When the lieutenant had taken his glass of sack and toast, he felt himself a little revived, and sent down into the kitchen, to let me know, that in about ten minutes he should be glad if I would step upstairs.⸺I believe, said the landlord, he is going to say his prayers,⸺for there was a book laid upon the chair by his bedside, and as I shut the door, I saw his son take up a cushion.⸺
I thought, said the curate, that you gentlemen of the army, Mr. Trim , never said your prayers at all.⸺I heard the poor gentleman say his prayers last night, said the landlady, very devoutly, and with my own ears, or I could not have believed it.⸺Are you sure of it? replied the curate.⸺A soldier, an’ please your reverence, said I, prays as often (of his own accord) as a parson;⸺and when he is fighting for his king, and for his own life, and for his honour too, he has the most reason to pray to God of anyone in the whole world⸺’Twas well said of thee, Trim , said my uncle Toby .⸺But when a soldier, said I, an’ please your reverence, has been standing for twelve hours together in the trenches, up to his knees in cold water,—or engaged, said I, for months together in long and dangerous marches;—harassed, perhaps, in his rear today;—harassing others tomorrow;—detached here;—countermanded there;—resting this night out upon his arms;—beat up in his shirt the next;—benumbed in his joints;—perhaps without straw in his tent to kneel on;—must say his prayers how and when he can.—I believe, said I,—for I was piqued, quoth the corporal, for the reputation of the army,—I believe, an’ please your reverence, said I, that when a soldier gets time to pray,—he prays as heartily as a parson,—though not with all his fuss and hypocrisy.⸺Thou shouldst not have said that, Trim , said my uncle Toby ,—for God only knows who is a hypocrite, and who is not:⸺At the great and general review of us all, corporal, at the day of judgment (and not till then)—it will be seen who has done their duties in this world,—and who has not; and we shall be advanced, Trim , accordingly.⸺I hope we shall, said Trim .⸺It is in the Scripture, said my uncle Toby ; and I will show it thee tomorrow:—In the