DUPIN, Louis ELLIES, a distinguished French writer, was born on the 17th June 1657, at Paris. After studying in the College of Harcourt at a very early age, he entered the Sorbonne with a view to the ecclesiastical profession ; devoted him self there to the study of the ecclesiastical writers of antiquity, and became lecturer on moral philo sophy in the University of Paris. His life was a troubled one. He died at Paris, June 6th, 17 tg, at the age of 62. Dupin was a good theologian, a laborious and learned writer. His spirit was good and moderate in religious matters ; his sentiments in advance of his church. But he had a flexibility in retracting obnoxious sentiments which cannot be justified. His principal work is Nouvelle Bibliotheque des auteurs ecclesiastiques, contenant l'historie de leer vie, le catalogue, la critique, la chroxologie de leurs ouvnzges, 43 vols.
Svo, t6SS, et sgq. ; reprinted in 21 vols. 4to. To this may be added a continuation by Gouget, containing the ihth century, 3 vols. Svo. The plan of this work is excellent, and the author's judgments generally just and impartial Mistakes and marks of haste are numerous. In biblical literature he produced .Liberpsalmorum, cuss notiis
quibzu eorunt senses litteralis exprimitur, 1691, Svo ; .Le hire de psaumes traduits scion Phebreu, 1691 and 1710, 12M0 ; Notre izz Pentateuchunz, 17ot, Svo. He published many other works, theological and not theological ; and edited the writings of Gerson, Chancellor of Paris, as well as those of Optatus of Milevi.—S. D.
DURA (Nin ; Sept. AEetpci), a plain in the province of Babylon where Nebuchadnezzar set up his golden image (Dan. iii. t). The word means ' a plain' or circuit' ; and it would seem from the narrative in Daniel that it was not far distant from Babylon. There is a spacious plain still called Dura on the left bank of the Tigris, about 7o geo graphical miles north of Bagdad ; but, as it is at least 12o miles distant from Babylon, it could scarcely be that referred to in the Scriptures. Another Dura is mentioned by Polybius (v. 48) as situated on the Euphrates, near the mouth of the river Chaboras, but it is also too far distant. The true site of Dura must be sought in the neighbour hood of Babylon (Layard, Nineveh and Babylon 469, sq. )—J. L. P.