Canning was born in London, in the year 1770, in comparatively humble life,—­his father being a dissipated and broken-down barrister, and his mother compelled by poverty to go upon the stage.  But he had a wealthy relative who took the care of his education.  In 1788 he entered Christ Church College, where he won the prize for the best Latin poem that Oxford had ever produced.  After he had graduated with distinguished honors, he entered as a law student at Lincoln’s Inn; but before he wore the gown of a barrister Pitt had sought him out, as he had Castlereagh, having heard of his talents in debating societies.  Pitt secured him a seat in Parliament, and Canning made his first speech on the 31st of January, 1794.  The aid which he brought to the ministry secured his rapid advancement.  In a year after his maiden speech he was made under-secretary of state for foreign affairs, at the age of twenty-five.  On the death of Pitt, in 1806, when the Whigs for a short period came into power, Canning was the recognized leader of the opposition; and in 1807, when the Tories returned to power, he became foreign secretary in the ministry of the Duke of Portland, of which Mr. Perceval was the leading member.  It was then that Canning seized the Danish fleet at Copenhagen, giving as his excuse for this bold and high-handed measure that Napoleon would have taken it if he had not.  It was through his influence and that of Lord Castlereagh that Sir Arthur Wellesley, afterward the Duke of Wellington, was sent to Spain to conduct the Peninsular War.

On the retirement of the Duke of Portland as head of the government in 1809, Mr. Perceval became minister,—­an event soon followed by the insanity of George III. and the entrance of Robert Peel into the House of Commons.  In 1812 Mr. Perceval was assassinated, and the long ministry of Lord Liverpool began, supported by all the eloquence and influence of Canning, between whom and his chief a close friendship had existed since their college days.  The foreign secretaryship was offered to Canning; but he, being comparatively poor, preferred the Lisbon embassy, on the large salary of L14,000.  In 1814 he became president of the Board of Control, and remained in that office until he was appointed governor-general of India.  On the death of Castlereagh (1822) by his own hand, Canning resumed the post of foreign secretary, and from that time was the master spirit of the government, leader of the House of Commons, the most powerful orator of his day, and the most popular man in England.  He had now become more liberal, showing a sympathy with reform, acknowledging the independence of the South American colonies, and virtually breaking up the Holy Alliance by his disapprobation of the policy of the Congress of Vienna, which aimed at the total overthrow of liberty in Europe, and which (under the guidance of Metternich and with the support of Castlereagh) had already given Norway to Sweden, the duchy of Genoa to Sardinia, restored to the Pope his ancient possessions,