Lord George Bentinck by Benjamin Disraeli
The Man
THE political career of Lord George Bentinck was peculiar. He had, to use his own expression, 'sate in eight Parliaments without having taken part in any great debate,' when remarkable events suddenly impelled him to advance and occupy not only a considerable but a leading position in our public affairs. During three years, under circumstances of great difficulty, he displayed some of the highest qualities of political life: courage and a lofty spirit; a mastery of details which experience usually alone confers; a quick apprehension and a clear intelligence; indomitable firmness; promptness, punctuality, and perseverance which never failed; an energy seldom surpassed; and a capacity for labour which was perhaps never equalled. At the very moment when he had overcome many contrarieties and prejudices; when he had been most successful in the House of Commons, and, sustained only by his own resources, had considerably modified the legislation of the government which he opposed on a measure of paramount importance; when the nation, which had long watched him with interest, began to congratulate itself on the devotion of such a man to the business of the country, he was in an instant taken from us. Then it was that, the memory of the past and the hope of the future blending together, all men seemed to mourn over this untimely end, and there was that pang in the public heart which accompanies the unexpected disappearance of a strong character.
What manner of man this was, who thus on a sudden in the middle term of life relinquished all the ease and pleasure of a patrician existence to work often eighteen hours daily, not for a vain and brilliant notoriety, which was foreign alike both to his tastes and his turn of mind, but for the advancement of principles, the advocacy of which in the chief scene of his efforts was sure to obtain for him only contention and unkindly feelings; what were his motives, purposes and opinions; how and why did he labour; what were the whole scope and tendency of this original, vigorous, and self-schooled intelligence; these would appear to be subjects not unworthy of contemplation, and especially not uninteresting to a free and political community.
The difficulty of treating cotemporary characters and events has been ever acknowledged; but it may be doubted whether the difficulty is diminished when we would commemorate the men and things that have preceded us. The cloud of passion in the first instance, or in the other the mist of time, may render it equally hard and perplexing to discriminate.
It should not be forgotten that the most authentic and interesting histories are those which have been composed by actors in the transactions which they record. The cotemporary writer who is personally familiar with his theme has unquestionably a great advantage; but it is assumed that his pen can scarcely escape the bias of private friendship or political connection. Yet truth, after all, is the sovereign passion of mankind; nor is the writer of these pages prepared to relinquish his conviction that it is possible to combine the accuracy of the present with the impartiality of the future.
Lord George Bentinck had sat for eighteen years in Parliament, and, before he entered it, had been for three years private secretary to Mr. Canning, who had married the sister of the Duchess of Portland. Such a post would seem a happy commencement of a public career; but whether it were the untimely death of his distinguished relative, or a natural indisposition, Lord George-though he retained the seat for King's Lynn, in which he had succeeded his uncle, the late governor-general of India-directed his energies to other than parliamentary pursuits. For some time he had followed his profession, which was that of arms, but of late years he had become absorbed in the pastime and fortunes of the turf, in which his whole being seemed engrossed, and which he pursued on a scale that perhaps has never been equalled.
Lord George had withdrawn his support from the government of the Duke of Wellington, when the friends of Mr. Canning quitted that administration; and when in time they formed not the least considerable portion of the cabinet of Lord Grey, he resumed his seat on the ministerial benches. On that occasion an administrative post was offered him and declined; and on subsequent occasions similar requests to him to take office were equally in vain. Lord George, therefore, was an original and hearty supporter of the Reform Bill, and he continued to uphold the Whigs in all their policy until the secession of Lord Stanley, between whom and himself there subsisted warm personal as well as political sympathies. Although he was not only a friend to religious liberty, as we shall have occasion afterwards to remark, but always viewed with great sympathy the condition of the Roman Catholic portion of the Irish population, he shrank from the taint of the ultra-montane intrigue. Accompanying Lord Stanley, he became in due time a member of the great Conservative opposition, and, as he never did anything by halves, became one of the most earnest, as he certainly was one of the most enlightened, supporters of Sir Robert Peel. His trust in that minister was indeed absolute, and he has subsequently stated in conversation that when, towards the end of the session of '45, a member of the Tory party ventured to predict and denounce the impending defection of the minister, there was no member of the Conservative party who more violently condemned the unfounded attack, or more readily impugned the motives of the assailant.
