Transcriber's Note: Every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as possible, including non-standard spelling and punctuation. Some changes of spelling and punctuation have been made. They are listed at the end of the text. In the advertisements at the end of the book, apparent missing letters and punctuation have been supplied without comment. Italic text has been marked with _underscores_. Bold text has been marked with =equals signs=. _Uniform with this volume,_ =3s. 6d.= _each, with Portrait._ THE QUEEN'S PRIME MINISTERS, A SERIES OF POLITICAL BIOGRAPHIES EDITED BY STUART J. REID, AUTHOR OF 'THE LIFE AND TIMES OF SYDNEY SMITH.' _The Volumes will contain Portraits, and will be published at periodical intervals._ =THE EARL OF BEACONSFIELD, K.G.= By J. A. FROUDE, D.C.L. =VISCOUNT MELBOURNE.= By HENRY DUNCKLEY, LL.D. ('Verax.') =SIR ROBERT PEEL.= By JUSTIN MCCARTHY, M.P. =VISCOUNT PALMERSTON.= By the MARQUIS OF LORNE, K.T. =EARL RUSSELL.= By STUART J. REID. =THE RIGHT HON. W. E. GLADSTONE, M.P.= By G. W. E. RUSSELL. =THE EARL OF ABERDEEN.= By Sir ARTHUR GORDON, G.C.M.G. &c. =THE MARQUIS OF SALISBURY.= By H. D. TRAILL, D.C.L. =THE EARL OF DERBY.= By GEORGE SAINTSBURY. LONDON: SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON, SEARLE & RIVINGTON, Limited, St. Dunstan's House, FETTER LANE, FLEET STREET, E.C. The Prime Ministers of Queen Victoria EDITED BY STUART J. REID _LORD BEACONSFIELD_ PRINTED BY SPOTTISWOODE AND CO., NEW-STREET SQUARE LONDON [Illustration] LORD BEACONSFIELD BY J. A. FROUDE _He was a man, take him for all in all, We shall not look upon his like again_ Hamlet, Act I. Scene 2 SECOND EDITION LONDON SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON, SEARLE & RIVINGTON _LIMITED_ St. Dunstan's House FETTER LANE, FLEET STREET, E.C. 1890 [_All rights reserved_] CONTENTS CHAPTER I PAGE Carlyle on Lord Beaconsfield--Judgment of the House of Commons--Family history--The Jews in Spain--Migration to Venice--Benjamin D'Israeli the elder--Boyhood of Isaac Disraeli 1 CHAPTER II Family of Isaac Disraeli--Life in London--Birth of his children--Abandons Judaism and joins the Church of England--Education of Benjamin Disraeli--School days--Picture of them in 'Vivian Grey' and 'Contarini Fleming'--Self-education at home--Early ambition 12 CHAPTER III