The Sun.
London, England, 1828-03-20 00:00:00

SPEECHES OF MR. CANNING.

(The Times makes the following remarks upon this

excellent work. )

The constant occupation of our columns, at this
season of the year, with matters of immediate inte-
rest, has prevented our earlier notice of this book,
and still prevents us from paying that extended at-
tention to it which the subjects might fairly demand.
It is but just, however, to observe that the work
does infinite credit to the parties concerned in it.
The arrangement and publication of Mr. Canning's
orations (which form at once the best monument of
his fame, and the most indisputable record of his
opinions) was a task of much arduousness as well
as importance ; and, both as regards the duties of
the compiler and the bookseller, it seems to be ex-
tremely well performed. Most of the speeches upon
subjects of leading interest are given fully, without
the slightest abbreviation, as they were delivered;
and with a brief sketch of the particular debates in
the course of which they were introduced. In some
cases, however, notwithstanding the great extent of
the work as produced, it was found that it would
be absolutely necessary either to carry the number
of volumes considerably farther, or to condense; and
in a few discussions, therefore, Which proceeded in
detail upon matters of merely temporary interest, ex-
tracts of the more striking and impressive portions
of speeches have been inserted, in preference to giv-
ing the whole harangue. The prefixed memoir con-
sists, as was suited to the character of the work, of
a history of the late Minister's political rather than
of his private life ; and touches upon all the leading
' occurrences to which he was a party in the course
of his public career. It also supplies an account of
his pedigree, and a few extracts from the periodicals
in which, at an early age, he distinguiShed himself.
Some of the speeches in the worst were corrected
by Mr. Canning himself; and specimens of his cor-
rection of the press are given, which seem to have
been elaborate in the highest possible degree ; and
even after a first correction, he frequently re-
vised and altered the printed proofs It is
not possible for us, as we have already stated,
during the existing press of public matter,
to enter at length into the qualities of a work
in six volumes royal octavo; but we understand
that its production has been very successful, and, as
far as we may judge from a cursory perusal, it de-
serves to be so. In fact, the speeches of Mr, Can-
ning form an indispensable appendage to every poli-
tical library; and a private one, looking to the high
literary name and reputation of the orator, can scarcely
be considered quite complete without them. The
work is very liberally got up, as regards all circum-
stances of typographical style and arrangement, with
a fac-simile of Mr. Canning's MS. in a note to Mr.
Huskisson, and a portrait executed by Worthington,
from a bust by Chantry. The task of editing has
been performed by Mr. Therry, of Gray's-inn.

THE SPEAKING FRENCH GRAMMAR.
BY J. V. DoUVII,,LE,
PROFESSOR OF THE FRENCH LANGUAGE,
No. 1, Soho-square, near the Bazaar; and 2, Lawrence-lane,
Cheapside, London, 1827.