146 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1809. 



that you recollect but one of those 

 persons ? I think that I ought to 

 appeal to the chairman now, whe- 

 ther I am obliged to answer that 

 question. The chairman directed 

 the witness to state the objection 

 she had, observing, that the com- 

 mittee would decide upon it. " He 

 is a very respectable man, and he 

 has been already very ill-used, and 

 I am afraid of committing him 

 and his family," The chairman di- 

 rected the witness to name the 

 man to whom she had alluded as a 

 respectable person. That, said 

 Mrs. Clarke, would be giving his 

 name at once. Really I cannot 

 pronounce his name rightly, though 

 I know how to spell it, and I must 

 be excused. The chairman ob- 

 served to her, that her present 

 conduct was very disrespectful to 

 the committee. I mean, she re- 

 plied, to behave very respectfully 

 to the committee. I am very sorry 

 if I do not. But I do not know 

 but the gentleman may lose the 

 money he has already lodged, if I 

 mention his name. This objection 

 was overruled, and Mrs. Clarke 

 said, that the respectable person to 

 whom she had alluded was Mr. 

 Lodowick or Mr. Ludowick.— It 

 is amusing to reflect on the change 

 of manners in the course of a 

 few generations. How differently 

 would the gaiety and levity, and in 

 8omeinstances,the trifling conduct, 

 of Mrs. Clarke towards the House 

 of Commons, have been treated 

 by the Long Parliament; she could 

 not possibly have escaped a severe 

 rebuke for even the elegance of 

 her apparel, or being told, that it 

 would have better become her to 

 appear in sacJc-cloth and ashes. 



The inquiry into the conduct of 

 th« Duke of York, interested the 



public more d eeply than any ques- 

 tion had done since that concern- 

 ing the succession to the crown, 

 and the limitations of the regal 

 power. The attention of all ranks 

 was more or less eagerly directed 

 to what was going on in the House 

 of Commons. There was no one 

 that now seemed to think it of any 

 consequence what was done either 

 in the prosecution of the war or 

 negotiation for peace, until that 

 affair should be settled. The eyes 

 of the whole nation were directed 

 to its rulers in general : to the 

 whole of the government. King, 

 Lords and Commons. Many per- 

 sons little accustomed to take any 

 interest in public affairs, took an 

 interest in this. 



Thedecision of thehouse of Com- 

 mons, coupled withthespontaneous 

 resignation of the Duke of York, was 

 such as became that great council ; 

 modified as it was by a regard to 

 whatwasduetotheDukeonihe one 

 hand, and to the sentiments of the 

 nation on the other. We say 

 coupled as it was with the sponta- 

 neous resignation of his royal 

 highness, because it was to be 

 fairly presumed that this step was 

 not taken by the Duke without the 

 advice of the leaders of that party 

 who did all in their power to de- 

 fend him. The issue of this great 

 and important trial did great ho- 

 nour to the English nation. While 

 it showed that the people, notwith- 

 standing the deficiency in the just 

 measure of their representation in 

 parliament, could yet make their 

 voice to be heard on any great poli- 

 tical emergency, and even on a 

 charge against the son of the king, 

 it proved at the same time, that 

 popular clamour was to be mode- 

 rated by the justice and candour 



of 



