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Article BRO. JACOB NORTON AND "Q." ON THE DUNCKERLEY QUESTION. ← Page 2 of 2 Article BRO. JACOB NORTON AND "Q." ON THE DUNCKERLEY QUESTION. Page 2 of 2 Article THE PANTOMIMES. Page 1 of 2 →
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Bro. Jacob Norton And "Q." On The Dunckerley Question.
foro the King must havo been persuaded of its merits , and thenrepresentation must havo had an eifect on tho King ' s mind , seeing that it resulted in the grant of a pension , subsequently increased to £ 800 . General Oughton , writing to Dnnckerley , himself speaks of Lord II . and Mr . W ., probably Lord Harcourt and Mr . Worsley , as
being " men whoso virtues aro of no common stamp , and the bounties of our most amiable aud excellent sovereign cannot flow through channels more worthy of them . " Thero is also published in Vol . I . of tho Freemasons' Magazine for 1793 , another letter , tho signature to which is suppressed ; bnt Bro . White says its author was " a noble Viscount ( now a Marquis ) . " It is worth quoting in full : —
" Sir , The kind communication of his Majesty ' s benevolence and goodness mado me as happy as tho frequent reflections I mado upon unmerited distress before this event gave mo sincere concern . I cannot divine to what channel yon owo that piece of good fortune ; if in any degree to ono person * to whom I mentioned your
affairs ( whose benevolence of heart and public virtues I know arc only obscured by public prejudice ) , I may have possibly been in a small degree an instrument of conveying to tho knowledge of one of the most generous of Princes , ono of the opportunities of which I believe his soul is most delighted . By whatever moans it came , blessed bo the hand which confers it . May you , Sir , and your family long enjoy tho comforts of such a provision .
I am , Avith great regard , your obliged and faithful servant . " The writer of this letter , I should judge from tho description " a noble Viscount ( now a Marquis ) " was Viscount Townsend , who was created a Marquis in 1786 . Now tho references I find in these letters to Dnnckerley ' s " unmerited distress , " to the King ' s "humanity and goodness , " and the pride which one of tho writers takes in
having been in " a small degree au instrument of conveying to tho knowledge of ono of tho most generous of Princes , ono of the opportunities in which I believe his soul is most delighted "—surely till these elaborate congratulations and encomiums , and the sound and kindly advice of General Oughton to Dnnckerley as to his future ci uduct , would have been ridiculous had it been an ordinary case of
tension to . 1 simple gunner and teacher of " tho Mathematics" on board tho Vanguard . I do not say thoy prove that Dnnckerley was the illegitimate son of Georgo II ., but . thoy plainly indicate an unusually strong uiotiro for the bestowal of such liberal patronage . I repeat my former statement , " that thero is no antecedent improbability against the truth of the Masonic version of Dunckerlev ' s
p : irentag' . ' . '' I am glad that Bro . Norton '' thought so toe , " once , and I live in lu pes ih . it he will yet see fit to repent him of the error of his ways , ami think so again . Bro . Norton thinks it highly probable that the Prince of Wale .- ' , afterwards Georgo the Second , might have had some such intrigue with a servant or attendant , but what snrprises him is , that having regard toiler own and her mother ' s poverty ,
"a woman m Mrs . Dnnckerley s circumstances should have felt ashamed to acknowledge herself tho favourite of tho Prince of Wales , " aud the ground for this belief is simply that " tho idea of shame was unknown among the highest ladies of the land . " It seems to mo that if there was ono person iu the woild from whom " a mother , even a religious mother" was iu duty bound to keep her sin
a secret , it was tho son , tho offspring of that sin . Having at her mother ' s instance , as we are told , repressed "her criminal passion , " it would have boon an act of folly to havo mado public her shame when it was known to so very few , and might havo been continued to her advantage from a worldly point of view . But under any circumstances , if sho hoped to retain the respect and affection of her son it
