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 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 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 shew it thee to-morrow: --In the mean time we may depend upon it, _Trim_, for our comfort, said my uncle _Toby_, that God Almighty is so good and just a governor of the world, that if we have but done our duties in it, --it will never be enquired into, whether we have done them in a red coat or a black one: ----I hope not, said the corporal ----But go on, _Trim_, said my uncle _Toby_, with thy story.

'"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."
'"Are you sure?" said the curate.
'"A soldier, an' please your reverence," said I, "prays as often as a parson; and when he is fighting for his king, and for his own life and his honour too, he has the most reason to pray to God of anyone in the world."'
''Twas well said, Trim," said my uncle Toby.
'"But when a soldier," said I, "has been standing for twelve hours in the trenches, up to his knees in cold water, - or engaged for months in long and dangerous marches; resting one night upon his arms, and roused the next in his shirt: harassed and benumbed, with no straw to kneel on - he must say his prayers how and when he can. I believe," said I, for I was annoyed, "I believe, your reverence, that when a soldier gets time, 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: at the day of judgment it will be seen who has done their duties, and who has not. - But we may depend upon it, Trim, that God is so just, that if we have done our duties, it will never be asked whether we have done them in a red coat or a black one. - But go on with thy story.'
