once, and Lord Derby began his second administration with his eldest son, Lord Stanley, at the Colonial Office, Lord Malmesbury at the Foreign Office, and Disraeli leading the House of Commons as Chancellor of the Exchequer. [Illustration: _Samuel Lawrence._} {_From a Crayon Drawing._ WILLIAM MAKEPEACE THACKERAY, 1811-1863 Thackeray, whose father was in the Indian Civil Service, was born at Calcutta and educated at the Charterhouse and Cambridge. He studied in Paris as an artist, but took to literature and wrote for _Fraser's Magazine_ and (from 1842) for _Punch_. It was not until 1847 that, with the publication of "Vanity Fair," he became a serious competitor for popular favour with Dickens. In 1859 he became the first editor of the _Cornhill Magazine_.] [Illustration: _Sir W. Gordon._} {_From an Engraving._ LORD MACAULAY, 1800-1859. Thomas Babington Macaulay was the son of Zachary Macaulay the philanthropist. Educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, he was called to the Bar in 1826. In 1834 he went to Calcutta as a member of the Supreme Council; on his return he became Secretary at War, and, in 1846, Paymaster to the Forces. His "Essays" began to appear in the _Edinburgh Review_ in 1825; his "Lays of Ancient Rome" were published in 1842. He was engaged on the final chapters of his "History of England" when he died, in 1859. He was raised to the peerage in 1857.] [Illustration: KANDY LAKE, CEYLON. The Island of Ceylon has a population exceeding 3,000,000. Its principal product is tea, of which in 1896 over 100,000,000 lbs. were exported. The chief town is Colombo. Kandy, situated on a beautiful lake in the interior, was the capital of the native kingdom before its annexation by the British in 1815.] [Sidenote: Disraeli's Reform Bill.] Disraeli had once taunted Palmerston with having no domestic policy. "His external system," he said, "was turbulent and aggressive, that his rule at home may be tranquil and unassailed." That was, in truth, the greater part of the secret of Palmerston's popularity; he refrained from exciting apprehension and stirring combustible questions. He made no enemies at home, though he might be careless in giving offence abroad. But that was a rôle not at all suited to Disraeli's ambition. He knew that at any moment something might happen to drive his party out of office, and he resolved to prepare a soft place to fall on. It would be a fine stroke to take Lord John Russell's favourite project out of his hands, to "dish the Whigs" by lowering the franchise. John Bright had returned to active politics and was stirring up the people in the north to agitate for Reform. He would take the wind out of Bright's sails too; and he persuaded Lord Derby to let him bring in a Reform Bill of his own. [Illustration: _R. Simkin._} A. Gunner, Artillery. B. Sapper, Engineers. C. Officer Queen's Westminster. D. Officer, Victoria Rifles. E. Private, Six-foot Guards. F. Private, Artists.