▁about ▁ 1 7 8 7 ▁( at ▁age ▁ 4 8 ), ▁but ▁he ▁continued ▁teaching ▁and ▁writing ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁pre aching ▁with ▁great ▁industry ▁and ▁without ▁inter ruption , ▁becoming ▁known ▁as ▁" the ▁blind ▁pre acher ." ▁W add el ▁was ▁described ▁as ▁tall ▁and ▁ere ct ▁with ▁fair ▁complex ion ▁and ▁blue ▁eyes . ▁He ▁was ▁invari ably ▁described ▁as ▁cheer ful , ▁happy , ▁and ▁res igned ▁to ▁his ▁physical ▁aff lict ions . ▁Dick inson ▁College ▁awarded ▁him ▁the ▁degree ▁of ▁D . D . ▁in ▁ 1 7 9 2 . ▁ ▁Death ▁and ▁legacy ▁W add el ▁died ▁at ▁" H ope well ", ▁his ▁Louis a ▁County ▁estate ▁near ▁G ord ons ville , ▁Virginia , ▁on ▁September ▁ 1 7 , ▁ 1 8 0 5 , ▁surv ived ▁by ▁his ▁wife ▁Mary ▁and ▁seven ▁children . ▁His ▁last ▁words ▁were : ▁" Let ▁me ▁die , ▁take ▁the ▁pill ow ▁from ▁beneath ▁my ▁head . ▁Lord ▁Jesus , ▁receive ▁my ▁spirit ." ▁ ▁Before ▁his ▁death ▁W add el ▁ordered ▁all ▁his ▁manuscript s ▁burn ed , ▁so ▁his ▁el o quence ▁has ▁become ▁a ▁matter ▁of ▁tradition . ▁William ▁W irt ' s ▁fict ional ▁Let ters ▁of ▁a ▁British ▁Sp y ▁( 1 8 0 3 ), ▁may ▁have ▁used ▁Dr . ▁W add el ▁( then ▁old ▁and ▁inf irm ) ▁as ▁a ▁character . ▁While ▁question ing ▁the ▁level ▁of ▁art istic ▁license ▁there in , ▁Dr