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mtlieCitpofHrmgcrk 


LIBRARY 


GIVEN  BY 


Marguerite  Block 


DOCUMENTS  CONCERNING 

V 

SWEDENBORG 


DOCUMENTS 


CONCERNING 


THE  LIFE  AND  CHARACTER 


OF 


EMANUEL  SWEDENBORG 


COLLECTED,  TRANSLATED,  AND  ANNOTATED 


BY 


R.  L.  TAFEL,  A.  M.,  PH.  D. 


VOLtJlIE  XI,  PART  I 


SWEDENBORG  SOCIETY,  BRITISH  AND  FOREIGN 

36  BLOOMSBURY  STREET,  LONDON 
1877 


f  3  T.  ?«/ 


^//.^fd^^M^^  /^^A 


ftlAR  4     1946 


PREFACE. 

In  offering  to  the  public  the  concluding  volume  of  the 
English  translation  of  the  "Documents  concerning  the  Life 
and  Character  of  Emanuel  Swedenborg,"  attention  must  be 
called  to  the  unforeseen  circumstance,  that  the  materials  for  this 
volume  have  proved  so  extensive  that  it  has  become  necessary 
to  publish  it  in  two  parts,  each  of  which  is  of  the  size  of 
Volume  I.  As  the  pages  in  these  two  parts  run  on  conse- 
cutively, they  have  been  entitled  respectively  Volume  II, 
Part  I,  and  Volume  II,  Part  II. 

An  additional  section  has  been  introduced,  viz.  Section  XHI, 
which  is  called  "Appendix."  It  contains  some  documents  that 
have  been  met  with  since  the  text  of  the  work  was  finished, 
and  is  intended  to  receive  all  further  documents  which  may 
be  discovered  in  future. 

By  way  of  introduction  to  the  present  volume  we  shall 
give  an  historical  synopsis  of  all  collections  and  sources  of 
•'Documents  concerning  Swedenborg,"  that  have  hitherto  been 
published : 

1.  The  first  collection  of  "Swedenborg  Documents"  was 
published  by  Dr.  Heinrich  Wilhelm  Clemm,  Professor  of 
Theology  in  the  University   of  Tubingen,  in   his  Vollstcinclige 


VI  PREFACE. 

Mnleitung  in  die  Religion  und  Theologie  (Complete  Introduction 
to  Religion  and  Theology),  Tubingen,  1767.  In  Volume  IV, 
pp.  209  et  seq.  Dr.  Clemm  published  an  account  of  the  "Three 
extraordinary  Facts"  discussed  in  Documents  273,  274,  and 
275  (see  pp.  637  and  654);  he  also  published  the  Latin  originals 
of  two  of  Swedenborg's  letters  to  Prelate  (Etinger,  as  well  as 
(Etingefs  answers  (Documents  229,  231,  232,  233).  These 
Documents  were  furnished  to  him  by  Prelate  CEtinger.^^^ 

2.  Swedenborg's  Autobiography  contained  in  his  letter 
addressed  to  the  Eev.  Thomas  Hartley,  in  August,  1769, 
This  letter  was  published  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Hartley  in  1769, 
in  both  the  Latin  and  the  English  languages.  See  Document 
313,  no.  141,  p.  1011. 

3.  Handlingar  rbrande  Swedenhorgianisnien  och  de  sd  Mllade 
Prediko-Forsoken  (Minutes  respecting  Swedenborgianism  and 
the  so-called  Sermon-Essays),  Gottenburg,  1769  and  1770. 
This  publication  contains  the  official  acts  of  Swedenborg's 
Controversy  with  the  Consistory  of  Gottenburg;  it  has  furnished 
the  originals  of  most  of  the  numbers  from  A  to  M  in  Docu- 
ment 245. 

4.  Sammlung  einiger  Nachrichten,  Herrn  Emanuel  Siveden- 
horg,  und  desselhen  vorgegelenen  Uingang  mit  dem  GeisterreicJi 
hetreffend  (Collection  of  sundry  accounts  respecting  Mr. 
Emanuel  Swedenborg  and  his  alleged  intercourse  with  the 
Spiritual  World).  Hamburg,  1770.  A  new  edition  was  pub- 
lished in  the  same  year.  This  Collection  contains:  (1)  Extracts 
from  a  German  translation  of  Swedenborg's  autobiography, 
viz.  no.  2,  which  was  published  in  April,  1770,  in  the  Gelehrte 
Mercurius  (the  Learned  Mercury)  of  Altona;  (2)  Two  letters 
of  Joh.  Christian  Cuno2i2  of  Amsterdam  addressed  to  a  friend 


PREFACE.  Til 

in  Hamburg  (Document  256,  F,  pp.  482—485);  (3)  Cuno's 
Letter  to  Swedenborg  in  Latin  and  German  (Document  25G, 
C,  pp.  4G5— 475). 

5.  Scliivedische  Urkunden  von  dem  Assessor  Swedenborg^  welclie 
auf  dem  Schicedischen  Reiclistag,  den  IMen  Juni,  1771,  iverden 
ziir  Entscheidung  kommen  (Swedish  Documents  about  Assessor 
Swedenborg,  on  which  a   decision  will  be  pronounced  by  the 
Swedish  Diet,  June  13,  1771),  1771.     This  collection  was  also 
published  under  the  following  title:  Beurtheilungen  derwichtigen 
Lehre  vom  Zustand  nacli  dem  Tod  und  der  damit  verhundenen 
Lehren  des  heruhmten  Emanuel  Swedenhorg's,   tlieils  aus  Ur- 
Tiunden  von  Stockholm,  tlieils  aus  selir  ivichtigen  Anmerkungen 
verschiedener  Oelehrten  (Examination  of  the  celebrated  Emanuel 
Swedenborg's  important  doctrine  respecting  the  state  after  death, 
and  the  doctrines  which  are  connected  therewith,  based  partly 
on  documents  from  Stockholm,  partly  on  very  important  obser- 
vations by  various  scholars),  1771.   This  work  was  compiled  by 
Prelate  (Etinger^^^    (g^g  Document  314,   pp.   1058—1061.     It 
contains  the   following   documents:   (1)   Dr.  Ekebom's  charge 
(Document  245,  B,  p.  287);   (2)  Swedenborg's   reply   (Docu- 
ment 245,  F,  p.  297;   (3)  Swedenborg's   second  letter  to   the 
Consistory  (Document  245,  G,  p.  301);   (4)  Extract  from   the 
Royal   Resolution    of   April  26,   1770   (Document  245,   T,   b, 
p.  366);  (5)  Swedenborg's  Letter  to  the  King  (Document  245, 
X,  p.  373);  (6)  Swedenborg's  Letter  to  the  Swedish  Universities 
(Document  245,  AA,  p.  380);    (7)  Dr.  Ekebom's  declaration 
of  February  12,  1770  (Document  245,  P,  p.  345);  (8)  Dr.  Beyer's 
Defence  (Document,  245,   O,  pp.  323  et  seq.)\    (9)  Qiltinger's 
Declaration  to  the  Privy  Council  of  Wiirtemberg  (Document 
314,  C,  p.  1036);  (10)  Cuno's  letters  to  a  friend  in  Hamburg, 


YIII  PREFACE. 

reprinted  from  no.  4;  (11)  Cuno's  letter  to  Swedenborg,  reprinted 
from  no.  4;  (12)  Extracts  from  Swedenborg's  autobiography, 
as  contained  in  no.  4;  (13)  Extracts  from  a  letter  of  Dr.  Beyer 
to  Prelate  (Etinger,  dated  June  15,  1771  (Document  314,  D, 
pp.  1041  et  seq.) 

6.  Pernety's^*  French  translation  of  Swedenborg's  treatise 
on  "Heaven  and  Hell,"  published  in  Berlin  in  1782  under 
the  title,  Les  Merveilles  du  del  et  de  VEnfer,  &c.  In  a  "Preli- 
minary Discourse"  this  work  contains  in  French  translations 
(1)  Sandel's  Eulogium  (Document  4);  (2)  Pernety's  account 
of  Swedenborg  obtained  from  the  brothers  Nordenskold  (Docu- 
ment 6);  (3)  Christopher  Springer's  Testimony  to  Swedenborg 
(Document  261). 

7.  "An  Eulogium  on  the  lately  deceased  Mr.  Emanuel 
Swedenborg,  composed  and  delivered  by  Monsieur  SandeV^ 
from  the  French;  to  which  is  added  a  variety  of  Anecdotes 
and  Observations  on  Mr.  Swedenborg:  collected  by  a  Friend 
of  his  "Writings;  together  with  copies  of  several  letters,  sent 
by  Mr.  Swedenborg  to  his  correspondents,  a  short  time  before 
his  decease."  London,  P.  Hindmarsh,  1784.  This  collection 
of  Documents  was  published  under  a  separate  title  as  an 
Appendix  to  the  second  edition  of  the  treatise  on  "Influx"  or 
"Intercourse."  It  consists  of  an  English  translation  of  the 
documents  collected  by  Pernety  (no.  6);  to  which  are  added 
Swedenborg's  letter  to  Hartley  (no.  2),  two  letters  which  he 
wrote  to  (Etinger  (Documents  229  and  232),  one  of  his  letters 
addressed  to  Dr.  Beyer  (Document  245,  H,  p.  305),  and  three 
other  letters  which  constitute  Documents  225,  226,  and  232. 

8.  Chastanier's^^^  Collection  of  Documents  is  contained  in 
the  Appendix  to  his  French  translation  of  Swedenborg's  work 


PREFACE.  IX 

on  ''Influx"  entitled  Du  Commerce  etahli  entre  VAme  et  le 
Corps,''''  1785,  where  he  communicates  (1)  a  French  translation 
of  Swedenborg's  Letter  to  the  Rev.  T.  Hartley  (no.  2); 
(2)  Swedenborg's  Letters  to  the  Landgrave  of  Hesse-Darm- 
stadt (Documents  246  and  247);  (3)  Swedenborg's  Letter  to 
Archbishop  Menander  (Document  228).  In  another  of  his 
works  entitled,  Tableau  Analytique  et  Raisonne  de  la  Doctrine 
Celeste  de  VEglise  de  la  Nouvelle  Jerusalem,  &c.,  London,  1786, 
he  communicates  the  following  documents :  (4)  The  results  of 
his  investigation  into  the  charge  of  insanity  raised  against 
Swedenborg  by  Mathesius  and  J.  Wesley  (Document  270, 
p.  609);  (5)  Shearsmith's  affidavit  before  the  Lord  Mayor  of 
London  (Document  269,  C,  p.  577). 

9.  Utdrag  af  ndgra  Bref  fran  Emanuel  Sivedenlorg  til 
atskillige  lians  Vdnner  (Extracts  from  sundry  letters  addressed 
by  Swedenborg  to  several  of  his  friends),  contained  in  No.  1 
of  Samlingar  for  Philantroper,  the  organ  of  the  Philanthropic 
Exegetic  Society,  printed  in  Stockholm  in  1787.  This  Col- 
lection contains  sixteen  letters  which  Swedenborg  addressed 
to  Dr.  Beyer,  one  which  he  wrote  to  AVenngren  and  three 
letters  which  he  sent  to  Prelate  (Etinger. 

10.  "New  Jerusalem  Magazine,  or  a  Treasury  of  celestial, 
spiritual,  and  natural  Knowledge,  by  several  Members  of  the 
London  Universal  Society  for  Promotion  of,  the  New  Church," 
London,  1790,  1791.  It  was  edited  by  Messrs.  Servante,^^^ 
J.  A.  Tulk,228  and  C.  B.  Wadstrom^^  (see  Note  227).  This 
Journal  contains  the  first  attempt  at  a  systematic  Life  of 
Swedenborg,  on  the  basis  of  Sandel's  Eulogium,  and  Pernety's 
Account.  It  contains  besides  English  translations  of  fifteen 
of  the  twenty  letters  printed  in  tke  Samlingar  for  Fliilantroper 


X  PREFACE. 

for  1787  (no.  9);  two  letters  addressed  by  Lavater  to  Sweden- 
borg  (Documents  236  and  242);  also  the  testimony  borne 
concerning  Swedenborg  by  Count  Hopken  (Document  252), 
and  General  Tuxen  (Document  255). 

11.  "Magazine  of  Knowledge,"  for  1791,  published  by 
Robert  Hindmarsh,^-^  contains :  (1)  The  original  Document  of 
Shearsmith's  affidavit  (Document  269,  C,  p.  577);  (2)  Brockmer's 
account  of  Swedenborg  (Document  270,  C). 

12.  "The  Intellectual  Repository  and  New  Jerusalem  Maga- 
zine" from  1812 — 1877,  has  been  a  vast  repository  of  Docu- 
ments concerning  Swedenborg.  Most  of  these  documents  were 
introduced  through  the  instrumentality  of  the  Rev.  Samuel 
Noble.^"  In  1812  and  1813  it  published  translations  from 
the  Schivedische  Urkicnden,  (no.  5)  which  were  procured  by 
Mr.  J.  A.  Tulk.^^^    The  Documents  published  are  as  follows: 

(1)  Dr.  Beyer's  Defence  (Document  245,  O,  pp.  323—345)— 
only  a  small  portion  of  this  long  Document  was  then  published; 

(2)  Swedenborg's  Letters  addressed  to  the  Consistory  of  Gotten- 
burg  (Document  245,  E,  G) ;  (3)  Dr.  Beyer  to  Prelate  (Etinger 
(Document  314,  D,  pp.  1041—1053).  In  1813  on  pp.  370  et  seq. 
it  published,  (4)  Captain  Stalhammar's  strictures  on  the 
Berlinisclie  Monatsschrift  (Document  276,  C,  p.  677).  In  1815 
it  printed  an  English  translation  of  (5)  Swedenborg's  Letter 
to  Nordberg  (Document  199),  and  (6)  Swedenborg's  Letters 
to  the  Landgrave  of  Hesse-Darmstadt,  and  to  Venator  his 
minister  (Documents  246—248).  In  1817  we  find  on  pp.  449 
et  seq.  (7)  Dr.  Messiter's  letters  to  the  Scotch  Universities 
(Document  260);  in  1820  on  pp.  116  et  seq.  (8)  Jung-Stilling's 
Testimony  respecting  Swedenborg  (Document  257).  In  1829 
it  communicated  on  pp.  537  et  seq.  (9)  John  Lewis's  Testimony 


PREFACE.  XI 

(Document  273);  and  in  1836  (11)  Provo's  Testimony,  -which 
was  communicated  by  the  Rev.  Samuel  Noble. 

13.  Noble's^"  "Appeal  in  behalf  of  the  views  held  by  tlie 
body  of  Christians  nvho  believe  in  a  New  Chuixh,"  &c.,  first 
edition,  1826.  This  work,  in  Section  Y,  Parts  II  and  IV 
contains  the  first  systematic  digest  of  all  the  documents  con- 
cerning Swedenborg  that  had  up  to  that  date  appeared. 
Mr.  Noble's  own  addition  to  our  stock  of  the  Swedenborg 
Documents  is  (1)  Wesley's  Testimony  respecting  Swedenborg 
(Document  268),  (2)  Noble  on  Mathesius  (Document  270,  Gr, 
p.  610). 

14.  Sammlung  von  Urhunden  hetreffend  das  Leben  und  den 
CharaJcter  Emanuel  Swedenborg's,  cms  den  Quellen  treu  wieder- 
gegeben  und  mit  Anmerkungen  hegleitet  von  Dr.  J.  F.  I. 
Tafel^^^  (Collection  of  Documents  respecting  the  Life  and 
character  of  Emanuel  Swedenborg,  faithfully  rendered  from 
the  original  sources  and  furnished  with  annotations,"  &c.), 
Tubingen  1839—1845,  4  Parts.  In  Parts  I  and  II  Dr.  Im. 
Tafel  published  all  the  documents  that  had  hitherto  been  pub- 
lished in  the  Latin,  French,  English,  and  German  languages, 
fromnos.  1 — 13,  excepting  those  which  had  appeared  in  Swedish. 
In  Part  III  he  added  the  following  new  documents:  (1)  A 
faithful  translation  of  Robsahm's  Memoirs  (Document  5); 
(2)  Ferelius'  Testimony  (Document  267);  (3)  A  Memorial  to 
the  Houses  of  the  Diet  (Document  196).  In  Part  IV  he 
published  the  follomng  new  documents:  (4)  Extracts  from 
Bishop  Swedberg's  Autobiography  (Document  35) ;  (5)  Beyer's 
Testimony  respecting  Swedenborg  (Document  254);  (6)  Addi- 
tional Testimony  of  Jung-Stilling  (Documents  257,  B,  274,  I); 
(7)    Klopstock's    Anecdote     (Document    279);     (8)    Peckitt's 


XII  PREFACE. 

Testimony  (Document  264) ;  (9)  Proof  of  falsification  of  dates 
in  Kant's  letter  to  Madame  von  Knobloch  (Document  271); 
(10)  Testimony  of  the  second  husband  of  Madame  de  Marte- 
ville  (Document  274,  G);  (11)  Dr.  Wilkinson's  Testimony 
collected  from  Mrs.  Shaw  (Document  266);  (12)  Professor 
Scherer's  Testimony  (Document  289);  (13)  Atterhom's  Anec- 
dote (Document  290). 

15.    "Documents    concerning    the    Life    and   Character   of 
Emanuel  Swedenborg,   collected  by  Dr.   J.  F.   I.  Tafel;    and, 
edited  in 'English  by  the  Eev.  J.  H.  Smithson,"  Manchester  1841. 
In  this  collection  are   contained  the  Documents  constituting 
Parts  1  and  II  of  Dr.  Tafel's  collection,    most   of   which    he 
had  obtained  from  English  sources,  viz.  from  -'Noble's  Appeal," 
the  "Intellectual  Eepository,"  the  "New  Jerusalem  Magazine" 
for  1790,   and  the    "Magazine  of  Knowledge"   for  1791.     All 
these  documents  the  EngHsh  editor  gave  in  the  original  English 
form,  yet  without  stating  always  the  sources  whence  he  derived 
them.     The    only    document    in    this   volume    which    had   not 
previously   appeared  in  an  English  form  is  Cuno's  Testimony 
respecting  Swedenborg,  published  in  Hamburg  in  1771  (no.  4). 
In   1855    an   enlarged   edition  of   these  documents  appeared, 
with   a   supplement   containing    some   of  the   new    documents 
published  by  Dr.  Im.  Tafel  in  Parts  III  and  IV  of  his  Collec- 
tion, and  which  had  previously  appeared  in  the  "Intellectual 
Eepository."     The  following  numbers  in  Dr.  Tafel's  Collection 
were   not  embodied  in  this  supplement,  and  hence   remained 
unpublished  in  England  until  the   appearance  of  the  i^resent 
collection,   viz.  nos.    1,  5,  6,   11.     Nos.  7   and   13  in  Dr.  Im. 
Tafel's    collection   were    first  printed    in  an  English  form  in 
Dr.  Wilkinson's  "Life  of  Swedenborg." 


PREFACE.  XIII 

16.  "Documents  concerning  the  Life  and  Character  of 
Emanuel  Swedenborg,  collected  by  Dr.  J.  F.  I.  Tafel,  trans- 
la);ed  and  revised  by  Rev.  J.  H.  Smithson.  A  new  edition, 
with  additions  by  Professor  George  Bush,"  New  York,  1847. 
This  edition  contains  the  documents  published  by  Dr.  Im.  Tafel 
in  Parts  I  and  II  of  his  collection.  Prof.  Bush's  additions 
consist  of  opinions  given  concerning  Swedenborg  by  celebrated 
men,  which  have  no  documentary  value. 

17.  Nya  Kprkan  och  dess  injlytande  im  Theolo^iens 
Stiidium  i  8veii(je  (The  New  Church  and  its  Influence  on 
the  study  of  Theology  in  Sweden),  by  Dr.  A.  Kahl.  4  Parts, 
Lund,  1847 — 1864.  In  Part  I  of  this  important  work  is 
contained  the  first  systematic  presentation  of  Swedenborg's 
controversy  with  the  Consistory  of  Gottenburg;  on  this  part 
we  have  largely  drawn  in  the  preparation  of  Document  245. 
In  Part  II  are  contained  the  Swedish  originals  of  Docu- 
ments 244  and  291,  no,  6;  and  likewise  many  documents  in 
Section  VI,  viz.  Documents  174,  175,  180,  181,  and  196. 
Parts  III  and  IV  were  of  use  to  us  in  the  preparation  of 
our  Notes. 

18.  Mr.  White's  "Newchurchman'"  for  1856.  This  work 
contains  translations  of  twenty-six  of  Swedenborg's  letters 
addressed  to  his  brother-in-law,  Ericus  Benzelius.  For  further 
particulars  see  Document  46.  Eleven  of  these  letters  had 
previously  been  published  in  their  original  form  in  the  Lds- 
ning  for  Bildning  och  Noje,  and  also  by  Prof.  Atterbom'^"^ 
in  the  Appendix  to  his  Siare  och  Skalder. 

19.  Aufzeiclinimgen  eines  Amsterdamer  Biirgers  [Joh. 
Christian  Cuno'^^^]  uber  Sivedenhorg,  von  Dr.  Aug.  Schekr 
(Notes   of  an  Amsterdam   citizen  on   Swedenborg),    Hanover, 


XIV  FEEFACE. 

1858.      These    Notes    constitute    Document    256,    A,    B,    D, 
and  E. 

20.  Svedenhorg's  Drmimar,  1744  (Swedenborg's  Dreams, in 
1744),  edited  by  G.  E.  Klemming,^'^''  Stockholm,  1859.  Con- 
cerning the  work,  see  Introduction  to  Document  208.  In  an 
Appendix  Mr.  Klemming  published  the  following  additional 
Documents:  (1)  Private  Memoranda  (Document  298);  (2)  Sweden- 
borg  on  the  death  of  the  Prince  of  Saalfeld  (Document  277); 
(3)  •  Signification  of  the  Horse  and  Hieroglyphics  (Docu- 
ment 300);  (4)  Swedenborg's  Letter  to  the  Academy  of 
Sciences  (Document  203,  A);  (5)  A  List  of  Valuables  (Docu- 
ment 297). 

21.  "Rise  and  Progress  of  the  New  Jerusalem  Church,  in 
England,  America,  and  other  parts,"  by  Robert  Hindmarsh,^^^ 
edited  by  the  Rev.  Edward  Madeley  of  Birmingham;  London, 
1861.  This  work  furnishes  (1)  Robert  Hindmarsh's  Testimony 
concerning  Swedenborg  (Document  265);  (2)  An  examination 
of  the  Charge  that  Swedenborg  retracted  his  writings  in  his 
last  moments  (Document  269). 

The  following  is  a  list   of  the  Biographies  of  Swedenborg 

that  have  hitherto  appeared,  in  chronological  order: 

1769.    Swedenborg's  Autobiography;  see  above  no.  2. 

1772.   Aminnelse-Tal  ofver  Kongl.  Vetenskaps-Academiensfram- 

ledne  Ledamot  Assessoren  in  Kongl.  Majestets  och  Bkksens 

Bergs-Collegio   Herr   Emanuel    Sivedenborg,  pa    Kongl. 

Vetenskaps-Academiens  vdgnar,  hdllet  i  stora  Riddarelius- 

Salen,   den  7.  October,   1772,   af  dess  Ledamot   Samuel 

Sandel,   Bergs-Rdd  och  Riddare  of  Kongl.  Nordstjerne 

Orden  (Eulogium  on  Emanuel  Swedenborg,  pronounced 

in  the  great  hall  of  the  House  of  Nobles  in  the  name 


PREFACE.  XV 

of  the  Royal  Academy  of  Sciences  of  Stockholm, 
Oct.  7,  1772,  by  Samuel  Sandels,  Councillor  of  Mines, 
Knight  of  the  Polar  Star,  and  member  of  said  Academy), 
Stockholm,  1772.  This  Biographical  Sketch,  which  has 
served  more  or  less  as  the  basis  of  all  succeeding  lives 
of  Swedenborg,  constitutes  Document  4. 

1790.  "The  Life  of  the  Hon.  Emanuel  Swedenborg,  a  Servant 
of  the  Lord,  and  the  Messenger  of  the  New  Jerusalem 
Dispensation."  This  life  appeared  in  the  columns  of  the 
•'New  Jerusalem  Magazine"  for  1790.  During  1796  and 
1797  it  appeared  in  a  manuscript  magazine  entitled 
Forsamlings  Tidning  (Church  News)  which  circulated 
among  the  members  of  the  Society  Pi-o  Fide  et  CJiaritate. 

1806.  F.  H.  Walden's  Assessor  Sivedenhorg's  Levnet,  Adskillige 
Udtog  of  sammes  skrivter,  nogle  Uandede  Tanker,  tilti- 
gemed  Svedenborg's  System  i  kort  udtog  (Assessor 
Swedenborg's  Life,  extracts  from  his  writings,  his 
thoughts  on  various  matters,  and  a  short  statement  of 
his  system),  Copenhagen.  This  little  Danish  Life  of 
Swedenborg,  of  which  a  second  edition  was  published 
in  1820,  is  exceedingly  scarce.  The  editor  saw  a  copy 
of  it  in  the  Royal  Library  in  Stockholm. 

1820.  "'Emanuel  Swedenborg,"  in  a  biographical  Journal  which 
appeared  at  Upsal  entitled  Samtid'ens  Mdrkvdrdigaste 
Personer  (The  most  celebrated  persons  of  modem  times). 
This  biography,  which  fills  36  pages,  is  exceedingly  well 
written,  and  partly  based  on  oral  communications.  It 
has  furnished  the  substance  of  Document  288. 

1827.  "Biography  of  Swedenborg"  by  the  Rev.  D.  G.  Goyder. 
pp.  40,  Post  8vo.   "Tlie  autobiography  of  a  phrenologist" 


XYI  PREFACE. 

says,  "This  biography  consisted  of  about  twelve  pages 
of  anecdotes,  relative  to  Sv/edenborg,  including  the 
genealogy  of  the  noble  house  of  Swedenborg — twelve 
pages  of  specimens  of  Swedenborg's  correspondence, 
and  the  remainder  of  the  principal  incidents  in  his 
travels  and  voyages." 
1830.  "Life  of  Swedenborg"  by  Nathaniel  Hobart,  Boston, 
America.  "This  Life,"  says  the  Rev.  0.  Prescott 
Hiller,*  "if  we  mistake  not  was  first  put  forth  in  a 
series  of  articles  in  the  'Boston  New  Jerusalem  Maga- 
zine;' which  were  afterwards  collected  into  a  volume, 
and  published  at  Boston  in  the  year  1830.  A  second 
edition  was  published  in  1845,  and  a  third,  with  numerous 
additions,  and  edited  by  Benjamin  Worcester,  in  1850." 

1840.  In  this  year  appeared  a  most  excellent  article  on 
"Swedenborg"  in  the  "Penny-Cyclopedia,"  written  at 
the  request  of  the  Editor,  Mr.  George  Long,  by 
Dr.  Garth  Wilkinson. 

1841.  "The  next  'Life  of  Swedenborg,'"  says  Mr.  Hiller,  "was 
by  the  Rev.  B.  F.  Barret  of  New  York,  in  the  early 
part  of  1841.  This  was  little  more  than  a  re-arrange- 
ment of  Mr.  Hobart's  materials;  but  it  was  written  in 
a  more  connected  form,  and  was  very  useful." 

1849.  "A  Biographical  Sketch  of  Emanuel  Swedenborg:  with 
an  account  of  his  Works,"  by  Elihu  Rich,  London, 
8vo.,  pp.  192.  "This  work,"  says  Mr.  White  in  1856, 
"was  exhausted  in  the  course  of  a  few  months,  and  has 
not  since  been  reprinted." 

*  In  "The  Newchurchman"  for  1856,  p.  32. 


PREFACE.  XVn 

1849.  "Emanuel  Swedenborg:  a  Biography,"  by  James  John 
Garth  Wilkinson,^^^  London,  8vo,  pp.  370.  "It  is  a 
work,"  says  Mr.  White  in  1856,  "which,  alike  for  its 
artistic  excellence  as  a  biography,  and  the  originality 
and  poetic  beauty  of  its  thought,  has,  T  believe,  no 
equal  in  the  English  language." 

1849.    The  article  on  "Emanuel  Swedenborg"  in  the  "Biofjm- 
plnskt  Leocicon  nfver  namnhunnige  Svenska  Man''''  (Bio- 
graphical Lexicon  of  celebrated  Swedish  men),   Upsal, 
1849,  8vo.     It  is  contained  in  Vol.  XVI,  and  fills  there 
60  pages. 

1852.  A  "Memoir  of  Swedenborg,"  by  the  Kev.  0.  Prescott 
Hiller,  in  his  volume  of  "Gems  from  the  writings  of 
Swedenborg." 

1854.  "Swedenborg:  a  Biography  and  Exposition,"  by  Edwin 
Paxton  Hood,  London,  8vo,  pp.  402.  "This  work,"  says 
the  Rev.  O.  Prescott  Hiller,  "has  been  very  effectual 
in  making  Swedenborg  known  in  the  literary  world 
at  large." 

1854.  W.  H.  Fernald  in  his  "Compendium  of  the  Theological 
and  Spiritual  Writings  of  Swedenborg"  published  a 
life  of  the  Author,  concerning  which  the  Rev.  O.  P.  Hiller 
says,  "Though  rather  a  compilation,  than  a  regular 
biography,  it  yet  contains  perhaps  the  fullest  account 
of  Swedenborg's  philosophical  as  well  as  theological 
works,  that  has  yet  appeared." 

1856.  Life  of  Swedenborg  for  Youth.  By  Mrs  S.  P.  Doughty, 
Boston,  U.  S.  A.  This  little  work  was  reprinted  in 
New  York  in  1866,  and  an  edition,  which  was  undated, 
appeared  in  London. 


XVIII  PREFACE. 

1856.  "Swedenborg:  bis  Life  and  Writings,"  by  William 
White.  This  valuable  life  of  Swedenborg  appeared 
first  in  the  "Phonetic  Journal"  for  1854 — 55;  whence 
it  was  reprinted  in  1856.  Concerning  the  relation 
which  this  life  holds  to  the  larger  works  of  Mr,  White 
bearing  the  same  title,  see  Note  308. 

1860.  "Emanuel  Swedenborg,"  a  Memorial  Life  read  before 
the  Swedish  Academy  by  Bernhard  von  Beskow,^*^^  its 
permanent  secretary.  This  is  justly  admired  for  the 
impartial  and  unprejudiced  spirit  in  which  it  is  written, 
and  for  the  exactness  and  accuracy  of  its  facts — the 
very  reverse  in  this  respect  of  Fryxeil's  production, 
concerning  which  see  below. 

1863.  Emanuel  de  Swedenborg,  sa  Vie,  ses  Ecrits,  et  sa 
Doctrine  (Emanuel  Swedenborg,  his  Life,  his  writings,  and 
his  Doctrine),  by  M.  Matter,  Honorary  Counsellor  of  the 
University,  &c.,  Paris,  Didier  &  Co. — This  work  has 
been  translated  into  the  Swedish  language. 

1867.  "Emanuel  Swedenborg:  his  Life  and  Writings,"  by 
William  White,  in  two  volumes;  Vol.  I,  pp.  604; 
Vol.  II,  pp.  674. 

1868.  "Do."  in  one  volume,  pp.  767.  Concerning  the  character 
of  these  two  publications,  see  Note  308.  They  contain 
additional  documents  concerning  Swedenborg,  or  rather 
concerning  his  father.  Bishop  Swedberg,  which  are 
embodied  in  Document  294,  Section  XI,  and  also  in 
Note   308. 

1872.  "Emanuel  Swedenborg:  a  striking  outline  Account  of 
the  Man  and  his  Works,"  by  a  Bible  Student,  London, 
pp.  120. 


PREFACE.  XIX 

1875.    "Emanuel  Swedenborg"  by  A.  Fryxell  in  Volume  XLIII 

of  his  "BemUelser  nr  Svenska  Historien"  (Tales  from 

Swedish  History),  Stockholm,  8vo,  pp.  1 20.    An  exposure 

of  the  nature  of  this  work  will  be  found  in  Note  254. 

187G.    -'Emanuel  Swedenborg:   Notice  Biographique.     Par  un 

Ami  de  la  Nouvelle  Eghse."     8vo.     Paris. 
1S77.    "Emanuel    Swedenborg,     the    Spiritual    Columbus,"   a 
sketch.     By  U.  S.  E.,   London,   foolscap  8vo.,   pp.  216. 
Two    editions    of   this  popular  work  have   been   issued 
within  a   short    time,   and   a  third   is,    we  understand, 
preparing. 
The  position   which  the  present  work  occupies  in  the  bio- 
graphical literature  of  Swedenborg  is  this.    It  contains  not  only 
all  documents  which  had    been    previously  published  in    the 
documentary    sources,    and   also  in   some    of   the   biographies 
enumerated  above,  but  whenever  it  was  necessary,  and  possible, 
they  have  also  been  translated  anew  from  the  original  sources. 
A  general   resume  of  our  own  documentary  additions  is  con- 
tained in  the  preface  to  Volume  I. 

Volume  II  has  attained  to  its  present  size  chieHy  from 
the  account  of  the  published  and  unpublished  writings  of 
Swedenborg  in  Section  XII.  Our  aim  has  been  in  it  to  give 
a  minute  and  definite  description  of  every  line  that  Sweden- 
borg wrote  during  his  life,  which  has  been  handed  down  to 
our  times,  and  also  to  determine  the  place  which  it  occupies 
in  Swedenborg's  life.  The  "Chronological  Account  of  Sweden- 
borg's  published  and  unpublished  "Writings,"  which  constitutes 
Document  313,  and  which  extends  from  p.  884  to  p.  1023, 
will  accordingly  be  found  to  contain  the  elements  of  a  history 
of  the  internal  development  of  Swedenborg's  mind,  which  after 


XX  PEE  FACE. 

all  is  the  task  uliicli  is  imi^osed  on  the  future  biographer  of 
Swedenborg. 

The  question  of  the  ''Missing  Manuscripts"  of  Swedenborg 
naturally  came  up  also  in  Section  XII.  Document  309,  ^vhich 
extends  from  p.  802  to  p.  834,  is  devoted  to  a  description  of 
the  ''Missing  Manuscripts"  and  their  discovery.  In  Docu- 
ment 302  we  furnish  by  request  a  translation  of  the  ik.dditions 
to  Swedenborg's  "True  Christian  Religion,"  which  have  lately 
come  into  the  possession  of  the  Royal  Library  in  Stockholm. 

Another  subject  which  required  space  in  its  discussion  is 
the  analysis  of  the  so-called  "Book  of  Dreams,"  which  we 
consider  one  of  the  most  important  documents  respecting 
Swedenborg  that  has  been  preserved,  but  which  requires  a 
most  careful  and  searching  analysis  in  the  light  of  the  sub- 
sequent inspired  writings  of  the  author,  in  order  to  enable  the 
reader  to  pass  a  true  and  righteous  judgment  respecting  it. 
The  explanatory  Notes  to  the  "Book  of  Dreams"  occupy 
seventy-two  pages. 

The  charges  of  immorality  and  insanity  liave  lately  been 
brought  repeatedly  against  Swedenborg,  e.  g.  by  Dr.  H.  Mauds- 
ley  in  the  "Journal  of  Mental  Science"  for  1870;  by  A.  Fryxell, 
the  Swedish  historian,  in  his  biography  of  Swedenborg  in- 
cluded in  Volume  XLIII  of  his  ''Tales  from  Swedish  History," 
in  1875;  by  the  Rev.  J.  W.  Chadwick,  Brooklyn,  the  United 
States,  in  the  beginning  of  1877,  and  by  other:?.  These  charges 
have  been  advanced  on  the  authority  of  Mr.  White's  "Life  of 
Swedenborg."  We,  therefore,  have  felt  ourselves  specially 
called  upon  to  expose  the  contradictory  nature  of  the  testi- 
mony of  Mathesius,  which  Mr.  "White  parades  in  his  "Life," 
and    on    which    Messrs.    Maudsley,    Fryxell,    and    Chadwck 


PREFACE.  XXI 

base  their  charge  of  insanity;  this  is  done  in  Document  270. 
Yet  we  did  not  limit  ourselves  to  tlie  exposure  of  this  ])arti- 
cular  instance,  hut  in  Note  808  we  extended  our  critical 
examination  to  the  whole  of  Mr.  White's  "Life  of  Swedenborg" 
for  1867.  Justice  sometimes  is  slow;  but  we  believe  that 
justice  has  at  last  been  done  to  Mr.  White's  work,  and  that 
it  will  no  longer  be  able  to  do  any  harm  to  the  Lord's  Church 
on  earth. 

Much  pains  has  been  taken  in  l)ringing  together  all  t!ie 
documents  which  have  a  bearing  on  "Swedenborg's  Controversy 
with  the  Consistory  of  Gottenburg."  Thirty  distinct  documents 
were  found  to  belong  to  this  question.  In  the  historical  order 
in  which  these  documents  are  presented  in  Document  245, 
with  the  aid  of  Dr.  Kahl's  history  of  this  case  in  his  Nya 
Kyrkan,  d-c,  Part  1 — they  throw  much  light  on  the  latter 
years  of  Swedenborg's  life.  This  document  extends  from 
pp.  282—386. 

Swedenborg's  interesting  intercourse  with  John  Christian 
Cuno  in  Amsterdam,  is  now  for  the  first  time  brought  in  its 
totality  before  the  English  reader  in  Document  256,  pp.  441  — 
485;  and  Prelate  (Etinger's  singular  relations  to  Swedenborg 
are  for  the  first  time  exhibited  clearly  to  the  English  reader 
in  Document  314  in  the  "Appendix,"  from  pp.  1027  — 1058; 
and  likewise  in  Documents  231  and  233. 

The  readers  of  Swedenborg  will  welcome  the  first  complete 
translation  of  the  record  of  his  Travels.  It  embraces  Docu- 
ments 204 — 207,  and  occupies  pp.  1—133.  Many  ex- 
planatory footnotes  were  required  to  make  a  description  of 
towns  and  places,  as  they  existed  one  hundred  and  thirty 
years  ago,  fully  intelligible  at  the  present  day. 


XXII  PREFACE. 

All  this  accounts  for  the  increase  in  size  of  Volume  II. 
Still  the  thoughtful  reader  of  the  following  pages  will  not 
require  an  apology.  The  intellectual  size  of  the  man  whose 
life  and  character  they  serve  to  illustrate,  is  in  itself  so  great 
and  so  all-embracing. 

In  the  elaboration  of  the  notes  to  the  present  volume  the 
new  Sveuskt  Biogmfiskt  Hcmdlexkon  (Swedish  Biographical 
Dictionary),  by  Herm.  Hofberg,  has  been  of  great  assistance. 
In  conclusion  we  have  again  to  acknowledge  thankfully  the 
great  assistance  we  have  received  in  the  preparation  of  our 
work  from  our  kind  friends,  the  Rev.  Wm.  Bruce,  and 
Mr.  James  Speirs,  the  publisher  of  the  work. 

London,  June,  1877. 


CON  T  E  N  T  S. 


PAGE 


PREFACE 


SECTION  yiii. 

8AVEDENB0R(i'S  TRAVELS  AND  DIAEIES  TO  THE 
YEAR  1744. 

D0CU3IENT. 

204. — CTcneral  Statement  of  Swedenborg's  Travels  from  1710 

to  1734 3 

205. — Swedenborg's  Journal  of  Travel  during  1733  and  1734  6 

206.— Swedenborg's  Journal  of  Travel  from  173H  to  1739      .  75 

207. — Swedenborg's  Journal  of  Travel  in  1743  ....  131 

208. — Swedenborg's  Spiritual  Experience  in  1743       ...        .  134 

li09. — Swedenborg's  Si)iritual  Experience  in  1744      .       .        .  149 

SECTION  IX. 

SWEDENBORG'S  CORRESPONDENCE   FROM   1749  TO  1772. 


210 — 214. — J.  AVretman  to  Sw-edenborg 

215. — Baron  von  Hatzel  to  Swedenborg 
216. — Count  (lustavus  Bonde  to  Swedenborg 
217. — .Swedenborg  to  Count  Bonde 
218. — Swedenborg  to  Count  Hopken     . 
219. — J.  Wretman  to  Swedenborg 
220. — Swedenborg  to  Bishop  Filenius    . 
221. — Swedenborg  to  Dr.  Beyer,  Letter  1  . 
222. — Dr.  Beyer  to  Swedenborg     . 
223. — Swedenborg  to  Dr.  Beyer,  Letter  2  . 
224. — Swedenborg  to  Dr.  Beyer,  Letter  3  . 
225. — Swedenborg  to  the  Swedish  Ambassador 
226.— Swedenborg  to  the  Secretary  of  State 
1^27. — Swedenborg  to  Dr.  Beyer,  Letter  4   . 


223—227 
228 
230 
231 
233 
234 
235 
236 
237 
239 
240 
240 
243 
244 


XXIV 


CONTENTS. 


DUCUJrENT. 

228. — Swedenborg-  to  Archbishop  Meiiander 
229. — Swedenborg  to  Prelate  lEtinger,  Letter  1 
230. — Swedenborg  to  Dr.  Beyer,  Letter  5  . 
231. — Prelate  CEtinger  to  Swedenborg  . 
232. — Swedenborg  to  Prelate  CEtinger,  Letter  2 
.     233. — Prelate  CEtinger  to  Swedenborg  . 
234,— Swedenborg  to  Dr.  Beyer,  Letter  f5   . 
235. — J.  Wretman  to  Swedenborg        ... 
236. — Lavater  to  Swedenborg,  Letter  1        .       . 
237. — Swedenborg  to  Dr.  Beyer,  Letter  7   . 
238. — Swedenborg  to  Prelate  CEtinger,  Letter  3 

The  Natural  and  Spiritual  sense  of  the  AVord 
239. — Swedenborg  to  a  Crentleinan  at  Leyden 
240. — Swedenborg  to  Dr.  Beyer,  Letter  8   . 
24L — Swedenborg  to  Dr.  Beyer,  Letter  9    . 
242. — Lavater  to  Swedenborg,  Letter  2 
243. — Swedenboi'g  to  Dr.  Beyer,  Letter  10 
244. — Swedenborg  to  Count  Hopken 
245. — Swedenborg's     Controversy     with     the     Consistory 
Gottenburg         .... 

INTRODUCTION  .... 

A.  Dr.  Beyer  on  Swedenljorg  and  his  Wr 

B.  Dr.  Ekebom's  Charges  against  Swedenborg 

C.  Dr.  Beyer's  Reply  to  Dr.  Ekebom 

D.  Dr.  Rosen  on  the  Writings  of  Swedenborg 

E.  Swedenborg  to  Dr.  Beyer,  Letter  11 

F.  Swedenborg's  Reply  to  Dr.  Ekebom 
Ct.  Swedenborg  to  Dr.  Beyer,  Letter  12 
H.  Swedenborg  to  Dr.  Beyer,  Letter  13 

I.  Bishop  Lamberg  to  the  Consistory  of 
J.  Assessor  AureU  to  Bishop  Filenius 
K.  Bishop  Filenius  to  Assessor  Aurell 
L.  Swedenborg  to  Dr.  Beyer,  Letter  14 
M.  Royal  Resolution       .... 
N.  Swedenborg  to  Councillor  Wenngren 
O.  Dr.  Beyer's  Defence  .... 
P.  Dr.  Ekebom's  Declaration 
Q.  Dr.  Rosen's  Defence  .... 
R.  Swedenborg  to  Dr.  Beyer,  Letter  15 
S.  Dr.  Rosen  to  a  Senator   . 
T.   Royal   Resolution    addressed    to   the    Consistor 
Gottenburg        .... 


itinas 


Ciottenb 


urg 


of 


CONTENTS. 


XXV 


DOCUMENT.  PAGE 

245. — U.  Royal     Resolution      in      resjiect     to     Swedenborg's 

Writings 367 

V.  Swedenborg  to  Dr.  Beyer,  Letter  IB  .       .       .       ,       369 

"W:  Swedenborg  to  General  Tuxen 371 

X.  Swedenborg  to  the  King  of  Sweden    ....       373 

Y.  Swedenljorg  to  Augustus  Alstrunier     ....       378 

Z.  Swedenborg  to  Dr.  Beyer,  Letter  17    .       .       .        .       379 

AA.  Swedenborg  to  the  Swedish  Universities      .        .       .       380 

BB.  Swedenborg  to  Dr.  Beyer,  Letter  18   .        .        .       .382 

CC.  Swedenborg  to  Dr.  Beyer,  Letter  19  .        .        .       .384 

End  of  Trial 385 

24H,  247. — Swedenborg  to  the  Landgrave  of  Hesse-Darmstadt    386 — 389 
248. — Swedenborg  to  Venator 390 


SECTION  X. 

TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMPORARIES  RESPECTING 
SWEDENBORG'S    LIFE    AND    CHARACTER    FROM    1747 

TO  1772. 


249.- 
250.- 
251- 
252.- 
253.- 
254.- 
255.- 

256.- 


257.—, 


258.—' 


A.  Testimony  collected  in  Siceden. 

-Baron  Tilas's  Testimony 

■Count  Tessin's  Testimony 

-Librarian  Gjorwell's  Testimony 

-Count  Hopken's  Testimony 

-Testimony  of  the  Rev.  Nicholas  Collin      .       .        .       . 

-Dr.  Beyer's  Testimony 

General  Tuxen's  Testimony 

B.  Testimony  collected,  in  Holland. 
-Testimony  of  John  Christian  Cuno  (Paulus  ab  Indagine) 
INTRODUCTION  ...... 

A.  His  Exi)erience  of  Swedenborg  in  1769 

B.  Cuno  on  Swedenborg's  Doctrines  . 
C-  Cuno's  Letter  to  Swedenborg 

D.  Cuno's  Estimate  of  Swedenborg    . 

E.  His  Experience  of  Swedenborg  in  1770 

F.  His  Experience  of  Swedenborg  in  1771 
Jung-Stilling's  Testimony      .... 

C.  Testimony  collected  in  England. 
Testimony  of  .John  Lewis,  the  Printer 

A.  First  Announcement  of  Swedenborg's  AVritings 

B.  John  Lewis  to  the  Daily  Advertiser     . 


395 
398 
402 
405 
417 
423 
430 

441 
441 

443 
455 
465 
477 
481 
482 
486 

492 
492 
497 


XXVI 


CONTENTS. 


DOCUMENT. 

259. — Testimony  of  the  Rev.  Thomas  Hartley    . 

A.  From  the  Preface  to    his   Translation  of  the  "Inter 

course,"  &c 

B.  From  the  Preface  to  the  Work  on  "Heaven  and  Hell 

C.  From  a  Letter  to  the  Rev.  J.  Clowes  . 

260. — Testimony  of  Dr.  H.  Messiter 

A.  Correspondence  with  Prof.  R.  Hamilton  of  Edinburg] 

B.  Correspondence  with  Prof.  R.  Traill  of  Glasgow 

C.  Correspondence  with  Prof.  A.  Gerard  of  Aberdeen 
261. — Christopher  Sj)ringer's  Testimony 
262. — Testimony  of  Dr.  "Wm.  Spence    . 
263.— Testimony  of  Peter  Provo     .... 
264.— Testimony  of  Henry  Peckitt,  Esq. 
265. — Robert  Hindmarsh's  Testimony  . 
266.— Testimony  collected  by  J.  J.  Garth  Wilkinson 
267. — Testimony  of  the  Rev.  Arvid  Ferelius 

A.  Ferelius  to  Prof.  Tratgard 

B.  C.  J.  Knos's  Yisit  to  Ferelius 
268. — John  Wesley's  Testimony  in  1772  and  1773 

D.  Refutation  of  False  Reports. 
269.— Charge  of  Swedenborg  having  retracted  his  Writings  in 
his  Last  Moments 

A.  Wm.  Gomm  to  Robert  Hindmarsh 

B.  Robert  Hindmarsh  to  AYm.  Gomm 

C.  Affidavit  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shearsmith  . 

D.  Benedict  Chastanier's  Testimony   . 
270.— Critical  Examination  of  the  Charge  of  Insanity  brought 

against  Swedenborg        .... 

A.  Wesley  on  Swedenborg  in  1783     . 

B.  Mathesius'  Account  of  Sw^edenborg 

C.  Brockmer's  Account  of  Swedenborg 

D.  Hindmarsh  on  J.  Wesley  and  Mathesius 

E.  Rev.  T.  Hartley  on  Mathesius's  charge  in  1781 

F.  Chastanier  on  Mathesius  and  J.  Wesley  in  1785 

G.  Rev.  S.  Noble  on  Mathesius  . 


PAGE 
500 

500 
506 
511 
522 
522 
524 
526 
528 
534 
536 
542 
547 
654 
556 
556 
562 
564' 


572 
573 
575 

577 
579 

581 

584 
586 
601 
605 
608 
609 
610 


E.  Extraordinary  Facts  proving  Swedenborg's  Intercourse  icith  the 
Spiritual   World. 

INTRODUCTION 613 

271. — A  prehminary  Investigation  of  Dates         ....       616 

272.— The  Result  of  Im.  Kant's  Investigation     ....       620 

Im.  Kant  to  Charlotte  von  Knobloch        ....       625 


CONTENTS.  XXVII 

DOCUMEXT.  PAGE 

273.— The  Conflagration  in  Stockholm 628 

A.  Kant's  Account 628 

B.  Jung-Stilling's  Account 630 

C.  Pernety's  Account 630 

D.  Swedenborg's  Account  to  Bergstruni   ....  631 

E.  Springers  Account 631 

F.  LetocarcVs  Account 632 

274. — The  Loet  Receipt 633 

A.  Letocard's  Account 634 

B.  Testimony  of  Kant's  Friend,  Green      ....  635 

C.  Bergstrom's  Account 636 

D.  Dr.  Clemm's  Account 637 

E.  Robsahm's  Account 638 

F.  Pernety's  Account 639 

(t.  Testimony  of  tlie  second  Husband  of  IMadamc     do 

]Martcville 641 

H.  Thiebault's  Account 644 

I.  Ambassador  Ostermann's  Account         ....  645 

275. — Swedenborg  and  the  Queen  of  Sweden     ....  647 

A.  Swedenborg  to  the  Landgrave  of  Hesse-Darmstadt  647 

B.  Springer's  Testimony 648 

C.  J.  C.  Cuno's  Testimony 648 

D.  Testimony  of  the  "BerHnische  Monatsschrift"    .        .  648 

E.  Prelate  (Etinger's  Testimony 649 

F.  Swedenborg's  Account  to  General  Tuxen  .  .  .  660 
(t.  Baron  C.  F.  von  Hopken's  Account  ....  653 
H.  Kant's  Testimony 653 

I.  Dr.  Clemm's  Account 654 

J.  Swedenljorg's    Uardcner's    AVife    to    C.  F.   Norden- 

skold 655 

K.  The  Queen's  Account  to    the  Academican  Thicbault  655 

L.  Pernety's  Account 657 

M.  Robsahm's  Account 658 

N.  Letocard's  Account 658 

0.  Jung-Stilhng's  Account 659 

P.  Count  A.  Hopken's  Account 660 

Q.  Springer's  Account  to  H.  Peckitt 6<jl 

R.  Bergstrom's  Account  to  P.  Provo         ....  662 

S.  The  Brothers  Nordenskold  to  Penicty         .        .       .  663 

T.  Swedenborg's  Account  to  Count  Tessin      .       .       .  664 

U.  C.  F.  Nordenskold's  Account 6(j4 

V.  Captain  Stalhanimar's  Account 665 


XXVm  CONTEXTS. 

DOCUMENT.  PAGE 

276. — Explanation  of  the  foregoing  Facts  attempted       .       .  667 

A.  The  Berlinische  Monatsschrift  for  1783  on  Sweden- 

borg  .        .        • 668 

I.  Letter  of  a  distinguished  ChevaUer  to  the  Editors  668 

II.  Another  Explanation  of  the  Queen's  Story    .       .  671 
III.  The   Story   of  the  Lost  Receipt   as   explained    in 

the  Berlinische  Monatsschrift 673 

B.  C.  Ct.  Nordin  on  Swedenborg 675 

C.  Captain  Stalhammar  and    the    Berlinische    Monats- 

schrift         677 

D.  L.  L.  von  Brenkenhoff  and  the  Berlinische  Monats- 

schrift      • 679 

I.  Letter  addressed  to  L.  L.  von  Brenkenhoff  .        .  680 

II.  Letter  by  the  Countess  von  Schwerin     .       .        .  681 

III.  Letocard  to  the  Countess  von  Schwerin        .       .  685 

IV.  Letter  addressed  to  L.  L.  von  Brenkenhoff  .        .  686 
V.  Letter  by  the  Countess  von  Schwerin     .        .        .  687 

E.  The  Rev.  C.  E.  Gambs  on  the  Queen's  Stoiy  .        .  690 


SECTION  VIIL 

SWEDENBORG'S  TRAVELS 

AND 

DIARIES  TO  THE  YEAR  1744. 


DOCUMENT  204. 

GENERAL  STATEMENT  OF  SWEDENBORG'S 
TRAVELS  FROM  1710  TO  1734* 


1710.  I  travelled  to  Gottenburg,  and  thence  by  ship  to 
London.  On  the  way  to  London  I  was  four  times  in  danger 
of  my  life:  1.  From  a  sand-bank  on  the  English  coast  in  a 
dense  fog,  when  all  considered  .themselves  lost,  the  keel  of  the 
vessel  being  within  a  quarter  of  a  fathom  of  the  bank.  2.  From 
the  crew  of  a  privateer,  who  came  on  board,  declaring  them- 
selves to  be  French,  while  we  thought  they  were  Danes. 
3.  From  an  English  guard-ship  on  the  following  evening,  which 
on  the  strength  of  a  report  mistook  us  in  the  darkness  for 
the  privateer;  wherefore  it  fired  a  whole  broadside  into  us, 
but  without  doing  us  any  serious  damage.  4.  In  London  I 
was  soon  after  exposed  to  a  still  greater  danger,  for  some 
Swedes,  who  had  approached  our  ship  in  a  yacht,  persuaded 
me  to  sail  with  them  to  town,  when  all  on  board  had  been 
commanded  to  remain  there  for  six  weeks;  the  news  having 
already  spread,  that  the  plague  had  broken  out  in  Sweden. 
As  I  did  not  observe  the  quarantine,  an  inquiry  was  made; 
yet  I  was  saved  from  the  halter,  with  the  declaration,  however, 

*  This  account  serves  as  an  introduction  to  Swedenborg's  Journal  of  Travel 
for  the  years  1738  to  1740.  It  is  written  in  the  Swedish  language,  and  is 
contained  in  the  Swedenl)org  MSS.,  which  are  preserved  in  the  Library 
of  the  Academy  of  Sciences  in  Stockholm,  Codex  88,  jiages  498  and  503. 
It  was  translated  into  Latin  by  Dr.  Kahl  in  1844,  and  published  the 
same  year  by  Dr.  Im.  Tafel,  as  an  introduction  to  Swedenborg's  Itincrarium, 
Section  II.  A  photo-Hthogiaphic  copy  of  the  Swedish  original  is  con- 
tained in  Vol.  in  of  the  Swedenborg  MSS.,  pages  50  and  51,  from  which 
this  translation  is  made. 

1* 


4         SWEDENBORG'S  TEA  VELS  AXD  DIARIES.    [Doc.  204. 

that  no  one  who  ventured  to  do  this  in  future  would  escape 
his  doom. 

In  London  and  Oxford  I  spent  upwards  of  a  year. 

Thence  I  proceeded  to  Holland,  and  visited  its  principal 
towns.  I  spent  a  considerable  time  at  Utrecht  during  the  session 
of  the  Congress,*  at  which  ambassadors  from  all  parts  of 
Europe  were  assembled. 

From  Holland  I  went  to  France,  going  by  way  of  Brussels 
and  Valenciennes  to  Paris.  There  and  at  Versailles  I  stayed 
nearly  a  year.  From  Paris  I  posted  to  Hamburg,  passing 
through  Ryssel  or  Lille.  Thence  I  went  to  Pomerania  and 
Greifswalde,  where  I  remained  a  considerable  time,  and  during 
my  stay  there,  Charles  XII  came  from  Bender  to  Stralsund. 

When  the  siege  was  about  to  commence  I  succeeded,  under 
the  Divine  Providence,  in  obtaining  a  passage  home  in  a  yacht, 
in  company  with  Madame  Feiff/°''  after  having  been  abroad 
for  more  than  four  years. 

1721.  In  the  spring  I  again  went  abroad,  going  to  Holland 
by  Copenhagen  and  Hamburg.  There  I  published  my  Pro- 
dronms  princqjiorum  rerum  naturalmm,-\'  and  several  other 
short  treatises  in  octavo. 


*  By  the  Congress  of  TJtreclit  the  Spanish  war  of  succession  was  closed. 

f  Prodromus  Principiorum  Rerum  Naturalium  sive  Novorum  Tenta- 
minum  Chymiam  et  Physicam  Experimentalem  geometrice  explicmidi, 
Amstelodami,  1721.  This  work  was  translated  into  EngHsh  by  C.  E.  Strutt, 
and  pubHshed  in  London  in  1847  under  the  following  title :  "Some  Specimens 
of  a  work  on  the  Principles  of  Chemistry." 

