"New Street, Maxch 8, 1838. "As you place yourself in my hands touching your communication with Barnes, I shall play the part of a loyal, as well as faithful ambassador, in using the best discretion to advance your object. I shall not therefore send your letter, not because I do not concur in the remarks it contains, but because it has a tendency to rip up the old quarrel, by putting him under the necessity either of recanting his criticism, or of vindicating it. Now, I think the peace is a good peace, and promises to be lasting, unless disturbed by a recurrence to former differences. It is better, therefore, to allow me to make your acknowledgments in general terms of civility. He knows already my sentiments on the fallacy of the former critique. He must also know yours, and the recurrence to it looks as if you made it of more importance than it becomes you to do. I will come and see you as soon as I can.

"Abinger."

"Maidstone, July 26,1840. "I delayed replying to your letter, in the hope that I might have something to say, which would be agreeable to you. I find, on casting up my accounts of patronage in the revising barristers' department, that I cannot find a vacancy for Mr. H .

"I wish I could have complied with your other request, but I assure you I have not been able to read or write without effort, in consequence of the state of my eyes; and all the poetry of former times, which you suppose finds place in my portfolio, has long been committed to the flames.

"I make a vow, however, to pay my respects to Gore House,

the first moment that I can possibly spare after my return to

town.

"Abinger."

LORD ROSSLYN.

Sir James St. Clair Erskine, Bart., succeeded to the title and estates of his uncle, Lord Loughborough, in 1802, as second Earl. His Lordship was a General Officer, Colonel of the 9th Regiment of Dragoons. He married, in 1790, the eldest daughter of the Hon. Edward Bouverie. The Earl, who was a Councillor of State to the King in Scotland, and Lord Lieutenant of Fifeshire, died in January, 1836, in his seventy-fifth year. Lord Rosslyn, on entering into politics, linked himself with the Tory party, and for some time, on all great questions and important occasions, he acted as whipper-in to his party. In 1829, we see by his letters what an active part he took in that capacity on the Catholic Question. His amiable qualities in private life endeared him to all who knew him, and caused him to be one of the most esteemed friends of Lady Blessington. He corresponded with her Ladyship when she resided in St. James's Square, and at a later period on a subject of great public interest with her husband.

Letters from Lord Rosslyn to Lord Blessington.

[No date, but must have been written in 1829, immediately previous to the introduction of the Catholic Emancipation Act.] "My Hear Lord Blessington,

"Knowing the deep interest you have always taken in the peace and prosperity of Ireland, and the anxious zeal with which you have upon every occasion exerted yourself in favour of the repeal of the civil disabilities upon the Catholics, I take the earliest opportunity of apprizing you of the present situation of that question.

"It has become of the utmost consequence to obtain the best attendance of the friends of civil and religious liberty, in order to give all possible support to the measure proposed by the Duke of Wellington.

"I am persuaded that you will feel with me, that the present is a crisis that calls for every possible exertion and sacrifice from those who have as strong feelings and as deep a stake in the peace and prosperity of Ireland as you have; and cannot fail to be aware, that the object of the Orange and Brunswick Clubs, in both countries, is to defeat the salutary measures proposed by the Duke of Wellington, and consequently to endanger the security of all property in Ireland, and the peace of the empire.

"If you see this subject in the same light as I do, you will not hesitate to come over to take your seat; and I should venture to suggest to your Lordship, if that should be your determination, that you should come before the second reading of the bill, and remain till after the committee; and if you will do me the honour to signify your commands to me, I will take care to give you timely notice of the day on which it may be necessary for you to be in the House of Lords, for the purpose of taking the oaths, and will take the charge of seeing that your writ is ready.

"RoSSLTN."

"St. James' Square, Sept. 23, 1829. "I write to thank you for your letter, and to express the satisfaction I feel in your promise of support to this important and interesting question; and I have no doubt that the public expression of your sentiments will do credit to your talents, and be of advantage to the great cause to which you have so long devoted your attention—the peace and prosperity of Ireland.

"I trust you will not leave Paris later than the 12th, for it is desirable that you should be in London by the 17th, to take your seat.

"Yours faithfully,

"ROSSLTN."

CHAPTER IV.

ISAAC D'lSRAELI, ESQ.*

The author of " The Curiosities of Literature," Isaac Disraeli, of honoured memory, the literary historian, was born at Enfield, near London, in May, 1766, and was the only son of Benjamin D'Israeli, a Venetian merchant, of the Jewish persuasion, long established in England.

English Literature is therefore indebted to Italy, Judaism, and Venetian commerce, for two of its most distinguished sons; and English politics and statesmanship to the same old sources, for a public man, who has achieved for himself an eminent position, and the leadership of a great party.

Isaac D'Israeli was sent, at an early age, to Holland: he passed some years of boyhood in Amsterdam and Leyden; acquired there, a great knowledge of languages, and some knowledge, but not a very extensive acquaintance, with the classics.

On his return to England, he applied himself a great deal to books, and made his first known appearance in print in the "Gentleman's Magazine," for December, 1786. That article of four pages, entitled "Remarks on the Biographical Accounts of the late Samuel Johnson, LL.D.," bore the signature J. D. I.

* The particulars of the career of the elder D'Israeli, given in this sketch, are gathered chiefly from a highly interesting Memoir,published in " the Gentleman's Magazine," for July, 1848, which has been ascribed to his distinguished son; and also from numerous references to him in Lady Blessington's papers.

But long previously, and subsequently to the date of that Essay, his leading passion was a love of poetry, and an ambition to write poetry. He began to discover that he was not destined to succeed in that line, so early as 1788 ; but he went on, in spite of fate, wooing the Muses, whom he had made divers vows to abandon; and in 1803, published a volume of "Narrative Poems," in 4 to.

In 1799, appeared "Love and Humility, a Roman Romance;" also " The Lovers, or the Origin of the Fine Arts;" and in a second edition of these productions, in 1801, he introduced " The Daughter, or Modern Romance."

Another novel, the date of which is unknown, called "Despotism, or the Fall of the Jesuits," was published by him. It would be interesting to know how that subject had been treated by him.

But several years earlier, his predilection for literary criticism had manifested itself in his studies and pursuits. So early as 1791, he published the first volume of " Curiosities of Literature," consisting of anecdotes, characters, sketches, and observations, literary, critical, and historical. In 1793, the second volume appeared, with "A Dissertation on Anecdotes." A third volume, some years later, completed the work. Iu 1823, a second series, however, was published; and up to 1841, went through twelve editions.

In 1795, appeared his " Essay on the Manners and Genius of the Literary Character:" in 1796, " Miscellanies, or Literary Recreations:" in 1812 and 1813, his "Calamities of Authors," in two volumes: in 1814, in three volumes, "Quarrels of Authors, or some Memoirs of our Literary History, including Specimens of Controversy, to the reign of Elizabeth:" in 1816, "An Inquiry into the Literary and Political Character of James the First."

These are the great works on which rests the fame of Isaac D'israeli; but one of his productions, entitled, "Commenta