Mabillon, Jean
Mabillon, Jean
Benedictine scholar, born Saint-Pierremont, 1632; died Paris, France, 1707. Entering the Maurist Congregation, 1627, he was sent to Saint-Germain-des- Pres, 1664, remaining there until death. He assisted d’Achery in preparing material for the “Acta Sanctorum, D.S.B.” (Lives of the Benedictine Saints) and published the first three volumes, 1668-1672. “De re diplomatica,” confuting the attack of Papebroch upon certain charters in the Abbey of Saint Denis, was the foundation of the science of diplomatics and established him as an authority. His controversy with De Rance regarding the lawful occupation of monks, 1691-1692, is famous. He was a member of the Academie Royale des Inscriptions.
Fuente: New Catholic Dictionary
Mabillon, Jean
Benedictine monk of the Congregation of Saint-Maur, born at Saint-Pierremont between Mouzon and the Chartreuse of Mont-Dieu in Champagne, 23 November, 1632; died at Paris, 27 December, 1707. He was the fifth child of Estienne Mabillon, a peasant who died in 1692, aged 104, and of his wife, Jeanne Guérin, descended, through her mother’s family, from a branch of the seigneurs of Saint-Pierremont. Jean was a precocious child, and easily surpassed his school companions in their studies, while his pleasant disposition made him a general favourite. At the age of nine he was sent to his uncle, Jean Mabillon, then parish priest at Neufville, by whom he was well instructed in the “rudiments”, and from whom he received a donation to enable him to continue his studies. In 1644 Jean was sent to the Collège des Bons Enfants at Reims. Here, while studying at the university, he lived, half as pupil, half as servant, in the house of Clément Boucher canon of the cathedral and commendatory Abbot of T enaiues. This patron, in 1650, procured him admission to the diocesan seminary, where he remained for three years. In 1653, however, the scandalous conduct and death of the uncle who had befriended him made the vocation to the secular priesthood distasteful to him, and he withdrew from the seminary. After less than a month of retirement, on 29 August, he became a postulant in the Abbey of St-Remu at Reims. This house had, since 1627, belonged to the reformed Maurist Congregation (see MAURISTS, CONGREGATION OF). He was clothed on 5 September, and, after his year’s novitiate, was professed on 6 September 1654. His devotion to the strict observance, to mortification and to study, was so great that his superiors entrusted him with the direction and teaching of the novices. But the eagerness with which he endeavoured to fulfil his office was greater than his health could endure- he began to suffer from violent headaches and soon became incapable even of reciting his Office. In 1656, his superiors, in the hope that entire rest might restore his health, sent him to Nogent, whence, in July, 1658, he was transferred to the famous Abbey of Corbie. Here, as at Nogent, he occupied his time in the study of antiquities, while holding successively the offices of porter, of depositarius, and of cellarer. He was ordained at Amiens in 1660. The tranquil life restored his health and, in 1663, he was transferred to the Abbey of St-Denis, where he became treasurer. But his superiors had already noticed his great gifts and, in 1664, at the request of Dom D’Achéry (q.v.), he was removed to the Abbey of St-Germain-des-Prés, where he lived for the rest of his life.
When Mabillon first entered its precincts, the commendatory abbot was John Casimir, King of Poland, an eccentric person whose irregular life had but little effect on his abbey; the claustral prior was Dom Ignatius Philibert, and D’Achéry was custodian of its wonderful library. The society to which the young monk was introduced at St-Germain was, perhaps, the most learned of its time in Europe. Every week, on Sundays after Vespers, there met in D’Achéry’s room a group of savants that included men like Du Cange, Baluze, d’Herbelot, Cotelier, Renaudot, Fleury, Lamy, Pagi, Tillemont. Mabillon soon became a brilliant member of this group of noted workers. D’Achéry had asked for him to help him in his projected “Lives of the Benedictine Saints”, but the first work entrusted to his care was that of editing the works of St. Bernard. This was published within three years (1667), and was at once recognized as a masterly edition. Meanwhile Mabillon had been arranging the materials already brought together by D’Achery, and the first volume of the “Acta Sanctorum, O.S.B.” was published in 1668. A second volume appeared the following year, a third in 1672. The scholarly conscientiousness and critical methods of Mabillon were a source of scandal to some of his less instructed fellow-monks, and in 1677 a petition, violently attacking the “Acta Sanctorum O.S.B.”, was presented to the general chapter of the congregation, demanding the suppression of the work (as harmful to the interests of Benedictinism) and an apology from its author. Mabillon defended himself with such humility combined with firmness and learning that all opposition was overcome, and he was encouraged to continue. Meanwhile, in 1672, he had already made the first of those “literary journeys” (this time into Flanders), in search of documents and materials for his work, that were so marked a feature of the other half of his life, and which had such fruitful results for history and liturgy. In 1675 was published the first of four volumes of “Vetera Analecta” in which he collected the fruit of his travels and some shorter works of historical importance.