The  other  httle  works  published  by  Em.  Swedenborg  at  the  same  time 
are:  Methodus  Nova  inveniendi  Longitudines  locorum  term  marique  ope 
Liir^ce  (A  New  Method  for  finding  the  Longitudes  of  places  on  land  and  at 
sea  by  Lunar  Observations);  Nova  Ohservata  et  hiventa  circa  Ferrum  et 
Igneni,  et  prcecipue  circa  Naturam  Ignis  Elementarem,  una  cum  Camini 
inventione  (New  Obsei'vations  and  Discoveries  respecting  Iron  and  Fire, 
and  particularly  respecting  the  elemental  nature  of  Fire:  together  with  a 
new  construction  of  stoves) ;  Artificia  nova  mechanica  Receptacula  Navalia 
et  Aggeres  Aquaticos  construendi  (A  new  mechanical  plan  for  constructing 
Docks  and  Dykes);  and  Modus  mechanice  explorandi  virtutes  et  qualitates 
diversi  generis  et  constructionis  Navigiorum  (A  mode  for  discovering  the 
powers  of  Vessels  by  the  application  of  mechanical  principles).  All  these 
Httle  treatises  were  likewise  translated  by  Mr.  Strutt,  and  published  in  the 
same  volume  with  the  "Principles  of  Chemistry." 


Doc.  204.]         SWEDENBORG'S  TRAVELS,  I7l0-173i.  5 

From  Holland  1  travelled  to  Aix-la-Chapelle,  Liege,  Cologne 
and  other  adjacent  places,  examining  the  mines  there. 

Thence  I  went  to  Leipzig,  where  I  published  my  Miscellanea 
dbservata*  Leaving  that  town  I  visited  all  the  mines  in  Saxony, 
and  then  returned  to  Handjurg. 

From  Handjurg  I  returned  to  Brunswick  and  Goslar,  and 
visited  all  the  mines  in  the  Hartz  mountains,  belonging  to  the 
houses  of  Hanover  and  Liineburg.  The  I'ather-in-law  of  a  son  of 
the  Enipeior  [of  Germany]  and  of  a  son  of  the  Czar,  Duke  Louis 
liudolph,^^  who  resided  at  Elankenburg,  graciously  defrayed 
all  my  expenses,  and  on  taking  leave  of  him,  he  presented  me 
with  a  gold  medal  and  a  large  silver  coffee-pot,  besides  bestow- 
ing upon  me  many  other  marks  of  his  favour.  I  then  returned 
to  Hamburg,  and  thence  by  way  of  Stralsund  and  Ystad  to 
Stockholm,    having  been   absent  one  year  and  three  months. 

1733,  in  the  month  of  May. I  again  by  royal  permission 
travelled  by  Ystad  to  Stralsund,  and  through  Anclam  and 
Berlin  to  Dresden;  and  thence  to  Prague  and  Carlsbad  in 
Bohemia,  where  1  visited  the  mines.  Afterwards  I  went  back 
to  Prague,  and  thence  by  Eule  to  Dresden,  and  from  Dresden 
to  Leipzig. 

In  Leipzig  I  saw  through  the  press  my  Pyincipia  rcrum 
naturalhim  and  my  Regnum  subterraneum  deferro  et  ciqjro,f 


*Miscdlanca  Ohservata  circa  Res  Naturales  et  2>i'oesertim  circa  Mine- 
ralia,  fyncm,  et  Montium  strata.  Parts  I  to  III  of  this  little  work  were 
pu])lishod  at  Leipzig,  and  Part  IV  at  Schiffbeck,  near  Hamburg.  An 
English  translation,  prepared  by  Mr.  Strutt,  was  published  in  London  in 
18-17  under  the  following  title:  "Miscellaneous  Observations  connected  with 
tlie  Physical  Sciences." 

V  Frincipia  Ecrmn  Kati(ralmni  sive  Novorum  Tentaminum  Phcenomena 
Mundi  Ekmentaris  philompldce  explicatuli  (The  first  Principles  of  Natural 
Things,  being  New  Attempts  towards  a  philosophical  explanation  of  the 
Elinientary  World),  being  Volume  I  of  Emaniielis  Swedenhorgii  OjKra 
Pliilosophica  et  Mineralia.  Volumes  II  and  III  of  these  Opera,  &c.,  bear 
the  titles  respectively  of  Reynmn  Subterraneum  sive  Minerale  de  Fcrro 
(The  subterraneous  or  mineral  kingdom  of  Iron),  and  Regnmn  Subterraneum 
sive  Minerale  dc  Cupro  et  Orichalco  (The  subterraneous  or  mineral  king- 
dom of  Copper  and  Brass).  Volume  I  of  this  series  was  translated  into 
English  by  the  Itev.  Augustus  Clissold,  and  published  in  two  volumes  in 
184.')  unilor  tlie  title  of  Swedenljorg's  "Principia." 


6         SWEDENBORG'S  TRA  VELS  AND  DIA HIES.    [Doc.  205. 

in  folio;  together  with  my  Brodromus  liiiiloso^liicB  ratiocinantis 
de  Infinito,  &c.* 

From  Leipzig  I  went  afterwards  to  Cassel,  and  over  all 
the  mines  between  that  town  and  Sclimalkalden.  I  then  rode 
through  Gottia  to  Brunswick,  and  thence  to  Hamburg;  and, 
finally,  returned  to  Stockholm,  by  way  of  Ystad.  I  reached 
home  in  July,  1734,  about  the  opening  of  the  Diet. 

It  would  be  too  prolix  to  mention  all  the  learned  men  I 
visited,  and  with  whom  I  became  acquainted  during  these 
journeys,  since  I  never  missed  an  opportunity  of  doing  so, 
nor  of  seeing  and  examining  libraries,  collections,  and  otlier 
objects  of  interest. 


DOCUMENT  205. 

SWEDENBORa'S  JOURNAL  OF  TRAVEL 
DURING  1733  AND  1734.f 

1733. 

On  the  10th  of  May,  1733,  under  the  Divine  auspices 
and  with  the  permission  of  the  most  august  King  Frederic  I,- 
I  set   out  for  a  third  time  on  a  journey  to  Germany.     I  left 

*  Frodromus  j)hilosophice  ratiocinantis  de  Infinito  et  cai(sa  finali  creu' 
tionis:  deque  Mechanismo  operationis  Animce  et  Corporis;  this  work  was 
translated  into  English  by  Dr.  J.  J.  Garth  Wilkinson  and  jjublished  in  1847 
under  the  follow-ing  title:  "Outlines  of  a  philosophical  argument  on  the 
Tntinite,  and  the  final  cause  of  Creation;  and  on  the  Intercourse  between 
the  Body  and  Soul." 

f  The  Latin  original  of  this  Journal  is  contained  in  Codex  88  of  tho 
"Swedenborg  MSS.,"  wliich  are  preserved  in  the  Library  of  the  Academy 
of  Sciences  in  Stockholm,  from  page  8  to  page  109,  and  also  on  pages  214 
and  215.  It  was  published  by  Dr.  Im.  Tafel  in  the  origmal  language  in 
1840,  under  the  title,  Em.  Sivedenhorgli  Itincrarinm,  Sectio  I;  a  friend 
having  written  out  a  copy  of  the  work  for  his  use.  A  photo-hthographio 
copy  of  the  work  is  contained  in  Volume  III,  pp.  1  to  50,  of  the  fac-simile 
edition  of  Swedenborg's  Manuscripts,  which  was  pulilished  in  Stockholm  in 
1870,  under  the  superintendence  of  the  editor  of  these  Documents.  The 
translation  is  made  immediately  from  the  photo-lithogi-aphic  copy,  as  the 
transcribed  copy  used  by  Dr.  Im.  Tafel  was  in  some  parts  defective. 


Doc.  204.]      S  WEDEXB  ORG 'S  TEA  VELS  IN  1733.  t 

Stockholm  in  company  with  my  friends  Count  Frederic  Gyllen- 
lorg,"^  Baron  David  Stjerncrona*  and  his  rehitives,  Mr.  Galhis, 
and  several  others,  and  we  made  our  first  halt  at  an  inn, 
called  Fittia.  Thence  I  proceeded  to  Linkoping,  accompanied 
by  my  relatives,  Lars  Benzelstjerna^  and  his  wife,^  where  we 
spent  "Whitweek  as  the  guests  of  Bishop  Ericus  Benzelius,*' 
to  whom  also  I  am  related.f  We  celebrated  four  feast  days 
in  this  cathedral  town. 

May  13  to  16.  As  I  have  said,  we  celebrated  Whitweek  in 
the  town  of  Linkoping.  During  that  time  we  visited  the  field 
where  the  battle  of  Stangebro  was  fought,  in  1598,  between 
Sigismund,  King  of  Poland,  and  Duke  Charles  IX,  afterwards 
chosen  King,  and  where  victory  was  declared  on  the  side  of 
Charles  [see  Note  to  Document  8,  Vol.  I,  p.  78].  This  battle 
ought  to  be  commemorated  by  posterity,  because  the  fate  of  the 
religion  which  was  to  rule  in  Sweden,  seems  to  have  been 
settled  by  it.  If  Sigismund  had  proved  victorious,  the  in- 
habitants of  this  northern  country  would  in  all  probability 
have  remained  in  the  Roman  Catholic  religion.  But  God  in- 
tended it  to  be  otherwise. 

May  15.  We  made  a  pleasure  trip  for  the  purpose  of  see- 
ing a  castle  called  Sturefors,  about  a  Swedish  mile  from  Lin- 
ktjping,  which  was  built  by  Count  Piper  and  now  belongs  to 
liis  widow.  The  objects  most  worthy  of  notice  there  are  the 
paintings  from  the  hand  of  the  late  renowned  Ehrenstahl.^ 
There  are  also  other  ornaments  of  note  in  the  interior  of  the 
building.  But  the  greatest  charm  of  the  castle  is  its  situ- 
ation, which  is  most  delightful,  and  is  calculated  to  refresh 
and  recreate  the  mind;  since  it  opens  to  the  eye  a  long 
vista  of  lakes,  rivers,  meadows,  and  fields,  terminating  in 
a  forest. 


*  Baron  David  Stjerncrona  was  bom  in  1715,  and  after  having  studied 
at  Ilpsal  became  Royal  Chamberlain,  and  died  in  1784.  He  was  brother 
of  Elizabeth  Stjerncrona,  wife  of  Count  Frederic  Gyllenborg,  concerning 
whom  see  Note  115,  Volume  I. 

f  Compare  Document  118. 

I  David  Kloker  von  Ehrenstahl,  bora  in  Hamburg  in  1629,  was  one  of 
the  most  celebrated  bwedish  painters  of  the  seventeenth  century.  He  died 
in  1698. 


8        SWEDENBORG'S  TRAVELS  AND  DIARIES.    [Doc.  205. 

May  17.  After  bidding  adieu  to  my  relations  and  sister, 
I  went  straightway  to  Schonen  and  Ystad,  passing  through 
two  towns  only,  Grenna  and  Jonkoping. 

May  19.  Having  passed  through  Smaland,  *  I  reached 
Schonen.  This  province,  from  its  climate  and  more  southern 
latitude,  has  a  different  air  and  also  a  different  soil  from 
Smaland.  It  is  not  so  mountainous  and  hilly,  and  hence  not 
so  uneven,  but  more  level;  it  seemed  also  to  have  a  more 
sandy  soil.  The  forest  lands  are  poor,  and  the  trees  low,  ex- 
cept where  they  produce  beech-trees  and  hazel-trees  (corylus). 
In  some  places  the  pines,  fir-trees,  and  birches  were  gradually 
lost  to  the  sight,  and  their  places  supplied  by  the  trees  peculiar 
to  the  land  and  soil.  This  alone  seems  to  me  worthy  of  be- 
ing noticed,  that  their  very  necessities  and  the  want  of  proper 
kinds  of  wood  seem  to  have  compelled  this  people  to  surround 
and  protect  their  farms  with  a  different  kind  of  hedge  or  fence 
from  that  which  is  used  in  Sweden.  Their  fences  are  partly 
made  of  stones,  partly  of  branches  and  twigs  of  trees  inter- 
woven, partly  of  roots,  and  partly  of  all  together;  they  serve 
the  purpose  of  fences  admirably,  and  mark  the  boundary-line 
of  the  estates  or  farms  better  than  is  done  in  Sweden.  Those 
that  are  made  of  stones  are  built  in  a  very  rude  manner. 
In  those  cases  in  which  they  are  constructed  of  branches, 
sticks  or  stakes  are  driven  into  the  ground  two  feet  apart, 
and  between  them  boughs  are  woven  and  twisted  in  a  serpen- 
tine manner,  and  are  closely  wound  round  each  of  the  stakes 
which  are  fixed  in  the  ground.  At  a  distance  of  from  four 
to  six  yards  wooden  props,  which  are  put  into  the  ground  ob- 
liquely, support  the  fences,  and  prevent  them  from  being  blown 
down  by  the  wind.  Those  that  are  made  of  roots  consist  for 
the  most  part  of  the  roots  of  the  beech,  dug  out  of  the  ground, 
and  not  unskilfully  fastened  between  sticks,  and  stakes,  and 
pine-stems;  partly  also  they  are  thrown  without  order  on  the 
top  of  each  other,  and  partly  they  are  placed  on  a  foundation 
of  rocks,  in  such  a  manner  as  to  prevent  any  one  from  pass- 
ing through. 

*  One   of  the  old  Swedish  provinces,  the  capital  of  which  is  Wexio, 
where  at  a  later  period  the  Swedish  poet  Tegner  was  bishop. 


Doc.  205.]       SWEDEXBORG 'S  TRA  VELS  IN  17.33.  9 

May  22.  After  arriving  at  Ystad  I  found  a  vessel  pre- 
pared to  go  to  sea,  but  ^vaiting  for  a  favourable  wind. 

May  24  and  25.  I  arrived  at  Stralsund  from  Ystad  in 
company  with  Count  Issendorff,*  and  an  Italian  music  teacher 
of  the  name  of  Keller. 

On  the  following  day  I  took  a  walk  to  see  the  town,  its 
walls  and  ramparts,  and  to  trace  the  etfects  still  remaining  of 
the  siege  and  the  storming  of  the  town  in  1715,  under  King 
Charles  XII.  I  approached  the  gate  called  "Knieperthor," 
in  the  storming  of  which  the  hostile  squadrons  and  armies  of 
three  kings  [those  of  Prussia,  Poland,  and  Denmark]  for  a  long 
time  unsuccessfully  spent  all  their  labour  and  toil.  This  gate 
is  very  strongly  fortified  by  earth-works,  ramparts,  and  numerous 
ditches.  I  then  came  to  the  gate  called  "Triebseerthor," 
where  a  new  fortification  is  at  present  being  constructed. 
Lastly  I  arrived  at  the  gate  "Frankenthor,"  where  the  enemy, 
after  having  during  the  night  passed  along  the  shore  between 
a  long  line  of  defences,  consisting  of  redoubts  and  other  forti- 
lications,  and  the  swilling  waters  that  covered  them,  entered, 
and  placing  themselves  between  the  Swedish  soldiery  and  the 
inner  fortifications,  prevented  them  from  re-entering  the  town. 
I  saw  also  where  the  King's  dwelling  Avas.  I  visited  likewise 
the  three  largest  churches  of  the  town;  that  of  St.  Nicholas, 
which  is  the  most  renowned,  near  the  town-hall;  afterwards 
St.  Mary's,  which  is  not  inferior  to  it  in  size,  and  finally 
St.  James's  ;  besides  these  there  are  four  smaller  chur- 
ches. In  the  first  of  these,  the  church  of  St.  Nicholas,  there 
is  a  celebrated  and  very  conspicuous  font;  there  are  new 
sculptures  in  connection  with  the  altar,  and  the  church  is 
seated  throughout. 

May  26.  I  spent  the  day  doing  nothing,  waiting  for  the 
stage-coach. 

May  27.  From  Stralsund  I  travelled  to  Greifswalde,  and 
thence  into  farther  Pomerania,  or  to  Anclam,  a  town  which 
is  slightly  fortified,  and  now  subject  to  the  King  of  Branden- 
bui'g.     Nothing  worthy  of  notice  occurred  on  the  journey.    The 

*  Baron  Jolian  Christoffer  von  Issendorff,  a  native  of  Germany,  was 
lieutenant-colonel  in  the  Swedish  army.    He  died  in  1736. 


10       S WEDENBORG'S  TEA  VELS  AND  DIARIES.    [Doc.  205. 

country  from  Greifswalde  to  Anclam  is  very  level,  consisting 
mostly  of  fields.  The  sea-shore  and  the  banks  of  the  streams 
are  everywhere  covered  and  adorned  with  oak  groves  and  the 
most  beautiful  live-oaks.  From  this  part  of  the  country,  and 
from  that  which  lies  nearer  the  town  of  Stettin,  a  great  quanti- 
ty of  oak-wood  is  shipped  to  foreign  countries  for  ship-building. 
At  Anclam  I  saw  for  the  first  time  the  Brandenburg  soldiers, 
and  those,  indeed,  who  are  called  grenadiers.  The  men  are 
tall  and  slender,  and  they  march  erectly.  They  wear  high 
conical  hats  showily  decorated  with  brass,  in  the  shape  of 
letters  and  figures.  They  are  clad  in  a  cloak  or  short  belted 
coat  reaching  to  about  the  middle  of  the  thigh.  The  breeches 
fit  the  extremities  of  their  bodies  most  tightly,  so  that  no  fold 
arising  from  looseness  can  hide  any  flaw,  and  prevent  the 
harmony  of  the  parts  from  being  noticed  at  first  sight.  Close- 
ly fitting  gaiters,  buttoned,  reach  from  the  breeches  to  the 
shoes,  and  encase  the  legs  from  the  knees  dow^nwards.  They 
go  through  their  drill  with  the  greatest  promptness  and  regu- 
larity; but  their  manner  is  perhaps  a  little  theatrical.  Their 
line  is  remarkably  regular,  the  men  being  of  the  same  height 
and  age ;  the  faces  of  all  turn  in  one  direction.  The  head  is 
adorned  the  most,  and  the  feet,  arms,  and  remaining  parts  of 
the  body  are  least  burdened  and  are  closely  bound,  so  that  they 
are  prepared  either  for  an  immediate  attack  on  an  enemy  or 
for  a  rush  in  flight;  they  are  so  attired  as  to  be  ready  for 
either  turn  in  the  wheel  of  fortune.  The  King  seems  to  place 
his  splendour  and  pride  in  his  soldiery,  and  yet  he  restrains 
and  retrenches  all  luxury,  so  that  they  give  one  the  idea  of 
toughness  and  endurance. 

May  28  and  29.  I  arrived  at  Friedland,  a  town  under  the 
rule  of  Mecklenburg.  There  were  most  beautiful  oak  forests 
on  the  way,  and  the  country  is  very  rich  in  grain  and  geese. 
Afterwards  I  came  to  !New  Brandenburg.  !N  either  tow^n  is 
remarkable  for  size,  fortifications,  or  buildings.  I  neverthe- 
less had  the  opportunity  of  enjoying  their  gardens.  I  witnessed 
also  their  annual  games,  at  which  they  have  a  shooting  competition 
for  the  honour  of  "King."  Whoever  proves  himself  the  best 
shot  is  created  "King;"  is  exempt  during  the  ensuing  year 
from  rates  and  taxes;  and  in  the  following  year,  decked  with 


Doc.  205.]     S  WEDEXBOEG'S  TEA  YELS  IN  1733 .  11 

silver  ornaments,  marches  at  the  head  of  the  rifle  corps  to 
take  part  in  the  new  games,  and  to  contest  the  lionours  afresh. 
The  country  abomids  with  the  very  best  hops,  equal  to  those 
of  Brunswick,  the  greater  part  of  wliich  used  to  be  exported 
to  Sweden;  but,  as  this  is  now  forbidden,  they  scarcely  com- 
mand any  price. 

May  30.  Old  Strelitz  was  reached.  New  Strelitz  is  being 
built  by  the  present  duke  at  the  distance  of  half  a  Swedish  mile 
from  it;  a  new  palace  is  in  the  process  of  erection,  which  will 
be  the  duke's  residence.  This  with  respect  to  the  duchy  of 
Mecklenburg,  and  the  duke's  family:  the  country  was  formerly 
divided  into  three  duchies  [Mecklenburg,  Warle,  and  Star- 
gard],  wliich  by  succession  became  united  under  one  heredi- 
tary duke,*  who  noAV  resides  at  Schwerin.  There  he  married 
his  first  wife,  who  was  related  to  the  imperial  family  and  to 
that  of  Brandenburg.  His  second  wife,  a  relative  of  the 
Russian  Czar,*!-  lives  at  present  with  her  daughter  at  St.  Peters- 
burg, her  sister^  being  the  reigning  Empress  of  Russia.  Her 
daughter§  is  so  much  beloved  by  her  Imperial  Majesty,  that 
she  has  been  appointed  heiress  to  the  Russian  throne.  Both 
the  mother  and  daughter  refuse  to  return  to  their  husband 
and  father,  who  is  now  living  at  Schwerin  as  a  duke  with 
scarcely  any  dominion,  and  as  a  husband  without  a  wife.  It 
is  even  thought  that  an  administrator  will  be  appointed  in  his 
place  by  the  Emperor.     The   nobles  have  been  the  cause  of 

*  Duke  Charles  Leopold,  who  I'cigiied  from  1713  to  1746.  Aided  by 
his  relative,  Peter  the  Great  of  Kussia,  he  endeavoured- to  break  dovm  the 
constitutional  government  of  Mecklenburg,  but  he  was  resisted  by  the 
neighbouring  German  princes  and  the  German  Emperor  Charles  VI,  who 
took  the  part  of  the  constituent  houses.  The  feud  between  the  reigning 
duke  and  the  constituent  assemblies  did  not  terminate,  until  1755,  when  a 
compromise  was  made  by  his  successor  Duke  Christian  Louis. 

f  Catharina,  daughter  of  Ivan  III,  steji-brother  of  Peter  the  Great. 

^  Anna  Ivanowna,  second  daughter  of  Ivan  III,  and  Duchess  of  Cour- 
land,  was  elected  Emjircss  of  Russia  in  1730.     She  died  in  1740. 

tj  Anna  Carlowna,  daughter  of  Duke  Charles  Leopold  of  Mecklenburg 
and  Catharina,  was  bom  in  1718.  She  mariied  Anton  Ulric,  Duke  of 
Brunswick-AVolfenbiittel.  Her  son,  Ivan  IV,  was  declared  heir-apparent  to 
the  Russian  throne  by  the  Empress  Anna  Ivanowna.  After  the  death  of 
the  Empress  in  1740,  she  became  regent  in  the  place  of  her  son:  but  was 
soon  displaced  by  Elizabeth,  the  daughter  of  Peter  the  Great. 


12       S  WEDENB ORG 'S  TEA  VELS  AND  DIARIES.    [Doc.  205. 

it,  whose  rights  and  privileges  he  was  unwilHng  to  preserve 
in  their  integrity ;  by  the  aid  of  the  Emperor  he  was  removed 
from  the  government,  and  his  brother's  son,  the  heir-apparent,* 
who  lives  at  New  Strelitz,  has  been  appointed  in  his  place.  By 
so  many  reverses  and  misfortunes,  so  many  reminders  and  ad- 
monitions of  two  emperors,  by  the  most  opposite  and  inauspi- 
cious fates,  which  seem  to  deprive  him  of  every  hope  of  a 
more  favourable  turn  of  fortune,  he  has  not  been  induced  to 
change  his  mind  for  the  better,  and  to  accept  better  counsel, 
and  this  now  for  the  space  of  thirteen  years.  He  prefers  to 
be  outlawed  and  deprived  of  his  government  to  giving  way  a 
single  inch.  One's  native  disposition,  though  vexed  by  mis- 
fortunes and  a  long  series  of  adverse  fates,  cannot  be  expelled, 
and  if  expelled,  it  ever  returns.  Otherwise  Mecklenburg 
is  a  most  noble  country;  for  it  abounds  in  nobles,  who  are 
most  desirous  to  abound  also  in  riches.  The  name  of  the 
Duke  of  Schwerin  is  Charles  Leopold;  his  brother's  son  who 
is  at  Strelitz  is  called  Adolphus  Frederic  [III]. 

June  1.  After  spending  a  day  and  two  nights  at  Strelitz, 
I  journeyed  thence  to  Fiirstenberg,  and  afterwards  to  Zehde- 
nick,  which  belongs  to  Brandenburg,  and  which  is  a  finer 
town  than  either  of  the  other  two ;  there  also  I  spent  a  night. 

June  2.  On  continuing  my  route  to  Berlin  I  first  reached 
Oranienburg  ;  where  Oranienburg  castle,  which  was  built 
by  the  father  of  the  present  king,  presents  itself  to  view.  It 
is  charming,  for  the  eye  may  range  over  far  extended  meadows 
to  the  most  beautiful  forests  consisting  of  pines  and  oaks, 
which  in  the  form  of  a  crown  extend  at  equal  distances  every- 
where around.  In  the  middle  is  the  court  of  the  castle,  which 
in  a  certain  measure  is  embraced  and  enclosed  by  two  wings 
running  out  on  either  side.  Where  it  looks  towards  the  town, 
or  where  the  entrance  is  situated,  is  a  wall  adorned  with 
statues.  On  the  other  side,  however,  or  that  which  is 
turned  towards  the  plain  and  the  woods,  are  double  gates, 
which  are  directed  on  the  one  hand  towards  the  fields  and 
the  forest,  and  on  the  other  towards  the  palace.     As  they  are 

*  Duke   Adolphus   Frederic  III,   who   reigned  at  Strelitz  from   1708 
to  1752. 


Dor.  205.1       .S-  WEDEXB ORG 'S  TEA  YELS  IN  1 733.  1 3 

double,  there  is  a  portico  between,  where  one  may  take  a 
walk,  and  gaze  upon  the  fields  as  well  as  upon  the  court  of 
the  castle.  All  this  is  deserted  and  uninhabited  at  present. 
I  continued  my  journey  towards  Berlin,  and  on  the  way  saw 
two  additional  royal  country-seats. 

At  last  I  reached  Berlin.  I  first  wandered  alone  through 
the  town  that  I  might  take  in  with  the  eye  what  is  Avont  to 
strike  the  first  gaze  of  a  stranger.  What  I  noticed  first  on 
the  bridge  leading  to  the  Royal  Castle  was  a  bronze  statue 
erected  by  King  AVilliam  [?]*  in  1703,  which  was  remarkable 
for  its  weight,  its  size,  and  the  art  expended  upon  it.  It  is 
also  a  worthy  object  of  contemplation.  The  first  great  King  of 
Prussia*  himself  sits  on  a  large  horse;  at  each  corner  four 
men  or  rather  giants  (for  they  are  twice  or  three  times  as 
large  as  common  men)  are  sitting  sad,  sorrowful,  and  with 
a  serious  countenance,  bound  with  brazen  chains;  they  are, 
however,  sufficiently  heavy  and  motionless  from  their  mere 
weight  in  bronze.  It  is  a  work  of  art  most  worthy  of  being 
cast  in  bronze. 

The  royal  palace  itself  is  magnificent;  a  most  expensive 
structure,  and  in  size  and  height  surpassing  the  palaces  of 
many  kings.  On  one  side  of  it  is  a  parade  ground  capable 
of  holding  from  twenty  to  thirty  thousand  soldiers,  cavalry 
and  infantry.  Their  military  exercises  and  parade  may  be 
■witnessed  from  the  palace.  I  shall  not  attempt  a  description 
of  this  palace  as  it  would  fill  many  pages,  while  the  painter 
could  represent  it  better  and  more  vividly  on  one  page. 

The  arsenal  which  adjoins  it  is  scarcely  less  beautiful;  this 
also  can  be  exhibited  much  better  by  the  artist.  The  same 
may  be  said  of  the  orphan  asylum.  The  church  of  St.  Peter, 
a  most  noble  structure  and  replete  with  ornaments,  iai  being 
restored,  or  rather  re-built.  Two  granaries  or  receptaoles  for 
corn  have  also  been  erected.  The  houses  belonging  to  the 
burghers   or    subjects,    are    numerous;   they   have   a   pleasing 


*  The  statue  Swedenborg  describes  here  is  that  of  the  great  Elector 
Frederic  William,  who  reigned  from  1640  to  1688.  It  was  erected  by  his 
son  Frederic  III,  who  reigned  from  1688  to  1715,  and  who  became  in  1701 
the  fir.st  king  of  Prussia,  under  the  name  of  Ki^.ig  Frederic  I. 


1 4       SWEDENBORG'S  TEA  VELS  AND  DIARIES.    [Doc.  205. 

appearance,  and  to  the  very  roofs  resemble  the  dwellings  in 
Italy  and  Paris. 

It  is  worthy  of  notice  that  outside  the  city  proper,  or  that 
part  which  is  surrounded  by  Avails,  another  city,  which  is  called 
Friedrichstadt,  scarcely  smaller  than  the  former,  has  been  built; 
this  has  been  very  much  enlarged  and  the  number  of  its  in- 
habitants has  greatly  increased  under  the  present  king.  About 
the  middle  of  the  "Friedrichstrasse,"  which  is  nearly  half  a 
[Swedish  or  German]  mile  long,  a  row  of  new  houses  com- 
mences, which  in  height  and  external  appearance  are  from 
basement  to  roof  so  much  alike  that  you  might  imagine  it 
was  only  one  house,  when  yet  it  consists  of  from  four  to  five 
hundred  separate  dwellings.  The  regularity,  however,  is  inter- 
rupted near  the  market-place.  These  buildings  are  not  yet 
finished;  but  by  the  king's  command  the  work  is  being  carried 
on  most  vigorously.  The  street  terminates  in  the  market- 
place, which  is  a  handsome  circle ;  the  market-place,  however, 
is  terminated  by  the  gate  by  which  the  town  is  closed.  Most 
of  these  dwellings  have  been  built  by  trades-people  and 
mechanics,  and  the  rest  by  the  nobles  and  the  higher  classes. 
You  might  suppose  they  were  a  hundred  ducal  residences, 
when  yet  they  are  the  houses  of  mechanics  and  trades-people, 
who  in  other  towns  generally  live  in  huts,  cabins,  and  log- 
houses.  What  delights  the  eye  most,  and  exhilarates  the  mind, 
is  the  wonderful  symmetry  and  continuity  of  the  houses,  so 
that  you  might  say  many  thousands  of  men  have  a  common 
dwelling,  and  live  in  one  house  under  the  same  roof. 

The  town  is  very  populous  :  for  the  trades  and  manu- 
factures flourish  and  prosper,  many  mechanics  and  manufac* 
turers  driven  out  and  banished  from  France,  having  taken  up 
their  abode  here.  A  vast  stream  of  people  pass  along  the 
streets  and  lanes,  and  gather  in  dense  crowds  around  the  public 
buildings.  Many  of  these  people,  however,  belong  to  the  mili- 
tary class,  and  at  every  corner  sentinels  may  be  seen.  From 
this  we  may  conclude  that  not  only  commerce,  but  manufactures 
also  can  make  towns  wealthy;  for  no  merchandize  is  brought 
hither  by  sea,  but  manufactures  attract  the  money,  which 
is  retained  and  prevented  from  going  abroad  and  being 
scattered. 


Doc.  205.J       SWEDENBOBG'S  TEA  YELS  IN  1733.  15 

June  3  and  4.  I  went  outside  the  town  to  witness  the 
exercises  of  the  infantry,  and  of  that  branch  of  the  cavah-y 
called  gens  d'armes.  With  respect  to  the  exercises  I  have  al- 
ready mentioned,  that  the  troops  act  and  move  with  the  greatest 
regularity  and  precision;  and  the  whole  squadron  is  like  a 
machine  placed  there,  and  moving  instantaneously  at  the 
pleasure  of  the  machinist.  Not  even  the  slightest  inaccuracy 
can  be  detected.  If  they  displayed  the  same  unanimity  and 
uniformity  in  battle  as  in  drill,  they  would  conquer  Alexan- 
der's army,  and  subject  a  great  part  of  Europe  to  Prussia, 
but 

Entering  St.  Peter's  church,  which  was  burnt  down  three 
years  ago  and  is  now  being  rebuilt  by  the  munificence 
of  the  King,  I  found  it  very  spacious,  and  yet  there  are 
no  columns  in  the  interior  by  which  the  roof  and  arches 
are  supported.  Under  the  roof  all  around  the  church  are 
circular  windows,  which  are  directed  towards  the  centre  of 
the  building,  and  whicli  admit  much  light;  there  are  besides 
two  rows  of  benches  along  the  walls,  so  that  there  is  room 
for  a  large  congregation. 

I  examined  also  the  library,  which  contains  a  great  number 
of  books,  but  mostly  old;  not  many  are  purchased  at  the 
present  time,  no  money,  being  obtainable  for  this  purpose. 
Several  manuscripts  are  also  exhibited,  among  which  is  the 
Bible  of  Charlemagne,  written  eight  hundred  years  ago,  which 
was  brought  from  Aix-la-Chapelle.  There  are  historical  books 
in  the  Italian  language  from  the  library  of  Queen  Christina,  and 
in  additions  many  old  codexes ;  books  in  the  Chinese  language ; 
a  Koran  of  most  exquisite  workmanship ;  likewise  another 
Koran  almost  round  in  form  and  enclosed  in  a  case,  very 
small  in  size.     A  large  atlas  also  is  shown. 

In  the  Museum,  called  Kunst-Kammer,  many  most  inter- 
esting things  are  exhibited,  as,  for  instance,  various  objects 
made  of  amber,  as  desks,  boxes,  statuettes,  crucifixes,  and 
many  others,  which  are  produced  by  large  pieces  of  amber 
being  melted  together.  Various  specimens  of  corals,  especially 
of  the  red  kind,  are  shown ;  likewise  flowers  of  Mars,*  which  are 

*  A  chemical  preparation  of  iron. 


16      S  WEDENBORG'S  TEA  VELS  AND  DIARIES.    [Doc.  205. 

white,  very  beautiful,  and  large;  also,  ores  containing  gold; 
native  gold,  in  considerable  masses  imbedded  in  quartz;  like- 
wise silex,  polished  on  the  outside,  but  interiorly  variegated 
and  interspersed  with  a  great  number  of  dense  veins  of  gold; 
pieces  of  native  silver,  and  splendid  specimens  of  the  ores  of 
other  metals.  There  are  also  articles  most  skilfully  and  ela- 
borately wrought  of  silver,  as  vases,  caskets,  and  fancy-boxes,  &c. 
Porcelain  and  wares  from  China  are  likewise  exhibited;  be- 
sides animals  of  various  kinds,  as  crocodiles,  walruses,  boars 
of  extraordinary  size,  rhinoceroses,  elephants'  tusks  of  different 
kinds.  A  knife  is  also  shown  which  a  man  had  swallowed  and 
which  was  found,  when  removed  by  an  operation,  to  be  half  con- 
sumed, the  man  living  afterwards  lor  twenty  years  ;  likewise  a  die 
which  broke  in  two  while  being  used  to  decide  the  fate  of  some 
innocent  person.  A  life-like  wax  figure  of  King  Frederic  William 
is  exhibited,  as  well  as  figures  of  some  of  his  sons  and 
daughters ;  besides  many  other  objects  which  I  have  no  time 
to  enumerate. 

I  visited  also  the  laboratory  of  Dr.  Neumann,  which  is 
furnished  with  several  small  fire-places  and  furnaces  for  chemi- 
cal purposes,  especially  for  distillations  in  the  water  and  sand 
baths,  and  likewise  with  digesters;  the  water  flows  in  from 
above,  and  the  waste  flows  down  and  turns  a  small  wheel  by 
which  a  little  pestle  is  set  in  motion  for  grinding  sub- 
stances into  powder;  everything  is  arranged  most  ingeniously 
and  exactly. 

June  5.  I  prepared  for  my  journey  to  Dresden.  On  the 
way  I  saw  nothing  noteworthy ;  the  soil  was  sterile  and  sandy. 
From  Berlin  I  passed  through  the  usual  stations  of  Mitten- 
walde,  Baruth,  where  Saxony  begins,  and  Luckau,  a  town  of 
considerable  size ;  and  afterwards  through  Sonnenwalde,  Esten- 
wehre,  where  there  is  a  royal  castle,  and  Grossenhayn,  which 
is  much  like  Luckau ;  and  thence  I  came  to  Dresden.  Mean- 
while I  noticed  very  beautiful  chimneys  of  terra  cotta,  upon 
which  are  impressed  most  telling  and  conspicuous  Hkenesses 
of  men ,  of  knights,  and  of  shells ;  the  corners  were 
formed  by  columns  of  the  same  material  stained  an  iron 
colour. 


Doc.  205.]        SWEDEXBORG'S  TRA  VELS  IX  1733.  17 

On  the  way  I  perused  a  small  treatise  by  Putoneus,*  on 
a  kind  of  worms  of  Friesland  and  Northland,  where  I  noted 
what  follows : 

These  worms  are  only  found  in  Friesland  and  Northland, 
wliere  the  ships  and  the  piles  driven  into  the  dikes  are  gradually 
perforated  and  consumed  by  them.  This  was  first  observed 
in  1732  in  some  beams,  which  had  been  floating  upon  the 
water,  when  cast  ashore  by  the  waves.  Pine  wood  is 
chiefly  attacked,  but  also  occasionally  oak.  The  number  of 
worms  that  appear  is  sometimes  larger,  sometimes  smaller; 
perhaps  according  to  the  dift'ering  temperature,  as  is  the  case 
with  some  insects,  and  also  with  mice,  which  are  more  abund- 
ant one  year  than  another.  In  the  year  1666,  the  inhabitants 
of  Amsterdam  complained,  that  their  ships,  on  the  return 
voyage  from  India,  were  attacked  and  perforated  by  worms, 
wherefore  they  began  to  fortify  the  ribs  and  coverings  of  their 
ships  with  large-headed  nails;  which  resulted  in  their  ships 
becoming  much  more  durable  than  those  of  the  English.  The 
Portuguese,  however,  char  the  outer  surface  of  their  sliips. 
In  the  record  of  his  travels  Dampier  describes  most  accurate- 
ly this  kind  of  worms,  which  are  very  much  like  those  of 
Friesland.  There  are  three  species  of  them  of  which  drawings 
are  given.  It  has  been  observed  that  those  which  originate 
in  salt  water,  perish  in  fresh  water;  so  that  a  ship  wliicli 
has  become  infested  with  them  in  salt  water,  is  relieved 
from  them  in  fresh  Avater.  Messrs.  Massuet  and  Wallisnerius 
were  the  first  to  describe  these  worms,  which  are  slender 
towards  the  tail,  broader  towards  tlie  head,  and  of  a 
yellowish  white  colour.  A  part  of  their  head  is  protected  by 
a  hard  stony  or  bony  mass,  which  is  round  and  pointed  at 
the  end,  so  as  to  resemlile  the  drills  with  which  holes  are 
bored  into  stone.  The  head  is  thus  covered  and  by  means 
of  this  mass  the  boring  is  accomplished;  a  part  of  the  body 
also  towards  the  tail  is  covered  with  a  harder  substance;  so 
that  they  can  brace  themselves  up  and  thus  bore  better.  From 
this   hard  matter  of  the  tail  the  extremity,  wliich  is  soft  and 

*  Putoneus,  Historischc  und  pliysicalische  Beschreibung  cincr  Art  liochst 
BcliUdlicher  Seewiirmer,  Leipzig,  1733. 

Q 


18      S  WEDENB ORG 'S  TBA  VELS  AND  DIABJES.    [Doc.  205. 

clo"v^n  into  three  parts,  protrudes;  under  the  belly  appears  a 
duct  conveying  blood.  Their  length  varies  from  six  to  twelve 
and  even  twenty-four  inches.  They  grow  while  in  the  wood 
engaged  in  boring ;  and  they  would  increase  still  more  if  there 
were  more  substance  to  pierce.  The  holes  are  large  enough 
to  admit  a  good  sized  goose  quill.  If  two  worms  bore  so  as 
to  meet  in  the  middle,  they  avoid  meeting  by  deflecting  their 
course,  and  if  they  actually  meet,  they  both  die.  On  their 
way  they  leave  a  glutinous  or  viscous  matter  which  in  time 
hardens  and  adheres  to  the  sides  of  the  holes.  This  hardened 
matter  is  like  a  shell  and  very  fragile.  In  these  cavities  small 
shining  points  are  observed,  which,  when  examined  under  the 
microscope,  have  the  appearance  of  some  winged  creatures. 
It  is  worthy  of  notice  that  on  the  outer  surface  of  the  wood 
only  openings  appear  that  are  so  small  as  to  be  scarcely 
discernible  to  the  naked  eye,  but  in  the  inner  part  of  the 
wood  they  become  wider  and  wider,  so  that  the  worms  actually 
increase  there.  A  hundred  openings  are  frequently  seen,  of 
which  scarcely  ten  are  continued  to  the  depth  of  one  finger, 
and  when  the  worms  reach  the  surface  of  the  water,  they  take 
some  other  course.  They  prefer  to  make  their  way  along  the 
grain  of  the  wood,  although  they  also  work  transversely. 
Their  eggs  are  said  to  be  round  and  covered  with  some  vis- 
cous substance,  so  as  to  adhere  better  to  the  beams  of  wood 
against  which  they  are  carried. 

The  remedies  hitherto  employed  to  prevent  the  ravages 
of  these  insects,  are  said  to  be  the  following:  1.  The 
piles  that  are  to  be  submerged  are  enveloped  in  coarse  tow 
and  afterAvards  covered  with  pitch;  in  place  of  hempen  tow 
the  hair  of  cows  may  be  used.  2.  At  first  they  tried  to 
fortify  their  dikes  against  the  threatened  destruction,  by  com- 
bining the  use  of  anchors  or  braces  with  the  piles.  3.  It  was 
proposed  to  construct  dikes  without  the  help  of  piles.  4.  Again 
it  was  suggested  that  the  piles  should  be  thoroughly  dried  by 
exposing  them  to  the  action  of  fire,  and  that  hot  pitch  should 
be  applied  to  them,  which  would  then  penetrate  more  towards 
the  interiors,  the  pores  being  opened  by  the  fire.  5.  Wallis- 
nerius  proposed  that  the  piles  should  be  covered  with  lead; 
or  that  thick  laths  be  fastened  over  them,  and  that  the  space 


Doc.  205.]       SWEDENBORG'STBAVELS  IN  1733.  19 

between  the  piles  and  the  hiths  shoukl  be  tilled  with  animal 
hair.  6.  Others  advise  that  the  piles  should  be  IVequently 
scraped,  so  that  the  tirst  elements  of  the  worms  or  their 
glutinous  eggs  might  not  adhere  to  them;  and  7.  That  after 
the  piles  have  been  well  dried,  they  be  covered  tirst  with 
pitch  and  afterwards  with  a  mixture  containing  arsenic. 

X.B.:  I  was  told  to-day  by  a  Jew  that  a  remedy  against 
this  evil  had  at  last  been  discovered,  which  consists  in  a  mix- 
ture or  an  ointment  composed  of  powdered  sulphur,  pitch, 
white  lead,  and  mercury;  upon  the  application  of  which  they 
all  make  their  escape  —  provided  this  be  true. 

As  for  myself,  I  cannot  see  a  better  remedy  for  this  evil 
than,  first,  that  the  piles  used  in  propping  up  the  dikes 
should  be  thoroughly  charred,  and  indeed  so  that  their  surface 
be  burnt  to  charcoal  to  about  one-fourth  of  an  inch;  for  then 
it  is  impossible  for  the  worms  to  find  any  place  to  make  their 
abode:  because  there  is  nothing  to  furnish  nutriment  to  them, 
there  being  no  wood  anywhere  within  their  reach;  so  that 
for  want  of  food  and  nourishment  their  sustenance  and  life 
will  fail.  Sccondlij,  the  burning  of  the  pile,  by  which  it  may 
be  reduced  to  charcoal  to  the  depth  of  one-fourth  of  an 
inch,  will  be  thoroughly  attained  by  a  strong  and  swift  flame, 
which  can  be  rendered  swifter  if  the  pile  be  first  covered  with 
pitch,  and  then  held  over  the  flaming  tire.  Thirdly,  if  after- 
wards you  choose  to  cover  the  burnt  part  with  pitch,  you  will 
perhaps  thereby  prevent  an  Qg^^  out  of  which  a  worm  might 
be  developed,  from  being  carried  into  a  crack.  Fourthli/,  the 
success  of  this  proposal  is  based  on  this,  that  the  whole  woody 
material  is  converted  into  charcoal,  and  that  nothing  of  the 
sap  and  the  oil  remains  which  might  afford  nutriment;  for  it 
has  been  observed  that  the  Avorms  thrive  better  in  pine  than 
in  oak  wood,  because  it  contains  a  greater  quantity  of  oil;  if 
therefore  a  dead  residuum  and  charcoal  only  remain,  they 
cannot  obtain  the  means  of  life,  and  make  their  way  into 
the  interior.  This  is  proved  also  by  experience.  To  es- 
cape this  evil  the  Portuguese  char  that  part  of  the  outer 
surface  of  their  ships  which  is  to  be  immersed  in  water;  and 
their   ships   are    thus   saved    from  this   danger    and  preserved 

from   harm.     I  already  remarked    that   the  piles  were  to  bo 

2* 


20       SWEDEXBORG'S  TEA  VELS  AND  DIARIES.    [Doc.  205. 

burnt  in  a  strong  flame.  By  being  exposed  to  such  a  flame 
the  outer  portion  only  is  burned  and  converted  into  charcoal, 
the  interior  remaining  fresh  and  dry,  or  safe  and  intact  from 
the  fire;  as  may  be  seen  from  a  piece  of  wood  held  in  a 
strong  flame,  the  outer  surface  of  which  is  speedily  converted 
into  charcoal,  while  its  interior  parts  are  still  intact,  and 
scarcely  heated.  The  science  of  mechanics  will  supply  a 
thousand  modes  by  which  the  piles  may  be  placed  on  trestles, 
while  combustible  matter  is  placed  underneath  by  which  the 
flame  is  to  be  fed  and  raised  into  a  blaze ;  it  will  also  furnish 
means  by  which  the  flame,  after'  it  has  been  started  on  the 
surface  by  having  been  covered  with  pitch,  can  be  extinguished, 
and  indeed  after  the  desired  result  has  been  attained.  All 
this  can  be  very  easily  determined  and  settled,  provided  the 
method  of  burning  the  piles  before  they  are  immersed  in  the 
water,   be  once  approved  and  adopted. 

June  7.  I  reached  Dresden,  having  accomplished  the  jour- 
ney from  Stockholm  in  twenty-eight  days.  If  from  these  twelve 
days  are  subtracted,  during  which  I  rested,  it  reduces  it  to  a 
journey  of  sixteen  days  only. 

June  9.  I  visited  the  new  church  [FrauenJcircheJ,  which 
is  in  the  process  of  erection  near  the  market-place  [Neumarkt]. 
It  is  interiorly  vaulted,  with  a  triple  row  of  seats  along  the 
walls,  and  on  account  of  its  interior  decorations  most  interest- 
ing and  worthy  of  notice.  Under  the  ground  are  ample 
vaults  and  cells,  or  places  of  burial^  occupying  a  large  space. 

June  11.  I  examined  the  exterior  of  the  royal  palace  and 
of  that  which  adjoins  it.  They  are  richly  decorated  with 
figures  and  statues  in  terra  cotta  and  plaster  of  Paris.  I 
likewise  saw  that  rural  or  mountain  cave,  called  the  grotto, 
which  is  close  by,  where  the  water  falls  down  some  steps  and 
over  a  rock.  Permission  was  granted  me  to  see  the  entrance 
hall,  where  the  ceiling  is  adorned  with  beautiful  fresco  paint- 
ings. The  floor  was  paved  with  marble,  and  in  the  centre  a 
marble  slab  of  great  size,  and  consequently  of  great  value, 
is  displayed. 

June  12.  With  a  companion  I  went  into  the  royal  garden 
which  consists  entirely  of  Indian  and  foreign  trees.  The  part 
on  the  left   is  distinguished   by   cypresses   and  laurels  ;   that 


Doc.  205.]       S  WEDENBORG'S  TEA  VELS  IN  1733.  21 

on  the  right  by  citron  and  orange  trees.  Within  the  walls 
are  trees  of  various  lands,  coffee  plants,  &c.,  and  a  fig-tree 
with  a  trunk  of  extraordinary  thickness.  Here  we  could  see 
and  admire  a  very  large  number  of  hiurols  and  orange- 
trees  collected  together  ;  for  there  are  upwards  of  five-hun- 
dred laurels,  beautifully  trimmed,  and  the  same  number  of 
(^range-trees  may  be  counted,  all  of  which  are  exactly  like 
one  another,  being  of  the  same  height,  the  same  thickness, 
and  the  same  age.  The  trunk  of  each  tree  is  eight  inches  in 
diameter,  while  the  Indian  fig-tree  is  twenty-four  inches  in 
diameter.  This  garden  seems  to  excel  all  others  of  the  same 
kind  established  in  Europe. 

June  13.  On  St.  John's  day  I  went  outside  the  town  to 
enjoy  a  stroll  and  see  the  large  garden  [grosser  Garten]  famous 
for  its  marble  statues  and  figures.  The  way  or  road  to  it 
extends  to  a  great  distance,  is  enclosed  on  both  sides  with 
trimmed  and  curiously  cut  trees,  and  adorned  with  terra 
cotta  figures.  At  last  appears  the  area  itself  or  the  large 
theatre,  adorned  with  beautiful  marble  statues  and  figures. 
All  are  made  of  marble  of  the  most  dazzling  purity,  and  all 
are  sculptured  to  the  life.  Some  are  larger  and  some  smaller, 
and  there  are  so  many  of  them,  that  they  can  scarcely  be 
counted.  Tliey  do  not  yield  much  to  those  in  Versailles,  ex- 
cept in  size.  It  is  a  place  where  you  may  enjoy  rural  plea- 
sures to  the  full. 

The  bridge,  Avhich  leads  into  the  town  from  the  Neustadt 
or  new  town,  is  splendid.  It  rises  a  considerable  height  above 
the  river  and  is  supported  by  seventeen  arches.  There  are 
also  on  both  sides  of  the  bridge  seventeen  sitting  or  resting 
places.  On  one  side  is  a  crucifix  of  bronze  on  an  artificial 
rock ;  on  the  other  side  and  opposite  to  it  are  two  figures 
or  statues. 

June  14 — 19.     I  read  through  and  corrected  my  Principia. 

June  20  (July  1).  I  went  to  the  Neustadt  or  new  town 
to  see  the  building  [Jcqmnesisches  Palais]  erected  by  the  Duke 
of  Saxony.  There  also  is  a  very  pleasant  garden,  filled  with 
objects  of  art,  where  during  the  life-time  of  King  Augustus  the 
articles  of  porcelain  were  exhibited,  the  greater  part  of  which 
is  said  to  be  stored  up  between  the  ceilings  of  the  building. 


22       S  WEDEKBOBG'S  TEA  VELS  AND  DIARIES.    [Doc.  205. 

June  21  (July  2).  To-day  I  entered  the  chapel  attached 
to  the  Court  of  the  Duke  of  Saxony,  with  the  view  of  being 
present  at  worship,  which  is  celebrated  according  to  the 
Catholic  ritual.  It  was  impossible  for  any  of  the  senses  not 
to   derive   from  it   some  sensation  of  pleasure. 

The  sense  of  hearing  derived  it  from  the  drums,  flutes,  and 
trumpets  which  swelled  their  notes  from  the  lowest  to  the 
highest,  and  still  more  from  the  singing  of  the  castrati  or  eu- 
nuchs, Avhose  voices  emulate  those  of  virgins,  and  from  the  full 
harmony  of  all  the  instruments. 

The  sense  of  smell  is  charmed  by  the  scent  and  fragrance 
of  the  burning  incense;  the  odour  and  smoke  of  which  are 
diffused  in  every  direction  by  boys. 

The  sense  of  siglit  was  impressed  by  the  paintings  of  every 
kind  which  are  hung  around  the  church;  by  the  magnificent 
vestments  with  Avhicli  the  priests  and  monks  are  adorned,  and 
in  which  they  move  in  procession;  by  the  great  number  of 
ministering  priests  bending  and  walking  in  every  direction 
like  actors;  and  by  their  various  gestures.  And  my  sight  in 
particular  was  charmed,  because  I  happened  to  see  for  the 
first  time  the  Duke  himself  and  the  Duchess  with  their  sons 
and  daughters ;  all  of  w^iom  were  most  devout  and  attentive 
to  the  usages  of  their  religion. 

The  interior  senses,  however,  were  charmed,  because  all 
things  breathed  an  atmosphere  of  sublimity  and  sanctity;  be- 
cause at  the  least  sound  of  a  little  bell  all  threw  themselves 
on  their  knees ;  and  because  all  things  were  expressed  in 
Latin,  a  foreign  language,  by  which  the  minds  of  the  common 
people  are  wont  to  be  most  impressed.  In  short  the  worship 
of  the  Roman  Catholic  church  seems  to  have  been  especially 
invented,  and  to  be  calculated,  to  charm  the  external  senses,  by 
alluring  all  the  organs  of  the  body,  and  thereby  offering  blan- 
dishments to  the  senses. 

On  the  same  day  I  crossed  the  river  Elbe,  in  com- 
pany with  five  others,  and  we  went  into  the  vineyards, 
or  to  the  hills  where  the  vineyards  are.  The  aspect  here 
is  most  delightful.  The  hill  is  covered  with  elms  and 
vines;  and  is  everywhere  dotted  with  villas  over  its  whole 
extent. 


Doc.  205.]       SWEDEXBORG'S  TBA  VEhS  IX  1733.  23 

June  22  (July  3).  I  read  tlirougli  a  book  of  John  Ber- 
nouilli,  wliicli  bears  the  title:  Essal  d'une  nonveUc  tJirorie  de 
la  manannrr  dct^-  vaisseaiix,  &c.  [Essay  concerning  a  new  theory 
ol  handling  ships],  which  treats  geometrically  of  the  structure 
of  vessels,  &c.  1.  The  action  of  fluids  upon  the  surface  of 
the  bodi<^s  which  they  meet ;  2.  The  track  and  the  movement 
of  a  ship  Avhich  has  the  form  of  a  parallelogram ;  3.  The 
swiftness  of  a  rectangular  ship;  4.  The  position  of  the  sails 
and  the  form  of  the  beam  which  occupies  the  lowest  part  of 
a  ship  and  is  called  the  keel;  what  its  form  must  be,  that  it 
may  produce  the  best  effect;  5.  The  position  of  the  rudder, 
that  it  may  turn  the  ship  most  quickly;  6.  The  course  of  a 
ship  representing  the  figure  of  a  rlionib ;  7.  The  swiftness  of 
a  ship  representing  the  tigure  of  a  rhoml);  8.  The  same  in 
respect  to  the  lowest  beam  or  the  keel;  9.  The  motion  of 
curved  or  curvilinear  bodies  in  fluids;  10.  Application  of  the 
foregoing  theory  to  certain  ships;  11.  Directions  how  to  con- 
struct tables  for  the  course  of  ships,  respect  being  had  to  the 
lowest  curvature  (belly)  of  the  ship;  12.  The  most  convenient 
place  for  the  masts;  13.  The  axis  and  the  centre  of  resist- 
ance of  the  water;  14.  The  inflation  and  curvature  of  sails; 
15.  The  axis  and  the  equilibrium  of  the  wind  impinging  upon 
the  sails.  Two  letters  follow  directed  to  M.  Eenau,  with 
his  reply. 

Afterwards  I  perused  Julius  Bernhard  von  liohr's  Com- 
Xiendicuse  Haushaltungs-Bihllothek  ( Compendious  library  of 
household  matters),  for  1726,  in  8vo.  This  work  treats  in 
general:  1.  Of  the  study  of  economy;  2.  Of  the  revenue 
system,  (von  dem  Cameralwesen) ;  3.  Of  private  household 
economy  and  of  economy  for  the  farm  and  field,  (von  der 
I^-ivativirtJiS(haftslninst,  Land-  und  Fdd-Oeconomle) ;  4,  Of 
agriculture,  (vom  AcJcerhaii) ;  5.  Of  vine  culture,  (vom  Wein- 
hai();  6.  Of  brewing,  (vom  Bierhrauen) ;  7.  Of  the  art  of 
cooking  and  baking,  (von  der  Kochkunst  und  Conjituren) ; 
8.  Of  gardening,  (von  der  Gdrtnerei) ;  9.  Of  woods 
and  hunting,  (von  den  Wdldern  und  der  Jdgerei);  10.  Of 
ponds  and  fishing,  (von  Teichen  und  Fiscliereien) ;  11.  Of 
cattle  breeding,  (von  der  Viehzucht) ;  12.  Of  mining  and 
the  mineral  kingdom,  (von  Bergwerkssachen  und  dem  minera- 


24    S WEDEKB ORG'S  TBA  VELS  AXD  DIARIES.      [Doc.  205. 

lisclien  EeicJie).  In  tins  chapter  the  author  treats  of  the  iron- 
works and  forges  in  Germany,  which  he  enumerates  and  re- 
views ;  he  also  discusses  peat,  charcoal,  and  coal ;  he  does  not 
treat  of  many  authors,  simply  of  Kircher's  Mundus  suhterraneus 
(Subterranean  world),  which,  however,  according  to  Webster, 
the  Englishman,  and  Morhoff,  contains  merely  fanciful  things. 
He  mentions  further  Ulysses  Aldrovandi's  Alusceum  metallkum, 
where  many  differences  between  the  metals  are  discussed,  but 
nothing  definite  is  stated;  Beccherus'  Pliysica  subterrcmea, 
with  Stahl's  observations,  1703.  In  the  French  language  was 
published  Traite  cles  metaux  et  mineraux,  et  des  remedes,  qu'on 
en  ijeut  tirer,  ^Kir  M.  Chcmhon,  Paris,  1713,  12mo.  There 
are  also  the  following,  viz.  M.  John  Matthesius'  Bergi)ostille 
oder  Sarepta,  folio,  1587;  Melzer's  Gangrcena  metaUica,  oder 
BericJit  von  Bergiuerken  (Report  of  Mines);  Abraham  Schon- 
burg's  AusfUhrliche  Bergwformation,  Leipzig,  1693  ;  Sebastian 
Spahn's  BergrecMs- Spiegel,  Dresden,  1698,  folio;  Georg  Kaspar 
Kirchmayer's  Instrudmies  metallkm,  von  Bergwerhen,  with 
illustrations,  4to,  1687;  his  other  works  were  published  in  quarto 
at  Wittenberg  in  1698 ;  he  mentions  also  Lohneis.  A  certain 
councillor  of  mines  published  in  1717  a  work  in  12mo  with  the 
title,  Kurzer  Unterrkht  von  Bergiverhen.  13.  Of  commerce, 
(vom  Commercienivesen) ;  14.  Of  theological  writings,  (von 
theologischen  Scliriften).  The  same  Julius  Bernhard  von  Rohr 
has  also  ■pixhlishedComjiendieusepligsikaUscheBibliotJiek,  Leipzig, 
Svo,  1724;  it  treats,  first,  of  natural  science  in  general  and  the 
books  belonging  thereto;  further,  of  the  elements,  the  vege- 
table kingdom,  the  mineral  kingdom,  the  animal  kingdom, 
meteors,  and  mineral  springs,  (von  der  Naturivissenschaft  ilber- 
liaupt,  und  den  dahin  gehbrigen  Scliriften). 

