that the taxes were very heavy. But there is an individual case of patriotism I cannot help chronicling, it is so typical of the predominant feeling of that time, that a man, and his goods, belonged to his country, and should be at his country's disposal. Times, September 6, 1803: "A Mr. Miller,' of Dalswinton, in Scotland, has written a letter to the Deputy Lieutenants of the County wherein he resides, in which he says: I wish to insure my property, my share in the British Constitution, my family, myself, and my religion, against the French Invasion. As a premium, I offer to clothe and arm with pikes one hundred Volunteers, to be raised in this, or any of the neighbouring parishes, and to furnish them with three light field pieces ready for service. This way of arming, I consider superior with infantry, whether for attack or defence, to that now in use; but as to this, Government must determine. I am too old and infirm to march with these men, but I desire my eldest son to do so. He was ten years a soldier in the Foot and Horse service. In case of an invasion, I will be ready to furnish, when requested, 20 horses, 16 carts, and 16 drivers; and Government may command all my crops of hay, straw, and grain, which I estimate at 16,700 stones of hay, 14 lbs. to the stone, 14,000 bushels of pease, 5,000 bushels of oats, 3,080 bushels of barley.'"

1 Dalswinton is in county Dumfries, and the estate was about 5,000 acres, formerly belonging to the Comyns, but it came into the possession of Patrick Miller, Esq., who built a fine mansion on the site of the old castle. He was a man well up to his time, for here, in 1788, he launched, on a lake, the first steamboat ever attempted.

CHAPTER L.

The Clarke Scandal-Biography of Mrs. Clarke-Her levées-Her scale of prices for preferments-Commission of the House of Commons-Exculpation of the Duke of York-His resignation-Open sale of places-Caution thereon-Duels -That between Colonel Montgomery and Captain Macnamara.

IT

military, of this part of the century, to ignore the Clarke Scandal it is a portion of the history of the

times.

Mrs. Mary Ann Clarke was of humble parentage, of a lively and sprightly temperament, and of decidedly lax morality. She had married a stonemason named Clarke, who became bankrupt; she, however, cleaved to him and his altered fortunes, until his scandalous mode of living. alt red induced her to separate from him, and seek a livelihood as best she might. Her personal attractions, and lively disposition, soon attracted men's notice, and after some time she went upon the stage, where she essayed the role of Portia. There must have been some fascination about her, for each

of her various lovers rose higher in the social scale, until, at last, she became the mistress of the Duke of York, and was installed in a mansion in Gloucester Place. Here the establishment consisted of upwards of twenty servants.

MRS. CLARKE.

The furniture is described as having been most magnificent. The pier glasses cost from 400 to 500 pounds each, and her wine glasses, which cost upwards of two guineas apiece, sold afterwards, by public auction, for a guinea each.

She kept two carriages, and from eight to ten horses, and

had an elegant mansion at Weybridge, the dimensions of which may be guessed, by the fact that the oil cloth for the hall cost fifty pounds. The furniture of the kitchen at Gloucester Place cost upwards of two thousand pounds.

These things swallowed up a great deal of money, and, although the Duke had a fine income, yet he had the

capacity for spending it; nor only so-could contract debts with great facility, so that the money which he nominally allowed Mrs. Clarke (for it was not always paid), was insuf

1 Mrs. Clarke is saying:

"Ye Captains and ye Colonels, ye parsons wanting piace,
Advice I'll give you gratis, and think upon your case,
If there's any possibility, for you I'll raise the dust,
But then you must excuse me, if I serve myself the first.

ficient to provide for such extravagance, and other means had to be found. This was done by her using the influence she possessed over the Duke, and getting him to grant commissions in the army, for which the recipients paid Mrs. Clarke a lower price than the regulation scale. The satirical prints relating to her are most numerous. I only reproduce two. Her levée was supposed not only to be attended

700

MILITARY LEAP FROG; OR, HINTS TO YOUNG GENTLEMEN.

by military men, but by the clergy; and it was alleged that applications had been made through her both for a bishopric, and a deanery, and that she had procured for Dr. O'Meara, the privilege of preaching before Royalty. But it was chiefly in the sale of army commissions that she dealt, thus causing young officers to be promoted "over the heads" of veterans. Certainly her scale of prices, compared with