But 1675 saw also the occasion of his greatest work. To the second volume of the “Acta SS.” for April Daniel Papebroch had prefixed a “Propylaeum antiquarium”, which was really a first attempt to formulate rules for the discernment of spurious from genuine documents. Therein he had instanced as spurious some famous charters in the Abbey of St-Denis. Mabillon was appointed to draw up a defence of these documents, and he made his defence the occasion of a statement of the true principles of documentary criticism. This is the volume, “De re diplomatica” (1681), a treatise so masterly that it remains to-day the foundation of the science of diplomatics. Papebroch himself readily admitted that he had been confuted by this treatise, though an attempt was made some time later by Germon to disprove Mabillon’s theory, thereby provoking a reply from Mabillon in his “Supplementum” of 1704. The admiration excited amongst the learned by Mabillon’s great book was widespread. Colbert offered its author a pension of 2000 livres, which Mabillon declined, while requesting Colbert’s continued protection for his monastery. In 1682 Mabillon was sent by Colbert into Burgundy to examine certain ancient documents relative to the royal house; and in 1683 he was sent with Dom Michel Germain, at the king’s expense, on a journey throughout Switzerland and Germany in search of materials for the history of the Church or of France. During this expedition, which took five months to accomplish, Colbert died and was succeeded as minister by Le Tellier, Archbishop of Reims, who also greatly admired Mabillon. At the instance of this prelate the king, in 1685, required Mabillon to make a tour through the libraries of Italy for the pu8rpose of acquiring books and manuscripts for the Royal Library. More than 3000 rare and valuable volumes were procured. During his tr avels Mabillon was everywhere received with the utmost honour. Soon after his return he began his famous controversy with De Rancé, Abbot of La Trappe, who had denied that it was lawful for monks to devote themselves to study rather than to manual labour. Mabillon’s “Traitê des études monastiques” (1691) was a noble defence of monastic learning and laid down the lines that it should follow. De Rancé replied, and Mabillon was forced to publish further “Réflexions sur la Réponse de M. l’Abbé de la Trappe” (1692) . De Rancé would have carried the dispute further, but Cardinal le Camus interfered, and the general opinion seems to have been that both parties to the dispute were really in substantial agreement: Mabillon being an instance of regular devotion combined with prodigious learning, de Rancé showing by his writings that learning was not incompatible with devotion to monastic strictness.
In 1698 a storm was raised in Rome by the publication by Mabillon, under the name of “Eusebius Romanus”, of a protest against the superstitious veneration of the relics of “unknown saints” from the catacombs. This work was denounced to the Holy Office, and Mabillon was compelled to explain and modify certain passages. In 1700 arose another storm. The Maurists, in spite at the difficulties arising from the current controversies on Jansenism, had determined to publish a critical edition of St. Augustine. To the last volume of this edition Mabillon was required to furnish a preface, defending the methods and critical conclusions of its editors. His first draft was submitted to various critics, and, after receiving their annotations, was rewritten and sent to Bossuet for his opinion. It was largely amended by Bossuet and returned to Mabillon to be rewritten. The result is the “Preface” of the eleventh volume as we now have it. Mabillon now retired to Normandy to avoid the clamour that, as he expected, was aroused by its publication. But the Holy See supported the Maurists, and though the extremists endeavoured to tax the more moderate with heresy they were silenced by the supreme authority. Mabillon did not lack enemies. In 1698 they had spread a report that he had apostatized in Holland, and he felt obliged to write to the Catholics of England denying the charge. But, as his life drew to a close, all men came to recognize his genius and integrity. In 1701 the king appointed him one of the first members of the new Académie Royale des Inscriptions. Two years later appeared the first volume of the “Annales O.S.B.”, on which he had been engaged since 1693. He lived to see but four volumes published. In 1707, as he was on his way to Chelles, he fell sick. He was carried back to Paris and after three weeks’ illness, on 27 December having heard Mass at midnight and received Holy Communion, he died. He was buried in the Lady chapel at St-Germain. At the Revolution in 1798, when the Lady chapel of St-Germain was destroyed, the simple tomb of the great historian was removed to the garden of the Musee des Petits-Augustins. At the Restoration, however, it was carried back to St-Germain, where it still remains behind the high altar.
