本杰明·富兰克林/BenjaminFranklin
Dearson，
, , manyofwhichyouareyetunacquaintedwith, andexpectingtheenjoymentofaweek'suninterruptedleisureinmypresentcountryretirement, , toastateofaffuenceandsomedegreeofreputationintheworld, andhavinggonesofarthroughlifewithaconsiderableshareoffelicity, theconducingmeansImadeuseof, whichwiththeblessingofGodsowellsucceeded, myposteritymayliketoknow, astheymayfndsomeofthemsuitabletotheirownsituations, andthereforefttobeimitated.
Thatfelicity, whenIrefectedonit, hasinducedmesometimestosay, thatwereitofferedtomychoice, Ishouldhavenoobjectiontoarepetitionofthesamelifefromitsbeginning, , besidescorrectingthefaults, , , thenextthingmostlikelivingone'slifeoveragainseemstobearecollectionofthatlife, andtomakethatrecollectionasdurableaspossiblebyputtingitdowninwriting.
Hereby, too, Ishallindulgetheinclinationsonaturalinoldmen, tobetalkingofthemselvesandtheirownpastactions；andIshallindulgeitwithoutbeingtiresometoothers, who, throughrespecttoage, mightconceivethemselvesobligedtogivemeahearing, , lastly（Imayaswellconfessit, sincemydenialofitwillbebelievedbynobody），, Iscarceeverheardorsawtheintroductorywords,“WithoutvanityImaysay,”, whateversharetheyhaveofitthemselves；butIgiveitfairquarterwhereverImeetwithit, beingpersuadedthatitisoftenproductiveofgoodtothepossessor, andtoothersthatarewithinhissphereofaction；andtherefore, inmanycases, itwouldnotbealtogetherabsurdifamanweretothankGodforhisvanityamongtheothercomfortsoflife.
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