Cleo. The Misfortune you speak of, and which the King's Army labour'd
under, must every where be a great Hinderance to Discipline; and I
verily believe, that his Soldiers suffer'd very much in their Morals
on Account of it; but I am persuaded, that the Contrariety of
Principles, which I hinted at, was an Addition to that Misfortune, and
made it worse; for that the _Cavaliers_ laughed at the _Roundheads_ for
their praying so long and so often, and the great Shew they made of
Devotion, is certain; and there is always a Pleasure in appearing to
be the Reverse of what we ridicule in our Enemies. But whatever was
then, or might at any other Time, be the true Reason of the Difference
in the Shew of Piety and Goodness between two such Armies, let us see
the Consequence of it, and the Effect it would naturally have on the
sober Party. All Multitudes are superstitious; and among great
Numbers, there are always Men prone to Enthusiasm; and if the
Pretenders to Godliness had skilful Divines (as no doubt, they would
have) that knew, how to extol the Goodness and Piety of the General
and the Soldiers, declaim against the Wickedness and reprobate Lives
of the Enemies, and remonstrate to their Hearers, how God must love
the first, and, from his known Attributes, hate the latter, it would
in all Probability produce every Thing we read of in the Armies of the
Prince of _Conde_ and the Parliament. Some Colonels would preach, and
some Soldiers would learn Prayers and Scraps of Psalms by Heart, and
many of them would grow more circumspect in indulging their Vices,
than is common to Men of their Function. This latter would make the
Men more governable, and consequently better Troops, and all together
would make a great Noise. Besides, Mankind are so given to flatter
themselves, that they'll believe any Thing, that is said in their
Praise; and should, in any Regiment of such an Army, the Chaplain
display his Eloquence before a Battle, exhort the Men to Bravery,