, ▁and ▁brought ▁a ▁singular ly ▁clear ▁mind ▁to ▁bear ▁on ▁his ▁favour ite ▁study ▁of ▁medieval ▁French ▁literature . ▁His ▁Vie ▁de ▁saint ▁Alex is ▁( 1 8 7 2 ) ▁broke ▁new ▁ground ▁and ▁provided ▁a ▁model ▁for ▁future ▁edit ors ▁of ▁medieval ▁texts . ▁It ▁included ▁the ▁original ▁text ▁and ▁the ▁variations ▁of ▁it ▁d ating ▁from ▁the ▁ 1 2 th , ▁ 1 3 th ▁and ▁ 1 4 th ▁centuries . ▁He ▁contributed ▁largely ▁to ▁the ▁Histoire ▁litt éra ire ▁de ▁la ▁France , ▁and ▁with ▁Paul ▁Meyer ▁published ▁Roman ia , ▁a ▁journal ▁devoted ▁to ▁the ▁study ▁of ▁Rom ance ▁literature . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 7 ▁Gast on ▁Paris ▁was ▁invited ▁to ▁Sweden ▁for ▁the ▁ 4 0 0 th ▁anni versary ▁of ▁the ▁U ps ala ▁University , ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁made ▁an ▁honor ary ▁doctor . ▁Before ▁returning ▁home ▁he ▁also ▁visited ▁Krist ian ia ▁( Os lo ) ▁to ▁take ▁part ▁in ▁a ▁celebr ation ▁of ▁the ▁Norwegian ▁phil os opher ▁Marcus ▁Jacob ▁Mon rad . ▁At ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Krist ian ia ▁Gast on ▁Paris ▁also ▁held ▁a ▁lecture ▁about ▁the ▁two ▁fol kt ale ▁collect ors , ▁As b j ør ns en ▁and ▁Mo e , ▁which ▁he ▁believed ▁to ▁be , ▁besides ▁the ▁Gr imm ▁Brothers , ▁the ▁best ▁re - t ellers ▁of ▁the ▁genre . ▁ ▁He ▁received ▁the ▁German ▁Order ▁Pour ▁le ▁M ér ite ▁( c ivil ▁class ) ▁in ▁August ▁