June  25  (July  5).  I  took  a  walk  outside  the  town  in 
order  to  see  the  so-called  Turkish  house,  where  there  is  also  a 
delightful  garden.  In  the  house  itself  may  be  seen  paintings  of 
Turkish,  Chinese,  Persian,  and  Greek  women  in  their  usual 
costumes;  likewise  celebrated  and  distinguished  men,  such  as 
sultans,  viziers,  muftis,  &c.  There  are  also  most  precious 
Turkish  and  Persian  carpets,  as  well  on  the  floors  as  suspended 
along  the  walls.  Their  silver  work  also,  which  consists  chiefly 
of  what  is  called  filligree  work,   is  seen,   studded  here  and 


Doc.  205.]        SWEDENBORG'S  TEA  VELS  IN  1733.  2.5 

tliere  with  some  glass-like  spar  ;  silver  of  a  ^vliitc  and 
black  hue  is  inserted  in  the  crystals  themselves,  arranged 
in  the  form  of  roses.  Leather  is  shown  interwoven  with 
golden  threads,  work  which  has  been  hitherto  quite  unknown 
to  Europeans,  Some  parts  of  Constantinople  are  likewise  ex- 
hibited with  the  Peloponnesus  and  the  sea.  It  is  a  town  con- 
sisting of  houses,  which  look  very  much  like  one  another,  and 
are  built  entirely  on  mountains  and  hills,  with  the  water 
flowing  in  between.  The  sultan's  palace  with  the  harem,  the 
place  of  abode  of  his  women,  is  shown;  likewise  mosques, 
which  are  their  temples  and  mausoleums.  A  person  is  thus 
enabled  to  obtain  an  idea  of  Constantinople,  and  in  a  certain 
sense  of  the  Ottoman  Porte  itself. 

The  following  books  were  announced  in  the  literary  news: 
Histoire  metallique  des  Pays  has,  by  Mr.  van  Loon,  in  both 
the  French  and  Dutch  languages ;  Discours  sur  les  di/fcrentes 
figures  des  astres,  i.  e.  a  discourse  on  the  various  forms  of  the 
constellations,  together  with  a  compendious  explanation  of 
Descartes'  and  Newton's  systems,  by  Mauj)ertuis,  Paris,  8vo, 
1731,  5^-  francs. 

July  6,  new  style.*  I  was  able  to  see  a  paper-mill 
outside  the  town,  where,  I  think,  paper  is  made  in  the  Dutch 
fashion  with  a  cylinder  furnished  with  bronze  knives,  and  a 
similar  bronze  table  underneath.  There  is,  however,  only  one 
simple  grinder  or  cylinder  around  a  wheel,  and  not  four  as  in 
Holland. 

I  afterwards  examined  the  furnace  and  the  forge  where 
copper  is  beaten  into  thin  plates  with  three  hammers.  The 
furnace  is  like  a  common  iron  furnace.  A  pound  of  thin 
beaten  copper  is  sold  for  nine  groschen,  or  twenty-seven 
Swedish  silver  ore. 


*  The  improved  calendar  of  Pope  Gregory  XITI  had  not  been  intro- 
duced into  Sweden  at  the  time  Swedenborg  was  writing  this  account  of 
his  travels.  On  arriving  in  Germany,  where  the  Gregorian  calendar  had 
been  universally  adopted  in  1700,  he  therefore  found  himself  eleven  days 
behind.  The  Swedish  or  old  style  he  followed  until  June  20;  from  June  20 
to  25  he  gives  his  dates  l)oth  according  to  the  old  and  new  stylos;  but 
after  June  25,  old  style,  which  is  equivalent  to  July  5,  new  style,  he  passes 
on  at  once  to  July  H,  neto  style. 


20        SWEDENBORG'S  TRAVELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  205. 

Afterwards  I  went  to  see  the  works  where  plates  of  glass 
are  ground  and  polished,  so  that  foils  may  be  applied  to  them 
and  mirrors  formed,  which  is  a  very  interesting  operation. 
Plates  of  glass  and  mirrors  are  manufactured  there,  which  are 
frequently  of  the  height  of  four  ells.  With  regard  to  the 
work  itself,  the  following  particulars  may  be  mentioned  : 
1.  When  the  plates  of  glass  are  first  brought  from  the  fur- 
nace and  are  still  in  the  rough,  they  are  more  than  an  inch 
thick,  but  by  the  process  of  polishing  they  are  made  so  thin, 
that  they  are  scarcely  half  the  original  thickness.  The  process 
of  polishing  is  described  as  follows:  2.  The  plate  is  inserted 
in  a  frame,  and  placed  on  a  smooth  stone,  to  Avhich  it  is 
closely  fitted,  and  fastened  by  means  of  plaster  of  Paris  or 
yellowish  red  clay;  it  is  inserted  into  this  mass  in  such  a 
manner,  that  it  firmly  adheres  thereby  to  the  stone.  Frequent- 
ly three,  four,  six  or  ten  plates  are  attached  to  one  stone, 
and  they  all  receive  their  polish  at  the  same  time.  3.  This 
stone,  with  the  plates  of  glass  adhering  to  it,  is  placed  upon 
a  table,  and  under  this  stone  on  the  same  table  is  placed  an- 
other machine^  also  of  stone  [on  which  likewise  plates  of  glass 
are  fastened].  On  the  top  of  the  first  stone,  however,  is  put 
a  wooden  frame  with  six  or  seven  compartments,  in  which  sand 
as  well  as  weights  are  placed,  so  that  this  frame  lies  more 
evenly  and  presses  equally  upon  the  glass  underneath  which 
is  to  be  polished.  It  is  to  be  borne  in  mind  that  the 
operation  of  polishing  is  always  performed  by  tAvo  sets  of 
glass  plates,  one  lying  upon  the  other,  and  by  these  two 
sets  the  whole  of  the  polishing  is  done.  4.  The  machine 
is  set  in  motion  by  a  water-wheel,  which  turns  a  hook  bent 
into  the  form  of  a  triangle,  and  by  this  four  arms  are  turned, 
each  in  its  turn.  To  each  of  these  arms  four  or  five  hooks 
are  attached,  eighteen  in  all,  which  are  inserted  in  little  balls 
turning  in  all  directions,  and  fastened  to  the  upper  stone; 
and  by  the  reciprocal  motion  of  this  upper  stone  or  table  to 
which  the  plate  of  glass  is  attached  the  polishing  is  effected. 
5.  It  is  to  be  observed,  that  this  upper  table  moves  in  all 
directions;  for  it  may  be  revolved  like  a  wheel  or  in  a  circle, 
so  that  it  should  not  always  move  in  the  same  way,  and  by  the 
interposition    of    the    sand    become    deeper    in    some    places 


Doc.  205. 1       S  WE  DENE  ORG'S  TEA  VEL  S  IX  1 7,3.3.  27 

tliaii  in  others,  and  thus  make  grooves  in  the  glass.  The 
circle  in  the  middle,  where  the  hook  of  the  machine  is  inserted, 
is  thus  movable  in  all  directions,  and  to  one  machine  there 
are  in  this  way  attached  eighteen  pairs  of  stones.  6.  When 
the  plates  of  glass  are  to  he  polished,  the  coarsest  kind  of 
band  is  at  first  used,  and  for  about  eight  days;  afterwards 
another  kind  of  coarse  sand,  a  little  finer  than  the  first,  is 
used;  this  also  lasts  fur  six  or  seven  days;  subsequently  a 
still  finer  sand;  and  at  last  the  finest  kind  of  white  sand,  which 
is  called  Strenscmd ;  each  of  these  operations  also  ]"equires 
from  five  to  six  days.  There  are  thus  four  stages  in  the 
attenuation  of  the  glass  by  means  of  the  sand.  This  ought 
not  to  be  called  a  process  of  polisliing,  but  rather  of  grinding. 

7.  After  all  this  is  finished,  the  same  plates  of  glass  are 
polished  by  means  of  emery,  which  is  of  a  red  colour  and  of  a 
coarser  substance.  The  plates  of  glass  are  placed  for  this  pur- 
|)Ose  upon  other  similar  stones  and  they  are  fastened  to  them  in 
a  similar  manner;  and  by  means  of  the  same  machine  and  by 
the  same  reciprocal  motion,  i.  e.  by  a  continuous  motion  for- 
wards and  backwards,  the  polishing  is  accomplished;  one  glass 
rubbing  against  the  other  by  being  laid  upon  it,  and  both 
being  polished  at  the  same  time.  The  emery  is  dissolved  in 
water,  and  by  means  of  a  sponge  or  the  hand  is  poured  upon 
the  lower  plate  of  glass ;  the  upper  plate  is  also  during  this 
operation  turned  in  all  directions,  so  that  the  polishing  is 
performed  lengthways  and  sideways,  as  well  as  in  all  other 
directions.     This  work  is  usually  accomplished  in  three  days. 

8.  After  the  plates  of  glass  have  thus  been  worked  upon  and 
attenuated,  and  polished  for  the  first  time,  they  are  handed 
over  to  women,  who  in  a  similar  manner  place  two  plates  of 
glass  one  upon  the  other  and  move  them  to  and  fro  with  their 
right  hands  and  arms,  and  this  continuously  for  a  whole 
day,  putting  between  the  two  plates  a  yellower  and  finer  emery 
which  comes  in  the  form  of  cones.  9.  Lastly  this  plate  under- 
goes another  process  of  polishing;  it  is  placed  in  another  but 
similar  machine,  and  during  this  last  or  sixth  time  a  red  earth 
is  interposed,  which  is  called  English  earth;  and  seems  to  be 
a  sort  of  bole,  of  a  red  colour,  but  very  fine,  oily,  and  smooth. 
The    plate    has    this    time    a  smaller   top-plate  applied   to  it, 


28        SWEDENBORG'S  TBAVELS  AXD  DIARIES.    [Doc.205. 

which  cannot  be  revolved  in  every  direction,  but  which  is 
drawn  lengthways  up  and  down  the  glass ;  the  red  English 
earth  dissolved  in  water  being  constantly  applied  to  it.  This 
operation  generally  lasts  twelve  hours.  Meanwhile  the  plate 
of  glass  appears  perfectly  polished  and  smooth,  and  is  reduced 
to  the  required  thickness,  and  ready  for  being  converted  into 
a  mirror.  This  last  machine  is  arranged  like  the  former  with 
the  difference  that  the  upper  grinder  is  smaller. 

With  respect  to  the  fastening  of  the  foil  to  the  glass, 
that  a  mirror  may  be  produced,  this  is  done  in  the 
following  way:  1.  Tables  of  marble  or  stone  are  provided  of 
the  proper  size,  and  of  such  a  quality,  that  they  can  be 
polished  in  the  best  style;  otherwise  glass  tables  answer  the 
purpose;    these   tables   are   furnished  Avith    a    rim    all  round. 

2.  Tin-foil  is  required,  so  thin,  that  one  hundred  foils  placed 
above   one   another   are   scarcely   half   an    inch   in    thickness. 

3.  This  tin-foil  is  spread  on  the  table  and  quick-silver  poured 
upon  it ;  and  these  amalgamate.  Upon  this  the  plate  of  glass 
is  placed,  and  upon  the  glass,  weights;  in  the  middle  weights 
of  brick  and  on  the  sides  weights  of  lead;  with  these  the  plate 
of  glass  is  thoroughly  loaded.  4.  In  this  condition  it  is  left 
for  a  whole  night.  The  tin  and  quick-silver  are  meanwhile 
amalgamated;  the  tin  disappears,  and  they  are  both  attached 
to  the  glass  and  remain  firmly  united  to  it,  and  thus  the  plate 
of  glass  is  converted  into  a  mirror.  5.  The  superfluous  part 
of  mercury  flows  off  of  its  own  accord;  but  in  case  any  of 
it  still  adhere,  the  mirrors  are  now  raised  obliquely,  and 
all  the  superfluous  metal,  which  would  still  have  remained, 
flows  off.  6.  The  foiling  of  cut  glass  shall  now  be  described. 
For  lately  a  process  has  been  discovered  by  which  figures  are 
cut  on  the  back  of  a  plate  of  glass,  so  as  to  produce  the 
appearance  of  the  engraving  being  on  the  front.  In  order 
that  the  foil  may  enter  into  these  excavations  and  folds,  the 
plate  is  put  back  again  upon  a  layer  made  of  cloth  of  Indian 
wool,  folded  several  times,  and  upon  this  some  weights  are 
laid,  so  that  the  foil  may  enter  more  readily  into  the  incisions 
and  excavations  made  upon  the  glass. 

With  respect  to  the  attenuation  of  tin  into  foil  the  follow- 
ing particulars  may   be  mentioned:     1.  For  this  purpose  only 


Doc.  205.]      SWEDEXBORG'S  TRAVELS  1X173?,.  20 

the  tin  ■svhich  comes  from  the  East  Indies  is  used ;  the  Saxon 
tin  is  said  to  be  unfit  for  this  purpose,  because  it  breaks  into 
pieces  under  the  hammer,  and  becomes  wrinkled,  so  that  it  is 
impossible  to  obtain  from  it  a  continuous  leaf  or  foil.     2.  After 
the   tin   has  been  poured  out  into   thin   sheets,    and  cut  into 
square  pieces,  the  workman  pounds  it  continuously,  until  at  last 
he  is    able  to  pass  one  hundred  at  the  same  time  under  his 
hammer;  he  strikes  the  tin  leaves  but  lightly  with  his  hammer. 
At  last  a  leaf,  which  at  first  measured  only  six  inches  square, 
is  beaten  and  attenuated  so  much,  that  it  measures  from  one 
and    a  half  to   two   ells   square.     3.  The  working  out  of  one 
hundred  of  such  leaves,  is  said  to  occujiy  from  tive  to  six  weeks. 
July  8.     I    perused    the    first    part    of    a    work    entitled: 
Bihlwtltcqiie  Jtaligiie;  ou  Histoire  Littcraire  de  I' Italic,  which 
treats    of  the  following:    In    the  first    volume   the  writers  on 
Italian  history  are   reviewed.     The  editors    are   said   to  be  a 
society  consisting  of  sixteen  persons.     The  laws  of  the  Lango- 
bards    in  Italy   are   tirst  discussed,    from  which  it  is    thought 
the   manners   of  peoples  may    be  known.      These   laws    were 
passed  in  G38,  and  they  were  long  in  vogue  in  Italy;  they  con- 
tinued until  the  year  1137,  when  Lothair  II  was  emperor.     At 
that  time  three  codes  of  laws  were  in  existence:    the  Roman, 
the  Salian,   and  the  Langobardian.     It  is   questionable,  how- 
ever, whether  they  are  as  yet  so  far  abrogated,  that  no  judg- 
ment  may  be  passed  in  accordance  Avith  them.     The  Lango- 
bardian   laws,    or   the  laws   of  Lombardy,    have    been    edited 
several  times,   and  they   are  similar  in  tenor  to   the  laws  of 
the  northern  nations,   e.  g.  they  permit  duels  with  staves,  &c. 
"When  a  wife  is  killed  without  a  just  cause,  a  fine  is  inflicted; 
a  natural  son  also  inherits  a  share,  &c.   It  is  worth  investigat- 
ing,  ivlietJier  the  ancient  Swedish  laivs  coincide  with  these,  or 
not;  and  what  difference  there  was  hetiueen  them;  from  which 
it  may  he  deduced  ivhether   the  Goths  in  conjunction  luith  the 
Germans  sidijiujated  Itahj. 

July  10.  At  the  house  of  Secretary  Iliiger  I  saw  Wolf 's^^ 
Cosmologia  generalis ;  he  endeavours  to  establish  the  nature 
of  the  elements  from  merely  metaphysical  principles ;  his  theory 
is  based  on  sound  Foundations. 

Afterwards  I  read   La  Bihliotheque  Italiqiie  for  the  year 


30      JSWEDENBOBG'S  TBA  VELS  AND  DIARIES.    [Doc.  205 . 

1728,  and  there  I  found  a  review  of  Michael  Mercati's  Metallu- 
theca,  where  it  is  stated  that  Albertus  Magnus  [who  died  in 
1280],  is  the  only  one  who  in  former  centuries  published  any 
methodical  treatise  upon  minerals;  that  he  was  followed  by 
Camillus  Leonardi  in  the  sixteenth  century,  and  also  by 
Mathiole  Fallopius,  Valerius  Cordo,  and  Agricola,  of  whom 
the  latter  was  most  successful.  Mercati  studied  with  An- 
dreas Cffisalpinus,  and  died  in  1593;  his  work,  however,  was 
published  after  his  death  by  Pope  Clement  XI;  120  years 
after  the  death  of  the  author  M.  Lancisi  added  notes  to  it. 
The  contents  of  the  book  are  as  follows:  1.  The  earths; 
2.  Salt  and  saltpetre;  3.  Alum;  4.  Acid  and  acrid  juices, 
vitriol,  orpiment,  and  sandarach;  5.  The  bituminous  juices; 
6.  Marine  plants ;  7.  Stones  which  are  similar  to  earths ; 
8.  The  stone  bezoar;  9.  Figured  stones;  10.  Marble.  The 
author  intended  to  prepare  a  second  volume  on  the  spars,  the 
precious  stones,  gold,  silver,  copper,  &c.;  but  his  death  pre- 
vented its  accompHshment. 

The  anatomist  Bianchi  has  published  several  anatomical 
disputations,  in  which  he  has  explained  the  mechanism  of  the 
human  body.  He  is  desirous  of  publishing  in  Turin  two 
volumes  in  folio,  on  all  the  parts  of  the  human  body  and  their 
mechanism,  with  reference  to  their  diseases  and  cures. 

Jean  Jerome  Zannichelli  has  published  in  Venice  a  natui'al 
history  of  the  island  which  is  contiguous  to  Venice.  Last 
year  he  published  an  excellent  dissertation  on  iron  and  a 
certain  crystalline  salt  without  taste  which  is  extracted  from 
iron,  and  on  the  preparation  of  its  snow  [i.  e.  on  the  exsic- 
cation of  that  salt].  He  mentions  many  particulars  concerning 
this  metal  incidentally. 

July  11.  I  perused  Peter  Horrebow's  Clavis  Astronomice 
(The  Key  of  Astronomy),  published  in  Copenhagen  in  1730, 
where  I  found  nothing  to  notice  except  some  hypotheses  of 
no  value;  he  quotes,  however,  several  experiments  made  by 
others,  which  are  worthy  of  notice,  viz.  1.  The  celebrated 
Teichmejer,  the  weather  being  very  hot  and  the  sky  perfectly 
serene,  filled  a  glass  cylinder  with  ice  and  common  salt,  the 
same  being  quite  dry  on  the  outside,  and  exposed  it  to  the 
air.     In  the  space  of  an  hour  he  noticed  that  a  crust  of  ice, 


Doc.  205.]      SWEDENBORG'S  TRA VELS  IN  1733.  31 

very  much  like  hoar-frost,  had  formed  on  the  outside  of  the 
glass  to  the  thickness  of  more  than  the  little  tinger.  2.  He 
hlled  to  a  certain  point  a  phial  \vith  most  refined  oil  of  vitriol, 
and  afterwards  noticed  that  the  quantity  of  the  liquid  increased 
in  the  driest  and  hottest  days.  3.  A  pendulum  wiiich  vihratcs 
a  second  in  Paris  is  3  feet  8,556  lines  long,  but  under  the 
equator  it  is  2  lines  shorter.  The  author  formed  a  table  of 
the  length  of  the  pendulum  for  every  latitude  : 

Under  latitude     0  its  length  must  be  3  feet,  6.823  lines, 


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9.881 

July  12.  I  again  visited  the  orange  garden,  or  the  botanic 
garden,  and  noticed  there:  1.  A  palm-tree  with  its  bark, 
leaves,  and  fruit;  2.  An  Egyptian  acacia  with  its  thorns; 
3.  The  slriiim  Judaiciim ;  4.  A  tall  dragon-tree  with  an  un- 
even stem;  5.  The  tree  on  which  coffee  berries  grow;  their 
outer  portion  is  eatable,  in  their  interior  the  beans  lie  con- 
cealed; 6.  An  orange-tree,  the  circumference  of  which  is  two 
ells,  its  weight  ten  hundred-weight,  and  its  length  two  ells. 
The  trunks  are  transported  from  Italy  without  roots  and  leaves, 
both  being  cut  off;  it  is  placed  in  a  pot  with  earth  and  tied 
round  with  moss,  and  after  a  year  the  trunk  throws  out  roots, 
and  produces  twigs  and  leaves. 

I  deemed  it  useful  to  extract  the  following  from  the  Biblio- 
theca  Italica  concerning  the  mode  in  which  Mr.  AVoodward 
classifies  the  minerals,  salts,  metals,  and  earths.  He  does  it 
in  the  French  language,  as  follows:  [As  this  classification, 
which  is  contained  in  the  Bihliotheca  Italica,  Vol.  II,  p.  117 
is  entirely  out  of  date,  we  do  not  deem  it  necessary  to  trans- 
late it  for  the  benefit  of  our  readers.  Swedenborg  closes  his 
extract  with  the  following  description  of  a  meteor :]  With 
respect  to  the  meteor  which  was  seen  at  Venice  in  the  year 


32        SWEDENBORG'S  TEA VELS  AND  DIABIES.  [Doc.  205. 

1719,  it  is  said,  that  various  colours  appeared  in  the  sky,  a 
certain  flamy  something,  a  ball  from  which  smoke  proceeded,  &c. : 
from  all  of  which  circumstances  it  is  surmised  that  it  was 
some  kind  of  sulphur.  Another  declares,  that  the  chemists 
are  able  to  exhibit  similar  phenomena,  as  dragons,  fire-balls, 
which  are  made  by  mixing  sulphur,  salt-petre,  camphor,  and 
petroleum,  and  by  saturating  the  mixture  with  spirits  of  wine , 
and  afterwards  by  evaporation. 

July  13.  Mention  is  made  in  the  Bihliotlieca  Italica*  of 
anatomists ;  as,  for  instance,  of  M.  Ruysch,  of  Holland,  and  of 
M.  des  Noues,  who  constructs  the  bodily  organs  of  wax. 
M.  Bianchi  has  made  an  arrangement  in  anatomy,  that  every- 
thing may  be  laid  open  and  seen  without  any  ill  scent;  and, 
indeed,  so  naturally,  that  the  whole  body  of  a  woman  being 
dissected  beforehand  is  opened  in  a  moment,  the  skin  is  drawn 
off.  all  the  arteries  and  nerves  are  exposed,  and  the  interior 
organs  are  examined  in  their  natural  position,  the  womb  with 
the  foetus,  and  many  other  things;  all  of  which  can  at  once 
be  put  together  again.  He  has  made  most  exact  delineations 
of  the  organ  of  hearmg  and  of  sight,  where  also  the  mechanism 
of  sight  and  the  influx  of  the  ether  are  demonstrated.  In  like 
manner  he  has  made  most  exquisite  carvings  of  the  veins,  the 
brain,  and  the  nerves. 

From  the  paper  of  Francisco  Travagini  on  the  earthquakes 
of  Italy  [the  following  particulars  are  extracted].  The  times 
that  precede  and  follow  the  equinoxes  are  the  seasons  at  which 
earthquakes  occur ;  the  vibration  is  made  from  the  east  to  the 
west,  and  vice  versa,  as  may  be  noticed  by  those  who  are 
standing;  it  appears  also  from  the  waves  and  the  canals,  from 
the  houses  and  other  buildings,  and  the  swinging  lamps  and 
bells  therein.  It  was  noticed  that  this  reciprocal  motion  is 
always  joined  with  a  lateral  vibration,  but  not  near  the  place 
where  the  earthquake  occurs ;  this  motion  or  this  vibration 
diminishes  according  to  distance ;  the  vibration  may  be  felt  in 
places  which  are  far  distant. 

M.  Eizzetti  has  published  "A  system  of  colours,  with  his  ob- 
jections to  Newton,"  in  Latin,  at  Treviso,  8yo. 

*  Vol.  m,  p.  63. 


JJoc.  2( ).j.]       S  WEDEXBORG'S  TRA  VELS  IN  1733.  33 

M.  Bourguet:  Lettres  philosopliiques  sur  la  formation  des 
sets  et  des  cristaux,  et  sur  la  generation  et  le  mecanisme  des 
plantes  et  des  animatix,  a  Voccasion  de  la  pierre  Belemnite  et 
de  la  piei-re  lentindaire,  avec  un  memoire  sur  la  theorie  de  la 
terre  (Philosophical  letters  on  the  formation  of  salts  and 
crystals,  and  on  the  generation  and  the  mechanism  of  plants 
and  animals,  on  the  occasion  of  the  belemnite  stone  and  the 
lenticular  stone,  with  a  paper  on  the  theory  of  the  earth); 
the  author  is  a  Genevese;  the  book  was  printed  by  I'Honore 
in  Amsterdam,  1729. 

N.  B.  Le  Journal  latin  de  I'academie  des  curieux  de  la 
nature  (The  Latin  journal  of  the  Academy  of  the  investigators 
of  nature) ;  likewise  Le  Journal  des  savans  de  Venise  (Journal 
of  the  learned  of  Venice). 

Hepj)eri  et  Plwsplwri  nova  pJtcenomena,  sen  dbservaiiones  circa 
planetam  Veneris  (Mew  phenomena  of  the  evening  and  morning 
star,  or  observations  concerning  the  planet  Venus),  by  Fran- 
cisco Blanchini  of  Verona,  with  ten  figures,  92  pages,  folio, 
B,ome.*  There  are  spots  on  this  planet  as  on  the  moon,  which 
are  perhaps  oceans;  it  appeared  through  the  telescope  112  times 
larger  than  to  the  naked  eye.  These  spots  followed  in  order 
and  vanished  on  account  of  the  diurnal  motion  of  the  planet. 
As  the  equator  is  differently  situated  there,  it  produces  a 
change  in  the  observation  of  the  spots ;  the  poles  are  in  a 
perpendicular  plane  in  respect  to  the  ecliptic,  and  are  in  the 
direction  of  the  centre  of  the  sun.  There  was  a  certain  spot 
which  remained,  while  the  others  revolved;  that  spot  was  in 
the  middle.  The  north-pole  appeared  sul)sequently ;  it  had  the 
appearance  of  a  semi-circle.  Its  equator  seemed  most  oblique 
towards  the  plane  of  the  orb,  and  the  axis,  around  which  it 
revolved,  seemed  to  incline  much  to  that  plane,  which  is  the 
same  as  our  ecliptic,  about  3^  degrees;  the  angle  formed  by 
the  axis  in  that  plane  is  about  15  degrees.  On  account  of 
the  great  obliquity  of  its  equator  in  respect  to  its  orbit  or 
orb,  a  great  diversity  in  the  seasons  of  spring,  autumn,  etc. 
results.  For  the  sun  recedes  75  degrees  from  the  equator  on 
both  sides.      The  planet  Mars,  however,  is  constantly  in  a  state 

*  See  Bibliotheque  Italique,  Vol.  YII,  p.  82. 


34      SWEDENBORG'S  TRAVELS  AND  DIARIES.     [Doc.  205. 

of  equinox.  The  daily  revolution  of  the  planet  Venus  accord- 
ing to  the  common  opinion  is  23  hours,  see  Cassini,  Gregory, 
Keil,  Whiston.  According  to  the  observation  of  the  author, 
however,  it  lasts  24  days  and  8  hours,  or  584  hours.  The 
planet  Jupiter,  however,  revolves  more  quickly  than  our  earth. 
The  planet  Yenus  is  removed  from  the  earth  about  8000  of 
the  earth's  semi-diameters. 

Concerning  the  learned  men  of  Italy  the  following  statement 
is  made  in  the  Bihliotlieqiie  Itdlique,  for  the  year  1730,  part  III, 
[Vol.  IX,  p.  187]:  Bonav.  Cavalieri  is  said  to  have  first  invented 
the  calculus  of  infinites  published  in  a  book,  in  1653,  with 
this  title :  Geometria  indivisihilibiis  continuorum  nova  quadam 
ratione  promota.  The  same  is  almost  confessed  by  M.  Fonte- 
nelle;  some  attribute  it  to  Newton,  and  others  to  Leibnitz. 
The  former  of  these,  however,  confesses,  that  this  is  due  to 
M.  Viette.  Cavalieri's  disciples  wrote  the  same  thing;  as  Pietro 
Mengoli  in  1659,  in  a  work  entitled:  Geometrice  speciosce  ele- 
menta;  and  likewise  Etienne  de  Angelis,  who  wrote  on  the  in- 
finite parabolas.  Afterwards  Grandi  also  wrote  concerning 
"The  Infinites  of  Infinites;"  and  subsequently  others,  as  Aless- 
andro  Marchetti,  Paolo  Mattia  Doria,  Giacinto  Cristofori, 
Antonio  Monforte,  Francesco  Spoleti,  Giuseppe  Sassi,  Lorenzo 
Lorenzini,  Count  Fagnani,  and  many  others  skilled  in  that 
science. 

In  hydrostatics  Marquis  Poleni  wrote  concerning  structures 
(castella)  through  which  the  waiters  of  rivers  pass,  the  sides  of 
which  structures  converge;  he  made  also  new  experiments  on 
flowing  water,  and  on  the  forces  of  percussion;  further  Thomaso 
Narducci,  and  Antonio  Michelotti  who  treated  of  the  separation 
of  fluids  in  the  living  body,  and  [who  wrote  also  against  the 
book  of  Jurinus,  which  bears  the  title]*  De  motit  aquarum 
fluentium  (On  the  motion  of  flowing  water);  observations  were 
likewise  made  by  Corradi  and  Manfredi. 

In  dioptrics  Giovanni  Rizzetti  invented  many  things;  he 
also  called  attention  to  many  errors  in  Newton. 

With  respect  to  astronomy,  geography,  and  navigation  there 
were  not  many   Italians  who   cultivated  these  sciences;    still 

*  See  BiUiotheque  Italique,  Vol.  IX,  p.  201. 


Doc.  205.]      S WEDENB ORG 'S  TBA  YELS  IN  1 733.  35 

some  interesting  things  are  furnished  by  Giuseppe  Nardi, 
Eustacliio  Manfredi,  Blanchini,  Marquis  Poleni  and  also  Gae- 
tano  Fontana. 

In  physics,  anatomy,  and  medicine  there  were  Galilei, 
Toricelli,  Borelli  and  Castelli,  who  first  treated  on  the  mechan- 
ism of  fluids;  Castelli  "della  misura  dell'  acque  correnti"  (on 
the  measurement  of  flowing  water).  Vallisnieri  in  respect  to 
the  seminal  animalcules  is  of  the  opposite  opinion  of  Leuwen- 
hoek,  Hartsoeker  and  Audry.  Further  Malpighi,  Bellini,  and 
Redi  in  anatomy  and  natural  history ;  Jacinto  Cestoni  on  the 
origin  of  insects ;  Giovanni  Battista  Morgagni  wrote  anatomical 
miscellanies  (adversaria).  Giovanni  Maria  Lancisi  had  respect 
to  medicine  in  his  physical  experiments  with  the  aid  of  geo- 
metry. Again  there  was  Ramazzini  in  medicine ;  likewise 
Guglielmini,  Domenico  Sangenito,  Felice  Stochetti,  Giacinto 
^^5gli,  Domenico  Mistichelli,  and  Pietro  Antonio  Michelotti. 
Ant.  Maria  Vasalvo  treated  of  the  human  ear  in  1704. 
Giovanni  Fantoni,  Bernardo  Trevisano,  Genaro  Pisani,  Giov. 
Battista  Mazino,  Francesco  Gogrossi,  Zanichelli,  Bart.  Boschetti, 
Luigi  della  Fabra,  Conti,  Luigi  Ferd.  Marsigli,  Aless.  Pascoli, 
Giov.  Battista  Felice,  and  Constantino  Grimaldi.  Riccato  treated 
on  the  proportion  of  objects  and  the  mechanism  of  the  senses. 

Painting.  The  first  who  imparted  life  to  paintings  was 
Giotto.  Afterwards  in  the  sixteenth  century  there  was  Raphael, 
who  died  in  his  thirty-seventh  year;  afterwards  Coreggio  and 
Titian.  The  last  century  began  with  Cignani,  and  after  him 
Carlo  Maratti.  The  present  century  also  has  illustrious  paint- 
ers :  Franceschini ,  Solimeni,  Giuseppe  del  Sole,  Barino, 
Celesti,  Viani,  Santi  Pauli,  Bellucci,  Gambarini,  Gabbiani, 
Pietro  Leon  Ghezzi.  In  perspective  painting  Pozzi,  Cavazzoni, 
Castellini.  Bistega  and  Bibieni  had  not  their  equals.  Those 
who  maintained  the  fame  of  the  school  of  Cignani  were  Felice 
Cignano,  Bonaventura  Lamberti,  Ludovico  Antonia  David.  Of 
Maratti's  school  arc :  Antonio  Balestra  and  Girolamo  Odamo. 
Of  Franceschini's  school  is  Domenico  Tempesti.  Of  the  school 
of  Giuseppe  del  Sole  are  Felice  ToreUi  and  Giuseppe  Mazzoni. 

The  first  in  sculpture  were  Margaritone,  Andrea  Pisani, 
and  Pietro  Cavallino;  in  the  last  century,  Antonio  Lombardo, 
Alessandro  Algardi,  and  especially  Bernini;   in  the  sixteenth 

3* 


36       SWEDE}^B ORG'S  TRAVELS  AND  DIARIES.    [Doc.  205. 

century,  Paolo  Romano,  Leonardo  Sormano,  Bavio  Pandinello. 
At  present  there  are  Gian.  Battista  Foggini,  Giuseppe  Mazzoli, 
Giuseppe  Mazza,  Girolamo  Odamo,  and  Giuseppe  Piamontini. 
There  are  several  families  of  sculptors  from  Rovetta. 

Architecture  was  cultivated  by  Bramante,  Baroccio,  Serlio, 
Sansovino,  Fontana;  these  all  derived  their  art  from  Michael 
Angelo  Buonarotti,  who  possessed  it  in  a  wonderful  manner. 
First  of  all,  however,  it  was  revived  by  Leon  Battista  Alberti 
and  Brunellesca.  At  the  present  day  it  has  been  filled  with 
new  ideas  chiefly  by  Borromini ;  at  the  present  day  there  are 
also  Carlo  Fontana  and  Foggini. 

July  15.  The  Transactions  of  the  Academy  of  Sciences 
at  Bologna  are  printed  by  Lelio  de  Vulpi,  under  this  title: 
De  Bononiensi  scientiarum  et  artiiim  instituto,  atque  Academics 
commeutarii,  Bononise,  1731.  The  first  part  contains  the  history 
of  the  Academy;  a  list  of  its  members,  and  what  sciences 
were  investigated  by  it.  The  second  part  contains  the  trans- 
actions from  the  beginning  of  the  Academy  to  the  year  1724; 
it  is  divided  into  nine  sections,  all  of  which  have  respect  to 
iNlatural  Philosophy,  and  comprise  Chemistry,  Anatomy,  Medi- 
cine, Physics,  Mechanics,  Analysis,  Geography,  Astronomy, 
Meteorology ;  Bologna,  4to. 

Something  is  worth  noting  in  the  letters  of  Poleni  of 
Padua  to  some  of  the  learned:*  1.  He  often  saw  Mercury  in 
the  solar  disc;  upon  entering  it  was  first  of  an  oval,  and  after- 
wards of  a  round  form;  Avhich  is  a  sign  that  it  is  surrounded 
by  an  atmosphere.  The  Parisians,  however,  maintain  that 
Mercury  has  been  perfectly  round  even  upon  entering.  Mer- 
cury appeared  on  the  sun  as  a  minute  spot,  equal  to  the  size 
of  ten  lines.  2.  Concerning  the  velocity  of  water  which  is 
bursting  out.  Through  an  opening  of  three  lines  in  the  dia- 
meter, from  the  height  of  thirteen  feet,  691  cubic  inches  of 
water  flow  out  in  one  minute;  upon  being  calculated  as  a 
cylinder,  the  water  is  equivalent  to  a  cylinder  of  1173  feet, 
the  base  of  which  has  a  diameter  of  three  lines.  If,  however, 
the  body  falls  in  a  vacuum  from  the  height  of  thirteen  feet, 
on  account   of  the  velocity  which  it  acquires,  it  can  run  over 

*  See  Bibliotheque  Italique,  Vol.  XI,  p.  8. 


Doc.  205.]       S  WEDENBOBG'S  TEA  VELS  IX 1733.  37 

a  distance  of  1680  feet.  The  author  instituted  also  an  experi- 
ment for  the  same  height  of  thirteen  feet,  the  diameter  of  the 
opening  being  three  lines:  in  the  thinnest  kind  of  a  lamina  of 
iron,  607  cubic  inches  flow  out;  in  a  copper  lamina,  but  in 
the  form  of  a  trunk  (sed  triinci  instar),  713  cubic  inches  flow 
out.  After  a  cylindrical  tube  of  the  length  of  thirteen  lines 
was  atiixed  to  the  opening,  809  cubic  inches  of  water  flowed 
out  in  the  same  time ;  after  the  tube  had  been  shortened  and 
made  of  a  conical  shape,  889  cubic  inches  flowed  out;  after  it 
was  shortened  still  more,  so  that  it  was  only  seven  lines  long, 
907  cubic  inches  flowed  out.  After  these  are  reduced  into  the 
velocities  acquired,  the  following  ratios  are  obtained:  1030, 
1064,  1210,  1373,  150S,  and  1536  feet.  The  title  of  Buteonus' 
Ijook  is  here  added,*  De  fiuentium  aquarum  mensura  (On  the 
measurement  of  flowing  water),  with  notes,  1554. 

Borelli  has  written  concerning  the  motion  of  animals;  he 
has  opened  a  wide  field  for  mathematics  and  medicine.  Ber- 
nouilli  also  has  instituted  many  investigations  into  the  motion 
of  the  muscles.  Vercelloni  [has  written  a  work  with  this  title] : 
Psycliologia,  sou  motuwn  animalium  et  rcciprocorum  machince 
animalis  tlieoria  medica,  omnes  Immanos  actus  autoptica  etfacili 
(jiiamvis  hactcnus  inaudita  methodo  explanans  (Psychology,  or 
a  medical  theory  respecting  the  motions  of  animals  and  the 
reciprocal  motions  of  the  animal  machine,  by  which  all  human 
actions  or  motions  are  explained  to  the  sight  and  by  an  easy, 
although  hitherto  unheard  of,  method),  Asti. 

July  20.  In  the  company  of  Messrs.  Michaeli  and  Biiger 
I  was  in  the  museum  of  natural  history.  There  I  flrst  examined 
a  great  variety  of  petrifactions  of  all  kinds,  in  slate,  lime-stone, 
and  white  clay.  Six  Ilmenau  specimens  which  were  always  in 
a  central  (nucleari)  or  round  stone;  there  were  also  so-called 
eagle-stones  (cetites),  Florentine  dendrites,  and  others;  figured 
crystalline  stones  of  various  kinds.  Of  the  vegetable  king- 
dom there  were  more  than  400  species  of  wood;  four  statues 
of  cypress  wood,  which  were  very  fragrant ;  corals  of  a  diversity 
in  kind  and  in  colour.  Of  the  animal  kingdom,  animals  of 
every  kind,  with   their  skeletons;   among  which  was  one  of  a 

*  See  Bibliotheque  Italique,  Vol.  XII.  p.  19. 


38       S  WEDENB ORG'S  TBA  VELS  AND  DIARIES.    [Doc.  205. 

stag  formed  of  nothing  but  burnt  horns  (cervus  ex  x^ure  cor- 
nuhus  ustis  f actus?) ;  a  horse  with  an  extremely  long  tail,  and 
animal  skeletons.  Among  the  anatomical  subjects  I  saw  a 
human  skull  of  very  great  thickness;  various  kinds  of  stones 
taken  from  animals  and  human  beings;  a  bearded  virgin;  an 
infant  with  a  great  head;  a  living  [i.  e.  moving]  mechanism 
of  the  organs,  nerves,  and  the  interior  muscles.  Of  the  mineral 
kingdom,  large  pieces  of  native  gold  in  lumps,  as  well  as  in 
thin  leaves;  likewise  native  silver;  ores  of  all  kinds  of  metals; 
of  copper  I  saw  crude  copper;  of  iron,  native  iron,  its  flowers 
of  various  kinds;  large  pieces  of  schist  and  blood-stone,  and 
a  magnet  of  great  power;  cobalt  of  most  beautiful  red  fibres; 
the  best  amber  of  various  colours,  Avhite,  dendritic,  with  in- 
cisions or  stripes  (cu7n  insectis),  wavy,  and  in  large  pieces; 
shells  of  every  kind.  Many  shells  of  various  kinds  are  also  in 
the  so-called  grotto  or  cave.  In  astronomy  I  saw  large  lenses 
or  burning  glasses,  instruments  [for  astronomical  purposes], 
convex  mirrors,  and  a  large  time-piece. 

July  21.  I  departed  for  Prague  in  Bohemia,  where  I 
arrived  on  the  23rd  of  July,  after  passing  through  only  two 
rather  small  towns,  Budin  and  "Welwarn. 

July  23.  I  reached  Prague,  where  I  stayed  at  a  house 
or  hotel,  near  the  custom-house, [?]  called  Tein. 

I  took  a  walk  through  Prague  to  have  a  look  at  the 
city,  and  went  1.  To  the  bridge  over  the  river  Moldau,  which 
consists  of  eighteen  arches ;  there  are  statues  of  various  kinds 
upon  it,  and  at  both  ends  towers  where  the  balls  fired  by  the 
Swedes  in  1648  are  still  visible.  I  visited  the  cathedral  of 
St.  Vitus  where  I  saw  the  tomb  of  the  martyr  Sobieslaw,  on 
each  side  of  which  is  a  silver  altar;  over  the  tomb  are  silver 
lamps,  and  above  them  a  heart  of  wrought  gold;  there  is  also 
another  altar  on  the  side  of  pure  gold.  Around  the  altar  is 
an  immense  number  of  sacrificial  gifts  or  offerings  of  silver; 
such  as  hearts,  feet,  urns,  and  a  thousand  other  objects.  Out- 
side the  church  a  tower,  by  no  means  inconsiderable,  may  be 
seen,  and  a  painting,  which  occupies  almost  a  whole  side,  and, 
although  it  has  been  exposed  to  the  rain  for  ten  years,  is 
still  uninjured.  I  have  not  yet  succeeded  in  seeing  the  chapel 
of  St.  Wenceslaus  and  the  relics.   3.  I  entered  the  archbishop's 


Doc.  205.]       S WEDENB ORG'S  TEA  VEL S  IX  1 733.  39 

house;    4.  Likewise  the   magnificent  palaces  of  others,   dukes 
and  counts.     5.  I  visited  the  church  of  St.  Loretto  or  of  the 
Franciscans;  the  church  itself  is  small,  and  is  surrounded  by- 
cloisters  studded  Avith  paintings,  chapels,  and  altars.    6.  There, 
in  St.  Loretto,  I  succeeded  in  seeing  their  treasury,  where  are 
monstrances,  urns,  crosses,  vessels,  hearts,  altar  ornaments,  &c. 
of  massive  silver;    there  were   also  many  articles  of  gold.     In 
one  monstrance  was  such  a  collection  of  pearls,   that  I  could 
not   sufHciently  admire  it;    one    pearl  was   so  large,   that  its 
value    could  not  be  estimated;   there  were  several  others  like 
it,   but   irregular ;  there   was  one  large  pearl  suspended  from 
it  which  was  perfectly  round ;  besides  many  others.     One  mon- 
strance, however,  the  present  of  a  countess,  .surpassed  all  the 
others;  it  consisted  of  6666  diamonds,  many  of  which  were  so 
large  as  to  be  worth  from  2000  to  3000  imperial  thalers ;  the 
whole  monstrance,    however,  must  have   cost   from  150,000  to 
200,000   florins,    or    from   75,000   to    100,000  imperial  thalers. 
But  the  whole  treasure  must  represent  a  value  of  from  600,000 
to    800,000    imperial    thalers.      I   saw    also   the   building  [die 
Burg,  the  castle],  where  the  assemblies  are  held  four  times  in 
the  year;  likewise  the  place  where  three  men  were  thrown  out 
of   a   window   and   fell    down    unharmed;    three    columns   are 
erected  tliere;    there   is   also   a  bronze  statue  of  St.  George", 
which  is  most  skilfully  cast  and  life-like.     From  this  place  I 
could  obtain  a  view  of  the  whole  city,  which  is  very  large.    I 
saw  also  the  place  where  the  women  fought  against  the  married 
men ;  the  palace  and  fortified  castle,  where  Lobomisia,[?]  the 
mother    of  Wenceslaus,*    with  her   carriage    and  horses,    fell 
through  the  earth  and  was  swallowed  up;  besides  many  other 
things.     7.  Afterwards  I  went  to  see  the  Church  of  St.  Nicho- 
las   or    of   the    Jesuits,    with  their  house;  they   have  several 
churches  and  splendid  edifices.     In  the  town  of  Prague  there 
are   more   than  a  hundred  churches  and   fifty  monasteries;  it 
contains   about  80,000  iiihaljitants.     8.   I  passed  through  the 
market-place  and  the  quarter  where  the  Jews  live ;  everytliing 
there   was    unclean  and  filthy.      9.  From  the  mountain  where 

*  Wenceslaus,   the   first   Christian  Duke   of  Bohemia,   was   the  son  of 
AVratislaw  and  Drakomira,  not  Lobomisia. 


40      S  WEDENB ORG'S  TEA  VELS  AND  DIARIES.    [Doc.  205. 

the  cathedral  rises,  the  whole  town  may  he  seen,  and  also 
that  church  which  preserves  the  wood  which  was  conveyed 
hither  by  the  devil  from  Rome.  10.  I  examined  also  the 
town-hall  with  its  curious  clock,  which  points  out  the  hours, 
and  also  the  lunar  periods ;  likewise  all  kinds  of  statues  placed 
in  various  parts  of  the  streets  and  public  squares. 

July  25.  I  was  in  the  monastery  of  the  Jesuits,  the 
"Jesuitencloster,"*  which  is  situated  in  the  old  toMTi  or  Alt- 
stadt,  where  I  first  of  all  admired  the  magnificence  of  the 
building  itself.  It  is  very  large,  equalling,  if  not  surpassing, 
the  palaces  of  kings;  it  has  numerous  passages,  leading  in 
every  direction,  both  in  the  loAver  and  the  higher  stories;  no 
palace  in  Prague  surpasses  it  in  size  and  splendour.  They 
have  likewise  a  gymnasium  [a  higher  school]  and  a  church. 
The  church  is  small  but  elegant;  its  columns  are  of  marble, 
as  well  those  which  are  round,  and  which  surround  the  altar, 
as  those  which  are  near  the  walls  and  in  the  outer  circum- 
ference about  the  altar.  No  marble  can  be  more  precious ; 
the  figures  in  it  play  delightfully  on  account  of  the  variety  of 
the  colours,  just  as  if  they  were  dendrites  from  Italy.  I  have 
never  seen  anything  more  beautiful  than  this  marble,  which  is 
said  to  have  been  quarried  in  Bohemia.  I  afterwards  entered 
their  mathematical  chamber,  where  I  saw  the  greatest  variety 
of  mathematical  instruments,  air-pumps,  &c.  What,  however, 
attracted  the  eye  most,  was  the  number  of  their  mechanical 
and  optical  contrivances ;  of  which  they  had  a  large  stock,  where- 
with to  impose  upon  the  simple,  for  instance,  there  were  a 
machine  which  caused  a  young  man  to  beat  a  drum,  his  Hps 
and  eyes,  and  his  head  moving  at  the  same  time;  likewise 
artificial  balls  which  by  an  interior  mechanism  showed  the 
degrees  of  the  sun  in  the  ecliptic;  a  clock  which  not  only 
struck  the  hours,  but  also  played  melodies,  and  indicated  on 
a  globe  the  motion  of  the  sun,  and  over  what  regions  the  sun 
passed  in  the  meridian,  and  over  which  it  did  not  pass;  likewise 
what  the  time  is  everywhere.  There  were  also  paintings  which 
changed  their  countenances  by  machinery.  Through  holes  also 
men  could   be  seen  coming  up,  who  were  startled  when  the 

*  Now  the  so-called  Collegium  Clementinum. 


Doc.  205.J      SWEDENBORG'S  TRA  VELS  IN  1733.  41 

house  was  opened  Avithout  anybody  being  there  to  do  it.  In 
optics  they  had  camera)  obscurse  of  various  kinds,  the  glasses 
presenting  in  perspective  with  barking  dogs  the  most  varied 
scenes  of  real  life ;  further  some  caustic  mirrors,  and  likewise 
a  parabolical  metallic  mirror  of  copper  gilt.  There  were 
Chinese  letters  and  books ;  their  astronomical  figures  and 
artistic  paintings;  and  a  letter  written  by  their  emperor;  be- 
sides many  other  things,  the  sole  purpose  of  which  is  to  im- 
pose upon  those  who  are  simple.  They  have  also  a  splendid 
astronomical  tower.  I  entered,  too,  their  superb  library,  which 
consisted,  however,  only  of  old  books  and  old  manuscripts, 
dating  from  the  fathers  and  Euclid[?]  and  others.  The  place 
is  richly  decorated,  but  the  books  are  old,  and  mostly  of  the 
schoolmen.  They  showed  me  a  Bible  translated  from  the 
Latin  into  German  by  Riidiger,  and  published  in  Nuremberg 
in  1483,  or  thirty-four  years  before  Luther's  version.  After- 
wards I  saw  the  pictures  with  emblems,  which  they  expose  in- 
stead of  a  disputation,  so  that  they  may  be  defended  publicly. 

They  have  a  most  elegant  painting,  which  is  to  be  afiixcd 
to  the  walls.  They  are  very  busy;  besides  the  servants,  there 
are  two  hundred  in  that  building,  and  in  another  there  are 
about  two  hundred  more.  They  accept  only  such  as  are 
wealthy  and  talented. 

I  walked  thence  to  the  volcano,  or  to  the  place  where  I 
was  told  a  few  months  ago  the  fire  burst  out.  It  is  simply  an 
immense  congeries  of  dung,  earth,  dirt,  clay,  offal,  wood,  stalks, 
and  sticks,  which  had  been  collected  for  nearly  a  thousand 
years,  and  in  time  had  assumed  the  dimensions  of  an  enormous 
heap.  This  congeries  abounds  with  saltpetre  and  sulphur,  and 
if  water  is  added  to  it,  it  catches  fire.  This  may  appear  also 
from  the  consideration,  that  near  that  mountain  or  heap  a  house 
has  been  built,  where  saltpetre  is  boiled  out  of  that  earth  wliich 
seems  most  fit  for  the  purpose.  This  house  was  built  many 
years  ago,  and  much  of  the  soil  has  been  used  up;  so  that 
we  have  proof  positive  of  its  abounding  in  saltpetre  and 
sulphur. 

I  made  investigations  also  into  the  orders  of  monks ;  there 
are  chiefly  four.  The  Franciscans  have  a  grey  robe  of  the 
coarsest  kind,  tied  with  a  rope,   the  Benedictines  are  clothed 


42      SWEDENBOBG'S  TEA  VELS  AND  DIARIES.    [Doc.  205. 

in  white,  the  Jesuits  in  black,  and  the  Dominicans  in  white 
and  black. 

July  28.  I  saw  the  chapel  and  the  tomb  of  St.  "Wences- 
laus,  which  is  extremely  handsome;  its  walls  are  formed  of 
precious  stones,  such  as  jasper  and  other  transparent  stones ; 
which  are,  however,  set  in  a  crude  form;  they  are  of  red, 
purple,  reddish,  and  yellow. 

July  29.  I  travelled  from  Prague  to  Carlsbad,  which  is  a 
distance  of  fourteen  German  miles. 

July  30.  I  reached  Carlsbad,  respecting  which  I  may 
mention  the  following  particulars:  1.  It  is  surrounded  on  all 
sides  by  lofty  mountains,  consisting  of  common  grey  stone,  and 
covered  with  wood.  2.  There  are  openings  from  this  valley 
into  the  level  country  beyond  on  the  two  sides  only,  where  the 
river  flows  in  and  out.  3.  The  town,  which  is  not  large,  is 
situated  in  this  deep  valley,  in  the  bosom  of  so  many  tower- 
ing mountains.  4.  In  the  middle  of  the  town  is  a  very  hot 
spring,  which  bubbles  high  up,  and  is  of  a  very  high  tempera- 
ture. 5.  It  is  led  by  pipes  into  all  the  houses  situated  along 
the  banks  of  the  river,  where  hot  and  cold  baths  may  be  had. 

6.  There  is  another  spring  which  comes  right  out  of  the  moun- 
tain at  one  end  of  the  town,  and  the  water  of  which  is  tepid. 

7.  The  channel  of  the  spring  is  under  the  stream,  where  its 
rushing  may  be  heard.  Once  it  burst  out  there,  and  the  spring 
ceased  flowing  where  it  is  now,  until  after  a  great  deal  of 
labour  the  opening  was  filled  up  again.  8.  Where  the  spring 
flows  under  ground  there  are  the  thickest  kind  of  incrustations, 
like  stones,  through  which  it  flows  as  through  pipes.  9.  The 
petrifactions  or  incrustations  underground  are  of  a  snowy 
whiteness;  they  are  hard  and  compact,  and  can  be  polished; 
where  the  strata  are  exposed,  they  are  of  a  different  colour, 
and  can  also  be  poKshed.  Outside  the  water  all  these  in- 
crustations are  yellow,  and  are  either  harder  or  softer;  the 
nearer  they  are  to  the  mouth  of  the  spring  the  darker  and 
yellower  they  become.  10.  If  the  water  stands  still  a  film 
forms  upon  it,  which  is  very  shining.  It  consists  possibly  of 
dissolved  lime,  and,  when  collected,  serves  as  a  powder  for 
cleaning  the  teeth.  11.  The  water  tastes  saltish,  and  is  drunk 
very  freely ;  it  is  very  rarely  used  for  bathing,    on  account   of 


Doc.  205.]       SWEDENBORG'S  TRAVELS  IN  17.33.  43 

the  great  quantity  of  lime  it  contains,  -whicli  obstructs  the 
pores,  instead  of  opcnin;;  them,  as  water  generally  docs.  This 
is  the  reason  why  bathing  in  this  water  cannot  be  very  useful. 
Outside  the  town  are  iron-works,  and  also  a  paper-mill. 

August  6.  From  Carlsbad  I  journeyed  to  the  mining 
towns  which  are  situated  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Saxony; 
and  the  first  I  reached  was  Schlaggenwald,  a  small  town,  but 
rich  in  tin,  like  the  neighbouring  towns  of  Schihifeld  and 
Lauterbach.  These  towns  have  a  common  interest,  because 
they  are  in  one  neighbourhood,  and  all  yield  tin.  There  are 
several  mines  around  Schlaggenwald;  and,  indeed,  the  most 
important  mine  is  near  Schlaggenwald,  not  far  from  tlie  to.vn, 
whence  diverge  several  veins  and  ramifications.  Two  of  the 
mines  there  are  glandular,  the  Stockwerk,  and  likewise  one  at 
Schonfeld.  The  ores  from  the  Stockwerk,  and  from  the  veins 
running  out  thence  in  various  directions,  are  not  treated  in  the 
same  furnaces,  and  by  the  same  methods.  A  like  difference 
exists  in  the  method  of  fusing  the  tin  ore  pursued  at  Schlaggen- 
wald and  at  Schonfeld.  The  reason  given  is  that  there  is  a 
difference  in  the  veins  which  are  in  the  very  nucleus  or 
core  of  the  mine,  and  those  that  l^ranch  out  from  it.  The 
principal  difference  consists  in  the  construction  and  dimensions 
of  the  furnaces  and  the  blast  holes. 

