ALONSO JERONIMO DE

SALAS BARBADILLO (c. 1580-1635)  , Spanish novelist and playwright, born at Madrid about 158o, and educated at Alcala de Henares and Valladolid . His first work, La Patrona de Madrid restituida (1609), is a dull devout poem, which forms a strange prelude to La Hija de Celestina (1612), a malicious transcription of picaresque scenes reprinted under the title of La Ingeniosa Elena . This was followed by a series of similar tales and plays, the best of which are El Cavallero puntual (1614), La Casa de placer honesto (162o), Don Diego de Noche (1623) and a most sparkling satirical volume of character-sketches, El Curioso y .fabio Alexandro (1634) . He died in poverty at Madrid on the loth of July 1635 . Some of his works were translated into English and French, and Scarron's Hypocrites is based on La Ingeniosa Elena; he deserved the vogue which he enjoyed till late in the 17th century, for his satirical humour, versatile invention and pointed style are an effective combination .