them; so I fully trust in Thy goodness, that Thou wilt not suffer these
divisions to separate me from Thy mercy in Christ Jesus; and that, if
there be any better ways of serving Thee than those I already enjoy, Thou
wilt, according to Thine infinite mercy, lead me into them, O God of my
peace and my love.' After this manner old, angry, ill-conditioned
Prejudice prayed every day till he died, a little child, in charity with
all men, and in acceptance with Almighty God.

CHAPTER IX--CAPTAIN ANYTHING

'I am made all things to all men . . . I please all men in all
things.'--_Paul_

Captain Anything came originally from the ancient town of Fair-speech.

Fair-speech had many royal bounties and many special privileges bestowed
upon it, and Captain Anything and his family had come to many titles and
to great riches in that ancient, loyal, and honourable borough. My Lord
Turn-about, my Lord Time-server, my Lord Fair-speech (from whose
ancestors that town first took its name), as also such well-known
commoners as Mr. Smooth-man, Mr. Facing-both-ways, and Mr. Two-tongues
were all sprung with Captain Anything from the same ancient and
long-established ancestry. As to his religion, from a child young
Anything had sat under the parson of the parish, the same Reverend Two-
tongues as has been mentioned above. And our budding soldier followed
the example of his minister in that he never strove too long against wind
or tide, or was ever to be seen on the same side of the street with
Religion when she was banished from court or had lost her silver
slippers. The crest of the Anythings was a delicately poised weather-
cock; and the motto engraved around the gyrating bird ran thus: 'Our
judgment always jumps according to the occasion.' As a military man,
Captain Anything is described in military books as a proper man, and a
man of courage and skill--to appearance. He and his company under him
were a sort of Swiss guard in Mansoul. They held themselves open and
ready for any master. They lived not so much by religion or by loyalty
as by the fates of worldly fortune. In his secret despatches Diabolus
was wont to address Captain Anything as My Darling; and be sure you
recruit your Switzers well, Diabolus would say; but when the real stress
of the war came, even Diabolus cast Captain Anything off. And thus it
came about that when both sides were against this despised creature he
had to throw down his arms and flee in