with the villainies of a boys' school in
view. In fact, boxing was this young man's diversion, and the Coster on
several occasions expressed great regret that writing and politics had
robbed the ring of one who showed promise of being the cleverest
welter-weight of his time.

The main facts in both "Vivian Gray" and "Contarini Fleming" are
autobiographical. Like Byron, upon whom Disraeli fed, the author never
got far away from himself.

It was not long before the intense personality of young Disraeli made
itself felt throughout the Walthamstow school. The young man smiled at the
pedant's idolatry of facts, and seized the vital point in every lesson. He
felt himself the superior of every one in the establishment, master
included--and he was.

Before a year he split the school into two factions--those who favored Ben
Disraeli, and those who were opposed to him. The master cast his vote with
the latter class, and the result was that Ben withdrew, thus saving the
authorities the trouble of expelling him. His leave-taking was made
melodramatic with a speech to the boys, wherein impertinent allusions were
made concerning all schoolmasters, and the master of Walthamstow in
particular.

And thus ended the school life of Benjamin Disraeli, the year at
Walthamstow being his first and last experience.

However, Ben was not indifferent to study; he felt sure that there was a
great career before him, and he knew that knowledge was necessary to
success. With his father's help he laid out a course of work that kept him
at his tasks ten hours a day. His father was a literary man of
acknowledged worth, and mingled in the best artistic society of London.
Into this society Benjamin was introduced, meeting all his father's
acquaintances on an absolute equality. The young man at eighteen was
totally unabashed in any company; he gave his opinion unasked, criticized
his elders, flashed his wit upon the guests and was looked upon with fear,
amusement or admiration, as the case might be.

Froude says of him, "The stripling was the same person as the statesman at
seventy, with this difference only, that the affectation which was natural
in the boy was itself affected in the matured politician, whom it served
well for a mask, or as a suit of impenetrable armor."

* * * * *

That literature is the child of parents is true. That is to say, it takes
two to produce a book. Of course there are imitation books,