The  mines  are  deep;  at  Schonfeld  they  reach  to  a  depth 
of  from  300  to  400  ells ;  in  other  places  tliey  are  not  deeper 
than  from  100  to  150  ells.  The  veins  themselves  in  the  ramifi- 
cations are  sometimes  not  thicker  than  an  ell,  and  sometimes 
only  half  an  ell.  Some  are  even  thinner,  but,  nevertheless, 
the  ore  in  them  is  of  a  rich  quality.  "With  regard  to  the 
various  kinds  of  veins,  there  is  Jirst  that  which  is  the  richest 
of  all,  and  is  called  Ziniif/raupen.  Of  this  there  are  two 
kinds ;  one  a  whitish,  and  the  other  a  blackish,  and  there  are 
also  intermediate  colours  of  a  dark  yellowish  shade  ;  the 
veins  of  the  yello^vish  colour  are  the  heaviest,  and  they  differ 
from  the  others  in  being  of  an  angular  form,  and  frequently 
swelling  into  glands  (druse?-).  The  white  ore  occurs  in  large 
masses,  and  is  not  figured  like  the  black;  the  white  also  is 
scarcer  than  the  black  and  dark  yellowish  kinds.  Secondly, 
there   is    tungsten,    also    very    black    and    heavy,   growing   in. 


44      SWEDENB ORG'S  TEA  VELS  AND  DIARIES.     [Doc.  205. 

similar  figures;  it  is,  however,  in  the  inside  very  jagged  and 
streaky.  It  does  not  seem  to  contain  any  tin  whatever,  but, 
on  the  contrary,  does  considerable  injury  to  the  tin,  if  it  is 
melted  with  the  other  ores ;  therefore  it  is  cast  away  as  spur- 
ious and  injurious.  Thirdlij,  besides  this  useless  kind  of  ore, 
there  is  also  another  common  kind,  called  hermaphrodite 
(Zivitter)  and  maulwacke;  this  consists  of  the  meanest  or 
poorest  kind  of  tin  ore;  it  looks  like  common  grey  rock,  ex- 
cept that  there  are  black  or  dark  yellowish,  angular  spots  in 
it.  The  rock  in  which  these  spots  occur  is  of  a  white  and 
yellowish  colour;  these  spots  appear  also  scattered  over  a 
barren,  shining  rock,  and  they  become  more  distinct,  when  once 
the  stone  has  been  submitted  to  a  calcining  fire ;  the  white  part 
of  the  stone  and  the  black  part  of  the  tin  ore  are  then  rendered 
more  manifest.  There  is  another  ore,  which  can  scarcely  be 
distinguished  by  the  eye  from  a  grey  stone  with  a  horny  as- 
pect. It  is  distinguished  by  trying  it  in  a  vessel  by  means  of 
water.  In  this  case  the  ore  is  first  ground  into  powder,  and 
then  its  heavier  parts  are  separated  from  the  lighter  by  wash- 
ings and  shakings.  By  this  means  it  can  very  easily  be  seen 
how  much  real  tin  ore  there  is  in  it,  and  how  much  stone. 
The  metals  which  chiefly  adhere  to  these  tin  ores,  and  usually 
accompany  them,  are  copper  and  marcasite,  as  well  as  iron ; 
the  marcasite  is  cast  aside,  because  it  renders  the  tin  brittle 
and  hard.  Some  silver  also  is  opened  up  around  the  tin  ore, 
but  rarely,  and  only  in  the  vicinity;  a  little  lead,  too,  occurs, 
but  that  very  rarely. 

1.  This  common  kind  of  ore  is  calcined  or  burned  for  the 
first  time  in  the  open  air.  The  calcining  hearths  are  almost 
square,  built  of  common  rock,  and  larger  or  smaller  at  pleasure; 
from  five  to  six  cords  (klafter)  of  split  wood,  the  pieces 
being  an  ell  and  a  half  long,  are  usually  placed  under 
them ;  one  Mafter  is  about  as  much  as  one  pair  of  horses  can 
pull.  The  larger  pieces  of  ore  are  put  on  the  sides  of 
the  hearths,  and  the  smaller,  or  sometimes  the  smaller  and 
larger  mixed,  into  the  interior  of  the  heap.  The  powder  is 
likewise  put  in.  In  the  front  part  of  the  heap  there  is  an  open- 
ing near  the  ground,  which  is  kept  open  when  the  fire  is  first 
hghted,   but  is  afterwards   closed,  in  order  that  the  fire  may 


Doc.  205.]       S  WEDENB ORG'S  TEA  VELS  IN  17.33.  45 

burn  longer  in  the  heap.  These  heaps  are  of  various  sizes, 
but  usually  they  contain  sixty  fuder  of  ore;  one  Juder  amount- 
ing to  sixty  buckets  (vasa).  After  the  fire  is  lighted,  and  the 
opening  in  front,  which  leads  to  the  interior  structure  of  wood,  has 
been  opened  and  afterwards  shut,  it  lasts  generally  three  weeks. 
2.  After  this  ore  has  thus,  for  the  first  time,  been  calcined 
in  the  open  air,  it  is  taken  into  the  crushing  mill  and  bruised 
into  powder.  In  one  building  there  are  several  crushing 
hammers ;  each  crushing  box  has  usually  three ;  in  each  mill 
there  are  four  or  five  such  boxes.  The  hammers  are  very 
heavy,  each  being  weighted  by  a  large  piece  of  iron  beneath, 
and  they  do  their  work  in  the  usual  fashion.  3.  The  powder 
which  is  obtained  by  the  crushing  of  the  ore  is  first  washed 
in  the  Scldammhank,  which  is  a  kind  of  short  trough  formed 
of  two  walls,  and  consisting  of  two  steps,  a  partition  or  a  dam 
being  across  its  foot.  By  passing  it  up  and  down  (reactiones) 
the  thicker  and  heavier  powder  is  separated  from  that  wliich 
is  lighter.  Afterwards  the  powder  is  transferred  to  the 
washing  grounds,  which  are  furnished  with  cloths  or  sods, 
where  it  is  washed  in  the  usual  way ;  the  operation  of  washing 
being  continued  until  nothing  of  the  stony  part  remains,  and 
only  the  pure  ore  can  be  seen  ;  this  ore  also  is  tried  and  ex- 
perimented upon  by  the  assayers  in  their  assaying  vessels. 
4.  After  the  ore  has  been  reduced  to  powder,  and  the  metallic 
portion  separated  from  the  stony,  it  is  put  into  an  oven,  which 
is  not  unlike  a  baker's  oven,  or  those  used  in  Saxony  for 
calcining  their  silver  ores.  This  oven  is  bound  (laqueatus) ;  it 
is  about  six  ells  long,  four  broad,  and  an  ell  and  a  half  high; 
the  opening  is  semicircular.  Into  this  oven  a  large  quantity 
of  the  pulverized  ore  is  introduced,  and  pieces  of  wood  are 
thrust  in  everywhere,  in  front  as  well  as  behind.  By  this  fire 
the  pulverized  ore  becomes  more  and  more  glowing,  and  by 
constantly  putting  in  fresh  wood  it  is  ignited.  This  powdered 
ore  burning  at  white  heat  is  continually  stirred,  and  that  which 
is  near  the  opening  of  the  oven  is  pushed  into  the  interior, 
and  vice  versa;  care  being  taken  that  it  does  not  lie  too  thick, 
not  thicker  than  one  inch;  by  stirring  the  mass  continually 
time  is  not  given  to  it  to  lump.  This  calcining  usually  lasts 
from  fourteen  to  eighteen  hours,   and  the  better  the  calcining 


46      S  WEDENB ORG'S  TBA  VELS  AND  DIARIES.    [Doc.  205. 

is  clone  in  this  oven,  the  better  the  tin  is  said  to  separate 
afterwards  and  to  liquefy ;  and  the  softer  and  better  the  tin 
itself  becomes.  After  the  burning  is  finished,  the  ore  is  left  in 
the  oven  for  two  or  three  days,  until  it  has  become  cold ;  and 
in  this  way  all  the  sulphur  is  expelled  from  the  ore.  6.  If 
the  pulverized  ore  is  calcined  thus,  it  does  not  lump,  but  re- 
mains pulverized,  as  it  was  at  first; , and  after  being  taken  out 
of  the  oven,  it  is  washed  on  inclined  planes,  just  as  before, 
and  this  washing  is  continued^  until  nothing  except  the  heaviest 
part,  which  is  either  black  or  white,  remains ;  if  there  is  any- 
thing red  remaining,  it  is  a  sign  that  the  washing  or  the 
separation  has  not  yet  been  sufficiently  carried  on. 

In  Schlaggenwald  and  Schonfeld  there  are  altogether  eleven 
blast  furnaces:  but  they  differ  somewhat  in  their  construction, 
and  in  their  interior  dimensions.  There  are  some  furnaces  of 
which  there  are  a  pair  or  two  in  one  building,  so  that  after 
the  work  of  smelting  or  liquefaction  is  brought  to  a  close  in 
one,  it  may  be  continued  at  once  in  tlie  other.  There  are  also 
others  which  are  single,  and  after  the  work  of  smelting  has  been 
finished,  and  some  time  after  the  furnaces  have  become  cool, 
the  work  is  commenced  anew.  Those  furnaces  in  Schlaggen- 
wald which  use  glandular  ore,  or  which  use  the  ore  from  the 
f^landular  mine,  Stockwerk,  have  the  following  proportion  in 
heio-ht  and  breadth,  or  they  are  constructed  as  follows:  The 
solid  stone  wliich  is  the  hearth  where  the  tin  is  smelted,  is 
raised  about  an  ell  and  a  third  over  the  floor  of  the  building 
or  works.  Close  to  this  hearth,  which  is  about  an  ell  and  a 
third  above  the  floor,  is  the  opening  out  of  which  the  molten 
metal  continually  pours  into  a  receptacle  (tigillum)  constructed 
about  half  an  ell  beneath  it;  for  through  this  little  opening 
the  tin  with  its  scoriae  continually  flows  out  in  a  stream.  The 
hearth  is  a  pure  rock,  and  there  is  no  superstructure  upon  it 
of  a  carbonaceous  or  argillaceous  substance ;  it  is  almost  hori- 
zontal, and  slopes  only  a  very  little  forward.  On  the  opposite 
side  is  the  blast-hole  which  isobhquely  directed  mto  the  interior; 
it  is  two-tliirds  of  a  foot  long,  and  consists  of  clay  or  stone 
only.  Through  this  oblique  hole,  the  anterior  hole  through 
which  the  liquid  metal  runs  out  is  visible  in  a  straight  line. 
The  bellows  are  of  leather,  and  not  very  large.     The  interior 


Doc.  205. 


SJVEDENB ORG'S  TBA  VELS  IN  1733, 


47 


structure  of  the  furnace  [on  the  base]  resembles  this  figure: 
It  is  narrower  in  the  front  than  in  the  rear.    The  wide  portion 

of   the  figure    marks   the    place   where    the  ^4 

bellows  are.  The  part  a  a  is  nine  inches 
long,  the  part  h  h  eleven  inches;  the  length  "'^ 
a  h  is  twenty-two  inches.  The  interior  height  of  the  furnace  to 
the  opening  where  the  ore  is  thrown  in,  is  three  ells  and  a 
half  from  the  stone  on  Avhich  the  fire  is  built.  The  furnaces 
at  Schonfeld,  however,  are  narrower,  the  anterior  part  (a  a)  is 
only  six  inches  wide,  and  the  posterior  nine  inches,  the  length 
(a  b)  is  said  to  amount  only  to  thirteen  inches.  The  reason, 
they  say,  is  that  the  vein  comes  from  the  nucleus  or  the  centre, 
or  from  the  Stoclaverk,  which  requires  a  narrower  place  or 
furnace.  Then  commences  the  chimney,  which  first  is  wider, 
but  afterwards,  under  the  roof,  narrower.  Fig.  1  is  the  an- 
terior and  external  view  of  the  furnace;  c  is  the  opening  through 
which  the  liquid  metal  con- 
tinually flows  out;  d  is  the 
receptacle  (tir/iUum)  into  which 
the  tin  flows  in  a  continual 
stream ;  h  is  the  place  into 
which  the  scoriae  are  raised,  I 
and  thence  thrown  into  water 
and  afterwards  pulverized. 
When  the  receptacle  d  is  full,  pig.  i. 

the  opening  e  is  penetrated,  and  the  metal  is  let  out  into  the 
excavation  /  which  is  in  the  floor,  and  which  is  made  in  the 
solid  rock.  Fig.  2  is  the  side  view  of  the  furnace;  h  is  the 
upper  part  of  the  furnace;  i  k  the  place  where  the  pulverized 
ore  together  Avith  the  charcoal  is  introduced;  I  m  is  an  oblong 
trough  or  box  where  the  pulverized  ore  is  stored,  and  upon 
which  the  person  stands  who  throws  in  the  ore  and  the  char- 
coal.  On  the  opposite  side  to  that  sketched  in  fig.  1  are  the 
bellows  with  the  blast-hole. 

With  respect  to  the  introduction  of  the  metal,  there  is  no 
constant  rule  as  to  time  for  all  places.  Generally  the  ore  is 
filled  in  four  times  every  quarter  of  an  hour,  thus  sixteen 
times  every  hour.  In  other  places  it  is  scarcely  filled  in  twelve 
times,  when  the   ore  is   poor,   or  difficult  to  melt,  and  when 


48      S  WEDENB ORG'S  TEA  VELS  AND  DIARIES.    [Doc.  205. 

there  is  much  scoria.  Each  time  two  spadefuls  and  a  bucket 
of  charcoal  are  thrown  in.  The  pulverized  ore  is  mixed  with  the 
pulverized  scorife ;  these  scoriae  usually  pass  twice  through  the 
furnace,  before  they  are  cast  aside.  The  charcoal  is  moistened 
considerably  or  soaked  in  water.  There  is  thus  a  crust  formed 
on  the  top  by  the  charcoal,  so  that  the  flame  does  not  seem  to 
burst  out  anywhere.  At  first  a  few  buckets  of  charcoal  are  put 
in,  and  afterwards  the  ore  is  introduced  in  the  usual  fashion. 
This  smelting  process  is  generally  carried  on  in  one  fur- 
nace for  from  eighteen  to  twenty-four  hours;  but  in  the  nar- 
rower furnaces  for  upwards  of  thirty  days.  The  melted  tin 
flows  out  continually  by  the  hole  in  front  into  the  upper  re- 
ceptacle, where  it  is  kept,  until  so  much  of  it  is  collected 
that  it  can  be  drawn  off. 

Meanwhile  the  scorise,  which  continually  collect  on  the  melted 
metal,  are  taken  out,  and  placed  at  the  side  close  by.  Thence 
they  are  taken  and  thrown  into  a  vessel  filled  with  water, 
where  they  are  to  be  reduced  to  powder.  On  a  table  which 
stands  near  they  are  crushed  still  further,  and  then  mixed 
with  pulverized  ore,  and  again  introduced  into  the  furnace. 
The  quality  of  the  smelting  process  may  be  seen  from  the 
scoriae,  i.  e.  whether  it  is  difficult  or  not,  and  whether  there 
is  much  heterogeneous  matter  in  the  ore,  or  not.  For  if  the 
scoriae  are  thick  and  tough,  it  is  a  sign  that  there  is  much 
heterogeneous  matter  contained  in  it,  and  that  its  fusion  or 
separation  is  more  difficult,  wherefore  the  fire  has  to  be  tempered 
and  moderated  accordingly. 

After  the  tin  has  been  collected  in  the  upper  recept- 
acle, it  is  let  out  into  the  small  well,  cut  out  of  the  rock, 
which  is  placed  on  or  fastened  into  the  ground.  This 
little  well  is  capacious  enough  to  hold  about  two  and  a  half 
hundred-weight  of  the  metal ;  so  much  is  obtained  within  six 
hours.  Two  hours  and  a  quarter,  or  two  hours  and  a  half,  are 
usually  required  for  obtaining  a  hundred-weight  of  tin;  and 
this  quantity  is  derived  from  two  hundred-weight  of  the  tin 
ore.  This  hundred-weight  is  rather  heavy;  for  it  weighs  100 
pounds  at  the  works;  in  Prague  120  pounds,  and  in  Nurem- 
berg 140  pounds;  the  pound  being  so  much  heavier  near  the 
-works.   The  hundred-weight  is  sold  for  fifty-one  florins.     About 


Doc.  205.]      S  WEDENBOEG'S  TEA  VELS  IX 1733.  49 

eleven  of  these  furnaces  or  ^Yorks  produce  annually  about  1200 
hundred-weight  of  tin. 

Some  of  the  pulverized  ore  is,  besides,  carried  away  from 
the  washing  grounds  and  the  crushing  boxes  into  the  passing 
stream;  but  the  stream  is  checked  in  many  places  by  dams, 
and  the  ore  which  is  thus  rescued,  is  washed  on  inclined 
])lanes,  constructed  on  the  usual  plan,  and  afterwards  con- 
veyed to  the  furnace. 

August  7.  I  reached  Lauterbach.  Here  also  tin  ore  is 
smelted ;  there  is  one  furnace  at  work  which  is  still  narrower 
tlian  those  mentioned  above ;  the  ore  is  richer,  and  its  matrix 
approaches  more  closely  to  that  of  the  yellow   species. 

On  my  way  to  Altsattel  I  saw  an  iron-work,  and  also  under 
the  same  roof  a  blast-furnace  for  iron  ore,  which  was  only  from 
four  to  four  and  a  half  ells  high,  while  its  width  or  its  dia- 
meter in  the  middle  was  an  ell  and  a  quarter;  for  interior- 
ly it  was  round.  The  opening  at  the  side  is  approached  by 
steps,  so  that  the  ore  can  be  conveniently  thrown  in.  During 
a  week  from  thirty  to  forty  hundred-weight  of  iron  are  thrown 
in,  and  every  day  one  fuder,  or  four  simple  Swedish  pots, 
(testte)  of  coal  is  used.  Every  week  ten  hundred-Aveight  of 
iron  are  obtained.  The  ore  itself  is  rather  poor.  It  is  swamp 
ore,  which  comes  in  crusts  and  in  jjowder,  and  is  almost  of 
a  yellow  colour. 

At  Altsattel  vitriol  is  boiled,  and  sulphur  sublimated.  With 
respect  to  the  sulphur,  there  is  an  oven  from  two  and  a  half 
to  three  ells  high,  with  twelve  apertures  in  the  roof,  through 
wliich  the  flame  may  strike.  The  oven  is  nine  ells  long,  and 
three  ells  broad ;  at  each  extremity  there  is  an  outlet  or  door ; 
around  the  two  extremities  there  is  a  breadth  of  three  ells 
and  a  quarter;  for  the  approaches  are  wider.  The  oven  itself* 
however,  where  the  pans  or  retorts  for  sublimation  are,  is  not 
so  long;  its  length  being  simply  seven  ells,  and  its  width  an 
ell  and  a  half.  There  are  two  stories  of  these  pans  or  retorts* 
the  upper  row  contains  iive,  and  the  lower  six,  retorts;  alto- 
gether there  are  eleven;  they  are  of  clay,  and  each  is  half  a 
foot  in  diameter.  On  the  side  where  the  sulphur  is  collected, 
the  vessels  project  more,  and  a  tile  is  placed  on  the  top; 
and  soon  a  square  iron  receiver,  three-quaii;ers  of  a  foot  high 

4 


CO       SWEDENBOEG'S  TBAVELS  AND  DIARIES.    [Doc.  205.       j 

and  the  same  in  width,  which  rests  on  a  pedestal  of  stone,  is       i 
put  underneath.     To   this  the  tile  which  serves   as   a  cover,       | 
and  which  can  be  taken  off  and  glued  on  again,  is  fitted  obli- 
quely.    Where  this  receiver  and  the  tile  which  is  on  the  top 
meet,    there    is    a    small   hole    for   the   smoke.     The   sulphur 
trickles    little   by   little    into    this   receiver,   which  is   emptied       I 
every  sixth  or  eighth  hour.    Three  times  in  twenty-four  hours 
pyrites   is   thrown  into  the  retorts,  which  are  exposed  to  the       i 
fire  for    six  hours.     It   takes  two  hours  to  empty  the  retorts 
and  replace  them  by  fresh  ones.    The  fire   continues  to   burn       ! 
for  twenty-four  hours.   The  retorts  are  filled  almost  to  the  top       | 
with  this  pyrites,   which    consists   of  larger  or  smaller  pieces.       I 
The    sulphur    is    purified    afterwards.     The    pyrites    appears 
in  the  fractured  surface  granulated  and  of  a   shining   white- 
ness; it  looks  very  much  like  cobalt,  or  as  if  it  contained  arse-       I 
nic,  and  it  is  heavy.     These  works  belong  to  Count  von  Nostiz. 

To-day  I  crossed  over  to  Falkenau,  which  is  rather  a  hand-       ' 
some  town.     Count  von  Nostiz  formerly  lived  there. 

Towards  evening  I  arrived  at  Bleistadt,   which  is  situated 
on   a  very   high  mountain,    and  is  surrounded  by  lofty  moun- 
tains.    Below,  at  a  great  depth,  the  river  flows.     The  situation 
of  thio    town  is  most  delightful.     Lead  ore  is  dug  out  here       I 
which  is  sold  chiefly  to  Joachimsthal,  where  it  is  also  smelted.       | 

August  8.  I  travelled  from  Bleistadt  to  Graslitz,  which  j 
belongs  to  Count  von  Nostiz,  and  where  are  copper  and  brass-  j 
works.*  The  mines  are  about  a  thousand  paces  from  the 
town,  and  are  many  and  various;  but  in  each  mine  there  is  ! 
only  one  species  of  ore.  The  vein  has  been  worked  for  more  ' 
than  a  hundred  years,  and  the  works  are  still  continued;  but  ] 
the  veins  at  the  present  day  are  not  so  rich.  1.  There  is  an  i 
ore  of  a  yellow  and  green  colour  and  minutely  granulated;  it  j 
is  imbedded  in  a  greyish  stone  or  in  a  shining  slate;  in  the 
former  the  vein  can  be  very  distinctly  seen.  Sometimes  there 
are  richer  specimens;  these  occur  naturally  in  thin  layers; 
but  there  is  very  little  of  this  ore.  The  copper  can  scarcely 
be   distinguished  in  it,    and  yet  it  is  got  out  of  it.     2.  The 

*  A  portion  of  this  description  has  been  inserted  by  the  author  in  his 
work:     Begnum  snhterrcmeum  de  Ciipro,  Dresden,  1734,  pp.  184,  358. 


Doc.  205.]      6'  WEDENBOBG'S  TEA  VELS  IN  ITS.*?.  51 

poorer  kind  of  ore,  in  which  the  grains  of  the  vein  cannot  be 
so  well  distinguished,  is  taken  into  a  sort  of  common  mill 
where  it  is  crushed.  In  one  building  there  are  two  wheels 
and  six  crushing  hammers  of  considerable  weight;  the  crushing 
boxes  are  coarse.  At  the  side  near  the  farthest  hammer  is 
raised  a  triangular  box,  which  stands  in  an  oblique  direction 
in  respect  to  the  upper  part  of  the  side  elevation  of  the 
hammer.  This  box  is  loaded  with  ore,  and  at  different  inter- 
vals as  much  of  it  as  can  be  received  is  dropped  into  the 
crushing  box.  Muddy  water  runs  out  on  both  sides  of  the 
box,  as  well  through  the  sieve  near  the  farthest  hammer,  as 
through  that  which  is  near  the  first  hammer.  The  streams 
from  both  ends  meet  in  a  common  trough,  and  the  water 
Hows  thence  somewhat  obliquely  until  it  reaches  its  first  dam, 
which  is  at  a  distance  of  three  and  a  half  ells.  Only  the 
pulverized  ore  which  remains  in  this  upper  part  of  the  trough 
is  collected,  the  remaining  part  being  allowed  to  flow  off. 
This  powder  is  first  washed  in  a  Schlammhcmk ,  which  is  a 
narrow  and  deep  box,  six  ells  long,  and  three  quarters 
of  an  ell  wide;  it  is  taken  out  thence  on  inclined  planes, 
Avhere  it  is  washed  three  times  before  the  powder  is  in  a 
perfect  state.  In  respect  to  the  richer  ore,  it  is  not  re- 
duced to  powder,  but  is  calcined  at  once  in  the  open  air. 
The  hearth  for  calcining  is  from  three  and  a  half  to  four  ells 
in  length  and  breadth,  and  square;  in  the  rear  it  is  from 
an  ell  and  three  quarters  to  two  ells  in  height.  After  the 
wood  has  been  piled  up,  the  ore  is  put  on,  broken  into  pieces 
of  nearly  the  same  size,  each  the  size  of  one-half  or  three- 
fourths  of  a  fist;  250  hundred-weight  of  ore  are  usually  calcined 
at  the  same  time  on  such  a  hearth.  The  heap  is  not,  as  in 
other  places,  covered  with  some  kind  of  powder ;  but  after  the 
fire  has  been  kindled,  the  calcination  is  continued  for  nearly 
a  whole  week  under  the  open  sky.  About  five  hundred-weight 
of  cojjper  are  usually  obtained  out  of  such  a  heap,  so  that  the 
ore  contains  two  and  a  half  per  cent  of  metal ;  the  poorer  kind 
of  ore  is  also  calcined,  so  that  it  may  be  introduced  into  the 
furnace  at  the  same  time,  and  may  be  of  assistance  to  the 
other  ore.  4.  There  are  three  furnaces;  formerly  there  were 
five;  they  are  of  the  kind  called  Xntmino/e?«.    Their  fire-place 

4* 


5  2      S  WEDENBOBG'S  TEA  VELS  AND  DIARIES.    [Doc.  205, 

or  retort  is  of  considerable  size,  and  well  enclosed  in  clay  and 
powdered  coal.  The  smelted  ore  is  let  off  in  front  towards 
the  side,  and  is  collected  first  in  a  smaller  and  afterwards  in 
a  larger  well.  The  furnace  is  in  the  interior  two  and  a  half 
feet  long,  a  foot  and  a  half  wide,  and  from  the  bottom  four 
feet  high.  On  the  top  it  is  vaulted  and  of  brick,  and  the 
smoke  is  carried  off  from  the  furnace,  and  thus  outside  the 
building,  through  a  capacious  chimney.  5.  Into  this  furnace 
the  250  hundred-weight  of  the  above  ore  are  transferred,  and 
yield  thirty  hundred-weight  of  copper  stone  within  twenty-four 
hours;  the  smelted  ore  is  drawn  off  at  the  sides  into  two 
wells;  this  operation  takes  place  three  times,  or  once  every 
eighth  hour.  6.  The  copper  stone  which  is  thus  obtained,  is 
calcined  afterwards  five  or  six  times;  at  first  for  eight  days, 
and  subsequently  for  a  shorter  period,  so  that  this  second 
operation  of  calcining  is  finished  within  three  weeks.  Each 
calcining  hearth  is  three  and  a  half  ells  long,  an  ell  and  a 
half  broad,  and  an  ell  and  a  half  high.  7.  The  calcined  stone 
is  now  introduced  into  the  Sticliofen,  which  is  of  the  same 
dimensions  as  the  former  furnace  in  height,  breadth,  and  length, 
except  that  the  well  or  receptacle  is  within  the  furnace  itself, 
and  the  liquefied  ore  is  thus  kept  within  the  walls ;  it  is  after- 
wards drawn  off  in  front,  and  there  are  thus  obtained  thirteen 
hundred-weight  of  Simrstein,  but  rarely  any  copper.  8.  This 
stone  is  now  again  calcined  on  the  same  calcining  hearths, 
and  afterwards  put  back  into  the  furnace,  when  there  are  ob- 
tained about  five  hundred-weight  of  copper;  some  small  portions 
of  the  stone  float  on  the  top,  yet  altogether  not  more  than  a 
few  pounds.  9.  The  scorise  are  first  introduced  in  a  crude 
state,  but  afterwards  such  are  used  as  have  recently  passed 
through  the  furnace,  and  so  on.  10.  At  last  this  black  copper, 
as  it  is  called,  is  purified.  It  must  be  observed  that  when 
the  stone  is  smelted  a  second  time,  this  work  lasts  from 
thirteen  to  fourteen  hours;  the  molten  mass  is  drawn  off  six 
or  seven  times.  Likewise,  when  the  stone  is  put  in  a  third 
time,  and  the  copper  is  obtained  from  it,  it  is  kept  in  the 
furnace  and  in  the  well  or  receptacle  for  thirteen  hours,  and 
is  drawn  off  only  once,  or  all  the  metal  at  the  same  time. 
There  is  also  another  kind  of   furnace,  which  may  either  be 


Doc.  205.]        SWEDENBORG'S  TEA VELS  IN  1733.  53 

like  a  Kriunmqfen,  or  a  Sticliofen,  where  the  molten  mass 
may  be  drawn  off  either  in  front  or  at  the  side.  The  hello-\vs 
are  of  wood.  The  blast-hole  is  of  iron,  and  its  mouth  round ; 
its  shape  is  conical  and  its  opening  large;  it  is  directed 
towards  the  front  wall,  and  about  half  a  foot  above  the  open- 
ing there. 

August  9.  I  reached  Flatten,  where  only  tin  ore  is  exca- 
vated, partly  in  a  matrix  of  sand  stone  and  partly  in  slate. 
Not  far  from  it  the  blue  colour  is  manufactured. 

This  colour  is  prepared  in  the  following  manner:  1.  One 
part  or  one  hundred-weight  of  cobalt,  one  hundred-weight  of 
potash,  and  two  hundred-weight  of  white  sand  are  mixed.  AVith 
respect  to  the  cobalt,  this  is  brought  from  Joachimsthal.  If 
the  potash  is  crude  and  black,  it  is  first  calcined  in  an  oven, 
which  is  like  a  baker's  oven.  The  sand  is  obtained  from  the 
whitest  quartz  which  is  burnt  at  first  in  the  open  air,  and 
afterwards  in  an  oven,  which  is  close  by,  or  attached  to  that 
oven  in  which  the  above  mixture  is  fused,  so  that  the  smelt- 
ing of  the  mass  and  the  second  calcining  may  be  effected  by 
one  and  the  same  fire.  There  results  hence  a  very  white  fine 
sand.  The  proportions  of  the  mixture  are  different  when  the 
cobalt  and  the  potash   are  not  of   an  equally   good   quality. 

2.  This  oven  is  almost  round  externally;  there  are  four  open- 
ings, which  lead  to  the  retorts  or  pans  enclosed  in  it,  in  which 
the  mixture  is  liquefied.  There  are  also  holes  below  leading 
into  these,  through  which  the  scoria)  are  dropped  out.  In  the 
rear  and  in  front  are  openings  or  doors  leading  to  the  fire, 
through  which  pieces  of  wood  are  thrown  in.  The  reverberated 
tlame  can  be  tempered  by  opening  the  door  in  front  more  or 
less.  Attached  to  this  is  a  square  oven,  in  which,  as  said 
above,  the  sand  is  burnt  a  second  time.  The  large  oven  is 
almost  quadrangular  in  the  interior;  the  retorts  rest  on  a 
paved  surface  with   holes,   through   which  the  fire  strikes  in. 

3.  Four  retorts  are  placed  on  this  surface;  they  are  made  of 
the  hardest  kind  of  clay;  their  diameter  is  one  ell,  and  their 
height  three-quarters  of  an  ell.  4.  Into  these  retorts  the 
above-mentioned  mixture  is  put,  and  is  smelted  by  the  fire 
underneath;  every  eighth  hour  or  three  times  within  twenty- 
four  hours  the  mixture  is  poured  out;  but  during  this  time  it 


54       SWEDENBOBG'S  TEA  VELS  AND  DIARIES.    [Doc.  205. 

is  kept  in  a  liquid  state.  5.  At  the  lower  part  of  the  retort 
is  a  little  hole,  through  which  that  part  of  it  which  is  heavier, 
and  which  is  nearest  the  bottom,  can  flow;  this  part  is  said 
to  consist  of  heavy  scorise  which  when  fractured  are  said  to 
look  like  cobalt;  this  is  twice,  and  sometimes  more  frequently, 
mixed  with  the  above-named  mixture,  i.  e.  it  is  pulverized 
and  mixed,  until,  finally,  no  more  blue  colour  can  be  extracted. 
It  is  then  rejected,  as  being  no  longer  of  any  use,  and  is 
called  Speiss.  6.  The  liquid  substance  is  poured  out  of  the 
retorts  into  water,  where  it  is  broken  into  fragments,  which 
are  afterwards  pulverized  and  manufactured  into  blue  colour. 
In  another  establishment  different  proportions  are  used 
for  the  mixture — for  there  are  several  works  between  Flatten 
and  Hans  Jiirgenstadt — viz.  six-quarters  or  one  and  a  half 
hundred-weight  of  calcined  and  crushed  cobalt,  three-quarters 
of  a  hundred-weight  of  scorise  obtained  from  the  pans  or  re- 
torts, two  hundred-weight  of  potash,  and  four  hundred-weight  of 
sand,  which  mixture  is  fused.  The  process  of  smelting  lasts 
nine  hours.  After  the  scorise  have  been  used  over  two  or 
three  times,  they  are  considered  as  S2)eiss,  which,  when 
fractured,  looks  like  crude  granulated  iron;  yet  it  is  thrown 
away  as  of  no  value.  With  regard  to  the  cobalt  itself,  after 
it  has  come  from  the  mine  in  a  crude  form,  it  is  put  into  an 
oven,  not  unlike  Ji  baker's  oven,  which  is  about  four  ells  long 
and  wide,  but  very  low,  since  it  is  scarcely  three-quarters  of 
an  ell  high  in  the  middle;  there  it  is  calcined  in  the  usual 
manner.  There  is  an  exit  in  front  for  the  smoke,  and  as  soon 
as  it  comes  out  of  the  oven,  it  at  once  rises,  and  passes 
through  the  cliimney  into  the  open  air.  The  opening  itself  is 
very  small.  After  the  cobalt  has  been  calcined,  it  is  crushed 
well  in  a  stamping  mill,  and  afterwards  sifted  and  mixed. 

ADDITIONAL  PROCESSES  IN  PREPARING  THE  BLUE  COLOUR. 

The  above  blue  glass  is  crushed  dry  under  three  hammers, 
and  passed  through  an  oblique  sieve;  and  that  part  which  can- 
not pass  through  is  again  crushed  and  sifted,  2.  Three  mea- 
sures, i.  e.  bags,  half  an  ell  high  and  three-quarters  of  an  ell 
in    diameter,   are  now  taken  into  the  mill.     3.  The  millstones 


Doc.  205.]      SWEDEXBORG'S  TEA  VELS  IN  1733.  55 

revolve  by  a  water-wheel.  The  millstone  consists  of  a  very 
thick  grey  rock,  divided  into  two  hemispheres;  between  these 
two  hemispheres  there  is  a  distance  of  a  third  of  a  foot. 
Their  thickness  is  one  foot ;  their  diameter  an  ell  and  a  third. 
Below  is  a  round  nether  stone,  about  an  ell  thick,  on  which 
llie  grinding  takes  place.  These  stones  are  enclosed  in  a 
capacious  wooden  receptacle,  the  height  of  which  is  an  ell 
and  a  third,  and  its  diameter  two  ells.  4.  The  grinding  is 
carried  on  for  about  six  hours,  when  a  thick  blue  water  is  let 
out  of  the  grinding  box.  5.  It  is  then  pumped  into  a  large 
tub,  where  the  water  is  allowed  to  rest  either  for  a  half,  for  three 
quarters,  or  for  a  whole  hour.  6.  After  it  has  remained  there  for 
such  a  length  of  time,  a  firm  blue  mass,  like  glue,  settles  on 
the  bottom,  when  the  water  which  is  above  is  drawn  off  into 
other  most  ample  reservoirs,  where  it  remains  for  24,  48,  or 
60  hours,  if  necessary.  7,  The  sediment  in  this  second  re- 
servoir is  taken  out,  and  prepared  into  the  above-mentioned 
colour.  8.  The  substance  which  remains  at  the  bottom  of 
the  first  tub,  is  constantly  stirred,  and  fresh  water  poured  on, 
when  another  still  coarser  sediment  is  obtained.  The  turbid 
water  above  is  likewise  drawn  off  into  other  reservoirs;  and 
this  operation  is  repeated  over  and  over  again,  until  the  whole 
colouring  matter,  of  various  shades,  is  obtained.  9.  This  good 
sediment  after  being  dried  is  again  reduced  to  powder ;  for  it 
soon  becomes  hard  either  upon  being  exposed  to  the  sun  be- 
fore the  house  when  the  weather  is  fine,  or  in  a  large  box 
in  a  dr}ing  kiln.  This  rubbing  into  powder  is  done  by  hand; 
after  which  the  powder  is  removed  to  a  stand,  five  ells  long 
and  three  ells  wide,  consisting  of  a  stone,  wliere  it  is  gradually 
dried  by  a  lire  underneath;  for  there  is  a  fire-place  under  it, 
five  ells  long,  and  three  ells  broad,  into  which  wood,  but 
cliiefly  the  roots  of  trees,  is  thrown,  and  whereby  tlie  stone 
slab  on  the  top  is  constantly  kept  heated  to  that  degree  which 
is  required  for  this  work.  In  this  manner  that  blue  colour 
is  obtained  wliicli  is  called  "smalt,"    [in  Swedish]  "stilrkelse." 

August  10.  I  left  Platten  and  reached  Hans  Jurgenstadt 
or  Johann  Georgenstadt,  which  is  a  town  about  half  a  German 
mile  distant;  there  cobalt,  bismutli,  and  tin  are  obtained. 

With  respect  to  tin  the  following  particulars  may  be  men- 


56       S  WEDENB ORG'S  TRA  YELS  AND  DIA RIES.    [Doc.  205. 

tioned;  1.  There  are  two  kinds  of  ore;  one  wliich  is  con-- 
tained  in  sand,  and  the  other  in  slate.  In  the  former  sub- 
stance it  appears  under  a  reddish  brown  colour,  much  granulated; 
the  grains  beings  large  and  having  an  angular  appearance.  The 
stone  itself  is  of  a  white,  yellow,  or  green  colour,  intermixed 
with  the  ore.  The  other  kind  in  slate  is  of  a  blackish  and 
grey  colour;  it  seems  to  consist  of  most  minute  grains;  mica 
also  generally  adheres  to  it.  2.  The  ore  which  does  not  con- 
tain many  heterogeneous  substances,  is  crushed  by  stamps, 
and  washed  three  times :  first  on  a  ScJilammhank  or  in  a 
narrow  trough  with  two  steps,  where  the  washing  takes  place 
by  passing  it  up  and  down  in  the  usual  fashion;  afterwards 
the  pulverized  ore  is  taken  on  inclined  washing  planes,  and, 
indeed,  twice,  and  thence  conveyed  to  the  furnace.  If  the 
ore,  however,  contains  copper,  or  marcasite,  or  iron,  it  is 
crushed  into  powder  and  burnt  in  an  oven,  which  is  like  a 
baker's  oven;  and  afterwards  it  is  washed  three  times,  before 
it  is  taken  to  the  furnace.  For  by  the  washing  the  marcasite 
and  iron  are  gradually  washed  off  and  thus  removed.  3.  The 
oven  in  which  the  burning  takes  place  is  like  a  baker's  oven, 
and  very  large ;  there  the  powder  is  continually  stirred.  This 
operation  is  usually  continued  for  eight  or  ten  hours,  and  the 
more  heterogeneous  substances  it  contains  the  longer  it  is 
burnt,  after  which  it  is  left  in  the  oven  until  it  becomes  cold. 

4.  After  it  is  taken  out  of  the  oven  it  is  washed  three  times; 
first  in  a  deep  and  narrow  washing  trough  which  consists  simply 
of  two  steps ;  the  pulverized  ore  first  falls  do^vn  from  the  top, 
and  is  then  passed  to  and  fro,  until  at  last  the  coarser  powder 
is  obtained.      The  washing  troughs    are  not  long,   but  short. 

5.  The  blasting  furnace  is  either  three  or  three  and  a  quarter 
ells  high,  and  at  its  base  is  eight  inches  wide  and  ten  inches 
long,  and  above  twelve  inches  wide  and  about  sixteen  inches 
long,  so  that  it  becomes  gradually  larger  above;  then  the 
chimney  for  the  smoke  begins,  which  is  rather  ample,  and  in- 
cludes in  a  certain  sense  the  furnace  below.  The  furnace  is 
arched  round  the  opening  towards  the  bellows;  for  the  wall 
there  is  thicker.  At  Schlaggenwald  both  sides  were  arched, 
but  here  only  one,  and  indeed  that  towards  the  bellows, 
5.  The  bellows  are  of  leather;  the  blast  hole  which  is  formed 


Doc.  205.]       SWEDENBORG'S  TRAVELS  IN  1733.  57 

of  pure  clay  or  of  stone  is  rather  oblique;  when  measured  in 
this  oblique  direction  it  is  eight  or  nine  inches  long;  the 
hole  itself  is  round,  with  a  diameter  of  two  inches,  which  is 
very  narrow;  at  Schlaggenwald  it  Avas  Avider.  The  obliquity 
must  be  very  accurately  calculated,  so  that  it  is  directed  to- 
wards the  opening  in  front,  out  of  which  the  tin  flows;  unless 
tliis  oblique  direction  is  most  exact,  much  tin  is  lost.  6.  Out- 
side the  furnace  are  two  receptacles  or  basins;  one  of  which 
is  seven  or  eight  inches  below  the  aperture  through  which  the 
metal  is  discharged;  the  other,  which  is  excavated  from  the 
rock,  and  is  of  an  oval  shape,  is  about  nine  or  ten  inches 
below  the  former;  into  this  the  metal  flows  perpendicularly 
out  of  the  other.  7.  A  spadeful  of  the  ore,  and  yet  not  quite 
a  spadeful,  is  dropped  into  the  furnace  each  time,  and  a 
bucket  of  wet  charcoal  emptied  on  the  top ;  this  bucket  is  rather 
small.  Such  charges  are  put  into  the  furnace  about  three 
times  an  hour,  the  time  being  longer  or  shorter  according 
as  the  ore  smelts  more  or  less  readily.  8.  The  smelted  metal 
flows  out  continually  from  the  furnace  into  the  upper  recep- 
tacle; and  thence  more  or  less  is  let  oft'  once  every  hour  into 
the  lower  receptacle,  according  as  the  yield  of  the  tin  is 
greater  or  less.  9.  The  work  of  smelting  is  usually  continued 
for  10,  20,  or  even  48  hours.  10.  At  first,  until  the  furnace 
is  heated,  the  work  proceeds  more  slowly  and  with  greater 
difticulty;  especially  because  there  are  not  yet  fresh  scoriae 
on  hand.  Afterwards,  when  there  is  a  supply  of  these,  they 
are  mixed  with  the  pulverized  ore,  and  then  the  metal  begins 
to  flow  readily;  these  scoriae  may  be  used  over  again,  twice 
or  more  frequently,  according  as  the  ore  requires  it.  11.  The 
liquid  tin  is  afterwards  poured  out  with  a  ladle  on  an  iron 
table,  so  that  it  may  be  spread  out  thin ;  it  is  poured  on 
various  parts  of  the  table,  until  it  becomes  a  thin,  coherent  sheet, 
Avhen  it  receives  three  impressions  of  a  seal.  The  sheet  is 
now  rolled  up  and  pounded  together  on  a  stone  with  a  hammer 
into  a  sort  of  compressed  roll,  so  that  it  is  thin,  and  can 
easily  be  fused.  12.  Five,  six,  or  seven  of  these  rolls  are  ob- 
tained at  each  discharge  of  the  metal,  which  takes  place  about 
once  an  hour;  and  each  roll  weighs  from  five  to  seven  pounds, 
each  being  marked  with  three  seals. 


5S      .^ WEDENBOBG'S  TEA  VELS  AND  VIABIES.    [Doc.  205. 

TEE  BLAST-FURNACE  FOE  IRON  NEAR  HANS  JUIiGKNSTADT  IN  B0HE3IIA. 

This  blast-furnace  is  exteriorly  square  in  form,  as  is  common- 
ly the  case;  but  it  is  to  be  observed,  that  its  pectoral  ■walls, 
where  the  bellows  are  placed,  and  where  also  the  molten  iron 
is  discharged,  are  arched,  so  that  the  whole  perpendicular 
face  of  it  may  be  seen,  and  that  the  structure  does  not  ascend 
obliquely,  as  in  Sweden.  2.  The  blast-hole  is  of  copper,  and 
altogether  formed  as  in  open  fire-places  where  iron  is  heated; 
its  direction  is  horizontal,  its  figure  conical,  and  on  the  out- 
side it  is  ampler.  3.  The  cavity  for  the  fire  is  built  of  sand- 
stone; two  of  the  stones  at  the  side  are  three  quarters  of  an 
ell  thick,  and  an  ell  and  a  quarter  long;  the  hearth  stone  is 
an  ell  and  a  quarter  broad,  which  is  also  the  length  of  the 
chamber  for  the  fire,  which  does  not  differ  much  from  its 
breadth.  The  height  of  the  furnace  is  from  eight  to  nine 
ells  to  the  opening  above;  its  interior  form  is  square.  The 
upper  opening  is  an  ell  and  a  quarter  square.  The  furnace 
itself  is  wider  about  the  belly,  and  more  contracted  towards 
the  lower  reservoir.  4.  Twice  a  day  or  more  frequently  the 
metal  is  discharged,  and  each  time  to  the  amount  of  from  ten 
to  twelve  hundred-weight;  the  fire  chamber  can  contain  twelve 
hundred-weight.  They  say  that  the  yield  consists  of  one  hundred- 
weight an  hour,  or  130  hundred-weight  a  week.  Eor  each 
hundred-weight  of  iron  one  kiihel  and  two-thirds,  i.  e.  twenty 
pails  (tonnce)  of  charcoal  are  consumed ;  five  of  these  [kiihelj  make 
one  Juder,  or  about  three  and  a  half  Swedish  pots  (testce). 
The  operation  of  smelting  is  said  to  be  continued  there  for 
half  a  year.  The  ore  itself  looks  red,  like  schist;  it  is  rich 
and  yields  iron  of  a  good  quality. 

THE  IRON-WORKS,    OR  ROLLING  MILL  NEAJt  HANS  JUEGENSTADT. 

The  furnace  is  built  in  the  usual  fashion;  a  receptacle  is 
built  of  iron  plates;  the  thickest  is  the  farthest  off.  The  depth 
of  the  receptacle  is  eight  inches,  its  length  an  ell  and  a  quarter, 
its  breadth  about  an  ell ;  the  blast-hole  is  of  copper  and  coni- 
cal, and  placed  very  obliquely.  Every  week  32  hundred- 
weight  of   iron  is   smelted   and   worked  up   into   short    rods. 


Doc.  205.]     S  WEVENBORG  'S  TEA  VELS  IX  1733.  59 

About  seventy-five  Jdibel  of  cliarcoal  or  fifty  Swedish  pots  (testce) 
are  consumed;  so  that  for  each  liundred-weight  a  pot  and  a 
Iialf  of  charcoal  is  used.  Each  time  from  a  liundred-weight  to  a 
hundred-weight  and  a  lialf  of  iron  is  smelted ;  the  pigs  of  crude 
iron  are  about  four  ells  long,  and  weigh  from  five  to  eleven 
hundred-weight.  The  pieces  that  are  smelted  weigh  each  from 
a  hundred-weight  to  a  hundred-weight  and  a  half.  Sparkling 
scoria?  of  much  density  adhere  to  the  Avails.  The  whole  furnace 
is  rather  ample  and  capacious,  its  length  and  breadth  being 
about  four  ells. 

In  the  works  where  the  iron  is  flattened  into  plates,  from 
seventy  to  eighty  plates,  which  are  smooth,  are  manufactured 
at  a  time;  each  plate  weighs  half  a  pound.  In  these  works 
ninety  kiihel  or  sixty  Swedish  pots  of  charcoal  are  used  every 
week. 

At  Hans  Jiirgenstadt  there  is  an  inspector  of  the  name 
of  Derfler,  who  has  a  most  excellent  collection  of  noble  and 
rare  ores;  likewise  of  druses.  He  was  abroad  fifteen  years 
for  the  purpose  of  buying  specimens  of  rare  ores  for  King 
Augustus. 

JillLL  FOR  CRVSHING  SILVER  ORES  AT  HANS  JURGEXSTADT. 

The  ore  which  is  obtained  in  the  mines  here  is  not  smelted, 
because  there  is  no  lead  in  it;  but  in  the  pulverized  form  it 
is  sold  to  Trestad,[?]  where  there  is  an  abundance  of  lead,  and 
where  it  can  readily  be  passed  through  the  tall  furnaces,  and 
the  silver  extracted.  The  best  mines  at  the  present  day  are 
the  "l^eue  Jahr"  (New  Year),  and  "der  unverhoffte  Gluche"[?]; 
the  ore  which  is  broken  there  is  the  Weissgulden,  the  lloth- 
(julden,  the  Glaserz,  and  other  rich  kinds.  Most  of  the 
mines  are  under  the  town  itself;  there  is  an  access  to  them 
at  more  than  twenty  difl'erent  places  at  the  foot  of  the  moun- 
tain. With  respect  to  the  crushing  of  the  ore  the  following 
particulars  are  to  be  mentioned :  1.  The  richer  ore  is  crushed 
in  a  dry  state  under  one  stamp  or  hammer  only;  it  is  then 
removed  and  sifted,  and  its  courser  part  crushed  again;  this 
ore  is  not  w-ashed  like  the  lighter  ore,  but  is  simply  crushed 
and  scut  to  Freiberg.     2.  The  lighter  or  poorer  ore  is  crushed 


60      SWEDENBORG'S  TBA  VELS  AXD  DIARIES.     [Doc.  205. 

under  three  hammers  or  stamps;  near  the  upper  part  of  the 
stamps  or  the  head  of  the  machine,  is  a  triangular  box  resting 
on  a  fulcrum;  this  box  is  filled  with  larger  and  smaller  pieces 
of  ore;  in  fi'ont  a  stick  or  lever  is  fixed  to  it,  and  when  so 
much  of  the  ore  has  been  crushed  under  the  hammers  that  more 
is  required,  a  tooth  inserted  in  the  falling  hammer  catches  the 
projecting  lever  and  gives  it  a  shake,  so  that  the  triangular 
box  resting  on  the  fulcrum  is  likewise  shaken,  and  when  a 
sufiicient  quantity  of  ore  has  dropped  under  the  hammers,  the 
tooth  is  no  longer  able  to  touch  the  projecting  lever.  This 
box  is  capable  of  holding  several  hundred-weight  of  the  ore. 
3.  The  water  flows  in  continually,  and  indeed  on  a  sort  of  paved 
surface  under  the  triangular  box;  the  hammers,  which  are 
very  large  and  heavy,  are  separated  from  one  another  by  a 
frame-work;  in  each  box  are  three  hammers,  and  the  fall  be- 
gins from  the  first.  4.  From  three  outlets  the  turbid  water 
which  contains  the  pulverized  ore  is  led  into  one  trough. 
5.  This  trough  consists  only  of  two  steps  or  benches;  at  the 
foot  of  the  trough  or  channel  is  a  square  reservoir ;  the  trough 
itself  is  eight  ells  long,  and  then,  as  already  remarked,  the 
reservoir  begins.  6.  The  more  precious  powdered  mass  which 
has  been  received  in  the  first  partition  of  the  trough,  is  washed 
in  that  deep  and  narrow  washing  place  w^hich  is  furnished 
with  two  steps  or  benches,  and  which  is  called  a  Schlanim- 
hank.  The  finer  portion  is  carried  thence  to  an  inclined 
washing  plane,  which  is  fitted  up  with  sods.  The  powder 
which  is  carried  ofi'  from  the  sods  is  taken  to  a  third  washing 
plane,  which  is  not  provided  with  sods;  and  from  there  it  is 
taken  and  stored  away.  7.  The  pulverized  mass  which  has 
been  retained  at  the  bottom  of  the  second  partition  of  the 
trough,  is  at  once  transferred  to  a  table  furnished  with  sods, 
and  thus  taken  up.  8.  That  powder  which  has  been  collected 
in  the  reservoir  is  at  once  taken  to  a  bare  incKned  plane,  not 
furnished  with  sods.  The  powder  of  the  ore  which  has  been 
crushed  dry,  usually  contains  from  four  to  twenty  or  even 
thirty  pounds  of  silver  in  the  hundred-weight;  the  rest  from 
four  Lotli  (two  ounces)  to  three  marks.  It  is  to  be  observed 
in  addition  that  outside  the  building  there  are  washing  tables, 
with    a    Schlammbank,    and   a    Schlammlierd ,   just    as    inside. 


Doc.  205.]     SWEDEXB ORG'S  TEA  VELS  IN  1733 .  Gl 

There  all  that  powder  is  washed  -which  has  been  received  in 
a  reservoir  outside  the  house,  and  which  is  very  poor.  The 
bottom  of  the  crushing  chest  is  of  iron;  it  is  also  made  of  a 
very  hard  stone  which  resists  the  hammers  very  well. 

The  town  of  Hans  Jiirgenstadt  itself  is  situated  over  its 
mines,  at  a  height  of  about  eighty  ells.  At  the  foot  of  the 
mountain  are  above  twenty  horizontal  entrances,  called 
Stollen,  all  of  which  lead  to  the  mines ;  one  of  these  is 
4500  ells  long. 

August  11.  I  arrived  at  the  town  of  Flatten,  which  is  the 
first  town  on  entering  Bohemia,  and  where  there  is  nothing 
except  a  quantity  of  tin  ore;  yet  I  was  able  to  see  there  a 
Seifemucrk,  where  the  tin  ore  is  obtained  by  washing  it  out  of 
heaps.  For  there  are  large  mountains  or  heaps  of  sand  which 
are  likewise  impregnated  with  tin  ore ,  expecially  the  black 
kind;  and  which  they  contain  in  large  pieces,  as  Avell  as  in 
fine  powder.  Thither  the  water  is  directed,  which  rushes  head- 
long through  such  aheap,  and  where  the  stream  of  water  flows 
tlie  sand  is  agitated,  until  at  last  the  heaviest  portion  settles 
at  the  bottom,  while  the  lighter  remains  on  the  surface,  and 
is  cast  aside.  They  continue  to  labour  until  they  reach  a  certain 
depth;  then  the  water  is  directed  sideways,  when  by  a  con- 
tinual action  to  and  fro  the  heavier  metallic  portion  is  se- 
parated by  the  streamlet;  and  in  this  wise  they  are  able  to 
go  through  the  whole  mountain  to  a  certain  depth,  and  also 
all  around  wherever  the  water  can  be  led. 

THE  BLAST-FURKACE  FOE  TIN  AT  FLATTEN. 

There  is  only  one  blast-furnace  for  tin  in  this  place,  and 
the  tin  which  is  here  obtained,  is  likewise  beaten  into  rolls. 
Every  two  hours  the  metal  is  drawn  from  the  higher  into  the 
lower  reservoir  or  basin;  and  every  two  hours  they  say  they 
manufacture  from  ten  to  twelve  rolls  of  tin,  of  which  each 
weighs  from  five  to  six  pounds.  The  furnace  interiorly  is  eight 
inches  wide  and  twelve  inches  long;  in  its  upper  part  the  Avidth 
is  the  same,  but  its  length  amounts  to  sixteen  inches;  its  height 
is  three  ells  and  a  quarter.  The  blast-hole,  which  is  of  sand 
stone,  is  very  oblique,  and  narrower  than  in  other  places.   Three 


62         SWEDENBORG'S  TBA  VELS  AND  DIABIES.  [Doc.  205. 

times  every  quarter  of  an  hour  two  spadesful  of  the  pulverized 
ore  are  thrown  in,  and  one  pail  of  moistened  charcoal. 

The  ore  which  contains  sulphur  is  calcined  in  the  open 
air;  the  fire  is  continued  in  the  heap  only  for  four  or  five 
hours;  the  remaining  ore  is  calcined  in  an  oven,  as  has  been 
explained  in  connection  with  the  other  works. 

The  poor  tin  ore  is  crushed  here  at  Flatten  in  the  open 
air  by  crushing  hammers,  which  are  not  under  cover;  there 
are  three  hammers  in  each  crushing  box;  I  have  also  seen 
two  only.  Outside  is  the  receptacle  of  the  ore  which  stands 
obliquely,  and  verges  towards  the  first  hammer;  into  this  re- 
ceptacle also  the  water  flows,  and  thence  into  the  crushing 
box.  There  are  two  outlets  from  the  crushing  box,  but  they 
meet  in  one  trough.  The  trough  is  outside,  and  a  little 
oblique ;  where  it  ends,  an  inclined  washing  plane  begins,  over 
which  the  water  containing  the  lighter  powdered  mass  flows, 
and  thus  is  carried  away.  Others  have  another  inclined  plane 
in  addition  to  this,  on  which  the  powder  may  at  once  be 
washed  a  second  time. 

