From Whatever standpoint we yield Beacons ill's en reel, we cannot. but be struck With won (lcr. That a .1 enislt novelist slit in butt ute the ack now led eed champion of the BriIlsh ar 1st tie rite seems past all belief. TI is statesmanship \vas of a High order. The Empire, tile ('„n-ti tution—these were the waIelrwords of policy. Ills fort' i_n policy Wit the (•ontiuuation and development of that of CltaIhaut, Pitt, Canning, and i'alnu'rston. essentially aggressive and iin porialist. ills (b lit estic policy Was far ahead of hiss party's, yet lie ma angcd. unlike Peel and I: lad stotie, Who disrupted the party organiznIinit, to lcn(1 it to eoai•('sSions of tvhiclr it had not thought —to `educate it,' as lie himself said. lie found the ('onscrvatiyes a party of obstruction, re aetionary, and out of touch With the times; he left then in line wit Ii modern dctclopmont, and in a position to i nit uginrat,' reforms. _\ Tory in lit' try, lie Was liberal in praytieo. \\ hat else eauld le said of a titan who at this outset of his carver nil voeaspd the estab1ish nit 'at of tire Tiornan ('Lurch in Irelanil, the elifrauehisvutc•nt of the L'ritisI pt's anti' y. the reform of the provincial nil in iii ist rat iin? Di.racli's triumphs in the Ilouse of Commons were largely due to his great skill as an orator anti a dvhater. Ills skill lay in a clear and tliizuilietl presentation of facts, and, abmr all, in his man,•lou, use of wit and satire This rcnr:tmk holds also for his literary works, Ile• ('lii(•f flavor of wlriph lies in tlre Witty imhndnes tion of contemporary ep1dhErities. 'flier often contain h,e;rnrtiful descriptions, but excel in the portrayal of tthat \ti' pall sueiety. Ili' writes Lest iu the language of the salons :it'd club rooars. _\ntong Iii. h.•sl works are I/rnri, llri 7',•ntl1r 115371 ; ('oeti,aliqn/ I lS-l). a viulieation of the Trvrish ray.•; ,vit,ql ( 151t) ; 7'ancrt'd ( 1547 I.
nboiniding in Oricnt;il descriptions; anti l,ofluiir 11R701. a -tors of a niuEheniau, with ineidcntal ticscrilitictns of the life of very exalted lK•r_t nagcs in British s tt'iety ( 15~0). L'ndyntiott is well know ii and cltar.ictemlstic, but tar interior to I'oninysfrt/ and ."sibyl.
Pcrscualy' lie was nimble, cou-tiuit in friend ship, and lttoislt feu discover and aid riterit. In hit youth hp wti cpyetiwtc in dress arid nuinn•rs, but this lie outgrew; he Was always theatrical and fond of attracting attention. ills private life wits shove reproach. lie urarmit'd \Irs. \\• ndhnutr Lewis, a rich widow much older than liiutrsclf. iu I530, lie fotiu.l in her 'tire perfect wife,' and whoa she died in lSGS he felt 'that he had no longer a hoiuc.' Consult: Rrlr(!i•d : pt'ichcs of the Earl of !fyueoirs/icld. ed. by 'I'. E. Kebbcl ( London, IMSIi; Lord lt"acon.c/i(Id's I'orrrsponil.yuey 11111 Ills ,'i.e((r-, pd. by K. 1)israeli (London, 1~S61; 1. C. Thoutpsou, I 'ti iific !)pinion and Lard Ifc'a• turi,b.lti ( London, 185G1 ; 'I'. \Carllit, -1l(uariafc of /,w•d lh'acons/ield iSSi). Consult al•a the Lives by .1, `, \1i11: (Loudon, 1S63); 'i', I', O'Cotmor (London, 137S), liostilv; t:, Iirandcs (I'openhageu, 157S; English t•ansla• Iioti-. Netv fork, 1550), favorable; l'. Clririguy ( Paris, 15.(1) ; -\. C. Ewald ( London, 15531 : P, IHlchnr:tt (Loudon, 1~73) ; 'I'. 1•:. 1''61,q (l.ondott, 1S55), cxeellcut; 1\ebE('l's sAtplc, "Disraeli," in /)irliu+iary of .\'ational lfiaqnthh, ( 155R) ; .T, _\, Proudp l Londmr, 159(1) , in 5..1, I vid's l rice .1Nnlic!ssrs of Qu.•,vt 1 ii'!orio; '1'. \Carlin, TI,' Lift' of II. li. II, (1u' /'rirtt'r !'onsur•t (London, I350). \ gooil editWit of his riovel is that published by i_ou;miaus, l;ri•en S Co. (London, 1S71) : for a good criticism cuusult Leslie Stephen's article, "\lr. I)israeli's Novels," iu tlrt' Er nit u', vol. xxii., 430.50.