Paine, Thomas. 1776. Common Sense ...

You all remember, said the Controller, in his strong deep voice, you all remember, I suppose, that beautiful and inspired saying of Our Ford's: History is bunk. History, he repeated slowly, is bunk. He waved his hand; and it was as though, with an invisible feather whisk, he brushed away a little dust, and the dust was Harappa, was Ur of the Chaldees; some spider-webs, and they were Thebes ...