d his genius, his deep interest in the government of
states, and the freshness of his ideas on all subjects connected with the
growth of the Empire. Moreover, he knew that he had offended the King,
and that George was not a man likely to forgive such an offence, and he
thought he had reason to believe that, for the present at least, there
was not much prospect for him of advancement in English political life.
Many of his friends endeavored to persuade him against accepting a
position which would make him an exile from England at a time when
England's interests on the European continent required just such a genius
as his to guide her foreign policy, and they felt sure that the time
could not be far distant when he must be invited to resume his former
place in the Administration. Canning, however, held to his purpose,
accepted the offer of the East India Company, and went to Liverpool in
order to take farewell of his constituency before setting out on his
voyage to the scene of his new duties.

He stayed while in Liverpool at Seaforth House, the residence of Mr. John
Gladstone, one of the merchant princes of Liverpool, whose son William
Ewart Gladstone was afterwards to make the name of the family famous in
history. During his stay at Seaforth House, Canning used to spend much
of his time gazing out upon the sea, while the little boy William Ewart
Gladstone played on the lawn near him. It was here that Canning heard
the news {36} which led to an entire change in his purpose, and opened
the way to his greatest success. His late colleague, his late rival,
Castlereagh, was dead--had died by his own hand. Castlereagh had lately
succeeded to his father's title, and had become Marquis of Londonderry;
but as the marquisate was only an Irish peerage, he could still sit in
the House of Commons as the chosen representative of an English
constituency. His mind had seemed, for some time, to be darkened by
troubles of which he gave no account to his friends, and he suddenly
committed suicide. There are many conjectures and suggested explanations
as to the immediate cause of the act, but all we know for certain is that
the strong mind seemed suddenly to give way, and that Castlereagh could
endure life no longer. Seldom, indeed, has the death of a public man in
modern times been received with any such demonstrations as those which in
many places followed the news that Castlereagh had done himself to death.
In every community all