ealing East. He
intuitively knew the law of jiu jitsu, best exemplified by the Japanese,
and won often by yielding. He was bold, but not too bold.

Israel Zangwill, shrewdest, keenest and kindliest of Jews--with the
tragedy of his race pictured on his furrowed face, a face like an ancient
weather-worn statue on whose countenance grief has petrified--has summed
up the character of Disraeli as no other man ever has or can. I will not
rob the reader by quoting from "The Primrose Sphinx"--that gem of letters
must ever stand together without subtraction of a word. It belongs to the
realm of the lapidary, and its facets can not be transferred. Yet when Mr.
Zangwill refers to the Mephistophelian curl of Lord Beaconsfield's lip,
the word is used advisedly. No character in history so stands for the
legendary Mephisto as does this man. The Satan of the Book of Job, jaunty,
daring, joking with his Maker, is the Mephisto of Goethe and all the other
playwriters who, have used the character. Mephisto is so much above the
ordinary man in sense of humor--which is merely the right estimate of
values--so sweeping in intellect, that Milton pictures him as a
dispossessed god, the only rival of Deity.

Disraeli, not satisfied with playing the part of Mephisto and tempting men
to their ruin, but thirsting for a wider experience, turns Faustus himself
and sells his soul for a price. He knows that everything in life is
sold--nothing is given gratis--we pay for knowledge with tears; for love
with pain; for life with death. He haggles and barters with Fate, and pays
the penalty because he must.

He alternately affronts and cajoles his enemies; takes all that the world
has to give; knows every pleasure; wins every prize; makes love to the
daughters of men (without loving them); and winning the one he selects,
secretly thanks Jehovah, God of his fathers, that he leaves no
offspring--because the woman fit for his mate and equal to mothering his
children does not exist.

The sublimity of his egotism stands unrivaled. It is so great that it is
admirable. We lift our hats to this man. Napoleon gained the field without
prejudice; but this man enters the list with hate and prejudice arrayed
against him. He plays the pawns of chance with literature, religion,
politics, and moves the queen so as to checkmate all adversaries. He
flouts love, but to show the world that he yet knows the ideal, he
occasionally pictures truth and trusting affection in his s