I  have  learned  many  things  at  Hans  Jiirgenstadt  and  at 
Flatten,  namely,  1.  that  at  Hans  Jiirgenstadt  as  well  as  at 
Joachimsthal  water-wheels  and  machines  are  in  the  mines 
below,  at  a  depth  of  a  hundred  ells,  and  that  by  means  of 
these  machines,  as  w^ell  as  by  a  wheel  turned  by  the  wind, 
the  water  is  pumped  up.  2.  At  Flatten  I  saw  how  out  of  one 
central  shaft  (StockiverJi)  .  several  roads,  arteries,  or  ramifi- 
cations proceed;  this  could  be  seen  from  a  collapsed  and  in- 
jured mine.  3.  Further,  that  the  air  may  be  pumped  into  the 
deepest  places  by  means  of  bellows ;  for  the  bellows  are  set 
in  motion  by  the  same  machine  by  which  the  ore  is  raised ; 
the  air  is  led  into  these  places  by  wooden  pipes  W'hich  have 
no  other  outlet  except  where  there  is  no  draught,  and  where 
the  air  is  constantly  stagnant  and  heated.  4.  That  the  crush- 
ing hammers  or  stamps  are  not  weighted  with  iron,  but  with 
a  black  stone  which  is  very  hard;  also  that  the  bottom  of  the 
crushing  box  is  wooden  and  oblique.  They  said  the  operation 
of  crushing  by  means  of  stone  upon  wood  could  be  accom- 
plished as  easily  as  by  means  of  stamps  with  an  iron  end. 
5.  At  Joachimsthal  they  have  bellows,  where  the   aperture  is 


Doc.  205.]    SWEDEXBORG'S  TRAVELS  JA  1733.  63 

in  the  upper  frame,  which  is  closed  up  by  a  handle  when  less 
air  is  re(iuired  as  in  the  fusion  of  lead,  where  the  draught 
can  be  adjusted  to  suit  the  circumstances. 

The  same  evening  I  arrived  at  Joachimsthal,  where  I  stayed 
two  days. 

August  12.  I  spent  the  day  at  Joachimsthal.  This  town, 
which  is  situated  among  mountains  containing  iron  ore,  was 
made  a  mining  town  in  1516.  The  best  mines  near  the 
town  are  the  "Hubert"  and  "Einigkeit"  (concord)  mines.  They 
all  supply  rich  ores,  viz.  native  silver,  vitreous  silver  ore,  liotJi- 
guldeu,  Weissyulden ,  and  many  others.  The  ore  is  generally 
obtained  in  slate,  and  most  of  it  contains  cobalt  and  arsenic,  but 
no  lead ;  the  lead  ore  is  purchased  at  Bleistadt,  and  fused  here. 

The  poorer  metal  is  crushed  into  powder  and  washed. 
1.  It  is  crushed  by  three  hammers  in  one  box;  these  hammers 
work  there  in  the  same  manner  as  in  other  places.  The 
hammers  are  rather  large.  The  receptacle,  into  which  the  ore 
is  thrown  and  from  which  it  is  supplied  to  the  hammers,  is  of 
an  oblong  shape;  and  the  ore  is  shaken  out,  not  by  means  of 
a  lever,  but,  as  in  Saxony,  by  means  of  an  oblique  direction  of 
the  box  itself,  one  end  of  it  being  raised  by  the  hand  when  a 
supply  is  wanted.  2.  The  troughs  which  lead  out  of  the 
crushing  box  are  not  longer  than  two  ells,  and  they  are 
provided  with  two  steps  or  benches.  All  the  remaining 
turbid  water  is  allowed  to  How  out  into  the  river  or  brook 
which  passes  by,  and  not  received  first  in  a  reservoir,  as 
in  other  places.  3.  The  pulverized  mass  which  is  taken  out 
of  these  troughs,  is  first  washed  on  the  Scldammhcuilc,  which 
is  deeper  and  wider  than  in  Saxony,  although  it  is  otherwise 
of  the  same  form,  and  the  work  is  done  in  a  similar  manner. 
The  finer  powder  is  directed  on  to  an  inclined  plane,  provided 
with  sods.  It  is  not  very  long,  but  steeper  than  those 
which  are  bare ;  on  this  the  washing  is  performed  in  the 
usual  manner.  One  difference  is  noticed  here,  viz.  that 
there  are  four  steps  before  the  ore  reaches  the  inclined 
plane  itself;  the  pulverized  ore  is  put  on  the  highest  step 
and  thence  led  down  to  the  one  below,  which  is  only  a 
foot  long;  thence  to  the  third  and  fourth,  which  are  like- 
wise a  foot  in  length;  and,  finally,  to  the  inclined  plane  itself 


64         S  WEDENB OBG'STRA  VELS  AXD  DIARIES.  [Doc.  205. 

which  is  Hned  with  sods.  The  thicker  and  heavier  part  of 
the  ore  remains  on  the  higher  steps  or  platforms ;  the  smaller 
and  lighter  is  carried  to  the  lower  steps,  and  to  the  inclined 
plane.  4.  After  the  sods  are  washed  out,  the  powder  which 
has  lodged  in  them  is  taken  to  bare  inclined  planes  without 
any  sods,  and  where  there  are  two  steps  before  the  pulverized 
ore  reaches  the  inclined  planes  themselves.  These  bare  sur- 
faces are  not  so  steep  as  those  which  are  furnished  with  sods; 
they  are,  however,  of  the  same  length.  At  their  base  is  a 
box,  where  the  pulverized  ore  gradually  collects  after  having 
been  washed  first.  In  the  mean  time,  while  the  powder  is  ap- 
proaching this  box,  it  is  stirred  and  moved  about,  until  at  last 
the  whole  of  it  is  deposited  in  the  box,  all  the  stony  and 
lighter  parts  having  been  washed  out  of  it.  There  are 
also  double  planes  or  areas  which  are  broad;  the  upper  one 
is  not  lined  with  sods;  from  this  the  powder  is  directed  into 
an  oblong  box,  standing  at  its  lower  extremity;  from  this 
[the  turliid  stream  is  carried]  to  the  lower  plane  or  area  which 
is  covered  with  sods,  and  where  the  finer  portion  of  the  ore 
is  collected. 

THE  SILVER  SMELTING   WORKS  AT  JOACHIMSTHAL. 

There  are  only  two  furnaces  for  this  purpose,  which  are 
in  one  building  in  connection  with  a  secreting  oven  or  Treih- 
hei'd.  The  furnaces  are  of  the  kind  called  Krummofen ;  they 
are  two  ells  high,  and  interiorly  an  ell  and  three-quarters  high, 
and  an  ell  wide.  The  reservoir,  where  all  the  stone  during 
its  fusion  with  the  silver-bearing  lead  is  collected,  extends  to 
some  distance  outside  the  furnace.  This  furnace  is  arched  on 
both  sides  above  and  around  the  opening,  and  thus  terminates 
in  the  chimney.  There  are  two  reservoirs  or  basins,  one 
above  and  one  below;  into  these  the  silver-bearing  lead  is 
discharged,  when  the  hole  is  opened;  the  lower  basin  is  three 
quarters  of  an  ell  below  the  upper  one,  in  a  straight  line. 
The  bellows  are  of  wood,  and  rather  large;  in  their  upper 
frame  is  a  valve  closed  by  a  handle,  by  which  the  draught 
can,  if  necessary,  be  moderated ;  this  is  done  whenever  lead  is 
fused,  for  which  the  same  furnaces  are  used.  The  blast-hole 
is  ample  and  broad;  its  diameter  amounts  to  tAvo  and  a  half,  if 


Doc.  205.]       SWEDENBORG'S  TBAVELS  IN  1733.  65 

not  to  three  inches ;  the  pipes  from  the  bellows  extend  to  some 
distance  into  this  conical  hole.  Through  this  hole  a  vent  may- 
be seen,  projecting  almost  into  the  middle  of  the  furnace, 
from  which  the  liquefied  vein  trickles.  2.  The  mixture  differs 
according  to  the  quality  of  the  vein,  which  is  very  vari- 
able, being  sometimes  rich,  and  at  other  times  poor,  con- 
taining arsenic,  and  being  dry[y];  there  is  no  vein  containing 
load,  but  all  are  very  much  impregnated  with  cobalt.  The 
usual  proportions  are,  six  hundred-weight  of  the  crude  ore — 
for  the  ore,  if  rich,  is  put  on  in  its  crude  state,  without  any 
previous  calcining — a  hundred-weight  and  a  half  of  iron  scoria*, 
a  like  amount  of  washed  iron,  or  Wascheisen  as  it  is  called, 
two  hundred-weight,  more  or  less  according  as  is  required,  of 
fresh  scorise,  and  two  hundred-weight  of  litharge  and  lead 
together.  3.  Every  two  or  three  hours  several  hundred-weight 
of  silver-bearing  lead,  with  the  stone  floating  upon  it,  are  ob- 
tained ;  sometimes  the  yield  is  greater,  sometimes  less,  accord- 
ing to  the  mixture  and  the  quality  of  the  ore.  4.  The  stone 
which  is  obtained  here  is  first  calcined  five  times,  and  then 
mixed  and  put  on  again.  5.  If  there  is  any  stone  obtained 
the  second  time,  it  is  poorer;  this  also  is  calcined  five  times, 
and  this  process  is  repeated,  until  no  more  stone  containing 
silver  is  obtained.  G.  As  this  ore  is  full  of  cobalt,  other  thin 
plates  are  obtained,  called  Sj^eiss,  which  are  also  rich  in  silver ; 
after  these  are  collected  they  have  to  pass  through  ten  calcin- 
ing fires  before  they  are  introduced  again  into  the  lurnace. 
Some  ore  is  also  smelted,  from  which  the  arsenic  has  been 
previously  sublimated;  but  on  the  treatment  of  the  silver  ore 
at  Joachimstlial  we  may  consult  a  special  treatise  in  the  German 
language  v.hich  discusses  this  method. 


TJIE  AUSENIC  ^V0I1KS  NEAH  JOACIHMSTIIAL. 

There  are  also  arsenic  works  about  half  a  German  mile 
outside  the  town,  concerning  which  the  following  particulars 
may  be  mentioned:  1.  The  crude  cobalt  is  thrown  into  an  oven 
which  resembles  a  baker's  oven,  and  which  is  four  ells  long 
and  three  ells  wide;  below  is  a  place  for  the  Avood  or  the  fire; 


60         SWEDENBORG'S  TEA  VELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  205- 

there  is  a  paved  surface  between.  At  one  corner  of  the  oven 
there  is  an  exit  for  the  smoke ;  for  cobalt  is  said  to  smoke  con- 
tinually, like  sulphur  from  marcasite.  2.  The  smoke  issues 
through  that  opening  in  the  oven,  and  is  led  thence  through 
a  duplicate  passage,  first  to  the  right,  then  downwards  to  the 
left,  and  finally,  through  a  passage  which  is  thirty  ells  long,  it 
is  driven  against  a  wall,  from  which  it  recoils,  and  being 
beaten  back,  it  makes  its  way  in  another  direction  into  a  corner ; 
here  some  doors  are  open,  through  which  the  lighter  smoke 
can  pass  off,  the  denser  smoke  being  thrown  down  towards  the 
bottom.  These  doors  may  be  opened  or  shut  at  pleasure.  At 
the  extreme  end  an  exit  is  also  open  above  the  roof,  through 
which  the  smoke  finally  passes  out.  Meanwhile,  throughout 
all  these  ways,  passages,  and  windings  the  heavier  part  of  the 
smoke  tends  to  the  bottom,  and  settles  down  thickly  on  the 
paved  surface,  whence  it  is  collected  in  the  form  of  a  white 
flour.  These  passages  may  be  made  longer  and  more  winding 
at  pleasure.  3.  This  burning  or  sublimation  lasts  for  twelve 
days  and  nights;  during  that  time  from  200  to  250  hundred- 
weight of  powdered  arsenic  are  generally  obtained.  4.  The 
cobalt,  from  which  the  sublimated  arsenic  is  collected,  is 
crushed  in  the  stamping  mill  and  washed  in  the  usual  manner, 
and  then,  like  the  other  ore,  is  introduced  into  the  blast- 
furnace, and  the  silver  extracted  from  it.  5.  This  powdered 
arsenic  is  collected  and  fused  in  the  following  manner:  There 
are  two  fire-places  about  five  ells  long  and  a  foot  broad,  with 
their  grates  for  the  ashes;  above  is  a  stone  or  iron  surface; 
on  this  four  iron  plates  are  laid,  which  are  a  third  of 
a  foot  thick,  and  an  ell  and  a  half  in  length  and  in 
breadth ;  in  the  middle  is  a  round  and  shallow  cavity,  which  is 
about  a  foot  in  diameter,  and  a  quarter  of  a  foot  in  depth. 
According  to  the  length  of  each  fire-place  four  of  these  iron 
plates  are  placed  upon  it;  on  the  two  fire-places,  consequently, 
eight  of  these  plates  are  laid.  On  each  plate  or  over  each 
cavity  an  iron  hat  or  cone  is  fitted,  which  is  an  ell  and  three- 
quarters  high,  and  which  is  interiorly  well  lined  with  clay.  The 
lower  opening  of  this  hat  has  a  diameter  of  three-quarters  of 
an  ell,  and  its  upper  opening  one-third  of  a  foot.  This  hat 
is  filled   with  two   hundred-weight  [?]  of  the  above-mentioned 


Doc.  205.]    S  WEDENB ORG'S  TRA  VELS  IN  1733.  67 

arsenic  Hour,  and  is  kept  melting  there  for  tAvelve  hours.  Mean- 
while the  powder  adheres  to  the  sides  of  the  cone  or  hat 
to  the  depth  of  two  inches ;  and  in  this  form  the  liquified 
arsenic  is  taken  out  every  twelve  hours.  The  arsenic  thus 
obtained  is  white ;  if  any  sulphur  is  mixed  with  it,  it  looks 
yellow. 

It  is  further  to  be  mentioned  that  the  best  mines  of  Jo- 
achimsthal  at  the  present  day  are  the  "Hubert"  and  the  "Einig- 
keit"  mines;  but  tliat  not  more  than  from  1200  to  1300  marks 
of  silver  are  obtained  from  them;  formerly  these  mines  were 
very  rich.  From  the  very  cavity  of  the  furnaces  it  appears 
of  what  great  size  the  loaves  of  silver  formerly  were,  some  of 
which  weighed  300  marks. 

These  works  were  commenced  in  1516,  and  during  ninety-four 
years  1,300,000  marks  of  silver,  or  from  13,000  to  14,000  marks 
yearly,  were  obtained.  Besides,  there  are  subterraneous  passages 
here,  called  Stollen.  as  for  instance  the  "Kaiserstollen,"  which 
is  4000  fathoms,  or  from  12,000  to  14,000  ells  long;  another 
reaches  the  length  of  6000  fathoms;  they  lead  in  a  straight  line 
from  one  mine  to  the  other.  In  the  mine  "Einigkeit,"  at  the 
depth  of  from  sixty  to  seventy  fathoms,  there  is  a  machine 
with  a  water-wheel,  which  is  turned  by  the  water  v/hich  escapes 
there.  In  the  year  1542  they  had  300  "Schichtmeister,"  and 
300  "Steiger."  For  one  Vienna  mark  of  pure  silver,  they  obtain 
21  florins,  15  kreutzers. 

August  13.    I  returned  to  Carlsbad. 

August  16.  I  was  in  the  lloman  Catholic  Church  at  Carls- 
bad, where  I  witnessed  their  worship,  or  their  celebration,  of 
the  mass,  and  where  I  observed  that  all  things  were  most 
delightful,  or  suited  to  all  the  senses.  For  the  ear  they  had 
the  very  best  instrumental  harmony,  having  instead  of  the 
singing  of  the  people  the  completest  instrumental  music.  The 
eye  beheld  various  sports;  the  gestures  of  boys,  as  well  as 
of  others,  who  were  burning  lamps  and  wax-tapers;  the  magni- 
ficent vestments  of  the  priests,  and  of  boys  similarly  arrayed ; 
everything  in  the  light  of  these  lamps  shone  with  gold  and 
silver.  The  sense  of  smell  was  regaled  with  the  richest  frag- 
rance, with  which  the  altar,  or  the  sanctuary  was  perfumed. 
For  the  sense  of  touch  there  was  the  water,  which  the  priest, 


68        SWEDENB ORG'S  TEA  VELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  205. 

on  entering,  sprinkled  upon  the  people.  The  interior  senso 
was  struck  with  the  priest's  reverence  for  the  supreme  Being, 
by  his  innumerable  genuflections,  and  by  those  of  the 
youths.  The  taste  alone  was  left  ungratified,  except  by  what 
the  priest,  the  participant  in  all  these  pleasures,  could  derive 
from  the  wine  which  he  alone  drinks.  [Thus]  the  holy  things 
of  worship  are  formed  for  the  pleasure  of  the  external  senses, 
and  they  are  pleasing  to  the  public  generally,  because  with 
them  the  external  senses  are  the  channels  through  which  the 
remembrance  of  the  Supreme  Being  has  first  to  enter. 

August  18.  I  travelled  to  Prague  and  arrived  there  on 
August  19. 

August  19.  I  reached  Prague,  and  visited  several  churches, 
where  I  saw  also  an  altar-piece,  within  which  lamps  were  burn- 
ing representing  the  shining  heaven.  I  again  entered  the  church 
of  St.  Vitus,  and  examined  the  innumerable  sacrificial  offer- 
ings of  gold  and  silver,  and  likewise  the  sepulchre  of  Boles- 
lavus,  which  is  resplendent  with  silver. 

August  21.  I  journeyed  to  the  mining  town  of  Eule,  where 
native  gold  without  any  other  ores  is  found  in  certain  strata: 
concerning  which  I  will  relate  the  following  particulars. 


TBE  PROCESS  OF  OBTAINING  GOLD  AT  EULE. 

These  works  are  said  to  be  very  ancient,  having  been 
opened  300  years  after  the  birth  of  Christ ;  but  they  have 
been  frequently  abandoned.  Formerly  they  yielded  so  large 
a  quantity  of  gold,  that  many  thousand  ducats  were  obtained 
every  quarter,  as  one  share  in  the  mines.  The  hills  and 
mountains  are  perforated  for  a  German  mile,  as  well  deeply 
as  near  the  surface,  so  that  there  is  scarcely  a  spot  which 
has  not  been  examined.  Among  the  subterranean  passages 
there  are  some  that  are  continued  for  two  miles.  Formerly 
this  quantity  of  gold  was  found  not  very  deep  in  the  eartli; 
but  at  the  present  day  they  have  gone  down  as  far  as  300  and 
400  ells.  Ten  or  fifteen  years  ago  gold  was  also  found  here 
in  a  quarter  of  an  hour  which  was  worth  about  1000  ducats; 
nor  was  it  very  far  from  the  surface.     At  the  present  day  not 


Doc.  205.]         SWEDENBORGS  TEA VELS  IX 1733.  69 

more  than  ten  to  twelve  pounds,  or  1000  ducats'  worth,  are 
obtained  annually.  This,  without  any  application  of  fire,  is 
refined  gold,  containing  more  than  twenty-tAvo  carats.  Nothing 
is  found  except  native  gold  in  grains,  in  minute  layers,  and  in 
masses.  There  are  some  strata  consisthig  of  quartz,  mixed 
with  reddish  or  yellowish  slate,  in  which  you  may  look  for 
gold,  and  to  which  the  gold  adheres,  but  it  is  for  the  most  part 
invisible.  There  is  no  gold  ore,  nor  does  any  silver  or  copper 
or  any  other  noble  metal  adhere  to  it,  except  perhaps  some 
little  iron  or  pyrites ;  and  yet  it  is  contained  in  the  pyrites 
only  in  the  granulated  or  native  state.  It  has  also  been  dis- 
covered in  lead;  but  then  the  lead  has  much  gold  and  no 
silver. 

Stones  from  this  stratum  were  brought  from  the  mine  to 
the  crushing  works,  of  which  there  are  three ;  these  works  are 
not  alike,  but  arranged  according  to  the  quality,  or  according 
to  the  poverty  or  richness,  of  the  gold  which  is  found  in  the 
stone.  1.  In  respect  to  these  works,  where  there  is  more 
gold  in  the  vein  or  stone,  it  is  to  be  observed,  that  there  are 
two  crusliing  boxes  constructed  in  the  usual  way,  but  deep; 
the  depth  is  an  ell;  there  is  no  sieve,  but  the  aperture  on 
the  side  where  the  muddy  water  flows  out  is  about  three- 
quarters  of  an  ell  above  the  bottom  of  the  box.  The  hammers 
or  stamps  are  weighted  with  large  pieces  of  iron,  and  they 
fall  in  rotation ;  the  water  flows  into  a  short  trough  which 
is  provided  simply  with  two  steps.  2.  The  most  valuable  part 
remains  at  the  bottom  of  the  crushing  box  itself,  and  is  not 
carried  out  by  the  water;  it  is  now  taken  out  and  washed. 
The  washing  plane  is  made  in  the  usual  way,  and  is  about 
five  ells  long;  there  are  three  steps  or  benches,  before  the 
ore  reaches  the  plane  itself;  the  upper  step  is  small,  likewise 
the  second,  but  the  third  is  one  ell  nine  inches  long,  and 
one  ell  three  inches  wide.  Here,  on  this  bench,  the  most 
valuable  part  remains;  this  part  is  not  covered  with  any  cloth, 
but  is  bare.  Here  the  more  valuable  part  is  collected;  the 
remaining  parts,  which  are  coarse,  flow  down  the  inclined 
plane,  the  lower  extremity  of  which  is  covered  with  cloths. 
To  this  the  coarser  stony  and  other  parts  adiiere;  this  is 
passed  into  a  trough;  and  the  pulverized  matter  which  collects 


70        S  WEDENBOBG 'S  TEA  VELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  205. 

there  is  again  passed  under  the  crushing  hammers,  and  pounded 
into  powder,  according  to  what  has  been  ah-eady  stated. 
4.  What  remains  after  this  at  the  bottom  of  the  crushing 
box  is  collected  in  a  tub;  and  from  a  hundred-weight  of  this 
powder  several  half  ounces  of  gold  may  be  obtained.  5.  After 
the  whole  washing  has  been  completed,  whatever  remains  on 
the  upper  broad  step  or  bench  is  taken  into  a  vessel  for 
washing,  which  is  nearly  of  a  square  form,  but  in  front  is  bent 
into  the  form  of  a  figure  3.  Into  this  vessel  the  more  valuable 
part  is  collected,  and  by  the  action  of  water,  and  by  shaking  it 
against  the  sides  of  the  vessel,  and  by  various  ablutions,  the 
most  precious  part  is  collected,  and  separated  from  the  mar- 
casite  and  iron ;  it  is  then  transferred  to  a  small  vessel  which 
is  very  clean,  so  that  out  of  this  the  gold  may  at  once  be 
taken.  6.  That  part  of  the  powder,  however,  which  is  in  the 
trough  is  washed  on  other  inclined  planes  consti-ucted  in  a 
similar  manner  to  those  described  above;  yet  they  are  furnished 
with  only  one  cloth  immediately  below  the  broad  third  bench; 
here  all  the  powder  which  has  been  obtained  in  the  trougli  is 
washed;  all  that  remains  in  the  reservoir  at  the  bottom  of 
the  trough  is  also  washed,  &c.  Those  works,  however,  in 
which  the  poorer  ore  is  crushed  are  difierent:  1.  The  crush- 
ing hammers  are  made  in  the  same  way,  and  they  drop  in  the 
same  order.  2.  The  crushing  box,  however,  is  not  so  deep, 
only  half  an  ell;  the  opening-  also,  by  which  the  water  fioAvs 
out,  is  not  as  high  up,  as  in  the  former  case.  3.  On  the  out- 
side begins  a  long  winding  trough  furnished  with  six  benches 
or  steps  of  division.  4.  The  best  part  here,  also,  is  collected 
at  the  bottom  of  the  crushing  box  itself.  5.  The  best  part  is 
washed  as  in  the  other  case  on  an  inclined  plane  furnished 
with  cloths,  except  that  the  upper  broad  bench  is  bare  where  the 
most  valuable  part  is  collected,  which  afterwards,  by  shaking 
and  rubbing  in  the  washing  vessel,  is  separated  from  the  iron 
and  marcasite ;  if  fresh  water  is  afterwards  poured  in  through 
a  horn,  the  clear  gold  appears.  6.  The  powder  which  is  ob- 
tained in  the  various  divisions  of  the  trough,  is  washed  on 
areas  which  are  covered  with  only  one  cloth,  and  it  is  taken 
thence  into  a  reservoir  filled  \\ath  water,  from  which  it  is 
again  taken  out  and  washed.     A  hundred-weight  of  this  washed 


Doc.  205.]        S WEDENB ORG'S  TRA  VELS  IN  1733.  71 

powder  usually  contains  a  half  or  a  quarter  of  an  ounce  of 
gold. 

They  have  also  a  Waschhank,  where  the  stony  part  is 
first  separated  from  that  Avhich  is  heavier ;  it  is  somewhat  ex- 
cavated on  the  top,  so  that  two  macliines  can  be  moved  in  it 
at  the  same  time,  one  in  one  direction  and  the  other  in  an- 
other. The  Avater  thereby  is  much  stirred  up  and  flows  away 
charged  with  mud,  leaving  behind  a  less  quantity  of  useless 
powder,  &c. 

August  22.  I  returned  to  Prague  from  Eule  and  visited 
a  monastery  of  the  Barnabites,  in  order  to  examine  a  collection 
of  minerals ;  the  collection  was  ingeniously  arranged,  but  more 
for  show  than  for  use. 

August  23.  I  returned  from  Prague  to  Dresden,  where  I 
arrived  on  the  25th.  On  the  way  I  passed  several  towns, 
among  others,  Budin,  where  there  is  a  monastery.  Near  a 
village  called  Linai,  in  Bohemia,  which  lies  nearly  at  the  foot 
of  the  lofty  mountain  Geyer,  by  which  Bohemia  is  divided 
from  Saxony,  I  saw  a  garden  full  of  tropical  trees,  as  orange- 
trees,  and  citron-trees,  also  a  great  many  other  specimens  of 
plants,  long  and  pointed,  &c. ;  and  a  larger  quantity  of  oranges 
and  citrons  hanging  on  the  trees  than  1  have  seen  anywhere 
else ;  it  belongs  to  Count  Nostiz. 

August  25.     I  reached  Dresden. 

August  28.  I  met  Mr.  Leisner  who  desires  to  introduce  the 
use  of  ])eat  into  Saxony.  He  told  me  that  a  Mr.  Carlewitz 
experimented  on  the  use  of  peat  in  blast-furnaces,  and  that 
he  so  far  succeeded,  that  he  used  with  advantage  two-thirds 
of  peat  and  a  third  of  charcoal;  that  afterwards  he  burned 
or  calcined  peat,  covering  the  heap  well.  He  obtained 
from  6000  pieces  of  crude  peat  three  fader  of  charcoal, 
which  did  not  on  being  l)urnt  leave  behind  any  impurity 
in    a    blast-furnace.      Here,    however,    it    must  be    observed : 

1.  That  they  are  light  and  delicate,  and  are  easily  blown  to 
pieces  by  the  blast,  and  that  they  did  not  yield  any  fire,  but 
only  a  little  flame  which  contributed  much  to  the  smelting. 
They  easily  crumble  to  pieces  before  the  l)last,  because  they 
are  small,  consisting  altogether  of  roots  turned  into  charcoal. 

2.  That,  consequently,  they  must  not  be  j)laced  in  the  middle 


72        SWEDENBORG'S  TEA  VELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  205. 

of  the  furnace,  before  and  above  the  blast,  but  at  the  sides, 
first  one-fourth  and  then  one-third,  and  at  last  one-half  of 
charcoal  mixed  with  it;  the  quantity  of  charcoal  being  greater 
or  less  according  to  the  efiect  which  is  te  be  produced 
by  it.  3.  If  the  peat  is  calcined  it  does  not  contain  so  much 
sulphur  as  to  injure  the  metal;  nevertheless,  a  good  deal  of 
sulphur  still  remains,  so  that  it  cannot  be  used,  unless  the 
production    of  a    stone   [copper   stone,    &c.]    is    first    desired. 

4.  Much  of  the  peat  is  lost  by  calcining;  from  one  piece  of 
crude  peat  very  little  charcoal  remains.  Leisner  told  me  that 
the  piece  remaining  equals  a  fist;  that  it  is  a  conglomerate 
mass,  and  somewhat  hard.  This  I  can  scarcely  believe ;  for  this 
calcined  earth  does  not  yield  much  coal,  even  if  it  be  of  the 
very  best  quality;  almost  the  whole  of  it  is  lost  by  the  pro- 
cess of  calcining,  or  else  only  a  very  small  quantity  remains. 

5.  I  am  acquainted  wdth  three  kinds  of  peat  which  are  those 
chiefly  found;  the  first  consists  of  an  intricate  mass  of  stout 
little  roots;  this  kind  may  be  converted  into  charcoal,  and 
some  part  of  it  remains  consisting  of  roots  turned  into  char- 
coal. The  second  kind  is  composed  partly  of  a  complicated 
mass  of  smaller  and  least  roots,  and  partly  of  some  which  are 
disintegrated  and  changed  into  some  kind  of  soil.  The  third 
consists  altogether  of  a  kind  of  loam,  which  is  collected  from 
swampy  places  that  have  once  been  dug  out,  where  this  kind 
of  loam  is  afterwards  generated.  If  this  earth  is  taken  out, 
and  in  a  certain  form  pressed  together  either  with  the  feet  or 
hands  or  by  a  weight,  the  very  best  kind  of  peat  is  obtained. 
The  second  and  third  kinds  are  almost  altogether  lost  in  cal- 
cining. 6.  While  the  calcining  is  going  on,  the  heap  must  be 
very  well  covered;  this  operation  occupies  from  24  to  72 
hours.  7.  Otherwise  the  peat  can  be  used  very  well  in  all 
cases  where  there  is  no  metal  and  no  blast  to  scatter  and 
beat  it  to  pieces,  as  in  ovens  and  common  stoves,  in  evaporat- 
ino-  salts,  vitriol,  alum;  likewise  in  furnaces  for  the  manufacture 
of  glass. 

August  30.  In  company  with  Henkel,^^  the  Councillor  of 
Mines,  I  visited  Trier,  the  aulic  Councillor  and  Councillor  of 
Mines,  and  saw  various  kinds  of  ores  and  shells,  besides  the 
skeleton  of  a  marmoset  (felis  marina)  with  its  bones  and  legs 


Doc.  205.]        S  WEDENB ORG'S  TRA  VELS  IN  1734.  73 

impressed  on  slate  ;*  I  saw  also  other  kinds  of  minerals,  pyrites 
from  silver  ore  imbedded  and  involved  in  common  limestone. 

September  2.  From  Dresden  I  journeyed  to  Leipzig, 
vv-here  I  arrived  on  September  4. 

October  5.  A  beginning  was  made  with  the  printing  ot 
the  Friiicqna.  Six  sheets  were  printed  this  week.  May  Heaven 
favour  it  (faveat  nunienjl  The  Leipzig  fair  commenced  on 
the  same  day. 

1734 

March  l.-j-  I  journeyed  to  Halle  where  I  arrived  in  the 
evening,  and  stopped  at  the  inn  The  Golden  Star. 

March  3.  I  visited  Prof.  Herman  Lang,  who  is  the  pro- 
fessor of  physics  and  mathematics,  and  who  extended  to  me 
every  civility.  He  showed  me  his  cabinet  of  curiosities,  and 
presented  me  with  several  petrified  objects  and  other  things. 
At  his  house  I  saw  that  green  ink  which  vanishes  in  the  cold, 
and  re-appears  in  the  heat. 

March  4.  I  called  at  Magister  Semler's,  where  I  saw  very 
many  things  connected  with  the  magnet;  the  declinations  of 
the  magnet  according  to  the  method  of  Halley,  with  the  in- 
struments; and  its  inclination  according  to  his  own  method, 
drawn  on  the  same  map,  which  follows  in  a  straight  line  the 
like  declination. 

Also  many  other  things,  as  the  construction  of  a  most 
perfect  stove;  a  little  stove  is  in  the  interior,  and  a  casing 
on  the  outside;  and  between  the  two  the  air  circulates,  and 
passes  out  at  the  top.  At  Prof.  Lang's  I  also  saw  how  coal 
was  introduced  into  a  stove  on  two  wheels,  and  afterwards 
drawn  out  again;  likewise  a  i)lough  of  a  peculiar  form;  besides 
many  other  things. 

In    the    orphan    asylum    ( Waisenhaus^)    I    saw    a    curious 

*  An  enfjraving  of  this  specimen,  the  original  size,  may  be  seen  in 
"^^ol.  Ill  of  Swedenborg's  Opera  Pldlosopliica  et  Mineralia,  p.  169;  see 
also  Swedenborg's  letter  to  Councillor  Trier,  in  Section  XI. 

f  This  pait  which  is  not  in  the  printed  copy  of  the  "Itineraiium,"  is 
found  on  p.  214  of  the  original  codex ;  it  is  contained  in  the  i)hoto-litho- 
graphic  copy  of  the  same,  Vol.  Ill,  p.  49. 

^  The  celebrated  institution  founded  by  Fiaucke  in  1698. 


74        S  WEDENB ORG 'S  TBA  VELS  AND  DIARIES.   [Doc.  205. 

Copernican  and  Ptolemaic  system  and  other  things.  I  also 
saw  them  at  dinner;  600  receive  their  meals  there  every  day. 

I  spoke  Avith  Prof.  Ursinus,  and  had  a  scientific  discussion 
with  him. 

Fred.  Hoffmann  is  still  alive.  Thomasius  I  saw,  and 
also  Rudiger,  who  has  Avritten  a  treatise  on  chemistry. 

I  saw  the  salt-boiling:  there  are  four  wells  from  thirty-six 
to  forty  ells  deep.  Seventy-six  pans  belong  to  private  persons, 
where  every  four  hours  two  baskets,  or  two  hundred-weight  of 
salt  are  obtained.  In  the  establishments  belonging  to  the  king 
there  are  still  more;  they  are  in  two  buildings,  and  are  con- 
structed differently,  viz.  there  are  one  or  two  pans  above, 
where  the  water  is  heated  by  the  same  lire  that  boils  it  in 
another  pan;  this  is  done  in  the  lower  pan;  the  boiling  is 
done  with  coal.     The  following  is  the  structure  of  the  hearth: 

Ji  a-  b  is  a  passage  or  pipe 
(canalis)  which  can  be 
drawn  out;  in  c  is  a  grate, 
so  tliat  the  draught  can 
~g  pass  in  through  the  passage 

a  h  and  blow  into  c;  the  bottom  of  the  pan  runs  in  ob- 
liquely from  all  sides,  as  c  d,  c  e,  c  g,  c  f.  The  flame  or  the 
heat  goes  up  then  from  h  to  i  k  I  m,  where  it  heats  the 
water  in  one  or  two  pans. 

[For  an  account  of  the  remaining  part  of  the  journey  see 
Document  204,  Vol.  II,  p.  6.] 


^^— 

^  ■,  \ 

a 

*K 

< 

iX- 

/ 

•m, 

DOCUMENT  206. 

SWEDENBORG'S  JOURNAL  OF  TRAVEL 
FROM  1736  TO  1739* 

1736. 

June  1.  I  received  the  gracious  permission  of  His  Majesty 
again  to  travel  abroad  for  three  or  four  years,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  elaborating  another  work  (compare  Document  162, 
Vol.  I,  p.  454). 

July  3.  I  took  leave  of  Their  Majesties  at  Carlsberg;f 
they  were  very  gracious. 

Between  the  3rd  and  10th  of  July  I  took  leave  of  the 
members  of  the  Diet,  my  friends,  and  others;  and  on  the  9th, 
of  the  members  of  the  Royal  College  [of  Mines]. 

On  account  of  my  journey  I  have  given  up  one-half  of  my 
salary;  300  dalers  in  silver  of  this  being  added  to  the  salary 
of  Secretary  Porath,^-''  who  was  to  discharge  the  duties  of  the 
assessorship,  his  post  being  taken  by  the  Fiscal-Advocate 
Bierchenius,^^^  and  that  of  the  latter  by  Notary  Thunberg;  a 
new  notary  having  to  be  appointed  in  his  stead  who  is  to  rc- 

*  The  original  of  this  Joumal,  which  was  written  by  Swedenborg  in 
the  Swedish  language,  is  contained  in  Codex  88,  pp.  504 — 542,  of  the 
Swedenborg  INISS.  which  arc  presei-ved  in  the  Library  of  the  Academy  of 
Sciences  in  Stockholm.  A  Latin  translation  of  this  journal  prepared  by 
Dr.  Kahl  of  Lund  was  published  by  Dr.  Im.  Tafel  in  1.S44  under  the  title  : 
Swedenborg's  Itinerarium,  Scctio  Sccwula.  A  ijhoto-lithogi-ajiliic  copy  of 
the  Swedish  original  is  contained  in  Vol.  Ill  of  tlie  Swedenljorg  MSS., 
pp.  50  to  79,  from  which  the  above  translation  has  been  prepared. 

f  Carlsberg  is  a  roj'al  castle  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Stockholm,  which 
was  changed  in  1792  into  a  military  academy. 


76        SWEDENBOBG'S  TRAVELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  20G. 

ceive  as  his  salary  the  remaining  300  dalers  in  silver;  yet 
with  the  understanding  that  upon  my  return  home  I  am  to 
resume  my  former  position  with  the  right  of  voting.  [Compare 
Document  1G2,  VoL  I,  pp.  452  to  455.] 

July  10.  In  the  afternoon  at  two  o'clock  I  left  Stockholm, 
Fennick,  an  Englishman,  together  with  Boliman  and  Hultman,* 
accompanying  me  to  Pittja. 

The  same  day  there  was  a  severe  thunderstorm  with  light- 
ning between  Norrkoping  and  Ystad,  which  lasted  a  long  time, 
and  the  Hke  of  which  had  not  been  known  within  the  memory 
of  man.  The  whole  sky  seemed  to  be  one  sheet  of  fire.  In 
many  places  dwellings  and  people  were  struck  by  lightning; 
several  gentlemen's  houses  in  Schonen  also  were  struck  and 
burnt  down ;  but  no  church  seems  to  have  been  injured.  Be- 
tween Stockholm  and  Nykoping,  however,  I  did  not  hear  the 
least  thunder  or  see  any  lightning,  although  I  was  travelling 
during  the  whole  night. 

July  11.  I  arrived  at  Nykoping  where  I  met  Pastor  Croll, 
as  well  as  Le  Febure-j-  and  the  Fiscal-Advocate  Brock,  who 
reported  to  me  all  about  this  lightning. 

July  12.  Upon  arriving  at  Linkoping  I  spent  a  day  and  a 
night  with  Bishop  Benzelius''  and  my  sister  Anna  Swedenborg.^' 

July  13.  On  leaving  Linkoping  I  passed  through  Grenna, 
Jonkoping,  &c. 

July  16.  I  arrived  at  Helsingborg  where  I  had  some  con- 
versation "vvith  Lannerstjerna,  the  Commander  of  the  castle,^ 
and  with  Burgomaster  Sylvius. 

July  17.  I  passed  over  the  Sound  to  Elsinore  against  a 
headwind  and  during  a  storm  which  had  lasted  fur  three  days; 
but  as  soon  as  I  reached  the  other  side  it  became  calm, 
and  the  wind  changed.     I  went  to  the  castle  with  my  passport, 

*  Messi's.  Bohman  and  Hultman  were  merchants  of  Stockliolm ;  the 
latter  of  whom  administered  Swedenborg's  property  duiing  his  absences 
see  Note  111,  Vol.  I,  and  Document  141. 

-}•  John  Henry  Le  Febure,  a  merchant  of  Stockholm,  and  owner  of  a 
large  brass-foundiy  in  Norrkiiping.    He  died  in  Stockholm  in  17(i7. 

:f  Lieutenant-Colonel  Peter  Lannerstjerna,  born  in  1680,  who  had  been 
severely  wounded  in  the  war  against  Russia,  and  since  1711  had  been  com- 
mander of  the  castle  at  Helsingborg.     He  died  in  1748. 


Doc.  206.]        SWEDENBORG'S  TBA VELS  IN  173G.  77 

calling  upon  the  commander,  Lieutenant-General  RefvenfelJt, 
and  also  upon  Commissary  Grill. 

At  two  o'clock  I  left  for  Copenhagen,  travelling  for  live 
hours  along  the  beach,  from  which  I  had  fine  views  of  the  other 
side.  I  stopped  there  at  the  Kramer-ComiMcinie,  opposite  the 
place  where  the  new  castle  is  now  being  built. 

July  18.  I  was  in  the  churcli  on  Christineholm.  Divine 
service  differs  from  that  of  the  Swedish  church  only  in  a  few 
ceremonials.  The  clergyman  has  a  stiff  ruffled  collar  lined 
with  black;  the  blessing  was  pronounced  from  the  pulpit;  two 
large  candles  biu'ned  on  the  altar  on  account  of  the  com- 
munion which  was  solemnized.  The  warden  invested  the  clergy- 
man with  the  communion  garments  while  he  was  standing  be- 
fore the  altar.  There  were  no  epitaphs  or  ornaments  in 
the  church;  only  the  organ  and  an  altar-piece.  The  offertory 
was  not  collected  in  bags  as  in  Sweden,  but  in  little  boxes; 
four  of  which  were  handed  round. 

Afterwards  I  visited  two  public  gardens ;  a  round  one  in  the 
New  Market-place  [Koikjcus  Ni/totvJ,  with  an  equestrian  statue 
of  Christian  V.  in  bronze,  but  not  massive;  under  the  horse's  feet 
lies  a  man  holding  a  serpent  in  his  hands,  which  is  trampled  upon 
by  the  horse ;  on  one  side  of  the  pedestal  are  two  figures  in 
relief,  likewise  of  bronze,  representing  Hercules  and  Pallas, 
on  the  other  side  there  are  also  two  figures  with  fire  and  sword; 
on  the  third  and  fourth  sides  are  coats  of  arms. 

The  other  garden,  which  is  pretty  large  and  occupies  a 
place  of  considerable  importance  in  the  toAvn,  is  cluirming  on 
account  of  its  various  attractions.  There  are  avenues  of  various 
kinds;  trees  trimmed  in  dift'erent  forms,  images  in  plaster  of 
]*aris,  one  of  bronze,  representing  a  lion  with  a  horse  under 
it,  which  is  pretty  well  executed;  also  Samson  tearing  a  lion, 
in  marble;  with  several  other  statues,  larger  or  smaller.  The 
most  interesting  object  is  the  plantation  of  orange-trees,  consist- 
ing of  16U  trees,  not  planted  in  tubs,  but  growing  freely  in 
the  ground  without  being  transplanted;  together  with  laurels, 
cypresses,  and  other  trees.  During  summer  the  Avindows  and 
roof  are  removed,  and  the  trees  are  under  the  open  sky;  in 
the  autumn  they  are  again  enclosed. 

July  20.    From  noon  till  evening  I  w^as  at  the  house  of  Mr. 


78        SWEDENBORG'S  TRAVELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  206. 

Schutenhjelm.*  I  learned  that  among  those  most  celebrated 
for  their  learning  m  Copenhagen  are  Kramer,  the  Councillor 
of  Justice  and  Librarian,  who  is  distinguished  for  history  and 
philology;  Prof.  Holberg  who  has  written  Danish  comedies, 
and  a  history  of  Norway;  and  Rosen crantz,  the  privy  coun- 
cillor and  prime-minister.  The  learned  have  spoken  favourably 
of  my  work.-|-  The  same  day  I  saw  Wolf's  ^^  Natural 
Theology ;  where,  without  mentioning  my  name,  he  seems  to 
refer  to  me. 

July  21.  I  made  excerpts  from  Wolf  s  Ontologia  and  Co5- 
nwlogia,  of  those  parts  which  I  shall  need  on  the  way,  in  order 
to  examine  more  thoroughly  his  first  principles  of  philosophy.^ 

July  22.  In  company  with  Secretary  Witt  I  was  at  the 
library,  which  is  magnificent,  and  excellently  arranged;  Kramer, 
the  Councillor  of  Justice,  had  already  gone  a^vay.  It  con- 
sists of  70,000  volumes;  the  octavo  volumes  are  at  the  top, 
where  access  is  obtained  by  a  gallery  running  round  the  in- 
terior. They  showed  me  Cicero's  work  printed  at  Mayence  in 
1456,  which  is  supposed  to  be  the  first  book  ever  printed ; 
they  showed  me  also  my  own  work,  but  without  knowing  I  was 
its  author.  Afterwards  I  visited  the  dry  dock,  which  is  in 
process  of  building;  although  we  had  not  permission  to  enter. 
It  is  a  great  undertaking;  the  sides  are  lined  with  planks  and 
beams,  and  it  is  about  180  ells  long.  Water-springs  are  said 
to  rise  from  the  deep,  by  which  the  work  is  obstructed,  rendered 
costly,  and  much  protracted;  if  this  is  so,  the  expense  of 
pumping  out  the  water  must  continue  ever  afterwards;  these 
springs  are  stopped  up  with  clay  and  other  materials.  No  work 
has  at  yet  been  done  on  the  side  next  the  sea  or  at  the  mouth, 
where  the  greatest    skill   and   labour   are   required,    so    as  to 

*  Anders  Schutenhjelm  or  Skutenhjelm  was  the  Swedish  ambassador  at 
the  Danish  Court.  He  was  born  in  1788,  and,  after  filhng  various  offices 
in  the  Department  for  Foreign  Affairs  in  Stockholm,  was  appointed  in 
1734  Coimcillor  of  Court  and  minister  in  Copenhagen.  He  married  Baroness 
Diiben,  with  whom  Swedenborg  and  Bishop  Swedberg  were  on  tenns  of 
hitimacy,  as  appears  from  Document  113. 

Y  Probably  the  Principia. 

i  These  excerpts  occupy  93  pages  in  the  same  Codex,  in  which  this 
Journal  of  Travel  is  contained. 


Dor.  20-,. I        SWEDENBORG  'S  TEA  VELS  IN  1736.  79 

render  the  gates  firm  and  tight,  and  to  prevent  them  from 
sinking,  and  the  pressure  of  the  water  from  causing  any 
friction;  quite  as  much  skill  and  labour  are  required  for  clear- 
ing out  the  bottom  of  the  sea  there,  as  time  will  show.  I  then 
visited  the  royal  stables,  where  a  lunidred  horses  stand  with 
their  names  written  over  them;  I  examined  also  [the  building 
of]  the  castle  which  is  lined  with  hewn,  yet  sutticiently  thick 
stone;  the  rest  is  built  of  brick.  The  wall  is  quite  three  ells 
tliick;  its  length  is  a  hundred  and  fifty  paces;  it  is  square,  and  will 
be  a  magnificent  structure.  The  machine  for  hoisting  the  bricks 
is  curious;  it  consists  of  shelves  which  are  fastened  together 
like  a  chain;  it  goes  up  on  one  side  and  down  on  the  other; 
two  or  three  bricks  are  laid  on  one  shelf;  so  that  a  consider- 
able quantity  can  be  raised  by  one  horse.  I  noticed  besides 
that  in  the  town  there  is  a  great  display  of  horses,  carriages, 
liveries,  and  dinners.  They  have  two  hundred  hackney  coaches. 
The  town  is  also  infected  with  pietism  or  quakerism ;  and  they 
are  crazed  enough  to  believe  that  it  is  well  pleasing  to  God 
to  do  away  with  oneself  and  others;  of  which  many  instances 
are  on  record.  The  port  is  very  good,  so  that  vessels,  even 
East-India  men,  are  enabled  to  come  close  up  to  the  town. 

The  country  is  governed  by  an  intelligent  king,  who  is 
prudent  and  seriously  inclined.  He  gives  large  pensions, 
amounting  to  from  5000  or  6000  rix-dalers.  The  Crown-Prince 
also,  who  is  thirteen  years  old,  is  said  to  be  inclined  to  everything 
that  is  good.  In  the  large  garden  is  the  Treasury  with  the 
crown  jewels,  of  which  the  king  himself  is  said  to  keep  the  key. 
During  summer  His  Majesty  resides  generally  at  Frederics- 
berg,  four  [geographical]  miles  from  town,  where  there  is  also 
a  beautiful  garden.  Tlie  duty  on  Swedish  iron  is  said  to 
amount  to  ten  rix-dalers  per  ^kcdjnind:  it  would  have  been  vain 
to  say  anything  on  the  matter.  All  gold  and  silver  and  pre- 
cious stones  on  garments  are  forbidden. 

July  23.  I  was  in  the  Museum.  On  the  ground-floor  I 
saw :  1.  A  small  elephant,  2.  A  very  large  ox,  3.  A  horse  in 
plaster  of  Paris  which  formerly  existed  in  Denmark,  4.  The 
fac-simile  of  the  horns  of  a  stag,  from  four  to  five  ells  in  height; 
5.  The  drawing  of  a  giant  upwards  of  thirteen  ells  high,  who 
is  said  to  have  been  found.     In   the  museum   itself  is  a  long 


80        SWEDENBORG'S  TRAVELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  206. 

picture-gallery  containig  a  considerable  number  of  paintings 
of  great  value,  both  old  and  new.  In  another  room  in  the  in- 
terior is  a  night  scene,  painted  with  an  extraordinary  distribution 
of  light ;  there  are  medals  and  coins  from  all  places,  in- 
cluding Roman  and  Greek,  from  Alexander  and  Philip.  In  a 
third  room  are  minerals  and  stones,  esjjecially  specimens  of 
solid  silver  from  Norway,  a  large  one  in  the  corner;  in  a  case 
are  other  specimens  almost  solid,  to  the  value  of  3000  rix- 
dalers;  there  is  one  in  which  a  lump  of  silver  rises  out  of  its 
matrix,  which  is  a  very  curious  object;  other  smaller  specimens 
seem  tied  round,  as  it  were,  with  a  ribbon,  and  small  spe- 
cimens appear  growing  in  the  form  of  plants.  I  saw  also 
native  solid  gold;  weiss-erit,  with  silver  and  gold;  petrified 
wood;  a  diamond  in  its  matrix,  emeralds,  jacinths;  and  beau- 
tiful marble  from  Norway.  There  were  also  stuffed  animals 
and  the  like;  mummies;  rarities  from  Japan,  the  East  Indies,  etc. 
In  an  inner  room  were  works  of  art  manufactured  of  ivory,  wood, 
amber,  and  mother  of  pearl;  various  mathematical  instruments, 
and  a  fine  focal  mirror  of  steel.  The  last  room  contains  wax- 
figures  among  other  curious  objects;  as,  for  instance,  a  child 
with  two  heads,  two  arms,  and  two  feet;  the  golden  horn 
which  was  found  some  years  ago  in  Holstein,  not  far  from  the 
surface  of  the  ground;  also  other  horns,  urns  of  gold,  and 
Queen  Margaret's  private  goblet. 

I  went  to  the  booking-ofiice  and  entered  my  name  for  Ham- 
burg. I  examined  the  route  on  a  map,  which  is  as  follows : 
from  Copenhagen  over  Zealand  to  the  Great  Belt ;  afterwards 
over  Flinen  to  the  little  Belt;  and  thus  by  way  of  Schleswig 
and  Holstein  to  Hamburg.  Denmark  consists  of  the  islands  of 
Zealand,  Fiinen,  Falster,  and  Langeland;  as  well  as  Alsen 
and  Femern ;  the  parts  on  the  continent  that  belong  to  it  are 
Jutland,  Schleswig  and  Holstein  ;  Holstein  consists  ot  Hol- 
satia,  Dithmarsia,  Wagria,  and  Normaria. 

July  24.  In  the  afternoon  at  four  o'clock  I  left  Copen- 
hagen in  the  ordmary  stage-coach.  At  eight  o'clock  we  reached 
Roeskilde,   where  the  peace  of  Roeskilde*  was   concluded;  a 

■=  By  the  treaty  of  Roeskilde  in  1658  Denmark  ceded  to  Sweden,  Schonen, 
Holland.  Blekingen,  Bohus,  Drontheiin,  Bornliolm,  and  Jemtland.  By  this 
treaty  Sweden  was  also  freed  from  the  Sound  dues. 


Doc.  20r,.]        SWEDENBORG'S  TEAVELSIN17SG.  81 

fourth  of  the  town  has  been  burned  by  twelve  or  thirteen  in- 
cendiaries, who  are  in  prison. 

July  25.  I  reached  Ringsted,  so  called  after  King  Ring; 
passed  Soro,  a  small  town,  beautifully  situated,  and  came 
through  Slagelse  to  Korsor  on  the  Great  Belt,  which  is  forti- 
fied. The  extent  of  Zealand  from  Copenhagen  to  Korsor  is 
fourteen  [geographical]  miles;  most  of  it  is  flat,  and  cultivated 
as  fields,  though  there  are  also  some  handsome  beech  woods. 
At  Korsor  I  noticed  the  tide,  Avliich  can  scarcely  be  observed 
in  other  parts  of  Denmark;  a  lighthouse  is  there  for  the  use 
of  mariners,  likewise  at  Nyborg. 

July  26.  I  went  across  the  Great  Belt,  passing  the  little 
island,  Sprogo;  Langeland  Avas  also  visible;  and  thus  I  arrived 
at  Nyborg.  Thence  I  went  to  Odense,  which  is  a  large  town 
containing  four  churches;  it  lies  in  the  middle  of  the  island 
of  Fiinen. 

July  27.  From  Odense  I  went  to  Assens;  Fiinen  extends 
nine  [geographical]  miles  from  Nyborg  to  Assens ;  the  distance 
over  the  Great  Belt  is  four  [geographical]  miles.  From 
Assens  we  crossed  the  little  Belt  to  Aarosund.  The  distance 
from  Copenhagen  to  that  place  is  twenty-nine  miles,  and  it  is 
thus  half-way  to  Hamburg.  Fiuien  has  a  similar  appearance 
to  Zealand.  From  Aarosund  I  travelled  to  Hadersleben,  which 
is  in  Schleswig  or  Danish  Holstein. 

July  28.  I  reached  Flensburg,  which  is  a  fine  town,  con- 
sisting of  only  one  long  street;  ships  arrive  there  trafticking 
in  hemp,  flax,  linen,  wine,  &c.,  with  which  they  supply  the 
adjoining  country.  Thence  we  passed  Schleswig,  where  a  wall 
or  rampart  was  pointed  out  to  us  which  reaches  from  the 
Baltic  to  the  North  Sea,  and  is  said  to  have  been  erected 
during  the  reign  of  the  Emperor  Otto,  when  he  desired  to 
introduce  Christianity  into  Denmark. 

July  29.  Rendsburg  is  a  handsome  fortress,  the  finest  in 
Denmark,  containing  a  garrison  of  from  3000  to  4000  men; 
the  town  consists  of  scarcely  anything  but  magazines  and  arse- 
nals.   Thence  I  went  to  Itzehoe  which  is  a  considerable  town. 

July  30.  We  arrived  at  Elmshorn,  passing  the  fortress 
Gluckstadt  in  Ditmarsia,  which  is  there  called  Marsia.  The 
country  looks  very  much  like  Holland,  in  being  fortified  against 

0 


82        S  WEDENB ORG'S  TEA  VELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  206. 

the  sea  by  dykes ;  it  is  as  level  and  beautiful  as  a  garden ;  water- 
courses separate  the  various  estates;  it  has  plantations  of  trees, 
beautiful  fields,  and  .large  herds  of  cattle ;  rich  inhabitants  are 
there;  everything  is  well  built  and  cultivated.  The  greater 
part  of  the  revenues  is  derived  from  this  part.  From  Elms- 
horn  I  journeyed  to  Pinneberg,  a  Fleck  (village),  as  it  is 
called.  At  five  o'tlock  in  the  afternoon  I  arrived  in  Ham- 
Ijurg,  travelling  on  land  from  Copenhagen  to  Hamburg  fifty- 
two  miles  and  by  sea  six  miles,  altogether  fifty-eight  miles.  I  took 
lodgings  in  the  Black  Eagle.  My  travelling  companion  was 
a  Danish  merchant,  residing  at  Bordeaux;  his  name  is  Johan 
Kloker  from  Copenhagen. 

July  31.  I  conversed  with  Commissary  Konig,*  and  George 
Schneider,  a  captain  and  merchant. 

August  1.  With  Commissary  Konig,  brother  Cederstrom, 
and  the  director  I  went  to  the  porcelain  works,  where  I 
examined  the  ovens  and  specimens  of  their  work;  it  does 
not  equal  ours  in  Stockholm.  I  enquired  about  the  govern- 
ment in  Hamburg:  it  consists  of  four  burgomasters,  two  of 
whom  alternate  each  year,  twenty-four  councilmen,  five  syndics, 
three  secretaries,  and  one  proto-notary.  The  salary  of  burgo- 
master amounts  to  4000  rix-dalers;  the  largest  income  is  that 
of  the  secretaries  and  of  the  proto-notary,  who  earn  from  8000 
to  12,000  rix-dalers. 

August  2.  I  called  upon  Pastor  Christopher  Wolf,^"°  of 
St.  Catharine's  church.-j-  He  showed  me  a  collection  of  original 
letters  from  learned  men  filling  sixty  volumes  in  folio  and 
quarto ;  he  showed  me  also  an  autograph  collection  of  the  names 
of  more  than  a  thousand  learned  men;  likewise  manuscripts 
in  the  oriental  languages.  The  collection  of  letters  he  obtained 
irom  Schminkius,  a  burgomaster  of  Frankfort.  I  dined  with 
a  so-called  Prince  of  Mogul,  a  swell  (un  etourdi). 

*  Johan  Frederic  Ktinig  was  the  Swedish  Postal  Commissary  in  Ham- 
burg; in  1738  he  became  the  Swedish  agent,  and  in  1747  resident  consul. 
He  died  in  1759.  He  saw  a  splendid  Geiman  edition  of  Dr.  Nordberg's 
Life  of  Charles  XII  through  the  press,  concerning  which  see  Document  199. 

•^  The  letter  of  introduction  from  Bishop  Ericus  Benzelius,  which  Sweden- 
borg  delivered  on  this  occasion,  is  preserved  in  the  Public  Library  in  Ham- 
burg; it  is  Document  12:i. 


Doc.  206.]        S  WEDENB  ORG'S  TEA  VELS  IN  1736.  83 

August  3.  I  was  at  home  studying,  and  went  to  Schneider's 
to  make  arrangements  about  my  letter  of  credit. 

