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power, or controul, or difpofal of any perfon "The may hereafter marry.

"And lastly, I do hereby nominate, constitute, "and appoint, the aforefaid William Bromfield, "Efq; and the said Mason Cornish, executors and "trustees of this my will, hereby revoking and "making void all former wills by me at any time ❝heretofore made, and hereby declaring this my

laft will and teftament. In witness whereof, I "the faid Henry Woodward have, to this my last ❝ will and testament, fet my hand and feal, this "20th day of January, in the year of our Lord 661777. " (Signed)

HENRY WOODWARD. "Signed, fealed, published, and declared by "the faid Henry Woodward, as and for his "laft will and teftament, in the prefence

« of us,

"ANNE PITT.

"E. WILLET.

"No. 89, Wardour-street, Soho."

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Thus have I laid before you (I address myself again to you) the contents of the last will and teftament of my dear departed friend. Nothing" can be more clearly expreffed, or more plainly intended for my benefit, than it is.-One would' imagine,

imagine, that it was next to impoffible to counteract the kind intent of it.And yet, from the most unaccountable perverfion of it, no benefit has, as yet, arifen to me from it.-Could the worthy teftator look out from his grave, and fee what steps have been taken, his honeft heart would. bound with indignant pulfations. But I will not anticipate the circumstances...

LETTER

G. A. B.

XCIV.

January 18, 17

THE very great attention. I paid Mr. Wood

ward during his illness greatly affected my health; as he seemed not to be fatisfied with any other perfon's being near him, or doing any thing for him, but the furgeons and myself. Indeed, his fituation was fo critical, that had he not been treated with the utmost care, he could not have been retained in this world fo long. During the seven months of his indifpofition, I went into a bed but eleven nights. The eve of his departure I was fo greatly, indifpofed, that nature, wearied out, could support it no longer; and I was obliged to retire, leaving him to the care of a gentlewoman who was my intimate, and who, as he

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was

was very partial to her, fhared in giving her. affiftance.

He bore this long and painful illness with the greatest refignation and fortitude. The morning of his death, Mr. Bromfield haftened out of his room in tears; for upon his faying, “God b'w'ye, "Harry!" my dying friend replied, with the utmoft compofure, and an affecting tenderness in the modulation of his voice, "Farewel! I fhall "never see you more!" When I approached the bed to give him his medicine, he regretted not having fufficient power to repay my unwearied attention; and then taking me by the hand with some agitation, he faid, "I am going. Lord have "mercy upon me!" and expired.

Thus ended a man, who was as eminent for rectitude, honour, probity, morality, and religion, as he was allowed great in his profeffion. And though eulogies to his memory were unnecessary,: his worth, both as an actor and as a valuable member of fociety, being fo well known, yet it has been often a matter of furprize to me, that among the number of his friends and of his contemporaries at Merchant-Taylors School, there appeared no public tribute to his merit, except fome lines upon the occafion written by the reverend Mr. Madden.

Upon

Upon his demife, I gave way to that grief I had endeavoured to fmother during his life-time; and indeed, I must have been the most ungrateful woman breathing, after the repeated obligations he had conferred upon me, had I not paid every tribute to his memory. So extreme were my forrows, that I was immediately feized with a fever, which for fome days rendered me insensible.

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At this time I was ftill indebted to Lazarus the jeweller, whom I have already mentioned. His fon-in-law Solomon being his heir, upon hearing of the legacy Mr. Woodward had just left me, applied to an attorney to recover the debt. This attorney, by methods which I find were not at that time uncommon, profecuted the fuit, without my knowing any thing of the commencement of it till he had fued out an outlawry againft me. He declared that he had, wrote to me to demand the debt, but as I never received the letter, I could not answer it, and I experienced upon the occafion, the moft cruel and almoft unprecedented treatment.

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As foon as I was able to be moved, I was advised to go into the country, it being thought improper for me to return to my own house (in which I had a family of diftinction,) till my

affairs

affairs were settled. Accordingly, the upholsterer who occafionally let my houfe, and who was the gentleman director of the funeral of my worthy friend, was deputed to get me a lodging. He fixed upon one at No. 3, Walcot-place, Lambeth, to which place I removed.

When the mistress of the houfe firft faw me, The apprehended I was fent there to die. This apprehenfion, and fome other perfonal reasons, made her very uneafy at my having a lodging in her habitation; for though I had never fpoken to my fair hoftefs till I entered her houfe, I was well acquainted with her by fight, and knew her connexions. This occafioned doubts, which afterwards proved falfe ones. But her chief fear was, that I should die under her roof; of which, indeed, there appeared to be the greatest proba bility. So much alarmed was she at this expectation, that she declared fhe could never ftay in the house after fuch an event had happened.

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How weak must be the mind that indulges fuch timorous apprehenfions! What is there in thy appearance, oh Death! which can carry terror with it to a confiderate being. We know thou art the inevitable attendant on mortality; and we each of us are fenfible, that thou muft fome time

or

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