Brethren, This came across The Scottish Rite Museum & Library facebook page today. I would love to find this book and read it. Did U Know? John Coustos (1703 - 1746) was a Swiss-born British citizen, that worked in Lisbon, Portugal, as a lapidary, or gem cutter. He had been a member of lodges in both London and Paris. In 1741 Coustos formed a lodge for foreign Masons who lived in Lisbon and served as its master. Freemasonry had been banned in Portugal a few years previously. When authorities learned about Coustos’ lodge, the Inquisition arrested Coustos for participation in Masonic activities. News of his arrest and the charges against him traveled as far as Boston. For over fifteen months he was imprisoned and questioned under torture. The inquisitors finally sentenced Coustos to four years in a workhouse as punishment for organizing a Masonic lodge in Portugal, while three Portuguese Masons were put to death. He was released in 1744 as a result of the intercession of George II of England, and the British ambassador to Lisbon arranged for Coustos’ release. Upon his return to England, Coustos wrote a sensational book about his experiences, The Sufferings of John Coustos for Freemasonry…. It first went on sale in 1746. Soon after, Coustos died. His account, which featured lurid details of his imprisonment and engravings depicting his torture, proved irresistible to readers. Coustos’ work also capitalized on the wide-spread anti-Catholic sentiment of the time. Although some modern scholars have questioned aspects of Coustos’ description of his torture and his assessment of how much Masonic information he did or did not reveal to his interrogators, many readers admired Coustos for keeping his Masonic oath under the strain of torture. The Sufferings of John Coustos for Free-Masonry… remained in print for decades. Some editions featured a portrait of Coustos as a frontispiece. American publishers made versions of the work available to readers from the 1790s through the 1850s. This Masonic Did U Know list is strictly voluntary. If you received this message in error or you wish to be removed, please reply to the author only and you will be removed, no questions asked. If you know of a Brother who would like to be added to our list, reply to author with the Brothers e mail address and it will be added immediately. May We Meet Upon The _|_ Act By The ! And Part Upon The |_ W. Bro. Dwight D. Seals Camden Lodge #159 Camden, Ohio
Posted on: Thu, 24 Oct 2013 02:10:09 +0000
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