wa ^ necessary to keep him in entire ignorance of the irregularity ol his birth . When lying at tho point of death she made full confession of the one stain on her moral character , in order that her son might be informed of his true parentage , and Dnnckerley appears to have been better satisfied at having been born irregularly than if he had been iu honest wedlock . This womanly sense of shame is made
a feature in Marryat s popular novel of " Pereival Keene , " only in that case the secret is discovered in the life-time of the hero ' s mother . Marryat was no mean judge of . men and women . Therefore , I confess I see nothing " contrary to human nature" in Mrs . Danckerfey keeping her son in ignorance of his birth . Nor is it a fact that Dnnckerley was brought np " in ignorance , or nearly so . " I judge
so , at least , from the three letters written by him to Lord Chesterfield when lie was only twenty-four years of age , during about fourteen of which he had been subject " to the hardships of a man-ofwar . " The first of those , undated , will he found at pp -115-116 of Vol . II . of tho Freemasons' Magazine , and the second , dated "Port
Mahon , on the island of Minorca , Juno 1 , 1748 , " and the third , undated , at pp 117-118 , and pp 253-6 respectively , in Vol . III ., of the same , both being for the year 1794 . These aro tho letters of a very intelligent and well-educated man . The first was written in compliance Avith Lord Chesterfield ' s desire , the second is in continuation of it , and tho third presumably so . Ho may havo educated himself , or been
educated on board a man-of-war ; but these letters point to something like educational care having been bestowed on him before he was ap ° prenticed to a barber or went to sea . I say , that Avithout having been under the necessity of applying a wot towel to my head , the more this version is examined , the more apparent becomes its extreme probability . That a foremost Mason should have been noticed in his lifetime and after death in a
Masonic magazine is only in tho older of things , but how came ii that his death and some particulars of his career shonld havo boon made the subject of an article in tho Gentleman ' s ? Again , why shonld all thoso dukes , and earis , and barons , and untitled gentlefolk , have taken snch unusual interest in a mere warrant officer , even though a man of more than ordinary ability ? Why should some among them have spoken to the King about him ? Why so much mystery if tho pension was granted merely for naval services ? Wh y , as is
Bro. Jacob Norton And "Q." On The Dunckerley Question.
incidentally mentioned , Avas it paid out of the King ' s Privy Purse , when , if it had been given for service afloat , it would , I imagine , havo been paid out of tho Parliamentary voto ? Moreover , ho already enjoyed what ho calls his " superannuation-pension , " which , on hia leaving tho kingdom in August 1761 , in order to avoid arrest , ho tolls us , he " ordered the principal part of it" for " the support of his
wife and children " during his absence . Again , are we to suppose that all those keen-Avitted mon of the world wero taken in , and that they interested themselves to obtain some mark of the royal favour for an impecunious gunner who had tied tho country in order to escape arrest ? That Dnnckerley was a remarkable man , I admit , and he showed intellectual power far above tho station ho
occupied , till he became tho recipient of his sovereign s private bounty , but there were intellectual " giants in thoso days , " so that a mere naval gunner and " teacher of the mathematics " was hardly likely to havo won snch unusual favour on his own merits only . I , like Bro . Norton , whom I salute fraternally , and to Avhom I wish all tho heartiest good wishes for tho coming new year , am only
stating my opinion , yet I should have no feeling of diffidence m submitting my case against his , oven to so eminent a lawyer as my Lord Chief Justice of England , and , prejudice apart , I think the judgment of every careful student of the circumstances Avill incline to mo rather than to him . And saying this , I subscribe myself , not the
" evidently hot-headed brother , who must needs " clap a wet towel upon his head " when " ho finds himself irritated by an article iu a Masonic paper , "—for I am never so irritated—but , placidly and fraternally yours , in tho best of spirits , ' * Q . "
The Pantomimes.
