Paw Prints Anecdotes: Benjamin Disraeli

Benjamin Disraeli Anecdote 1...

A young lady was taken to dinner one evening by Gladstone and the following evening by Disraeli. Asked what impressions these two celebrated men had made upon her, she replied, "When I left the dining room after sitting next to Mr. Gladstone, I thought he was the cleverest man in England. But after sitting next to Mr. Disraeli, I thought I was the cleverest woman in England."

Anecdote 2...

When asked about his motives for writing novels, Disraeli explained that every so often he was overcome by the urge to read a novel, and in order to have one at hand he would write it himself.

Biographical Note...

1st Earl of Beaconsfield, British Conservative statesman and prime minister (1868, 1874-80). Of Italian-Jewish descent, Disraeli became a Christian at the age of thirteen, a member of Parliament at thirty-three, and prime minister at sixty-four. A flamboyant personality and a staunch supporter of the monarchy, the Empire, and the Church, he won the respect of the nation and the queen (Victoria). Before attaining political power, he wrote a number of novels. Disraeli's main political rival was William Gladstone, four-times Liberal prime minister, renowned for his abilities as an orator.

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