The New York herald., 1870-11-23
the AUTHOR OF "LOrHuR" AND hrs
LITERARY TRlunPHs.

literary world was ringing with the name o. = new
work by 1.-THE author OF 'Coningspy - tor SUCH WAS
the designation that the critics ana reVe"ors pre-
fsred give 70 subject OF onr present skesch ~
tribute TO the abcst and most yiapn'c " nis poh'i
cal novels. The Right Honorable benlamn Dsrael
is now sti,l betfer ana more widely known rs the
.author OF .Lotlairi from the title OF his latest
| hook since nv that remarkable prndootion nc bas
moro powerfully influenced tho Hiiias VI MS COD
tnan b. al she rest OF MS wrateh enorts
put together SO universally indcct mas the influence
of.otnaIr' been felt In the polilca ~ well as In the
literary circles OF Europe and America that IN spite
OF opposition here, deractlon there, aad hcsitatlng
incredulily everywhere, some OF our wiscst intel
| ,ects are IN doubt whether the work simply
prel,ction or, In fact, motive power In the sur
! prsing events which have broken down one great
armed empire and built up aEeiher within the last
I Ave montns. However thab may be, "Lothair' haa
unqu estionaDly made deep impression on the mind
or the reading public In every country TO which 1t
has penetrated and, 10 say the least OF It, has proven
Go havo been wonderful ioresnadowIng or what
hung ominousy ever the European system as It
existed IN the winter OF lse9-7o, while at the
same time It Is acknowledged by the majority Of
judges to he the crownny masterpiece OF its authors
career as a writer whose fluent and graphic pen
hos brilliantly seconded his eloquent and persuasive
tongue In some Of the most Important, most varied
and most ably contested Parliamentary struggles OF
Our age.
HIS PREFACE AND THE CRITICS.
The interest which the success Of "Lothalr'' has
revived In the entire record Of Mr. Disraes genius
has induced him to write special preface to re-
cent collective edition OF al his works,
ami In mat document ne has again pro.
duced genuine "scnsatlonn by the candor
anu drectness with which he tells tho story
OF his literary sims and struggles. At the
very outset Mr.. Dsraei brushes aside with vivacity
that indicates the present or recent smartng OF a
sting somewhere IN his own flesh that class Of
pseudo critics whose only chance even for notoricty
which most OF them, In despair OF anything BETTER
are willing TO accept IN lieu OF celebrity consists in
finding fault. He cOnsigns them TO the Tophet OF
those "who do notI approve Of successful books,
particularly II they nave failed IN the same style''
OF Others whose public life has not exactly realized
the vain dreams Of their fussy existance,u and Of
''the race Of Dennises, Oldmixons and Csrls, wlfo
iatter themselves that by systematically ibelling
some eminent parsonage Of their times they have a
chance OF descending TO poserty.n The former OF
these the triumphant anthor and statesman could
anord TO utterly overlook, ana the latter kind he
felt malicious pleasure IN disappointing.
HIS EARLY WORKS.
Having premised this much, our author proceeds
TO invite us to The intimacy of his closet and once
comfortably seated there, we most candi1ly told
the origin and aims OF mis- literary efforts. 'sylvian
Grey" which all Of US recall with SO much pleasure
among The remembrances OF our own early years OF
gay romance and glowing fancy, he, rather too DIS
dalnfully, we think. puts apart from all the rest
puerile even while admitting that 1t mas been one
OF the pubics greatest favsrues and stll commands
continual fresh editions. IL was written in 1928,
and portrayed the nrst glowing pictures OF
ciety that the imagination OF q gifted and
aspiring youth would be most likely to
reflect from the new pageanirv or life
and lore unfolded to HIM. "Contarinl Fleming' and
the "Wondrous Tale Of Alroy," published In 1882
were the fruit OF two years. ourneying in the East
and along the shores OF the Mediterranean. In these
the breath OF Jndea and OF the italian cline strs on
every page. The land OF prophecy and the land Of
art arc both present to rhe reader constantly be-
cause their lore and their Sunshine in the heart
or the author all the time while he Yctthe Arst
OF these works iell stiLborn, as Dsraell himself
frankly tells us, until Goethe, Heine and Beckford
had given 1t the endorsement Of their praise, aud
then the general public assented 10 what mad oil
along been irue VIZ, taat "Contarini Fleming Is o
book OF rare artistic beauty.
After these came "Ilenrietta Templc,n the
brightest freshest. most enchanting love tale In our
language; and "venetia," q story OF ripper expert
ence ana closer scholarship. With these - lndis
soluby associated The memory OF the authors two
distinguished friends to whom they were Dedicated
Comte DOrsay, the dazz ling Alcibiades and Ad-
miiabe Crchi0n OF his day, ana Lord Lyndhurst,
whose eloqncnce and erudtion Disrae assures us
were, III the privacy OF Intimate friendship,
earnestly treasured than were "he sweetness or his
temper and the 'playiulncss OF his bright anl airy
spirit.n
These books were first gwen TO the public in the
year which saw the author launched on the high
current OF political lie in the House OF Commons,
the blows there qnickene1 his active intellect to The
uttelnce OF its hopes and fears in that remarkable
series which at last gave to our author his most dec
- ~ THE ooSlsesBy SERIES
Here we deeiA ltlmperatiye to let him speak for
s 10 ~ as 3 sssssS nHS q gpMg M ns reaasy
that sstatesman Of undenlable power attaches to
anxious, debating, changing tlme:-
Coningsby,' syoir Tancred' form rca, trio,ocy:
that IS to say they treat Of the he same subject and
poca pares their ndence on he sondan Of he o. pso
pie G this sonn.ry some picture Of the moral an physical
By Eb w s % ge 81 ySs wa si p0v' were
BON nia IL S and aned from early childhood by
sr a a no as soss M ha me n as e
sasjees conclusions different those which generally
eon how an "h been bsas o Ss
Kingdom, and narrow: minded and bigoted anaicsm
long 70 ne nsono Da Which early ntsreea Metf mo BIT
@ poe parss ana he Is o ne
ton which that which national In It's constitution had
odaus and that which exclusive presented
popular.
'Coningsby; or. The New Generation" was the
keynote OF the fresh song that was presently 10
attract the united chorus oil party which various
forms and In various countries Is daily acquiring
force. 'rhe derivation and character Of political
parties the condition OF the people which had been
the consequence OF them, and the duties OF the
Church AZ a main remedial agency In our present
state were the chief opics developed in the Three
weSs thus linked together ana they established the
influence OF the writer beyond dispute. In these
works. therefore, are enabled TO detect The
philosophical aims OF Benjamin Disraei
ana measure the contour anu cstlibre OF
his intellect. The first are progressive and rclorn
tory In one sense and conservative in another. The
second are powerful and enlightened but not COM
prchensve enough for the age In which they live
and move. Eru1ltion, experience ana love or
humanity have worked together IN the author and
produced great results. He recognizes the woes of
men aud nations entaileu upon them by mistaken
nent and the lack Of real political knowledge