HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



119 



consideration. The truth of this 

 case would be estabh'shed by wit- 

 nesses, whose names he mentioned. 

 The second case colonel Wardle 

 had to adduce, related to ex- 

 changes. On the 25th of July, 

 1805, an exchange was concluded 

 between lieutenant-colonel Brooke 

 of the 56th regiment of infantry, 

 and lieutenant-colonel Knight, of 

 the 5th dragoon guards, through 

 the influence of Mrs. Clarke.— 

 Mrs. Clarke wanted some money 

 to defray the expences of an ex- 

 cursion in the country. She, 

 therefore urged the commander- 

 in-chief to expedite the exchange 

 as she was to receive 200^. for it. 

 This urgent request was made on 

 a Thursday, and its influence was 

 such, that the exchange was ac- 

 tually gazetted on the Saturday 

 following. Mrs. Clarke, in con- 

 sequence, received from the agent 

 in negociating the transaction, 

 200/. for it. The witnesses to 

 this case he named. Another case 

 colonel Wardle had to adduce re- 

 ferred to major John Shaw, of co- 

 lonel Champagne's Ceylon regi- 

 ment. Major Shaw was appointed 

 deputy -barrack-master of the Cape 

 of Good Hope, upon the 3rd of 

 April, 1806. It was known that 

 this officer by no means enjoyed 

 the favour of the Duke of York : 

 that, in fact, his royal highness 

 entertained some prejudice against 

 him. But these obstacles Mrs. 

 Clarke readily undertook, on con- 

 ditions, to overcome ; and it was 

 agreed to pay her 1,000/. for the 

 major's appointment. The ap- 

 pointment was therefore made 

 and the major himself paid Mrs. 

 Clarke 300/. Soon after 200/. 

 more was sent to Mrs. Clarke by 

 major Shaw's uncle. The remain- 

 ing 500/., however, was not paid, 



and when it was found not to be 

 forthcoming, Mrs. Clarke was en- 

 raged, and threatened revenge. 

 She actually complained to the 

 commander-in-chief of Mr. Shaw's 

 breach of contract, and the con- 

 sequence was, that the major was, 

 soon after, put upon half-pay. 

 This case of major Shaw was the 

 only instance colonel Wardle could 

 find of such an officer being re- 

 duced to half-pay. The case of 

 this officer then demonstrated, 

 first, that Mrs. Clarke's influence 

 extended to appointments on the 

 staff", as well as to promotions and 

 exchanges in the army itself. Se- 

 condly, that the commander-in- 

 chief punished an individual by 

 reducing him from full to half-pay 

 for non-performance of a nefa- 

 rious contract with his mistress. 

 Thirdly, that the commander-in- 

 chief was a direct party to the 

 whole of this nefarious transaction. 

 Witnesses named. 



Mr. Wardle now came to, what 

 he called, the very novel case of 

 colonel French and his levy. This 

 officer was, through the influence 

 of Mrs. Clarke, appointed by the 

 commander-in-chief to conduct a 

 levy in the years 1804-5. The 

 colonel was introduced to Mrs. 

 Clarke b}' captain Huxley Sandon, 

 and the condition upon which he 

 obtained his appointment was, that 

 Mrs. Clarke should have one gui- 

 nea out of the bounty of each 

 man raised, together with the sale 

 or patronage of a certain number 

 of the commissions. The agree- 

 ment being concluded, it was com- 

 municated to, and approved of by 

 the commander-in-chief. Colonel 

 French was accordingly sent, by 

 Mrs. Clarke, to the Horse Guards, 

 and, after many interviews, the 

 levy was set on foot. As the levy 



proceeded, 



