Sol. Why, it is lawful to kill an Enemy.

Cart. Perhaps it may be so, if he invades your native Country:  Nay, and it is pious too, to fight for your Wife, Children, your Parents and Friends, your Religion and Liberties, and the publick Peace.  But what is all that to your fighting for Money?  If you had been knocked on the Head, I would not have given a rotten Nut to redeem the very Soul of you.

Sol. No?

Cart. No, by Christ, I would not.  Now which do you think is the harder Task, to be obedient to a good Man, which we call Prior, who calls us to Prayers, and holy Lectures, the Hearing of the saving Doctrine, and to sing to the Glory of God:  Or, to be under the Command of some barbarous Officer, who often calls you out to fatiguing Marches at Midnight, and sends you out, and commands you back at his Pleasure, exposes you to the Shot of great Guns, assigns you a Station where you must either kill or be killed?

Sol. There are more Evils than you have mentioned yet.

Cart. If I shall happen to deviate from the Discipline of my Order, my Punishment is only Admonition, or some such slight Matter:  But in War, if you do any Thing contrary to the General’s Orders, you must either be hang’d for it, or run the Gantlope; for it would be a Favour to have your Head cut off.

Sol. I can’t deny what you say to be true.

Cart. And now your Habit bespeaks, that you han’t brought much Money Home, after all your brave Adventures.

Sol. As for Money, I have not had a Farthing this good While; nay, I have gotten a good Deal into Debt, and for that Reason I come hither out of my Way, that you might furnish me with some Money to bear my Charges.

Cart. I wish you had come out of your Way hither, when you hurried yourself into that wicked Life of a Soldier.  But how come you so bare?

Sol. Do you ask that?  Why, whatsoever I got of Pay, Plunder, Sacrilege, Rapine and Theft, was spent in Wine, Whores and Gaming.

Cart. O miserable Creature!  And all this While your Wife, for whose Sake God commanded you to leave Father and Mother, being forsaken by you, sat grieving at Home with her young Children.  And do you think this is Living, to be involved in so many Miseries, and to wallow in so great Iniquities?

Sol. The having so many Companions of my Wickedness, made me insensible of my Evil.

Cart. But I’m afraid your Wife won’t know you again.

Sol. Why so?

Cart. Because your Scars have made you the Picture of quite another Man.  What a Trench have you got here in your Forehead?  It looks as if you had had a Horn cut out.

Sol. Nay, if you did but know the Matter, you would congratulate me upon this Scar.

Cart. Why so?

Sol. I was within a Hair’s Breadth of losing my Life.