Year: 1873

IN speaking with entire gravity Of any of Mr. Dsra-
ellis public appearances. l do not know precisely
why. unless it be the element of unrealty which
pervades his speeches. lie is quite in earnest


II there were two Mr.. Disraels You would feel that
they like the two Roman Augurs could not look
each other IN the face without laughing. i re-
member thinking l could trace likeness TO
Mr.. Dsrael in of the countenanees IN Ge-
rome's picture, though it may be the painter
never saw the great Tory oracle. have often
heard Mr.. Disraeh in the House. and the occa-
nops have sometimes been grave. and even solemn
In way his speeches were impressive. Ihey were
great intellectual efforts, but instead of convincing
the heareI they left on him the impression that MI
Disraeli was trying to convince himself lie was
perhaps nearly rs much in earnest as good actor
His desire TO move his audience was evident his
secret belief being, all the time that the matter was
not worth the fuss made about it, Ii is this lack OF
complete sincerity and of profound conviction winch
gives TO his speeches. brilliant as they are, stamp
of inferioIity as orations lie simulate passion
but not feel it, Hecan form clear mental image of
aconvicton but IT is not to him motive force. So
resolute has been his effort TO realize to himself the
character of the English that he understands it ex-
tronely wel and the clearer his view became the
more subtle grew his contempt and the more careful
his concealment of it. He early made up his mind
TO be "A party leader assured, he was, that, for
superior being like himself nothing could be more
certain than supremacy over the men by whom he
saw himself surrounded. The Tory party, contain
inc the grcateT number Of dull men, offered great
natural advantages TO an adventurer with such an
aim.


II probably was q surprise TO Mr.. Dlsraeh to ma
that there were in his party and more out of 1t
CAPABLE of returning the feeling with which he re-
garded them. Ii was long before he could persuade
people to look on him as serious man. Too clever
by half was the Judgment of the heavy-witted and
timid Tory sOuires who asked to submit to hls
leadership. They did not understand how the same
man could write novels and administer the finances
Mr.. Dsraeli took extraordinary pans to show gen
temcn Of this sort that though he could not be as
stupid as they he shared their prejudces their fears
abont property their distrust of all but the landed
class and their selfish purpose to keep political
power in the hands of that class. He was proud of
his success. The mask sometimes dropped from his
face and the inner thought was uttered, when he
remarked: "They may say of me hereafter what
they ike; they cannot deny that have been twice
Chancellor of the EXchequer" The ambition OF
his life was achieved when he became Prime Minis
Ter. If prouder moment could be his, 1t was last
SIIiuc when he had the satisfaction of refusing to
resume that Office on the resignation Of his hated
rival.


Nothing could be more suitable than that such
man should take for his text as he did last night at
Glasgow in his address to the students on his IN
stallati0n as Lord Rector of the University. the
duty and means of success in life. His precept has
guided ms Own walk and his whole address is an
apt commentary on his career. If it were less
didaetie in form, everybody would see that 1t was
autobIographieal. 1t may be summed up IN SEN
sentence: Understand yourself and your age, and
rely upon your opinion of both. The Judgment
Of tutors or parents is to be doubted. Your own
failures are your best teachers. To one familiar
with the history of Mr.. Disraels early career. the
general apophthegns he utters will plainly appear
to be deduced from his personal experience ITO
make speeches TO WHICH no one will listen; after
reveIies of leading armies aud directing councils to
find Yourself on your entrance into the business OF
life incapable Of influencing the conduct OF an or
dinary individual all tins is bitter; but all depends
upou how the lesson is received" We know how it
was received in Mr. Disraelfs, as in Sherdans
case-and also how near failure to him spite Of
his determination. He describes correctly though
without any apparent alsiOn 10 himself, TINS crltl
cal period in his life weak spirit VIII not sur
v1ve this catastrophe of his selfove. But man OF
sense viii accept the consequences, however appa-
rcntly mortifying. with courage and candor He
will dive into his own intelligence, he will anayze
the circumstances of his failure, he will discrmi-
nate how much was occaSioned by indigenous de-
fcIencies. and how much may be attributed TO ex-
ternal and fortuitous circumstances" There never
was a man of whom this truer than of the
speaker With him failures were the foundation Of
ultimate success, and by moral and intellectual
struggle he discovered the true range Of his powers
and the night bent of bis character and capacity.


Whatever one may think of Mr.. Disraei, it is i'm
possible TO denv the interest of confessions of this
sort. Not less instructive Is he when he comes to
the other half of MS maxim and discourses TO the
fha rito of he
exhorted to comprehend it, but that 1t is not-and
here the conservative dread of novelty makes itself
felt-nec cessarily to be embraced and followed nor
to suppose that success IN life depends on fol-
lowing it, Certainly il does not in the sense Mr.
DisraeG means and he is the living evidence that 1t
does not He has spent his life III leading the party
which makes a mission Of resisting the spirit OF the
age Resis ,nce, however is never so far prolonged
AZ 10 interfere with final success. When you have
toed twenty years in opposing Reform and an eX-
tension of the franchise aud perceive you can no
longer oppose them, seize the right moment to advo-
cate them aud carry them into effect. Take leap
in the dark But that politics not ostensibly
perInitted in new Lord Rector's address, Mr. Dis
raeli might have illustrated his doctrine by sketch
of the history of his eyer-memorable Reform bill of
1851 The illustration he does give Is OF the droes
The snirt of the age he tells in favor Of the
Cr,sadeS, but he would not have advised Glasgow
student in those days TO act according TO the spirit
of the age and to join in them For, had he done
90 he would in all probability have forfeited his life.
and certainly wasted his estate with no further sat
isfaetion than having massacred some Jews and
slain some Saracens. ..r


The spirit of this age. Mr.. Disraeh thinks is the
spirit of equality But there are different kinds OF
equality. There civil equality, and this Mr. Dis
raeli holds to be the only foundation OF perfect
commonwealth h,-one which secures to all liberty,