Background
Paul Meyer was born on January 17, 1840, in Paris.
Paul Meyer was born on January 17, 1840, in Paris.
Meyer was educated at the Lycée Louis le Grand and the École des Chartes, specializing in the Romance languages.
Attached to the manuscript department of the Bibliothèque National, Paris, from 1863, Meyer became professor of southern European languages and literatures at the Collège de France (1876) as well as director of the École des Chartes (school of paleography) in 1882. His initial studies related to Old Provençal 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. (1875–79; "Song of the Crusade Against the Albigensians"). His critical editions include Histoire, 3 vol. (1882–1902; "History"), of Guillaume le Maréchal.
Marie-Paul-Hyacinthe Meyer died on September 7, 1917.
Paul Meyer was a member of the Institute of France, and an associate of the British Academy.