A young fellow recently finished the works of Thomas Carlyle, winding up, if we remember aright, with the ten note-books upon Frederick the Great. "What!" cried the young fellow, in consternation, "is there no more Carlyle? Am I left to the daily papers?" A more celebrated instance is that of Alexander, who wept bitterly because he had no more worlds to subdue. And when Gibbon had finished the DECLINE AND FALL, he had only a few moments of joy; and it was with a "sober melancholy" that he parted from his labours.
參考譯文:
最近，一位年輕人讀完了托馬斯*卡萊爾的著作。如果我沒記錯的'話，關於腓特列大帝的筆記他記了整整十本。“什麼？”這個年輕人驚恐地叫道：“沒有卡萊爾的書可讀了？那我只能看看日報了？”另一個比較有名的例子是亞歷山大，他因為已沒有國家供他征服而號啕大哭。 當吉本完成《羅馬帝國衰亡史》，也只不過高興了一時，然後帶著清醒而又抑鬱的心情，他嚮往日的勞動成果揮手作別。
