Pierre Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais
1732 - 1799
French Dramatist, Watchmaker, Courtier, Entrepreneur and Spy. (or just an all-round show-off) Most famous for his comedies, 'The Barber of Seville' and 'The Marriage of Figaro', whose titular character was later brought into the operas of Rossini and Mozart. In his plays he aligned himself with the underprivileged and lower classes through making Figaro, a valet, much more savvy than his employers.