He was not a very frequent attendant in the House. He might be counted on for a party division, and when, towards the termination of the Melbourne ministry, the forces were very nearly balanced, and the struggle became very close, he might have been observed, on more than one occasion, entering the House at a late hour, clad in a white great-coat, which softened, but did not conceal, the scarlet hunting-coat.
Although he took no part in debate, and attended the House rather as a club than as a senate, he possessed a great and peculiar influence in it. He was viewed with interest, and often with extraordinary regard, by every sporting man in the House. With almost all of these he was acquainted; some of them, on either side, were his intimate companions and confederates.
His eager and energetic disposition; his quick perception, clear judgment, and prompt decision; the tenacity with which he clung to his opinions; his frankness and love of truth; his daring and speculative spirit; his lofty bearing, blended as it was with a simplicity of manner very remarkable; the ardour of his friendships, even the fierceness of his hates and prejudices-all combined to form one of those strong characters who, whatever may be their pursuit, must always direct and lead.
Nature had clothed this vehement spirit with a material form which was in perfect harmony with its noble and commanding character. He was tall and remarkable for his presence; his countenance almost a model of manly beauty; the face oval, the complexion clear and mantling; the forehead lofty and white; the nose aquiline and delicately moulded; the upper lip short. But it was in the dark-brown eye, which flashed with piercing scrutiny, that all the character of the man came forth: a brilliant glance, not soft, but ardent, acute, imperious, incapable of deception or of being deceived.
Although he had not much sustained his literary culture, and of late years, at any rate, had not given his mind to political study, he had in the course of his life seen and heard a great deal, and with profit. Nothing escaped his observation; he forgot nothing and always thought. So it was that on all the great political questions of the day he had arrived at conclusions which guided him. He always took large views and had no prejudices about things, whatever he might indulge in as to persons. He was always singularly anxious to acquire the truth, and would spare no pains for that purpose; but when once his mind was made up, it was impossible to influence him.
In politics, he was a Whig of 1688, which became him, modified, however, by all the experience of the present age. He wished to see our society founded on a broad basis of civil and religious liberty. He retained much of the old jealousy of the court, but had none of popular franchises. He was for the Established Church, but for nothing more, and was very repugnant to priestly domination. As for the industrial question, he was sincerely opposed to the Manchester scheme, because he thought that its full development would impair and might subvert our territorial constitution, which he held to be the real security of our freedom, and because he believed that it would greatly injure Ireland, and certainly dissolve our colonial empire.
He had a great respect for merchants, though he looked with some degree of jealousy on the development of our merely foreign trade. His knowledge of character qualified him in a great degree to govern men. and if some drawbacks from this influence might be experienced in his too rigid tenacity of opinion, and in some quickness of temper, which, however, always sprang from a too sensitive heart, great compensation might be found in the fact that there probably never was a human being so entirely devoid of conceit and so completely exempt from selfishness. Nothing delighted him more than to assist and advance others. All the fruits of his laborious investigations were always at the service of his friends without reserve or self-consideration. He encouraged them by making occasions for their exertions, and would relinquish his own opportunity without a moment's hesitation, if he thought the abandonment might aid a better man.
Some ten years before the revolt of our American colonies, there was situate in one of our midland counties, on the borders of an extensive forest, an ancient hall that belonged to the Herberts, but which, though ever well preserved, had not until that period been visited by any member of the family, since the exile of the Stuarts.
We are not aware that the infancy of Vivian Grey was distinguished by any extraordinary incident. The solicitude of the most affectionate of mothers and the care of the most attentive of nurses did their best to injure an excellent constitution.
"Sign the divorce papers and get out!" Leanna got married to pay a debt, but she was betrayed by her husband and shunned by her in-laws. Seeing that her efforts were in vain, she agreed to divorce and claimed her half of the properties. With her purse plump from the settlement, Leanna enjoyed her newfound freedom. The constant harassment from her ex's mistress never fazed her. She took back her identities as top hacker, champion racer, medical professor, and renowned jewelry designer. Then someone discovered her secret. Matthew smiled. "Will you have me as your next husband?"
