Trim! faid my uncle Toby, I have a project in my head, as it is a bad night, of wrapping myself up warm in my roquelaure, and paying a vifit to this poor. gentleman.Your honour's roquelaure, replied the Corporal, has not once been on, fince the night before your honour received your wound, when we mounted guard in the trenches before the gate of St. Nicholas: -and befides, it is fo cold and rainy a night, that what with the roquelaure, and what with the weather, it will be enough to give your honour your death, and bring on your honour's torment in your groin. I fear fo, replied my uncle Toby; but I am not at rest in my mind, Trim, fince the account the landlord has given me.I wish I had not known fo much of this affair,-added my uncle Toby,-or that I had known more of it :- How fhall we maLeave it, an't please your honour, to me, nage it? quoth the Corporal;-I'll take my hat and ftick, and go to the house and reconnoitre, and act accordingly; and I will bring your honour a full account in an hour. Thou shalt go, Trim, faid my uncle Toby, and here's a fhilling for thee to drink with his fervant. -I fhall get it all out of him, faid the Corporal, fhutting the door.

It was not till my uncle Toby had knocked the afhes out of his third pipe, that Corporal Trim returned from the inn, and gave him the following account.

I despaired, at firft, faid the Corporal, of being able to bring back your honour any intelligence concerning the poor fick Lieutenant-Is he in the army,

then?

then? faid my uncle Toby-he is, faid the CorporalAnd in what regiment? faid my uncle Toby-I'll tell your honour, replied the Corporal, every thing Atraight forward, as I learnt it-Then, Trim, I will fill another pipe, faid my uncle Toby, and not interrupt thee till thou haft done; fo fit down at thy cafe, Trim, in the window-feat, and begin thy ftory again. The Corporal made his old bow, which generally spoke as plain as a bow could speak it-Your honour is good: And having done that, he fat down, as he was ordered, and began the ftory to my uncle Toby over again, in pretty near the fame words.

I despaired at firft, faid the Corporal, of being able to bring back any intelligence to your honour, about the Lieutenant and his fon; for when I asked where his fervant was, from whom I made myself fure of knowing every thing which was proper to be asked, -That's a right diftinction, Trim, faid my uncle Toby -I was anfwered, an' please your honour, that he had no fervant with him ;-that he had come to the inn with hired horfes, which, finding himself unable to proceed (to join, I suppose, the regiment), he had difmiffed the morning after he came.If I get better, my dear, faid he, as he gave his purfe to his fon to pay the man, we can hire horfes from hence.

-But, alas! the poor gentleman will never get from hence, faid the landlady to me, for I heard the death-watch all night long;-and when he dies, the youth, his fon, will certainly die with him; for he is broken hearted already.

I was

I was hearing this account, continued the, Corporal, when the youth came into the kitchen, to order the thin toast the landlord spoke of;-but I will do it for my father myself, faid the youth.-Pray let me fave you the trouble, young gentleman, faid I, taking up a fork for the purpose, and offering him my chair to fit down upon by the fire, whilft I did it.-I believe, Sir, faid he, very modeftly, I can please him beft myself. I am fure, faid I, his honour will not like the toaft the worfe for being toasted by an old foldier. The youth took hold of my hand, and inftantly

burst into tears.-Poor youth! faid my uncle Toby, -he has been bred up an infant in the army, and the name of a foldier, Trim, founded in his ears like the name of a friend;-I wish I had him here.

-I never in the longest march, said the Corporal, had so great a mind to my dinner, as I had to cry with him for company :-What could be the matter with me, an' please your honour? Nothing in the world, Trim, faid my uncle Toby, blowing his nofe,but that thou art a good-natured fellow.

When I gave him the toaft, continued the Corporal, I thought it was proper to tell him I was Captain Shandy's fervant, and that your honour (though a ftranger) 、was extremely forry for his father;—and that if there was any thing in your house or cellar(and thou might'ft have added my purfe too, faid my uncle Toby,)—he was heartily welcome to it:-He made a very low bow (which was meant to your honour,) but no answer,-for his heart was full-fo

he

he went up stairs with the toast;-I warrant you, my dear, faid I, as I opened the kitchen door, your father will be well again,-Mr. Yorick's curate was fmoaking a pipe by the kitchen fire,-but faid not a word good nor bad to comfort the youth.-I thought it wrong, added the Corporal-I think fo too, faid my uncle Toby.

When the Lieutenant had taken his glass of fack and toaft, he felt himfelf a little revived, and fent into the kitchen, to let me know, that in about ten minutes he should be glad if I would ftep up ftairs. -I believe, said the landlord, he is going to fay his prayers, for there was a book laid upon the chair by his bed-fide, and as I fhut the door, I faw his fon take up a cushion.

the

I thought, faid the curate, that you gentlemen of army, Mr. Trim, never said your prayers at all.— I heard the poor gentleman fay his prayers laft night, faid the landlady, very devoutly, and with my own ears, or I could not have believed it-Are you fure of it? replied the curate.-A foldier, an' please your reverence, faid I, prays as often (of his own accord) as a parfon; and when he is fighting for his king, and for his life, and for his honour too; he has the most reason to pray to God, of any one in the whole world.-'Twas well faid of thee, Trim, faid my uncle Toby. But when a foldier, faid I, an' please your reverence, has been ftanding for twelve hours together in the trenches, up to his knees in cold water, -or engaged, faid I, for months together in long and dangerous

dangerous marches; haraffed, perhaps, in his rear today;-haraffing others to-morrow ;-detached here; -countermanded there;-refting this night out upon his arms; beat up in his fhirt the next ;- -benumbed in his joints;-perhaps without ftraw in his tent to kneel on; must fay his prayers how and when he can.

I believe, faid I,-(for I was piqued, quoth the Corporal, for the reputation of the army) I believe, an' please your reverence, faid I, that when a foldier gets time to pray,- -he prays as heartily as a parfon,though not with all his fufs and hypocrify. Thou shouldft not have said that, Trim, faid 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 feen who have done their duties in this world, and who have not; and we shall be advanced, Trim, accordingly.-I hope we fhall, faid Trim.-It is in the Scripture, faid my uncle Toby; and I will fhew it thee to-morrow :——— --In the mean time we may depend upon it, Trim, for our comfort, faid my uncle Toby, that God Almighty is fo good and just a governor of the world, that if we have but done our duties in it,—it will never be inquired into, whether we have done them in a red coat or a black one:-I hope not, faid the Corporal.-But go on, Trim, faid my uncle Toby, with the story.

When I went up, continued the Corporal, into the Lieutenant's room, which I did not do 'till the expiration of the ten minutes,he was lying in his