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Article A MASONIC MASTYR—HYPPOLITO JOSE DA COSTA... ← Page 3 of 6 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
A Masonic Mastyr—Hyppolito Jose Da Costa...
assembled at my father ' s house , and from whom I got my first taste for that language , and my first smattering of it . In I ) a Costa ' s writings will be found many proofs of his attainments in Hebrew beyond the mere quotations at second hand . His references , too , are most frequently to rabbinical authorities ; and certainly neither the works of the rabbins nor Hebrew itself have been studies common
in Portugal , nor likely to flourish under the auspices of the Inquisition . Such a knowledge would have a dangerous tendency to bring its possessor under the tutelage of the Holy Office ; and I must own most of my friends in the university of Coimbra have been as guileless of Hebrew as of Grreek and other deep scholarship . Whether Da Costa , like many Portuguese Jews , was a novo
CKristiano , those who knew him better may attest . His scholarship , however , was not confined to rabbinical illustrations , for it was wide enough ^ he being led by his Masonic zeal to follow up an extensive course of investigations into what he considered the early history of the mystic orders Da Costa lived and died deservedly respected , not only by his Brethren , but the world . As a scholar , a gentlemen , a friend , a
Mason , and a man of business , he brought many qualifications to bear on those whom he knew , ' . by which he earned and won their esteem . Da Costa's sketch for the " History of the Dionysian Artificers , "
is an attempt to connect Masonry with the Dionysiac and other mysteries of the ancients . As a preliminary to this , Da Costa treats of the mythology of the ancients as affording allegoric types to the esoteric neophytes , although presenting monstrous absurdities to the exoteric worshippers . It need scarcely be observed , that this implied morality presents but a sorry apology for the idolatry and depravity allowed and propagated by the outward forms ; but then
Da Costa , in common with " many of his philosophic school , sets up that the motives of the inventors were pure , and that the evil resulted from the profligacy and ignorance of the corrupters , a defence more ingenious than conformable to historic truth . Indeed , Da Costa ' s disquisitions are more remarkable for learning than for sound reasoning , for he affirms that at a very early period some contemplative men were desirous of deducing from the observations of nature
moral rules for the conduct of mankind ; that astronomy was the science selected for the purpose ; that architecture was afterwards called in aid of it , and that its followers formed a society or sect . Thus , from myth Da Costa proceeds to imagination , and so builds up the framework of his Dionysian artificers , and claiming such a basis , it is easy for him to connect his Dionysian artificers with the Masonic
Order . Da Costa himself ingenuously states in the beginning , that the continuity of this system w ill be found sometimes broken , which he says is a natural effect of conflicting theories , of the alteration of manners , and of a change of circumstances , but notwithstanding which he affirms that it made its appearance at different periods , and the same truth was to be perceived constantly .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
A Masonic Mastyr—Hyppolito Jose Da Costa...
assembled at my father ' s house , and from whom I got my first taste for that language , and my first smattering of it . In I ) a Costa ' s writings will be found many proofs of his attainments in Hebrew beyond the mere quotations at second hand . His references , too , are most frequently to rabbinical authorities ; and certainly neither the works of the rabbins nor Hebrew itself have been studies common
in Portugal , nor likely to flourish under the auspices of the Inquisition . Such a knowledge would have a dangerous tendency to bring its possessor under the tutelage of the Holy Office ; and I must own most of my friends in the university of Coimbra have been as guileless of Hebrew as of Grreek and other deep scholarship . Whether Da Costa , like many Portuguese Jews , was a novo
CKristiano , those who knew him better may attest . His scholarship , however , was not confined to rabbinical illustrations , for it was wide enough ^ he being led by his Masonic zeal to follow up an extensive course of investigations into what he considered the early history of the mystic orders Da Costa lived and died deservedly respected , not only by his Brethren , but the world . As a scholar , a gentlemen , a friend , a
Mason , and a man of business , he brought many qualifications to bear on those whom he knew , ' . by which he earned and won their esteem . Da Costa's sketch for the " History of the Dionysian Artificers , "
is an attempt to connect Masonry with the Dionysiac and other mysteries of the ancients . As a preliminary to this , Da Costa treats of the mythology of the ancients as affording allegoric types to the esoteric neophytes , although presenting monstrous absurdities to the exoteric worshippers . It need scarcely be observed , that this implied morality presents but a sorry apology for the idolatry and depravity allowed and propagated by the outward forms ; but then
Da Costa , in common with " many of his philosophic school , sets up that the motives of the inventors were pure , and that the evil resulted from the profligacy and ignorance of the corrupters , a defence more ingenious than conformable to historic truth . Indeed , Da Costa ' s disquisitions are more remarkable for learning than for sound reasoning , for he affirms that at a very early period some contemplative men were desirous of deducing from the observations of nature
moral rules for the conduct of mankind ; that astronomy was the science selected for the purpose ; that architecture was afterwards called in aid of it , and that its followers formed a society or sect . Thus , from myth Da Costa proceeds to imagination , and so builds up the framework of his Dionysian artificers , and claiming such a basis , it is easy for him to connect his Dionysian artificers with the Masonic
Order . Da Costa himself ingenuously states in the beginning , that the continuity of this system w ill be found sometimes broken , which he says is a natural effect of conflicting theories , of the alteration of manners , and of a change of circumstances , but notwithstanding which he affirms that it made its appearance at different periods , and the same truth was to be perceived constantly .