Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1878-11-07
The Earlsof Reaconstield.

After career of more than three score
and ten years we learn that the pale hand
of death is pointing towards England's
Prime Minister; Disraeli the younger, Earl
of Beaconsfeld and Viscount Hughenden.
1t is hard to find an important actor in the
worlds history whose career runs parallel
to this extraordinary man's-for in his high
est capacity he was the parliamentary cham
pion of one-half of thinking England, as
sovereign confided the complex destinies of
her realm. In the sphere of literature he
was writer, essayist and novelist whose
works had achieved for him separate
celebrity; ana thus standing on two-fold
eminence it is only possible to look upon
one aspect at a time OF this many-sided
genius. This is 50 true, that TO this day,
whilst large moiety of readers marvel at
the identity of novel writer with the fore
most statesman of the age, it is beyond the
conception of others that he could have de-
voted SO much talent and leisure to the
composition Of romances. It should be re-
membered, however, that great deal of
history is only a romance that we believe
and that romances are often histories that
we do not believe,-for more than one of
Disraeli's ictions are actualities in mesquer-
ade dresses-you behold the masquers and
their merry.making, but are left igno.
rant of their names and station. A novel
as well as a parable may be fraught with
moral teachings, and the three political
novels "Coningsby," "Sibyp' ana "Tan.
cred," which are the most perfect things OF
their kind in existence, were foreshadow.
ings of Disrael's convictions as public man.
As such they were heartily abused by one
set of reviewers and as heartily praised by
arother-but the accusation of caricaturing
his contemporaries was never fairly brought
home to their author. The plots were SO
ingeniously laid and the characters so close
ly yelled, that critics got tired of finding
keys to their dramatts peTsOnG. "Sibyl"
indeed is a bold confession of his faith to
the masseseof the English people; for if not
popular grievances, Disraeli afterwards re.
gretted that he had not termed its heroine a
"chartist." The dedication of this beauti-
full story, has been so often quoted that it
has become almost an integral portion of
the text. 3. It reads as follows:
~ would inscribe this work to one whose
noble spirit and gentle nature ever prompt
her to sympathize with the suffering; to one
whose sweet voice has often encouraged,
and whose taste and judgment have ever
but--a perfect wife,"
II "Vivian Gray" gave the first dawn of
pron1ise, it can be Confidently asserted that
"Henrietta Temple" permanently and be-
You'd any other of his inventive efforts,
fixed the reputation of Disraeli as an author
as yet unsurpassed in inditing tale of true
love. The sweet and brilliant song he sings
in the pages which bear the intitulation of
Henrietta Temple, a love story" has been
compared to innumerable masterpiees of
ancient bards and modern prose writer's:
but in vain has literature been ransacked to
h0n thov in
Henrietta Temple" for none are more
natural, more tender, passionate and pure.
The Francisco Rimini of Dante has the
overpowering machinery of supernatural
world to sustain it, whilst Disraeli's figures
move in the quiet routine of London socie-
ty-of Italy and rural England. The one
fills you with dazzling establishment, the
last with calm and perpetual delight. A
very close approach between two great au.
thors is always difficult coincidence to
meet Without there is measurably the
same wild rapture and lorn despair in both
the, Bride of Lammermoor and "Henri-
eta Temple"
But in Sir Walter Scott romance the lover
and his bethrothed are of less refined clay,
less attractive to the beholder and the
scenery and period are worse than feudal;
for just then feudalism was receiving ne W,
if not more barbaric form, under a changed
dynasty Nor are the horrors of the final
aenouement, however sma6nifcent on the
perusal in the library. We are reminded of
the French actor who characterized an Eng
lish tragedy, Gas horrid farce where all
the characters kill each other and the can.
dle:snuffers die Of poison"
The scenes in "Henrietta Temple" are
laid amongst statesmen, wits and in the at
mosphere of the highest social culture.
Some of the actors in it are prodigiously
animated sketches from actual life. Count
from which some. Of the cAafacteristics of
Count Hippolyte M;rabel are copied. The un.
finished Castle Armine is the immense edifice
in which Mr.. Beckford died whist endeavor.
ing to construct. Other figures who people
his pages are drawn from the immense re-
sources of society with which he was
familiar. As work of art, simple and
pure, Henrietta Temple will stand out
always as a model to be admired and safely
initiated. !v,!5tI. ,.4,g .f,..l.s VA
That 60 many trophies should be bone of
by one man is not only matter of astonish.
ment but one that leads to profound refec.
lions.
Benjamin Disraei had no valuable con.
nections to pave his way. His father was a
literary recluse-a book producer, it is
true, but in every sense a book worm, 9
book devourer. His means were mediocre
compared to the position his son assumed
in the world at an early age. In fact he
began life under almost every conceivable
disadvantage. He was designated as the
representative Of an unpopular race and
avowed an adherence to political tenets re-.
pulsive 10 those who might have helped
him into power. His contentious were
sgsinstthe most pQpular E9slishAtatssQen,
Hated bysthe Irish f4 hi epptbsts
'&ith aOconnslls~4he libesxtor.S~s Het by
genius, unboundea application, patience,
wit, and personal disinterestedness, ON his
return from the conference at Berlin all
England, MS one man. it may be said, took
him by the hand. Since the visit of the
allied sovereigns of Europe to London, after
the battle of Waterloo, no greater concourse
ever assembled than when Lord Beacons.
field returned to his country from the SET