A grave-digger (l.) resting on his spade holds out in his left hand a decayed skull towards a skeleton-like man wearing an old-fashioned tie-wig, who is sitting on a rectangular tomb while he leans his right. elbow on another tomb at right angles to his seat. This man holds a scythe in his left hand, a pen in his right. He uses the second tomb as a writing table; an ink-pot stands upon it. His hand rests on two papers inscribed "Marcus Aurelius Servius Tullius . . ." and "Addison - Dr. Swift". From the jaws of the skull held by the grave-digger issue the words,
<p><br><br>"Life is a jest &amp; all things shew it
<br>I thought so once but now I know it."  
<br><br>In the foreground are bones and a skull; in the background (l.) a rat scampers away. 1 May 1773
</p>
<br>Etching
1773<div style="display: none;">date QS:P571,+1773-00-00T00:00:00Z/9</div>
<a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1868-0808-4497">https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1868-0808-4497</a>