e with his
presence, and willingly gratified any wish that she expressed; and he
must have known (and for this he was afterwards highly censured) that
her style of living was upon a scale of great expense, and that he
himself contributed little towards it. The consequence was that the
hospitable lady eventually became embarrassed, and knew not which way
to turn to meet her outlay. It was suggested to her that she might
obtain from the duke commissions in the army, which she could easily
dispose of at a good price. Individuals quickly came forward, ready to
purchase anything that came within her grasp, which she extended not
only to the army, but, as it afterwards appeared, to the Church; for
there were reverend personages who availed themselves of her
assistance, and thus obtained patronage, by which they advanced their
worldly interests very rapidly.

MRS. MARY ANNE CLARKE AND COL. WARDLE

Amongst those who paid great attention to Mrs. Mary Anne Clarke was
Colonel Wardle, at that time a remarkable member of the House of
Commons, and a bold leader of the Radical Opposition. He got
intimately acquainted with her, and was so great a personal favourite
that it was believed he wormed out all her secret history, of which he
availed himself to obtain a fleeting popularity.

Having obtained the names of some of the parties who had been fortunate
enough, as they imagined, to secure the lady's favour, he loudly
demanded an inquiry in the House of Commons as to the management of the
army by the Commander-in-Chief, the Duke of York. The nation and the
army were fond of his Royal Highness, and every attempt to screen him
was made; but in vain. The House undertook the task of investigating
the conduct of the duke, and witnesses were produced, amongst whom was
the fair lady herself, who by no means attempted to screen her
imprudent admirer. Her responses to the questions put to her were
cleverly and archly given, and the whole mystery of her various
intrigues came to light. The duke consequently resigned his place in
the Horse Guards, and at the same time repudiated the beautiful and
dangerous cause of his humiliation. The lady, incensed at the
desertion of her royal swain, announced her intention of publishing his
love-letters, which were likely to expose the whole of the royal family
to ridicule, as they formed the frequent themes of his correspondence.
Sir Herbert Taylor was therefore commissioned to enter into