Félix María de Samaniego

Who was Félix María de Samaniego?

Félix María de Samaniego, born and died in Laguardia, Álava, in the Basque Country, was a Spanish neoclassical fabulist, educated at Valladolid. A government appointment was secured for him by his uncle the Count de Peñaflorida.

His Fábulas, 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.