' '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 honor too, he has the
most reason to pray to God of any one 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 to-day; harassing others to-morrow; detached here; countermanded
there; resting this night upon his arms; beat up in his shirt the next;
benumbed in his joints; perhaps without straw in his tent to kneel on,
he 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't 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.
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