Martin Bouquet

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Martin Bouquet (French pronunciation:

Congregation of St.-Maur. His major work was Rerum Gallicarum et Francicarum Scriptores, a collection of the historians of Gaul
and France, which covers the time from France's earliest history until the year 987.

Biography

Bouquet was born at

priest, but later decided to become a Benedictine monk. He joined the Congregation of St Maur and took vows at the monastery of St Faron, at Meaux
on 16 August 1706.

Shortly after he became a priest his superiors appointed him librarian at the

Sigebert Haverkamp
was engaged on a new edition of the same author. He sent all the material he had collected to Haverkamp, who embodied it in his edition.

Bouquet's greatest work is his collection of the historians of Gaul and France, entitled: Rerum Gallicarum et Francicarum Scriptores.

Attempts to collect the sources of French history had been made at various times. Thus Pierre Pithou (died 1596) had collected some material, and André Duchesne (died 1640) had begun a work entitled "Historiæ Francorum Scriptores", to be published in twenty-four volumes, but died before finishing the fifth volume. Colbert, the great French minister of finance, desired to have Duchesne's work continued at the expense of the State, but he died in 1683 without finding a suitable historian to complete what Duchesne had begun.

In 1717 D'Aguesseau, who was then chancellor, entrusted to the Benedictine Edmond Martène the drawing up of a new plan for the work. The design was accepted and the Oratorian LeLong who had just finished his "Bibliothèque historique de la France" was entrusted with the task. Martène died shortly after he had begun, in 1721.

The Congregation of St.-Maur undertook the publication of the work.

Abbot in commendam
of St.-Germain-des-Prés, had no spiritual jurisdiction over the monks.

Bouquet was banished to the monastery of St.-Jean, at Lâon, but in 1735, D'Aguesseau and a few other influential persons succeeded in having him recalled to Argenteuil, and afterwards to Blancs-Manteaux, where he could more easily supervise the publication of his work. He brought out eight volumes between 1738 and 1752. The greater part of the material for the ninth volume was ready when Bouquet died at the monastery of Blancs-Manteaux, in Paris.

The eight volumes published comprise the sources of the history of France from the earliest days of its existence to the year 987. The work was continued by other members of the Congregation of St.-Maur in the following order: vols. IX-X were published by the two brothers, John and

Leopold Delisle, a member of the Académie des Inscriptions, reached the twenty-fourth volume.[citation needed
]

References
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