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Isaac D'Israeli | |
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_(after)_-_Isaac_D%2527Israeli_(1766%25E2%2580%25931848)_(after_John_Downman)_-_429021_-_National_Trust.jpg) | |
| Born | (1766-05-11)11 May 1766 Enfield, Middlesex, England |
| Died | 19 January 1848(1848-01-19) (aged 81) Bradenham, Buckinghamshire, England |
| Alma mater | Leiden University |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1782–1848 |
| Employer | John Murray |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 5, includingBenjamin Disraeli |
| Father | Benjamin D'Israeli |
Isaac D'Israeli (11 May 1766 – 19 January 1848) was a British writer, scholar and the father ofBritish prime ministerBenjamin Disraeli. He is best known for his essays and his associations with other men of letters.
Isaac was born inEnfield, Middlesex, England, the only child ofBenjamin D'Israeli, aSephardic Jewish merchant who had immigrated fromCento, Italy, in 1748, and his second wife, Sarah Syprut de Gabay Villa Real. Isaac received much of his education inLeiden. At the age of 16, he began his literary career with some verses addressed toSamuel Johnson. He became a frequent guest at the table of the publisherJohn Murray and became one of the notedbibliophiles of the time.
In 1797 D'Israeli publishedVaurien, a romantic novel set in radical circles following the French Revolution. Conservative commentators praised the book for its mockery of radicals in England and depiction of Vaurien, who has come from France to foment revolution. Yet they were perturbed by his depiction of a prostitute, who is kindly and was forced into prostitution to feed her family after her husband was ruined by a litigious neighbour for stealing an apple. Moreover, they were shocked by a chapter in which Disraeli launched a staunch defence of the Jewish community condemning the way Jews were treated in England.[1]
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On 10 February 1802, D'Israeli married Maria Basevi, who came from another London merchant family ofItalian-Jewish descent. The marriage was a happy one, producing five children: Sarah ("Sa"; 1802–1859);Benjamin ("Ben" or "Dizzy"; 1804–1881); Naphtali (b. 1807, died in infancy); Raphael ("Ralph"; 1809–1898); and Jacobus ("James" or "Jem"; 1813–1868). The children were named according to Jewish customs and the boys were all circumcised. Religiously, however, Isaac D'Israeli appears to have set aside his Jewish beliefs. In the midst of an eight-year dispute with theBevis Marks Synagogue and on the advice of his friend, historianSharon Turner, all his children were baptised into theChurch of England in 1817. In 1833 he published a severely critical analysis of contemporaryJudaism,The Genius of Judaism. He himself did not receive baptism, however, and never indicated any desire to exchange Judaism for Christianity. He did attend the inauguration ceremonies of theReform Synagogue at Burton Street, London.
He penned a handful of English adaptations of traditional tales from the Middle East, wrote a few historical biographies, and published a number of poems. His most popular work was a collection of essays entitledCuriosities of Literature. The work contained myriad anecdotes about historical persons and events, unusual books, and the habits of book-collectors. The work was very popular and sold widely in the 19th century, reaching its eleventh edition (the last to be revised by the author) in 1839.[2] It was still in print when theEncyclopædia Britannica entry was written in 1911. His bookThe Life and Reign of Charles I (1828) resulted in his being awarded the degree ofD.C.L. from theUniversity of Oxford.
D’Israeli also publishedCalamities of Authors (1812) within his Miscellanies.
In 1841, he became blind and, though he underwent an operation, his sight was not restored. He continued writing with his daughter as hisamanuensis. In this way he producedAmenities of Literature (1841) and completed the revision of his work on Charles I. He died ofinfluenza at age 81, at his home,Bradenham House, inBuckinghamshire, less than a year after the death of his wife in the spring of 1847.
D'Israeli's daughter-in-law, the wife of his eldest son, Benjamin, erecteda monument to him in June 1862 following his death. It stands on a hill nearHughenden Manor, the Disraelis' country house in Buckinghamshire.[3]
