François Clément
Encyclopedia
Francois Clement was a French historian and member of the Benedictine
Congregation of Saint-Maur
; born in Bèze in the department of Côte-d'Or
, France, 1714; died in Paris, 29 March 1793. His first studies were at the college of the Jesuits in Dijon
. Soon after his profession in 1731 his superiors sent him to the monastery of the "Blancs-Manteaux" in Paris to assist in the scholarly work of the congregation. He was a hard worker, who reportedly slept only two or three hours per night.
He first worked on the preparations for volumes XI and XII of the Histoire littéraire de la France
; these volumes covered the years 1141-1167 and were edited by Charles Clémencet
. He then edited, in collaboration with Dom Brial, a fellow Benedictine, volumes XII and XIII of the work begun by Bouquet
in 1738, Recueil des historiens des Gaules et de la France (Paris, 1786), or as the title is generally given Scriptores rerum gallicarum et francicarum. These volumes contain altogether 439 original documents, accompanied by exhaustive introductions, numerous explanatory remarks, and critical notes.
Clément's chief work is a revised edition of the chronology first issued by Clémencet in one volume, entitled: L'art de vérifier les dates des faits historiques. The new edition in which the original work appeared in an entirely changed form was published in Paris in 1770. A third edition (Paris, 1783–1787) embraced three folio volumes; in this the original underwent even greater alterations, and the Clément spent more than ten years working on it. In contrast to Clémencet he treated his matter objectively, and was influenced neither by prejudices against the Jesuits nor by a strong support for the Jansenists. His position met with the approval of scholars and he was made a member of the "Académie des Inscriptions". The work has been called "the finest memorial of French learning of the eighteenth century". Clément was engaged in the preparation of a fourth and much enlarged edition when a stroke of apoplexy
caused his death.
The unfinished work was completed by Nicolas Viton de Saint-Allais and appeared with additional matter in eighteen volumes (Paris, 1818–19). Viton de Saint-Allais also published from the literary remains of Clément the treatise L'art de vérifier les dates des faits historiques avant l'ère chrétienne (Paris, 1820). A work of less importance was one begun by Dom Poncet and edited by Clément, entitled Nouveaux éclaircissements sur l'origine et le Pentateuque des Samnaritains (Paris, 1760). The amount of material Clément collected is shown by the Catalogus manuscriptorum codicum Collegii Claramontani, quem excipit catalogus domus professæ Parisiensis, uterque digestus et notis ornatus (Paris, 1764). For information concerning his letters see the Revue bénédictine, XII, 508.
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
Congregation of Saint-Maur
Saint-Maur
Saint-Maur is the name of several communes in France:*Saint-Maur, Cher, in the Cher département*Saint-Maur, Gers, in the Gers département*Saint-Maur, Indre, in the Indre département*Saint-Maur, Jura, in the Jura département...
; born in Bèze in the department of Côte-d'Or
Côte-d'Or
Côte-d'Or is a department in the eastern part of France.- History :Côte-d'Or is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was formed from part of the former province of Burgundy.- Geography :...
, France, 1714; died in Paris, 29 March 1793. His first studies were at the college of the Jesuits in Dijon
Dijon
Dijon is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or département and of the Burgundy region.Dijon is the historical capital of the region of Burgundy. Population : 151,576 within the city limits; 250,516 for the greater Dijon area....
. Soon after his profession in 1731 his superiors sent him to the monastery of the "Blancs-Manteaux" in Paris to assist in the scholarly work of the congregation. He was a hard worker, who reportedly slept only two or three hours per night.
He first worked on the preparations for volumes XI and XII of the Histoire littéraire de la France
Histoire littéraire de la France
Histoire littéraire de la France is an enormous history of French literature initiated in 1733 by Dom Rivest and the Benedictines of St. Maur but it was abandoned in 1763 after the publication of volume XII...
; these volumes covered the years 1141-1167 and were edited by Charles Clémencet
Charles Clémencet
Charles Clémencet was a French Benedictine historian.He was born in Painblanc, Côte-d'Or, and was one of the authors who helped complete the great chronological work Art de vérifier les dates . He also wrote part of the monumental Histoire littéraire de la France, and the history of the abbey of...
. He then edited, in collaboration with Dom Brial, a fellow Benedictine, volumes XII and XIII of the work begun by Bouquet
Martin Bouquet
Martin Bouquet was a French Benedictine and historian, of the 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...
in 1738, Recueil des historiens des Gaules et de la France (Paris, 1786), or as the title is generally given Scriptores rerum gallicarum et francicarum. These volumes contain altogether 439 original documents, accompanied by exhaustive introductions, numerous explanatory remarks, and critical notes.
Clément's chief work is a revised edition of the chronology first issued by Clémencet in one volume, entitled: L'art de vérifier les dates des faits historiques. The new edition in which the original work appeared in an entirely changed form was published in Paris in 1770. A third edition (Paris, 1783–1787) embraced three folio volumes; in this the original underwent even greater alterations, and the Clément spent more than ten years working on it. In contrast to Clémencet he treated his matter objectively, and was influenced neither by prejudices against the Jesuits nor by a strong support for the Jansenists. His position met with the approval of scholars and he was made a member of the "Académie des Inscriptions". The work has been called "the finest memorial of French learning of the eighteenth century". Clément was engaged in the preparation of a fourth and much enlarged edition when a stroke of apoplexy
Apoplexy
Apoplexy is a medical term, which can be used to describe 'bleeding' in a stroke . Without further specification, it is rather outdated in use. Today it is used only for specific conditions, such as pituitary apoplexy and ovarian apoplexy. In common speech, it is used non-medically to mean a state...
caused his death.
The unfinished work was completed by Nicolas Viton de Saint-Allais and appeared with additional matter in eighteen volumes (Paris, 1818–19). Viton de Saint-Allais also published from the literary remains of Clément the treatise L'art de vérifier les dates des faits historiques avant l'ère chrétienne (Paris, 1820). A work of less importance was one begun by Dom Poncet and edited by Clément, entitled Nouveaux éclaircissements sur l'origine et le Pentateuque des Samnaritains (Paris, 1760). The amount of material Clément collected is shown by the Catalogus manuscriptorum codicum Collegii Claramontani, quem excipit catalogus domus professæ Parisiensis, uterque digestus et notis ornatus (Paris, 1764). For information concerning his letters see the Revue bénédictine, XII, 508.