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* DISRAELI. 298 DISSECTION WOUNDS. When Dorby returned to power in ISOC, Disraeli aguin beiauie Lhaneellor of llie Exchequer, and in 1808 he siieceeded Derby as Premier. In the ensuing election of that year, liinvever, he was defeated by an overwhelming majority. In 1874 he returned to power with a safe Con- servative majority lor the lirst time in his career. Although his Ministrj- assured many useful reforms, like the dilTerent factory acts, the poor-law anundment, and the artisans' dwell- ing acts, it became famous chielly tlirouyh its for- eign policy, conducted by the strong hand of Disraeli himself. His policy was aggressive and essentially imperial. He acquired cuntrol of the 8uez Canal, interfered iu Afghanistan to thwart Kussia, and in 1877 proclaimed the t^ueen of Enghind Emjiress of India. He called a halt to the Hussian advance upon Constantinople in 1878, sending a liritish ileet to the Dardanelles and a division of the India Army to -Malta, and proudly declared on his return after making the Treaty of IJerlin that he brought peace with honor. In Africa the Transvaal was annexed and the power of the Zulus broken. In 1880. how- Bver, his Ministry was overthrown. His health had ere this required him to withdraw from the leadership of the House of Conunons, and in 1878 he had entered the House of l^ords as the Karl of Beaconsfield. On April 1!), 1881, he died in London. From whatever standpoint we view Beacons- field's career, we cannot but be struck with won- der. That a Jewish novelist should become the acknowledged champion of the British aristoc- racy seems past all belief. His statesmanship T-as of a high order. The Empire, the Consti- tution — these were the watchwords of his policy. His foreign policy was the continuation and development of that of Chatham, Pitt, Canning, and Palmerston. essentially aggressive and im- perialist. His domestic policy was far ahead of his party's, yet he managed, unlike Peel and Glad- stone, who disrupted the party organization, to lead it to concessions of which it had not thought — to 'educate it,' as he himself said. He found the Conservatives a party of obstruction, re- actionary, and out of touch with the times; he left them in line with modern development, and in a position to inaugurate reforms. A Tory in theory, he was liberal in practice. What else could be said of a man who at the outset of his career advocated the establishment of the Roman Church in Ireland, the enfranchisement of the British peasant r}', the reform of the provincial administration? Disraeli's triumphs in the House of Commons were largely due to his great skill as an orator and a debater. His skill lay in a clear and dignified presentation of facts, and, above all. in his marvelous use of wit and satire. This remark holds also for his literary works, the chief flavor of which lies in the witty introduc- tion of contemporary celebrities. "rhey often cont,Tin beautiful descriptions, but excel in the portrayal of what we call so<>iety. He writes best in the language of the salons and dubrooms. Among his best works are llriirirUn Trmplr (1837) : Coniiifinhii (I84ri). a vindication of the Jewish race: '.S,7ii/f (1844): Tancred (1847). abounding in Oriental descriptions: and hoUinir M870), a story of a weak-minded nobleman, with incidental descriptions of the life of very exalted jicrsonages in British society (1880). Endymion is well known and characteristic, but far inferior to Voniiujsby and Hibyl. Personally he was alTable, constant in friend- ship, and pronqil to discover and aid merit. In his youth he was eccentric in dress and manners, but this he outgrew; he was always tliealrical and fond of attracting attention. His private life was above reproach. He married -Mrs. Wyndham Lewis, a rich widow much older than himself, in IS.'iil. He found in her "the perfect wife.' and when she died in 1868 he felt 'that he had no longer a home." Consult: Selected Speeches of the Earl of Bcaconx/ield, ed. by T. E. Kebbel (London, 1881) ; Lord lieucoiis/'uUl's Corresiwiidtiicc tcilh His Sister, ed. by K. Disraeli (London, 1886); J. C. Thompson. Public Opinion and Lord Bea- consfield (London, 1886) : T. Martin, .Uc/iioriatj of Lord Beaconsfield (London, 1881). Consult also the Lives bv J. S. Mills (London. 1863); T. P. O'Connor" (London. 1878 1, hostile; G. Brandes (Copenhagen. 1878: English transla- tions. Xew York, 1880), favorable; C. Clarignv (Paris. 1880); A. C. Ewald (London, 1S83|"; E. Hitdiman (London, 187-2); T. E. Kebbel (London, 1888), excellent: Kebbel's article, "Disraeli," in Dietionari/ of Xatiomil Biography (1888) ; J. A. Eroude (London, 18110), in S. j. Reid's Prime Ministers of Queen 'ietoria; T. Martin, The Life of II. R. H. the Prince Consort (London, 1880). A good edition of his novels is that published by Longmans. (5reen 4 Co. (London. 1871): for a good <Titicism consult Leslie Stephen's article, "Mr. Disraeli's Novels," in the Fortnightly Jtecicic, vol. x.xii., 430-50. D'ISRAELI, TsA.c (1766-1848). An English authiir. He was a descendant of a llelircw family which had established itself in Spain and Italy. His father. Benjamin D'lsraeli, went to England in 1748. and. entering into business in London, amassed a fortune. Isaac, who was bom at En- field, was educated at a school in his native town, and in Amsterdam. He In-gan his career as a poet and novelist : but after the publication of the first volume of his Curiosities of Litera- ture (1701), he discovered that his forte lay not in creative literature, but in the illustration of historical and literary character, and he devoted himsi'lf to that. His works, though inaccurate, are interesting. By his contemporaries he wai liked, both as an author and as a man. Byron wrote of him as "that most entertaining and re- searching writer." D'Israeli's principal works are the Curiosities of Literature (1701-1834); .4 Dissertation on Anccdolea (1703) : Essay on the Manners and fJenius of the Literary Charac- ter (1705) ; Calamities of Authors (2 v'ids.. 1812- 13); Qunrrcls of Authors (3 vols., 1813 14); Inquiry into the Literary and Political Character of King James I. (1816) : Commentaries oh the Life and Reign of Charles I. (1828-30) ; Ameni- ties of Lilcrnture (1840). He was the father of Benjamin Disraeli. His Wor/,-.'!. edited by hl» son. were published in seven volumes (London, isr.8-.-)fii. DISSECTION WOUNDS (from Lat. din- secure, 1o cut u|>. from (//>.•-. apart -f- seeare, to cut). The (hingcr from wounds accidenUillv con- tracted during dissection is relatively small. It being an established rule that every puncture