MEYER, (MARIE-)PAUL(-HYACINTHE)

born Jan. 17, 1840, Paris died Sept. 7, 1917, Paris French language and literary scholar and one of the great authorities on the Medieval French and Provenal languages, also noted for his literary histories and critical editions of many medieval works. Attached to the manuscript department of the Bibliothque National, Paris, from 1863, Meyer became professor of southern European languages and literatures at the Collge de France (1876) as well as director of the cole des Chartes (school of paleography) in 1882. His initial studies related to Old Provenal literature, but he subsequently explored many areas of Romance literature. Among his works are Les Derniers Troubadours de la Provence (1872; The Last Troubadours of Provence) and La Chanson de la croisade contre les Albigeois, 3 vol. (187579; Song of the Crusade Against the Albigensians). His critical editions include Histoire, 3 vol. (18821902; History), of Guillaume le Marchal.