DUBOIS, GUILLAUME 23 ), French cardinal and statesman, was born at Brive, Correze, on Sept. 6, 1656. He re ceived the tonsure at the age of 13, was educated at the college of St. Michel at Paris, and became tutor to the young duke of Char tres, afterwards duke of Orleans. When his pupil became regent (1715) Dubois, who had for some years acted as his secretary, was made councillor of state and the chief power passed into his hands.
His policy was steadily directed towards maintaining the peace of Utrecht. To counteract Alberoni's intrigues for the aggrandize ment of Spain, he suggested an alliance with England, and suc ceeded in negotiating the Triple Alliance (ii). In 1719 he sent an army into Spain, and forced Philip V. to dismiss Alberoni. Otherwise his policy remained that of peace. Dubois's success strengthened him against the bitter opposition of a large section of the court. In spite of his dissolute life he asked the regent to give him the archbishopric of Cambray. His demand was sup ported by George I., and the regent yielded. In one day all the usual orders were conferred on him, and even Massillon consented to take part in the ceremonies. After long and most profitable negotiations on the part of Pope Clement XI., the red hat was given to him by Innocent XIII. (1721), whose election was largely due to the bribes of Dubois. This cardinalate cost France about 8,000,000 francs. In the following year he was named first min ister of France (August).
When Louis XV. attained his majority in 1723 Dubois remained chief minister. He had accumulated an immense private fortune, possessing in addition to his see the revenues of seven abbeys. He died at Versailles on Aug. 1o, 1723. His portrait was thus drawn by the duc de St. Simon :-"He was a little, pitiful, wiz ened, herring-gutted man, in a flaxen wig, with a weasel's face, brightened by some intellect. All the vices-perfidy, avarice, de bauchery, ambition, flattery-fought within him for the mastery. He was so consummate a liar that, when taken in the fact, he could brazenly deny it." This famous picture is certainly biased. Dubois, in spite of his vices, gave France peace after the disastrous wars of Louis XIV.
In 1789 appeared Vie privee du Cardinal Dubois, attributed to one of his secretaries, Mongez, and in 1815 his Memoires secrets et correspondance inedite, edited by L. de Sevelinges. See also A. Cheruel, Saint-Simon et l'abbe Dubois; L. Wiesener, Le Regent, L'abbe Dubois et les Anglais (1891) ; and memoirs of the time.