especially from the Lives of those military men who have acted upon Christian principles, and while fighting under the banners of an earthly sovereign, have not forgotten that they were soldiers of the Cross.
The favourable reception of Dr. Stuart's Extracts, encouraged the present Publisher to undertake the work on a more full and comprehensive plan. He had, besides, other inducements; as various attempts to republish Colonel Blackader's Life and Diary have, from time to time, been made, by those who had not access to the original sources of information, and were therefore in danger of obtruding upon the world defective and inaccurate editions. In the present work, these faults have been avoided, so far as care and research could accomplish it.
The engraving of the Colonel is taken from the original Family Painting; which appears from the style and superior manner of execution, to be the workmanship of some foreign artist.
Subjoined is a Poem, by Colonel Blackader, intituled, "A Vision of the Last Judgment," though it is more properly a vision of the latter days, decribing the degeneracy of man, the dissolution of the material universe, &c. It seems only the commencement of a larger poem; but the piece, so far as it goes, gives strong indications of an original mind, and of a poetical imagination.