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Article JOHN COUSTOS, FOR FREEMASONRY, ← Page 5 of 6 →
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John Coustos, For Freemasonry,
These orders giving me great uneasiness , I waited upon the several gentlemen above-mentioned ; when telling them the injunctions laid upon me , they advised me to act very cautiously on this occasion . ' I therefore thought it would be safest for me to go on board immediately , without giving any notice of it to the Inquisitors . We lay at anchor after this , near three weeks before Lisbon . The Inquisitor no sooner found that I failed coming to him at the
_ time appointed , in order to be conducted to the ship , than he sent out about thirty spies . Nine of them coming to enquire after me , at the house where I used to lodge , searched it from top to bottom : examining every trunk , chest of drawers , and closet . But their endeavours to find me being fruitless , some of them getting into a boat , rowed several times round the three Dutch men of war ling at anchorThey
y . imagined that if I was on board , and consequentl y in a place of security , I should not be afraid of shewing myself ; a circumstance that would have put an end to their search , which cost them some pains and expence . As I did not gratify their curiosity , and we weighed anchor a few days after , I know not whether they continued it . Their search was so open both at the house where I had lodgedas well as at
, other . places , that I was soon informed of it ; , at which I should have been deli ghted , had not my joy been damped by the apprehensions I was under , lest my dear friend , Mr . Mouton , the companion of my sufferings and tortures , merely on account of Freemasonry , should likewise fall a victim to their barbarity . Speaking concerning him to
the admiral , he with the utmost humanity gave me leave to send for him on board . He coming accordingly next day was received , . with great satisfaction , by the whole ship's company , especially by myself ; I-having a peculiar esteem for him , which I shall ever entertain . " ¦ We set sail two days after . We had occasion to observe , during our whole voyage , the true p leasure which a generous mind feels , in doing
a-humane action , and in protecting the unfortunate . —This was particularly conspicuous in the admiral , he ordering the utmost care to be taken of us all the time we were on board his ship ; he frequently condescending to admit us to his table , when he would-talk to us with the utmost familiarity . His distinction gained us the civilest behaviour from every person on board , and which continued till our arrival
at Portsmouth , where we landed ; without being put to a single farthing expence during the whole voyage . —All these favours , so generously bestowed by the admiral , call aloud for the strongest acknowledgments of gratitude to that gentleman . —I arrived in London the 15 th of December 1744 , after a long and dangerous voyage . I here return thanks to the Almihtyfor having so visibly
protectg , ed me from that infernal band of friars , who employed . the various tortures already mentioned in order to force me to apostatize from myholy religion . -1 return our Sovereign , King George the lid . ( the instrument under Heaven for procuring me my liberty ) the most dutiful and most respectful thanks , for his so graciously condescending to interpose in
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
John Coustos, For Freemasonry,
These orders giving me great uneasiness , I waited upon the several gentlemen above-mentioned ; when telling them the injunctions laid upon me , they advised me to act very cautiously on this occasion . ' I therefore thought it would be safest for me to go on board immediately , without giving any notice of it to the Inquisitors . We lay at anchor after this , near three weeks before Lisbon . The Inquisitor no sooner found that I failed coming to him at the
_ time appointed , in order to be conducted to the ship , than he sent out about thirty spies . Nine of them coming to enquire after me , at the house where I used to lodge , searched it from top to bottom : examining every trunk , chest of drawers , and closet . But their endeavours to find me being fruitless , some of them getting into a boat , rowed several times round the three Dutch men of war ling at anchorThey
y . imagined that if I was on board , and consequentl y in a place of security , I should not be afraid of shewing myself ; a circumstance that would have put an end to their search , which cost them some pains and expence . As I did not gratify their curiosity , and we weighed anchor a few days after , I know not whether they continued it . Their search was so open both at the house where I had lodgedas well as at
, other . places , that I was soon informed of it ; , at which I should have been deli ghted , had not my joy been damped by the apprehensions I was under , lest my dear friend , Mr . Mouton , the companion of my sufferings and tortures , merely on account of Freemasonry , should likewise fall a victim to their barbarity . Speaking concerning him to
the admiral , he with the utmost humanity gave me leave to send for him on board . He coming accordingly next day was received , . with great satisfaction , by the whole ship's company , especially by myself ; I-having a peculiar esteem for him , which I shall ever entertain . " ¦ We set sail two days after . We had occasion to observe , during our whole voyage , the true p leasure which a generous mind feels , in doing
a-humane action , and in protecting the unfortunate . —This was particularly conspicuous in the admiral , he ordering the utmost care to be taken of us all the time we were on board his ship ; he frequently condescending to admit us to his table , when he would-talk to us with the utmost familiarity . His distinction gained us the civilest behaviour from every person on board , and which continued till our arrival
at Portsmouth , where we landed ; without being put to a single farthing expence during the whole voyage . —All these favours , so generously bestowed by the admiral , call aloud for the strongest acknowledgments of gratitude to that gentleman . —I arrived in London the 15 th of December 1744 , after a long and dangerous voyage . I here return thanks to the Almihtyfor having so visibly
protectg , ed me from that infernal band of friars , who employed . the various tortures already mentioned in order to force me to apostatize from myholy religion . -1 return our Sovereign , King George the lid . ( the instrument under Heaven for procuring me my liberty ) the most dutiful and most respectful thanks , for his so graciously condescending to interpose in