Ames, Nathaniel | First printing of Benjamin Franklin's famous epitaph

Ames, Nathaniel

An Astronomical Diary or Almanack, for the Year of Our Lord Christ 1771. Boston: Printed by William M'Alpine and Sold by the Printers and Booksellers [1770]

8vo (171 x 101 mm). Browned throughout. Original self-wrappers, evidence of stab holes, front wrapper rubbed and soiled, rear wrapper. Frayed with minor loss not affecting text. Navy cloth chemise and quarter dark blue morocco slipcase

First edition, containing on page 4 Franklin’s famous epitaph, “in the Stile of his Occupation,” i.e., comparing himself to a book: “The Body of Benjamin FRANKLIN |Printer, | Like the Covering 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 lost, | It will (as he believ’d) appear once more | In a new and more beautiful Edition | Corrected and amended | By the Author. | He was born January 6th 1706 and | died _____17___”. Franklin composed his epitaph in 1728 at the age of 22 and at least three copies of it are known to exist in his hand. “[T]he Ames text apart from the corrupt form ‘Covering’ for ‘Cover’ in the third line, probably derives from … the holograph version owned by Jane (Franklin) Mecom, Franklin’s favorite sibling who lived in Boston” (Butterfield).

REFERENCE

L. H. Butterfield, “B. Franklin’s Epitaph,” in New Colophon 50:23; Drake, Almanacs 3197; ESTC W22521; Evans 11548