THE PANTOMIMES .
rnilE Christmas of 1878 , if in many respects a dull and even sorrowful - * - time of festivity as compared with many of its immediate predecessors , has shown no falling off whatever in tho amusements which constitute tho especial feature of the season . Theatrical managers havo spared no expense in catering for the public , aud there is not the slightest tittle of evidence that that particular form of amusement which is known ns pantomime has lost any of its
popularity . On tho contrary , thero would seem to be moro pantomimes this year than in many that havecomc within our experience , and though the mimcrs are not exactly of tho Grimaldian School , they succeed in evoking the applause of their Audiences , which may be . reckoned a fair test that their abilities are equal to tho occasion . Moreover , the tasto for spectacular display is on the increase . Even
an average company of artists will manage to get on good terms with tho house , if thero aro some effective scenes , a good ballet , aud au elaborate transformation . Consequently , the record of the opening days of the present season presents us with a series ! of brilliant triumphs , aud managers may rejoice accordingly . Wo must havo a good hearty laugh at Christmas time , and wo rejoice to
say there are many theatres in London where this necessity of au Englishman ' s life can be satisfied First in order comes " Old Drury , " the pantomime at which never fails to secure an immense audience ou Boxing Night . The title of the piece this year is " Cinderella ; or , Harlequin and the Fairy Slipper . " Into the story itself , as told by tho veteran Blanchard , we
need not enter . It is sufficient that the lines of the old nursery legend are followed substantially . The drudge Cinderella , played by Miss Victoria Vokes , the Princo by Miss Jessie Vokes , the Baron ( Mr . Fred Vokes ) and his valet , Kobold ( Mr . Fawdon Vokes ) , are the principal characters , and knowing , as our readers do , the marvellous powers of tho Vokes family , they may be sure that , in their bauds ,
the fun is fast aud furious , and was loudly applauded by the audience in all parts of the house . When we say that the scenery is by Beverley , that Mr . John Cormack has employed his magic wand in arranging the set pieces , and that the music is entrusted to Herr Karl Meyder , while the whole has bad tho careful and experienced supervision of Mr . F . B . Chatterton , it is warrant enough that the
Cinderella of Drury Lane for the current season is in every respect worthy of the house . At its great neighbour and rival , Covent Garden , it is the Messrs . Gatti who have taken upon themselves the onerous duty of catering for tho public , tho title of their piece being " Jack and the Bean Stalk ; or , Harlequin the Seven Champions , as We've Christened em . " Mr . Marlois presides in the orchestra , and
tho music throughout is admirable . Nothing has been spared in order to make this one of tho most gorgeous pantomimes ever pro . duced at this or auy other theatre , aud the enterprise of the managers , ably seconded as it has been by author , scenic artist , ballet master , and by tho whole corps of actors and actresses , has brought thom unquestionably a great
triumph . Miss Fanny Leslie plays the leading character in the opening part , and she plays it to perfection . Tho harlequinade , following upon a splendid transformation scene , which certainly " brought down " the house , was effectively done , many of tho tricks being highly successful . At tho Crystal and Alexandra Palaces , the season opened on Saturday afternoon . The title at tho former is " Kobinson Crusoe
or , Harlequin Good Man Friday and Pretty Polly Perkins . " It has been produced , with the greatest care and attention to tho minutest details , under the ablo management of Mr . Charles Wyndham , who has been cordially supported iu bis efforts by all concerned . Mr . Fcutoti has painted the scenery , Avhich is highly picturesque , and the transformation , designed by Mr . William Tolbiu , is , as it should bo , ono
of tho features if the peace . Tho principal actors were Miss Emma D'Auban ( Kobinson Crusoe ) , Miss Nelly Moon ( Polly Perkins ) , tho Great Little Le Vite ( Mr . William Atkins ) , Mr . lloss ( Dame Perkins ) , and Mr . D'Auban ( Friday ) . Tho transformation scene , " Tho Adoration of Venus , " must be seen to be appreciated , for auy attempt to describe so gorgeous and artistic a device would be ont nt the question , Mr . Bicketts , Miss Mortimer , Miss Clara Fisher , Mr . Fielding , and .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Bro. Jacob Norton And "Q." On The Dunckerley Question.
