Edmond Martène
Encyclopedia
Edmond Martène was a French Benedictine
historian and liturgist.
In 1672 he entered the Benedictine Abbey of St-Rémy at Reims
, a house of the Congregation of Saint-Maur. Owing to his zeal for learning, however, he was sent to Saint-Germain to receive training under d'Achéry and Mabillon, and also to assist in the preliminary work connected with the new edition of the Church Fathers
. Thenceforth he devoted his life to the study of subjects connected with history and liturgy, residing in various monasteries of his order, especially at Rouen
, where he received the sympathetic co-operation of the prior of Sainte-Marthe.
Even in his student years he had gathered from widely various sources everything that might be helpful in elucidating the Rule of St. Benedict; the fruit of his labours he published in 1690 as Commentarius in regulam S. P. Benedicti litteralis, moralis, historicus ex variis antiquorum scriptorum commentationibus, actis sanctorum, monasticis ritibus aliisque monumentis cum editis tum manuscriptis concinnatus (Paris, 1690; 1695). During the same year he issued as a supplement to this: De antiquis monachorum ritibus libri 5 collecti ex variis ordinariis, consuetudinariis ritualibusque manuscriptis (Lyons, 1690; Venice, 1765). These were followed by other liturgical works:
In 1708 Martène and his fellow Benedictine, Ursin Durand
, were commissioned to ransack the archives of France and Belgium for materials for the forthcoming revised edition of the Gallia Christiana
, proposed by the prior of Sainte-Marthe. The numerous documents gathered by them from about eight hundred abbeys and one hundred cathedrals were incorporated in the abovementioned work or in the five volumes of the Thesaurus novus anecdotorum (Paris, 1717). The results of a journey made through the Netherlands and Germany for the purpose of documentary research were embodied by the two scholars in the nine folio volumes of Veterum scriptorum et monumentorum ecclesiasticorum et dogmaticorum amplissima collectio.(Paris, 1724-33). Finally, the sixth volume of the Annales Ordinis S. Benedicti (Paris, 1739) is the work of Martène alone.
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...
historian and liturgist.
In 1672 he entered the Benedictine Abbey of St-Rémy at Reims
Reims
Reims , a city in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, lies east-northeast of Paris. Founded by the Gauls, it became a major city during the period of the Roman Empire....
, a house of the Congregation of Saint-Maur. Owing to his zeal for learning, however, he was sent to Saint-Germain to receive training under d'Achéry and Mabillon, and also to assist in the preliminary work connected with the new edition of the Church Fathers
Church Fathers
The Church Fathers, Early Church Fathers, Christian Fathers, or Fathers of the Church were early and influential theologians, eminent Christian teachers and great bishops. Their scholarly works were used as a precedent for centuries to come...
. Thenceforth he devoted his life to the study of subjects connected with history and liturgy, residing in various monasteries of his order, especially at Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
, where he received the sympathetic co-operation of the prior of Sainte-Marthe.
Even in his student years he had gathered from widely various sources everything that might be helpful in elucidating the Rule of St. Benedict; the fruit of his labours he published in 1690 as Commentarius in regulam S. P. Benedicti litteralis, moralis, historicus ex variis antiquorum scriptorum commentationibus, actis sanctorum, monasticis ritibus aliisque monumentis cum editis tum manuscriptis concinnatus (Paris, 1690; 1695). During the same year he issued as a supplement to this: De antiquis monachorum ritibus libri 5 collecti ex variis ordinariis, consuetudinariis ritualibusque manuscriptis (Lyons, 1690; Venice, 1765). These were followed by other liturgical works:
- De antiquis ecclesiæ ritibus libri 4 (Rouen, 1700-2)
- Tractatus de antiqua ecclesiæ disciplina in divinis officiis celebrandis (Lyons, 1706)
- De antiquis ecclesiæ ritibus editio secunda (4 vols., Antwerp, 1736-8; Venice, 1763-4; 1783; Bassano, 1788), in which he collected and expanded his earlier writings
- Veterum scriptorum et monumentorum moralium, historicorum, dogmaticorum ad res ecclesiasticas monasticas et politicas illustrandas collectio (Rouen, 1700) is a continuation of the Spicilegium of Martène's teacher, d'Achéry.
- La vie du vénérable Claude Martin, religieux bénédictin (Tours, 1697; Rouen, 1698)
- Imperialis Stabulensis monasterii jura propugnata adversus iniquas disceptationes"(Cologne, 1730)
- Histoire de l'abbaye de Marmoutier, first edited in 1874 and 1875 by Ulysse ChevalierUlysse ChevalierUlysse Chevalier was a French bibliographer and historian.Born in Rambouillet, he published many works on the history of Dauphiné, e.g...
as Vols. XXIV and XXV of Mémoires de la Société archéologique de Touraine.
In 1708 Martène and his fellow Benedictine, Ursin Durand
Ursin Durand
Ursin Durand was a French Benedictine of the Maurist Congregation, and historian.He took vows in the monastery of Marmoutier at the age of nineteen and devoted himself especially to the study of diplomatics...
, were commissioned to ransack the archives of France and Belgium for materials for the forthcoming revised edition of the Gallia Christiana
Gallia Christiana
The Gallia Christiana, a type of work of which there have been several editions, is a documentary catalogue or list, with brief historical notices, of all the Catholic dioceses and abbeys of France from the earliest times, also of their occupants....
, proposed by the prior of Sainte-Marthe. The numerous documents gathered by them from about eight hundred abbeys and one hundred cathedrals were incorporated in the abovementioned work or in the five volumes of the Thesaurus novus anecdotorum (Paris, 1717). The results of a journey made through the Netherlands and Germany for the purpose of documentary research were embodied by the two scholars in the nine folio volumes of Veterum scriptorum et monumentorum ecclesiasticorum et dogmaticorum amplissima collectio.(Paris, 1724-33). Finally, the sixth volume of the Annales Ordinis S. Benedicti (Paris, 1739) is the work of Martène alone.