So true, so true, but who said it first?
It’s difficult to know exactly, but records do show that perhaps the first was Daniel Defoe, in The Political History of the Devil, 1726. He said:
“Things as certain as death and taxes, can be more firmly believed.”
So he didn’t exactly say the well known phrase, so, again, who did?
Benjamin Franklin (1706-90) used the structure we are presently more familiar with, in a letter to Jean-Baptiste Leroy, 1789, which was re-printed in The Works of Benjamin Franklin, 1817:
“‘In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.”
One more consideration on the theme of death and taxes is Margaret Mitchell’s line from her book Gone With the Wind, 1936:
“Death, taxes and childbirth! There’s never any convenient time for any of them.”
Benjamin Franklin is also blessed with having given us many more common phrases such as:
A penny saved is a penny earned.
A place for everything, everything in its place.
By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.
Honesty is the best policy.
Perhaps we should all listen carefully to his comments as most appear as relevant today as when he originally said them?
So who is this man? According to Wikipedia, the (online) free encyclopedia, “Benjamin Franklin (January 17, 1706– April 17, 1790) was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States of America. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author and printer, satirist, political theorist, politician, scientist, inventor, civic activist, statesman and diplomat. As a scientist he was a major figure in the Enlightenment and the history of physics for his discoveries and theories regarding electricity. He invented the lightning rod, bifocals, the Franklin stove, a carriage odometer, and a musical instrument. He formed both the first public lending library in America and first fire department in Pennsylvania. He was an early proponent of colonial unity and as a political writer and activist he, more than anyone, invented the idea of an American nation[1] and as a diplomat during the American Revolution, he secured the French alliance that helped to make independence possible.”
Whatever, he did get it right; one thing you can be sure of is death and taxes. However, these days you can plan for the latter and reduce them as much as the law allows. LSUK can help you with that section.As for putting off the former; please let us know if you are acquainted with more knowledge than us.
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