It was a big day for Camilla. She looked forward to marrying her handsome groom. Unfortunately, he abandoned her at the altar. He never showed up throughout the wedding. She was made a laughingstock in front of all the guests. In a fit of rage, she went and slept with a strange man on her wedding night. It was supposed to be a one-night stand. To her dismay, the man refused to let her be. He pestered her like she had stolen his heart on that night. Camilla didn't know what to do. Should she give him a chance? Or just stay away from men?
"She didn't transform! Everyone was transforming, except her!" "She's a Stealer, and she doesn't have a wolf!" My destiny took a dark turn on the night of the awakening. I was an adopted daughter and have always been maltreated by my parents and elder sister, Maya. All I wanted was to turn 18 and live an independent life with my dear soon-to-be mate, Arthur, far from the clutches of my family. However, on my 18th birthday, I discovered my despicable nature as a 'Stealer,' a scent luring widowed and lone werewolves to mate with me. What's more, there was no wolf appeared in me. Knowing this, Arthur swiftly renounced our bond, selling me to the formidable Alpha Wolfe in exchange for something valuable. But when Wolfe first met me in the dungeon and perceived my scent, he could feel his wolf panicking and howling. It was the scent of his fated mate! But why did Maya also have the same scent? Sisters may share the same scent, but we were just adoptive sisters. Something was amiss. Despite the potential bond, Alpha Wolfe had ulterior motives, refusing to acknowledge me as his mate, regardless of our shared destiny."
For seven years, Claudia allowed herself to live under Eddie's shadow. She thought that devoting herself to him would eventually win his heart, but it turned out to be nothing more than wishful thinking on her part. When they finally cut ties, Claudia did not argue or ask for any compensation. Instead, she chose her peace and left without looking back. She never imagined that Eddie would suddenly appear on her wedding day, furious and wild-eyed. He glared at her groom and declared, "I was here first!"
*18+ only. Contains mature themes* Adeline’s world gets flipped upside down when a neighbouring Alpha takes over her pack. He’s ruthless, rumors being said that he even killed his father for the Alpha position, yet Adeline can’t help but drop to her knees whenever he’s nearby. Convinced that Alpha Jaxon has been cursed by the Moon Goddess to never have a true mate due to his violent history, he takes a compatible mate of choice instead, a woman who's strong enough to help lead the pack, unlike Adeline who looks meek at the first sight. However, Adeline discovers there’s more than lust pulling her to Alpha Jaxon. How will she be able to resist? **** “I’m not sure if that’s how one should greet their Alpha”, he uttered inches away from my lips. I paused for a second in an attempt to compose myself, adrenaline free flowing, as my wolf and I took in the comfort of being so close to him again. “Hmm, that may be true except you aren’t my Alpha yet”, I challenged him back in a seductive tone that came off naturally. Our faces were so close together that the warmth of our breaths was clashing, I so badly wanted him to give in and close the distance between us. “You feel that, don’t you? Your wolf is squealing inside to have me mark you… right… here…”, Jaxon nipped at my neck ever so lightly. I felt as if my legs were about to let out under me at any second. He moved his hand just under my sweater on my back pulling me closer into his hardness while his other hand glided across the side of my face, caressing my jaw softly. Crisp electric sparks shot through my body at his touch, “Shh Adeline, soon I’ll have you completely submitting to me. You’ll be begging your Alpha to stretch that tight, wet pussy and fill it entirely”, lowering his hand and lightly swiping between my legs.
Sophie and Gavin's relationship progressed from their first encounter to exchanging vows in less than half a day. However, after their nuptials, Sophie stumbled upon a startling revelation about her husband. Sophie's sister-in-law once requested a hefty sum of money, which Gavin provided without hesitation. One morning, she mentioned wanting a new car. By the afternoon, she had won a lottery that awarded her the very car she had wished for. Additionally, after enduring bullying from a superior at work, she learned the next day that the superior had been unexpectedly fired. Was it possible that Sophie had married a man who was a harbinger of incredible fortune? The true extent of her situation dawned on Sophie only when she came across a photograph of herself tagged as "Mrs. Hewitt" on social media. It was at that moment she realized she had married one of the wealthiest men in the world!