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LESLIE A. ST. L. TOKE Transcribed by Michael C. Tinkler
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume IXCopyright © 1910 by Robert Appleton CompanyOnline Edition Copyright © 2003 by K. KnightNihil Obstat, October 1, 1910. Remy Lafort, CensorImprimatur. +John M. Farley, Archbishop of New York
Fuente: Catholic Encyclopedia
Mabillon, Jean
a celebrated Benedictine preacher, and one of the most distinguished men of the 17th century. was born at St. Pierremont, in the diocese of Rheims, November 23, 1632, studied at the college of Rheims, and joined the congregation of St. Maur in 1651. He began his literary career by assisting D’Achery in his labors upon his vast historic recueil entitled Spicilegium. and by an edition of the works of St. Bernard, “which attracted the notice of ecclesiastical scholars, and furnished a sure pledge of the value of his future labors” (Dowling). In 1668 he came forward with a part of his original production, Acta Sancctorum Ordinis S. Benedicti (completed in 1702), one of the greatest historical works extant. He now became the general favorite of ecclesiastical students, and soon was brought to the notice also of his sovereign, Louis XIV, who sent him on literary missions, as the result of which we have from him Museum Italiclum (1689), a kind of antiquarian itinerary of Italy. Besides descriptions of the towns and their attractions, it contains valuable dissertations on ecclesiastical history and paleography; also a very explicit commentary on the ritual of the various services, or liturgy, and rites of the Roman Church. (He had previously published De Liturgti Gallicana libri tres [1685], in which he compares the Gallican with the Mozarabic liturgy). Another work of great importance from the pen of Mabillon is the Lettres et Ecrits sur les Etudes Monastiques, containing a curious controversy between the abb De Ranc, the founder of the order of the Trappists (q.v.) and the Benedictines. De Rance, in his ascetic enthusiasm, had forbidden his monks all scientific studies, and, indeed, all reading except the Breviary and a few monastic tracts. The rest of the clergy, both secular and regular, took the alarm, and Mabillon was requested to defend monastic studies and learning as perfectly compatible with piety and religious discipline, as the Benedictine order had fully proved. Mabillon promptly complied with the request, and published his Traite in 1691.
It was received with great applause, and was at once translated into Latin and other languages. See RANC for the reply. His fame spread rapidly, and he was recognized as one of the leading scholars of his day. In 1701 he was chosen member of the Academy of Inscriptions. In 1703 he came before the public with the first volume of his chef-d’oeuvre, Annales Ordinis S. Benedicti. Henceforth, until the day of his death (December 27, 1707), Mabillon faithfully applied himself to the completion of this work, which all critics are agreed is “among the most important works which have been written on the history of the Church” (Dowling). It should certainly be found on the shelves of every real student of Church History. It commences with the year 480 that of the birth of St. Benedict and goes down to 1157 (covering in all 6 volumes folio. Mabillon himself completed volumes 1-4, extending to 1066; Massuet completed volume 5 [published in 1713], and Martene volume 6 [published in 1739]; for the different editions, see Ceillier, Hist. des Auteurs sacres, 14:498). It contains an account of St. Benedict, discusses his rules, and everything in any y wa pertaining to the order. The work, besides including a somewhat complete history of the secular affairs of the times, contains a minute account of the doctrines, the ceremonies, the controversies of the Church age by age, with a statement of the writings of each individual whose life is depicted.
Of the manner in which the work is done we will let Dowling (Introd. to the Crit. Study of Eccles. History, page 144 sq.) speak. “His (Mabillon’s) unbounded learning, and his penetrating and comprehensive mind, enabled him to discover new truths, and detect and expose inveterate errors. His amiable moderation and unaffected candor introduced into the discussion of ecclesiastical subjects a better tone and spirit. But this was not the full extent of the services which he rendered to Church History. The monastic habit could not restrain his mental independence, nor his religious peculiarities make him feel as a vulgar controversialist. He was the most prominent of a new race of scholars, who communicated to the whole subject a different character; who separated it from polemical theology, and assumed as a first principle that its subject-matter was not controversy, but facts. It was a new thing to see a congregation of monks taking a lead in a literary movement; but such was the case. The genius of Mabillon did much to purify and ennoble Church History. Excited by his example and precepts, the French Benedictines devoted themselves in an admirable spirit to the cultivation of ecclesiastical learning, and distinguished themselves in the republic of letters by the publication of a number of critical, philological, and antiquarian works connected with such studies, not more remarkable for their erudition than for their moderation and candor.”
Mabillon, by the intended publication of a treatise, De Cultu Sanctorum ignotornum, came near being involved in a hot controversy with the authorities of his Church. The book, which aimed to point out some abuses concerning the worship of relics, was on the eve of anonymous publication when it was secured by the Congregation of the Index, and placed among the forbidden ones. He quietly submitted to the exceptions of the authorities, and prepared a new edition purged from the objectionable passages. In his new preface he says: “Haec nova editio non temere nec proprio arbitrio a me facta est, sed ad Ejus nutum et imperium, penes quem residet summa praecipiendi auctoritas!” In return for his ready submission he was to be rewarded by the cardinal’s hat, but the intended honor came too late to be of any service in Mabillon’s terrestrial course. Mabillon wrote also De Re Diplomatica libri sex, accedunt Commentarius de antiquis Regum Francorum Palatiis: Veterum Scripturarum varia Specimina, etc., a work much esteemed. These and other later works were collected under the title Ouvrages Posthumes de J. Mabillon et de Thierry Ruinart, Benedictines de la Congregation de St. Maur (Paris, 1724, 3 volumes, 4to). A complete list of all his works is given in Herzog, Real-Encyklop. 8:635. See, besides the authorities already mentioned, Vieuville, Bibl. historique d. Auteurs de la Congregation de S. Maur; D. Tassin, Hist. Litter. de la, Cony. de S. Maur; C. de Malan, Hist. de Mabillon; Valery, Corresp. de Mabillon et de Montfaucon; Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, 32:437. (J.H.W.)