Mr. Disraeli's speech last Friday night before the division was
not one of his greatest efforts, but it contained an amusing snub for Mr. Beresford Hope,—one of the most grotesque and man- nered speakers in the House,—who had attacked him violently early in the evening, and, in reference to Mr. Disraeli's Tancred, had declared his intention to•vote against the " Asian mystery." Mr. Disraeli declined to reply to him, " because he evidently expected that I was going to make a very elaborate reply to what he said. I assure him that I listened with the greatest pleasure to the invective he delivered against me. His style is- greatly ornamental to discussion, but it requires practice, and so• far as my honourable friend displayed his talents to-night, I listened with the greatest satisfaction. All his exhibitions in this House are distinguished by a prudery which charms me ; and' when he talks of Asian mysteries, I may perhaps, by way of reply, remark that there is a Batavian grace about his exhibition " [the Hopes are of Dutch family] " which takes the sting out of what he has said." Mr. Disraeli gave also a playful paraphrase of the pur- pose of the letter which he addressed the other day to his fol- lowers, and the intention of which was to " whip" a strong attendance for Friday night. " It was exactly such a letter as honourable gentlemen on both sides of the House have been con- stantly in the habit of receiving. It may be described as a. monosyllabic word,—the instrument with which the races of Nemasa have been won." It was rather a mild joke, but the House likes mild jokes of that kind. That last was quite after Lord Palmerston's own heart, whose style of treating the House . Mr. Disraeli has evidently been studying.
