near London, in May, 1766, and was the only son of Benjamin D'Israeli, a Venetian merchant, of the Jewish persuasion, long established in England.

English literature is therefore indebted to Italy, Judaism, and Venetian commerce for two of its most distinguished sons, and English politics and statesmanship to the same old sources for a public man, who has achieved for himself an eminent position, and the leadership of a great party.

Isaac D'Israeli was sent, at an early age, to Holland: he passed some years of boyhood in Amsterdam and Leyden; acquired there a great knowledge of languages, and some knowledge, but not a very extensive acquaintance, with the classics.

On his return to England he applied himself a great deal to books, and made his first known appearance in print in the "Gentleman's Magazine" for December, 1786. That article of four pages, entitled "Remarks on the Biographical Accounts of the late Samuel Johnson, LL.D.," bore the signature of J. D. I. But long previously, and subsequently to the date of that essay, his leading passion was a love of poetry and an ambition to write poetry. He began to discover that he was not destined to succeed in that line so early as 1788; but he went on, in spite of fate, wooing the Muses, whom he had made divers vows to abandon, and in 1803 published a volume of "Narrative Poems" in 4to.

In 1799 appeared "Love and Humility, a Roman Romance;" also "The Lovers, or the Origin of the Fine Arts;" and in a second edition of these productions in 1801, he introduced "The Daughter, or a Modern Romance."

Another novel, the date of which is unknown, called "Despotism, or the Fall of the Jesuits," was published by him. It would be interesting to know how that subject had been treated by him.

But several years earlier, his predilection for literary criticism had manifested itself in his studies and pursuits. So early as 1791, he published the first volume of "Curiosities of Literature," consisting of anecdotes, characters, sketches, and observations, literary, critical, and historical. In 1793 the second

volume appeared, with "A Dissertation on Anecdotes." A third volume, some years later, completed the work. In 1823, a second series, however, was published, and up to 1841 went through twelve editions.

In 1795 appeared his "Essay on the Manners and Genius of the Literary Character;" in 1796, "Miscellanies, or Literary Recreations;" in 1812 and 1813, his "Calamities of Authors," in two volumes; in 1814, in three volumes, "Quarrels of Authors, or some Memoirs of our Literary History, including Specimens of Controversy, to the reign of Elizabeth;" in 1816, "An Inquiry into the Literary and Political Character of James I."

These are the great works on which rest the fame of Isaac D'Israeli; but one of his works, entitled "Commentaries on the Life and Reign of Charles the First," in two volumes 8vo, 1828, obtained more popularity for a time than any of the works abovementioned. For this work, in 1830 increased to four volumes, very eulogistic of Charles the First, the author got from Oxford the honorary degree of D.C.L., the public orator of the University, in conferring it, using the words "Optimi Regis, optimo defensori."

In 1839, while meditating a more comprehensive and elaborate work on the "History of English Literature," he was totally deprived of sight. This terrible calamity was compensated for, to some small extent, by the constant attendance on him of his daughter. With her aid as an amanuensis, he produced "The Amenities of Literature." Mr. D'Israeli was a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, and a member of some other learned societies.

He had a literary controversy in 1837 with Mr. Bolton Corney (the author of a production entitled "Curiosities of Literature Illustrated," a litterateur who works in the mine of old bookish knowledge), which controversy troubled a good deal the tranquillity of Mr. D'Israeli, and shook a little the implicit confidence which the public reposed in all his statements respecting what is called "Secret History," the originality of curious matter, alleged to have been discovered in ancient documents, and the authenticity and dates of manuscripts and books referred to by him.

Mr. Corney's object was to pull down the fame

of the elder D'Israeli: that object he has not been able to effect, but he assuredly has shown a tendency in Mr. D'Israeli to that sort of vanity which prompted Bruce to represent a traveling companion as dead who was living at the time of his representation of his death, in order to enhance the value of the discovery of the source of the Nile, in his anxiety to appropriate the sole merit of that discovery, to be able to say with Coriolanus," Alone I did it." D'Israeli unquestionably claimed as discoveries of his own, that never were in print, matters which subsequently were found to exist in published books.

He had made some previous attempts, anonymously, at romance writing. In 1797 he published "Vaurien, a satirical Novel;" subsequently, "Flim Flams, or the Life of my Uncle," an extravaganza after the manner of Rabelais; and " "Megnoon and Leila," the earliest English romance purporting to represent Oriental life, with strict attention to costume.

Mr. D'Israeli, in 1847, lost his wife. This lady, whom he married in February, 1802, was a sister of George Bassevi, Esq., of Brighton, a magistrate for Sussex, and aunt of the late eminent architect, George Bassevi, Esq., who was killed at Ely Cathedral in 1845. At the time of the death of the elder D'Israeli, in his 82d year, the 19th of July, 1848 he was still engaged in literary pursuits: the love of ancient books-old ragged veterans-was with him truly the "ruling passion, strong in death;" and when Mr. Corney and his labors shall be utterly forgotten, the services of Isaac D'Israeli to English literature will be remembered and well regarded. He died at the residence of his son Benjamin, at Bradenham House, tenderly watched over in his last illness by that affectionate son, and deeply lamented by him long after his decease.

