The Magical Note. Which Nobody Dictated, Nobody Wrote (caricature)

This detailed hand-coloured caricature presents ten scenes, moving from left to right over two rows. Text above each image parodies the famous rhyme ‘The House that Jack Built’, which demonstrates cause and effect. With each image, more information is added to form the final poem. The print illustrates an 1809 national scandal, in which the Duke of York’s mistress, Mrs Mary Clarke, was found to have illegally sold military commissions to fund her lifestyle with the Duke’s knowledge.

In Parliament, MP Gwyllym Lloyd Wardle exposed details of the Duke’s attempts to cover-up the scandal. As part of this, Wardle highlighted an anonymous letter that had been sent to Captain Tonyn, urging him to renege on the deal that he had struck with Clarke to pay 500 guineas in return for a promotion to the rank of major. This letter, Wardle contended, had been written by the Duke in a bid to end Clarke’s dealings before her actions – and the Duke’s complicitly therein – came to light.

This print focuses on the anonymous letter (called a ‘magical note’ in the title) but also highlights many other characters and incidents from the scandal, seemingly drawing heavily on W. Clarke’s ‘The Authentic and Impartial Life of Mrs Mary Anne Clarke’, published at the height of the scandal in 1809.

The story begins in the top left with the letter to Tonyn, which is illustrated as a battered note that reads, ‘Tonyn’s Business must remain as it is!!!’

In the first frame, we see Samuel Carter, Mary Clarke’s young servant, in uniform outside his tent, holding a note. Papers strewn on the floor and furniture read ‘Dear Sam I have sent you a few trifles to equip you for the camp’ and ‘you'l. . . the little Plow Boy that wh . . . o'er the Lea’. A signpost points opposite directions and reads ‘from York to Gloucester’. This refers to the Duke of York and the home he bought Mrs Clarke in Gloucester Place, Marylebone. The accompanying text reads,

This is the truly magical note, which nobody dictated nobody wrote
This is the Lad with the Cherubim face,
Transform’d to a Captain all covered with lace,
That carried the Note, the magical Note, which
nobody dictated, nobody wrote.

Next, we see Mrs Clarke depicted as an angel, a pet name frequently used by the Duke in his letters, holding a mask and bishop’s mitre in her left hand and a ‘Cole Bag’ in her right. Draped fabric across her front holds two scrolls inscribed ‘Majority’ and ‘Commission’. At her feet lie piles of love letters. The poem repeats with a new preface of

This is the Angel of Gloucester Place,
That kept the Lad with the Cherubim face,
Transform’d…

The third frame depicts the Duke of York in the process of writing a letter. It reads 'my dear Ang ...' His drawer is filled with ‘love letters’ and a 'Commission for Sam Carter' sits on the table next to him. Under his desk, a mitre and crozier are hidden behind scrolls, representing his role of Prince-Bishop of Osnabrück, and there are papers inscribed 'Petition of Cap . . .' and 'List of Old Officers'. On his walls hang a portrait of ‘Ms Clarke’ and a large painting inscribed ‘view of the Horse Guards in a fog’. The poem repeats,

This is the Duke brought into disgrace,
Who worship’d the Angel of Gloucester Place,
That kept…

Mrs Clarke’s lover, William Dowler, is pictured in a harbour in his officer’s uniform with a large book under his arm. His hand rests on a large trunk of 'Military Stores For Buenos Ayres' and looks towards ‘. . .m’ s Hotel Falmouth'. Ships can be seen in dock, alluding to hisdeparture on an expedition to Buenos Airess. Above, the poem continues,

This is the Man whose evidence prov’d,
The Lady lov’d him, and the Lady he lov’d;
That brought the Duke into such disgrace,
Who worship’d…

The fifth tableau portrays Captain Huxley Sandon in his cell at Newgate Prison (see also PAD3171). Sandon was imprisoned for five weeks for assisting Mrs Clarke with her unauthorised military offers. He slumps sadly on a chair, looking towards an open book that reads ‘Honesty the best policy or the Value of Truth’. Another book lies open on the ground inscribed, 'New Invented Bureaus and writing Tables with private drawers' with sketches of two open bureaux. Behind the captain, on the wall, is a map of ‘Sandown Fort’. The poem above continues,

This is the Captain for Liberty sighing,
Committed to Newgate for wilfully Lying;
To succour the man whose evidence prov'd,
The Lady . . .