foro the King must havo been persuaded of its merits , and thenrepresentation must havo had an eifect on tho King ' s mind , seeing that it resulted in the grant of a pension , subsequently increased to £ 800 . General Oughton , writing to Dnnckerley , himself speaks of Lord II . and Mr . W ., probably Lord Harcourt and Mr . Worsley , as
being " men whoso virtues aro of no common stamp , and the bounties of our most amiable aud excellent sovereign cannot flow through channels more worthy of them . " Thero is also published in Vol . I . of tho Freemasons' Magazine for 1793 , another letter , tho signature to which is suppressed ; bnt Bro . White says its author was " a noble Viscount ( now a Marquis ) . " It is worth quoting in full : —
" Sir , The kind communication of his Majesty ' s benevolence and goodness mado me as happy as tho frequent reflections I mado upon unmerited distress before this event gave mo sincere concern . I cannot divine to what channel yon owo that piece of good fortune ; if in any degree to ono person * to whom I mentioned your
affairs ( whose benevolence of heart and public virtues I know arc only obscured by public prejudice ) , I may have possibly been in a small degree an instrument of conveying to tho knowledge of one of the most generous of Princes , ono of the opportunities of which I believe his soul is most delighted . By whatever moans it came , blessed bo the hand which confers it . May you , Sir , and your family long enjoy tho comforts of such a provision .
I am , Avith great regard , your obliged and faithful servant . " The writer of this letter , I should judge from tho description " a noble Viscount ( now a Marquis ) " was Viscount Townsend , who was created a Marquis in 1786 . Now tho references I find in these letters to Dnnckerley ' s " unmerited distress , " to the King ' s "humanity and goodness , " and the pride which one of tho writers takes in
having been in " a small degree au instrument of conveying to tho knowledge of ono of tho most generous of Princes , ono of the opportunities in which I believe his soul is most delighted "—surely till these elaborate congratulations and encomiums , and the sound and kindly advice of General Oughton to Dnnckerley as to his future ci uduct , would have been ridiculous had it been an ordinary case of
tension to . 1 simple gunner and teacher of " tho Mathematics" on board tho Vanguard . I do not say thoy prove that Dnnckerley was the illegitimate son of Georgo II ., but . thoy plainly indicate an unusually strong uiotiro for the bestowal of such liberal patronage . I repeat my former statement , " that thero is no antecedent improbability against the truth of the Masonic version of Dunckerlev ' s
p : irentag' . ' . '' I am glad that Bro . Norton '' thought so toe , " once , and I live in lu pes ih . it he will yet see fit to repent him of the error of his ways , ami think so again . Bro . Norton thinks it highly probable that the Prince of Wale .- ' , afterwards Georgo the Second , might have had some such intrigue with a servant or attendant , but what snrprises him is , that having regard toiler own and her mother ' s poverty ,
"a woman m Mrs . Dnnckerley s circumstances should have felt ashamed to acknowledge herself tho favourite of tho Prince of Wales , " aud the ground for this belief is simply that " tho idea of shame was unknown among the highest ladies of the land . " It seems to mo that if there was ono person iu the woild from whom " a mother , even a religious mother" was iu duty bound to keep her sin
a secret , it was tho son , tho offspring of that sin . Having at her mother ' s instance , as we are told , repressed "her criminal passion , " it would have boon an act of folly to havo mado public her shame when it was known to so very few , and might havo been continued to her advantage from a worldly point of view . But under any circumstances , if sho hoped to retain the respect and affection of her son it
wa ^ necessary to keep him in entire ignorance of the irregularity ol his birth . When lying at tho point of death she made full confession of the one stain on her moral character , in order that her son might be informed of his true parentage , and Dnnckerley appears to have been better satisfied at having been born irregularly than if he had been iu honest wedlock . This womanly sense of shame is made