August  4.  I  left  Hamburg  by  water  and  came  to  Harburg, 
which  is  a  long,  fortified  town,  and  thence  to  Zahrendorf. 

August  5.  By  way  of  Wietzendorf,  a  "Fleck"  (village),  I 
came  to  Celle,  which  is  a  handsome  town.  From  Hamburg 
to  Celle  the  country  is  mostly  an  uncultivated  heath,  although 
it  miglit  be  cultivated. 

August  6.  I  passed  through  Langthal,  which  is  a  village 
almost  a  mile  long,  beautifully  diversified  with  oak-woods,  and 
tlius  leached  Hanover,  where  I  lodged  at  the  English  Crown, 
which  is  directly  over  the  post-office.  His  Majesty  stays  entirely 
at  Herrenhausen. 

August  7.  I  was  in  the  garden  at  Herrenhausen.  The 
distance  from  the  town  is  about  4500  ells  or  a  quarter  of  a 
Swedish  mile.  The  garden  is  large;  near  the  entrance  is  a 
sun-dial  for  all  the  quarters  of  the  sky,  and  [calculated  for  all] 
obli<[uities ;  also  good-sized  statues  in  plaster  of  Paris,  twenty- 
four  in  number,  and  eight  urns.  There  are  also  pines  trimmed  in 
the  form  of  pyramids,  cones,  and  segments ;  of  these  there  is  a 
large  number  in  the  garden  itself,  where  the  statues  are  placed, 
as  well  as  in  other  parts.  Along  the  sides  are  hedges  in  great 
number,  upwards  of  six  ells  in  height.  There  are  two  small  parks 
with  large  trees,  and  at  a  great  distance  two  pleasure  houses. 
On  the  left  is  a  theatre  with  a  water  basin  in  front,  in  which 
are  three  fountains,  one  surpassing  the  rest  in  height,  and  on 
the  top  of  the  theatre  are  many  gilt  statues.  At  a  greater 
distance  is  an  amphitheatre  with  small  statues ;  farther  down 
are  four  statues  of  the  royal  family;  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
the  castle  itself  are  a  few  statues  in  bronze.  There  are  also 
cascades  in  a  grotto,  where  the  water  flows  into  large  and 
still  larger  shells;  and,  besides,  there  is  an  orangery  containing 
many  but  not  particularly  large  trees. 

In  the  town  there  are  water-works  by  which  both  tlie 
town  and  the  reservoirs  are  supplied  with  water;  it  contains 
likewise  a  Jewish  synagogue.  The  town  itself  is  of  considerable 
size  and  consists  of  two  parts,  the  old,  and  the  new  called  the 
"Neustadt,"  besides  the  houses  outside  the  wall ;  it  is  jjretty 
well  fortified. 

a* 


84        SWEDEXBORG'S  TRAVELS  AND  DIARIES  [Doc.  206. 

August  8.  I  was  in  several  churches;  there  are  five  of  them, 
besides  the  Calvinistic  Reformed  and  the  Roman  Catholic 
chui'ches.  The  cemeteries  are  all  outside  the  town;  there  large 
churchyards  are  situated. 

August  9.  I  visited  the  royal  stables,  which  contain  up- 
wards of  a  hundred  horses,  carefully  selected  both  Avith  regard 
to  size  and  colour;  some  are  of  a  bluish  shade;  there  were 
also  a  number  of  mules  of  considerable  size.  Another  stable 
is  at  Celle.  I  was  in  the  so-called  "Mummelgarten,"  or  "Mont 
brillant,"  which  is  rather  handsome  with  its  living  hedges, 
trees  trimmed  in  various  forms,  its  orangery,  fountains,  etc. ; 
there  is  also  a  water-wheel  turned  by  little  brooks. 

August  10  and  11.  I  studied  matters  connected  with  on- 
tology; took  a  view  of  the  situation  of  the  town;  inspected  its 
ramparts,  and  saw  every   thing  else  that  was  interesting. 

August  12.  I  travelled  from  Hanover  to  Osnabriick.  On 
the  first  day  I  came  through  a  little  town,  called  Wunstorf, 
but  did  not  go  beyond  Leese,  the  first  station,  where  we  stopped 
for  the  night. 

August  13.  We  crossed  the  Weser  at  Stolzenau,  and  after- 
wards came  through  Diepenau  to  Bohmte. 

August  14.  I  arrived  at  Osnabriick,  which  belongs  to  the 
Elector  of  Cologne.  Three  Roman  Catholic  and  two  Evan- 
gelical churches  are  in  the  place;  likewise  Jesuit  schools;  four 
convents,  of  which  one  is  in  the  tOAvn,  called  "Gertruden 
Kloster,"  for  ladies  of  the  nobility;  a  castle;  a  garden  outside 
the  town  called  "Petersburg."  They  have  alternately  a  Ca- 
tholic and  an  Evangelical  bishop.  I  travelled  thence  through 
Ibbenbiiren  to  Rheine. 

August  15.  I  arrived  at  Bentheim,  a  town  of  no  importance, 
which  is  situated  on  a  mountain;  it  is  crowned  by  an  old 
castle,  and  belongs  to  Count  von  Bentheim;  it  is  garrisoned 
by  soldiers  from  Cologne. 

August  16.  I  then  proceeded  through  Delden  to  Deventer, 
which  is  a  large  town  in  the  Dutch  province  of  Upper  Yssel. 
After  crossing  the  river  Yssel  I  came  to  Voorthuizen,  and 
then  through  Ammersfort  to  Naarden;  thus  coming  from 
the  province  of  Upper  Yssel  through  Geldem  to  Holland. 
Naarden  is  the  best  fortress  in  all  the  seven  United  Provinces; 


Doc.  206.]        S  WEDENBORG'S  TBA  VELS  IN  1736.  85 

and,  besides,  it  is  a  handsome  town,  where  I  spent  the  night 
over  the  booking-office  writing  out  my  observations.  Ammers- 
fort  also  is  a  large  and  handsome  town,  surrounded  by  many 
important  tobacco  plantations,  the  produce  of  which  mostly 
goes  to  Norway  and  Sweden.  It  is  to  be  observed,  besides, 
that  the  only  cereal  which  they  sow  is  buckwheat.  In  very 
many  places  were  plantations  of  oaks.  Otherwise  there  were 
many  uncultivated  heaths  and  moors  on  the  way  to  Ammers- 
foi't,  which  are  preserved  in  part  on  account  of  the  peat. 

August  17.  From  Naarden  I  came  by  canal-boat  (trecl^sclmyt) 
to  Amsterdam,  Avhere  I  took  lodgings  in  the  "VergoudeLeuwen," 
or  the  Golden  Lion,  not  far  from  the  Exchange.  In  Amster- 
dam I  stayed  until  the  evening  of  the  20th.  I  Avas  at  Messrs. 
Clissoet  and  Son,  and  at  several  others.  Tola  civitas  niliil 
nisi  lucrum  spirdbat  (The  whole  town  breathed  of  nothing  but 
gain). 

August  20.  I  proceeded  by  the  canal  to  Rotterdam,  and 
went  on  board  the  boat  which  stopped  at  Ter  Gouwe  (Gouda), 
w'hich  is  a  handsome  town. 

August  21.  There,  that  is,  at  Ter  Gouwe  (Gouda),  I  went 
into  a  carriage,  where  there  was  room  for  six  persons,  and  that 
number  took  their  places  in  it  in  a  polite  manner.  The  road  thence 
to  Rotterdam,  and  also  all  around  Amsterdam,  is  paved  with 
Dutch  bricks  (kVuiliers)  and  tiles,  laid  on  their  edges.  Along 
the  road  we  passed  many  brick-kilns,  and  heaps  of  peat  taken 
out  of  moors  and  ditches ;  this  is  a  kind  of  earth  which,  like 
bricks,  is  dried  in  the  sun,  and  in  rainy  weather  is  covered 
with  mats  made  of  sedge-grass,  of  which  an  abundance  grows 
here.  There  are  no  cereals  planted  here,  but  only  grass  for 
cattle,  which  furnish  the  great  quantity  of  cheese  manu- 
factured here.  At  last  I  arrived  at  Rotterdam  where  I  had 
to  remain  a  whole  day.  A  fair  was  being  held  there,  where  I 
admired  a  great  number  of  fine  paintings  sold  by  auction.  To 
pass  aw'ay  my  tune,  as  it  was  evening,  I  went  to  see  an  ex- 
hibition, where  a  man  skilled  in  balancing  liimself  walked  on 
a  slack  hempen  rope;  he  also  went  up  a  rope-ladder,  and 
made  all  sorts  of  evolutions  on  the  top,  and,  finally,  stood 
there  on  his  head,  and  in  this  position  went  down  the  ladder; 
never  losing  his   balance.     I  also  saw  a   puppet-show,   where 


86        SWEDENBOBG'S  TRAVELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  206. 

one  very  curious  trick  was  performed.  At  a  moment's 
notice  they  became  changed  from  female  puppets  into  statues^ 
and  where  the  head  had  been  before  there  was  a  basket  filled 
with  little  people,  and  a  seat  for  sitting  down;  again  a  woman 
was  changed  into  a  man,  and  afterwards  into  a  windmill,  the 
wings  of  which  were  turning  around;  it  was  certainly  a  dis- 
play of  skill  and  dexterity.  The  exchange  building  is  the 
finest  I  have  yet  seen;  but  it  was  not  attended,  as  in  Amster- 
dam, by  such  a  great  number  of  persons,  who  are  the  chief 
ornament  of  an  exchange. 

I  here  considered  why  it  was  that  it  has  pleased  our  Lord  to 
bless  such  an  uncouth  and  avaricious  people  with  such  a  splendid 
country ;  why  He  has  preserved  them  for  such  a  long  time 
from  all  misfortunes;  has  caused  them  to  surpass  all  other 
nations  in  commerce  and  enterprize;  and  made  their  country 
a  place  whither  most  of  the  riches  not  only  of  Europe  but 
also  of  other  places  flow.  The  principal  cause  seems  to  me 
to  have  been,  that  it  is  a  republic,  wherein  the  Lord  delights 
more  than  in  monarchical  countries;  as  appears  also  from 
Rome.  The  result  is,  that  no  one  deems  himself  obHged  and 
in  duty  bound  to  accord  honour  and  veneration  to  any  human 
being,  but  considers  the  low  as  well  as  the  high  to  be  of  the 
same  worth  and  consequence  as  a  king  and  emperor;  as  is 
also  shown  by  the  native  bent  and  disposition  of  every  one 
in  Holland.  The  only  one  for  whom  they  entertain  a  feeling 
of  veneration  is  the  Lord,  putting  no  trust  in  flesh;  and 
when  the  Highest  is  revered  most,  and  no  human  being  is 
in  His  place,  it  is  most  pleasing  to  the  Lord.  Besides,  each 
enjoys  his  own  free-will,  and  from  this  his  worship  of  God 
flows;  for  each  is,  as  it  were,  his  own  king  and  rules  under 
the  government  of  the  Highest;  and  from  this  it  follows  again, 
that  they  do  not,  out  of  fear,  timidity,  and  excess  of  caution, 
lose  their  courage  and  their  independent  rational  thought,  but 
in  full  freedom  and  without  being  borne  down,  they  are  al)le 
to  fix  their  souls  upon,  and  elevate  them  to,  the  honour  of  the 
Highest,  who  is  unwilling  to  share  His  worship  with  any  other. 
At  all  events,  those  minds  that  are  borne  down  by  a  sovereign 
power  are  brought  up  in  flattery  and  falsity;  they  learn  how 
to  speak  and  act  differently  from  what  they  think ;   and  when 


Doc.  206.]         SWEDENBORG'S  TRA  VELS  IN  17.3G.  87 

this  condition  has  become  inrooted  by  habit,  it  engenders  a 
sort  of  second  nature,  so  that  even  in  the  worship  of  God 
such  persons  speak  differently  from  what  they  think,  and  ex- 
tend their  flattering  ways  to  the  Lord  himself,  which  must  be 
highly  displeasing  to  Him.  This  seems  to  me  the  reason  why 
they  above  other  nations  enjoy  a  perfect  blessing;  their 
worshipping  mammon  for  their  God,  and  striving  only  after 
money,  does  not  seem  to  be  consistent  with  a  constant  bless- 
ing; still  there  may  be  ten  among  a  thousand  or  among  ten 
thousand,  who  ward  off  punishment  from  the  others,  and  cause 
them  to  be  the  participants  with  themselves  of  temporal 
blessings. 

August  22.  I  left  Rotterdam  in  a  small  vessel  for  Ant- 
werp, and  arrived  first  at  Dort  (Dordrecht),  which  is  a  hand- 
some town.  In  its  neighbourhood  may  be  seen  a  great  number 
of  windmills.  I  noticed  also  many  mills  where  cement  is 
ground;  they  are  furnished  with  the  stones  for  the  cement 
from  a  great  distance;  the  material  consisting  of  debris  and 
stones  that  have  lain  in  the  ground  for  a  long  time.  There 
is  also  a  salt  refinery. 

August  23.  We  passed  Williamstad  (Willemstad),  which 
is  a  fortress,  and  arrived  at  Bergen  op  Zoom.  Zealand  with 
its  isles  appeared  on  the  right;  it  lies  low  down  at  the  water's 
edge,  and  must  be  constantly  protected  by  dikes,  lest  an  inun- 
dation take  place.  Gardens  and  plantations  were  seen  at 
the  side,  flat  and  even. 

August  24.  After  passing  by  Lillo,  wliich  is  a  small  town, 
we  arrived  at  Antwerp.  The  only  sources  of  displeasure  dur- 
ing this  voyage  were,  that  the  captain  was  cross  and  uncivil, 
and  that  at  night  it  was  most  uncomfortable  to  stay  below 
in  the  cabin,  in  company  with  so  many  people.  The  tide 
prevented  our  proceeding  as  fast  as  we  ought  to  have  done. 
I  stayed  in  Antwerp  from  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  till 
eleven  at  night,  and  visited  the  handsome  church  of  Notre 
Dame.  There  are  two  rows  of  altars,  twelve  altogether,  be- 
sides those  along  the  sides  and  around  the  choir.  I  was 
shown  a  beautiful  painting  at  one  of  the  altars  on  the  right, 
representing  the  removal  of  Christ  from  the  cross ;  this  paint- 
ing is  very  seldom  opened  and  shown.     In  the  tower  are  open 


88        SWEDENBORG'S  TEA  YELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  206. 

Gothic  ornaments;  from  the  interior  of  the  church  one  can 
look  up  into  the  tower  to  a  great  height,  Avhere  the  view  is 
closed  by  a  ceiling  representing  the  ascension  of  Christ.  The 
distance  from  Rotterdam  to  Antwerp  is  calculated  at  eighteen 
[geographical]  miles. 

August  25.  During  the  night  I  went  in  a  large  boat  to 
Boom,  where  we  were  transferred  to  a  "treckschuyt"  (canal- 
boat)  of  considerable  size ;  it  was  forty  ells  long,  and  six  ells 
wide,  with  five  rooms,  i.  e.  cabin,  kitchen,  and  other  apart- 
ments ;  on  the  forward  deck  was  an  awning,  under  which  people 
could  sit.  We  changed  our  "treckschuyts,"  which  are  drawn 
by  two  horses,  five  times.  It  was  a  splendid  and  most  beauti- 
ful trip.  During  the  whole  journey  we  had  plantations  of  trees 
on  both  sides ;  people  also  were  more  civilized,  so  that  in  con- 
trast with  their  politeness  the  boorishness  and  heaviness  of  the 
Dutch  became  very  evident.  We  passed  a  town,  called  Vil- 
voorden,  which  had  a  very  antiquated  looking  fortress.  The 
land  on  both  sides  Avas  as  flat  as  the  water;  in  proportion, 
however,  as  it  rose  it  became  necessary  to  provide  locks  or 
sluices ;  and  from  one  lock  Ave  had  to  pass  into  another.  About 
11  o'clock  in  the  fore-noon  Ave  arrived  at  Brussels,  AA'here  I  had 
lodgings  behind  the  toAvn-hall  at  the  house  of  a  certain  Cauter  in 
the  "Runsefall."  The  distance  from  Antwerp  to  Brussels  is 
eight  leagues.  In  Brussels  I  visited  the  cathedral  Avhich  is  called 
the  "gold  church;"  the  most  conspicuous  ornament  in  it  was 
fourteen  pillars,  every  one  of  Avhich  Avas  dressed  with  foliage, 
adorned  Avith  a  statue,  and  furnished  Avith  an  altar;  besides 
other  interesting  objects.  In  addition  to  the  other  churches, 
which  I  need  not  specify,  I  Avas  in  the  principal  rooms  of  the 
town-hall,  Avhere  I  had  occasion  to  admire  the  tapestry  Avhicli 
is  manufactured  in  Brussels,  and  Avhich  surpasses  the  Gobelin 
tapestry  in  Paris ;  the  Avoven  pictures  Avere  so  life-like,  that  no 
painter  could  have  made  them  finer ;  they  are  still  engaged 
upon  this  kind  of  work  at  the  present  day.  The  houses  facing 
the  market-place  and  many  others  in  the  toAvn  are  much  gilded; 
most  of  them  are  furnished  Avith  many  AvindoAvs,  and  are  of 
an  old-fashioned  style  of  architecture.  Afterwards  I  visited 
the  arsenal  Avhere  most  of  the  curiosities  were  from  the  Em- 
peror; among  these  were  apparel  of  imperial  purple,  a  shield 


Doc.  206.]        SWEDE^^BORG'S  TRAVELS  IN  1736.  89 

of  iron  inlaid  with  gold,  which  was  of  most  beautiful  workman- 
ship; there  was  also  another  where  the  figures  were  damascened, 
and  of  great  value;  at  last  we  admired  the  emperor's  sword. 
I  do  not  mention  the  stables  and  other  objects  which  we  saw. 

On  our  way  to  Brussels  two  Franciscan  monks  were  on  the 
canal-boat;  one  of  these  stood  on  deck  for  four  hours  in  one 
position,  and  during  the  whole  of  this  time  said  his  prayers 
devoutly;  they  probably  were  for  those  travelling  in  the  boat. 
Such  prayers  must  certainly  be  agreeable  to  God,  so  far  as 
they  proceed  from  an  honest  and  pure  heart,  and  are  offered 
with  genuine  devotion,  and  not  in  the  spirit  of  the  Pharisees; 
for  prayer  avails  much,  as  in  the  case  of  Moses,  Avhen  the 
people  were  slain,  and  in  other  cases.  Paul  desired  that  others 
should  pray  for  him. 

August  26.  On  the  left  side  of  the  choir  in  the  cathedral 
I  saw  an  altar  and  an  altar-piece  of  silver;  likewise  many 
larger  and  smaller  chandeliers  and  lamps  of  silver,  together 
with  other  splendid  ornaments.  Mass  was  celebrated  there. 
The  only  thing  that  needs  to  be  noted  in  connection  therewith 
to  serve  as  a  subject  for  reflection,  is  this:  that  everything  is 
so  arranged  as  to  captivate  and  occupy  the  senses,  and  to  lead 
them  above  by  an  external  way,  or  to  exalt  one's  thoughts 
about  religion  and  direct  them  to  the  Highest;  for  all  is  in- 
stituted with  so  much  devotion;  the  body  inclines  and  bows; 
the  knees  bend;  the  eyes  are  engaged  by  everything  magnifi- 
cent and  sublime  that  can  be  imagined ;  the  ears  are  filled 
with  beautiful  music,  instrumental  as  well  as  vocal;  the  nose 
enjoys  aromatic  fragrance.  Besides  this,  many  holy  objects 
are  exhibited,  so  that  the  senses  are  charmed,  and  by  external 
means  men  are  led  to  devotion;  which  with  them  seems  to  be 
the  means  of  elevating  their  minds,  since  the  external  senses 
furnish  them  generally  with  subjects  for  meditation. 

August  28.  At  8  o'clock  in  the  morning  I  left  Brussels  for 
Tubise,  whence  I  journeyed  to  Braine  [le  Comte]  and  Casteau,  all 
of  which  are  villages  rivaling  towns  in  elegance.  About  evening 
I  reached  Mons,  which  is  a  well-built  town,  and  uncommonly 
well  fortified;  it  is  provided  w^ith  many  out-works,  and  almost 
impregnable.  It  is  well  garrisoned,  contains  many  inhabitants, 
has   many   churches    and  a  large   market-place,   and  is  about 


90        SWEDENB  ORG'S  TBA  VELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  206. 

ten  leagues  distant  from  Brussels.  The  road  was  paved  all 
the  way  with  stones  broken  into  pieces  of  the  same  size,  and 
on  both  sides  trees  were  planted,  as  in  an  orchard. 

August  29.  Next  morning  I  left  Mons,  and  after  passing 
through  Quievrain,  I  arrived  at  Valenciennes ;  which  is  a  town 
containing  handsome,  but  not  very  large,  houses.  It  is  a 
fortress  of  medium  strength ;  but  in  the  direction  of  Cambray 
there  is  a  high  elevation  from  which  it  can  be  easily  bombarded, 
so  that  it  does  not  seem  capable  of  making  a  strong  defence.  I 
was  in  the  church  of  Notre  Dame.  A  fair  was  being  held  in 
the  town,  and  a  church  festival.  The  greater  part  of  the  silver 
treasures  of  the  church  was  exhibited,  consisting  for  the  most 
part  of  caskets,  containing  the  bones  of  saints  and  martyrs, 
all  of  pure  silver,  and  pretty  large — at  least  two  in  the  choir. 
There  were  altogether  forty-five  silver  caskets,  besides  forty- 
five  other  large  ornaments  of  silver  scattered  over  the  church, 
and  candlesticks  and  other  things.  All  these  objects  were 
large  and  old-fasliioned,  so  that  one  could  not  help  thinking 
that  the  smaller  objects  and  those  that  were  of  recent  make 
were  locked  up.     It  is  a  treasure  of  considerable  value. 

August  30.  From  Valenciennes  I  went  to  Abson,  and 
thence  to  Bouchain,  arriving  at  four  o'clock  in  Cambray,  which 
is  a  town  of  antiquated  houses,  containing  two  market-places, 
large  churches,  and  an  extraordinary  citadel  with  many  out- 
works. Along  the  whole  way,  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach, 
the  land  consisted  of  fields. 

August  31.  From  Cambray  I  continued  my  journey  by 
Metz[en  Cout]  to  Peronne  in  Picardy.  During  the  whole  way 
I  passed  through  nothing  but  fields.  Peronne  is  a  town  of 
little  importance ;  it  has  many  large  and  handsome  churches, 
and  is  somewhat  fortified.  The  houses  are  miserable;  the 
convents  magnificent;  the  people  poor  and  wretched. 

September  1.  From  Peronne  I  travelled  through  Omber- 
cour  to  itoye,  which  is  a  miserable  town.  Everywhere  the 
convents,  churches,  and  monks  are  wealthiest  and  possess 
most  land.  The  monks  are  fat,  puffed  up,  and  prosperous;  a 
whole  proud  army  might  be  formed  of  them  without  their 
being  missed;  most  of  them  lead  a  lazy  life;  they  try  more 
and  more  to  make  all  subject  to  them;   they  give  nothing  to 


Doc.  206.]        S  WEDENBORG'S  TEA  VELS  IN  1736.  91 

the  poor  except  words  and  blessings,  and,  on  the  other  hand, 
insist  on  having  everything  from  the  indigent  for  nothing.  Of 
■what  possible  use  are  these  Franciscan  monks?  Others  again 
are  slim,  lean,  supple;  they  prefer  walking  to  riding  on  horse- 
back or  in  a  carriage ;  they  are  willing  that  others  should  en- 
joy themselves  with  them,  are  witty  and  quick  at  repartee,  &c. 

September  2.  From  Roye  I  came  to  Pont  [St.  Maxence], 
which  is  a  borough  (hourg)  where  there  is  a  bridge  across  a 
tributary  of  the  Seine,  [the  Oise.]  The  river  Seine  makes  four 
bends,  and  Paris  lies  in  their  midst. 

September  3.  From  Pont  [de  Maxence]  I  went  by  way 
of  Senlis  to  Paris,  where  I  arrived  at  six  o'clock  in  the  even- 
ing, and  took  lodgings  at  the  Hotel  d'Hamburg. 

September  4.  I  took  a  view  of  Paris  on  the  left  side  of 
the  Seine,  or  of  the  Faubourg  St.  Germain.  I  was  in  the 
church  of  Xotre  Dame,  in  the  garden  of  the  Luxembourg, 
and  in  the  theatre,  which  seems  to  be  developed  in  Paris  to 
the  greatest  height  it  will  probably  ever  reach. 

September  5.  I  was  in  the  Tuileries  and  the  Louvre.  In 
the  Tuileries  I  examined  all  its  splendours;  I  saw  also  the 
large  marble  statues,  which  were  far  away  in  the  park  leading 
to  Versailles.  Afterwards  I  visited  the  Hotel  Royal  des  In- 
valides,  which  is  a  palace  of  wonderful  structure;  the  hand- 
some church  is  the  most  interesting  object  there;  I  saw  like- 
wise the  many  expensive  palaces  on  the  way  leading  to  it. 

September  6.  I  made  the  first  draught  of  the  introduction 
to  the  Transactions  (ingressuni  ad  transactiones),  viz.  that  the 
soul  of  wisdom  is  the  knowledge  and  acknowledgment  of  the 
Supreme  Being.* 

September  7.  I  was  in  the  palace,  and  saw  all  the  sho])s, 
likewise  the  bookshops.  I  was  likewise  in  the  Sainte  Chapelle 
and  in  the  Hotel  de  Ville.  In  the  first  transaction  I  treated 
on  the  subject  that  "now  is  the  time  to  explore  nature  from 
its  ettects."f 

September  8.  I  visited  a  little  church,  called  Larmes  de 
Chaux,  near  the  garden  of  the  Luxembourg;  and  likewise  all 


*  Sre  (Economia  Rcgni  Animalis,  first  transaction,  no.  19. 
■h  Ibid.  no.  2t). 


92         SWEDENBORG'S  TEA  VELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  206. 

the  bookshops  along  the  Seine,  which  are  of  no  particular 
importance.  I  was  also  in  the  hospital  belonging  to  Notre 
Dame  where  there  are  many  beds ;  I  saw  there  the  entrance 
lor  foundlings  (Ventree  jJoitr  les  enfcuis  trouvh).  I  had  a  sight 
of  the  Queen  of  Spain. 

September  9.  I  was  in  the  following  churches:  Notre 
Dame,  St.  Sulpice,  St.  Paul,  and  others. 

September  10,  11.  I  was  engaged  in  making  the  outlines 
of  my  work:  on  the  atmospheres  in  general  (de  anris  in 
genere).     On  the  11th  I  called  on  Ambassador  Gedda.'" 

September  12.  I  was  in  the  Rue  St.  Paul;  in  the  Place 
Royale  where  the  statue  of  Louis  XIII  may  be  seen;-]-  like- 
wse  on  the  Isle  of  Notre  Dame. 

September  13.  I  was  in  the  Comedie  des  Italiens,  and  in 
sundry  other  places  in  town,  also  in  the  bookshops. 

September  14.  I  visited  the  Opera,  which  is  magnificent; 
the  Chambre  des  Imprimeurs  et  Libraires;  and  the  Comedie. 

September  15,  16.  General  Stenflycht:}:  came  and  lodged 
in  the  same  house  where  I  stayed. 

*  Baron  Niclas  Petei"  von  Gedda,  bom  in  1675,  whose  acquaintance 
Swedenborg  made  in  Paris  in  1713,  when  von  Gedda  was  there  as  the 
secretary  of  a  commission  ( Kommissions- Sekreterare)  —  see  Document  46, 
p.  230;  and  whom  he  describes  there  as  being  "well  known  to  a  part  of 
the  learned,  and  versed  in  scientific  studies  and  literary  history."  He  be- 
came Minister  Plenipotentiaiy  of  Sweden  at  the  French  Court  in  1730;  in 
1736,  soon  after  Swedenborg  met  him  in  Paris,  he  was  made  Secretary  of 
State,  and  in  1739  Court-Chancellor,  as  ajjpears  from  Document  124,  Vol.  I, 
p.  363.    He  died  in  1758. 

7  This  statue,  wliich  was  erected  by  Richeheu  in  1639,  was  destroyed 
in  1792;  the  present  equestrian  statue  of  marlile  was  put  up  in  1829. 

X  Johan  Segersten,  after  being  ennobled  in  1716  Stenflycht,  was  a  brave 
Swedish  soldier.  His  first  military  instruction  he  received  in  the  Imperial 
army  in  Hungary,  wliich  he  entered  in  1691,  afterwards  he  distinguished 
himself  in  the  Swedish  army,  where  he  rose  in  1713  to  the  grade  of  Heu- 
tenant-colonel.  In  1719  he  retired  from  the  Swedish  anny,  and  became 
major-general  in  the  army  of  the  Duke  of  Holstein-Gottorp ;  in  17.33  he 
entered  the  sen-ice  of  King  Stanislausisi  of  Poland  in  the  capacity  of  Gene- 
ral ;  after  the  peace  of  Vienna  in  1735,  he  accompanied  Stanislaus  to  France, 
and  became  lieutenant-general  in  the  French  anny  ;  in  the  following  year 
General  Stenflycht  met  Swedenborg  in  Paris.  In  1738  he  became  com- 
mander-in-chief in  Hamburg,  from  which  post  he  retired  in  1742.  In  1743 
Swedenborg  and  he  met  again  at  Ystad  (see  Document  207).  He  died  in  1758. 


Doc.  206.]        S  WEDEXB ORG'S  TBA  VELS  IN  1736.  93 

September  18.  I  was  in  the  Palais  [Royal]  and  the  garden 
belonging  to  it ;  in  the  Place  Royale  de  Louis  le  Grand,  and  in 
the  churches  of  the  Capuchins  (Franciscans)  and  of  the  Feuillants 
(Cistercians)  on  both  sides  of  them ;  likewise  in  the  Tuileries, 
from  -which  one  enters;  also  in  the  Coniedie  des  Italiens.  I 
had  a  discussion  also  with  an  abbe  on  the  adoration  of  saints ; 
he  denied  in  toto  that  this  was  adoration,  and  insisted  that 
worship  belonged  to  God  alone;  [he  w^as  opposed]  to  the  ado- 
ration or  veneration  of  the  saints,  and  the  double  veneration 
of  Mary. 

September  19.  I  was  in  the  Sainte  Chapelle,  where  all  the 
windows  are  stained ;  it  was  a  pretty  view  to  see  "la  susception" 
of  the  relics  of  our  redemption.* 

September  20.  I  visited  the  Place  des  Victoires,  where  a 
gilt  statue  of  Louis  XIV  is  upon  a  pedestal  with  statues  on 
each  of  the  four  sides ;-{-  the  place  itself  is  round  and  the  houses 
look  all  alike.  Afterwards  I  vv^ent  into  the  church  of  St.  Eu- 
stache. 

September  25.  I  took  a  walk  through  the  town  of  fully 
one  Swedish  mile  [six  and  a  half  English  miles];  I  went 
through  Luxembourg  and  the  Rue  d'Enfer  to  the  observatory, 
and  thence  to  the  gate  of  St.  Jacques ;  afterwards  I  passed 
the  monastery  of  the  Franciscans  [the  present  HOpital  du 
]Midi?],  and  that  of  the  Val  de  Grace  [I'Hopital  du  Val  de 
Grace]  which  belongs  to  the  Benedictines,  and  then  I  followed  the 
Rue  St.  Jaques  until  I  finally  reached  the  Porte  St.  Martin, 
through  which  we  had  entered  upon  arriving  in  Paris ;  I  then 
walked  along  the  rampart  and  saw  a  part  of  the  HOpital  de 
St.  Louis,  where  I  am  told  there  are  10,000  beds,  principally 
on  account  of  the  plague.  I  then  went  to  the  Rue  du  Temple 
and  had  a  look"  at  the  ancient  ruins  of  the  Temple;  I  saw 
also  the  chapel  and  the  garden  of  the  Hotel  de  grand  Prieur, 
which  is  rather  handsome ;  as  wxll  as  the  church  of  St.  Elisa- 

*  The  Sainte  Chapelle  is  in  the  Palais  de  Justice,  on  the  lie  de  Palais; 
in  it  are  presei-ved  a  piece  of  the  crown  of  thorns,  and  of  the  cross  ajid  the 
cloak  of  our  Lord ;  likewise  the  iron-point  of  the  lance  with  which  his  side 
was  pierced. 

7  This  statue  also  was  destroyed  in  1792;  the  present  bronze  statue  of 
Louis  XIV  was  erected  in  1822. 


94        SWEDEXBORG'S  TBA  VELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  206. 

beth,  which  is  directly  opposite.  On  the  way  back  I  saw  the 
Church  of  St.  Jaques-de-la-Boucherie,*  and  thus  returned 
home. 

September  28.  I  was  at  the  opera,  where  they  acted  the 
Gallant  Europa,  a  beautiful  piece ;  among  the  gentlemen 
dancers  Malphe  [Malter?]  was  the  best,  and  also  the  young 
Dumolin;  among  the  lady  dancers  Briton  and  Mariette ; 
among  the  singers  Mademoiselle  Benissie  [Pellecier?]  distin- 
guished herself. 

September  30.  I  was  at  my  bankers,  Messrs.  Tourton  & 
Baire,  as  well  as  at  Messrs.  Lavalle  &  David;  the  former  live 
in  the  Place  des  Victoires;  the  latter,  who  deal  in  fancy  ware 
and  porcelain,  in  the  Rue  St.  Honore. 

October  2.  I  changed  my  quarters,  and  removed  to  the  Rue 
de  I'Observatoire,  opposite  the  establishment  of  the  Corde- 
liers.-{- 

October  3.  I  was  in  the  church  of  the  Cordeliers,  which 
is  double ;  and  in  their  convent,  which  is  a  magnificent  palace. 

October  4.  I  was  in  the  Tuileries  and  the  Avenue  des 
Tuileries,  until  I  reached  a  village  called  "Shai"  [?],  where 
there  are  two  convents;  and  at  a  greater  distance  was  the 
Palais  de  Madrid,  which  is  rather  antiquated.  Opposite  the 
Tuileries,  on  the  other  side  of  the  river,  the  Hotel  de  la  Du- 
chesse  appears,  which  is  magnificent.  There  is  a  pleasant 
promenade,  where  I  speculated  on  the  forms  of  the  particles 
in  the  atmosphere. 

October  10.  I  understood  that  the  great  revenue  of  France 
obtained  by  the  system  of  taxation  called  tithing,  amounts  to 
32  millions  [livres],  or  nearly  192  tons  of  gold,  and  that  Paris 
on  account  of  its  rents  contributes  nearly  two-thirds  of  that  sum. 
In  the  country  towns  this  tax,  it  is  said,  is  not  properly  collected, 
as  the  rents  are  reported  at  a  lower  figure  than  they  amount  to 
in  reality,  so  that  scarcely  three  per  cent  is  collected.  I  am 
told,  besides,  that  the  ecclesiastical  order  possesses  one-fifth 
of  all  the  jproperty  in  the  state,  and  that  the  country  will  be 
ruined,  if  this  goes  on  much  longer. 

*  Now  the  Tour  St.  Jacques,  at  the  corner  of  the  Rue  de  Rivoli  and 
the  Boulevard  de  Sebastopol. 

Y  A  rehgious  order  founded  by  St.  Francis. 


Doc.  206.]        S  WEDENBORG'S  TEA  VELS  IN  1736.  95 

October  12.  I  purchased  a  description  of  Paris,  where  it 
■was  noticed  that  the  h^rge  hhrary  is  at  the  corner  of  the  Rue 
de  EicheHeu  near  the  Palais  Koyal,  having  been  removed 
thither  from  the  Rue  de  Vienne;  that  it  consists  of  70,000  vo- 
lumes and  15,000  manuscripts,  which  were  in  part  purchased, 
and  in  part  left  to  the  institution  by  will;  further,  that  King 
Francis  I.  laid  its  first  foundation,  by  making  a  collection  at 
Fontainebleau,  the  greater  part  of  which  however,  was  de- 
stroyed; that  Catharina  de  Medici  enriched  it  with  medals, 
engravings  in  copper,  &c.  King  Louis  XIV,  at  great  cost, 
collected  copper-plate  engravings  from  the  whole  of  Europe, 
sending  agents  to  every  part.  The  supreme  charge  of  the  whole, 
as  well  as  of  the  numismatic  cabinet  in  Versailles,  is  entrusted 
to  the  Abbe  Bignon;'''^  under  him  is  Le  Beze;  and  specially 
in  charge  of  the  books  is  Sallier  [?],  and  of  the  copper-plate 
engravings  Le  Croix.  The  library  of  M.  de  Brennes  is  in  a 
separate  room. 

October  16.  I  was  in  the  Palais  Royal,  which  is  a  magni- 
ficent palace,  with  ships  in  the  niches.  It  was  built  by  Cardinal 
Richelieu,  when  it  was  called  Palais  de  Richelieu,  and  after- 
wards Palais-Cardinal;  he  bequeathed  it  to  the  king  in  per- 
])etuity.  It  was  given  by  Louis  XIII  dui'ing  his  life-time  to 
his  queen,*  whence  it  received  the  name  Palais  Royal.  The 
audience  chamber  where  the  Duke  of  Orleans  administered  the 
government  J  is  in  this  palace.  It  is  adorned  with  beautiful 
paintings,  and  contains  a  chemical  laboratory.  The  palace 
is  separated  from  the  large  garden  by  a  smaller  one  con- 
taining on  orangery;  here  balls  are  held  at  the  time  of  the 
carnival. 

October  17.  I  was  in  the  Library,  which  is  a  splendid 
building,  but  which  is  not  to  be  opened  until    the    llth[?]  of 

*  Swedenborg  says  lliat  the  palace  was  left  by  Louis  XIII  to  his  motlicr, 
who  was  Maria  de  Medici;  but  as  she  died  several  months  before  Cm- 
diual  Richelieu,  such  could  not  have  been  the  case.  It  is,  however,  histori- 
cally true  that  aftei-  the  death  of  Louis  XUl,  who  died  in  1643,  (a  iew 
months  after  Richeheu)  his  widow,  Anne  of  Austria,  removed  to  the  palace 
with  her  two  sons  Louis  XIV  and  Philip  of  Orleans,  who  were  both  minors. 

f  The  Duke  of  Orleans  of  whom  Swedenborg  speaks  here  is  Thilip 
d'Orleans,  the  grandson  of  Louis  XIII,  who  was  prince-regent  during  the 
minority  of  Louis  XV;  he  died  in  1723. 


96        S  WEDEXBOBG'S  TEA  VELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  206. 

October ;  I  was  also  at  the  opera  which  is  in  the  Palais  Royal, 
where  they  acted  "Genies"  in  five  acts.  The  principal  gentle- 
men dancers  were  Malter  and  Dumolin ;  among  the  lady- 
dancers  were  Briton  and  Mariette;  the  actors  were  Fribaud 
and  Fel,  and  the  singers  Pellecier  and  Antier,  with  several 
others. 

I  was  likewise  in  the  Sorbonne  and  heard  their  disputa- 
tions in  theology,  which  were  carried  on  pretty  well;  one  of 
the  opponents  wore  a  lined  cloak;  the  whole  discussion  con- 
sisted of  syllogisms.  The  Sorbonne  is  a  splendid  building; 
it  was  first  established  as  a  gymnasium  by  a  certain  Sorbon 
in  1260;  he  made  an  exchange  (hi/tte)  with  King  Louis  the 
Saint,  and  received  more  in  addition.  It  was  raised  to  its 
present  splendour  by  Richelieu,  whose  sepulchre  is  in  the 
church.  Six  professors  deliver  lectures  daily.  It  has  also  a 
valuable  library. 

October  25.  I  -was  in  the  monastery  of  St.  Victor,  which 
is  near  the  Jardin  du  Roi  [now  the  Jardin  des  Plantes] ;  it 
is  a  large  structure,  built  with  cloisters  in  the  old  style,  and 
has  a  large  and  handsome  garden.  It  consists  of  a  small 
church  and  the  monastery  which  was  built  in  1115;  the  abbe 
receives  annually  35,000  livres.  It  belongs  to  the  order  of 
the  Augustines.  The  present  abbe  is  said  to  be  a  man  of 
great  ability.  They  have  a  handsome  Hbrary,  and  also  3000 
manuscripts  which  are  constantly  increased;  it  is  open  three 
times  a  week,  on  Mondays,  Wednesdays,  and  Saturdays.* 

The  Jardin  Royal  or  the  Jardin  du  Roi  [Jardin  des  Plantes] 
is  in  its  immediate  neighbourhood.  It  is  of  great  extent,  and 
contains  many  exotic  plants,  upwards  of  4000;  it  contains  also 
a  grove  of  foreign  trees,  and  a  tower  of  considerable  height 
from  which  a  great  part  of  the  town  may  be  seen;  it  was 
built  in  the  time  of  Henry  the  Great.  The  garden  is  under  the 
superintendence  of  the  first  physician  of  the  king.  Every 
week  public  lectures  are  delivered  there  on  botany,  chemistry, 

*  The  order  of  the  Augustines  has  been  abolished  in  France  since  the 
Revolution;  and  the  monastery  of  St.  Victor  has  disappeared ;  but  the  Place 
St.  Victor  and  the  Reservoir  St.  Victov  are  still  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
the  Jardin  des  Plantes  along  the  Rue  Linne,  and  thus  indicate  the  fo;mer 
position  of  the  monastery 


Dor.  206.]       S  WEDENB ORG 'S  TBA  VELS  IN  1738.  1 1 3 

S.  Spirito.*  In  the  church  of  S.  Croce  di  oro  is  a  chapel 
containing  most  beautiful  paintings  and  statues;  the  frescoes 
in  the  ceiling  are  so  life-like,  that  they  seem  to  be  in  relief. 
Afterwards  we  took  a  walk  in  the  park  outside  the  town  [le 
Cascine?],  where  people  usually  go.  In  the  evening  I  wit- 
nessed the  illumination  of  a  church,  the  SS.  (Santissima) 
Annunziata,  in  honour  of  some  one  who  had  been  a  Florentine, 
and  who  had  been  canonized;  the  illumination  was  with  torches; 
the  streets  also  were  illuminated;  and  there  was  a  fine  pyro- 
technical  display  from  the  roof  of  the  church,  etc. 

September  1.  I  departed  for  Leghorn;  the  road  was  fine, 
but  there  were  mountains  on  both  sides.  Leghorn  is  a  small 
town,  but  handsome  and  populous.  It  has  a  most  splendid 
harbour  for  a  thousand  ships  and  upwards,  which  is  protected  on 
three  sides  by  walls,  a  bastion,  and  some  small  citadels;  on 
the  fourth  side  it  is  partly  defended  by  cliffs,  so  that  the 
stonn  can  agitate  the  water  only  from  above;  from  sixty  to 
seventy  ships  lay  in  the  harbour.  Leghorn  had  two  citadels? 
the  old  and  the  new;  the  town  is  well  fortified;  it  has  three 
handsome  galleys,  where  those  condemned  could  be  seen 
fastened  two  to  two  others  by  means  of  balls.  I  was  in  one 
of  these  ships. 

September  5.  I  arrived  at  Pisa,  which  has  an  academy; 
it  is  a  handsome  town ;  the  river  Arno  flows  through  it.  Much 
marble  is  displayed  here  in  chapels,  churches,  and  also  in 
some  private  houses.  Their  cathedral  is  entirely  of  marble 
on  the  outside;  in  the  interior  are  many  handsome  pictures, 
sculptures,  and  ornaments.  St.  John  the  Baptist's  [il  Battisterio], 
which  is  close  by,  is  circular;  it  is  built  of  marble,  both  within 
and  without.  The  belfry  tower  [cam])anile]  is  of  marble,  and 
consists  of  seven  tiers  of  columns;  but  it  leans.  The  Campo 
Santo  is  immediately  adjoining;  many  graves  containing  the 
bones  of  saints  are  there;  also  a  quantity  of  bacchanalian  [?] 
urns  which  are  oblong ;  their  length,  breadth,  and  height 
are  according  to  the  Sacred  Scripture  [?]. 

September  6.  I  returned  to  Florence,  and  was  in  the 
Santa   Croce,   where   that  fine   chapel   [mentioned   above]    is; 

*  Tliis  laonastery  is  now  ;ilmost  entirely  used  foi*  military  purposes. 

8 


1 14      6' WEDENBORG'S  TEA  VELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  206. 

I  saw  there  beautiful  altar-pieces ;  Galileo  Galilei  and  Michael 
Angelo  are  buried  there,  and  marble  statues  have  been  erected 
to  their  memory. 

September  7.  I  witnessed  the  ceremony  of  consecration 
of  seven  nuns;  they  were  in  white  from  top  to  toe.  The 
archbishop  performed  the  ceremony,  and  changed  his  head- 
covering  five  times;  he  addressed  questions  to  them,  and  they 
answered  him  in  musical  cadence;  he  lay  down  on  the  floor 
under  a  black  cover  for  a  long  time;  afterwards  they  received 
rings,  as  well  as  crowns  and  other  things,  partook  of  the 
sacrament,  and  then  went  out  in  procession  with  crowns  on 
their  heads.  Many  ladies  in  bridal  array  were  present,  and 
fine  music  was  played. 

September  9.  I  went  into  the  Palazzo  Riccardi,  *  the 
largest  private  palace  in  Florence.  It  contains  a  large  collection 
of  antiquities,  sculptures,  and  inscriptions;  I  was  also  in 
the  garden  of  Eiccardi,  which  contains  a  large  orangery.  I 
witnessed  for  the  third  time,  in  a  convent,  the  consecration 
of  nuns;  the  ceremonies  difi"ered.  The  church  of  St.  John 
[S.  Giovanni]  near  the  Cathedral  was  formerly  a  temple  of 
Mars ;  it  is  octagonal ;  the  work  in  bronze  on  its  doors  is  most 
valuable ;  according  to  Michael  Angelo  its  like  does  not  exist ; 
some  said  that  they  were  sent  down  from  paradise. 

September  21.  I  went  by  way  of  Siena  from  Florence  to 
Kome.  On  the  way,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Siena,  the 
Italian  language  is  most  correctly  spoken.  From  Siena  I 
came  to  Yiterbo,  which  is  a  handsome  little  town,  with  two 
beautiful  fountains. 

During  the  months  of  July,  August,  and  September  the 
air  is  poisoned  around  Rome,  especially  in  the  low  country,  so 
that  no  traveller  ought  to  sleep  there;  the  same  appHes  to 
Rome,  but  not  to  those  places  which  have  a  high  elevation. 
During  this  time  it  is  also  dangerous  to  change  one's  lodgings. 
[On  the  way  between  Siena  and  Viterbo  I  passed  the  towns] 
of  Monte  Pulciano,  and  [Monte]  Fiascone. 

September  25.  I  arrived  in  Rome  in  the  evening,  by  the 
Via  Flaminia,  through"  the  Porta  del  Popolo,  and  thus  came 

*  The  former  Palazzo  dei  Medici. 


Doc.  206.]      S WEDENB ORG'S  TEA  VELS  IN  1738.  1 1 5 

to  the  Piazza  di  Spagna.  I  took  lodgings  first  in  the  Hotel 
of  the  Three  Kings  (Tre  Re),  but  afterwards  removed  to  a 
house  in  the  same  Piazza,  which  is  immediately  below  the 
residence  Queen  Christina  used  to  occupy  on  the  hill;  so 
that  I  could  converse  easily  from  my  lodgings  with  those  who 
were  in  that  house.  During  the  first  few  days  I  took  a  cursory 
vicAv  of  sundry  places;  saw  where  the  pope  lives  on  the  Monte 
Cavallo  during  the  summer;  besides  various  squares,  columns, 
obelisks,  and  churches;  the  Vatican,  St.  Peter's  Church,  about 
which  I  will  report  more  in  detail  in  what  follows. 

Ponte  del  Angelo  [the  angel's  bridge]  or  Pons  ^ius  is  the 
foremost  bridge  in  Kome.  Facing  it,  on  the  other  side,  is  the 
Castello  del  Angelo  [the  angel's  castle],  and  thence  it  leads 
to  the  Vatican  and  the  Church  of  St.  Peter.  This  bridge  was 
built  by  P.  JE\ms  Hadrianus  of  wood,  but  badly,  and  so  that 
it  could  be  taken  down.  One  hundred  and  seventy  persons, 
mostly  strangers,  coming  from  the  Vatican,  were  drowned  there 
at  the  jubilee  in  1450,  after  which  it  was  reconstructed  and  built 
of  stone  on  four  arches.  Its  length  is  seventy  paces,  and  its 
breadth  from  ten  to  twelve.  Clement  VII  adorned  it  in  1523 
with  two  marble  statues  of  Peter  and  Paul;  and  Clement  IX, 
in  1G69,  with  ten  angels  in  marble,  all  of  which  together  re- 
present the  passion  [of  Christ];  The  statues  were  executed 
]3y  several  masters,  but  the  designs  were  furnished  by  Bernini 
[not  Barbini].  From  the  same  bridge  may  be  seen  on  the 
left  three  or  four  remains  of  the  j)ons  triumphalis,  which  was 
crossed  by  all  those  who  celebrated  a  triumph;  the  first,  it  is 
supposed,  was  celebrated  by  Romulus,  the  last  by  Probus, 
altogether  three  hundred  and  twenty-two. 

September  29.  I  visited  the  Pantheon  or  Rotunda,  which 
was  erected  by  M.  Agrippa,  fourteen  years  after  the  birth  of 
Christ.  Some  say  it  was  dedicated  to  Cybele,  the  mother  of 
the  gods;  others,  that  it  was  built  for  Jupiter,  Mars,  Venus, 
and  others;  some  finally  say  that  it  was  intended  for  all  the 
gods.  Another  building,  however,  seems  to  have  been  there 
before ;  as  it  is  reported,  that  in  the  beginning  there  were  two 
porticoes;  that  Agrippa  made  the  one,  put  his  name  upon  it, 
and  destroyed  the  other.  It  is  supposed  also  by  some  that  it 
was  Agrippa's  tomb.     It  is  said  that  the   statue   of  Hercules 


116      SWEDENBORG'S  TRAVELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  206. 

was  there,  before  wliich  the  Carthaginians  offered  every  year  a 
man.  The  temple  was  struck  by  Hghtning  during  the  time  of 
Hadrian,  but  it  was  repaired  by  Aurelius  and  Septimius  Se- 
verus;  and  it  was  again  destroyed  by  fire  during  the  reign  of 
Commodus.  Under  the  Emperor  Phocas  in  607*  it  was  dedi- 
cated to  the  blessed  virgin  and  all  saints;  in  the  year  830, 
twenty-eight  carts  full  of  the  bones  of  martyrs  were  conveyed 
thither,  whence  the  church  was  called  "S.  Maria  ad  mar- 
tyros;"  it  is  reported  that  a  portrait  of  Mary  was  drawn  there 
by  St.  Luke.  The  church  was  repaired  and  put  into  its 
present  state  chiefly  by  Clement  XI  in  1707.  The  cupola 
and  portico  were  originally  covered  with  metal,  but  in  636  this 
was  carried  off.  The  cross-beams  were  of  metal,  which  was 
employed  in  the  church  of  St.  Peter  in  the  construction  of 
the  great  altar  of  Peter.  The  church  is  154  feet  high,  and 
154  feet  in  diameter,  in  all  directions.  The  opening  alone 
in  the  roof,  which  is  twelve  paces  in  diameter,  admits  more 
light  and  distributes  it  more  equally,  than  could  be  done  by 
many  windows.  The  sound  is  much  increased  in  the  build- 
ing. A  slight  current  of  air  prevailed  towards  the  door,  and 
under  the  opening  there  was  some  water,  as  it  rained,  but  not 
much.  Fifteen  altars,  and  some  four  or  five  marble  images 
are  in  the  church;  also  fourteen  columns  of  yellow  marble, 
and  fourteen  columns  of  the  same  material  correspond- 
ing with  them  in  the  wall.  The  portico  is  an  object  of 
admiration;  it  consists  of  sixteen  pillars  made  of  oriental 
granite  or  grey-stone,  six  and  a  half  hand-breadths  in  diameter; 
they  are  high,  made  of  a  single  stone,  and  larger  than  I  have 
seen  anywhere  else  ;  the  wonder  is  how  they  could  have 
been  transported  thither.  The  door  is  very  large  and  of 
metal ;  the  frame  in  which  the  door  hangs  is  of  stone,  and  all 
of  one  piece.  Several  inscriptions  are  in  the  building.  The 
walls  are  thirty  hand-breadths  thick.  It  is  reported  that  a  wheel 

*  Phocas  was  the  East-Roman  or  Byzantine  emperor,  who  resided  at 
Constantinople ;  he  reigned  from  602  to  610.  In  608  the  celebrated  Colonna 
di  Foca  was  erected  to  his  honour  in  the  Roman  Forum,  where  it  still 
stands.  Phocas  himself,  who  was  a  debauchee  and  tjTant,  was  never  at 
Rome.  The  Pantheon  was  dedicated  to  the  worship  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
church  by  Pope  Bonifacius  IV,  who  filled  the  chair  of  St.  Peter  from  608  to  614. 


Doc.  206.]       SWEDENBORG'S  TEA  VELS  IN  1738.  117 

of  porphyry  and  also  a  tomb  of  porpli}Ty  are  there ;  but  I  could 
not  see  them.  The  portico  is  twenty  paces  long  and  twelve 
paces  deep. 

The  Piazza  della  Rotonda  is  without;  it  is  adorned  with 
an  obelisk  which  was  conveyed  tliither  from  the  Church  of 
S.  Bartolommeo,  in  1707,  by  order  of  Clement  XI;  it  is  sur- 
rounded by  dolphins  throwing  water.  The  water-fountain  itself 
dates  from  the  year  1580.  The  obelisk  was  brought  from 
Egypt,  and  bears  Egyptian  inscriptions. 

It  is  reported  that  some  ruins  of  the  baths  of  Marcus 
Agi'ippa  are  preserved,  but  I  could  not  discover  them.  These 
ruins  are  said  to  be  magnificent;  they  are  still  covered 
with  a  beautiful  stone,  the  floor  is  of  glass,  and  they  are 
richly  gilded. 

I  was  in  the  church  of  S.  Ignazio,  which  is  handsome,  and 
contains  beautiful  paintings,  especially  on  the  ceiling.  AVhat 
I  admired  most  was  an  altar  in  the  fore-part  of  the  church 
on  the  right-hand  side ;  the  marble  columns  on  which  it  rested, 
the  altar-piece,  its  sides  and  top  were  the  most  beautiful  I 
have  yet  seen.  Under  the  altar  was  a  lovely  casket  of  a 
blue  oriental  stone,  adorned  with  silver  and  statues,  and 
costly  columns.  At  some  distance  from  this  is  the  tomb  of 
Ludovisi,*  which  with  its  columns  is  beautifully  sculptured  of 
marble.  Ludovisi  contributed  most  of  the  money  for  this 
church.  The  Piazza  di  Ignazio  was  built  by  the  Jesuits;  it 
is  small,  but  in  good  taste.  The  Collegio  Romano  of  the  Je- 
suits is  fine  and  large;  all  are  instructed  there;  and  in  the 
Seminario  Romano,  which  is  not  a  great  distance  from  it,  all 
nations  are  taught.  Afterwards  I  was  in  the  Church  of  Gesii, 
which  is  very  fine,  abounding  in  marble,  sculpture,  and  statues, 
which  are  most  skilfully  distributed,  and  in  the  ceiling  blended 
with  the  most  precious  fresco  paintings.  I  could  not  see  it 
all,  as  a  musical  service  was  being  performed.  The  Piazza  di 
Gesii  is  outside  the  church. 

September  30.  I  examined  many  ruins,  among  which  are 
the  large  amphitheatre  [Coliseum],  and  the  temples  of  peace 
(Fads),  of  the  sun  (Soils),  of  the  moon  (Limce),  of  Faustina  ;-|- 

*  Cardinal  Ludovisi,  who  was  a  nei^hew  of  Gregory  XV. 
•f  Remains  of  these  temples  are  in  the  Campo  Vaccino, 


118      SWEDENBOBG'S  TBAVELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  206. 

and  porticoes.  I  saw  also  the  prison  of  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul;* 
the  door  through  which  the  former  is  said  to  have  been  led 
out  by  an  angel;  the  stone  pillar  to  which  he  was  bound;  the 
spring  which  issued  close  to  it ;  the  opening  through  which  he 
obtained  his  food,  etc.  The  former  objects  will  be  discussed 
more  particularly  hereafter. 

In  respect  to  the  seven  hills  or  mountains  [on  which  Rome 
was  built],  it  appears  from  the  map  that  near  the  Porta  del 
Popolo  were  the  Horti  [ColKs  Hortorum,  that  is,  the  Hill  of 
the  Gardens],  afterwards  came:  1.  Mons  Quirinalis,  2.  Vimi- 
nalis,  3.  Esquilinus,  4.  Cislius,  5.  Palatinus,  6.  CapitoKnus, 
7.  Aventinus. 

