The Sun.
London, England, 1827-09-01 00:00:00

NEW MONTHLY MAGAZINE.

The sketches of the " Irish Bar" are continued
as usual in this number. Mr. O'lloherty, So-
licitor-General of. Ireland, is the subject of the
present sketch ; and adequate justice is done
him. But the most important article in the
whole number is that on the death of Mr. Can-
ning, in which the author manifestly speaks froin
personal acquaintance. We subjoin a few ex-
tracts from this well-written account:—
Some time ago, when Mr. Canning was in the prime of
life, between forty and fifty years of age, the writer of this
had the good fortune to meet him in prisszie society. He
was on a visit at the house of a Nobleman, one of his
staunchest friends and supporters. It was the first and
last time he had ever so close au opportunity of observing
Mr. Canning, and of knowing that in private society he
fully-sustained, as he did in public, his general superiority
over those around him. In his person there were no ex-
tremes. His dress was plain, but in thorough good taste.
In most things he seemed to partake of the character of his
eloquence ; open and manly, conscious of power, and con-
sequently simple and unpresuming. He was at that time
what might be called a " very handsome man ;" tall, well
made, his form moulded between strength and activity.
Latterly he exhibited marks of what years, care, and ambi-
tion, had done upon him ; but at the period spoken of lie
had not gone so deeply into the anxieties of political life, or
the vigour of earlier years enabled him to combat their ef-
fects better. His countenance beamed with intellect, and
bore a cast of firmness ; yet a mild and good-natured ex-
pression lay over all. His head was even then bald as the
" first Caesar's;" his forehead lofty and capacious ; his eye
reflective, but at times lively; and his whole countenance
expressive of the kindlier affections, of genius, and of in-
tellectual vigour. The elaborateness of his eloquence, in-
deed, was not visible in his carriage in the drawing-room,
nor his somewhat theatrical manner of delivering his par-
liamentary speeches. His gait, as he paced the carpet, was
natural, and wholly free of constraint. He seemed reserved
rather than communicative ; he spoke quick; his voice full
in tone, harmonious, and clear. He was on the point of
setting out for Liverpool, to become a candidate for its re-
presentation,
and it is probable that his mind was then
fully occupied with the business of the moment. Men of
a particular class i❑ society in this country resemble each
other so much in external manners, owing to the levelling
effect of a similarity of education, and the same air of good
breeding, that in an assembly ola dbeen or two individuals it is
difficult to discover anyinze mezitally superior to another, from
a few minutes' observation of the person. No one who had
seen Mr. Canning in such a situation would have hesitated
to designate hiin as a remarkable man, even if he had never
before heard of him ; and yet without being able to define
why he did so. The fine manly beauty of his head and
countenance, the absence of affectation in his general de-
meanour, and •the gratifulness of his manner, were un-
equalled among his cootemporaries. But, when he spoke,
his superiority became decidedly evident, the happiness of
his expression and easy flow of his language irresistibly fix-
ing the stranger's attention.
• The eloquence of Mr. Canning was of a high order, sin-
gularly elaborate and correct for one of his poetical tempe-
rament. It was a stream of pure unat;ulterated English,
flowing copiously with classic eloquence, seldom assisted by
those elevated flights of passionate declamation, and never
degraded by those meannesses of phraseology or metaphor
which have been observed occasionally in the speeches of
our higher class of orators. In England, as the case has
been in all free nations, eloquence is highly valued. There
the art of swaying an audience and impressing great truths
by a public speaker has grown into a repute not ill-merited,
if its consequences in encouraging the open discussion of
political measures he duly considered.• Where so many
good speakers are found, it is therefore no little glory to
shine pre-eminent. Mr. Canning was our first living
orator. He was somewhat studied in language, yet lucid.
He had a deep intonation, and a candid and manly delivery.
He possessed great power, though in this respect alone he
was inferior to Mr. Brougham. He was, for the most
part, in full possession of himself, his style highly refined,
and he made a great impression on his hearers. His logic
was never confused, or his resources common-place, like
those of Mr. Peel.

Mr. Canning died at the moment when his life was of
the utmost consequence to consolidate the good work which
bad been begun under his auspices. The features of his
political life were various ; but it was long and late before
he attained the point he should have reached earlier. It
seems that his disposition was not formed for that perse-
verance in every petty intrigue which is needful in the early
stages of political advancement, while a seeming acquiescence
in some instances, upon points in his political life indefen-
sible in themselves, had led to the opposite conclu4)n. In
an inferior station, he was not equal in conduct to what he
was when he led. The great features of his character
were then called out, and the energies which had been con-
cealed broke forth to the admiration of his country. It is
true, in secondary situations, except as far as respects their
own departments, men in office must act with others. An
assent is often given and implied to measures the individual
would never have originated himself, or allowed others to
carry into effect, had he the supreme direction; somewhat
as a sub-officer of judgment in the army may carry into
effect that which he would not sanction nor evmmand
were he a superior. Nevertheless there were several of the
actions of Mr. Canning, while acting subordinately, difficult
to explain in this way. The glory of his latter life, how-
ever, cast them all into shadow, and time alone will show
how the ultra-Tories will succeed in their efforts to deface
the fair edifice which Mr. Canning erected. The Leh-
ides, Ellenboroughs, Newcastles, and Londonderrys,
thosebrg blusterings Aires of that body, show indeed that
little is to be feared from the exertion of their intellects, or
the breadth of their capacities.
The remaining articles possess no striking
merit to recommend them, unless we except an
ironical address to « Owen of Lanark," to which
we point the reader's attention.

GAZETTE OF HEALTH.
We have just—timidly and cautiously
peeped into the pages of this work, and find
that it contains a Gazette of Disirders, nume-
rous enough to terrify a hypochondriac to death.
The sight of a London Gazette cannot be more
unwelcome to a creditor, who expects to find his
principal debtor in itBn List of Bankrupts, than
is the aspect of this " Gazette of Health" to us.
We here find accounts of Morbid Fallacies,
Spasms in the Stomach, Croup, Intermittent
Fever, Epilepsy, Dropsy of the Extremities,
Enlarged Joints, and Watery Head, all so inde-
finitely, confusedly—yet powerfully described, that
we are by no means sure whether we be not in full
possession otifleeeitfiheeertsolotef omredailelaolft'rtehaerimse.s
oSnuacnh
iugsnuoarialYmus. If he possess—like most English-
men--a genius for self-tormenting, he is sure to

# The accomplished author of a history, entitled " The
Lord Mayor's Voyage to Oxford." We have an Ode to
the Lord Mayor in our possession, written, we understand,
by this gentleman ; also " The Coachman's Countenance,"
a descriptive peem, which we shall one of these days ven-
ture to publish.

fancy himself proprietor, for life, of all the Eliot•
tiers therein mentioned. If he be not ;he is
sure at no distant period to be made so. 'We
must, however, in justice to this little magazine;
say that its " bane and antidote" are both before
us : if we have the disoTders, we have also tin:
preventives, and what more can fl./..3 reader wish ?