RECUEIL DES HISTORIENS DES GAULES. - From 1636 to 1649 André and François Duchesne had published a selection of sources relating to the history of France up to the reign of Philip IV the Fair (Historiae Francorum scriptores coaetanei, Paris). But their work, still extremely useful for consultation, was in too many respects incomplete: Chancellor d'Aguessau encouraged the publication of a much larger collection under the direction of Dom Martin Bouquet, a Benedictine of the Congregation of St-Maur.
Eight folio volumes were published, from 1737 to 1752, under the twofold title of Rerum Gallicarum et Francicarum scriptores, and of Recueil des historiens des Gaules et de la France (Paris). The texts, edited in an accurate form and accompanied by learned and appropriate notes, were arranged in rigorously chronological order. To the sources contemporary with the events were added fragments drawn from writings of later date, which therefore do not have the same value from the point of view of testimony. It follows that consultation of the Recueil must be strictly checked by means of a thorough knowledge of the historical sources of each period. Dom Bouquet's work offers the advantage of being provided with indexes drawn up in a most conscientious manner. The chronological tables provide a valuable working tool for historians. After Dom Bouquet's death five volumes appeared from 1757 to 1786. The French Revolution interrupted the task that the Benedictines of St-Maur had undertaken. Under the auspices of the Institute, Dom Briar, who was a member of it, published five volumes from 1806 to 1822. Naudet, Daunou, Guigniaut, de Wailly, L. Deliale and Ch. Jourdain continued the publication, from 1833 to 1904, down to the year 1328. The work therefore comprises 24 volumes in all. At present the Académie des Inscriptions et belles-lettres continues slowly to publish a new series, in quarto format, which comprises a collection of lists of the benefices of the dioceses of France (10 vols., Paris 1903-46), of obituaries (6 vols., Paris 1902-30), of financial documents (2 vols., Paris 1910-30).
Bibliography
Guglielmo Mollet