本杰明·富兰克林/BenjaminFranklin
Youmayremember, mydearfriendthatwhenwelatelyspentthathappydayinthedelightfulgardenandsweetsocietyoftheMoulinJoly, Istoppedalittleinoneofourwalks, ?ly, calledanephemera, whosesuccessivegenerations, weweretold, , .
Ilistenedthroughcuriositytothediscourseoftheselittlecreatures;butasthey, intheirnationalvivacity, spokethreeorfourtogether, , however, bysomebrokenexpressionsthatIheardnowandthen, theyweredisputingwarmlyonthemeritoftwoforeignmusicians, oneacousin, theotheramoscheto;inwhichdisputetheyspenttheirtime, !ThoughtI;youarecertainlyunderawise, just, andmildgovernment, sinceyouhavenopublicgrievancestocomplainof, -headedone, whowassingleonanotherleaf, , Iputitdowninwriting, inhopesitwilllikewiseamusehertowhomIamsomuchindebtedforthemostpleasingofallamusements, herdeliciouscompanyandheavenlyharmony.
“Itwas,”saidhe,“theopinionoflearnedphilosophersofourrace, wholivedandf?lourishedlongbeforemytime, thatthisvastworld, theMoulinJoly, couldnotitselfsubsistmorethaneighteenhours;andIthinktherewassomefoundationforthatopinion, since, bytheapparentmotionofthegreatluminarythatgiveslifetoallnature, andwhichinmytimehasevidentlydeclinedconsiderablytowardstheoceanattheendofourearth, itmustthenf?inishitscourse, beextinguishedinthewatersthatsurroundus, andleavetheworldincoldanddarkness, , agreatage, !Ihaveseengenerationsborn, f?lourish, andexpire.”
