The Sun.
London, England, 1847-03-22 00:00:00

LITERAT URE.

7, MR. DISRAELI'S NEVC' WORK.
414/CRED ; or, THE NE TV CRUSADE. 3 Vol,.
There is no modern novelist whose works excite so
"'ell Public attention, are so much read, so much talked
Although
so much admired, as these of Mr. Disraeli.isiiisgh a very great number of his readers—ourselves
Otg the number —dissent ereirely from many of the
pats he advocates, and many of the opinions he
forth, yet there are very few, if any, not willing to
farf testimony to the great amount of ability mani •
testecl his writings, and the great amount of amuse-
:Ant afforded by their perusal ; and something
te than amusement—though the power of tunes-
g„ is no insignificant one for a novel. In ad-
di°
to this, in, addition to the pleasure afforded
their admirable sketches of society, by their accurate
gteations of men and manners, by the lively sallies
bd brilliant sarcasms sparkling in almost every- page,
i
addition to the interest attached to many of the
:s'll4,iir:jrletets, either from their being identified with real
is 41415' or bring the embodiment of some graceful
eal • •
th re „-en addition to all this, one great characteristic o f
[lase
telde"tivels, and that a very important one, is their
°eY to engender thought. They are not to be
h,
skimmed over and thrown aside; unless the reader
most obtuse comprehension, they must inevitably
St
his attention and excite his meditations. Whether
th'erevincide with some truthful and beautiful idea—arid
it4iire many such to be found in these pages--or
stirs," we are startled by some trange proposition
!re-,: we find it impossible to agree with—and there
itresl'PY startling things to be fount here—we are
ktltkistibly induced to reflect. We either follow the
eirr through his course of happy illustrations, or
elit
our to find a refutation for his fallacious argu•
See e We not only read ; we think. Can it be other-
indeed, when we reflect that, for the most part,
t4Ste arguments that surprise us, and this irony
let use
i,e admire, are employed for the perpese of un-
-I,'"ig and overthrowing what custom and prejudice
it:t
educed us to consider favourably—or, perhaps,
Which we have not considered at all. This was
the case in " Coningsbe ," which was not
remarkable for its satirical sketches and personal
143,;ig0s than for the boldness with which it exposed
les:deal illusion—asking of Conservatism what it con-
phi e,? &e. After " Coningsby" appeared "
11, following in the same strain, aspired to pourtray
KmerilY the condition of politicians, but of the
triir• Like " Coningsby," it contained many
as'ant sketches of London life, but it
alsorpoolges relating to the aristocracy, it spoke f the
r • .
t 14,, vesicles telling of the gorgeous gaieties
ofof the
%tterati Lon, it spoke of the gloom and sorrow
!Litt,: and spoke of them, moreover, in terms of the
sym-
and encouragement ; and, inasmuch as it did this,
"e •
kild inclined to regard " Sybil "as a more valuable
his rg„Gre interesting work than " Coningsby. Last
Disraelee admirers were disappointed ; they
ten') three-volumed novel from his pen. His lively
e!oquent adjurations were confined to his
lit eetionist ,ercches. Differing entirely, as we do, from
htiea self upon this subject, and admiring his abi
sod
teas cor•delly as we de, we were grieved to
telt to
abilities only exerted in an ineffectual endea-
tsis .° make the worse appear the teeeer cause, and
Iteil available in imparting the last g:itter to a dying
feislOhOi. It is therefore with pleasure that we this year
lies him in his true posiiion—for, ho eever brilliant his
t of debate, he ranks far higher as an author than as
area—and we wel ioine him back with double
baser •
tett,. e, because in this new book we find no elluse,ns
ly tC°st cause of monopoly. " Tancred" is doubtlessly
Cs time in- the hands of many, and the first volume is,
04,43, affordinte them much pleasure, arid the mote so
ihtellse they will recognise in it not only a repetitionb of
tpd ,rely sketches which delighted them in " Coning! y
kirql 'SYbil," but also the heroes and heroines of., thosei!
tel,?'' volumes. Already, perhaps, they regard an-f
'Di as the third, and not the least delightful, o
1,4 sragi.'s brilliant political novels." as they are termed,
keti"?'"! the first volume is finished—all is over, and the
Chamsed. They are in another world—all is
4alse"-"the scenery, the incidents, the style; they are
PerCg a ;lifferent book! The title of the. work might,
outsiiPe have led us to anticipate a visit to the East,.
