CHEVALIER

chevalier, ulysse (1841- ), french bibliographer, was born at rambouillet on the 24th of february 1841. he published a great number of documents relating to the history of dauphine, e.g. the cartularies of the church and the town of die (1868), of the abbey of st andre le-bas at vienne (1869), of the abbey of notre dame at bonnevaux in the diocese of vienne (1889), of the abbey of st chaffre at le monestier (1884), the inventories and several collections of archives of the dauphins of viennais, and a _bibliotheque liturgique_ in six volumes (1893-1897), the third and fourth volumes of which constitute the _repertorium hymnologicum_, containing more than 20,000 articles. but his principal work is the _repertoire des sources historiques du moyen age_. the first part, _bio-bibliographie_ (1877-1886; 2nd ed., 1905), contains the names of all the historical personages alive between the years 1 and 1500 who are mentioned in printed books, together with the precise indication of all the places where they are mentioned. the second part, _topo-bibliographie_ (1894-1903), contains not only the names of places mentioned in books on the history of the middle ages, but, in a general way, everything not included in the _bio-bibliographie_. the _repertoire_ as a whole contains an enormous mass of useful information, and is one of the most important bibliographical monuments ever devoted to the study of medieval history. though a catholic priest and professor of history at the catholic university of lyons, the abbe (afterwards canon) chevalier knew how to maintain an independent critical attitude even in religious questions. in the controversy on the authenticity of the holy shroud (_sudario_) at turin, he worked in the true scientific spirit by tracing back the history of that piece of stuff, which was undoubtedly used as a shroud, but which was not produced before the 14th century and is probably no older (see _le saint suaire de lirey-chambery-turin et les defenseurs de son authenticite_). similarly, in _notre dame de lorette; etude critique sur l'authenticite de la santa casa_ (1906), he dissipated by the aid of authentic documents the legend which had embellished and falsified the primitive history of that sanctuary. chevaux-de-frise (french for "friesland horses"; the dutch _vriesse ruyters_, "frisian horsemen," and german _spanische reiter_, "spanish horsemen"), a military obstacle, originating apparently in the dutch war of independence, and used to close the breach of a fortress, streets, &c. it was formerly often used in field operations as a defence against cavalry; hence the name, as the dutch were weak in the mounted arm and had therefore to check the enemy's cavalry by an artificial obstacle. chevaux-de-frise consist of beams in which are fixed a number of spears, sword-blades, &c., with the points projecting outwards on all sides.