The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1881-11-03
WIT AND WISDOM OF BEAcoNs,
FIELD.
Trite Sayings Selected from His Speeches
and Novels.

New York Mail1
No Englishman of modern times was
so great a puzzle to his contemporaries
+ as Benjamin Disraeli, Lord Beaconsfeld.
He confronted them for upwards Of halt
a century, in his double capacity of au-
thor and member of Parliament, and
during all that time they were some
what in doubt as to what he was, and
what he intended to accomplish. To
minds of a certain cast he was man
of brilliant genius; TO minds ofanojher
cast he was eousummate charlatan
| there was a third class to whom he was
both. We are inclined to think that
the Judgment of the last was the more
nearly correct, for reading him now.
/ that his work is finished, We find it the
more singular combination of opposite
qualities, shrewd sense and fatuous non
sense, sincerity and affeclation, good
taste and bad taste, cynical wisdom and
| lackadaisical sentiment. II is not easy
to convince ourselves that lie was in
earnest when we read such \ story as
The Young Duke" for if another had
written it we should feel sure that he
was satirizing the society that it depicts,
but we are not sure in his case, for our
feeling, as far as we can realize it, is
that there is a great deal of admiration
mixed up with his suppositious sa'ire,
or as Shelley puts it,
.'The desire of the moth for the star
A careful consideration of the novels
of Lord Beaconsfield from first to last,
from "'Vivian Grey" 1925 to "Endy
mion" (l8S0), fully discloses the person
ality of the writer, and the object which
he proposed to himself on the thresh-
old of his young manhood. 1t was sim
ply success. All that he wrote, and all
that he did, was with that INFECT in
view. As he said of himself in the
midst of the ridicuIe which greeted his
maiden speech. "He had begun several
times many things, and had often sue
eeeded at last. He would sit down now,
but the time would come when they
would hear him." He was right; the
time did come when then would hear
him, and for forty years he never lost
the power of singing them with his
wit. Many qualities might be denied
stability, princip ple--but
wit was always allowed him, even by
his worst enemies. 1t was untailing,
and it was overpowering. What 1t was
at its best may be seen by volume
lately published here Wit and Wis
dom of Benjiman Disraeli, Lord Bea-
the compilation of one OF his
English admirers, possibly a personal
friend, by whom it was begun before
his last illness, and with his approval.
1t is drawn, we believe, from all his
writings, which cover period OF fifty
four years, in prose and verse, from his
speechesIin Parliament, at public dinners
and elsewhere, from all authentic
sources, in a word it may be considered,
therefore, complete presentation OF the
intellectually Of the man. The title
promises more, perhaps, than the book
iustifes, for while its wit is inquest
ionable, its wisdom is not apparent,
Not that Lord Beaconsfeld did not oc-
casionally say wise things, but that they
bore no proportion to his witty ones.
Wit wins its way by a happy audaclty
which prevents the world from examln-
ing its credentials, and serves false
hood quite as effectively as truth, often
more effectively, for it makes truth
ridiculous, Without examining the WIS
dom of Lord Beaconfeld, of which pos
terity will Judge more impartially than
we can hope to, let us Gull some exam
pies of his wit, which, with his wisdom,
is arranged alphabetically under about
450 different heads:
1t is not calling your neigbors names
that settles question.
Advice is not popular thing to give.
Apologies onl ly account fer that which
they do not alter.
Assassination has never changed the
history of the world.
think the author who speaks OF his
own books almost as bad the mother
who speaks of her own children.
Brougham is man who would say
anything; and of one thing you may be
quite certain, there is no subject which
Lord Brougham knows thoroughly.
In these days a great capitalist has
deeper roots than a sovereign prince
unless he is very legitimate.
The doctorine of evolution affords no
instances so striking as chose OF sacer-
dotal developments
Our statesmen never read, and are
only converted by parliamentary conf
mittees.
Nothing depresses mans spirits
morescomp pleteIyIthan a self-convictlon OF
self-conceit. -,
IF you are not very clear you should
be eonciliatory.
He uttered inconceivable nothings,
and she replied to him in incomprehen-
sible something's.
Nature has given US two ears, but
only one mouth.
4 visit to country house is a series
of meals mitigated by the new Vresses
of the ladies.
You know who the critics are? The
men who have failed in literature and
art.
Despair is the conclusion Of fools,
There can be no economy where there
is efficiency.
There is difference between blood
letting and hemorrhage.
Great men never want experience.
To be famous when you are young Is
the fortune of the gods.
It is a great thing to make 2 fortune.
There is only one thing greater and
that is to keep it when made.
He was famous for discovering the
future when it has taken place.
She sets up to be natural and is only
rude mistakes insolence for innocence
saws everything that first comes to heI
| lips, and thinks she is gay when only
giddy.
The greatest of all evils is weak gov,
ernment. They cannot carry good
measures; they are forced to carry baC
ones.
I have heard again what I have
often heard before-that you should
never take anything for granted.
A great man is one who affects hi
generation.
Ignorance never settles question.
/ All men have their imprudent days.
The Jesuits are wise men-they ynevel