PARIS, pieri7is', GASTON (l S39-1!103) . A French philolo,r4ist, born at Avony, son of Paulin Paris. Ile studied 11ornanee philology for two years at Gottingen and Bonn, where he was for a While associated with the illustrious founder of modern Romance philology, Friedrieh Diet. Having gone back to France, he worked at the Parisian Ecole des Charles anl 6.ean director of the Ecole des Haute, He gave to his department of it such fan I. that students came to him from all p.ut. of the world. lie was also soon associated with the work in the do France. and sue ceeded to the chair of his father when the latter retired in IS72. lie was one of the staff of the Berne Critique from Is,rol to death. and in 1-'72 with his life-long fellow-worker, Paul I 4 founded the Romania. one of the most important of the Romance journal,. In Is95 Professor Paris was made director of the Colli;ge de France, and in 1s90 he was elected to the French Aead einy. He had long been a member of 114. In stitute. Since Sainte-Bouve. who gave little at tenth n to the linguistic side, the Fren"11 nation had had no critic so great as Easton Paris. In him the philologist and the lover beauty WI re at one. Paris was reared among literary men. Toward the end of his life he was at the heal of scientific literary criticism in France. lle had no showy theories, but his discoveries were many, and his knowledge was so wide that other great scholars were loath to assail his views. Yet his influence, which had been won by hi. ste.ol fastly scientific attitude. and by the rra/deration. (dearness. and charm of hi< thought, ereated no doetrinary school. Ile had rare personal
dignity. a keen but sober wit, an extraordinary memory, and a wide acimminto nee with men. Paris devoted Inn self mainly to the la71,91:11f0 and literature of France. Ile excened only in textual criticism, but in tea/ hing ml in arousing a sound love of old literature. hi 1902 Paris became head editor of the Joaraa/ des Sarants, and had other great work on hand when he died in Cannes. March 5. 1903. the most of Romance isith disciples in all civilized countries. Sonic of the more important of his productions, besides the mani fold articles to be fontul in the Roman' and other reviews. are: Etude scar Ir r,ile de rare,' t latin dans la langue franeaiw • l'zr2; 1,w 15913) ; Pscuda-Turpino 11'4651 : •re poetique de l'harlfmane (1'0;5 ; t,g orientaux dans to lithrature f du moo. 11 City 11575) ; Le in tit l'oue( t la ampule ()arse (1S7 ; 1.a pa.sie au niog.a ogt (15s5) : 1.a lit trot t rc franraise du moron Paris.
PoOncs et b'g•ndes du morn u oaf (19001 1'00,s et pcns, ars (1S961. his most fascinating work is hi- biograp}y and literary estimate of Francois Villon 1901). Anumg the notable texts edited by hint are the 1 ie de Saint .11c.ris, with L. Pannier (1872: new ed. 1ss71, a rcinarkable work, and the E.rt rails d, 1.1 mot de Poland also 1.14..r/in. and L,-.s m de Ore M7MC. CODSUlt : Todd, "Gaston Paris, Ro mance Philologist and Member of the Fretidi Aeademy." in Publications of tin lan guage Association, vol. zii. (Baltimore, 1S97) ; and Romania for April (Paris, 1903).