poor gentleman, I think of the army, faid the landlord, who has been taken ill at my house four days ago, and has never held up his head fince, or had a desire to taste any thing, till juft now, that he has a fancy for a glafs of fack and a thin toast,—“ I think," fays he, taking his hand from his forehead, "it would comfort me."

-If I could neither beg, borrow, or buy such a thing, added the landlord,-I would almost fteal it for the poor gentleman, he is fo ill.-I hope in God he will ftill mend, continued he,we are all of us concerned for him.

Thou art a good-natured foul, I will answer for thee, cried my uncle Toby; and thou shalt drink the poor gentleman's health in a glafs of fack thyfelf, and take a couple of bottles with my fervice, and tell him he is heartily welcome to them, and to a dozen more if they will do him good.

Though I am perfuaded, faid my uncle Toby, as the landlord fhut the door, he is a very compaflionate fellow-Trim,-yet I cannot help entertaining a high opinion of his guest too; there muft be fomething more than common in him, that in fo fhort a time fhould win fo much upon the affections of his hoft;-And of his whole family, added the Corporal, for they are all concerned for him.-Step after him, faid my uncle Toby,-do Trim, and ask if he knows his name.

-I have quite forgot it, truly, faid the landlord, coming back into the parlour with the Corporal, but I can afk his fon again :-Has he a fon with him then? faid my uncle Toby -A boy, replied the landlord, of about eleven or twelve years of age; but the poor creature has tafted almost as little as his father; he does nothing but mourn and lament for him night and day :-He has not stirred from the bed-fide thefe two days.

My uncle Toby laid down his knife and fork, and thruft his plate from before him, as the landlord gave him the account; and Trim, without being ordered, took away, without faying one word, and in a few minutes after brought him his pipe and tobacco..

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 had 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 reft in my mind, Trine, fince the account the landlord

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has

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 shall we manage it? Leave it, an't please your honour, to me, quoth the corporal;-I'll take my hat and stick and go to the house and reconnoitre, and act accordingly; and I will bring your honour a full account in an hour.-Thou fhalt go Trim, faid my uncle Toby, and here's a fhilling for thee to drink with his fervant.-1 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 defpaired,at firft, faid the Corporal, of being able to bring back your honour any kind of intelligence concerning the poor fick Lieutenant-Is he in the army, then? faid my uncle Toby He is, faid the Corporal- And in what regiment? faid my uncle Toby-I'll tell your honour, replied the Corporal, every thing straight forwards, 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 story again. The Corporal made his old bow, which generally fpoke as plain as a bow could fpeak it-Your honour is good:-And having done that, he fat

down,

down, as he was ordered, and began the ftory to my uncle Toby over again in pretty near the

fame words.

I defpaired at first, faid the Corporal, of being able to bring back any intelligence to your honour about the Lieutenant and his fon; for when I afked where his fervant was, from whom I made myself sure of knowing every thing which was proper to be asked,-That's a right distinction, Trim, faid my uncle Toby-I was answered, an please your honour, that he had no fervant with him ;-that he had come to the inn with hired horfes, which, upon finding himself unable to proceed, (to join, I fuppofe, the regiment), he had difmiffed the morning after he came.-If I get better, my dear, faid he, as he gave his purse 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 hearing this account, continued the Corporal, when the youth came in to the kitchen, to erder the thin toast the landlord fpoke of;-but I will do it for my father myfelf, faid the youthPray 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 best myself.—I'am fure, faid I, his honour will not like the toast the worfe for being toafted by an old foldier.—The youth took hold of my hand, and instantly burst into tears.-Poor youth! faid my uncle Toby.he has been bred up from 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, faid the Corporal, had fo 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 ft-anger) was extremely concerned for his father; -and that if there was any thing in your houfe 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 anfwer,for his heart was full-fo he went up ftairs with the toast;-I warrant you, my dear, faid I, as I opened the kitchen-door, your father