mend, continued he, we are all of us concerned for him. THOU art a good-natured foul, I will anfwer for thee, cried my uncle Toby; and thou shalt drink the poor gentleman's health in a glass of sack thyself, and take a cou ple 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 compaffionate fellow, Trim, yet I cannot help entertaining a high opinion of his gueft too; there must be fomething more than common in him, that in so short a time should win so 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. SPAY in the room a little, faid my uncle Toby.TRIM-faid my uncle Toby, after he had lighted his pipe, and fmoked about a dozen whiffs.-Trim came in. front of his matter, and made his bow:-my uncle Toby fmoked on, and faid no more.Corporal! faid my uncle uncle Toby the corporal made his bow.My uncle Toby proceeded no farther, but finished his pipe. 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, 'twill 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, 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 manage it? Leave it, an't please your honour, to me, 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 halt 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. My uncle Toby filled his fecond pipe, and had it not been that he now and then wandered from the point, with confidering whether it was not full as well to have the cartain of the tennaile a ftraight line as a crooked one,-he' might be faid to have thought of nothing elfe but poor le Fevre and his boy the whole time he finoked it. 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 kind of intelligence concern my ing the poor fick lieutenant-Is he in the army then? faid uncle TobyHe is, faid the corporal— -And in what regiment faid my uncle Toby- I'll tell your honour, replied the corporal, every thing ftraight forwards, as I learnt it-Then, Trim, I'll fill another pipe, faid my uncle Toby, and not interrupt thee till thou haft done; fo fit down at thy eafe, Trim, in the window feat, and be gin thy flory again. The corporal made his old bow, which generally spoke, as plain as a bow could fpeak 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 first, faid the corporal, of being able to bring back any intelligence to your honour about the lieu tenant and his fon ; for when I afked where his fervant was, from whom I made myfelt fure of knowing every thing which was proper to be asked, hat's a right distinction, Trim, faid my uncle Toby-I was anfwered, an' pleafe your honour, that he had no fervant with him;--that he had come to the inn with hired horfes, which, upon finding himfelf unable to proceed, (to join, I fuppofe, the regi ment,) he had difiniffed 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 alk 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 into the kitchen, to order the thin toaft the landlord fpoke 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,. whilst I did it.—I believe, Sir, faid he, very modeftly, I can please 309 please him beft myfelf. I am fure, faid I, his honour will not like the teaft the worfe for being toafted 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 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 di ner, 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 toast, continued the eorporal, I thought it was proper to tell him I was Captain Shandy's fervant, and that your honour (though a stranger) 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 toaft; I warrant you, my dear, faid I, as I opened the kitchen-door, your father will be well again.- Mr. Yorick's curate was smoking a pipe by the kitchen fire-but faid not a word good or bad to comfort the youth.—I thought it was wrong, added the corporal.- I think fo 100, faid my uncle Toby. WHEN the lieutenant had taken his glafs of fack and toast, he felt himself a little revived, and fent down into the kitchen, to let me know, that in about ten minutes he fhould be glad if I would step up ftairs.- I believe, faid the landlord, he is going to fay his prayers, book laid upen the chair by his bed-fide: door, I faw his fon take up a cushion, for there was.a and as I fhut the I THOUGHT, I THOUGHT, faid the curate, that you gentlemen of the army, Mr. Trim, never faid your prayers at all I heard the poor gentleman fay his prayers last 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 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 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 marches;-harafied, perhaps, in his rear to day;-ha raffing 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;-he must say his prayers how and when he can.- -I believe, faid I, for I was piqu'd, quoth the corporal, for the reputation of the army,-I believe, an't 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 should'ft not have faid 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 has done their duties in this world, and who has 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 fhow 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 so good and just a governor of the world, that - |