Jean Mabillon
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 Guerin, 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 Coll�ge des Bons Enfants at Reims. Here,
while studying at the university, he lived, half as pupil, half as
servant, in the house of Clement Boucher canon of the cathedral
and commendatory Abbot of Tenaiues. 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'Achery (q.v.), he was
removed to the Abbey of St-Germain-des-Pres, 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'Achery 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'Achery'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'Achery 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 Rance, 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 "Trait� des etudes monastiques"
(1691) was a noble defence of monastic learning and laid down the
lines that it should follow. De Rance replied, and Mabillon was
forced to publish further "Reflexions sur la Reponse de M. l'Abbe
de la Trappe" (1692) . De Rance 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 Rance 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
Academie 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.
LESLIE A. ST. L. TOKE
Transcribed by Michael C. Tinkler
From the Catholic Encyclopedia, copyright � 1913 by the
Encyclopedia Press, Inc. Electronic version copyright � 1996 by
New Advent, Inc.
Taken from the New Advent Web Page (www.knight.org/advent).
This article is part of the Catholic Encyclopedia Project, an
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