Ms. Masonic Constitutions (Or Charges) No. 1.

time , except at brief intervals , he AA as absent from England on foreign service . lie returned to his native country in January , 1760 , to find that his mother had died a few clays before , and that on her death-bed she had made a solemn

declaration , accompanied by such details as left no possible doubt of its truth , that Thomas was the illegitimate son of Kins ; George II ., born Avhile he AA'as Prince of Wales . Tho fact of the birth had , hoAvcver , never been communicated by tho mother to the Princeand George II . died Avithout

knoAV-, ing that he had such a son living . Dunckerley , in the account of the affair Avhich ho left among his posthumous papers , says : " This information gave mo great surprise and much uneasiness ; and as I AA as obliged to return immediately to

my duty on board the Vanguard , I made it knoivn to no person at that time but Captain SAvanton . He said that those AVIIO did not knoAv mo could look on it to be nothing more than a gossip's story . We were then bound a second time to Quebec ;

and Captain SAA'anton did promise me , that on our return to England ho Avould endeavor to got me introduced to the King , ancl that he Avould give me a character-, but when Ave came back to England the King AA'as dead . "

Dunckerley had hoped that his case Avould have been laid before his royal father , and that the result Avould have been an appointment equal to his birth . But the frustration of these hopes by the death of the King seems to have discouraged

him , and no efforts appear for some time to have been made by him or his friends to communicate the facts to George ILL , AA'ho had succeeded to the throne .

In 1761 he again left England , as a gunner in Lord Anson ' s fleet , and did not return until 1764 , at Avhich time , finding himself embarrassed Avith a heaAr y debt , incurred in tho expenses of his family , ( for he had married in early life , in the year 1744 ) knoAving no person AVIIO could

, authenticate the story of his birth , ancl seeing no probability of gaining access to the ear of the King , he sailed in a merchant vessel for the Mediterranean . } ' He had been . previously granted superannuation in the Navy in consequence of his

long services , and received a small pension , tho principal part of which he left for the support of his family during his absence .

But the romantic story of his birth began to bo publicly knoAm and talked about , and in 1766 attracted tho attention of several persons of distinction , who endeavored , but without success , to excite the interest of tho Princess Dowager of Wales in his behalf .

In 1767 , however , the declaration of his mother was laid before the King , who Avas George III , the grandson of his father . It made an impression on him , ancl inquiry into his previous character and conduct having proved satisfactory on 71767

, May , , the King ordered Diuickcrly to receive a pension of £ 100 , which was subsequentl y increased to £ 800 , together with ' a suite of apartments m Hampton Court Palace . He also assumed , and Avas permitted to bearthe royal arms with the

distinguish-, , ing badge of the bend sinister , and adopted as his motto the appropriate words , " Fato non merito . " In his familiar correspondence ancl in his book-p lates , he used the name of Fitz-George . " - , < ¦

In 1770 ho became a student of law , and in 1774 was called to the bar ; but his fondness for an _ active life prevented Mm from ever making mucb pi . . in tlie legal profession . Dunckerley died at Portsmouth in the at the ri

year 1795 , pe age of seventy-one ; but his last years were embittered by the misconduct of his son , whose extravagance and dissolute conduct necessarily afflicted tho mind , while it strai ghtened the means of the unhappy parent . Every effort to

reclaim him proved utterl y ineffectual ; ancl on the death of his father , no provision being left for Ins support , he became a vagrant , living for the most part on Masonic charity . At last he became a bricklayer ' s laborer , ancl Avas often seen

ascending a ladder Avith a hocl on Ms shoulders . His misfortunes and his misconduct at length found an end , and the grandson of a King of England died a pauper hi a cellar of St . Giles .

The Masonic career 0 f Dunckerley , if less remarkable than his domestic life , is more interesting to the Freemason . ^ There is no record of the exact time of Ms reception into the Order ; y , ut it must have been not long before 1757 as he hi that

, year delivered an address , as we should UOAV call it , before the Lod ges of Plymouth , Avhich was published at the time under the title of "Tho Li ght and Truth of