La Fontaine was born in Château-Thierry on 8 July 1621, entered the Oratory as a novice at the age of twenty and was a husband and father at twenty-six. By the time he inherited the title of Master of Waters and Forests from his father, he was interested only in literature. When, in 1657, he was introduced to Fouquet, then Superintendant of Finances at the height of his powers, he became his favourite poet and met Molière, Racine and, Madame de Sévigné. However in 1661, Fouquet fell into disgrace and La Fontaine, who remained faithful to him (Elegy to the Nymphs of Vaux), lost all his protection. On his return to Château-Thierry, the Duchess of Bouillon, a niece of Mazarin who had come to live in the town, asked him to entertain her. Between 1664 and 1667, twenty-seven Tales and Stories in Verse were published, earning La Fontaine a reputation as a libertine and elegant author. To earn pardon for his "frivolous writings", he then published his first collection of Fables, divided into six books, preceded by Life of Aesop in 1668. The collection was an instant success, but did not earn La Fontaine a pension from the King. The New Tales, published in 1674, were banned. Without money, La Fontaine sold his father's home. Books VII to XII of the Fables appeared in 1678-1679. Finally accepted into the Académie française following the death of Colbert, La Fontaine praised him highly. In 1693, the publication of the XII book of Fables ended with the poem Le Juge arbitre, l'Hospitalier et le Solitaire, which was also his will. He died on 13 April 1695.