western Frontier of Germany, with a Return Down the Rhine (1795), which features the same proficiency in natural description that delighted readers of her fiction.

French dramatist, poet, and historiographer best known for his mastery of the French classical tragedy, particularly through his adept use of the alexandrine line, a prominent feature of the poetic meter of seventeenth century French tragedy. He is also renowned for his characters, crafted through the Racinian view of humanity as driven by a need for acceptance in order to compensate for consuming feelings of inadequacy.

Rabelais's Gargantua and Pantagruel (1532-64) is a satirical epic that earned its author wide acclaim.