DUBOS, JEAN-BAPTISTE, was born at Beauvais in December 1670. He began to study theology, but soon abandoned it for politics. He was employed by M. Do Torcy, minister of foreign affairs, ou several secret negociations with the governments of England, Holland, Ger many, and Italy. His services were rewarded by a pension and by several benefices. Having retired from his political avocations, he devoted himself entirely to literature. In 1720 he was admitted into the Academy, of which two years later he became secretary fel. life. He died at Paris in 1742, after a long illness.
The work by which ho is chiefly known, ‘Rdflexions Critiques sur la Po5sie et sur in Peinture,' is in its kind, and for its time, excellent. He first inquires into the cause of the flue arts, and discovers it in the love of excitement which is naturally implanted iu the human breast : man, ho thinks, would rather be unpleasantly excited than not excited at all. He then proceeds to the cause of the pleasure felt in witnessing tragical representations. lie observes that, from the before-named love of excitement, people are fond of looking at executions, &c., and concludes that a method should he devised by which we may have tho excitement without the subsequent painful reflection that a fellow creature has been suffering intensely. This end is accomplished by
tragedy or a tragical picture, where the suffering, being feigned, leaves behind no feeling of regret. Keeping this principle in view, he goes on to inquire what are the proper aubjects for poetry and painting, using as the standard of his judgment the greater or less degree of excitement occasioned by such and such subjects. His discussions whether the hero of a tragedy should be a person of ancient or modern history, on the appropriate use of allegories, and aimilar topics, are managed in the pleasantest style possible, and are besides, if we make due allowance for the French dramatic prejudices, very instructive, as well for the critical views which they contain as for the historical aaeedotea with which they are illustrated. Dubos is also known as an historian by his ' Histoire de la Ligue de Catnbrni,' and De l'Establissement de la Monarchie Francais° dabs les Gaules,' works which were admired by some of his contemporaries and alighted by others.