8 OCTOBER 1904, Page 23

Literary Influence in British History. By the Hon. A. S.

G. Canning. (T. Fisher Unwin. Is. ad. net.)—This is a revision of a work published some time ago. Some corrections, it seems to- ns, yet remain to be made. "John Wickliffe [why this spelling?] had apparently no political influence." Was there ever anything more amazing? The reader may gather a variety of information from these pages, but he will hardly gain much enlightenment. The subject overtasks the author's powers. There is, in reality, nothing more obscure than the correlation between the literature of a nation and its political and social development. Mr. Canning seldom gets further than the obvious.