October  1.  I  visited  the  Capitol  or  Campidoglio,  where 
are  two  galleries,  and  the  Palazzo  del  Senatore,  where  our 
Bjelcke-|-  lives.  This  hill  was  first  called  Mons  Saturninus  [the 
Hill  of  Saturn],  because  Saturnus  was  said  to  have  lived  there; 
also  Mons  Tarpeius,  after  the  virgin  Tarpeia,  who  was  cast 
dowu  thence  on  account  of  her  collusion  with  the  Sabines;  but 
as  a  head  was  found  there  under  the  Temple  of  Jupiter,  it  was 
called  Capitolinus.  An  oak-grove  was  there,  appointed  by 
Romulus  as  an  asylum  for  [runaway]  slaves,  as  an  aid  to 
the  building  up  of  Rome ;  further,  a  place  of  triumphs,  which 
entered  the  Temple  of  Jupiter;  sixty  churches  or  sanctuaries 
were  there,  on  account  of  which  it  was  called  cuhiadum  Deo- 
rum  [a  resting-place  of  the  Gods] ;  likewise  the  curia  Calabra, 
from  which  the  priests  announced  solemn  feasts — this  is  said 
to  have  been  instituted  in  remembrance  of  the  goose  by  which 
the  Romans  were  aroused  when  the  Gauls  tried  to  ascend 
the  hill.    The  old  way  led  to  the   Cam]^o  Vaccmo^  which  is 


*  S.  Pietro  in  Carcere,  which  is  under  the  Church  of  S.  Giuseppe  de' 
Falignani.  It  was  originally  a  vault  ydth  a  spring  (tullianum),  and  was 
afterwards  used  as  a  prison,  under  the  name  Career  Mamertinus;  Jugurtha 
and  Catalina's  fellow-conspirators  were  imprisoned  there. 

f  Count  Nils  Bjelke  was  born  in  1706.  In  1731  he  embraced  the 
Roman  Catholic  religion;  in  1735  he  was  appointed  chamberlain  to  the 
pope,  and  in  1737  was  created  Senator  of  Rome,  in  which  capacity  he  lived 
in  the  Palazzo  del  Senatore  in  the  Capitol.  He  was  verj'  fi-iendly  towards 
Swedenborg,  as  appears  from  the  account  of  Swedenborg's  visit  to  him 
on  February  2,  1739  (p.  128).    Bjelke  died  in  1765, 


Doc.  206.]       SWEDEKBORG'S  TEA  VELS  IN  1738.  119 

now  full  of  ruins.  The  Church  of  [S.  Maria  in]  Araceli,  or 
Ara  'primogeniti  del,  is  said  to  have  been  built  where  the 
Temple  of  Jupiter,  which  was  so  celebrated  in  ancient  times, 
fornferly  stood,*  with  its  pillars,  and  which  was  burnt  down; 
it  is  in  the  charge  of  the  Franciscans.  The  first  mile-stone 
pointing  to  the  Via  Appia,  wliich  is  square  with  an  inscription, 
is  still  here,  with  a  column  close  by;  on  the  opposite  side  is 
its  [modern]  counterpart.  The  ashes  of  Hadrian  are  said  to 
have  been  here.  A  hundred  and  twenty-six  steps  lead  up 
to  the  church  in  Araceli;  at  the  bottom  of  the  steps  leading 
to  the  Capitol  are  two  lions  from  the  Temple  of  Isis  and 
Serapis;  at  the  top  two  large  horses  with  Castor  and  Pollux; 
likewise  the  trophies  of  Marius.  In  the  middle  of  the  square 
is  a  bronze  statue  which  has  been  discovered  and  placed  there ; 
it  is  said  to  be  that  of  [the  Emperor]  Marcus  Aurelius,  the 
philosopher;  and  further  on  [the  river-gods]  Nile  and  Tiber 
with  a  fountain.  On  the  left  is  the  large  statue  of  Morphorio 
[Marforio],  which  is  so  called  on  account  of  having  been  found 
in  the  Forum  Martis ;  there  are'  also  many  old  statues,  and 
likewise  [as  has  long  been  supposed]  the  sarcophagus  of 
Alexander  Severus  and  his  mother  Mamma3a,-{-  besides  Egyp- 
tian idols,  etc.  The  gallery  of  the  Capitol  [Museo  Capito- 
lino]  contains  a  great  number  of  fine  statues,  of  emperors, 
gladiators,  &c.,  two  of  which  are  of  great  value;  likewise 
busts  of  all  the  philosophers,  Plato,  two  of  Cicero,  and  a  hundred 
others ;  in  another  room  are  busts  of  the  wives  and  daughters 
of  emperors,  two  handsome  ones  of  Agrippina,  two  also  were 
noticed  with  pcruques,  one  of  which  could  be  taken  off;  be- 
sides many  other  princes,  and  likewise  popes;  Sixtus  V  is 
there  in  bronze;  the  law  of  Titus  Vespasian  is  there  written 
on  a  tablet  by  Clement  XI.  In  the  building  on  the  other 
side  [Palazzo  del  Conservatore]  are  many  interesting  ob- 
jects; in  the  court  is  the  largest  statue  in  existence  of  the 
Emperor   Commodus   and  a  still   larger  one  of  Domitianus.| 

*  According  to  modem  authorities  it  stands  on  the  place  formerly 
occupied  by  a  temple  of  Juno  Moneta. 

f  Swedenborg,  instead  of  Mammaea,  says  Julia,  but  incorrectly. 

X  These  colossal  statues  are  probably  those  of  Tiberius  and  Claudius 
now  in  Room  V  of  the  Museum  in  the  Lateran. 


120      SWEDENBORG'S  TBA  VELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  206. 

In  the  gallery  itself  are  many  curiosities:  tlie  signature  of 
Queen  Christina,  when  she  visited  the  Capitol ;  and  opposite  to 
hers  that  of  an  English  queen.  The  most  interesting  object 
was  a  statue  in  bronze  representing  the  she-wolf  suckling 
Remus  and  Romulus,  with  her  hind-leg  struck  by  lightning,  as 
is  reported  by  Cicero.  The  fasti  consulares,  i.  e.  a  list  of  those 
who  had  been  consuls,  one  half  of  which  has  been  preserved, 
is  likewise  exhibited.  All  the  measures,  viz.  mensurce  Romance, 
are  likewise  preserved  in  a  square  stone  of  marble.  Many 
beautiful  paintings  were  exhibited;  their  number  confused  me 
so  much,  that  I  cannot  recollect  the  most  important  among 
them.  In  the  immediate  neighbourhood  is  the  Palazzo  del  duca 
Cafarelli;  in  the  garden  is  a  large  heap  of  stones,  which  is 
said  to  have  been  a  tower,  or  rather  a  Colonna  rostrata,  erected 
in  honour  of  the  first  conqueror  of  the  Carthaginians. 

October  2.  I  visited  the  Churches  of  Gesu  and  S.  Ignazio, 
where  sculpture  and  painting  are  admirably  blended  on  the 
ceiling  and  on  the  walls.  The  chief  object  is  the  chapel  of 
S.  Ignazio ;  the  saint,  of  pure  silver,  is  behind  a  painting 
which  can  be  lowered;*  angels  are  there  adorned  with  genuine 
stones;  below,  under  the  altar,  are  his  remains;  beautiful  sculp- 
tures are  on  the  sides,  and  columns  of  lapis  lazuli.  The  church 
belongs  to  the  Jesuits.  Afterwards  I  was  in  the  Church  of 
[SS.  Luca  e]  Martina,  which  occupies  the  site  of  a  former 
Temple  of  Mars,  of  which  some  remains  are  still  visible  ;  others 
maintain  that  it  was  the  office  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Senate — 
it  is  very  near  the  Capitol.  The  tomb  of  Martina  is  under 
the  church;  it  contains  many  ornaments  and  fine  statues.  On 
the  other  side  are  specimens  of  the  Academy  of  Sculpture  and 
Painting,-|-  which  are  fine.  The  altar-piece  representing  St.  Luke 
is  painted  by  Raphael  of  Urbino. 

October  3.  I  took  a  view  of  the  Theatrum  Marcelli,  which 
was  built  by  Augustus   in  honour  of  Marcellus,  his  nephew,| 

*  After  the  order  of  the  Jesuits  was  abolished  by  a  papal  decree  in 
1773,  the  silver  statue  is  said  to  have  been  replaced  by  a  silvered  effigy  of 
the  saint  in  relief. 

•{-  The  Academy  of  San  Luca,  which  was  estabHshed  in  1595,  is  very 
near  in  the  "Via  Bonella. 

^  Swedenborg  calls    him   Augustus'   sonson,   i.   e.  grandson,  the  Latin 


Doo.  206.]    S  WEDEXBORG'S  TEA  VELS  IN  1738.  121 

the  son  of  his  sister  Octavia;  it  is  large  and  can  accom- 
modate 60,000  persons;  it  is  built  in  the  form  of  an  amphi- 
theatre. It  belongs  now  to  the  Orsini  family;  the  Carduial 
Prussoli  is  said  to  reside  in  it  at  present. 

The  Isola  Tiberina  (the  Tiber  island)  is  425  feet  [paces  ?] 
long  and  50  feet  [paces?]  wide;  it  contains  the  Church  oi 
St.  Bartholomew,  in  which  the  apostle  is  buried,  and  which 
is  built  on  the  ruins  of  an  old  Temple  of  ^sculapius.  On  the 
beach  are  seen  the  ruins  of  a  Templum  Fauni.  The  island 
has  two  bridges;  one  is  called  Ponte  Sestio,  the  other  [Ponte 
de']  quattro  capi;  the  former  was  repaired  by  the  Emperor 
Valentinian.  On  one  side  of  these  bridges  may  be  seen  the 
Ponte  Senatorio,  built  by  Flavins  Scipio;  the  senate  crossed 
over  it,  when  it  consulted  the  Sibylline  books ;  it  is  now  called  the 
Ponte  S.  Maria  and  is  half  broken  down ;  ruins  of  other  bridges 
may  likewise  be  seen.  On  the  other  side  is  the  Ponte  Sisto; 
the  old  bridge,  called  Pons  Janiculensis,  was  in  the  direction 
of  the  Porta  Aureliana;  it  was  rebuilt  by  Sixtus  IV.  In  its 
neighbourhood  are  those  who  rebelled  against  the  Neapolitan 
recruiting  officers;  likewise  the  Jews. 

October  4.  I  was  at  the  Villa  Borghese,  where  there  is 
a  wonderful  collection  of  statues,  ancient  as  well  as  modern, 
of  emperors  and  many  others,  together  with  urns,  vases, 
columns  of  rare  stone,  tables,  etc.  Of  ancient  statues  there 
is  one  that  Avas  found  in  the  Temple  of  Victory,  which  is  a 
female  figure  reclining  on  a  bed;  on  the  outside  is  Curtius 
on  horseback  plunging  into  the  chasm  [in  high  relief];  a  gla- 
diator in  a  fine  attitude,  with  several  others  that  need  not  be 
enumerated.  Among  modern  statues  Bernini's  Daphne  and 
some  others  are  the  finest  I  have  yet  seen.  The  building  itself 
is  surrounded  with  ancient  and  modern  sculptures,  and  numer- 
ous columns  are  dispersed  over  the  garden.  The  garden  and 
park  are  as  magnificent  as  if  the  place  were  the  residence  of 
a  king;  it  was  all  the  work  of  Cardinal  Scipio  Borghese, 
whose  statue  in  marble  may  be  seen  in  two  places.     There 

word  nepos,  which  he  evidently  translates,  meaning  both  nephew  and  grand- 
son; but  it  is  clear  that  Mar  cell  us  was  the  nephew  and  not  the  gi-and- 
6on  of  Augustus. 


122       SWEDENBOBG'S  TRAVELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  206. 

are  fountains  in  it,  and  also  an  orangery.  It  would  require 
several  days  to  see  and  describe  it  all. 

October  5.  I  saw  the  palace  where  the  Pretender*  lives, 
which  is  almost  opposite  to  that  occupied  by  the  French  em- 
bassy ;  it  is  situated  between  the  Church  of  the  Apostles  [SS. 
Apostoli],  and  that  of  S.  Maria  di  Loreto,  which  is  at  a  greater 
distance.  Afterwards  I  visited  outside  the  towTi  the  church 
of  S.  Stefano  rotondo,  where  all  the  martyr  scenes  are  de- 
picted. It  is  a  singular  building,  round,  with  pillars  in  the 
wall.  In  the  middle  is  a  tabernaculuni,  built  by  Numa  and 
consecrated  to  Faunus,  the  largest  of  those  times;  others  say 
it  was  dedicated  to  Hercules;  it  is  encased  in  marble.  I 
visited  again  the  amphitheatre  of  Vespasian  [the  Coliseum], 
built  for  87,000  persons,  and  finished  by  Titus.  Games  were 
held  there  [at  its  opening]  for  one  hundred  days,  which  cost 
ten  millions  of  Roman  scudi.  It  was  built  by  the  Jews  (the 
Palazzo  Farnese  was  built  of  its  stones) ;  it  is  called  Colloseo, 
from  the  colossal  statue  of  Nero  in  front  of  it. 

October  6.  I  was  at  the  Villa  Mattel,  where  the  Mons 
Cselius  was  formerly;  all  around  here  was  the  real  Rome,  the 
walls  of  which  are  still  visible,  reaching  to  S.  Giovanni  in 
Laterano.  In  the  garden  are  many  small  square  urns,  a  little 
obeUsk,  and  many  ancient  statues ;  in  the  building  also  are  urns, 
together  with  columns  and  various  old  statues.  The  garden  is 
small,  but  no  other  contains  so  many  urns.  A  colossal  head  of 
Alexander  the  Great  is  here ;  also   a   table  of  green  porphyry. 

Afterwards  I  was  in  the  Church  of  S.  Giovanni  in  Laterano, 
which  was  built  by  Constantino  the  Great,  and  is  the  oldest 
Christian  church  in  the  world.  Many  relics  are  near  the  altar: 
the  heads  of  Peter  and  Paul,  under  a  rich  tabernacle  or  shrine; 
a  famous  column  of  metal  filled  with  stones  from  the  sepulchre 
of  Christ.  Statues  of  the  twelve  apostles  in  marble  are  there, 
larger  than  life-size ;  likewise  the  burying  vaults  of  many  popes 
and  others;  the  most  pompous  of  these  is  that  of  the  present 
pope,  Clement  XII,  with  a  sarcophagus  of  porphyry,  hand- 
some images  of  marble,  and  an  altar-piece  in  mosaic.  The 
fagade    of  the  building    has    also   been  finished    by   him   in  a 

*  James  Francis  Edward  Stuart,  son  of  James  11,  who  styled  himself 
James  III ;  the  so-called  elder  Pretender. 


Doc.  200.]     SWEDEXBOBG'S  TRAVELS  IN  173S.  123 

gorgeous  style;  it  is  adorned  Avitli  marble  statues,  eleven  of 
^vhich  are  at  the  top  of  the  church.  The  great  Palace  of  Gio- 
vanni in  Laterano  is  also  there;  the  place  where  Constantine 
the  Great  was  baptized  is  pointed  out  [il  Battisterio  or  S.  Gio- 
vanni in  Fonte].  In  the  middle  of  the  Piazza  [di  S.  Gio- 
vanni in  Laterano]  is  the  largest  obelisk,  being  145  hand- 
breadths  high.  It  is  also  the  oldest;  was  conveyed  from 
Thebes  to  Alexandria  and  thence  to  Kome;  it  is  still  well- 
preserved,  and  was  erected  by  Sixtus  V.  In  the  immediate 
neighbourhood  is  the  Scala  Santa,  where  persons  go  up  some 
steps  on  their  knees,  and  crawl  up  to  the  chapel,  or  to  the 
holy  of  holies.  The  palace  of  Constantine  was  near  the  fountain 
w^here  he  was  baptized;  afterwards  it  belonged  to  the  family 
of  Lateranus  from  which  it  derives  its  name.*  Eight  columns 
of  it  used  to  belong  to  the  Palace  of  Pilate  [?]  and  were  con- 
veyed hither.  Near  the  church  and  the  garden  are  seen  the 
ruins  of  the  palace  of  Constantine ;  two  large  hospitals  are  also 
in  the  neighbourhood. 

October  9.  I  was  at  the  Villa  Farnesi  [Orti  Farnesiani],-]- 
l)uilt  on  the  ruins  of  the  Palace  of  Tiberius,  which  was  after- 
wards repaired  by  Nero  and  Vespasian;  forty  statues  and 
fourteen  busts  are  there ;  from  this  villa  are  visible  the  Mons 
Aventinus,  the  Circus  Maximus,  the  temple  where  the  she- 
wolf  of  Romulus  and  Remus  was  found,  which  is  round; 
likewise  the  ruins  of  the  palace  of  Augustus.  I  was  in  the 
Temple  of  Janus  with  four  gate-ways ;  in  its  immediate  vicinity 
is  the  triumphal  arch  of  Antoninus  Pius,^  and  close  to  it  is  the 

*  According  to  modern  researches  the  place  occupied  by  the  Cliurch 
and  Palace  of  S.  Giovanni  in  Laterano  belonged  originally  to  an  ancient 
Human  family,  by  the  name  of  Lateranus,  who  owned  the  grounds  and 
buildings  up  to  the  time  of  the  Emperor  Nero.  By  his  command  the  last 
owner,  Plautus  Lateranus,  was  executed,  and  Nero  appropriated  his  pos- 
sessions. The  Lateran  Palace  thus  became  imperial  property.  Constantine 
the  Great  presented  the  palace  to  the  pope;  and  it  thus  became  the  resi- 
dence of  the  popes  until  they  removed  to  Avignon.  On  their  return  to 
Rome  they  removed  to  the  Vatican. 

t  On  the  Palatine  Hill. 

\  Swedenborg  means  here  probably  the  arcus  argentarius,  near  the 
Church  of  S.  Giorgio  in  Vclabro,  which  was  erected  by  the  merchants  of 
the  Furuni  loarium  in  honour  of  Seplimius  Severus. 


1 24      S  WEDENB  ORG 'S  TBA  VELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  206. 

palace  of  Pilate,  [?]  which  is  still  preserved.  In  the  Campus 
Vaccinus  I  saw  the  columns  of  the  Temple  of  Jupiter  tonans ; 
several  belonging  to  the  Temple  of  Concordia;  likewise  the 
Temple  of  Peace  in  three  divisions,*  the  Temples  of  Sol  (the 
Sun)  and  Luna  (the  Moon);-{-  likewise  that  of  Faustina.^ 
Afterwards  I  saw  the  triumphal  arch  of  Severus  on  the  place 
under  the  Capitol,  and  at  a  greater  distance  the  triumphal 
arch  of  Constantine,  with  the  spring  which  was  close  to  it. 

October  12.  I  was  on  Monte  Cavallo  or  the  Quirinal 
Hill;  and  saw  the  four  fountains, §  the  beautiful  edifice  built  in 
accordance  with  the  rules  of  perspective  [the  Quirinal  palace] ; 
the  Church  of  St.  Andrew  [S.  Andrea  di  Monte  Cavallo], 
which  is  circular  and  handsome;  the  Piazza  de  Pilestrini  [?] 
with  its  fountain,**  the  Porta  Pia,  etc. 

October  13.  I  visited  the  tomb  of  Cestius,  which  is  a 
large  pyramid;  in  the  neighbourhood  there  is  a  burying 
place  for  foreigners;  likewise  the  Mons  Eustachii  [Monte 
Testaccio]  with  its  ancient  cellars ;  the  Church  [of  S.  Paolo 
alle  tre  fontane]  where  St.  Paul  was  beheaded,  and  the  pillar-J*^ 
with  the  three  springs  which  are  said  to  have  started  out  of 
the  ground  where  his  head  fell;  also  the  Church  of  St.  Paul 
[S.  Paolo  fuori  le  mura]  with  its  hundred  columns4t 

*  The  Basilica  of  Constantine  was  for  a  long  time  supposed  to  be  the 
Temple  of  Peace,  erected  by  Vespasian;  this,  however,  was  completely  de- 
stroyed by  fire  under  Commodus. 

■f  Probably  what  is  now  known  as  the  double  Temple  of  Venus  and 
Eoma  near  the  triumphal  arch  of  Titus;  the  colossal  statue  of  Nero,  in  his 
character  as  the  god  of  the  Sun,  stood  immediately  in  front  of  that  temple. 

I  The  Church  of  S.  Lorenzo  in  Mii^anda  is  built  in  the  interior  (cella) 
of  the  Temple  of  Faustina,  which  was  dedicated  by  Antoninus,  in  the  year 
141,  to  his  wife  Faustina. 

§  Quattro  Fontane,  i.  e.  the  four  fountains  which  are  at  the  intersection 
of  the  Via  del  Quiriuale  and  the  Via  delle  quattro  Fontane. 

**  Probably  the  Piazza  Barberini  wdth  the  Fontana  del  Tritone  in  the 
middle. 

■{^  A  wliite  marble  pillar  to  which  Paul  is  said  to  have  been  tied,  while 
undergoing  the  sentence  of  decapitation.  This  church  is  one  out  of  three 
churches  belonging  to  the  Abbadia  delle  Tre  Fontane  (the  Abbey  of  the 
Three  Fountains),  about  three  English  miles  from  the  town   southwards. 

\^  This  church  was  burned  down  in  1823.  It  has  since  been  rebuilt, 
but  in  a  differ eiit  style. 


Doc.  20G.]        SWEDENBORG'S  TEA  VELS  IN  1738.  125 

October  16.  I  was  in  St.  Peter's  church  [S.  Pietro  in 
Yaticano],  and  saw  both  its  exterior  and  interior;  images  of 
metal  and  marble,  the  graves  of  the  popes.  I  was  likewise 
present  at  a  baptism  at  the  magnificent  font,  where  something 
was  put  into  the  mouth  of  the  candidate,  and  something 
applied  to  his  temples.  Afterwards  I  examined  the  process 
by  which  mosaic  is  made;  it  looks  very  coarse  when  it  is 
examined  closely  and  before  it  is  polished;  glass  beads  are 
used  which  are  split,  and  fastened  into  cement,  and  indeed 
on  large  thick  stones  which  are  grooved,  like  [some  kind  of] 
iron  rods.  Afterwards  I  was  in  the  Castello  del  Angelo,  and 
examined  the  angel  on  the  top,  and  the  four  bastions;  I  saw 
also  the  cannon  which  was  fired  by  Queen  Christina,  the  rooms, 
the  church,  the  prison,  &c.,  likewse  Cardinal  Coscia;*  from 
the  top  I  had  a  view  of  the  whole  town.  The  day  before  I 
had  hcen  in  the  Palazzo  Borghese,  examining  all  the  paintings 
there ;  the  stanza  [the  room]  of  Venus,  the  fountains,  the 
small  garden  adorned  with  statues,  and  the  court  are  handsome. 

October  17.  I  visited  the  Mausoleum  of  Augustus,  where 
a  palace  [now]  is,  [the  Palazzo  Corea];  a  wall  only  remains 
of  the  old  building,  but  Augustus'  statue  is  said  to  be  still 
preserved.  Afterwards  I  examined  the  Thermo;  of  Diocletian, 
but  only  the  walls.  A  monastery  of  considerable  extent  is 
there ;  its  Fathers  are  called  Hierosolymi;  twelve  of  them  are 
confined  during  the  whole  year;  they  obtain  their  food  thi-ough 
a  trap-door;  one  day  in  the  year  they  come  out:  the  others 
meanwhile  drive  about  in  carriages.  I  was  also  in  the  Churches 
of  S.  Bernardo  [alle  Terme],  S.  Susanna,  and  [S.  Maria  della] 
Yittoria;  the  last  of  these  belongs  to  the  barefooted  Carmelites 
[CarmeJiti  ScaUi],  its  columns  are  of  beautifully  variegated 
and  well  matched  marble;  it  contains  fine  statues,  and  fresco 
paintings  on  the  ceifing,  etc.  In  the  neighbourhood  are  three 
fountains. 

October  22.  I  was  in  the  Church  of  St.  Peter,  and  saw 
the  tomb  of  Peter  -with  its  hundred  silver  lamps,  and  precious 
pillars.     At  the  further  end  of  the   choir  are  four  admirable 


*  He   was   imprisoned   by   Pope   Clement  XII   on  account  of  the  vile 
and  atrocious  acts  he  had  committed. 


126      5  WEDENB ORG'S  TBA  VELS  AND  DI ABIES.  [Doc.  206. 

statues  in  bronze.*  On  one  side  is  the  marble  statue  of 
[Maffeo]  Barberini  [Pope  Urban  YIII],  on  the  other  that  of 
[Alessandro]  Farnese  [Pope  Paul  III].  Marble  statues  have  also 
heen  erected  there  by  the  orders  of  the  Minimi,  the  Carmelites, 
the  "Prsedicatores,"  &c.  to  their  founders;  likewise  a  statue 
of  St.  Andrew,  whose  head  is  preserved  here;  of  St.  Helena 
Hierosolymitana,  who  received  the  image  of  Christ;  also  an- 
other holding  in  his  hands  some  of  the  wood  of  the  cross  of 
Christ ;  and  a  bronze  image  of  St.  Peter. -|-  Some  of  the  niches 
destined  to  hold  others  are  still  empty.  On  the  ceilings  and 
along  the  walls  are  many  paintings.  The  church  consists  of 
four  divisions,  one  large  area,  and  one  which  is  shorter;  thus 
altogether  of  six  parts.  The  inscription  of  Borghese  [Paul  V] 
is  on  the  exterior  of  the  church.  There  is  one  of  the  doors, 
which  is  opened  only  when  a  jubilee  is  celebrated. 

October  25.  I  was  in  the  Palazzo  Farnese;  in  the  court 
and  vestibule  are  beautiful  antique  statues  of  large  size;  apart 
in  a  building  is  a  group  of  two  struggling  with  an  ox,:|:  which 
is  of  great  value;  it  was  found  in  the  temple  of  Caracalla. 
In  the  palace  itself  there  is  a  great  quantity  of  smaller  and 
larger  statues;  that  of  Alexander  Farnese  receiving  a  wreath 
while  stepping  upon  two  of  his  enemies,  is  the  most  beautiful. 

October  26.  I  was  again  at  the  Villa  Borghese;  Daphne 
and  Apollo,  ^neas  and  Anchises,  one  [David]  with  a  sling, 
all  by  Bernini,  were  the  principal  objects;  further  a  [reclin- 
ing] hermaphrodite  whose  couch  (matlas  for  matelas?)  was 
by  Bernini,  a  gladiator,  and  Anscarius  [?],  a  beggar;  like- 
wise a  table  of  black  marble. 

October  31.  I  examined  the  large  column  of  Antoninus,  § 
with  the  pedestal,  sculptures,  and  inscriptions,  which  have  been 
found,  but  which  were  too  large  to  be  set  up;  under  these 
far  down  in  the  ground,  it  is  said  a  place  has  been  discovered 

*  Two  of  these  figures  are  now  in  the  Palazzo  Farnese. 

-J-  All  these  statues  are  in  the  niches  of  the  main-columns  in  the  centre 
aisle. 

\  This  celebrated  group,  called  the  Farnesian  Steer,  is  now  in  the 
Museum  at  Naples. 

§  This  column  is  on  the  Piazza  Colonna;  it  is  usually  ascribed  to  An- 
toninus Pius,  but  it  was  erected  in  honour  of  Marcus  AureUus. 


Doc.  206.]      SWEDENBORG'S  TBA VELS  JN  1739.  ]  27 

paved  with  flag-stones.  Afterwards  I  was  in  the  little  church 
of  S.  Brigitta*  on  the  Piazza  Farnese,  and  in  the  chajjcl 
belonging  to  it  which  is  above;  there  she  died,  and  there  also 
her  daughter  Catharine  was,  who  has  likewise  been  canonized; 
some  of  her  relics  are  preserved  there;  only  three  friars  are 
there  who  are  Germans. 

November  20.  I  was  in  the  Vatican,  and  saw  the  paintings 
of  Raphael  and  of  all  others,  and  likewise  the  Conclave. -J- 
It  is  said  to  contain  12,000  rooms,  but  I  do  not  believe  that 
there  are  more  than  a  thousand;  still  it  contains  twenty 
courts;  the  tapestry  is  not  worth  much.  In  one  of  the  courts 
were  some  valuable  statues,  mostly  Greek.  I  saw  also  the 
garden  which  contains  the  ashes  of  Nero. 

December  9.  I  was  at  the  Villa  Ludovisi,  which  is  a 
magnificent  garden,  with  an  endless  number  of  statues  and 
large  urns.  The  Roman  walls  are  seen  there  with  their 
passages  of  communication.  What  I  liked  most  there  was  a 
satvr,  and  one  of  the  avenues. 


1739. 

January  28.  I  was  in  [the  Church  of]  S.  Pietro  in  Montorio 
where  Peter  was  crucified;  the  Franciscans  are  there;  the 
place  commands  a  view  of  the  whole  town.  I  visited  also 
the  four  fountains  of  Paul  (Acqiia  Paola)  which  are  on  the 
very  top  of  the  hill;  thither  the  aqueducts  are  led.  This 
beautiful  structure  Avas  erected  by  Pope  Paul  V. 

January  29.  I  was  again  in  the  gallery  on  the  Campidoglio, 
where  I  witnessed  the  drawing  of  a  lottery;  likewise  at  the 
Villa  Medici.  There  I  saw  two  magnificent  vases  or  lavers 
of  grey  rock;  an  Egyptian  column,  Niobe  and  Thisbe,  a  lion, 
and  a  magnificent  gallery,  which  now  belongs  to  Don  Carlos. 

January  30.  I  Avas  in  the  Longara  where  Queen  Christina 
resided;    the   palace   belongs   to    Duke    Corsini,   the   nephew 

*  A  Swedish  saint,  bom  in  1304,  died  at  Rome  in  1373.  She  becamo 
far-famed  by  her  "Revelationes  St.  Brigittse,"  which  were  first  printed  in 
Rome  in  1488,  and  of  wliich  many  editions  have  since  been  published. 

•f  The  place  in  the  Vatican  where  the  pope  is  elected  by  the  cardinals. 


1 28      S  WEDENBORG'S  TEA  VELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  206. 

of  the  pope.  A  house  and  garden  are  on  the  summit  of 
the  hill,  where  the  whole  town  is  spread  out  before  the  beholder, 
the  Church  of  St.  Peter  on  the  one  side  and  the  Campagna 
on  the  other. 

February  2.  I  spent  an  hour  and  a  half  with  Senator 
Bjelke,*  by  whom  I  was  most  courteously  received. 

February  6.  The  Villa  Pamphili  was  visited  by  me;  I 
found  a  fine  garden  there,  as  well  as  paintings  and  statues. 
I  examined  also  the  aqueduct  with  arches  underneath.  After- 
wards I  visited  the  Palazzo  Giustiniani,  where  statues  and 
pictures  alternate. -j-  There  was  a  gallery  where  the  statues 
stood  very  close  together;  the  best  were  a  Lucretia  by  Bernini, 
and  an  ancient  statue;  likewise  Minerva  with  her  regis  or 
shield,  which  formerly  stood  in  the  Temple  of  Minerva;^  a 
goat,  etc.  Afterwards  I  proceeded  to  the  Palazzo  Barberini, 
where  I  saw  many  articles  in  silver,  paintings  of  modern 
masters ;  the  most  important  among  the  statues  were  an  Adonis 
by  Bernini,  an  antique  Faun,  a  Priapus,  &c.  I  was  in  the 
Vatican,  in  the  other  apartments,  in  [the  Hall  of]  the  In- 
quisition, etc.,  and  likewise  in  the  mosaic  works. 

February  14.  I  was  in  the  Vatican  Library,  which  was 
fitted  up  by  Sixtus  V.  I  saw  there  splendid  paintings,  beautiful 
vases,  large  halls.  All  articles  are  kept  in  cases.  I  saw  also 
[the  MSS.  of]  Virgil  and  Terence,§  and  some  ancient  masks; 
likewise  the  splendid  [Codex  of  the]  New  Testament;**  the 
actions  of  a  general  painted  in  miniature,  and  other  interesting 
objects.  I  do  not  believe  that  there  are  so  many  new  as 
old  books  there. 

February  15.  I  left  Rome  and  travelled  through  Viterbo, 
St.  Quirico,  Siena,  &c.  to  Florence. 

February  20.     I  arrived  in  Florence. 

*  See  foot-note  at  p.  118. 

f  The  pictures  are  now  mostly  in  Berlin;  the  sculptures  partly  in  the 
Vatican  and  partly  in  the  possession  of  Prince  Torlonia. 

f  This  statue  is  now  m  the  Vatican, 

§  The  celebrated  MS.  of  Vii-gil  dates  from  the  fifth,  and  that  of  Te- 
rence, the  so-called  Bembinus,  from  the  fourth  century  after  Christ. 

**  The  famous  Vatican  Codex  of  the  New  Testament  dates  from  the  fifth 
century. 


Doc.  20().]        SWEDENBORG'S  TEA  VELS  IN  1736.  97 

and  anatomy.  At  the  entrance  into  the  garden  where  the 
buildings  arc  situated  is  also  Pitton  de  Tournefort's*  cabinet 
of  curiosities,  as  well  as  an  herbarium  of  upwards  of  6000 
plants.     Close  by  is  a  place  for  storing  wood. 

Near  the  garden  is  the  Hopital  de  la  Pitie,  which  is  an  old 
institution;  there  boys  and  girls  are  trained  for  work;  they 
thence  go  into  service  or  are  married;  they  are  also  sent  to 
the  colonies.  It  belongs  to  the  Hopital  General,  of  which  it 
is  a  branch. 

On  the  way  I  passed  St.  Genevieve.  The  monastery  dates 
from  the  fifth  or  sixth  century,  and  belongs  to  the  order  of 
the  Augustines.  The  abbacy  yields  annually  70,000  livres. 
The  abbe  has  great  power;  when  a  procession  takes  place 
with  the  St.  Genevieve,-]-  he  is  invested  with  his  mitre  and 
cross,  and  administers  the  benediction  in  the  streets  even  to 
tlie  Archbishop  of  Paris.  The  monastery  is  very  celebrated; 
it  has  a  beautiful  garden  and  a  handsome  library.  St.  Ge- 
nevieve is  there  at  the  altar  in  the  choir,  richly  decorated; 
her  procession  is  magnificent,  abounding  with  riches.  Roche- 
fort  [?],  as  well  as  Descartes  are  buried  in  the  church.:}: 

October  30.  I  was  in  the  church  of  the  Theatines  near 
the  Pont  Eoyal,  and  also  in  the  church  of  the  barefooted 
Augustines  near  the  Tuileries,  where  I  heard  Guillaume,  the 
chaplain  of  the  king,  preach ;  he  gesticulated  like  an  actor  on 
the  stage;  yet  he  preached  in  a  very  superior  style. 

November  3.  I  was  at  the  opening  of  the  parliament  in 
the  palace  where  it  meets.§  On  one  side  of  the  large  hall 
where  an  altar  with  a  beautiful  altar-piece  is  erected,  the 
sermon  was  delivered;  many  candles  were  lighted,   and  music 

*  Jos.  Pitton  de  Tournefort  was  a  cdeljratcd  French  botanist,  he  was 
bom  in  1656,  and  died  in  1708. 

-}-  St.  Genevieve  is  the  patron  saint  of  Paris. 

^  The  church  of  St.  Genevieve  was  removed  in  the  middle  of  the  last 
centurj-,  on  account  of  its  delapidated  condition.  The  magnificent  church 
which  was  erected  in  its  place  was  called  the  "Pantheon,"  by  a  decree  of 
the  year  1791.  By  a  recent  decree  dating  from  the  year  1851  its  former 
name  "EgUse  Ste.  Genevieve"  was  again  restored,  yet  the  building  still 
passes  in  Paris  under  the  name  of  the  "Pantheon,"  and  the  name  "Ste. 
Genevieve"  is  restricted  to  the  library. 

§  Palais  de  Justice,  on  the  island  called  La  Cite. 

7 


98      SWEDENBOEG'S  TRAVELS  AND  DIARIES.     [Doc.  206. 

was  played;  the  gentlemen  were  in  their  red  cloaks:  a  bishop 
administered  the  pontifical  rite. 

The  Sainte  Chapelle,*  which  was  built  in  1245  by  Louis 
the  Saint,  was  open;  I  saw  there  two  enamelled  paintings,  one 
of  which  represented  Christ  on  the  cross,  and  the  other  His 
resurrection;  they  were  oval  and  about  three-quarters  [of  an 
ell]  high;  they  were  surrounded  by  four  smaller  round  paint- 
ings, with  others  between.  They  were  all  of  great  value.  The 
original  painting  was  also  shown,  where  the  Emperor  Baldwin 
presents  to  Louis  the  Saint  a  number  of  relics  of  the  cross, 
the  crown  of  thorns,  the  spear,  clothes,  sponge,  &c.,  all  of 
which  are  preserved  here;  they  were  obtained  in  Constan- 
tinople and  purchased  at  a  very  high  price.-f* 

1737. 

January.  I  was  in  the  church  of  St.  Genevieve;  she  is 
the  patron  saint  of  Paris.  Her  coffin,  with  an  abundance  of 
genuine  diamonds  and  surrounded  with  many  candles,  is  placed 
upon  a  high  altar  in  the  front  part  of  the  church. 

There  are  four  conseils  (councils)  in  France,  at  which  the 
king  presides:  1.  Le  Conseil  d'etat  (the  council  of  state).  2.  Le 
conseil  des  dei^ecJies  (the  council  of  foreign  despatches).  3.  Le 
conseil  des  finances  (the  council  of  finance).  4.  Le  conseil  de 
commerce  (the  council  of  commerce). 

The  council  of  state  consists :  1.  Of  the  king,  2.  The  Duke  of 
Orleans,  the  first  prince  of  the  blood  royal,  3.  Cardinal  Fleury, 
4.  The  keeper  of  the  seals,  5.  The  Duke  d'Estrees,  the  marshal, 
6.  M.  Anguilliers,  the  secretary  of  state,  7.  M.  Orry,  coun- 
cillor of  state  and  comptroller  of  the  finance. 

The  Keeper  of  the  seals  (Garde  de  sceaux)  has  in  his  charge 
the  foreign  despatches  from  all  the  ministers,  likewise  dona- 
tions and  brevets.  The  Comte  de  Maurepas,  secretary  of 
state,  transacts  almost  everything  that  concerns  the  affairs  of 

*  The  Sainte  Chapelle,  the  former  royal  chapel,  is  in  the  southern  court 
of  the  Palais  de  Justice. 

•{■  Louis  the  Saint  is  said  to  have  purchased  them  from  Jean  de  Brienne, 
King  of  Jerusalem,  and  his  son-in-law  Baldwin,  Emperor  of  Constantinople, 
for  three  milhons  of  francs. 


Doc.  206.J        S  WEDEXBOBG'S  TRA  VELS  IN  1737.  99 

the  interior  and  the  exterior,  except  what  has  reference  to  war; 
the  Comte  de  Florintin,  secretary  of  state,  that  wliich  con- 
cerns religion,  which  is  very  little;  Mons.  d'Anguilliers,  se- 
cretary of  state,  all  that  concerns  war  in  the  country.  The 
Duke  of  Charot  is  the  presiding  officer  of  the  council.  M.  Orry, 
who  is  councillor  of  state  and  in  the  royal  council,  is  comp- 
troller of  finance,  and  has  in  his  charge  the  afiairs  of  commerce 
and  what  concerns  [the  finances  of]  the  state.  Lamoignon 
de  Cuisson  is  also  councillor  of  state. 

In  France  there  are  14,777  convents  and  from  300,000  to 
400,000  members  of  religious  orders,  who  possess  9000  palaces  or 
mansions;  1356  abbots,  567  abbesses,  13,000 prioresses  (^;r/ei(ses^, 
15,000  chaplains,  140,000  pastors  and  curates,  18  archbishops, 
and  112  bishops.  776  abbots  and  280  abbesses  are  appointed  by 
the  king.  There  are  also  16  heads  of  orders.  The  following 
are  the  principal:  the  Jacobins,  Augustines,  Cordeliers,  Car- 
melites, Carthusians  (Chartreux),  Bernardines,  Benedictines, 
Jesuits,  Minimi,*  Celestines. 

The  archbishops  have  the  following  provinces  allotted  to 
them:  1.  Paris,  Monseigneur  de  Luc  [Louis?],  2.  Lyon,  3.  Rouen, 
Monsign.  Tavannes,  4.  Sens,  5.  Rheims,  Monsign.  de  Rohan, 
6.  Tours,  7.  Bourges,  8.  Alby,  9.  Bordeaux,  10.  Auch,  Car- 
dinal Polignac,  11.  Narbonne,  12.  Toulouse,  13.  Aries,  14.  Aix, 
15.  Vienne,  16.  Embrun,  17.  Besangon,  18.  Cambray. 

Members  of  the  Royal  House  of  France :  King  Louis  XV, 
born  in  1710 ;  Queen  Marie,  in  1703;  the  Dauphin,  in  1729;  the 
six  Mesdames  de  France.  The  royal  family  is  mostly  from  the 
Bourbon  family  in  conjunction  with  the  Duke  of  Orleans,  the 
Duchess  of  Orleans,  the  widow  of  the  late  duke,  who  is  now 
living,  being  a  Bourbon;  further,  from  the  Bourbons  and  the 
Bourbon-Contis.  Two  sons  of  the  late  Duke  of  Orleans  are 
living,  a  daughter  is  an  abbess;  of  the  Bourbon  branch  several 
are  living,  one  son  [a  Bourbon]  and  his  brother,  who  is  called 
the  Due  de  Chartres,  besides  several  daughters;  there  are 
also  some  from  the  branch  Bourbon-Conti,  and  from  the  branch 
Bourbon-Conde.  There  are  altogether  twelve  male  and  fourteen 
female  descendants  of  the  Bourbons  and  the  Duke  of  Orleans. 

*  A  reformed  order  of  the  Franciscans. 

7* 


100      SWEDENBORG'S  TRAVELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  206. 

January  23,  24.  I  was  at  St.  Denis  where  I  saw  the  royal 
vaults,  as  well  as  the  treasures  which  are  preserved  there,  of 
which  I  shall  treat  more  in  detail  below. 

In  connection  with  royalty  in  France  there  have  further  to 
be  mentioned:  1.  Stanislaus  Leczinsky,^^^  King  of  Poland, 
born  in  1677,  2.  Catharina  Opalinsky,  his  queen,  born  in  1683, 
3.  There  is  in  France  a  dowager-queen  of  Spain,  born  in 
1669,  4.  Also  another  personage,  born  in  1704,  a  daughter  of 
the  Duke  of  Orleans, 

In  Spain  are :  1.  King  Philip,  bom  in  1683,  2.  Queen  Elisabeth 
Fernese,  bom  in  1692,  3.  Ferdinand,  Prince  of  the  Asturias> 
born  in  1713,  4.  His  sister  Marie,  Queen  of  Portugal,  5.  Don 
Philippe,  born  in  1727,  6.  Don  Louis,  Cardinal  and  Arch- 
bishop of  Toledo,  7.  Two  princesses,  one  Marie  Therese,  and 
the  other  Marie  Antoinette;  besides  Don  Carlos. 

In  St.  Denis  a  great  number  of  curiosities  were  to  be  seen: 
1.  A  piece  of  clockwork,  representing  the  passion  of  Christ  and 
many  other  subjects,  one  after  another,  simply  by  means  of 
weights.  2,  The  church  is  antique,  brought  to  perfection  chiefly  by 
Dagobert;*  the  windows  are  curious  on  accoimt  of  their  stained 
glass  and  figures;  all  of  the  chapels  are  said  to  be  rich.  There 
was  a  marvellous  cross  of  solid  gold ;  a  well-made  iron  grating, 
and  posts  of  metal.  3.  On  the  way  to  St.  Denis  I  saw  pyra- 
mids erected  to  the  memory  of  Philip  the  Bold,  the  son  of 
St.  Louis,  who  had  brought  his  father's  remains  with  him  in 
1271.  4.  Dagobert,  the  grandson  of  Chilperic,  as  far  as  has  be- 
come known,  was  the  first  who  was  buried  here.  St.  Louis 
caused  a  considerable  number  of  epitaphs  commemorating  his 
predecessors,  to  be  set  up  here.  5.  The  statue  of  Charles  VIII 
is  of  black  marble  and  bronze.  6.  The  tomb  of  Louis  XII 
is  the  finest  in  respect  to  architecture.  7.  That  of  Louis  XIV 
is  still  covered,  for  it  is  not  uncovered  during  the  life-time  of 

*  Modern  investigations  have  sho'wn,  that  there  is  not  a  trace  left  of 
the  first  church  built  by  Dagobert  in  630,  nor  of  the  second  which  was 
begun  by  Pepin  in  754,  and  finished  by  his  son  Charlemagne  in  775. 
Suger,  the  celebrated  Abl^ot  of  St.  Denis,  erected  a  new  chiirch,  which  was 
dedicated  in  1144,  and  destroyed  by  Hghtning  a  century  later.  The  church 
as  reconstructed  by  St.  Louis  from  1234  to  1284  fonns  the  basis  of  the 
present  building. 


Doc.  206.]      SWEDENBOEG'S  TEA VELS  IN  1737.  101 

his  successor.  8.  In  the  chapel  of  the  House  of  Yalois  were 
Catharina  de  Medici  and  her  husband  Henry  II ;  with  several 
others.  9.  Among  those  buried  here,  besides  kings,  are  the 
Yicomte  de  Turenne  marked  by  a  fine  epitaph,  Sancerre,* 
Amaud  de  Guillaume,  Bertrand-{-,  all  of  whom  where  great 
men,  and  beloved.  10.  They  have  been  damaged  somewhat 
by  the  various  Avars.  11.  The  emperor  de  cJtevaiil?]  is  the 
only  one  who  is  known  to  have  be^n  buried  here ;  he  is  in  his 
imperial  robes.  12.  In  respect  to  the  treasures  and  armour 
much  has  to  be  observed,  since  they  consist  of  precious  stones, 
diamonds,  massive  gold,  agates,  [?]  crowns,  crucifixes,  mon- 
strances; in  a  monstrance  was  the  largest  diamond  I  have 
seen,  also  a  very  large  one  in  the  royal  coronation  crown,  in 
which,  I  have  been  told,  a  considerable  number  of  relics  are 
enclosed;  as  well  as  in  a  large  ruby  and  in  other  objects 
wrought  of  gold,  which  relics  are  partly  from  the  cross  of 
Christ,  and  partly  from  St.  Denis,  etc.  13.  I  was  shown  a 
cross  of  porphyry  which  was  said  to  be  the  finest  porphyry 
ever  seen;  it  was  brought  here  by  Dagobert  from  Poitiers. 
There  is  some  doubt  as  to  the  use  which  was  made  of  it. 
I  lodged  at  the  "Lamb." 

The  royal  persons  in  England  are  as  follows:  1.  George II., 
born  1683;  2.  Carolina  Wilhelmina  of  Brandenburg- Anspach, 
born  1683;  3.  Frederick  Lewis,  Prince  of  Wales,  born  1707; 
4.  Augusta  of  Saxe-Gotha,  bom  1721;  5.  William  Augustus  of 
England,  Duke  of  Cumberland ;  6.  Anna,  wife  of  the  Prince 
of  Orange;  7.  The  Princesses  Emily,  Caroline,  Mary  Louisa; 
8.  James  III  [the  Pretender]  in  Rome,  born  1688;  9.  Two  of 
his  sons. 

The  pro\inces  of  France  are  as  follow:  Angoumais,  Anjou, 
Auvergne,  Berry,  Blaisais,  Burgundy,  Bretagne,  Bordeaux, 
Champagne,  Chartrain,  Dauphine,  Franche  Comte,  He  de 
France^  Languedoc,  la  Manche,  Limousin,  Lorraine  and  the 
duchy  de  Bar,  Maine,  Navarre,  Nivernois,  Normandie,  Or- 
leanois,  Pays  bas,  la  Flandre,  Brabant,  Comte  d'Artois,  Hainault, 
Perigord,  Picardie,  Poitou,  Provence,  Rousillon,  Tourenne,  [&c.]. 

*  Louis  de  Sancerre,  connetable  de  France,  who  died  in  1470. 
-J-  Bertrand  du  Guesclin,  Comte  de  Longueville  and  connetable  de  France, 
who  died  in  1380,  in  a  battle  fought  against  the  English. 


102      S  WEDENBORG'S  TRA  VELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  206. 

July  30.  I  went  to  Passy,  and  saw  the  springs  of  Passy, 
of  which  there  are  two ;  they  are  far  down  in  the  earth,  just 
as  in  a  cellar ;  each  consists  of  two  streams,  so  that  there  are 
really  four ;  the  new  springs,  however,  have  three  streams.  They 
are  chalybeate  or  vitriolic,  just  as  with  us  [in  Sweden].  They 
use  the  whole  of  it,  and  in  order  to  get  the  iron  out  of  it, 
they  pump  it  into  long  earthen  vessels,  covering  them  with 
slate,  and  let  the  water  stand  there  for  a  month,  when  all  the 
ochre  settles  to  the  bottom,  and  the  water  becomes  almost  like 
sweet  water;  it  is  then  filled  into  earthen  bottles  and  filtered. 
A  pint  of  it  is  sold  for  five  stivers. 

I  drove  also  to  [the  convent  of]  Calvaire,  which  is  on  a  high 
mountain*  near  Suresnes.  There  are  seven  pictures  pretty 
well  executed,  representing  the  whole  of  Christ's  passion.  In 
the  church  the  tomb  of  Christ  is  represented  in  the  form  in 
which  it  exists  on  mount  Calvary.  A  large  garden  belongs 
to  it,  from  which  a  view  can  be  had  of  the  neighbouring  country 
including  many  small  towns.-j- 


1738. 

March  12.  At  3  o'clock  in  the  morning  I  left  Paris  by  dili- 
gence and  arrived  at  Chalons  [sur  Saone]  on  the  15th,  having 
passed  through  various  villages,  as  well  as  through  Auxerre. 
From  Chalons  I  went  by  "treckschuyt,"  which  is  here  called  the 
"diligence  par  eau,"  to  Macon,  and  thence  to  Lyons.  I  thus 
came  through  the  Franche  Comte,  the  whole  of  Burgundy, 
and  Doubs,  passing  on  the  way  several  beautiful  castles,  one 
of  which  belongs  to  the  Comte  de  Clermont,  where  the  best 
wine  grows,  1500  en  queue  [?].  The  wine  of  Macon  also 
is  pretty  good.     The  diligence  ;par   eau  goes  into  the   river 

*  Now  Mont  Valerien. 

f  The  monastery  le  Calvaire,  built  by  Louis  XIII,  was  formerly  a 
favourite  place  for  pilgi'images.  Napoleon  I.  removed  the  monastery  and 
erected  in  its  place  an  educational  institute  for  the  daughters  of  members 
of  the  Legion  of  honour.  After  the  restoration  the  place  came  again  into 
the  hands  of  an  ecclesiastical  corporation,  and  the  pilgrimages  began  anew; 
but  the  year  1830  put  an  end  to  their  possession,  and  in  1840  the  building 
of  the  fortress  of  Mont  Valerien  was  commenced. 


Doc.  206.]       SWEDENBORG'S  TEA  VELS  IN  1738.  103 

Rhone,  wliicli  flows  through  Lyons,  and  which  has  its  origin 
in  several  streams  in  the  Alps.  Lyons  or  the  old  Luijdiunun 
is  a  pretty  large  and  considerable  town,  containing  many  large 
houses  and  palaces,  especially  around  the  Place  Royal  [Place 
Louis  le  Grand],  where  are  two  large  palaces  belonging  to  pri- 
vate persons.  The  place  is  adorned  by  an  equestrian  statue 
of  Louis  XIV  in  bronze,  with  fountains  on  each  side.  Lyons 
is  a  great  place  for  manufacturing  galloons,  gold  and  silver 
lace,  gold  and  silver  cloth,  and  silk  goods.  It  produces  a 
great  quantity  of  finely  spun  gold,  the  unmanufactured  gold 
being  worth  seven-eighths  of  the  manufactured  article.  Every 
year  gold  to  the  value  of  from  300,000  to  400,000  marks  in  silver 
is  thus  manufactured  into  gold  wire;  it  comes  from  Genoa  to 
Lyons;  the  weight  of  the  gold  amounts  to  upwards  of  70  or 
80  tons.  The  Archbishop  of  Lyons  is  the  primate  of  the 
clergy  in  France;  he  has  his  jurisdiction  like  the  pope.  Ville- 
roy  is  governor ;  he  has  survivance  of  the  office  which  is  here- 
ditary. The  Jesuits  have  a  large  convent  where  they  make 
mithridate;*  they  have  also  a  fine  library  which  I  visited.  I 
stayed  in  Lyons  for     from  four  to  five  days. 

March  22.  I  left  Lyons  for  Turin,  crossing  the  Alps,  and 
finally  passing  over  the  last  and  highest  mountain,  Mont  Cenis, 
where  we  had  to  undergo  much  fatigue,  and  where  our 
lives  were  endangered  by  the  snow  which  had  fallen  the 
previous  night,  which  was  so  deep  that  our  mules  had 
fairly  to  swim  in  it,  and  we  were  obliged  to  dismount.  It 
was  fortunate  that  our  party  consisted  of  twelve  persons  be- 
sides six  monks  of  the  Carmelite  order,  and  that  we  had  an 
attendance  of  from  fifty  to  sixty  porters  who  paved  a  way  for 
us.  The  night  we  passed  on  the  mountain  in  the  Grande 
Croix  [inn].  Our  halting  places  and  the  villages  which  we 
passed,  were  as  follows:  Bron,  [St.]  Laurent  [de  Mure]  with  a 
chateau,  [la]  Verpilliere,  Bourgoin,  la  Tour  de  Pin,  Viga- 
borgho[?],  Pont  de  Beauvoisin,  where  France  terminates  and 
Savoy  begins;  here  too  the  King  of  Savoy  met  his  last  queen. 
Afterwards  we  came  to  Chambery,  which  is  a  handsome  town, 


*  An  antidote  against  i)oison,  so  called  from  IMithridatos,  King  of  Pontus. 
its  supposed  inventor. 


104       SWEDENB ORG'S  TEA  YELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  20G. 

and  thence  to  Montmelian  [or  Montmeillan],  Aiquebelle,  Epierre, 
La  Chambre,  [St.]  Jean  de  Maurienne,  St.  Michel,  Lans-le- 
Bourg,  and  thus  to  Mont  Cenis.  Before  leaving  the  moun- 
tain the  Grande  Croix  [inn]  is  reached,  where  the  view  opens 
to  Ferrara  and  Novalesa.  Afterwards  Susa  is  passed  which 
is  fortified  by  three  strong  citadels,  then  Giaconaro[?],  St.  Am- 
brogio  and  Rivoli  with  a  handsome  palace  or  chateau  royal. 
After  Hivoli  comes  Turin,  where  we  arrived  on  March  30. 
[The  whole  route  from  Lyons  to  Turin  is  as  follows:]  Bron, 
St.  Laurent  de  Mure  with  a  chateau,  Yigaborgho,  Pont  de 
Beauvoisin,  Chambery,  Montmeillan,  St.  Michel,  Lans-le-Bourg, 
Mont  Cenis,  Grande  Croix,  Ferrara,  Novalesa,  Susa  with  three 
citadels,  Gioconaro,  St.  Ambrogio,  Rivoli  with  a  royal  palace, 
Turin. 

March  31.  I  took  a  view  of  Turin.  On  the  tower  is  a 
bull  cast  in  metal,  life  size,  as  a  symbol  of  Turin.  Before 
reaching  the  town  a  large  and  handsome  monastery  is  seen, 
belonging  to  the  Carthusians.  I  visited  the  royal  palace,  which 
is  not  large  but  handsome;  there  are  larger  houses  on  each 
side.  An  avenue  of  trees  leads  to  the  town,  the  length  of 
which  is  six  miles  or  three  French  leagues.  A  royal  country 
residence,  Superga,  is  seen  on  a  high  mountain.  It  was  built 
by  Bang  Victor  [Amadous  II],  the  father  of  the  present 
monarch,  who  relinquished  the  government  in  favour  of  his 
son,  that  he  might  marry  his  mistress  without  difficulty.  He 
afterwards  tried  to  regain  possession,  but  his  attempt  was 
frustrated  by  his  son,  who  arrested  him  at  Rivoli,  where  he 
was  kept  a  prisoner  till  his  death,  which  happened  from  six 
to  eight  months  afterwards. 

In  Turin  I  noted  the  following  particulars:  1.  The  King 
[Charles  Emanuel  III],  whose  age  is  thirty-seven  years  and 
a  half,  looks  like  a  man  of  fifty.  2.  The  houses  in  Turin  are 
magnificent,  ten  or  twelve  houses  together  forming  one  con« 
tinuous  building,  which  gives  them  an  imposing  appearance. 
3.  All  who  are  in  possession  of  riches  are  either  called  Counts 
or  merchants.  4.  The  streets  are  not  named,  but  the  quarters 
(hornen),  which  are  called  after  a  saint.  5.  The  rooms 
are  not  numbered,  but  named  after  a  saint.  6.  An  air  of 
grandeur   is    also    given   by  the  sedan-chairs    moving    about. 


Doc.  206.]      S  WEDENB ORG 'S  TBA  VELS  IN  1738.  105 

7.  The  palace  of  the  Duke  of  Carignan  is  large.  8.  The  prime 
minister  is  M.  d'Homere,  a  man  of  great  intelligence,  who  has 
obtained  from  the  pope  all  that  he  aslced.  9.  Among  the 
convents  that  of  the  Carmelites  is  large;  its  church  is  in  the 
Ijest  taste  I  have  yet  seen.  That  of  the  Capuchins  (Franciscans) 
is  out  of  the  town.  A  monk  of  the  name  of  Philippi  planned 
the  Carmelite  church.  L'vgllse  de  Loi'mine  (the  church  of 
Lorraine)  near  the  castle  is  splendid  but  small.  10.  The 
apartments  in  the  royal  castle  are  superbly  furnished;  they 
are  resplendent  with  gold,  silver,  and  mirrors,  and  adorned  with 
paintings,  among  which  are  four  excellent  ones  of  Albano  re- 
presenting the  four  elements;  likewise  the  forty-eight  miniature 
portraits  recently  purchased  in  Rome  for  18,000  florins. 
Among  these  are  those  of  Luther  and  his  wife.  Luther  and 
Calvin  are  there;  the  former  painted  with  one  eye.  The  paint- 
ings on  the  ceilings  are  also  magnificent. 

