DUBOS

This article appears in Volume V08, Page 627 of the Encyclopedia Britannica.

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DUBOS , JEAN-BAPTISTE (1670-1742), French author, was born at Beauvais in December 167o. After studying for the church, he renounced theology for the study of public law and politics. He was employed by M. de Torcy, minister of foreign affairs, and by the regent and Cardinal Dubois in several

secret

SECRET (Lat. secretum, hidden, concealed)

missions, in which he acquitted himself with

great

GREAT

success. He was rewarded with a pension and several benefices. Having obtained these, he retired from political life, and devoted himself to history and literature. He gained such distinction as an author that in 1720 he was elected a member of the French

Academy

ACADEMY, GREEK
ACADEMY, ROYAL

, of which, in 1723, he was appointed perpetual secretary in the room of M. Dacier. He died at Paris on the 23rd of March 1742, repeating as he expired the well-known remark of an ancient, " Death is a law, not a punishment." His first

work

WORK

was L'Histoire des quatre Gordiens prouvee et illustree par des medailles (Paris, 1695, 12mo), which, in spite of its ingenuity, did not succeed in altering the common

opinion

OPINION (Lat. opinio, from opinari, to think)

, which only admits three emperors of this name. About the commencement of the war of 1701, being charged with different negotiations both in Holland and in England, with the

design

DESIGN (Fr. desiin, drawing; Lat. designare, to mark out)

to. engage these powers if possible to adopt a pacific line of policy, he, in order to promote the objects of his mission, published a

work

WORK

entitled Les Interests de l'Angleterre mal entendus daps la guerre presente (Amsterdam, 1703, 12m0). But as this work contained indiscreet disclosures, of which the enemy took advantage, and predictions which were not fulfilled, a wag took occasion to remark that the title ought to be read thus: Les Interests de l'Angleterre mal entendus par l''abbe Dubos. It is remarkable as containing a distinct prophecy of the revolt of the American colonies from

Great

GREAT

Britain. His next work was L'Histoire de la Ligue de Cambray (Paris, 1709, 1728 and 1785, 2 vols. 12mo), a full, clear and interesting history, which obtained the commendation of Voltaire. In 1734 he published his Histoire critique de l'etablissement de la monarchie franQaise clans les Gaules (3 vols. 4to)a work the object of which was to prove that the Franks had entered Gaul; not as conquerors, but at the request of the nation, which, according to him, had called them in to govern it. But this system, though unfolded with a degree of skill and ability which at first procured it many zealous partisans, was victoriously refuted by

Montesquieu

MONTESQUIEU, CHARLES LOUIS DE SECONDAT, BARON DE LA BREDE ET DE (1689-1755)

at the end of the thirtieth book of the Esprit des lois. His Rejiexions critiques sur la poesie et sur la peinture, published for the first time in 1719 (2 vols. 12mo), but often reprinted in three volumes, constitute one of the works in which the theory of the arts is explained with the utmost sagacity and discrimination. Like his history of the League of Cambray, it was highly praised by Voltaire. The work was rendered more remarkable by the fact that its author had no

practical

PRACTICAL

acquaintance with any one of the arts whose principles he discussed. Besides the works above enumerated, a manifesto of

Maximilian

MAXIMILIAN
MAXIMILIAN (1832—1867)

, elector of Bavaria, against the emperor

Leopold

LEOPOLD (M.H. Ger. Liupolt; O.H. Ger. Liupald, from hut, Mod. Ger. Leute, " people," and paid, " bold," i.e. " bold for the people ")

, relative to the succession in Spain, has been
attributed to Dubos, chiefly, it appears, from the excellence of the style.

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