BEAUMANOIR

beaumanoir, philippe de remi, sire de (c. 1250-1296), french jurist, was born in the early part of the 13th century and died in 1296. the few facts known regarding his life are to be gathered from legal documents in which his name occurs. from these it appears that in 1273 he filled the post of _bailli_ at senlis, and in 1280 held a similar office at clermont. he is also occasionally referred to as presiding at the assizes held at various towns. his great work is entitled _coutumes de beauvoisis_ and first appeared in 1690, a second edition with introduction by a.a. beugnot being published in 1842. it is regarded as one of the best works bearing on old french law, and was frequently referred to with high admiration by montesquieu. beaumanoir also obtained fame as a poet, and left over 20,000 verses, the best known of his poems being _la manekine_, _jehan et blonde_ and _salut d'amour_.