Cervantes Saavedra
MIGUEL DE (ser-van'tēz or ther-vän'tes sä-ä-vā' CERVERA tude. His fellow captives testified to his by corsairs and held five years in servi- some years in the army; was captured fame through "Don Quixote." He served calá de Henares in 1547. He wrote many romances and stories, but he lives in fame through "Don Quixote." He served some years in the army; was captured by corsairs and held five years in servitude. His fellow captives testified to his self-denying services to them while in the hands of the Algerines. His first attempt in literature was the composition of a pastoral romance, "Galatea," in the traditional style and spirit. Of 20 or 30 CERVANTES plays written by him, only two survive, and they have no celebrity. The first part of "Don Quixote" was published in 1605, and it had a hearty reception from the beginning among the populace, though not among the cultured classes.
Before the year was out, five editions, though not among the cultured classes. the beginning among the populace, some authorized, others pirated, were published, and the Don and his grotesque retainer appeared like immemorial traditional characters in every tesque retainer appeared like imme- published, and the Don and his gropageant. The continuation of the immortal story, however, did not appear till tal story, however, did not appear till pageant. The continuation of the immoruations published under his name fairly forced Cervantes' hand. Meanwhile he busied himself with writing poems and novels now forgotten. On all these dead works he bestowed great care before he gave them to the public; he wrote "Don Quixote" with "running pen." He died in Madrid, April 23, 1616.