a feature in Marryat s popular novel of " Pereival Keene , " only in that case the secret is discovered in the life-time of the hero ' s mother . Marryat was no mean judge of . men and women . Therefore , I confess I see nothing " contrary to human nature" in Mrs . Danckerfey keeping her son in ignorance of his birth . Nor is it a fact that Dnnckerley was brought np " in ignorance , or nearly so . " I judge
so , at least , from the three letters written by him to Lord Chesterfield when lie was only twenty-four years of age , during about fourteen of which he had been subject " to the hardships of a man-ofwar . " The first of those , undated , will he found at pp -115-116 of Vol . II . of tho Freemasons' Magazine , and the second , dated "Port
Mahon , on the island of Minorca , Juno 1 , 1748 , " and the third , undated , at pp 117-118 , and pp 253-6 respectively , in Vol . III ., of the same , both being for the year 1794 . These aro tho letters of a very intelligent and well-educated man . The first was written in compliance Avith Lord Chesterfield ' s desire , the second is in continuation of it , and tho third presumably so . Ho may havo educated himself , or been
educated on board a man-of-war ; but these letters point to something like educational care having been bestowed on him before he was ap ° prenticed to a barber or went to sea . I say , that Avithout having been under the necessity of applying a wot towel to my head , the more this version is examined , the more apparent becomes its extreme probability . That a foremost Mason should have been noticed in his lifetime and after death in a
Masonic magazine is only in tho older of things , but how came ii that his death and some particulars of his career shonld havo boon made the subject of an article in tho Gentleman ' s ? Again , why shonld all thoso dukes , and earis , and barons , and untitled gentlefolk , have taken snch unusual interest in a mere warrant officer , even though a man of more than ordinary ability ? Why should some among them have spoken to the King about him ? Why so much mystery if tho pension was granted merely for naval services ? Wh y , as is
Bro. Jacob Norton And "Q." On The Dunckerley Question.
incidentally mentioned , Avas it paid out of the King ' s Privy Purse , when , if it had been given for service afloat , it would , I imagine , havo been paid out of tho Parliamentary voto ? Moreover , ho already enjoyed what ho calls his " superannuation-pension , " which , on hia leaving tho kingdom in August 1761 , in order to avoid arrest , ho tolls us , he " ordered the principal part of it" for " the support of his
wife and children " during his absence . Again , are we to suppose that all those keen-Avitted mon of the world wero taken in , and that they interested themselves to obtain some mark of the royal favour for an impecunious gunner who had tied tho country in order to escape arrest ? That Dnnckerley was a remarkable man , I admit , and he showed intellectual power far above tho station ho
occupied , till he became tho recipient of his sovereign s private bounty , but there were intellectual " giants in thoso days , " so that a mere naval gunner and " teacher of the mathematics " was hardly likely to havo won snch unusual favour on his own merits only . I , like Bro . Norton , whom I salute fraternally , and to Avhom I wish all tho heartiest good wishes for tho coming new year , am only
stating my opinion , yet I should have no feeling of diffidence m submitting my case against his , oven to so eminent a lawyer as my Lord Chief Justice of England , and , prejudice apart , I think the judgment of every careful student of the circumstances Avill incline to mo rather than to him . And saying this , I subscribe myself , not the
" evidently hot-headed brother , who must needs " clap a wet towel upon his head " when " ho finds himself irritated by an article iu a Masonic paper , "—for I am never so irritated—but , placidly and fraternally yours , in tho best of spirits , ' * Q . "
The Pantomimes.
