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La Fontaine, Jean de 1621-95
French poet

Born in Château-Thierry, Champagne, he devoted himself to studying the old writers and to verse writing. In 1654 he published a verse translation of the Eunuchus of Terence, and then went to Paris, where Nicolas Fouquet became his patron. He is best known for Contes et nouvelles en vers (1665-74, 'Stories and Tales in Verse') and Fables choisies mises en vers (1668-93, Eng trans Fables, 1804). In 1684 he presented Discours en vers ('An Oration in Verse') on his reception by the Academy.

Bibliography: L Roche, La vie de La Fontaine (1913)