Epitaph
Franklin’s Epitaph for Himself
Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790)
1728, by his own later account

Cold Library · Open Stacks · S-008011 · https://coldlibrary.com/s/008011
Rights: Written by Benjamin Franklin, who died in 1790, around 1728. Only Franklin’s own words are given here, not the modern editors’ notes. Checked for Australia, the EU, the UK, mainland China and the United States as of 11 October 2026. Guidance, not legal advice.
Source: Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Franklin/01-01-02-0033 (retrieved 2026-10-11)
Generated 2026-10-14 from https://coldlibrary.com/en/open-stacks/franklin-epitaph

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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