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Article JOHN COUSTOS, FOR FREEMASONRY, ← Page 4 of 6 →
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John Coustos, For Freemasonry,
better pens than mine , was so good as to declare , that he would endeavour to procure my freedom . Accordingly , his Lordship spoke to his Grace the Duke of Newcastle , one of the principal Secretaries of State ; in order to supplicate for leave , from our Sovereign , that his minister at Lisbon might demand me , as a subject of Great Britain . His Majestyever attentive to the felicity of his subjects , and
desi-, rous of relieving them in their misfortunes , was so gracious as to interfere in my favour . Accordingly , his commands being dispatched to Mr . Compton , the British minister at Lisbon ; that gentleman demand , ed my liberty of the King of Portugal , in his Britannic Majesty ' s name , which accordingly I obtained the latter end of October 1744 . . Tfle P " son who came and freed me from the galley by order of the Inquisitors
took me before them . The President then told me , that Cardinal da Cunha had given orders for my being released ; at the same time he bid me return to the Holy Office in three or four days . I could perceive , during this interval , that I was followed by the spies of the Inquisition , who kept a watchful eye over my behaviour , and the laces I frequented . I waited upon our Envoyas likewise upon
p , our Consul , whom I informed of the commands which had been laid upon me at the Inquisition , and those gentlemen advised me to obey them . They cautioned me , however , to take a friend with me , in order that he mi ght give them notice , in case I should be seized again . 1 accordingly returned to the Inquisitors five days after , when
the President declared , " That the Tribunal would not permit me to " continue any longer in Portugal , and therefore that I must name the " city and kingdom whether I intended to retire . " - As my family ( replied I ) is in London , I design to go thither as soon as possible . They then bid me embark in the first ship that should sail for England , adding , that the instant I had found one , 1 must inform them of the day and hour I intended to go on boardtogether with the Captain ' s
, name and that of his ship . A report prevailed , some days after , that one of the persons seized by the Inquisition for Freemasonry , and who had obtained his liberty by turning Roman Catholic , had been so imprudent as to divulge the cruelties exercised in this tribunal . I was determined if possible to secure myself from a second persecution . As there wasat this timeno English shiin the port of Lisbon , I waited
, , p on Mr . Vantil , the Resident of Holland" , and fc / esought him to speak to the Dutch admiral , to admit me' on board h \ s fleet . The Resident , touched with my calamities , hinted my request to the admiral ,. who generously complied with it . I then went , accompanied by a friend , and informed the Inquisitor that 1 intended to embark for England in the Damiettacommanded by Vice-Admiral Cornelius Schreirerwho
, , was to sail in a few days . Upon the Inquisitor ' s enquiring the exact time vvhen I intended to go on board , I replied at nine the next morning . He then bid me come to him precisely at that hour , adding , that he would send some officers of the Inquisition to see me safe on ship-board . 3 l *
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
John Coustos, For Freemasonry,
better pens than mine , was so good as to declare , that he would endeavour to procure my freedom . Accordingly , his Lordship spoke to his Grace the Duke of Newcastle , one of the principal Secretaries of State ; in order to supplicate for leave , from our Sovereign , that his minister at Lisbon might demand me , as a subject of Great Britain . His Majestyever attentive to the felicity of his subjects , and
desi-, rous of relieving them in their misfortunes , was so gracious as to interfere in my favour . Accordingly , his commands being dispatched to Mr . Compton , the British minister at Lisbon ; that gentleman demand , ed my liberty of the King of Portugal , in his Britannic Majesty ' s name , which accordingly I obtained the latter end of October 1744 . . Tfle P " son who came and freed me from the galley by order of the Inquisitors
took me before them . The President then told me , that Cardinal da Cunha had given orders for my being released ; at the same time he bid me return to the Holy Office in three or four days . I could perceive , during this interval , that I was followed by the spies of the Inquisition , who kept a watchful eye over my behaviour , and the laces I frequented . I waited upon our Envoyas likewise upon
p , our Consul , whom I informed of the commands which had been laid upon me at the Inquisition , and those gentlemen advised me to obey them . They cautioned me , however , to take a friend with me , in order that he mi ght give them notice , in case I should be seized again . 1 accordingly returned to the Inquisitors five days after , when
the President declared , " That the Tribunal would not permit me to " continue any longer in Portugal , and therefore that I must name the " city and kingdom whether I intended to retire . " - As my family ( replied I ) is in London , I design to go thither as soon as possible . They then bid me embark in the first ship that should sail for England , adding , that the instant I had found one , 1 must inform them of the day and hour I intended to go on boardtogether with the Captain ' s
, name and that of his ship . A report prevailed , some days after , that one of the persons seized by the Inquisition for Freemasonry , and who had obtained his liberty by turning Roman Catholic , had been so imprudent as to divulge the cruelties exercised in this tribunal . I was determined if possible to secure myself from a second persecution . As there wasat this timeno English shiin the port of Lisbon , I waited
, , p on Mr . Vantil , the Resident of Holland" , and fc / esought him to speak to the Dutch admiral , to admit me' on board h \ s fleet . The Resident , touched with my calamities , hinted my request to the admiral ,. who generously complied with it . I then went , accompanied by a friend , and informed the Inquisitor that 1 intended to embark for England in the Damiettacommanded by Vice-Admiral Cornelius Schreirerwho
, , was to sail in a few days . Upon the Inquisitor ' s enquiring the exact time vvhen I intended to go on board , I replied at nine the next morning . He then bid me come to him precisely at that hour , adding , that he would send some officers of the Inquisition to see me safe on ship-board . 3 l *