Benjamin Franklin’s Epitaph for Himself, 1728

Benjamin Franklin’s Epitaph for Himself, 1728

Benjamin Franklin
1728

Franklin wrote this when he was about 22.

Epitaph
The Body of
B. Franklin,
Printer;
Like the Cover of an old Book,
Its Contents torn out,
And stript of its Lettering and Gilding,
Lies here, Food for Worms.
But the Work shall not be wholly lost:
For it will, as he believ’d, appear once more,
In a new & more perfect Edition,
Corrected and amended
By the Author.
He was born Jan. 6. 1706.
Died 17

Source:
The Writings of Benjamin Franklin: Philadelphia, 1726 – 1757