Mesplede, Louis

Mesplede, Louis a French canonist, was born at Cahors about 1601. He became a Dominican monk, was made a prior, and then a provincial of Languedoc; but in the latter capacity he had to contend with many difficulties, and failed in his efforts to bring about a general reform of the order to which he belonged. He died at Cahors in 1663. The following works of his, written in tolerably good Latin, deserve our notice: Quaerela apologetica provincice Occitanice Ordinis Prcedicatorum (Cahors, 1624, 4to) :- Catalaunia Gallice vindicata, adversus Iispaniarum scriptorum imposturas (Paris, 1643, 8vo): — Notitia antiqui status Ordinis Praedicatorum (Paris, 1643, 8vo; reprinted in Cahors, 1644, with appendices, under the title Commonitorium de Ordinis Prcedicatorum Renovatione). See Echard et Quetif, Script. Ord. Prcedicat; Bayle, Diet. Crit. s.v.; Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, s.v.