116te were rather inclined to regard it in a figurative
1)r(*.'...4 crusade against some of the abuses of the
(litre: day ; but it is not so. Something very
e4t.ent is meant by the " New Crusade," but
teas, that something is it is rather difficult
'fltio—of this, however, anon. It is quite impossible
41tP,,PQatt of this work' as a whole, for each volume has
o s`sT. a distinct character—we must therefore review it
oststall, in which manner it certainly appears to the best
Zitage, The first volume is filled with sketches of
ee,,don life, and the others with scenes from the Orient,
;.1(1 specially, from the Holy Land. It will be readily
s'o'l4ieojuvesd that such a combination must be most inhar
--.!rhaps, the various scenes are better regarded
contrast,beautifu'ansd not as a combination—like a collection
°lterly incoPniegeuuroeuss'f Udell,- duff rent style and subject,
4,lledefiring their eatit'uabutdifference by their very
attractions more conspicuous.
.rst chapter of the first book, atter describing the
renillarities of a certain part of the parish of St.
ki.hrge, " which is bounded ou one side by Piccadilly
eon the other by :'!urzon-street," introduces us to
ts"o presence of two celebrated cooks—we beg pardon,
Mcelebrated chefs—and we listen, with a mixture of
erest and amusement, to a conversation with which
4 3,''''Yer would doubtless sympathise. One of these chefs
kf,l34ng but a genius, and consequently surrounded by
trieelties, and he comes to seek advice from
'it4nitnOre experienced friend ; in doing so ho feelingly
t r'aims to him his embarrassments, and the other as
te_
t/e,.MY responds. lle tells him how he has been dis-
th_blted by one of his underlings, to whom he had en-
'gee t edeint matter, and how
he soujjfies, a most
t•o'os°3' the most desperate personal exertion, all was
trid Med from being lost.—" It was an affair of tIT,
'h a° of Arcola!" " Ah!" those are moment
tatePathisingly exclaims the other, the pere
41Z"t• He, too, has anecdotes to relate; he
served under Napoleon," that is, in the
iel/Ziel kitchen. Had it not been for Waterloo he
te;k4 have had the cross; but the Bourbons and the
l'tss'sof the empire never could understand each other.
g„tought over an emigrant chef, who did not com•
this:ll,Q the taste of the age. He wished to bring every-
les? uitek (Boerben all over) to the time of the ail de
" When Monsieur passed my soup of Austerlitz
this `tad► I knew the old family was deomed " After
teenwe are favoured with the history of the noble
of Bellamont, and here again, as its his former
hies
Mr. Disraeli endeavours to show the
4tesst undignified manner in which some noble. families
tied taktiained nobility. A Mr. Montacute having marl:
their " heiress of ale Bellamonts, and acquired wit
is th Property, their Parliamentary influence—five. votesff
ese,Rouse, besides his own—by means of this
titles,
'tl4,•°°tsins the possession et all their rank itn
Ltili4-s',r. ancient baronies and modern coronets." ]tut
Aid t:'4snot effected without difficulty, every concession
tel.'s'. wrested from the minister. The time however
qoa."(Mrable, the time of the American war. M. r.
clehstaeute's support was ver necessary, but he was in-
-1 dent, and only so, ")he was conscientious, and
stf -;%iiples. Saratoga staggered him. The defection
"tlethL'lontaeute votes, at this moment, would have at
i?l,7llllineted the struggle between England and her
eitr/".`es• 4 fresh illustration of.the advantages of our
tk4trnentary constitution ! The independent Mr. Ain-
kstiss however, stood by his S•vereign; his five votes
',l!gt-I to cheer the Noble Lord in the blue ribbon,
NisTeit master took his seat and the o tths in the
qt)p-t: °F Lords, as Earl of Bellumont and Viscount
kiettee:lite." Unhappily such an arrargetnent is by no
kellts improbable, and, very pessibly, such arratige-
Na • are by no means rare ; but are we then jus-
cep ,;aciting such a proceeding ae an illustraion of
10:- arliatnentary Constitution ? What, are wet to take
thuse of a system as an illustration of that syst.on ?
