Isaac D'Israeli in a portrait from 1797.

Isaac D'Israeli (1766 - 1848), was born in Enfield, Middlesex, England, in May 1766, his father being a Jewish merchant who had emigrated from Venice a dozen or so years previously. He received much of his education in Leiden and as early as his sixteenth year began his literary career with some verses to Dr. Johnson. He was the father of the British prime minister, Benjamin Disraeli. Scanned from an 1867 edition of `Curiosities of Literature: based on a 1797 engraving This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Scanned from an 1867 edition of `Curiosities of Literature: based on a 1797 engraving This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... 1766 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1848 is a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The London Borough of Enfield is the most northerly London borough. ... Location within Italy Venice (Italian: Venezia), the city of canals, is the capital of the region of Veneto and of the province of Venice, 45°26′ N 12°19′ E, population 271,663 (census estimate 2004-01-01). ... Leiden (in English also, but now rarely, Leyden) is a city and municipality in South Holland, The Netherlands. ... Samuel Johnson circa 1772, painted by Sir Joshua Reynolds. ... Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield (December 21, 1804 - April 24, British Conservative Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and author. ...

He wrote Mejnoun and Leila, an oriental story, but his fame was assured by his best known work, Curiosities of Literature, a collection of 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, going through many editions -- it was first published in four volumes over several years but then combined into one. It is still in print. His book The Life and Reign of Charles I (1828) resulted in his being awarded the degree of D.C.L. from Oxford University. Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... The University of Oxford, located in the city of Oxford in England, is the oldest university in the English-speaking world. ...

In 1841 he became blind and, though he underwent an operation, his sight was not restored. He continued writing, however, and with his daughter's assistance he produced Amenities of Literature (1841) and completed the revision of his work on Charles I. He died at age 82, at his home, Bradenham House, in Buckinghamshire on January 19, 1848, less than a year after the death of his wife, Maria Basevi D'Israeli, in the spring of 1847. They had been married for some forty years and had four children: Sarah ("Sa"), Benjamin ("Dizzy"), Raphael ("Ralph"), and Jacobus ("James"). Buckinghamshire (abbreviated Bucks) is a county in South East England. ... January 19 is the 19th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1848 is a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Isaac had changed the spelling of his children's last name to make it less foreign-sounding, and he had them baptized as Christians in 1817, although he himself remained a Jew. This was what allowed his famous son Benjamin to enter Parliament, years before Jews could sit in that legislature. 1817 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield (December 21, 1804 - April 24, British Conservative Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and author. ...

Works

• Amenities Of Literature [1841]
• Calamities Of Authors [1812-3]
• Curiosities Of Literature (4 vols. [1791-1823]; single vol. [1824])(partial text here)
• The Life and Reign of Charles I [1828]
• Quarrels Of Authors [1814]
• Illustrations of the Literary Character
• Mejnoun and Leila