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Article JOHN COUSTOS, FOR FREEMASONRY, ← Page 3 of 4 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
John Coustos, For Freemasonry,
Were lying in Avait for me with a chaise near that p lace . I was in the utmost confusion , when at my going out of the coffee-house Avith two friends , the above officers seized me only . Their pretence for this Avas , that I had passed my word for the diamond which Mr . MOUTON had run aAvay with : That I must certainly be his accomplice , since I had engaged my friends to offer to pay for the diamond ; all which , they addedI must have done Avith no other vieAV than to conceal my villainy .
, It was to no purpose that I alledged a thousand things in my OAVII jugr tification . Immediatel y the wretches took away my sword , handcuffed me , forced me into ' a ' chaise draAvn by tAvo mules , and in this condition was 1 hurried away to the prison of the Inquisition . But , spite of these severities , and their commanding me not to open my lips , I cal'ed aloud to one of my friends ( Mr . Ric HARDS ) who had been at the
coffee-house with me , and was also a Freemason , conjuring him to give notice to all the rest of our Brethren and friends , of my being seized b y command of the Holy Office , in order that they mi g ht avoid the misfortune Avhich had befallen me , by going voluntarily to the Inquisitors and accusing themselves . I must take notice , that the Inquisitors very seldom cause a person to be seized in broad day-lihtexcept they are
g , almost sure that he will make no noise nor resistance . This is a circumstance they observe very strictly , as is evident from tlie manner in which they seized Brother MouTON . Farther , they frequently make use of the King ' s name and authority on these occasions to seize and disarm the pretended criminal , who is
afraid to disobey the orders he hears pronounced . But as darkness befriends deeds of villainy , the Inquisitors , for this reason , usually cause tl > eir victims to be secured in the night . The Portuguese , and many , foreigners , are so apprehensive of the sinister accidents which often hap - pen at Lisbon in the night , especially to persons who A'enture out alone , thaf feAV are found it ) the streets of this city at a late hour . I imagined myself so secure in the company of my friends , that I should npt have
been afraid of resisting the officers in question , had the former sent me their assistance . But , unhappily for me , they Avere struck AA'ith such a sudden panip , that every one of them fled , leaving me to the mercy pf nine wretches Avho fell upon me in an instant . They . then forced me to the prison of the Inquisition ,-where 1 was delivered up to one of the officers of this pretended holy p lace . This officer presently calling four
of the guard , these took me to an apartment , till such time as notice should be given to the president of my being caught in their snare . A little after the above-mentioned officer coming again , bid the guard search me , and take away all die gold , silver , papers , knives , scissars , buckles , - & c . I might haA'e about me . They then led me to a lonely dungeon , expressl y forbidding me to speak loud , or knock at the walls ;
but that in case I wanted any tiling , tq beat against the door with a padlock that hung on the out \ vard abo ' r , and which I couljl reach , b y thrusting my arm through the iron grates . It Avas then that , struck with all' the horrpre pf a p lace , of which I Jiad heard and read such baleful descriptions , I plunged at once into the blackest melancholy , especially when I reflected on the dire conse . '"""" ' ' ¦ ' IS a %
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
John Coustos, For Freemasonry,
Were lying in Avait for me with a chaise near that p lace . I was in the utmost confusion , when at my going out of the coffee-house Avith two friends , the above officers seized me only . Their pretence for this Avas , that I had passed my word for the diamond which Mr . MOUTON had run aAvay with : That I must certainly be his accomplice , since I had engaged my friends to offer to pay for the diamond ; all which , they addedI must have done Avith no other vieAV than to conceal my villainy .
, It was to no purpose that I alledged a thousand things in my OAVII jugr tification . Immediatel y the wretches took away my sword , handcuffed me , forced me into ' a ' chaise draAvn by tAvo mules , and in this condition was 1 hurried away to the prison of the Inquisition . But , spite of these severities , and their commanding me not to open my lips , I cal'ed aloud to one of my friends ( Mr . Ric HARDS ) who had been at the
coffee-house with me , and was also a Freemason , conjuring him to give notice to all the rest of our Brethren and friends , of my being seized b y command of the Holy Office , in order that they mi g ht avoid the misfortune Avhich had befallen me , by going voluntarily to the Inquisitors and accusing themselves . I must take notice , that the Inquisitors very seldom cause a person to be seized in broad day-lihtexcept they are
g , almost sure that he will make no noise nor resistance . This is a circumstance they observe very strictly , as is evident from tlie manner in which they seized Brother MouTON . Farther , they frequently make use of the King ' s name and authority on these occasions to seize and disarm the pretended criminal , who is
afraid to disobey the orders he hears pronounced . But as darkness befriends deeds of villainy , the Inquisitors , for this reason , usually cause tl > eir victims to be secured in the night . The Portuguese , and many , foreigners , are so apprehensive of the sinister accidents which often hap - pen at Lisbon in the night , especially to persons who A'enture out alone , thaf feAV are found it ) the streets of this city at a late hour . I imagined myself so secure in the company of my friends , that I should npt have
been afraid of resisting the officers in question , had the former sent me their assistance . But , unhappily for me , they Avere struck AA'ith such a sudden panip , that every one of them fled , leaving me to the mercy pf nine wretches Avho fell upon me in an instant . They . then forced me to the prison of the Inquisition ,-where 1 was delivered up to one of the officers of this pretended holy p lace . This officer presently calling four
of the guard , these took me to an apartment , till such time as notice should be given to the president of my being caught in their snare . A little after the above-mentioned officer coming again , bid the guard search me , and take away all die gold , silver , papers , knives , scissars , buckles , - & c . I might haA'e about me . They then led me to a lonely dungeon , expressl y forbidding me to speak loud , or knock at the walls ;
but that in case I wanted any tiling , tq beat against the door with a padlock that hung on the out \ vard abo ' r , and which I couljl reach , b y thrusting my arm through the iron grates . It Avas then that , struck with all' the horrpre pf a p lace , of which I Jiad heard and read such baleful descriptions , I plunged at once into the blackest melancholy , especially when I reflected on the dire conse . '"""" ' ' ¦ ' IS a %