The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-23

tory cause. It became novel; and noth- ing serves better to show the genius of this bizarre and great man than the fact that it Is interesting book today, though it is permeated with disquisition on political epoch which Is quite mean ingless now to most persons.
 "Coningsby' shows us real world. It shows us, too, in quite unconscious con fession, Disraeli as he really was-his Oriental, barbarc love of gilt and tinsel: his earnest philosophy about basic things. and his contemptuous disregard of prnci- ples in political war; his evil genius as a moeker and his better genius as truthful satirist; his vanity and his in sight; his love for grand phrases and his sense of humor that made him laugh at them; his theory of idealism and his act ual worship of success, and his wholly fine love for his race, as whose champion he challenged the Jew-despisng English word-his English world that he served so eagerly, whose flesh-pots he liked so well, and without whose admiration he could not have lived.
 TT WAS in that unlovely time in Eng
 land when the burning-out of the 4 great confagration, Napoleon, had left men. no less than cities, in ashes; when. though there was a mighty seetning' U was but the seething of emoers; d tune oI ouack saviors, clay heroes ana lueals ol brass It was a time when men tried to
 "a selfishness and dishonor by parlia- nentary enactment, when they measured nollcies with the yard stick and 1el' convinced that prosperity was prlnclpie-
 If was as if the generation stood like an old forest blasted by the Corsican ngnt- nng-dead at the core though SUI green' and struggling haughtily against tne new, vigorous generation that "AS "ies'Ns destruction.
 Men sought cure for the evils, but they shranx from the knife. They stroVe nightly to build a government oue oA nolItcal pills and plasters. They thought to remedy sick social system py cnans- ing the name of the sickness
 The nation suffered nosily but heipless- W It did not know what was the mater. If lnew only that it's workers were poor' that It's poorhouses did not have room enough for the crowds that thronged lnto tbem and that it's rich had more money than they could spend, though they souandered it from the mountains or Scot- land to the Golden Horn
 The political doctors offered It oose after dose-some intended honestly to cure the disease and others that were intended craftily to allay merely the noise.
 A little medico-political faoulty-aof the latter school of practitioners was ga.neIee around Lord Monmouth in ms spienulu Monmouth House. My Lord Monihou.n was so perturbed by the situation that ne mod burried home from Italy, at the grave risk of being bored in London.
 nTbe only thing that can save this coun- 4rvs said MT Rigby, chief of the lo faithful members of parliament wno sat for Lord Monmouth's 10 boroughs IS a coalition on a sliding scale. You nau better buy up the political laceions' s,t1 Lord Monmouth. we must make iresn ,orouebe, said Taper, who had lost his scat in the House of Commons at the iast election. ssWe need a good church cry said his fellow-sufferer, MT. Tadpoie. "peel is the only hope said the Duhe of Beaumanoir.
 The Duke of Beaumanoir was COT servative of the conservatlVes, anu e" arstocrat like the Marquis of Monmouth hut. though he was sadly perplexed by the awakening voices of democracy, ne was eager enough to right their wrongs if he could. In this he differed rom my Lord Monmouth, who demanded or Rlgpy and his other chattels in Parliament only that they formulate policy, not TOT emptying the warehouses, but TOT pre- venting any attack on the sacredness or the property that he was accumulatng and spending on himself with holy zeal.
 In his fervor for the divine right or property and aristocraey, Lofd Mon- mouth was not even actuated by the de- sire that other noblemen had to perpetu- ate a great name and great estates. what Lord Monmouth had and hoped to get ne wanted for himself. He hated ms eldest son and was determined to leave him nothing except the estates that would pass to him by law. He had not only quar- reled with his other son. the younger but actually had driven him to pauper death by a coldly executed system or nersecution because he had married against his wishes.
 In an unaccountable fit of generosity he had pensioned his sons widow on condi- ton that she retire to an obscure part of England and give up her infant son. the only issue of their marriage. entirely. He sent the boy to school and never saw him or thought of him. having detailed MT Rigby to look after him.
 He happened to think of the boy now that he was in London. Being in want of amusement, mad perhaps feeling little more kindly toward his grandson since his mother, whom he had so hated, had died while he was abroad, he told MT Rigby to fetch young Harry Coningsby from Eton.
 If was the boys first entrance into the world He looked with awe at the vast circular hall of Monmouth House, adorned with busts of the Caesars; at the glowing vestibule; at the panels in the salon. painted with pictures of beautiful women; at the splendid VlSta ol stdte dPdi thich'S and the rooms filled with the choicest things of the world
 He was still more awed by the owner or all these magnifcences who received nm with the grand air that was natural to him The face of Lord Monmouth was as sagacious as it was voluptuous. the face of a prince For his part, he looked ap- provingly on his grandson, with the thoughtful and resolute face. the deep blue eyes, the chestnut curis and the strong graceful figure
 When Harry Coningsby returned to Eton it was as the acknowledged favorlte of the Marquis much to the delight or his little circle in which he was the unques- toned and admired leader. They were young men who appreciated keenly what the favor of Lord Monmouth meant, TOT they were all sons of noblemen them- selves-Lord We're, son of wnlg peer Sir Charles Buckhurst. Henry Syuney' younger son of the Duke of Beaumanoir- all young aristocrats, but of a new gem eration, which was growing up inpatient of the lichens of tradition that incumpereu their elders, and looking with perplexed but eager young eyes to new sunlight and new ideals. sza
 Coningsby was most al Of them all and under his inspiring nership they t. dreamed of new Engl where they should put their fiery beA s to thestest and cry with clear voices the brave 10 follow. VI
 The sincerity of their opinions was test