CHARPENTIER, FRANcOIS 702), French archaeologist and man of letters, was born in Paris. In his Excel lence de la langue f rancaise (1683) he anticipated Perrault in the famous academical dispute concerning the relative merit of the ancients and moderns. He is credited with a share in the produc tion of the magnificent series of medals that commemorate the principal events of the age of Louis XIV.