Here’s what Benjamin Franklin had to say about his own demise when he composed the following epitaph about himself at the tender age of 22.
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 and more perfect Edition,
Corrected and Amended
By the Author.
He was born on January 6, 1706
He died 17--
Too bad he didn’t use it though, his gravestone simply reads:
Benjamin and Deborah Franklin - 1790