Mabillon, JEAN, a learned Benedictine, born 23d November 1632, at St Pierremont, in Champagne. He studied at St Remy, in 1653 entered the Benedictine order, was placed in 1658 in the monastery at Corbie, in 1663 became keeper of the monuments at St Denis, and from 1664 worked, with stupendous erudition, in the abbey of St Germain-des-Prés at Paris. Here he died, 27th December 1707. He made many journeys into Germany and Italy for purposes of research. He aided
D'Achéry in the preparation of his vast historical collection, the Spicilegium; undertook an edition of the works of St Bernard (1667); and constructed a general history of his order, Acta Sanctorum ordinis S. Benedicti in sæculorum classes distributa (9 vols. folio, 1668-1701). His classical work De Re Diplomatica appeared at Paris in 1681. Other works are Vetera Analacta (1675-85), Musæum Italicum (1687-89), and Annales ordinis S. Benedicti (6 vols. folio, 1703-39). His posthumous works, including many letters, appeared at Paris (3 vols. 1724).
See Ruinart, Vie de Jean Mabillon (1709); Chavin de Malan, Histoire de Dom Mabillon et de la Congrégation de Saint-Maur (1843); Jadart, Dom Jean Mabillon (1879); and E. de Broglie, Mabillon, 1664-1707 (1888).