He left three sons, the eldest of whom is now member for Buckinghamshire; the second son is a clerk in the Registry Office in Chancery, and the youngest an agriculturist in Buckinghamshire. An only daughter died while traveling in the East with her eldest brother.

One of the best likenesses of Isaac D'Israeli is that by Count D'Orsay, engraved in the "Illustrated London News" of Janua

ry 29th, 1848. A whole-length, by Alfred Crowquill, appeared in "Frazer's Magazine" some years prior to 1848; and a portrait of him in very early life, by Drummond, was published in "The Mirror" for January, 1797.

66 THE CURI

LETTERS FROM I. D'ISRAELI, ESQ., THE AUTHOR OF OSITIES OF LITERATURE," TO LADY BLESSINGTON. "November 10th, 1838.

"MY DEAR LADY BLESSINGTON,-I am the most unworthy receiver of your ever beautiful book, and the kindness of remembering me is

"Plus belle que la Beauté.'

"I hope you read some time ago a note from me to announce to you a Friesic version of some very tender philosophy on life and death, composed by you in the 'Book of Beauty' of 1834.

"The object was to show the analogy between our Saxon, or Friesic, and our English, freed of all foreign words. I do not know whether you will rejoice to understand that of seventy and seven words, carefully counted, of which your stanzas consist, you have not more than eight foreigners, so that you wrote pure Saxon, which, they say, is the rarest and most difficult affair possible, most of our writers being great corruptors of the morality of words, or, as they say, of language. I put "the eight foreigners" down, like the Polish gentleman's paws, whose patriotism, I see, is in a quarrel :

"Pain,' 'hours,' 'joy,'' scold,' 'vanish,'' sceptered,' 'empire,' ' brief.' "You see, my dear lady, what a charming thing it is to be simple and natural, for then you are sure to write Saxon. Shakspeare wrote Saxon, for he knew how to write; Addison did not know any thing of Saxon, and the consequence is that Addison never wrote English. I hope Saxon will not go out of fashion; but, whether it does or not, you must continue to write such stanzas as these on Life and Death. I. D'ISRAELI."

"1 St. James's Place, 5th of February.

"I write to you from the sofa, where I have been laid prostrate by my old enemy, and fairly captured, almost ever since I had the pleasure of being with you.

"Could I have bound these arthritic heels of mine with the small light pinions of the only god who ever wore wings to his, I should, ere now, have made a descent on Gore House; but I have nothing now left, I fear, but to dwell on Imaginary Conversations.' I. D'ISRAELI."

THE RIGHT HON. BENJAMIN D'ISRAELI, M.P. The eldest son of the distinguished litterateur who was the subject of the preceding notice, Benjamin D'Israeli, was born in

1805. The literary tastes and talents of the father had been transmitted to the eldest son, and had given early promise, in this instance, of intellectual powers of the highest order, which was not disappointed.

He traveled in Germany at an early age, and subsequently, in 1826, in Italy and the Levant. In 1829 and 1830 he visited Constantinople, Syria, and Egypt, accompanied as far as Syria by his sister.*

In 1831, on his return to England, he found the country involved in the Reform agitation. He became a candidate for the borough of Chipping Wycombe, on principles neither Whig nor Tory, but, in general, rather theoretically Radical, and on two points of the charter quite practically so; on the hustings a faradvanced Reformer, an advocate of short Parliaments, and vote by ballot. He was defeated at this election, and also at a subsequent one.

The author of "Vivian Grey,” “The Young Duke,” “Henrietta Temple," "Venetia," "Contarini Fleming," "Coningsby," "Sybil," "Tancred," "The Wondrous Lady of Alroy," &c., &c., &c., the former votary of the Muses, the late Chancellor of the Exchequer, was one of the most intimate literary friends of Lady Blessington. Many years ago (upward of twenty) I frequently met Mr. D'Israeli at Lady Blessington's abode in Seamore Place. It required no ghost from the grave, or rapping spirit from the invisible world, to predicate, even then, the success of young D'Israeli in public life. Though in general society he was habitually silent and reserved, he was closely observant. It required generally a subject of more than common interest to produce the fitting degree of enthusiasm to animate and to stimulate him into the exercise of his marvelous powers of conversation. When duly excited, however, his command of language was truly wonderful, his sarcasm unsurpassed; the readiness of his wit, the quickness of his perception, the grasp of mind that enabled him to seize on all the parts of any subject under discussion, those only would venture to call in question who had never been in his company at the period I refer to.

*The young lady died on their tour in Palestine.