Continuing on the bottom row, a snake labelled ‘Corruption’ wraps around Captain Tonyn’s leg, reaching for coins falling from his pocket. He appears in distress at the titular ‘magical note’ in his hand.

This is the Major that now is atoning,
Who paid for the Letter of nobody’s owning,
By means of the Captain…

The seventh scene presents Colonel French, looking relaxed as he leans on his sword, assessing his ‘Muster Roll’ with a ‘Grand Total 70’ men. Behind him on the right, an officer drills some troops. French had bribed Mrs Clarke to obtain a Letter of Service for his leave to recruit 5,000 men, but, if less than 4,000 were recruited in nine months, the Government would discontinue the levy. After seven months only 200 men had been recruited, and the levy was subsequently cancelled. The poem reads,

This is the brave Commander of Men,
Who raised an Army of three score and ten,
That smiled at the Major who now is atoning,
The price of the Letter...

The following image shows General Clavering, who was imprisoned for lying and being evasive during the investigations into the Duke’s misconduct. He is sat in a prison cell on a stool labelled ‘Repentance’ and reads a book that states ‘Treatise on Lying to Perfection by Peter Plyant Esqr / Primo – a Lyar should have a good memory / Second a Lyar should-’ . Another book reads ‘on Retirement’ on the spine, and there is a locked chest of ‘Dead Letters’ at the general’s feet. The poem continues,

This is the General clever and bold,
Whose story was good 'till another was told,
Who losing his memory, Strang [sic] for to tell,
Was sent to regain it, to *Newman's Hotel
That envied the brave commander of Men,
Who raised . . .
* Negate [sic], so call'd from Newman being Keeper.'

The penultimate image depicts Dr O’Meara, an Irish pastor who had come to Mrs Clarke in the hope she could make him a bishop through her connections to the Duke. O’Meara is depicted at the door of Mrs Clarke’s Gloucester Place residency, with a bag of potatoes at his feet and a money bag inscribed ‘5,000’ in his hand. Mrs Clarke, still an angel, waves a mitre from her balcony and points to the door which is labelled 'Preferment Off[ice]'. This poem continues,

This is the Doctor, O! praying for grace,
In hopes of a mitre to strengthen his Case,
With a bribe of Five Thousand presenting his face
To the Clarke of preferment of Gloucester-Place,
Who flatter'd the General clever and bold
Whose story was good . . .

The final scene closes with Gwyllym Lloyd Wardle at the centre, presenting the evidence against the Duke. Taking place in the House of Commons, the Speaker can be seen on the left while the opposition are visible on the right. Captured in action, Wardle holds a document that reads 'Charges against his . . .' The poem concludes,

This is the Patriot, whose courage and Zeal,
(Neglecting his own, for his Country’s Weal)
Expos’d all the Tricks he could possibly trace,
Of the Duke and the Angel of Gloucester-Place,
Who smil’d at the Doctor, O! praying for grace,
In hope of a mitre to strengthen his Case,
With a bribe of Five Thousand presenting his face
To the Clarke of preferment of Gloucester Place,
Who flatter’d the General clever and bold,
Whose story was good ‘till another was told,
Who losing his memory, strange for to tell,
Was sent to regain it, to Newman’s Hotel;
That envied the brave Commander of Men,
Who raised an Army of three score and ten,
That smil’d at the Major that now is atoning,
Who paid for the Letter of nobody’s owning,
By means of the Captain for Liberty sighing,
Committed to Newgate for wilfully Lying;
To succour the man whose evidence prov’d,
The Lady lov’d him, and the Lady he lov’d;
That brought the Duke into such disgrace,
Who worship’d the Angel of Gloucester Place,
[continuing below the image]

That kept the Lad with the Cherubim face,
Transform’d to a Captain all covered with lace,
That carried the Note, the magical Note, which
nobody dictated, nobody wrote.