The Denver Jewish news., 1920-08-11
Disraeli the Jew andDis-
raeIi the Statesman
REVIEW OF GREAT ENGLISH
MANS BIOGRAPHY. COMBINED
MANY QUIRKS AND FORBLES
WITH GENIUS.

| In the LAST issue of the John Dion
don Weekly" the reviewer of that pop
nlar little organ has the following in-
tcrcsting review of Disraelis biography
under the heading of:
"Peaeocl1s and Primroses."
The last volumes of The Life of
nisraeli." authoritative biography Of the
most fascinating, because the most he
wildering figure of Victorian England.
have just been issued The biography
was begun by Mr.. w. +. Monnypenny.
after his death the work was carried
on and lns been finished by Mr. G.
T. Buckle
In many respects, The Life of Dis
raeli" is IL model biography. The auth
ors had access to many hitherto I'M
published papers which makes their
work am intensely important addition
to Victorian history. The selection has
been admirable, and while neither Mr..
Monypcnny nor Mr.. Buckle has lacked
enthusiasm for the subject they have
both written judicially.
Yet for all this, the six long vol
umcs fail to place" Disracli for poster
ity. Probably only great romnnccr
could possibly make him understood.
Mr.. Monypenny and Mr. Buckle have
collected the historical husks. They
have to II large extent missed the soul
of an elusive adventurer. They write
as partis;ins and politicians. The job
needed an ionic poet Mr.. Buckle says:
"The fundamental fact about Dis
raei was that he was n Jew. He ne
ceptcd Christianity but he accepted it
as the highest development of Judaism.
He had inherited from his father n
profound interest in English history,
literature. society. and tradition, which
his own reading and experience had
deepened. But he seemed throuout his
life never to he quite of the natioa
which he loved. served, und governed:
always to be the spectator. almost tho
critic. as well as the principal perform
err NO English man." writes Green.
wood, could approach Disraeli with.
ont some immediate consciousness that
he was in the presence of II foreigner
Yet this foreigner was the chosen
leader of the English landed gentry,
the most insulur of nll classes in this
country, and this brilliant Jew. who
was novelist before he was a polite
ian, was the idol of the people almost
proud TO be called "the stupid party"
1t would be difficult to find n parallel
for this ironic situate in all history.
Disraeli was immensely amused by his
followers. as he wns by his enemies,
and, indeed, that he was amused hs
the caprice of fate in placing great pow
er in his hands. even tho he had all
an Orientars joy IN power and in the
trappings of power.
No one can ever determine how far
he was sincere in the political faith
that he professcd. and it is evident tina.
such a man canIpt possibly be judged
or estimated by normal standards In
his final chapter. Mr.. Buckle writes.
That in Disraeli there was from the
beginning certain worship of self.
not so much in small or selfish sense
but with something that was sincere
and almost artistic in the motive. must
be obvious to all who have read these
pages from the beginning. and this self
worship was often, no doubt, in con-
flict with that surrender to great pur-
pose which we associate with the high
est greatness.
There is no absolute sincerity, for
no man can be faithful to the truth in
all its respects, and n man may he sim
cere as an artist, and in n lofty sense.
without being conspicuous for the vir-
tue of truthfulncss in its elementary
form. and without possessing belief or
convictions in the practical affairs of
life. religion. ethics, or politics.
The contention that Disraeli must al
ways be approached as nn artist. who
had strayed by Chance into the world
of affairs, certainly helps toward some
vague understanding of u character full
of amazing contradictions He declar-
ed once that the peacock was his fay-
orite bird, and this prefcrance is quite
in accord with his fondness for the
bizzare and the over-colored But Mr..
Buckle quotes n number of facts to
justify the belief that the primrose was
Disraeli's favorite flower, and the man
with a passion both for peacocks and
primroses must remain psychological