DUCANGE, Charles Dufresne, Seigneur (16ΙΟΙ 6 88), a most learned historical and philological writer, was born at Amiens, December 18,1610. His father, who was royal provost of Beauquesne, sent him at an early age to the Jesuits’ College in Amiens, where he soon distinguished himself. Having completed the usual course at this seminary, he applied himself to the study of law at Orleans, and afterwards went to Paris, where he was received as advocate before the parliament in August 1631. Meeting with little success as a barrister, he returned to his native district, where he applied himself to the study of history. After the death of his father, Ducange married at Amiens, on 19th July 1638, Catherine Du Bois, daughter of a treasurer of France; and, in 1647, he purchased the office of his father-in-law, the duties of which in no degree interfered with the great literary works in which he had engaged. The plague, which in 1668 desolated Amiens, forced him to leave that city. He established himself at Paris, where he continued to reside until his death, which occurred on the 23d October 1688. In the archives of Paris he was enabled to consult charters, diplomas, titles, manuscripts, and a multitude of printed documents, which were not to be met with elsewhere. His industry was exemplary and unremitting; and the number of his literary works would be incredible, if the originals, all written in his own hand, were not still extant. He was distinguished above nearly all the writers of his time by his linguistic acquirements, his accurate and varied knowledge, and his critical sagacity. Of his numerous published works noted below the most important are the Glossarium ad Scriptores mediae et infimae Latinitatis and his Glossarium ad Scriptores mediae et infimae Graecitatis, ...which are indispensable aids to the student of the history and literature of the Middle Ages. To the three volumes of Ducange’s Latin glossary three supplementary volumes were added by the Benedictines of St Maur (1733), and a further addition of four volumes was made by Carpentier, a Benedictine, in 1766. The edition published at Paris in that year accordingly consisted of ten volumes. The edition by G. A. L. Henschel (8 vols., Paris, 1840-46) includes those supplements and further additions by the editor.
Ducange published the following works :—1. Histoire de ΓEm∙ {>ire de Constantinople sous les Empereurs François. Paris, 1657, olio. 2. Traité Historique du Chef de S. Jean-Baptiste. Paris, 1666, 4to. 3. Histoire de S. Louis, Roi de France, écrite par Jean, sire de Joinville. Paris, 1668, folio. 4. Joannis Cinnaιni Historiarum de rebus gestis a Joanne et Manuele Comnenis libri VI., Graece et Latine, cum Notis historicis et philologicis. Paris, 1670, folio. 5. Mémoire sur le projet d’un nouveau Recueil des Historiens de France, avec le plan général de ce Recueil, inserted in the Bibliothèque Historique de la France, by Père belong. 6. Glossarium ad Scriptores mediae et infimae Latinitatis. Paris, 1678, 3 vols. fol. 7. Lettre du Sieur N., Conseiller du Roi, à son ami Μ. Ant. Wion d’Herouval, au sujet des Libelles qui de temps en tempe se publient en Flandres contre les RR. PP. Henschenius et Papebroch, Jésuites. Paris, 1682, 4to. 8. Historia Byzantina duplici Commentario illustrata. Paris, 1680, fol. 9. Joannis Zonarae Annales ab exordio Mundi ad mortem Alexii Comneni, Graece et Latine, cum Notis. Paris, 1686, 2 vols. fol. 10. Glossarium ad Scriptores mediae et infimae Graecitatis. Paris, 2 vols. fol. 11. Chronicon Paschale a Mundo condito ad Heraclii Imperatoris annum vigesimum. Paris, 1689, fol. The last work was passing through the press when Ducange died; and, on his decease, it was edited by Baluze, and published with an eloge of the author prefixed.' His autograph manuscripts, and his extensive and valuable library, passed to his eldest son, Philippe Dufresne, who died unmarried, four years after. François Dufresne, the second son, and two sisters, then received the succession and sold the library, when the greater part of the manuscripts was purchased by the Abbé Du Champs, who handed them over to a bookseller called Mariette, who re-sold part of them to Baron Hohendorf. The remaining part was acquired by D’Hozier, the genealogist. But the French Government, aware of the importance of all the writings of Ducange, succeeded, after much trouble, in collecting the greater portion of these manuscripts, which were preserved in the Imperial library of Paris. Among these manuscripts was one entitled Gallia, a work of great erudition, being a history of France, divided into seven epochs, with a number of dissertations.
See Feugère’s Essai sur la vie et les ouvrages de Ducange (Paris, 1852).
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