Same Way, on hearing of an accident on a railway
toteioutable entirely to the faults of the parties surer
the l'oeding it) we may exclaim, " A fresh illustration of
ta"antages of modern inventions !" or on hearing of
Weselierder committed with a knife, or any sitnilsr
11ti47, " Behold an illustration of the advantages of
k 1 dg such weapons." We are rather disposed to To-
lst' Rt. Disraeli's example as a fresh. illustration
tes °f the advantages. but of the abuses, of
a'•
'qry constitution ; abuses which have,. rest
tEt,
th, ,11re, been overthrown by the Reform. Bill—abuses,
it the sure,
of which every succeeding reformation
, remains
Ssi`ending to sweep away. Th, whole of the first
ttrae is, in style and character, a fit companion for
stigoingsby" and Sybil ; we find here the same admir-
e:is delineation of character ; brief sketches, yet
Or' with an individuality, like the portraits
coo' unch, consisting but of a few lines, yet
4eiYing a life-like resemblance. We hear again the
tssNes dialogues of the idle habitues of the Clubs ; we
dip: gain introduced to the fashionable ball, the recherche
41,1.1", or the matin dejeuner. We meet Benin
!1t1e.,,01 our former friends and favourites, Coningsby
dust Sybil and Egrement, and their companions.
ttot Pass across the stage. It is, perhaps,
s
the " the rule " to introduce in tale
sad egr(les and heroines of another, but the heroes
e use
'h r°ines of Mr. Disraeli's recent novels may
the a, very allowable exception to this rule, for from
tire ebiteunastance eef their adventures having been
et 40v6,11 to the present day, and their fortunes
tse,!Canstervroven with passing events, we are accuss_
nowt? regard them, not as the fictitious heroes of
itec" butas real inhabitants of the world we live in—
the wr them, indeed, do exist under other names and
tifitaltaracters of all are drawn with such exactitude and
ltot teer'ess, that we can readily believe they have living
iltin°R-Jef'sea• We are so accustomed to regard them as
e eersonages that the casual introduction of the.m.
the Ta"Fted" occasions us no more surprise than would
cijriemf uing of some acquaintance in a public assembly.
mvever, as is the mention of them. we are favoured
„gift dikes all-length portrait of Edell Coningsby—a very
gr,eys—nt pereon from the Edith Milbank of former
'oe'...svety different from the timid girl who, on
bard!l4gstn,
„ 3 first introduction to her at Milbank, could
ki a 1;1 summon sufficient courage to perform her duties
ate° etatess, when " she loeked at the chicken and them!
p IllngshY." Now she appears before us as
~:onlinent character in the fashionable world—
le alt as well as a beauty. "She could describe
ems taentenceand personify in a phrase." Mrs. Coningsby
taeetii!, Tashi,-n' The chance, or roller the '4,4'1(4)-
11c:1N°' Edith's character, is very forcibly and happily
Ilhkturera ()::d; is doubtless true to nature, at least to the
405 r artificial life. Nevertheless, those who may
I,l,lago:mpathised with the farmer love story of C 0,1114.,0,1114.,
,1114., rileYtuorned Edith, will perhaps, 1 disciappoipnitocduftwel,t;hB
since
we
etheir t ras i
aw be
tl life.
th-ree yy'ears back,3
eteve uae,gasion to some very lively and amusing details:
'eal44ll had ever a more difficult or laborious task