DISRAELI 13T obtained a seat as representative of the con- leader of the ministerial party in the house of servative borough of Maidstone. His maiden speech was a failure. The house refused to listen, and clamored him down in the rude English fashion. He closed in the following words: "I am not surprised at the reception I have experienced. I have begun several times many things, and I have often succeeded at last. I shall sit down now ; but the time will come when you will hear me." In July, 1839, this prediction began to be fulfilled ; he made a speech which was listened to with attention, and praised for its ability. In that year he published his five-act tragedy, "Count Alar- cos," founded on an old Spanish ballad, and in the same year contracted a most fortunate marriage with the wealthy widow of Wynd- hain Lewis, his friend and colleague in the representation of Maidstone. The happy in- fluence of this union upon his career he has himself acknowledged in the graceful dedication of one of his novels to a "perfect wife." In 1841 he was elected from the borough of Shrewsbury, and in 1844 published "Oonings- by, or the New Generation," which achieved great success and had a wide circulation. The cause of its extraordinary popularity, apart from its great literary merit, was the fact of its principal characters being drawn from well known persons then living. It was regarded also as an exposition of the views and designs of the famous half literary, half political party then attracting public attention under the name of "Young England," of which Disraeli was one of the most conspicuous leaders. In 1845 he published " Sibyl, or the Two Na- tions," which depicts with much care the con- dition of the English people at that period, and especially the Chartist agitation. In 1847 he was returned as one of the members for Buckinghamshire, and in the same year he published " Ixion in Heaven," with other tales, and also " Tancred, or the New Crusade," in some respects the best of his novels. He him- self says in the preface to his collected works (1870), that "Coningsby," "Sibyl," and "Tan- cred " form a trilogy, the object of which was to delineate the origin and character of English political parties. He now began to take a leading part in the house of commons. His severe attacks on Sir Robert Peel, for alleged treachery to his party in the adoption of his free-trade policy, are among the most remark- able speeches in the annals of the British le- gislature. They established Disraeli's reputa- tion as one of the most powerful debaters and keen and polished satirists in that body. In 1849 he became the recognized leader of the conservative party in parliament. A biography of his father, Isaac Disraeli (1849), and a me- moir of his personal and political friend Lord George Bentinck (1852), were his next literary productions. In March, 1852, in the first Der- by administration, he received the appointment of chancellor of the exchequer, was made a member of the privy council, and became commons. He went out of office with the rest of the Derby ministry in December of the same year. In February, 1858, when Lord Derby again accepted the task of forming a new cabinet after the downfall of Lord Pal- merston, Disraeli again became chancellor of the exchequer. In February, 1859, he brought forward an elaborate plan of electoral reform, a principal feature of which was the extension of the suffrage to the whole body of the edu- cated class without regard to property. The bill was defeated in the house of commons, March 31, and parliament was dissolved April 23. The Derby administration retained its place till June 11, when the new parliament passed a vote of want of confidence, and the ministry resigned. It was succeeded by the Palmerston-Russell cabinet, and on the death of Lord Palmerston, Oct. 18, 1865, by the Russell-Gladstone ministry, which remained in power till June, 1866, when, owing to the un- satisfactory nature of the reform bill proposed by them, a vote of want of confidence was passed, and they resigned. Disraeli during this period was the leader of the opposition in the house of commons. A new ministry was formed, July 6, the earl of Derby being prime minister and Disraeli chancellor of the exchequer. He was the chief supporter of the reform bill, signed by the queen Aug. 15, 1867, which extended the right of suffrage to all householders in a borough, and to every person in a county who had a freehold of 40 shillings. The earl of Derby resigning in February, 1868, Disraeli became prime minister; but a majority in par- liament was opposed to the position which the ministry took on the question of disestab- lishing the church of Ireland. Parliament was dissolved, but the new elections showed a strong majority for the opposition, and without waiting for its meeting Disraeli with his col- leagues resigned, Dec. 2, 1868, and was suc- ceeded as prime minister by Mr. Gladstone. In 1870i Disraeli published " Lothair," a poli- tico-religious novel, aimed at the Fenians, the Communists, and the Jesuits. It had a great success, its circulation in the United States alone exceeding 80,000 copies. In 1868 he was offered a peerage by the queen, which he declined for himself, but accepted for his wife, who was made Viscountess Beaconsfield on Nov. 28 of that year. She died Dec. 23, 1872. In February, 1874, the parliamentary elections having resulted in a conservative majority, Mr. Gladstone resigned, and Mr. Disraeli again be- came prime minister. The career of Mr. Dis- raeli is one of the most extraordinary in Eng- lish history. By genius and energy unaided by wealth or family connections, he has made himself leader of the house of commons, min- ister of finance in the most commercial of countries, and twice prime minister of one of the mightiest of modern empires. DISRAELI, Isaac, an English author, born near Enfield in May, 1766, died Jan. 19, 1848,
