Spanish poet, playwright, and novelist who ranks high among the followers of Lope de Vega and displays a gift for creating character. His fantastic satirical novel, El diablo cojuelo (1641; “The Crippled Devil”), became well-known from its adaptation by the French dramatist Alain Lesage as Le Diable boiteux (1707; The Devil upon Two Sticks).

After soldiering in Italy, Vélez held various posts in noble and royal households, becoming a favourite of Philip IV of Spain. He was a remarkably successful playwright, composing more than 400 plays, several of which were based on those of Lope. A careless but entertaining playwright, he was called Quitapesares (“Care Dispeller”) by Miguel de Cervantes for the gaiety and animation of his work. Unfortunately his productivity brought him little reward; constantly in debt, he eventually died in poverty.

El diablo cojuelo is an extraordinarily difficult book, abounding in complicated wordplay and written in a tense, equivocal style. The more accessible French version eventually brought it a European audience.