The Osceola times., 1881-06-11
EEAC0NSFIELD.
EccentricIties Noticed During the Life of
The Great Leader.

EccentricIties Noticed During the Life OF
The Great Leader.
London Cor. Boston Herald.
There is rumor current gravefy sup
ported in some well-informed quarters
that he is much older than is general
ly believed-that he is 80 or upward. l
cannot trace this report to any authors
tative source, but it falls in with the pop,
ular attitude toward Beaconsfeld-a
tendency to believe in whatsoever j.
extravagant or partly miraculous con-
cerning him; to look upon him as a
sort of thaumaturgist and Arian mystery,
the Wandering jew, perhaps, His ss.
pcct in these latter years was extraordi-
nary, a kind Of dried and preserved look;
no trace of the strange and vivid beauty
that Willis remarked in the youthful
Disraeli. | remember seeing him drive
out of Cbaring Cross station on his re-
turn from the Berlin conference Two or
three years ago. He was yellow, parch-
menty, furrowed; the obliquity Of his
eyes were marked altogether a super
cilious, or arldiy superior air. lie wore
a light overcoat ana black hat, and he
paid no attention. to the applausive
clamors of the populace. He sat on the
back scat of the carriage. On the front
seat sat the marquis of Salisbury, accept
ing that inferior position with what
grace he might. The spectacle was typ
ical of the indomitable Jews conquest
of the IL ost stfF-necked aristocracy in
the world. But Lord Salisbury had,
about that time given evidence of vio~
lent and cynical inscriptions sort of
ability, and. if Beaconstield had died
that year, it is not unlikely that Sails
bury might have succeeded him as lead
er Of the conservative party. lie can
not hope TO fill that position now. The
general estimate of his ability has di-
minished, while the perception OF his
political dishonesty and general rancor
business has daily clarified. Inquiring
among intelligent conservatives. ! can
find only dIsmay and blankness as re-
CARDS their future chief. Lord Cairns, a
persistant and sarcastic lawyer, is sug~
gested by some, and he has done bis best
10 improve his prospects by his late elab-
crate attack upon the Candahar policy OF
the government. But what is Lord
Cairns compared to the author of "Niv-
ian Gray and "Endvmion Z" 1t is case
of eclipse first. and the rest nowhere"
Beaconsiield is the ruling topic on all
sides, and every one has bis say about
him. Most OF these anecdotes illustrate
his cynicism and apparently reckless au-
while he was still PLAIN Dlsraeli, he was
at large dinner, where his wife also
was present an excellent lady, but not
distinguished for outward attraction. 1t
happened that her next neighbor at the
table was Bemel Osborne, and, after the
ladies hal withdrawn, the latter { who
has the manners of a city Cabman) broke
out in loud voice: Good God, ID "a
eli how on earth did you c.me to mary
that woman ?" Hereupon ensuedan ap-
palled hush. All eyes were fixed upon
Disraeh. At length he said, with hls
quiet, frieid dTuWl Partly for one
reason, which you, Osborne, are inc2pa-
BILE of NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS." This
completely crushed the vIvaciOus Os-
borne, and was, moreover, a fresh Illus
tration OF Disraeli's supercllious courage,
for his wic's fortune had been Of para
mount service TO him, and smaller
man would have hesitated publicly to
acknowledge so heavy an Indebtedness.
But. indeed, he seemed to enjoy laying
himself omen to attacks, as il for the ex-
press purpose of showing that blows
which would have annihiated ordinary
men were but as the stroke of feather
10 him. Thus, when 7. p. OConnor's
Life" of him was published a few years
AGO, full of the most terrible revelations
as TO Disraeli's political inconsistencies
and tergiversations, the latter replied to
n friend who sought him to make some
contradiction TO these damaging asser-
tious: "But they're so true, my dear
rellow-tbey're SO trueP What is one
TO make OF such an antagonist as this ?
Robert Browning has another character
islic anecdote of him. At the banquet
of the Royal academy in think 1877,
Disraeli electrified his audience by de-
liberarely pralsing the English artists for
their imagination-a virtue which even
the most ardent of their culogists had
never before thought OF cTediinI them
with. However, the assembly swallow
ed the compliment, gaspcd, and wonder
ed what manner of wild bird imaglna-
ton might be. An hour or so later Nj.
Browning met the great statesman stroll
ing about the gallery and inspecting the
pictures with his eye-glasses. IVY hat |
especially notice in these things he re-
marked, turning to the poet, sis the total
alb ence of the imaginative f Guilty which
they exhibit" Now, what can have
been the object of that2H Mr.. Browning
pertinently inquiries, after telling the
story. But it is Just this sort of cyni,
cism which has gwen Disraeli much OF
his influence over the stolid, ulimagin-
alive race amid which his lot has been
SO strangely cast. After all, he has been
a great man, gifted with the strongest
personal fascination. By the way, saw
last week, portrait of him by Millais,
begun Just before his illness. Only two
sjttines had been obtained, but there Is
the sallow, pungent face, thin black
locke. black hair-tuft beneath the chin,
cxargerated sailence OF under lip, refined
aqueline mot Jewish J nose, capacious
flrehead and extraordinary eye, Ike no
ether eye ever seen. The pose is nearly
profile; an indication OF the lank,
slishtly bowed, black.coated figure per
IL