#80 
cence of his friends.. And it is believed he 
received fome elymofinary benefits from per- 
fons in England. He bore his misfortunes 
with fingular good temper, and becoming mag- 
Banimity. He died in his 6oth year. 
In Queen-ftreet, Weftminfter, after a 
week’s illnefs, in his 58th year, Mr. Wm, 
Woodfall, a celebrated journalift. He was 
early placed by his father under Mr. Bald-. 
win, of Paternofter-row, to learn the art of 
printing 3 from whofe houfe he went back to 
his father’s office, and affifted in the printing 
and editing of a daily paper entitled ‘* The 
Public Advertifer.? Mr, Woodfall became 
fo warm an amateur of the drama, that, in 
his younger years, to gratify his penchant for 
the ftage, he made an excurfion into Scot. 
land, and performed feveral times for hisown 
amufement in the company of a Mr. Fifher, 
He ufed to relate many pleafant anecdotes of 
this jaunt, the moft fortunate event of which, 
however, was his marriage with a moft ami- 
able woman, with whom he returned to the 
Metropolis about the year 1772, and then 
engaged himfelf as editor of ** The London 
Packet.” From this he was called by the 
proprietors of ** The Morning Chronicle’ to 
the double ftation of printer and editor, which 
he filled with much credit to himfelf until 
the year 1789, when he commenced a paper 
talled ‘* The Diary” on his own account. 
Mr. Woodfall was the firft writer who un- 
cextock to detail the reports of rhe debates 
in the two Houfes of Parliament on the night 
of the proceeding. Before his time, a very 
thort fketch of the debate was all that the 
news-papers attempted to give on the fame 
night, and the more detailed reports were . 
deferred tofome fubfequent day. Ble with 
a moft retentive memory, Mr. Wcodfall un- 
dertook the difficult tafk of giving a detail of 
the proceedings on the fame night, With- 
Out taking a note to affift his memory, with- 
out the ufe of an amanuenfis to eafe his la- 
beur, he has been known to write fixteen 
cclumns, after having fat in a crowded gal- 
lery for 2s many hours, without any interval 
ef reit, He-even took no fmall pride in this 
exertion, which, however, brought him it 
feems more praife than profit. It, indeed, 
infenfibly wore down his confitution, which 
was naturally a good one, and, when other 
papers, by the divifion of labour, produced 
the tame length of details with an earlier 
publication, he reluétantly yielded the con- 
teft, and fuffered his ‘* Diary” to expire. 
Since that cime he employed his talents in 
Various publications. He fought, in the de- 
Cline of his lite, to be appointed Remem- 
brancer of the City, an office for which he 
was aliowed by all to be peculiarly qualified. 
But private friendthips and fuperior intereft 
prevailed here over modeft merit. Mr. Wood- 
fall pofleffed all the-virtnes of private life 
that can endear a man to fociety, and was 
Farticularly aiftinguithed for his literary ta- 
lJents. His memory was uncommonly re- 
ie Boman 
Deaths in and near London, 
[Odt. ty 
tentive ; indeed, were it not for this quality, 
he would probably have rifen to affluence in 
a world upon which he certainly entered 
with a competence, but left in very humble 
circumftances, Aided and incited, however, 
by this advantage, he explored a path hitherto 
- unknown, and commenced and finifhed a ca- 
reer of great but unprofitable labour. In this 
line he attained the higheft degree of cele- 
brity, as well for the fidelity of his report, 
as the quantity and rapidity of -his execution. 
In the year 1784 Mr. Woodfall was invited 
to Dublin, to report the debates upon the 
Commercial Propofitions ; at which time, 
fo great was his fame, crowds followed him 
through the ftreets, eager to catch a glimpfe 
of a man whom they confidered as endowed 
with fupernatural powers. Mr. Woodfalt 
was alfo deyoted to the belles lettres; and, as 
fuch, was the intimate friend of Garrick, 
Goldfmith, Savage, &c. &c. He was fo paf- 
fionately fond of theatrical reprefentations as 
never to have mifled the firft performance of 
a new piece for the laft forty years 3 and the 
public entertained fo high an opinion of his 
tafte, that his criticifms were generally deci- 
five of the fall or fortune of the piece and the 
performer. Unfortunately for himfelf and 
his family, Mr. Woodfall had placed all his 
hopes on a moft precarious fpecies of property, 
he became the proprietor of a News-papery 
which his talents, indeed, raifed to eminence 5 
but the talents of no individual could fecure 
it a permanent ftation upon that eminence. 
The paper unfortunately fell, and with it 
fell all his hopes. Though difappointed, 
however, he was not to be diverted from his 
favourite purfuits. He was conftant in his 
attendance at the bar of the Houfe of Lords, 
which he had vifited fo lately as the 27th of 
laft July. Although far advanced in life, he 
was active, animated, and in full pofleflion of 
his mental faculties, withcut the appearance 
of any confiderable decay of his phyfical 
ftrength. To a large family, entirely ce- 
pendent upon his induftry, his death is 
therefore an unexpected.deplorable, and truly 
calamitous event. As, however, the circle 
of his acquaintance was as wide as the 
circle uf polifaed life; as he was known by 
almoft every man of rank, fortune, and lite- 
rary acquiremencs in England; and as he 
was loved by many, and refpected by all; it 
is hoped that a fympathetic regard for the 
man will not be buried in his grave, but that 
it wiil furvive, and thew itfelf in a@s of kind- 
nefs to his diftrefied family. 
The late Rev. W. Collicr, [fee our laft 
Number, |wasHebrew profeflor,at Cambridge, 
from the year 1771 to 1790. The diftrefies 
in which he involved himfelf by his life of 
diffipation, compelied him, at length, to quit 
the Univerfity, and to publifh, by fubferip- 
tion, ‘* Poems on various Occafions, with 
Tranflations from Authors in different ‘Lan- 
guages,” dedicated to Prince William of 
Gloucefier. 
 PRO- 
