RUINART
223
RUIZ
Ruinart, Thierry (Theodore), church historian
and theologian, b. at Reims 10 June, 1657; d. at
the Abbej' of Hautvillers near Reims, 27 September,
1709. "After completing his classical studies he en-
tered (2 October, 1674) the Maurist Congregation
of the Benedictine Order at the Abbey of Saint-
Remy at Reims which, in that era, produced in
France a brilliant company of distinguished scholars.
His seriousness, deep piety, and fine intellectual
gifts soon made him known throughout his order, and
Mabillon requested the superiors to give him Ruinart
as a fellow-worker. Thus in 1682 he came to the
Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Pres, near Paris, where
Mabillon was staying and, under the guidance of
this great investigator, became one of the most
eminent church historians and critics of his time.
The first large, important work that Thierry Ruinart undertook was the publication of the Acts of the martyrs that he regarded as genuine: "Acta primorum martyrum sincera et selecta" (many editions; first ed. Paris, 1689; last ed., Ratisbon, 1859). Taken as a whole the collection is not sur- passed even to-day, though individual documents are not regarded as genuine by the keener criticism of modern times. In the introduction he ably dis- cussed the authorities for the history of the martyrs, the Christian persecutions, and in doing this refuted the opinion propounded by Dodwoll ("De paucitate martyrum", Oxford, 1684), that there were onlj' a small number of martyrs in the early Church. A suj)i)lciiicnt to his work was published by Le Blant ("Les actcs dcs martyrs", Paris, 1883, in "Memoires de rinstitut de France", XXX). After the "Acta" he publi-shed the "Historia persecutionis Van- dalicffi" of Victor of Vita, to which he added an ex- haustive discussion of the persecution of the CathoUcs in Africa at the hands of the Vandals (Paris, 1694; Venice, 1732).
After this he edited the works of St. Gregory of Tours (S. Gregorii Florentii episcopi Turon. opera omnia) and the chronicle of Fredegar (Paris, 1699), with a comprehensive introduction and a large number of notes. With Mabillon he published volumes VIII and IX of the "Acta Sanctorum ord. S. Benedict i" (Paris, 1700-01). In this same period he prepared his "Apologie de la mission de Saint-Maur" (Paris, 1702) as a contribution to the history of the Bene- dictine Order in France. He published the treatise "Ecclesia Parisiensis vindicata" (Paris, 1706), in defence of Mabillon's work, "De re diplomatica", which had Ix'cn attacked by Bartholomew Germon. Mabillon had begun, but had not been able to com- plete, a new edition of the "De re diplomatica"; this edition was now issued by Ruinart, who published in connexion with it an "Abr6g6 de la vie de J. Mabillon" (Paris, 1709). At the same time he had undertaken the continuation of the "Annales ord. S. Benedicti" and carried it further by nearly completing the fifth volume.
While on a journey made during the year 1709, which he undertook to gather further material for this work, he was taken ill and died. The fifth volume, just mentioned, was edited (Paris, 1713) by Massuet after Ruinart 's death. Several manu- scripts left by Mabillon and Ruinart were edited by Thuillier ("Ouvrages j)()sthumes de Mabillon et Ruinart", three volumes, Paris, 1724). Among these were three treatises by Ruinart: "Iter literariuni in Alsatiam et Lotharingiam " ; "De palHo arcliiei)is- copali"; "Vita S. Urbani, pp. 11". The letters of the distinguished scholar were edited by Valery, "Correspondance in^dite de Mabillon et de Mont- faucon" (three volumes, Paris, 1846), by Jadart in his biography of Ruinart (see below), and by Gigas, "Lettres des B^nedictins de Saint- Maur, 1652-1741" (three volumes, Copenhagen, 1S92-93).
Massuet, Biog. de Ruinart in Anruilcs ord. S. Benedicti V
(Paris, 1713); Jadart, £)om Th. Ruinart (Paris, 1886); Brogue,
Mabillon et la societe de Saint-Germain-des-Pres (2 vols., Paris
1888); HuRTER, Nomenclator, IV (3rd ed., Innsbruck, 1910)1
J. P. KiRSCH.
Ruiz de Alaxcon y Mendoza, Juan de, Spanish (h-amatic poet, b. at Mexico City, about 1580; d. at Madrid, 4 August, 1639. He received his elementary education in Mexico and finished his studies at the University of Salamanca, obtaining the degree of Bachelor of Laws. In 1606, he removed to Seville with the object of practising his profession, and re- mained in that city for three years. \Miile there his friends and associates were the men of letters of the city, among them the illustrious Miguel Cervantes Saavedra, with whom he formed a close friendship. The years between 1609 and 1611 he passed in his native country. Returning to Spain, he settled in Madrid. A few years before Philip II had trans- ferred his court to that city, and it was not long before Alarc6n's dreams of a prominent position at the bar were shattered, for he saw that only through intrigue and adulation could he hope for preferment. This being distasteful to a man of his tenii)orament, he turned to writing for the stage, attracted by the suc- cess of Lope de Vega, Gabriel Tellez (Tirso de Molina), and others of that period, which was so rich in literary masters. He was successful almost from the start. Unfortunately, lie gained as well the envy and enmity of some of the poets of the time, among them Lope de \'ega, Gongora, and Montalvdn, who lampooned him mercilessly. After his death he was gradually forgot- ten, save by plagiarists, who could safely pilfer from his unread works. Posterity, however, has given him his due, and he is considered the first gi-eat literary product of the New World and perhajis even to this day, one of the greatest. He is admittedly in the foremost rank of Spanish dramatists, being surpassed, if at all, only by Lojjc de Vega and Caldcron. Alarc6n was the author of many i)lays, all of them master- pieces. Among the best known are: "Truth Sus- pected", which drew forth the highest praise from Corneille, who used it as a basis for his " Le Menteur " ; "Walls have Ears" was meant to ridicule the habits of go.ssip and slander; "The Weaver of Segovia", a drama of intrigue and passion, in two parts, the first of which has been attributed to another author, being so much inferior to the second. In general his plays are distinguished by their ingenious plots, moral tone, vigorous and pure style, and purity of versification.
Hartzenbdsch, Comedias de J. Ruiz de Alarcon y Mendoza (1852); Antonio, Bihliotheca hispana nova (Madrid, 1783-88); Latocr, Espagne, tradition, mceurs et litlerature (18G9); Guerre y Orbe, D. J. R. de Alarcdn y Mendoza (Madrid, 1871).
Ventura Fuentes.
Ruiz de Montoya, Antonio, one of the most dis- tinguished jjioneers of the original Jesuit mission in Paraguay, and a remarkable linguist; b. at Lima, Peru, on 13 June, 1585; d. there 11 April, 1652. After a youth full of wild and daring pranks and adventures he entered the Society of Jesus on 1 November, 1606. In the same year he accompanied Father Diego Torres, the first provincial of Paraguay, to this mission, where he laboured for thirty years as one of its most capabh; and successful apostles. Father Ruiz de Montoya was one of the true type of great Spanish missionaries of that era, who, as if made of cast-iron, united a burning zeal for .souls with an incredible fewness of wants aiul great power of work. In co-operation with Fathers Cataldino and Mazeta he founded the Redu(;tions of Guayra, brought a number of wild tribes into the Church, and is said to have baptized personally 100,000 Indians. As head of the missions he had charge from 1620 of the "reductions" on the upper and middle course of the Parana, on the Uruguay, and the Tape, and iidded thirteen further "reductions" to the twenty-six al-
