 |
 | "A tribute, published October 22, 1931, to Thomas Alva Edison upon
his death: THE passing of Thomas Alva Edison serves to direct our
attention to the multitude of benefactions he bestowed upon all humanity
during his many years of fruitful activity. It reminds us of the debt of
gratitude we owe him as members of the human race. By his achievements, he
laid the foundation for continued and greater development. His persistent
efforts and indefatigable spirit multiplied many times the valuable
opportunities for man, especially the young man. To each and every young
man, Mr. Edison left a legacy of opportunities." | |
 |
Thomas J. Watson
|
|
| "Among the many things he has requested of me to-night, this is the
principal,?that on his gravestone shall be this inscription." | |
|
Richard Monckton Milnes (Lord Houghton)
|
|
| "By and by God caught his eye." | |
|
David McCord
|
|
| "Epitaph on Newton: Nature and Nature"s law lay hid in night: God
said, "Let Newton be!," and all was light. [added by Sir John Collings
Squire: It did not last: the Devil shouting "Ho. Let Einstein be,"
restored the status quo] [Aaron Hill"s version: O"er Nature"s laws God
cast the veil of night, Out blaz"d a Newton"s soul and all was
light." | |
|
George Polyá
|
|
| "EPITAPH, n. An inscription on a tomb, showing that virtues acquired
by death have a retroactive effect." | |
|
Ambrose Gwinett Bierce
|
|
| "Excuse my dust." | |
|
Dorothy Parker
|
|
| "God works wonders now and then; Behold a lawyer, an honest
man." | |
|
Benjamin Franklin
|
|
| "Good friend for Jesus sake forbeare, To digg the dust encloased
heare! Blest be the man that spares thes stones, And curst be he that
moves my bones." | |
|
William Shakespeare
|
|
| "Good night; ensured release, Imperishable peace, Have these for
yours. * While sky and sea and land And earth"s foundations stand And
heaven endures. *These three lines are on the tablet over Housman"s grave
in the parish church at Ludlow, Shropshire, England." | |
|
Alfred Edward Housman
|
|
| "He first deceased, she for a little tried To live without him, liked
it not, and died." | |
|
Sir Henry Wotton
|
|
| "He was not of an age but for all time." | |
|
Ben Jonson
|
|
| "Here lies a great and mighty king Whose promise none relies on; He
never said a foolish thing, Nor ever did a wise one." | |
|
John Wilmot
|
|
| "Here was buried Thomas Jefferson, Author of the Declaration of
American Independence, Of the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom,
And Father of the University of Virginia." | |
|
Thomas Jefferson
|
|
| "I have tried my best to give the nation everything I had in me.
There are probably a million people who could have done the job better
than I did it, but I had the job and I always quote an epitaph on a
tombstone in a cemetery in Tombstone, Arizona: "Here lies Jack Williams.
He done his damndest."" | |
|
Harry S. Truman
|
|
| "I hope for nothing. I fear nothing. I am free. inscription on
Kazantakis"s tomb in Heraklion, Greece" | |
|
Nikos Katzenzakis
|
|
| "If the whole human race lay in one grave, the epitaph on its
headstone might well be: "It seemed like a good idea at the time."" | |
|
Dame Rebecca West
|
|
| "If, after I depart this vale, you ever remember me and have thought
to please my ghost, forgive some sinner and wink your eye at some homely
girl." | |
|
Henry Louis Mencken
|
|
| "It is easy to learn something about everything, but difficult to
learn everything about anything." | |
|
Nathaniel Emmons
|
|
| "Let there be no inscription upon my tomb; let no man write my
epitaph: no man can write my epitaph." | |
|
Robert Emmet
|
|
| "Nature and Nature"s laws lay hid in Night, God said, Let Newton be!
And all was Light." | |
|
Alexander Pope
|
|
| "Of Eleanor Roosevelt: She would rather light a candle than curse the
darkness." | |
|
Adlai Ewing Stevenson
|
|
| "Try to learn something about everything and everything about
something." | |
|
Thomas Henry Huxley
|
|
| "What I spent, is gone; what I kept, I lost; but what I gave away
will be mine forever." | |
|
Ethel Percy Andrus
|