Félix María de Samaniego

He was born and died in Laguardia, Álava, in the Basque Country, and was educated at Valladolid. A government appointment was secured for him by his uncle the Count de Peñaflorida.

His Fábulas (1781–1784), one hundred and fifty-seven in number, were originally written for the boys educated in the school founded by the Biscayan Society. In the first installment of his fables he admitted that he had taken Tomás Iriarte for his model, a statement which proves that he had read Iriarte's fables in manuscript; he appears, however, to have resented their publication in 1782, and this led to a rancorous controversy between the former friends. Samaniego, however, was highly original in the matters of quiet humour and careless grace, and his popularity kept on growing.

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Samaniego, Felix Maria de". Encyclopædia Britannica. 24 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.

• The Spanish text of his nine books of fables online