▁a ▁French ▁writer ▁and ▁scholar . ▁He ▁was ▁nominated ▁for ▁the ▁Nobel ▁Prize ▁in ▁Liter ature ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 1 , ▁ 1 9 0 2 ▁and ▁ 1 9 0 3 . ▁ ▁Biography ▁Paris ▁was ▁born ▁at ▁Aven ay ▁( Mar ne ), ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁Paul in ▁Paris ▁( 1 8 0 0 – 1 8 8 1 ), ▁an ▁important ▁scholar ▁of ▁medieval ▁French ▁literature . ▁In ▁his ▁child hood , ▁Gast on ▁learned ▁to ▁appreciate ▁Old ▁French ▁roman ces ▁as ▁po ems ▁and ▁stories , ▁and ▁this ▁early ▁imp ulse ▁for ▁the ▁study ▁of ▁Rom ance ▁literature ▁was ▁placed ▁on ▁a ▁solid ▁basis ▁by ▁courses ▁of ▁study ▁at ▁Bonn ▁( 1 8 5 6 ) ▁and ▁at ▁the ▁É cole ▁des ▁chart es . ▁ ▁Paris ▁taught ▁French ▁grammar ▁in ▁a ▁private ▁school , ▁later ▁succeed ing ▁his ▁father ▁as ▁professor ▁of ▁medieval ▁French ▁literature ▁at ▁the ▁Coll ège ▁de ▁France ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 2 ; ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 6 ▁he ▁was ▁admitted ▁to ▁the ▁Academy ▁of ▁In scri ptions ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 6 ▁to ▁the ▁Ac adémie ▁française ; ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 5 ▁he ▁was ▁appointed ▁director ▁of ▁the ▁Coll ège ▁de ▁France . ▁He ▁won ▁a ▁European ▁reputation ▁as ▁a ▁Rom ance ▁scholar . ▁He ▁had ▁lear nt ▁German ▁methods ▁of ▁exact ▁research , ▁but ▁besides ▁being ▁an ▁accurate ▁phil ologist ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁literary ▁critic ▁of ▁great ▁ac umen ▁and ▁bread th ▁of ▁view