39

Benjamin Disraeli

Small archive of 8 Autograph Letters, each but one Signed, "D" or "B.D.," to his sister Sarah,

on various topics, including Party plans, [William Harrison] Ainsworth's trouble with the Athenaeum, the rancor of the Whigs, a Christmas party, the copyright bill, the [French Assembly's Adolphe] Thiers Ministry. Some letters likely unpublished. Together 36 pages, 4to or 8vo, some letters written on multiple sheets, each sheet with a leaf inlaid; bound into large 4to morocco with gilt titling on spine.

Vp, 1834-48.

  • Notes: 1 August 1834: "Old Lady Cork [Mary Boyle, Countess of Cork and Orrery] has left me in such a fever at the last three or four days by a projected visit to Brad[enham] that it has not been in my power to write to you. . . . Thro' the good offices of Lady [Henrietta] Sykes, I rejoice to say that the storm has at present blown over. 'He who gains time, gains everything' & therefore we will not anticipate future movements on the part of the old Lady. . . ."

    20 February 1835: "What[eve]r may be the result of last night's debate [concerning Speakership of the House of Commons], whe[the]r the Tories as I believe they will ultimately prove, be the strongest, or the opposition come in, and I for one do not comprehend how they can; one thing I deem certain vizt. that another dissolution will occur, before nine months are over. Peel did not speak well. Stanley with great point and power; Burdett, who had written to Lady Blessington and provised [promised] to vote for Sutton, saying that there was as much difference bet[wee]n Abercr[omby] and him 'as bet[wee]n a nutshell and the dome of St. Paul's,' lost his courage and sneaked off with[ou]t vot[in]g. Henry Stanley, who had promised me to vote for Sutton, voted for Ab[ercromb]y; Sir H[arr]y Verney and [Richard] Sulli[va]n, [William Robert] Clayton, and [John] Richard[s] for Sutton. O'Connell has managed it all and very well, but, in spite of their discomfiture, if the Tories be firm, they must eventually succeed. O'Connell is so powerful that he says he will be in the Cabinet. How can the Whigs submit to this? It is the Irish Catholic party which has done all the mischief. . . ."

    11 October 1840: ". . . Ainsworth has been blackballed at the Ath[enaeum] on the plea he says of hav[in]g written Jack Sheppard--but others say because he was not considered a gentleman . . . ."

    12 November 1840: "L[yndhurst]'s ele[ctio]n looks safe. Nothing can exceed the rancor of the Whigs, except their efforts to crush him. . . .
    "It was agreed that the candidates sho'd not go down without fair notice to each other. Lyttleton's committee at ½ past 12 on Tuesday night sent a note marked 'immediate' to Sir J. Beckett, who had gone to bed, inform'g him that L'd Lytt[elt]on had just gone down to Camb[ridg]e. They knocked up L[yndhurs]t at ½ past 2, who was off at 8. Lytt[elt]on gained little by this ruse; he appeared in the Senate when nothing was going on & everything thin, cold, & scant. Lynd[hurs]t entered at 3 o'ck, the Senate crowded & the breeze in his favor; the tumultuous cheering of the undergrad[uate]s lasted 20 minutes. Nothing can exceed the enthusiastic pop[ularit]y of our friend. . . ."

    [1848]: "The Thiers Ministry is broken up. There are bets at Paris that L[ouis] P[hilippe] will abdicate before 50 days are past.
    "Every day brings us some great incident. . . .
    The postscript: "I have anticipated a general convulsion in France & Spain; a simultaneous Jacobin eruption.
    "Mashallah! [Arabic: 'As God has wished']."
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