How did Jean de La Fontaine’s contemporaries describe his personality?

Contemporaries of Jean de La Fontaine held complex and often contradictory views of his personality, which remains somewhat enigmatic. While superficial observers frequently dismissed him as a lazy, absent-minded simpleton, this reputation was inaccurate; his extensive body of work reveals a man of subtle intelligence, meticulous conscientiousness, and deep ambition.1

Those who knew him well described him as intensely and naively selfish, unconventional in his behavior, and impatient of any constraints. Despite these traits, he possessed a naturalness of manner and a sincerity in social relationships that charmed many friends. He was viewed as a parasite without servility and a sycophant without baseness—a shrewd schemer who was simultaneously a blunderer. One individual close to him famously observed that his errors were "full of wisdom". Although he was occasionally accommodating to the detriment of his own self-respect, he was widely regarded as a man of profound, mature wisdom. His unconventional and irreligious character even led to some opposition from the king during his election to the French Academy.12