French Revolution_, and Benjamin Disraeli, Earl of Beaconsfield. Born in
1804, Disraeli entered parliament in 1837, the year of the Queen's
accession. His first speech, though clever enough, was greeted with shouts
of laughter, till, losing patience, he cried, almost shouted: 'I have
begun several things many times, and have often succeeded at last; ay, and
though I sit down now, the time will come when you will hear me.' In nine
years that time did come. From the hour of his onslaught on Sir Robert
Peel in the Corn-Law debate of 22d January 1846, be became the leader of
the Tory party.

Since the making of the Suez Canal opened a new route to India, we have
had a fresh interest in Egypt. In 1882, Egypt was disturbed by troubles
which attracted great attention in this country. Through a rising under
Arabi Pasha the government was upset, and at Alexandria riots took place,
in which Europeans were murdered. Then followed the bombardment of
Alexandria by the British fleet. Our forces under Sir Garnet Wolseley
defeated the Egyptian army at Tel-el-Kebir, and occupied Cairo, the
capital of the country.

Arabi Pasha was banished for life, and the authority of the Khedive was
restored under British control. We thus maintained peace and order in
Egypt; but a great revolt took place in the provinces of the Soudan, which
had been conquered by Egypt. An Egyptian army commanded by General Hicks
was almost entirely destroyed by the natives under a religious leader
called the Mahdi.

In these circumstances it was decided to send General Gordon to withdraw
the Egyptian garrisons from the Soudan, and to give up that vast country
to its native rulers. Gordon made his way to Khartoum, but he found the
native revolt more formidable than he expected. He was besieged in that