Editing Isaac D'Israeli (section)

==Life and career==
Isaac was born in [[Enfield Town|Enfield, Middlesex]], England, the only child of [[Benjamin D'Israeli (merchant)|Benjamin D'Israeli]], a [[Sephardic Jewish]] merchant who had immigrated from [[Cento]], Italy, in 1748, and his second wife, Sarah Syprut de Gabay Villa Real. Isaac received much of his education in [[Leiden]]. At the age of 16, he began his literary career with some verses addressed to [[Samuel Johnson]]. He became a frequent guest at the table of the publisher [[John Murray (publishing house)|John Murray]] and became one of the noted [[Bibliophilia|bibliophiles]] of the time.

In 1797 D'Israeli published ''Vaurien'', 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.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Smilg |first=Jeremy |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1237347265 |title=The Jews of England and the revolutionary era, 1789-1815 |date=2021 |isbn=978-1-912676-71-2 |publisher=[[Vallentine Mitchell]] |location=Elstree |oclc=1237347265}}</ref>

[[File:Maria, Wife of Isaac D'Israeli 1805, by John Downman (1749–1824).png|thumb|right|Portrait of Maria Basevi in 1805 by John Downman]]

On 10 February 1802, D'Israeli married Maria Basevi, who came from another London merchant family of [[Italian-Jewish]] descent. The marriage was a happy one, producing five children: Sarah ("Sa"; 1802–1859); [[Benjamin Disraeli|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 the [[Bevis Marks Synagogue]] and on the advice of his friend, historian [[Sharon Turner]], all his children were baptised into the [[Church of England]] in 1817. In 1833 he published a severely critical analysis of contemporary [[Judaism]], ''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 the [[West London Synagogue|Reform 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 entitled ''Curiosities 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.<ref>{{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090714230219/http://www.spamula.net/col/archives/2006/09/preface_to_the_4.html|title=Author's preface to the 1839 edition|date=14 July 2009}}</ref> It was still in print when the ''[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]'' entry was written in 1911. His book ''The Life and Reign of Charles I'' (1828) resulted in his being awarded the degree of [[Doctor of Civil Law|D.C.L.]] from the [[University of Oxford]].

In 1841, he became blind and, though he underwent an operation, his sight was not restored. He continued writing with his daughter as his [[amanuensis]]. In this way he produced ''Amenities of Literature'' (1841) and completed the revision of his work on Charles I. He died of [[influenza]] at age 81, at his home, [[Bradenham, Buckinghamshire#Manor house|Bradenham House]], in [[Buckinghamshire]], 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, erected [[Disraeli Monument|a monument to him]] in June 1862 following his death. It stands on a hill near [[Hughenden Manor]], the Disraelis' country house in Buckinghamshire.<ref name=NHLE>{{NHLE|num=1125201|desc=Disraeli Monument|access-date=22 November 2017|mode=cs2}}</ref>