Francisco Gómez de Quevedo y Villegas

Spanish politician, poet, and novelist. Born in Madrid to a distinguished family, he studied languages, philosophy, and theology at the universities of Alcalá and Valladolid. Although he was born with bad legs and severe myopia, his outstanding talent in both the literary and military arts was noticed from an early age. In his early 30s, he went to Italy and became an advisor to the Duke of Osuna, who served as governor of Sicily and Naples, and played an active role in foreign affairs. However, he was involved in the downfall of the Duke of Osuna and was imprisoned and ordered to stay in his estate. When Philip IV ascended to the throne in 1621 and political power was transferred to the Duke of Olivares, he was allowed to return to court. However, in 1639 he was arrested again and imprisoned in the Monastery of San Marcos in Leon (1639-43). His downfall is said to have been caused by a satirical poem found on the king's dining table, but in fact it seems that he was suspected of being a spy for the French. After his release, his health deteriorated and he died on September 8, 1645, in Villanueva de los Infantes, where he had been exiled.

Quevedo was a man of complex personality, endowed with intelligence and passion, and these characteristics are reflected in his works. On the one hand, he produced lyric poems comparable to those of Lope de Vega, and on the other hand, he left behind a countless number of scathing satirical poems that are considered the best of his time. In prose works, too, he wrote works such as "Politics of God" (Part 1, 1626; Part 2, 1634-35) and "The Life of Marcus Brutus" (1644) based on his advanced learning and insight, and published works full of brilliance throughout, such as the picaresque novel "The Great Villain" (1626), full of wordplay and fantasy, and "The Dream" (1627), full of satire and humor. These are works that truly show the dignity that earned him the title of Spanish genius and king of fantasticism.

[Kuwana Kazuhiro]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

スペインの政治家、詩人、小説家。名門の子としてマドリードに生まれ、アルカラとバリャドリードの大学で語学、哲学、神学を学ぶ。生まれつき足が悪く、しかも強度の近視であったが、早くから文武両道にわたる際だった才能が注目された。30代の初めイタリアへ渡り、シチリアやナポリの総督を務めたオスナ公爵の顧問となり、外交問題で活躍するが、オスナ公爵の失脚に巻き込まれて投獄され、所領地に謹慎を命じられた。1621年フェリペ4世が王位につき、政治の実権がオリバレス公伯爵に移ると、宮廷への復帰が認められる。しかし1639年ふたたび逮捕されてレオンのサン・マルコス修道院に監禁される（1639～43）。この失脚は、国王の食卓で発見された風刺詩が原因とされているが、実際はフランス側スパイの嫌疑をかけられたためらしい。釈放後は健康を損ない、1645年9月8日、転地先のビリャヌエーバ・デ・ロス・インファンテスで没した。

　ケベードは知性と情熱を備えた複雑な個性の持ち主で、その特色は作品にも反映している。一方ではローペ・デ・ベーガと比肩される叙情詩をものし、他方では当代随一と評される痛烈な風刺詩を数知れず残している。散文作品においても、高度な学識と見識をもとに『神の政治』（第1部1626、第2部1634～35執筆）や『マルクス・ブルータス伝』（1644）を書くかと思うと、ことば遊びと奇想を駆使したピカレスク小説『大悪党』（1626）や、風刺と諧謔(かいぎゃく)に満ちた『夢』（1627）のような、全編に才気横溢(おういつ)する作品を発表しており、まさにスペイン語の天才、奇想主義の王者とよばれる貫禄(かんろく)を示している。

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