THE PANTOMIMES .
rnilE Christmas of 1878 , if in many respects a dull and even sorrowful - * - time of festivity as compared with many of its immediate predecessors , has shown no falling off whatever in tho amusements which constitute tho especial feature of the season . Theatrical managers havo spared no expense in catering for the public , aud there is not the slightest tittle of evidence that that particular form of amusement which is known ns pantomime has lost any of its
popularity . On tho contrary , thero would seem to be moro pantomimes this year than in many that havecomc within our experience , and though the mimcrs are not exactly of tho Grimaldian School , they succeed in evoking the applause of their Audiences , which may be . reckoned a fair test that their abilities are equal to tho occasion . Moreover , the tasto for spectacular display is on the increase . Even
an average company of artists will manage to get on good terms with tho house , if thero aro some effective scenes , a good ballet , aud au elaborate transformation . Consequently , the record of the opening days of the present season presents us with a series ! of brilliant triumphs , aud managers may rejoice accordingly . Wo must havo a good hearty laugh at Christmas time , and wo rejoice to
say there are many theatres in London where this necessity of au Englishman ' s life can be satisfied First in order comes " Old Drury , " the pantomime at which never fails to secure an immense audience ou Boxing Night . The title of the piece this year is " Cinderella ; or , Harlequin and the Fairy Slipper . " Into the story itself , as told by tho veteran Blanchard , we
need not enter . It is sufficient that the lines of the old nursery legend are followed substantially . The drudge Cinderella , played by Miss Victoria Vokes , the Princo by Miss Jessie Vokes , the Baron ( Mr . Fred Vokes ) and his valet , Kobold ( Mr . Fawdon Vokes ) , are the principal characters , and knowing , as our readers do , the marvellous powers of tho Vokes family , they may be sure that , in their bauds ,
the fun is fast aud furious , and was loudly applauded by the audience in all parts of the house . When we say that the scenery is by Beverley , that Mr . John Cormack has employed his magic wand in arranging the set pieces , and that the music is entrusted to Herr Karl Meyder , while the whole has bad tho careful and experienced supervision of Mr . F . B . Chatterton , it is warrant enough that the
Cinderella of Drury Lane for the current season is in every respect worthy of the house . At its great neighbour and rival , Covent Garden , it is the Messrs . Gatti who have taken upon themselves the onerous duty of catering for tho public , tho title of their piece being " Jack and the Bean Stalk ; or , Harlequin the Seven Champions , as We've Christened em . " Mr . Marlois presides in the orchestra , and
tho music throughout is admirable . Nothing has been spared in order to make this one of tho most gorgeous pantomimes ever pro . duced at this or auy other theatre , aud the enterprise of the managers , ably seconded as it has been by author , scenic artist , ballet master , and by tho whole corps of actors and actresses , has brought thom unquestionably a great
triumph . Miss Fanny Leslie plays the leading character in the opening part , and she plays it to perfection . Tho harlequinade , following upon a splendid transformation scene , which certainly " brought down " the house , was effectively done , many of tho tricks being highly successful . At tho Crystal and Alexandra Palaces , the season opened on Saturday afternoon . The title at tho former is " Kobinson Crusoe
or , Harlequin Good Man Friday and Pretty Polly Perkins . " It has been produced , with the greatest care and attention to tho minutest details , under the ablo management of Mr . Charles Wyndham , who has been cordially supported iu bis efforts by all concerned . Mr . Fcutoti has painted the scenery , Avhich is highly picturesque , and the transformation , designed by Mr . William Tolbiu , is , as it should bo , ono
of tho features if the peace . Tho principal actors were Miss Emma D'Auban ( Kobinson Crusoe ) , Miss Nelly Moon ( Polly Perkins ) , tho Great Little Le Vite ( Mr . William Atkins ) , Mr . lloss ( Dame Perkins ) , and Mr . D'Auban ( Friday ) . Tho transformation scene , " Tho Adoration of Venus , " must be seen to be appreciated , for auy attempt to describe so gorgeous and artistic a device would be ont nt the question , Mr . Bicketts , Miss Mortimer , Miss Clara Fisher , Mr . Fielding , and .