740 



DUBOIS. 



principal public structures, are generally brick, and 

 from three to five stories high. In the old part of 

 the city, the streets are irregular, although those 

 which range parallel to, and at right angles with, 

 the Liffey, are uniform and capacious. 



Few cities of its sue can boast of a greater number 

 of magnificent and useful buildings. The castle, 

 which was completed and flanked with towers in 

 1213, is situated about the centre of the city, and is 

 tin- M-at of government. The castle chapel, recently 

 rebuilt, is an exquisite specimen of Gothic architec- 

 ture. The other public buildings are, the royal ex- 

 change, the commercial buildings, the corn exchange 

 or burgh-quay, the linen hall, the custom-house (in 

 front 375 by 209 feet), the stamp-office, the post- 

 office, and the parliament house (now converted into 

 the national bank). Opposite to the east front of 

 the custom-house are the government wet docks ; 

 and adjacent to the post-office is Nelson's pillar, 

 raised to the height of 130 feet. In the centre of 

 college-green is an equestrian statue of William III., 

 erected in 1701. In the Phoenix park, an obelisk, 

 210 feet high, has been erected in honour of the duke 

 of Wellington. On the east side of college-green is 

 the grand front of Trinity college, which is of Port- 

 land stone, of the Corinthian order. This building 

 extends in depth 600 feet. The park is behind the 

 college, and contains 25j acres, adorned with fine 

 trees. Dublin university (viz., its provost, fellows, 

 and scholars, arrived at twenty-one years of age) 

 returned two members to the parliament of Ire- 

 land, and still returns one to that of the United King- 

 dom. 



Dublin contains nineteen parishes, two cathedrals, 

 nineteen parish churches, besides several chapels of 

 the established religion ; two meeting-houses of the 

 church of Scotland, seven of other dissenters, four of 

 Methodists, two of Quakers, one Lutheran Danish, 

 one French Calvinist, and about twenty-six Roman 

 Catholic chapels. St Patrick's cathedral is an an- 

 tique building, in a low and ruinous part of the town, 

 erected in 1190, decorated with a steeple in 1370, 

 and a very lofty spire in 1750. Christ church, built 

 in 1038, the ancient cathedral of Dublin, is another 

 venerable pile, containing some curious monu- 

 ments. St George's church is a superb edifice, lately 

 built, with a magnificent front and lofty spire. No 

 city, for its size, abounds more in charitable institu- 

 tions. These are, in general, well endowed, and 

 some of them are splendid buildings. The royal bar- 

 racks are in the west end of the town, near the river. 

 At the west of the city, opposite to the Phoenix park, 

 is the royal hospital of Kilinainham, for the reception 

 of disabled and superannuated soldiers, on the plan 

 of the Chelsea hospital. Dublin is a corporate body, 

 with a chief magistrate, who has the title of lord 

 mayor, elected annually from the aldermen, who are 

 twenty-five in number, elected for life from citizens 

 who have served as sherifis : two sheriffs are chosen 

 annually from the common council, who are ninety- 

 six in number, and are triennially elected from their 

 respective guilds by the freemen, a very numerous 

 body, amounting to perhaps 2000. The freemen of 

 Dublin, in conjunction with its freeholders, also re- 

 turn two members to the united parliament. The 

 population of Dublin, in 1831, taking its utmost 

 limits, was calculated at 265,316 ; according to other 

 limits it was only 203,752. 



DUBOIS, WILLIAM, cardinal, prime minister of 

 the duke of Orleans, regent of France, was the son 

 of an apothecary, and was born in 1656, in a small 

 town in the province of Limousin. At the age of 

 twelve years, he was sent to Paris ; and, after having 

 studied in the college of St Michael, he obtained the 

 place of private tutor. He afterwards became ac- 



quainted with the sub-tutor of the duke of Cliartres, 

 M. de St Laurent, who, Iiaving become infirm, was 

 assisted in his duties by Dubois. Dubois ingratiated 

 himself into the favour of his pupil, and, after the 

 death of St Laurent, was chosen to succeed him 

 From this time he played two parts that of a tutor 

 and that of a pimp to his young master. Louis XIV. 

 wished to marry his nephew to his natural daughter 

 Mile, de Blois. Monsieur, the king's brother, was 

 not averse to the match, but the king was too well 

 acquainted with the haughty spirit of the duchess to 

 expect her consent. Dubois was therefore employed 

 to gain her and the young prince. His address was 

 successful, and he was rewarded with the abbey of 

 St Just, in Picardy. Louis, who had become sensible 

 of his talents, allowed him to join the French ambas- 

 sador at London. Here the chevalier Dubois made 

 .sonic important acquaintances, through the influence 

 of St Evremont. He was particularly connected 

 with lord Stanhope, whose friendship was the source 

 of his future fortune. Dubois returned to France, 

 and, under the modest title of a secretary, soon be- 

 came the privy councillor of the duke of Orleans, 

 and overseer of his household. He encountered, with 

 success, the numerous obstacles and enemies op- 

 posed to his advancement. 



In 1715, the duke ''was declared regent ; and 

 Dubois, not less ambitious than artful, now ventured 

 to indulge extravagant hopes. In spite of the 

 opposition of the most influential persons, he was 

 appointed by the duke councillor of state. The 

 intrigues of the Spanish court, at that time under the 

 direction of the cardinal A Iberoni, gave, the duke 

 much trouble, and made him desirous of a powerful 

 ally. Dubois directed his attention towards England, 

 and offered to conduct a secret negotiation with the 

 court of that country. His acquaintance with lord 

 Stanhope was now very useful to him. He succeed- 

 ed in overcoming the dislike of George I. to the 

 person of the regent, and, in 1718, concluded the 

 triple alliance between England, France, and Holland. 

 It has been asserted that Dubois sold himself to 

 England ; but this is not true ; on the contrary, it 

 was necessary for him to buy others, to succeed in 

 his negotiations. He was rewarded by the place of 

 minister of foreign affairs, and now began to aspire 

 to the highest dignities of the church. The arch- 

 bishopric of Cambray having become vacant, Dubois 

 ventured to request it of the regent, although he was 

 not even a priest. The regent was astonished at his 

 boldness ; but, as the king of England united with 

 Dubois in his request, he obtained it, and, in one 

 morning, received all the orders, and, a few days 

 after, the archbishopric. By his consummate address, 

 he obtained a cardinal's hat, and, hi 1722, was 

 appointed prime minister. His power had now no 

 bounds ; but his excesses had rendered him infirm. 

 He was scarcely able to get in and out of his carriage, 

 and yet he appeared on horseback for the sake of 

 receiving military honours at a review. The exertion 

 caused an internal injury, of which he died, August 

 10, 1723. 



The duke of St Simon has given an accurate pic- 

 ture of him : " Dubois was a little, thin, meagre 

 man, with a polecat visage. All the vices, falsehood, 

 avarice, licentiousness, ambition, and the meanest 

 flattery, contended in him for the mastery. He lied 

 to such a degree as to deny his own actions, when 

 taken in the fact. Notwithstanding an affected 

 stammering, which he had adopted for the purpose 

 of gaining tune to penetrate the motives of others, 

 his rich, instructive, and insinuating conversation 

 would have rendered him agreeable, had it not been 

 for the mist of falsehood which issued from every 

 pore, and rendered even his gayety unpleasant. lr 



