All Superiors, in
Camps as well as Courts, will ever serve for Patterns to their
Inferiours; and should Officers unanimously resolve to render Swearing
unfashionable, and in good Earnest set about this Task, by Example as
well as Precept and Discipline, it would not be difficult to manage
Soldiers in such a Manner, that in less than Half a Year not an Oath
should be heard among them. If there were Two Armies in the Same
Country, and of the same Nation, in one of which the Soldiers should
curse and swear, as much as is commonly done among all loose, and
ill-bred People, and in the other the Men should have been cured of
that bad Custom, it is incredible what Reputation of being Good and
Religious, those, who would only forbear Swearing, would gain beyond
their Adversaries, tho' they were equally guilty with them of Whoring,
Drinking, Gaming, and every other Vice except that one. Therefore if
one General, to please and keep in with a Party, should think it his
Interest that his Troops should make a greater Appearance of
Godliness, than is commonly observed among Military Men; and another,
to please a contrary Party, should take it to be his Interest to act
as contrary as it was possible to what his Enemies did, and endeavour
to be the Reverse of them, the Difference would be prodigious.
Hor. Then if in one Army they were Valiant, the General of the other
would endeavour to make his Men Cowards.
Cleo. They would differ in every Thing that Soldiers can differ in:
The Observance of the Point of Honour and Hatred to their Enemies are
inseparable from their Calling; therefore resenting of Affronts among
themselves, and cruel Usage to their Enemies, were not more banish'd
from the Armies of the _Huguenots_ and _Roundheads,_ than they were from
those of the _Leaguers_ and _Cavaliers.
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