Jean Mabillon, a French author, born at St. Pierre-du-Mont, Champagne, Nov. 23, 1632, died in Paris, Dec. 27,1707. Having joined the Benedictines of St. Maur, he was chosen to assist Dom Jean d'Achery in the compilation of his Spicilegium Veterum Scrip-torum, and subsequently edited the works of St. Bernard (2 vols, fol., and 9 vols. 8vo, 1667; 2d ed., 1G90) in the series of the fathers published by his congregation. In 1681 he published De Re Diplomatica, a work which is sometimes regarded as entitling him to be called the founder of the school of antiquarian historians. The ability displayed in this work induced the minister Colbert to offer him a pension of 2,000 livres, which he refused, asking that the royal munificence might rather be shown to his order. In 1683 he was sent to Germany by Louis XIV. to collect documents relating to French history; and the applause with which his Iter German icum, a narrative of the journey, was received, induced the king to send him to Italy in 1685 to make purchases for the royal library. A result of this tour was his Museum Italicum (1687-'9), containing an account of the places which he visited, the rare treasures of some of the libraries, and the ceremonies of the church, besides several learned historical dissertations.

Soon afterward he was selected by his superiors to refute Rance, abbot of La Trappe, who in a recent work had condemned the custom of permitting monks to study. Mabillon's Traite des etudes monas-tiques, which appeared in consequence in 1691, was equally remarkable for sound argument and good temper. His other most important works are Vetera Analecta (4 vols. 8vo, 1675-'85), and Be Liturgia Gallicana (1685). He edited and published with Ruinart Acta Sanc-torum Ordinis Sancti Benedicti, commenced by D'Achery, and published the first 4 vols, of the Annates Ordinis Benedictini (6 vols., Paris, 1703-'39). A collection of his Outrages posthumes (3 vols. 4to, Paris) appeared in 1724.