love and the veneration of man a natural consequence of devotedness to his Maker.
The author is far from wishing to depreciate what has been written on the momentous period to which these volumes relate. But it will, he hopes, be manifest that his unfeigned admiration of the genius which many of our writers have brought to this subject has not made him insensible to their prejudices, nor allowed him to take their representations upon trust; and it may be proper to add, that he is not conscious of being under any material obligation to them without acknowledgment.
In committing these memorials to their fate, the writer is aware that very little talent or acquirement will be needed to raise objections to some of his statements, and often to make out a case that shall wear a different appearance from that which he may have placed before the reader. But he has laid his account with such things; and persuaded of having endeavoured to perform his task honestly, he leaves the fruit of his labour to that test which, soon or late, determines every man's work, of what sort it is."