Luis Vélez de Guevara

(1579-1644)

Spanish novelist, poet, and dramatist of the Siglo de Oro (Golden Age). Born Luis Vélez de Santander, he later adopted the surname Vélez de Guevara. He was born in the Andalusian town of Écija in July, 1579. He was educated in Écija and at the University of Osuna, where he took a bachelor's degree in 1596. After serving from 1596 until 1599 in the household of the Archbishop of Seville, he spent about six years in military service. By 1608 he was an established poet and dramatist, living in Madrid. From this time on he served as gentleman of the chamber to various noblemen in Madrid. In 1625 he was made Doorkeeper of the Royal Chamber and held this post until two years before his death. While Vélez wrote plays and poetry throughout his adult life, his greatest success was the brilliant satirical novel The Crippled Devil (El diablo cojuelo, 1641), which served as a model for Lesage's Le diable boiteux (1707). In spite of his popularity, Vélez lived in constant economic difficulty, and his last years were spent in poverty. He died in Madrid on November 10, 1644.