128 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1809. 



the royal duke. But there was 

 throughout the whole of her close 

 and long examination at the bar, 

 an air of unconstraint and ease, 

 and a readiness of reply that 

 seemed to bespeak a disposition to 

 answer the questions that were put 

 to her truly. For every why, she 

 had a wherefore. She was caught 

 in falsity, but not often, nor in 

 very important cases. She de- 

 clared in the strongest manner that 

 she had not seen Colonel VVardle 

 on a certain day when she under- 

 went an examination, though it 

 was afterwards proved that on that 

 day they had seen, that is, been 

 together, three different times. 

 It was proved that she had passed 

 a night with a Mr. Dowler, one of 

 her favourite lovers, as his wife, 

 after she had denied that she had 

 done so. She could not, however, 

 by any means be charged, on the 

 whole, with prevarication. At 

 the same time, it is to be observed, 

 she was under no temptation to 

 prevaricate. The great mass and 

 weight of her evidence was in- 

 tended, not to conceal, but clearly 

 to expose her bargaining with 

 place and promotion-hunters. And 

 as for what was alleged to have 

 passed privately on that subject, 

 it could only be known to the 

 duke and herself. No one could 

 prove a negative. 



There were, however, two cir- 

 cumstances that wore on their 



face a direct inculpation of the 

 commander-in-chief. 



First, Captain Sandon said, that 

 when major Tonyn became im- 

 patient for his promotion, he ( San- 

 don) went to state the circum- 

 stances to Mrs. Clarke, who sent 

 him back to inform him, that she 

 had received a note from the Duke 

 of York respecting his case ; which 

 note was shown by captain Sandon 

 to major Tonyn. The note was, " I 

 received your note, and Tonyn's 

 case shall remain as it is. God 

 bless you." This note was in- 

 tended to show, that the person to 

 whom it was written had influ- 

 ence, and in consequence, major 

 Tonyn consented to let his secu- 

 rity remain. The existence of 

 this note was regarded as the more 

 weighty evidence, since it had been 

 extorted, without Mrs. Clarke's 

 knowledge or interference at all 

 in the matter, from captain San- 

 don, who at first pretended that 

 he had destroyed it, and who was 

 therefore sent to Newgate for pre- 

 varication. When major Tonyn 

 was gazetted, captain Sandon was 

 directed to show him another note, 

 purporting to have been written 

 by the Duke of York, and saying, 

 " Tonyn will be this night ga- 

 zetted." This note was not after- 

 wards given back. When the first 

 note was shown to liis royal high- 

 ness, he utterly denied all know- 

 ledge of the matter, and declared 



the 



that a verdict had been obtained against him only through perjury. Duruig the 

 progress of the trial the Colonel had written to his men of law, again and again, de- 

 siring that major Dodd, Mr. James Glennie, heretofore of the corps of engineers, 

 and other respectable i witnesses, should be examined; but the lawyers thought this 

 unnecessary. The evidence of Mrs. Clarke and of the brother of the upholsterer 

 on oath, would be overthrown by that of the respectable witnesses whom he 

 had to bring forward on a second "trial, for which he had made api)lication. — 

 But, if so, what is to be thought of the evidence of Mrs. Clarke against the Duke 

 of York? ^ 



