BEACONSFIELD, Wei:ins-red or be kons-feld, Benjamin Disraeli (Emu. or), Eng lish statesman: b. 21 Dec. 1804; d. 19 April 1881. He was the eldest son of Isaac D'Israeli (see DISRAELI, ISAAC), the well-known author of the 'Curiosities of Literature' ; his mother also being of Jewish race. Little is recorded of his early education, though it is certain he never attended a public school or a university. After the death of his father in 1816, Isaac D'Israeli abandoned the principles of Judaism; and young Benjamin was in 1817 baptized into the Church of England. He was apprenticed to a firm of attorneys, but did not remain long in this uncongenial occupation. His father's posi tion gained him an easy entrance into society, and before he was 20 he was a frequenter of such salons as those of Lady Blessington, and he became a well known man about town.
In 1826 he published 'Vivian Grey,' his first novel, a work which became very popular, and, considering the youth of its author, dis plays remarkable cleverness and knowledge of the world. He now traveled for some time, visiting Italy, Greece, Turkey and Syria and gaining experiences which were afterward re produced in his books. In 1831 another novel, 'The Young Duke,' came from his pen. It was followed by
His father having acquired a residence near High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, young Dis raeli attempted to get elected for this borough in 1832. He came forward as a Radical or- °people's) candidate as against the Whigs, and he was supported by the Tories, as well as by Hume and O'Connell, but was defeated. At the general election after the passing of the Reform Bill he again •unsuccessfully contested High Wycombe, and the like ill-fortune attended him on another attempt in 1835, as also at Taunton the same year. On the latter occasion he ap peared in the character of a decided Tory, and his change of political opinions naturally oc casioned a good deal of comment. To this
period belongs the noted passage of arms be tween him and O'Connell, which was signalized by a strength of language happily rare between public men in these days.
At last, however, he gained an entrance to the House of Commons, being elected for Maidstone in 1837. His first speech was treated with ridicule; he had to stop abruptly and sit down, but he finished with the prophetic dec laration that the time would come when the House would hear him. In 1839 he married the widow of his colleague in the representa tion of Maidstone, a lady 15 years older than himself. The union was a very happy one. At the general election of 1841 he was sent to Par liament by Shrewsbury. He had now gained some reputation, and for some years he was an enthusiastic supporter of Sir Robert Peel. About this time he became leader of what wa.s known as the °Young England" party, the most prominent characteristic of which was a sort of sentimental advocacy .of feudalism. This spirit showed itself in his two novels of (Con ingsby; or, The New Generation,' and (Sybil; or, The New Nation,' published respectively in 1844 and 1845.
For some years previous to the downfall of Sir Robert Peel in 1846 he was most persistent and bitter in his hostility to this statesman, whom he had so recently supported, being the advocate of protection against the free-trade policy of Sir Robert. His clever but truculent speeches of this period greatly increased his reputation, and by 1847 he was recognized as one of the leaders of the Tory party. He pur chased the manor of Hughenden in Bucking hamshire, was in the above year elected for this county, and retained his seat till raised to the peerage nearly 30 years later. In 1847 he published his novel of (Tancred; or, The New Crusade,' a somewhat extravagant pro duction containing enigmatic allusions to the great °Asian mystery." In 1852 he published (Lord George Bentinck, a Political Biog raphy) of the Protectionist leader in the Com mons.