To secure a high degree of scholarship among the Con- gregation, the first general, Dom Tariffe, carefidly pre- pared a scheme of studies ; and as early as the 17th and 18th centuries the congregation counted a large num- ber of distinguished men. Their labors vi-ere promptly directed to the gathering of materials for the history of the convents belonging to the congregation, and to that of the saints. These researches soon led them into pa- leological and diplomatic works. The finished educa- tion given to the novices required a large number of new books or imjjroved reprints of old ones, which were pre- pared by ortler of the superiors by members of the con- gregation. Thus arose a large number of very impor- tant and valuable works. They treat of a great variety of subjects, but especially of the history of France and of the Church. The most distinguished among the monks were intrusted with the editorshii), and the oth- ers were employed in gathering the materials, or making up some particular part of it : if one of them died before his task was complete, another took his place, and con- tinued it in the same spirit and with the same learning. No other order ever made the same use of its riches : they bought the rarest JISS. and books, made journeys to visit foreign Ubraries and to establish relations with foreign savans. Their publications also possessed an outward finish previously unknown in typography. Their religious independence is shown in the fact that
they remained in friendly relation with the recluses of Port Koyal (q. v.), and suffered persecution for their re- fusal to endorse the bull Unigenitus (q. v.), and thev were often and severely attacked by the Jesuits. Tlic order continued m existence until the French devolu- tion.
The historical works of the Congregation of St. Maur are numerous, and embrace an extensive field. Dom INIabillon may be considered as the founder of diplomacj', of which he established the basis in his De re diplo- matica (1681, 6 vols, fol.) ; this M'as followed by a sup- plement in 1704, in consequence of the attacks of the Jesuit Germon. As these works related almost exclu- sively to France, a general work on the same subject was published by Dom Toustain and Dom Tassin, under the title Nouveau traite de dij)lomaiique (1750-65, 6 vols. 4to), which is still the most perfect of the kind. To these must be added Montfau^on's P«?ff o^?Yyj7»'« Grceca (1708, fol.), which, however, has been surpassed by sub- sequent publications. Chronology may almost be said to have been created by them. The Art de verifier les dates, commenced by Dantine and finished by Clemen- cet (1750. 2 vols. 4to), is well known to every student of history. A second edition was published by Clement (1770, fol.), and then a third (1783-92, 3 vols, fol.), each time with numerous additions. The fourth, much en- larged edition, due also to Clement, appeared first in 1818 (37 vols. 8vo), and was often reprinted ; there are also an edition in folio and one in quarto. This work has justly been called the most important monument of French learning in the 18th centurv'. Montfau^on's Aniiquite expliquee en figures (1719,10 vols, fol.) has now become somewhat antiquated in consequence of the new sources discovered since. In the domain of phUology, the congregation took an active part in a yet unsur- passed work, the Glossariinn medice et infimce Laiinitaiis of Dufresne Ducange (1678), which, if it did not origi- nate with them, was at least increased one half by Dom Dantine and Dom Charpentier (1733-36, 6 vols, fol., with a supplement bj' Charpentier, 1767, 4 vols, fol.), and ac- quired its full imjjortance by their labors. This work is not only important for its philological value, but also for the information it contains on the literature, laws, and civil and ecclesiastical customs of the JMiddle Ages. Charpentier is also the author of the A Ijihahetmn tyroni- amnii (1747, fol.). They published the sources of the history of France. Such as had been furnished by Pi- thon and Duchesne were insuflicient, and Colbert and Louvois vainly sought to have the work continued; but D'Aguessau finally succeeded in inducing the Benedic- tines to apply themselves to the task. It finally came uito the hands of Dom Bouquet, who completed the first eight volumes of the Scripiores rerinn Gallicurinn et Francicarmn ; Dom J. B. Haudiguier and C. Haudi- guier accomplished the ixth, xth. and xith; Dom Cle'- ment the xiith and xiiith, and Dom Brial, the last of the Benedictmes of St. Maur, the xivth and xvth (1738- 1818, fol.). The work has since been continued by the Academie des Inscriptions, which published the xxist volume in 1855. To this class of works belongs the edition of the writings of Gregoire de Tours, published by Dom Euinart (1699, fol.). They never gave a com- plete historj' of France, but only the beginning of it, and the historv' of particular parts. Dom Jlartin wrote La Religion des Ganlois (1727, 2 vols. 4to), and Dom de Brezillac llistoii-e des Ganles et des Conquctes des Gaidois (1752, 2 vols. 4to), both of little importance now. Their histories of particular provinces arc more valuable. The most important are lIistoii-e gemrnle du Langixdoc, by Vaisseite and De Vic (1730-45) 5 vols, fol.) ; Ilistoire de Bretagne, by Vcisserie (who subsequently became a Protestant) and Lo'bineau (1707, 2 vols. fob). This was afterwards entirely remodelled, although not completed, by Maurice de Beaubois (1742, 3 vols, fob, and 2 vols. 4to); Ilistoire de Bourgogne. by Plancher (1739 sq., 3 vols, fol.) ; Ilistoire de la Mile de Paris,h\ Yi^lihicn and Lobineau (1725, 5 vols.). Finally, the Ilistoire lilteraire