April  4,  or  Maundy-Thursday.  I  saw  their  magnificent 
processions,  of  which  I  counted  nine;  altogether  there  were 
from  twenty  to  thirty.  They  had  a  great  number  of  large  wax- 
tapers;  six  flogged  themselves  so  that  the  blood  streamed  from 
their  bodies;  others  bore  a  cross  of  considerable  weight;  others 
had  their  arms  stretched  out;  others,  again,  bore  the  insignia 
of  crucifixion ;  lastly,  a  machine  furnished  with  a  large  number 
of  candles  was  carried,  on  which  Christ  was  represented  life- 
size  in  various  positions,  together  with  Mary.  The  same  day 
Their  Majesties  went  through  the  whole  town.  On  Good- 
Friday  evening  they  have  another  great  procession,  with  a 
machine,  on  which  are  Christ  lying  in  a  shroud,  the  head  of 
John  the  Baptist,  and  Mary  with  a  sword  through  her  heart. 
All  in  the  procession  are  either  masked  or  have  sadness  ex- 
pressed in  their  countenances;  they  are  clothed  in  white,  red, 
black,  and  blue.  On  Easter  I  was  in  the  Chapelle  Royale  and 
heard  beautiful  music;  a  eunuch  sang.  I  saw  the  king  and 
queen. 

April  7.  I  left  Turin,  and  travelled  through  Chivasso, 
Vercelli  and  Novara  to  Milan.  Li  Novara  I  was  abandoned 
by  my  vettur'ino,  and  was  compelled  to  travel  alone  with  an- 
other vetturino  who  was  not  trustworthy,  and  who  often  drew 
his  stiletto   in  arranging  his   gear.     I  was   on  my  guard,  and 


106       S  WEDENB ORG'S  TEA  VELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  206. 

he  was  led  to  think  (mhillade)  that  I  had  not  a  stiver  about 
me.  The  provinces  of  Novara  and  Tortona  have  become  the 
possession  of  the  King  of  Sardinia. 

April  9.  I  arrived  at  Milan,  which  is  a  large  and  populous 
town.  I  was  in  the  following  places:  1.  In  the  cathedral, 
which  is  two  hundred  ells  long  to  the  choir  and  high  in  pro- 
portion; it  has  five  aisles  with  four  rows  of  columns,  all  of 
pure  marble.  It  is  covered  with  marble  on  the  exterior,  and 
is  decorated  with  many  marble  statues  and  ornaments;  even 
the  roof  is  of  marble.  They  continue  building  from  year  to 
year;  it  will  probably  never  be  finished.*  Among  the  marble 
statues  in  the  interior  St.  Bartholomew's  is  considered 
the  most  remarkable;  all  the  muscles  are  shown;  but  the 
subject  does  not  seem  to  me  well  represented.  A  great 
number  of  silver  lamps  are  continually  burning.  Under  the 
choir  are  the  tombs  of  many  saints,  especially  the  tomb  of 
San  Carlo,  which  abounds  in  silver  ornaments  on  which  the 
miracles  of  the  saint  are  represented;  an  altar  is  erected  in 
his  honour,  on  which  money  is  laid.  2.  I  visited  the  great 
hospital  [Ospedate  Maggiore],  one  of  the  finest  and  largest  in 
existence;  the  portraits  of  all  those  who  have  contributed  to 
its  funds,  painted  by  the  great  masters,  are  in  a  hall.  The 
service  in  the  hospital  is  performed  entirely  by  bastards;  for 
foundlings  in  great  number  are  received  in  a  drawer.  The 
sick  are  treated  well;  every  one  in  liis  bed,  both  women  and 
men.  There  are  special  halls  for  the  wounded,  for  there  is 
a  great  number  of  them,  on  account  of  the  many  assassin- 
ations. I  visited  also  the  kitchen,  the  cellar,  the  building  for 
washing,  which  are  all  excellent.  3.  There  is  a  smaller  hospital 
for  persons  of  quality,  which  is  very  well  appointed, — all 
the  attendants  are  fathers  of  a  convent.  4.  I  saw  the  palace 
where  the  archbishop,  who  has  recently  been  created  a 
cardinal,  resides:  his  name  is  Stampa.  5.  The  governor's  palace 
which  is  close  by  is  also  large.  6.  They  have  an  opera-house; 
the  theatre  is  said  to  be  the  very  largest;  yet  it  is  not  so 
large  as  it  is  reported;  it  has  five  tiers  and  it  accommodates 

*  "When   the   editor  visited  IVIilan   in  1874,  they  were  still  engaged  in 
repairing  and  finislinig  it. 


Doc.  206.]       SWEDEXBOMG'S  TEA VELS  TX  17.38.  1 07 

from  15U0  to  2000  persons.  7.  I  visited  the  principal 
monasteries.  One  which  belongs  to  the  order  of  Ambrosio,* 
is  splendidly  decorated  with  paintings;  one  of  these  in  the 
liall  up-stairs  may  be  called  a  real  chef  cVomvre;  if  you  are 
twelve  or  fifteen  steps  removed  from  it,  it  is  impossible  to 
think  otherwise  than  that  it  stands  out  from  the  wall.  In  the 
garden  a  fig-tree  was  pointed  out,  where,  it  is  said,  Augustine 
was  converted  1400  years  ago.  Each  of  the  fathers  has 
his  domestic  and  valet  de  chambre ;  for  they  all  belong 
to  the  aristocracy.  8.  Another  monastery,  that  of  St.  Victor, 
or  of  the  Benedictines,  is  not  inferior  to  this  in  any  respect; 
there  resided  the  Due  de  Noailles;-{-  it  has  a  pretty  large 
garden;  on  the  ceiling  of  the  church,  which  is  similar  to 
St.  Peter's  in  Rome,  is  Roman  workmanship ;  it  contains  many 
fine  paintings.  9.  I  afterwards  visited  the  building  of  the 
Inquisition  with  its  church;  10.  Also  the  large  convent  for 
young  ladies  (couvent  major  des  Jilles),  where  I  conversed  in 
the  parlour  with  two  nuns;  I  saw  their  procession  and  bought 
their  flowers;  a  young  person  was  also  led  into  the  parlour. 
1 1 .  I  took  a  view  of  the  citadel  on  the  two  sides  on  which  it 
has  been  besieged;  there  are  two  towers  on  the  side  next  the 
to^v^l;  on  the  others  a  wide  plain  stretches  out.  12.  I  examined 
the  Library,^  which  consists  of  a  great  number  of  manuscripts 
and  of  old  books  written  by  the  monks;  the  genealogy  of  the 
French  kings  was  shown  to  me.  The  library  itself  is  of  little 
value,  as  it  contains  only  old  books.  There  is  connected 
with  it  an  academy  of  painting  and  sculpture;  one  hall  was 
shown  containing  statues,  and  another  wliich  is  devoted  to 
paintings.  13.  A  regiment  of  cavalry  was  quartered  in  a 
monastery  of  the  order  of  Franciscus  de  Paula,  §  which  is  said 
to  be  the  largest  in  Milan,  and  contains  a  hundred  and  fifty 

*  The  present  Osjpedale  Militare  (Military  Hospital)  near  the  church 
of  St.  Ambrosio. 

■J-  Adrien  Maurice,  Due  de  Noailles,  general  in  chief  of  the  French  and 
Sardinian  troops,  who  comi^elled  the  imperial  troops  to  withdraw  from 
Italy,  in  1735. 

I  The  celebrated  Ambrosian  Library,  founded  in  1525  by  Federigo 
Borromeo. 

§  The  so-called  INIinimi. 


108      S WEDENBORG'S  TEA  VELS  AXD  DIAEIES.  [Doc.  206. 

fathers;  they  are  clothed  like  the  Capuchins  or  Franciscans; 
their  chapter  is  said  to  have  been  there,  but  it  has  now  been 
removed  to  Kome.  14.  Afterwards  I  was  in  several  churches 
and  monasteries,  and  examined  their  paintings.  15.  I  was  in 
the  church  of  the  Bernardines,  which,  in  respect  to  the  paintings 
on  the  ceiling  and  the  walls  which  are  its  only  ornaments, 
is  the  most  magnificent  that  can  be  found.  16.  I  saw  the  place 
wdiere  those  who  die  in  the  hospital  are  buiied;  it  was  recently 
built  by  a  private  gentleman  on  one  side  of  the  town;  it  has 
a  portico  and  columns.  17.  I  witnessed  the  funeral  of  a  canon, 
who  was  conveyed  by  his  whole  brotherhood  to  the  church, 
which  within  and  without  was  most  beautifully  decorated.  The 
corpse  itself  was  uncovered,  draped  in  white  and  gold  moire, 
\vith  a  cross  in  the  hands  and  the  head  bare;  all  was  perfumed 
"SNith  incense;  persons  with  large  wax-tapers  encompassed  it, 
singing  and  reading.  A  mausoleum  of  four  stories  was  raised 
in  the  middle  of  the  church;  it  was  rather  high  and  well- 
decorated  ;  upon  this  the  corpse  w^as  placed ;  on  the  following 
day  the  great  mass  was  performed.  18.  In  the  church  of  the 
Bernardines  the  altar  was  of  marble;  the  pulpit  and  con- 
fessional of  choice  stones.  19.  Ladies  of  quality  have  one  or 
two  lackeys  going  before  them;  one  leads  them,  and  one  or 
two  follow  them:  it  is  improper  to  fix  one's  eyes  upon  them. 
20.  Men  go  about  leading  six  goats  and  selling  fresh  goats' 
milk.  21.  Afterw^ards  I  was  in  several  nunneries  and  in  their 
churches  and  gardens;  also  in  the  church  of  Alsach,  or  of  the 
canons,  where  was  a  statue  of  Mary  in  marble,  with  four 
columns  of  silver,  and  other  ornaments  of  silver  and  diamonds; 
twenty-five  large  silver  lamps  and  silver  candlesticks;  pillars 
of  jasper  in  the  choir ;  also  beautiful  inlaid  stones  and  many 
paintings. 

April  13.  I  left  Milan  in  company  with  five  Carmelite 
monks,  who  were  taking  the  opportunity  to  see  Venice  on  the  way 
to  their  chapter  in  Rome.  The  journey  from  Milan  to  Padua 
is  five  days  and  a  half.  We  passed  this  side  of  Bergamo, 
whence  the  best  harlequins  are  said  to  come.  Thence  we 
came  to  Bresse  or  Brescia,  which  is  a  fine  commercial  town, 
and  contains  several  handsome  palaces.  Afterwards  we  travelled 
through  Peschiera,  which  is  a  strong  fortress  with  fine,  lofty 


Doc.  2()G.J      S  WEDENBORG'S  TEA  VELS  IX 1738.  109 

walls,  and  arrived  at  Verona  which  is  a  pretty  large  and 
extensive  town.  I  examined  a  few  churches,  and  then  visited 
the  large  amphitheatre,  which  was  huilt  by  Augustus,  and, 
with  the  exception  of  the  two  highest  rows,  is  still  entire.  It 
will  hold  from  50,000  to  60,000  people,  has  seventy  entrances, 
and  seventy  openings  above,  and  a  vault  and  vaulted  rooms 
for  beasts  and  slaves.  I  computed  the  circumference  of  the 
structure  at  600  ells.  Not  far  from  this  is  another  interesting 
building,  which  is  said  to  have  been  erected  by  Scipio  Afri- 
canus,  and  repaired  by  one  of  his  family ;  it  is  now  a  dweUing- 
liouse.  The  rooms  under  the  amphitheatre  are  occupied  as 
shops.  Afterwards  I  visited  the  opera;  a  new  theatre  has 
been  built  with  a  hundred  and  forty  boxes.  In  respect  to 
the  shifting  of  scenes  in  the  theatre,  with  their  decorations, 
which  all  represent  beautiful  palaces  and  other  fine  prospects, 
also  in  respect  to  the  singing  and  dancing,  they  surpass  the 
French  opera  to  such  a  degree,  that  it  seems  to  be  mere 
child's  play  in  comparison  with  them.  From  Verona  I  continued 
my  journey  to  Vicenza,  where  I  visited  several  churches 
which  were  celebrated  for  their  paintings,  statues  in  marble, 
and  their  inlaid  work,  and  likewise — especially  the  more  recent 
ones — for  their  architecture.  The  cathedral  was  magnificent; 
thither  the  Tridentine  Council  had  intended  to  remove,  in  case 
the  plague  had  continued.  I  saw  a  theatre  (Teatro  Olimpko) 
which  was  built  in  the  ancient  style,  with  an  amphitheatre 
for  the  spectators,  adorned  with  statues;  the  front-elevation 
consisted  of  columns  and  statues ;  the  interior  represented  a 
palace,  from  which  the  actors  descended  by  two  ways,  and 
went  through  their  performances.  I  then  came  to  Padua,  which 
is  a  large  but  antiquated  town,  possessing  a  university,  but  no 
palace  of  any  consequence.  The  most  interesting  object  was 
the  church  of  S.  Giustina,  the  like  of  which  I  never  saw 
before.  The  whole  floor  is  paved  with  white,  red,  and  black 
marble;  it  has  twenty  altars,  each  of  which  is  adorned  with 
marble  statues,  and  marble  columns  of  various  kinds,  while 
the  altar  itself  is  constructed  of  inlaid  stones  representing 
some  kind  of  painting;  I  counted  there  from  eighty  to  ninety 
large  marble  statues,  and  the  same  number  of  small  ones. 
The  monastery  is    rather    large.      Afterwards   I   was   in    the 


1 10      S  WEDENBOEG'S  TEA  VELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  206. 

church  of  S.  Antonio,  where  I  found  likewise  beautiful 
paintings  and  marble  statues,  especially  in  its  chapel,  where 
there  are  from  eighty  to  eighty-eight  silver  lamps  of  consider- 
able size,  also  candlesticks,  and  especially  one  of  pure  gold, 
which  is  rather  large.  There  are  also  many  tablets  representing 
the  miracles  wrought  by  S.  Antonio  of  Padua.  The  town- 
hall  and  the  other  public  buildings  are  old-fashioned.  On  the 
evening  of  April  18  I  sailed  from  Padua  to  Venice. 

April  19.  I  arrived  in  Venice  in  a  barque  from  Padua; 
and  visited  the  two  large  squares  [Piazza  and  Plazetta],  where 
the  houses  of  parliament  and  of  justice  are,  and  where  the 
procurators*  live;  the  mint;  the  church  of  St.  Mark;  the 
church  of  the  Jesuits,  which  is  of  more  recent  architecture, 
[it  was  built  from  1715  to  1730;]  the  church  of  S.  Maria 
della  Salute. 

April  20.  I  witnessed  the  festive  return  of  the  ambassador 
of  Venice,  when  most  people  wore  masks.  He  was  received 
in  the  church  of  the  Franciscans,  far  out  of  town,  by  the 
senators,  who,  arrayed  in  red  cloaks,  had  gone  to  meet  him 
there  to  the  number  of  forty  or  fifty  in  company  with  the 
former  Venetian  ambassador;  there  were  firing  of  cannon, 
an  illumination  on  the  water,  and  a  ball. 

[May]  15.  I  was  present  at  the  festival  which  they  usually 
celebrate  on  Ascension-day;  I  joined  them  in  their  expedition 
and  saw  how  the  sea  was  consecrated.  The  masks  continued 
for  a  fortnight.  I  was  also  at  the  opera.  Every  Saturday 
there  is  music  in  the  CJiiostro  incurahile  ed  xnetd.  I  had 
lodgings  near  the  Rialto  bridge  in  the  town.  I  was  in  company 
with  Mr.  Eirencrantz. 

August  9.  After  finishing  my  work  I  left  Venice  for  Padua, 
and  travelled  thence  to  Vicenza  and  Verona,  where  I  inspected 
again  the  great  amphitheatre ;  they  have  a  play  there  now. 
I  saw  also  the  opera-house,  and  all  the  antiquities  in  the 
neighbourhood.  The  opera-house  has  nine  entrances,  thirty- 
two  rooms,  etc. 

August  14.  I  arrived  at  Mantua,  which  has  few  inhabitants, 
and  where  there  is  very  little  to  be   seen.     The   only  objects 

*  The  procurators  were  the  most  powerful  officials  of  the  Venetian 
republic. 


Doc.  206.]      S  WEDENB ORG 'S  TEA  VELS  IN  1 738.  Ill 

of  importance  are  the  fortifications;  the  town  is  also  fortified 
by  nature  on  all  sides,  for  it  is  surrounded  by  a  morass, 
1200  paces  wide.  It  has  two  or  three  stone  bridges;  the  water 
is  higher  on  one  side  than  on  the  other. 

August  21.  I  Avent  by  barque  to  Ferrara,  Avhich  belongs 
to  the  chair  of  St.  Peter;  it  is  a  handsome  town  and  has  large, 
wide  streets;  the  cathedral  is  fine.  In  the  church  of  S.  Maria 
del  vado  are  very  fine  paintings;  the  remaining  churches  were 
passable.  Afterwards  I  was  in  the  palace  of  Baron  Cerveles, 
which  is  superb  and  well  kept;  there  are  rooms  with  mirrors, 
and  others  decorated  with  pictures,  &c.;  also  a  fine  silver 
service.  In  Ferrara  the  pope  has  a  cardinal;  an  abbe  is 
placed  over  the  militia,  etc. 

August  23.  I  arrived  in  Bologna.  I  was  in  the  cathedral, 
and  also  in  the  monastery  and  church  of  the  Dominicans, 
where  St.  Dominic  died;  his  tomb,  head,  etc.  are  shown;  in 
the  church  there  are  paintings  of  the  best  masters.  In  the  town 
are  many  handsome  palaces. 

August  24.  I  was  present  at  their  annual  festival,  which 
assumed  the  form  of  an  entertainment,  when  there  was  thrown 
to  the  people  a  large  quantity  of  chickens,  pigeons,  geese, 
turkeys,  and  afterwards  sheep;  lastly  Cardinal  Spinola  and 
two  other  persons  distributed  peacocks,  then  money,  and  finally 
purses.  In  the  museum  everything  is  in  perfect  order,  and 
they  have  a  complete  collection  in  all  the  arts  and  sciences; 
in  sculpture,  painting,  chemistry,  physics,  and  astronomy.  There 
are  two  cardinals  in  the  town,  and  fifty  governors,  who  are 
drawn  by  lot  every  two  months.  I  saw  the  Bologna  Stone,* 
which  is  obtained  on  a  mountain  two  or  three  miles  [leagues] 
from  the  town.  I  went  some  distance  out  of  town  to  a 
monastery  of  the  white  Benedictines,  which  is  large  and  costly.-f 

*  The  Bologna  Stone  is  a  radiated  sulphate  of  barytes,  found  in  roundish 
masses,  composed  of  radiating  fibres,  first  discovered  near  Bologna.  It  is 
phosphorescent  when  calcined. 

f  S.  Michelc  in  bosco  is  situated  on  an  eminence  about  a  quarter  of 
an  hour's  walk  from  the  town  southwards.  It  belonged  to  a  fraternity  of 
the  Benedictines  called  Olivctans,  after  the  monastery  on  the  Monte  Oli- 
veto  near  Florence,  with  which  they  were  affihated.  The  monastery  was 
abolished  in  1797,  and  changed  into  barracks. 


112       SWEDENBORG'S  TEA VELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  206. 

August  28.  I  arrived  in  Florence.  The  road  between 
Bologna  and  Florence  lies  among  the  mountains.  It  is  one 
of  the  finest  towns,  containing  many  beautiful  palaces,  and 
magnificent  paintings,  sculptures,  and  other  rare  objects.  The 
church  called  S.  Maria  del  fiore  has  a  dome  which  is  of 
marble  on  the  outside  and  cost  18  millions  [of  francs].  Close 
by  is  the  Church  of  S.  Giovanni  Battista  [il  Battisterio],  where 
are  sculptures  in  marble,  and  statues  in  bronze.  In  S.  Giovannino 
[degli  Scolopi]  are  beautiful  pictures,  as  well  as  in  S.  Spirito, 
in  S.  Felice  in  the  piazza,  and  in  many  others.  In  the  Galleria 
[degli  Uffizi]  are  the  most  magnificent  objects  in  Europe,  rarities 
old  and  new,  precious  stones,  mosaics,  &c.,  which  it  is  impossible 
to  describe.  The  principal  statue  of  Venus  is  there,  amid 
many  others.  In  the  chapel*  where  the  Dukes  [dei  Medici] 
are  buried,  may  be  seen  the  most  splendid  art,  all  kinds  of  choice 
stones  and  mausolea;  it  is  not  yet  finished.  In  the  Palazzo 
Pitti  where  the  Prince-j-  resides  were  most  beautiful  paintings 
by  the  best  masters,  and  in  a  room  below  a  magnetic  stone 
two  ells  long,  two  ells  broad,  and  an  ell  and  a  half  high.  I 
was  in  the  garden,  called  Boboli,  where  there  are  likewise 
many  statues,  and  which  abounds  in  cypresses:  there  too  is 
an  amphitheatre.  In  S.  Marco,  which  is  a  monastery,  are 
beautifully  inlaid  stones,  and  enamelled  work;  a  chemical 
laboratory  is  also  there.  The  Library  of  S.  Lorenzo  [Biblioteca 
Laurenziana]  consists  entirely  of  old  books  dating  two  hundred 
years  back.  The  Library  of  Magliabecchi  [Biblioteca  Maglia- 
becchiana]  is  large;  it  is  arranged  alphabetically.  The  arsenal 
is  not  large. 

August  31.  We  were  out  of  the  town  to  the  Villa  Imperials 
[Villa  Poggio  Imperiale],  where  is  a  handsome  avenue  of 
cypress  and  laurel  trees,  and  a  most  magnificent  gallery  of 
paintings  by  the  best  masters,  mosaics,  statues,  especially 
beautiful  Greek  statues,  etc.;:}:  likewise  an  orangery,  a  grotto, 
and  fountains.     Afterwards   I  was   in   the   fine   monastery   of 

*  The  tombs  of  the  Medici  are  in  the  Church  of  S.  Lorenzo. 

■f  John  Gasto,  the  last  Duke  of  the  house  of  Medici,  died  in  July  1737, 
when  he  was  succeeded  by  Duke  Francis  Stephen  of  Lorraine,  who  had 
been  appointed  his  successor  by  the  Vienna  treaty  of  1735. 

I  The  art-treasures  were  removed  from  the  Villa  in  1860. 


I! 


Doc.  200.]       SWEDEXBORG'S  TBA  VELS  IX  1739.  129 

February  24.  I  saw  the  Grand-Duke,  the  Duchess,  and  her 
brother  in  the  park;  I  was  there  two  hours. 

In  Siena  there  is  a  handsome  cathedral  of  marble,  in  which 
are  twelve  [two?]  very  fine  statues  by  Bernini,  etc.,  some  paint- 
ings, and  a  beautifully  inlaid  floor;  another  church  [St.  John 
the  Baptist's]  is  under  the  building. 

February  27.  I  left  Florence  for  Leghorn,  where  great 
preparations  were  being  made  for  the  reception  of  the  Grand- 
Duke.*     1  arrived  there  on  the  28th. 

March  5.  There  was  an  extraordinarily  fine  illumination 
with  lamps  upon  the  churches  and  houses;  a  pyramid  with 
nine  statues  was  erected  in  the  market  place;  two  fountains 
were  there  sending  forth  wine.  The  lamps  were  set  in  beautiful 
order.    They  shone  finest  when  the  figures  were  not  intricate,  as 

these:    -\UlI/^       -^R"     l— J    etc.;  more  than  half  the  surface 

of  the  water  was  illuminated  by  red,  yellow,  and  white  lamps. 
On  March  6th  they  had  a  pyrotechnical  display  at  consider- 
able expense,  but  it  was  not  marked  by  much  ingenuity;  the 
only  noticeable  piece  was  a  coat-of-arms  in  blue  flame  on  a 
black  back-ground.  On  the  7th  there  was  a  "Togana,"  when 
provisions  placed  on  obelisks  (pel  ohelislis),  to  the  value  of 
10,000  rix-dalers,  were  given  to  the  people.  On  the  8th  they 
had  horse  races;  on  the  9th  racing  in  chariots;  and  on  the  14th 
pugilistic  matches,  for  which  handsome  prizes  were  appointed. 

March  14.  I  left  Leghorn  for  Genoa  in  a  felucca;  on  the 
way  we  were  in  great  fear  of  the  Algerines. 

March  17.  I  arrived  in  Genoa;  it  has  a  beautiful  harbour, 
splendid  palaces  of  Balbi  [-Piovera],  Negro,  Doria,  and  others. 
I  saw  the  government  building  (radlmset)  and  also  handsome 
paintings,  where  I  found  more  living  persons  represented  than 
I  had  seen  before ;  likewise  [the  monument  of]  Columbus,  who 
was  a  Genoese.  I  saw  the  doge,  who  is  always  in  red  down 
to  the  very  shoes;  for  two  years  he  is  not  allowed  to  go  out 
[of  the  town].  I  noticed  how  they  voted.  There  are  about 
eight  hundred  nobles,  all  clothed  in   black   with  small  caps; 

*  Duke  Francis  Stephen   of  Lorraine,    who    on   the  extinction  of  the 
line  of  the  Dukes  of  Medici,  ascended  the  Tuscan  throne  in  1737. 

9 


130      SWEDENBORG'S  TRAVELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  206. 

they  have  flat  noses  and  countenances.  I  visited  a  magnificent 
garden  [Villa  Pallavicini?].  It  is  to  be  observed  that  in  the 
middle  of  March  everything  was  here  in  bloom;  oranges  and 
lemons  were  ripe;  olives  were  being  removed  from  the  trees, 
this  being  the  time  when  they  are  gathered, 

[Here  ends  Swedenborg's  description  of  his  journey  from 
1736  to  1739,  as  contained  in  Codex  88,  pp.  504  to  542.  A 
continuation  of  the  journal  is  promised  on  p.  737,  but  the 
leaves  containing  pages  730  to  745  have  unfortunately  been  re- 
moved from  the  book.  In  the  description  of  the  Swedenborg 
manuscripts  made  by  his  heirs  in  1772,  and  printed  in  1801, 
the  following  account  of  the  missing  pages  is  given:  "On 
pages  730  to  733  and  741  to  745  is  contained  a  description  of 
some  of  Swedenborg's  dreams  in  1736,  1737,  1738,  1739,  and 
1740;"  and  in  a  footnote  the  following  information  is  added: 
"These  leaves  were  taken  out  of  the  volume  into  the  safe  keep- 
ing of  the  family  itself."  As  the  continuation  of  the  journal 
of  travel  is  promised  on  page  737,  and  the  dreams  are  continued 
on  p.  741,  it  appears  that  the  missing  portion  of  'the  journal 
amounts  to  two  leaves  only,  and  these  leaves  are  now  probably 
with  those  containing  Swedenborg's  dreams  for  the  years  above- 
named,  which  are  still,  it  is  hoped,  in  the  possession  of  some 
member  of  the  Swedenborg  family. 

From  Document  124  it  appears  that  about  May  14,  1739, 
Swedenborg  returned  safely  to  Paris;  between  that  time  and 
November  3,  1740,  when  he  reported  himself  again  for  duty 
at  the  College  of  Mines,  (see  Document  163)  he  published  in 
Amsterdam  his  treatise  entitled:  (Economia  Regni  Animalis. 
On  the  cover  of  Codex  88  the  following  words  are  written: 
"I  finished  writing  my  work  on  December  27,  1739,  exactly  at 
twelve  o'clock"  (see  Vol.  II  of  Swedenborg's  photo-lithographed 
MSS.,  p.  141).] 


DOCUMENT  207. 

SAVEDENBORG'S  JOURNAL  OF  TRAVEL 
IN  1743.* 

July  21.  I  left  Stockholm,  and  arrived  at  Ystad  on  the 
27th,  after  having  passed  the  towns  of  Tolje,  Nykoping,  Norr- 
lc(ii)iug,  Linkoping,  Grenna,  and  Jonkoping.  At  Ystad  I  met 
the  Countess  De  la  Gardie^*^"  with  two  of  her  daughters,  also 
the  two  counts,  her  sons,  and  Count  Fersen,^^^  Major  Lantings- 
hausen,^''-  and  Magister  Klingenberg. 

July  31.  General  Stentiycht-{-  arrived  with  his  son  and 
Captain  Schachta.  On  account  of  contrary  winds  we  could 
not  sail  until  August  5.  I  travelled  in  company  with  General 
{StenHycht.     On  August  6  we  arrived  at  Stralsund. 

August  7.  Early  in  the  morning  we  entered  Stralsund. 
The  Countess  and  the  General  left  the  same  day.  I  looked 
again  at  the  fortifications  of  Stralsund  from  the  Badenthor,  as 
well  as  from  the  Franken,  Triebseer,  and  Knieper-thor  [see 
Document  205,  p.  9].  I  visited  also  the  house  where  King 
Charles  XII  had  lodged,  the  Meierfeld  Palace,  and  the  churches 
of  St.  Nicholas,  St.  James  (which  was  reduced  to  ruins  during 
the  siege),  and  St.  Mary.  I  visited  Colonel  Schwerin,^'^^  the 
commandant,  the  Acting  Bishop  (Superintendent)  Loper,  and 
Postmaster  Crivits.     In  St.  Nicholas'   church  I  was  shown  a 

*  The  Swedish  original  of  tliis  document  is  contained  in  Swedenborg's 
private  note-book  of  the  years  1743  and  1744,  which  is  preserved  in  the 
Royal  Library  in  Stockholm,  and  the  contents  of  which  were  published  in 
1859  by  Mr.  G.  E.  Klemming,  the  Royal  Librarian,  under  the  title  of 
"Swedenborg's  Drommar."  A  more  detailed  account  of  this  work  will  bo 
given  in  the  Introduction  to  Document  208.  "With  regard  to  the  genuincuesa 
of  the  original  see  Note  149. 

f  Concerning  General  Stenflycht  see  footnote  on  p.  92. 

9* 


132       SWEDENBORG'S  TEA  VELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  207. 

clock  which  was  struck  by  lightning  in  1670,  1683,  1688, 
exactly  at  6  o'clock,  as  marked  by  the  hand.  Afterwards  I 
examined  the  new  fortifications  outside  the  Knieperthor.  I 
met  Carl  Jesper  Benzelius.^^*  I  examined  the  works  by  which 
the  town  is  supplied  with  water;  they  consist  of  two  Archi- 
medean screws  (slanggdngar). 

August  9.  After  leaving  Stralsund  I  passed  through 
Dammgarten.  In  the  Mecklenburg  territory  I  passed  E,ibnitz 
in  coming  to  Rostock,  where  I  examined  eight  churches,  five 
larger  and  three  smaller  ones,  and  also  a  convent;  the  ladies 
were,  however,  at  liberty. 

Thence  I  journeyed  to  Wismar,  where  there  are  six  churches; 
the  best  among  them  are  St.  Mary's  and  St.  George's. 

August  11.  After  leaving  Wismar  I  visited  Gadebusch, 
where  a  battle  was  fought  between  the  Swedes  and  the  Danes, 
and  then  came  to  Ratzeburg,  which  is  surrounded  by  a  morass* 
which  we  crossed  by  a  long  bridge. 

August  12.  I  arrived  at  Hamburg  and  took  lodgings  at 
the  Kaisershof,  where  the  Countess  De  la  Gardie^^^  likewise 
stayed.  I  met  Baron  Hamilton,^^^  Reuterholm,!'^^  Trievald/" 
K6nig,-J-  Assessor  Awermann,  and  was  presented  to  Prince 
Augustus,^^^  the  brother  of  His  Majesty,  who  spoke  Swedish; 
afterwards  I  was  presented  by  Lesch,  the  marshal  in  chief,  to 
His  Royal  Highness  Adolphus  Frederic  ;^^®  I  submitted  to  him 
the  contents  [of  the  book],:j:  which  I  am  about  to  have  printed, 
and  showed  him  the  reviews  of  the  former  [work].§ 

August  17.  I  left  Hamburg,  and,  after  crossing  the  Elbe, 
came  to  Buxtehude.  I  there  saw,  to  the  extent  of  a  [German] 
mile,  the  most  charming  country  I  have  yet  seen  in  Germany, 
having  passed  through  a  continuous  orchard  of  apple-,  pear-, 
plum-,  walnut-,  chestnut-trees,  limes,  and  elms, 

August  18.  I  came  to  Bremen,  which  has  good  ramparts 
and    suburbs;    the    best   is   the   Neustadt.     Near    the   bridge 

*  Now  a  lake. 

f  Concerning  Agent  Konig  see  footnote  on  p.  82. 

%  The  book  here  indicated  is  the  Regnum  Animale,  which  Swedenborg 
was  about  to  pubhsh  at  the  Hague. 

§  The  former  work  to  which  Swedenborg  here  aUudes  is  his  (Economia 
Begni  Animalis,  wliich  he  bad  pubhshed  in  two  vohimes  in  Amsterdam  in  1740. 


Doc.  207.]      SWEDEXBORG'S  TEA  VELS  IN  1743.  133 

leading  to  it  are  eleven  river-mills  lying  close  to  one  another. 
]  examined  the  Town-Hall  in  the  market-place,  and  the  great 
Koland  [statue],  which  is  the  sign  of  a  free  town;  afterwards 
the  Church  of  St.  Nicholas,  the  Cathedral,  and  the  Hospital. 
There  are  also  some  statues  in  the  town. 

August  20.  I  left  Bremen  for  Leer,  passing  through 
Oldenburg,  wliich  is  an  earldom  belonging  to  the  King  of 
Denmark.  Leer  has  good  ramparts,  with  sufficient  water  in 
the  moats.  I  likewise  passed  through  Neuschanz.  Near  Leer 
is  a  fortification  called  Leerort,  belonging  to  Holland.  I 
journeyed  thence  to  Groningen,  which  is  a  large  town  under 
the  Prince  of  Orange.  In  Leeuwarden  I  saw  his  palace,  and 
the  one  used  by  his  mother,  wliich  is  called  the  Princess's 
palace;  likewise  the  Town-Hall  and  several  other  buildings. 
We  arrived  there  by  canal-boat. 

There  are  two  roads  from  Groningen,  one  by  Harlingen, 
and  the  other  by  Lemmer.  The  former  place  can  also  be 
reached  by  canal-boat,  the  latter,  only  by  carriage;  we  chose 
the  road  to  Harlingen  through  Leeuwarden. 

From  Harlingen  wliich  is  a  large  town  — 

[Here  the  manuscript  abruptly  breaks  off.  The  Swedish 
editor  adds,  "It  is  impossible  to  say  whether  the  continuation 
was  written  or  not,  for  the  word  "stad"  (town)  is  at  the 
bottom  of  page  6 ;  this  is  followed  by  several  blank  pages ;  but 
it  is  certainly  true  that  some  pages  (perhaps  four)  have  been 
torn  out.  On  the  remnants  of  two  of  the  pages  which  have  been 
cut  out  large  numerals,  written  by  an  unskilled  (perhaps  a 
child's)  hand,  are  visible." 

Swedenborg's  only  object  in  making  this  journey  (as  we 
learn  from  Document  164,  B)  was  to  print  his  Begnum  Animale 
at  the  Hague;  volumes  I  and  II  of  that  work  were  printed 
there.  The  Swedish  editor  was,  therefore,  quite  right  in 
making  the  following  additional  remarks  in  a  note:  "Whether 
the  continuation  of  this  joui-nal  of  travel  was  written  or  not 
is  uncertain:  if  it  was,  it  could  not  have  been  very  long;  as 
the  journey  from  Harlingen  to  the  Hague  was  all  that  was 
left  for  him  to  describe."] 


DOCUMENT  208. 

SWEDENBOEG'S  SPIRITUAL  EXPERIENCE 
m  1743. 

INTROBVCTION. 

The  contents  of  the  Note  Book,  from  which  Documents 
207-209  are  taken,  were  pubUshed  in  Stockholm,  in  1859, 
by  Mr.  G.  E.  Klemming,  the  Royal  Librarian,  under  the 
following  title:  "Swedenborg's  Drommar,  1744,  jemte  andra 
bans  anteckningar"  (Swedenborg's  Dreams,  1744,  with  some 
other  memoranda  from  liis  hand).  This  publication  he  de- 
dicated to  Prof.  J.  F.  I.  Tafel,  of  Tubingen,  and  Dr.  J.  J, 
G.  Wilkinson,  of  London.  In  the  preface  he  gives  the  follow- 
ing account  of  the  note-book: 

"A  short  time  ago  (October,  1858)  the  Royal  Library  ac- 
quired by  purchase  the  original  manuscript  which  furnishes 
the  greater  part  of  the  contents  of  this  publication.  For  a 
long  time  it  had  been  in  the  keeping  of  R.  Scheringsson, 
professor  and  lector  at  Westeras,  who  died  in  1849  in  his 
ninetieth  year;  and  it  lay  forgotten  among  his  literary  possessions 
for  nearly  ten  years  more,  when  it  was  offered  for  sale  to  the 
Royal  Library.  It  was  not  possible  to  learn  more  of  its 
history. 

"The  manuscript  is  an  ordinary  pocket-book  in  small  octavo, 
and  bound  in  parchment  with  a  tuck,  having  pockets  on  each 
side,  according  to  the  custom  of  the  last  century.  It  contains 
sixty-nine  leaves,  some,  which  probably  were  blank,  having 
been  torn  out;  and  only  fifty-four  of  these  leaves,  or  to  state 
it  more  accurately,  a  hundred  and  four  pages,  contain  writing. 
The  first  leaves  are  taken  up  with  the  notes  which  Sweden- 


Doc.  208  ]  HIS  SPIRITUAL  EXPERIENCE  IN  1743.  1 35 

borg  made  in  1743  of  his  journey  to  the  Hague  [Document  207], 
■where  he  had  gone  to  begin  the  printing  of  the  Regnum  Anhnale 
and  to  write  out  its  continuation.  The  notes  of  his  journey 
were,  however,  abruptly  broken  off,  and  they  are  succeeded 
by  short  statements  about  dreams  and  visions,  with  which  are 
interwoven  various  facts  concerning  his  outward  life.  As  these 
notes  embrace  the  critical  period  of  Swedenborg's  life,  when 
he  passed  from  Avorklly  to  spiritual  things,  they  are  of  great 
importance,  since  they  enable  us  to  judge  of  his  mental  state, 
which  they  present  as  in  a  highly  excited  condition,  and  enable 
us  to  regard  it  more  profoundly,  than  was  previously  possible. 
The  editor,  however,  acts  altogether  in  the  capacity  of  a  student 
of  the  history  of  literature,  and  limits  himself  to  a  simple 
communication  of  the  document  in  the  original  form  in  which 
he  found  it.  Certain  conclusions  will  naturally  present  them- 
selves to  the  thoughtful  reader;  and,  besides,  commentators 
will  probably  not  be  found  wanting. 

"With  respect  to  the  mode  in  which  these  notes  are 
published,  the  editor  has  perhaps  gone  too  far  in  the  matter 
of  accuracy,  by  marking  wdth  italics  the  many  words  w^hich 
were  not  finished  or  where  single  letters  or  portions  of  words 
are  indicated  by  mere  final  flourishes.  Yet  in  dealing  with  a 
manuscript  which  was  penned  with  so  little  care,  that  the 
writing  is  in  many  parts  almost  illegible  and  the  meaning  of- 
ten doul)tful,  he  preferred  to  expose  himself  to  this  charge, 
rather  than  to  the  opposite  one  of  carelessness;  especially  as 
by  doing  so  he  would  remove  every  ground  of  suspicion  that 
he  had  intentionally  falsified  any  statement.  Words  and 
letters  which  were  entirely  left  out  in  the  original  are  put  in 
brackets;  likewise  explanations  of  words  incorrectly  written. 
Entire  words  and  sentences  printed  in  italics  are  underscored 
in  the  original.  As  a  proof  of  the  authenticity  and  genuineness 
of  the  printed  copy,  the  editor  refers  to  the  photographic 
reproduction  of  p.  57,  at  the  end  of  the  volume,  and  to  the 
certificate  of  Mr.  F.  A.  Dahlgren  of  the  State  Archives,  our 
distinguished  reader  of  manuscripts,  who  kindly  assisted  in 
reading  the  proof-sheets,  and  shrewdly  suggested  the  reading 
of  many  of  the  more  difficult  words."  The  certificate  of 
Mr.  Dahlffren  in  which   he  testifies  to  the  faithfulness  of  the 


136       S  WEDENB ORG'S  TEA  VELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  208. 

printed  copy,  is  dated  Stockholm,  June  4,  1859.  Such  is  the 
outward  account  of  this  important  manuscript. 

At  the  expense  of  one  of  the  friends  of  the  Swedenborg 
Society,  an  English  translation  of  the  Swedish  original  was 
prepared  by  Dr.  J.  J.  Garth  Wilkinson,  shortly  after  one  of  the 
ninety-nine  copies  which  had  been  printed  by  the  Swedish  editor 
arrived  in  London.  Of  this  translation,  which  was  deposited 
in  the  archives  of  the  Society,  a  copy  was  taken  without 
authority,  we  understand,  and  sent  to  the  editor  of  the  "Dawn: 
a  Journal  of  social  and  religious  progress,"  (published  in  1861 
and  1862);  and  the  whole  of  the  translation  with  the  exception 
of  nos.  190-192,  and  a  few  shorter  paragraphs,  appeared  subse- 
quently in  the  pages  of  that  journal.  With  this  translation, 
as  contained  in  the  "Dawn,"  our  own  translation  which  was 
prepared  immediately  from  the  Swedish  original,  has  been 
carefully  collated.  That  the  translation  in  question,  although 
furnished  with  notes  by  Baron  Holmfeld,  was  not  prepared 
specially  for  the  "Dawn,"  but  was  simply  a  transcript  made 
from  an  existing  copy,  appears  very  plainly  from  the  fact 
that  the  copyist  three  times  in  succession  mistook  a  capital 
L  for  a  capital  S;  as  appears  from  p.  41  of  the  "Dawn," 
where  instead  of  "Major  Lantingshausen,  Superintendent  Loper, 
Grand  Marshal  Lesch,"  we  read  "Major  Sandstishusen,  Super- 
intendent Soper,  Grand  Marshal  Sesch."  As  the  original 
translation  has  disappeared  from  the  archives  of  the  Sweden- 
borg Society,  we  were  unable  to  make  any  further  comparison. 

The  question  of  the  genuineness  of  the  original  document 
will  be  found  fully  discussed,  and  settled  in  the  affirmative,  in 
Note  149,  appended  to  this  volume,  to  which  we  refer  the 
reader;  we  shall,  therefore,  in  this  introduction  limit  ourselves 
to  determining  the  place  which  the  spiritual  experiences 
recorded  in  Documents  208  and  209  occupy  in  the  development 
of  Swedenborg's  character,  and  in  his  preparation  for  his 
mission. 

Our  next  object,  therefore,  will  be  to  present  to  the  reader 
a  clear  outline  of  the  mental  and  bodily  states  through 
which  Swedenborg  passed  both  before  and  after  the  ex- 
periences described  in  the  following  pages;  and  in  doing  so 
we  shall  strive  to    confine   ourselves  as  much  as  possible  to 


Doc.  208.]    HIS  SPIRITUAL  EXPERIENCE  IN  1743.  137 

Swedenborg's  o\vn  words.  For  in  order  to  do  justice  to  an 
author,  and  to  understand  him  truly,  he  must  be  studied 
objectively,  i.  e.  he  must  be  allowed  to  explain  himself;  and 
the  reader  and  the  commentator  must  endeavour  to  emancipate 
themselves  from  their  own  subjective  states,  i.  e.  from  pre- 
judice and  all  prc-concoivcd  ideas. 

The  aim  of  Swedenborg's  life,  and  thus  the  purpose  of  the 
experiences  recorded  in  the  following  pages,  are  stated  by  him 
in  his  work  entitled  the  "True  Christian  Religion"  in  these 
words : 

"The  Lord's  Second  Advent  is  made  by  a  man  before  whom 
He  has  manifested  Himself  in  person,  and  whom  He  has  filled 
with  His  Spirit  to  teach  the  doctrines  of  the  New  Church  by 
the  Word  from  Himself.  This  is  meant  in  the  Apocalypse  by 
the  New  Heaven  and  the  New  Earth,  and  the  New  Jerusalem 
descending  thence"  (see  headings  to  nos.  779  and  781). 

That  he  himself  is  the  man  by  whose  instrumentality  the 
Lord  would  effect  His  Second  Coming,  is  declared  by  Sweden- 
borg  in  the  following  passage:  "As  the  Lord  cannot  [now] 
manifest  Himself  in  person,  and  yet  foretold  that  He  would 
come  again,  and  establish  a  New  Church,  which  is  the 
New  Jerusalem,  it  follows  that  He  would  do  this  by  a  man, 
who  could  not  only  receive  the  doctrines  of  that  church  in 
his  understanding,  but  also  publish  them  by  the  press.  I 
testify  in  truth  that  the  Lord  manifested  Himself  before  me, 
His  servant;  that  He  commissioned  me  to  do  this  work,  and 
afterwards  opened  the  sight  of  my  spirit,  and  so  let  me  into 
the  spiritual  world,  permitting  me  to  see  the  heavens  and  the 
hells,  and  also  to  converse  with  angels  and  spirits,  and  this 
now  continually  for  many  years;  and,  likewise,  that  from  the 
first  day  of  my  call  to  this  office,  I  have  never  received  any 
thing  relating  to  the  doctrines  of  that  church  from  any  angel, 
but  from  the  Lord  alone  while  I  was  reading  the  Word" 
(no.  779). 

The  necessity  of  a  long  preparation  for  this  work  he  states 
in  no.  850,  in  these  words:  "[On  the  question],  Why  did  the 
Lord  reveal  the  long  list  of  arcana,  which  thou  hast  just 
enumerated,  to  thee  who  art  a  layman,  and  not  to  one  of  the 
clergy?     I  replied,  that  this  was  in  the  good  pleasure  of  the 


138       .S WEDEXB ORG'S  TBA  VELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  208. 

Lord,  tvho  liacl  ineimred  me  for  this  office  from  my  '^arliest 
youth;  but  [I  added]  let  me  in  turn  ask  you  a  question: 
Why  did  the  Lord  when  He  was  on  earth  choose  fishermen 
for  His  disciples,  and  not  some  of  the  lawyers,  scribes,  priests, 
or  rabbis?  Consider  this  subject  well,  draw  your  conclusions 
correctly,  and  you  will  discover  the  reason." 

This  question  Swedenborg  himself  answered  in  another  place 
("Intercourse  between  the  Soul  and  the  Body,"  no.  20)  in 
this  manner:  "I  Avas  once  asked  how  I  from  being  a  philosopher 
had  become  a  theologian.  I  replied,  'In  the  same  way  in 
which  fishermen  had  been  made  disciples  and  apostles  by  the 
Lord;  and  that  I  also  from  my  earliest  youth  had  been  a 
spiritual  fisherman.'  When  asked  what  was  meant  by  a 
spiritual  fisherman,  I  replied  that  by  a  fisherman  in  the 
spiritual  sense  is  meant  a  person  who  investigates  and  teaches 
natural  truths,  and  afterwards  spiritual  truths  in  a  rational 
manner.  To  the  question,  how  this  was  proved,  I  answered, 
'By  these  passages  of  Scripture,'  quoting  Isa.  xix.  5,  8; 
Ezek.  xlvii.  9,  10;  Jer.  xvi.  6;  from  which  it  appears  why 
the  Lord  elected  fishermen  for  His  discij)les  and  said  to 
them,  'Follow  me,  and  I  will  make  you  fishers  of  men' 
(Matt.  iv.  18,  19;  Mark  i.  16,  17),  and  why  He  said  to 
Peter  after  he  had  caught  many  fishes,  'From  henceforth  thou 
shalt  catch  men'  (Luke  vi.  9,  10).  Afterwards  I  explained 
the  origin  of  this  meaning  of  fishermen  from  the  'Apocalypse 
Revealed,'  where  it  is  shown  that  natural  truths  are  signified 
by  water  (nos.  50,  932),  and  also  by  a  river  (nos.  409,  932); 
further,  that  by  a  fish  are  signified  those  who  are  in  natural 
truths  (no.  405),  and  hence  by  a  fisherman,  those  who  investi- 
gate and  teach  truths." 

That  a  thorough  understanding  of  natural  truths  was  one 
of  the  chief  means  by  which  Swedenborg  was  prepared  by  the 
Lord  for  his  sacred  office  is  clearly  stated  by  him  in  the 
following  passages: 

"What  the  acts  of  my  life  involved,  I  could  not  distinguish 
at  the  time  they  happened,  but  by  the  Divine  mercy  of  God- 
Messiah  I  was  afterwards  informed  with  regard  to  some,  even 
many,  particulars^.  From  these  I  was  at  last  able  to  see  that 
the  Divine  Providence   governed  the   acts   of  my  life  uninter- 


Doc.  208.]      HIS  SPIRITUAL  EXPERIENCE  IN  1743.  1 39 

rupteclly  from  my  very  youth,  and  directed  tliem  in  such  a 
manner,  that  hi/  means  of  the  knowledge  of  natural  things  I 
was  etiahled  to  reach  a  state  of  intelligence,  and  thus  by  the 
Divine  mercy  of  God-Messiah,  to  serve  as  an  instrument  lor 
opening  those  things  which  are  hidden  interiorly  in  the  Word 
of  God-Messiah.  Those  things,  therefore,  are  now  made  mani- 
fest, which  hitherto  were  not  manifest."  (Adversaria,  Part  II, 
no.  839). 

In  a  letter  addressed  in  1766  to  Prelate  ffitinger  Sweden- 
borg  specifies  the  time  within  which  he  was  thus  prepared. 
He  says:  "I  was  introduced  by  the  Lord  into  the  natural 
sciences,  and  thus  prepared,  and  indeed  from  the  year  1710 
to  1744,  when  heaven  was  opened  to  me."  From  this  passage 
we  learn  that  when  Swedcnborg  wrote  the  contents  of  his  note- 
book in  1743  and  1744,  the  preparation  for  his  work  "by  a 
study  of  the  natural  sciences"  was  at  an  end,  and  that  the 
time  was  api)roaching  when  he  was  to  enter  upon  that  "office," 
for  which  "he  had  been  prepared  by  the  Lord  from  His 
earliest  youth." 

We  see,  therefore,  that  Documents  208  and  209  cover  the 
ground  of  Swedenborg's  transition  period,  when  "from  a  philo- 
sopher he  was  made  a  theologian,"  and  when  the  veil  was 
removed,  and  "heaven  was  opened  to  him." 

The  following  particulars,  taken  from  Document  209,  throw 
additional  light  on  the  nature  of  Swedenborg's  office,  and  the 
preparation  he  underwent  for  the  work  he  had  to  perform. 

"I  perceived  that  I  had  received  a  talent  for  the  promotion 
of  God's  glory;  I  saw  that  all  had  worked  together  to  this 
end,  and  that  the  Spirit  had  been  with  me  from  my  youth 
for  this  very  purpose"  (no.  110,  April  22,  1744). 

That  the  time  had  approached  when  he  must  leave  the 
investigation  of  natural  things,  and  devote  himself  exclusively 
to  spiritual  things,  he  states  clearly  in  no.  126  (April  29): 
"All  this  rei)resents  that  I  must  employ  my  remaining  time 
in  writing  upon  higher  subjects,  and  not  upon  worldly  things, 
which  are  far  below;  indeed,  that  I  must  write  about  what 
concerns  the  very  centre  of  all,  and  what  concerns  Christ. 
May  God   be   so   gracious  as   to   enlighten  me  respecting  my 


140      S  WEDENBOBG'S  TEA  VELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  208. 

duty;    for  I  am  still    in  some  obscurity  as   to  the  direction 
whither  I  am  to  turn." 

That  Swedenborg's  philosophical  studies  were  one  of  the 
principal  means  by  which  he  was  prepared  for  the  perception 
of  spiritual  truths,  is  stated  in  Part  III  of  the  Begnuni 
Animcde,  which  he  was  then,  September  30,  1744,  seeing 
through  the  press:  "This  signified  that  what  I  had  written 
there  with  God's  help,  was  of  such  a  nature,  that  it  would  lead 
me  on  still  farther,  and  that  I  should  see  still  more  glorious 
things"  (no.  176). 

The  most  pointed  declaration,  however,  that  he  was  about 
to  be  changed  from  a  philosopher  into  a  theologian,  Sweden- 
borg  makes  in  no.  135,  where  he  says:  "Henceforth  speculation, 
which  has  hitherto  been  a  "posteriori,  will  be  changed  into  a 
priori ;"  in  other  words,  from  being  an  analytical  philosopher, 
he  is  about  to  become  a  theologian,  when  he  would  see  the 
truth  from  the  Lord  by  the  synthetic  method. 

Swedenborg's  preparation  for  his  office  consisted,  however, 
not  only  in  a  special  training  of  his  intellectual  faculties,  but 
also  in  a  peculiar  discipline  of  his  will  or  affectional  natui'e, 
as  appears  from  no.  195.  "This  was  a  prediction  that  the 
Lord  Himself  will  instruct  me,  as  soon  as  I  have  attained 
that  state  in  which  I  shall  know  nothing,  and  in  which  all  my 
preconceived  notions  will  be  removed,  which  is  the  first  state 
of  learning;  in  other  words,  that  I  must  first  become  a  child, 
and  that  then  I  shall  be  able  to  be  nurtured  in  knowledge, 
as  is  the  case  with  me  now." 

In  order,  therefore,  that  Swedenborg  might  be  instructed 
by  the  Lord,  he  had  to  become  childlike  and  innocent,  and 
thoroughly  humble  in  heart.  The  terrible  struggles  and  temp- 
tations wliich  he  had  to  undergo,  before  his  will  was  thoroughly 
subdued,  and  he  was  willing  to  act  as  a  mere  "instrument"  in 
the  hands  of  the  Lord  (nos.  167,  177),  he  minutely  describes 
in  Document  209,  from  beginning  to  end.  He  there  uncovers 
the  uncleanness  and  the  evils  which  were  to  be  removed  from 
him,  and  specifies  the  evils  to  which  he  is  particularly  inclined. 
But  in  the  end  he  becomes  thoroughly  humble  in  heart  (nos.  17, 
63,  69),  his  sins  are  forgiven  (nos.  90,  166),  the  Lord  removes 
from  him  "the  love   of  self  and  pride"  (no.  200);   and  he  is 


Doc.  208].     HIS  SPIll IT UJ  L  EXPERIENCE  IX  1743.  1 4 1 

finally  told  that  "his  looks  have  improved,  and  that  his 
appearance  is  like  tliat  of  an  angel"  (no.  196).* 

That  the  Lord  might  fill  this  man  with  His  spirit,  and 
enable  him  "to  teach  the  doctrines  of  the  New  Churcli  by  the 
Word  from  Himself,"  it  was  not  however  sufficient  that  "by 
means  of  the  knowledge  of  natural  things  he  should  reach  a 
state  of  intelligence,"  and  that  he  should  be  in  a  state  of  good; 
it  was  fui'ther  necessary  that  his  spii'itual  sight  should  be 
opened,  and  that  "he  should  associate  with  the  angels  of 
heaven."  This  he  clearly  states  in  the  following  i)assage: 
"This  internal  or  spiritual  sense,  and  the  arcana  of  the  state 
of  the  Church  in  the  heavens  and  on  the  earth,  which  are 
contained  in  that  sense,  cannot  be  revealed  to  any  one,  unless 
he  know  that  sense,  and  unless  it  be  granted  him  at  the  same 
time  to  have  consort  with  the  angels,  and  to  speak  spiritually 
uitli  them''''  ("Last  Judgment,"  no.  42.) 

Several  reasons  are  given  by  him  why  it  was  necessary  that 
his  spiritual  sight  should  be  opened.  He  says  in  the  "Arcana 
Coelestia,"  no.  67 :  "The  hidden  things  of  the  internal  sense  of  the 
AVord  can  never  be  known,  unless  the  nature  of  the  things  in 
the  other  world  be  made  known,  because  so  very  many  of  the 
things  contained  in  the  internal  sense  have  respect  to  them, 
and  describe  and  involve  them." 

This  reason  he  states  in  the  "Spiritual  Diary,"  no.  200  in 
these  words:  "There  are  many  things  in  the  Word  respecting 
God-Messiah,   as   well   in  the  Old  as  in  the  New  Testament, 


*  That  Swedenborg's  preparation  for  his  office  was  not  only  of  the 
understanding,  but  also  of  the  wiU,  and  that  he  was  regenerated  as  to  his 
will,  when  his  spiritual  sight  was  fully  opened  apj^ears  from  the  following 
passage  in  the  "Spiritual  Diary:"  "It  was  observed  and  instilled  into  my 
mind,  that  eveiything  that  a  man  has  done  in  the  life  of  the  body  returns 
in  the  otlior  life.  For  there  are  perjjetual  changes  of  state,  into  which  man 
is  introduced,  so  that  thei'e  is  not  a  single  state  of  the  life  of  the  body, 
which  does  not  return  in  the  other  hfe;  ccjnsoquently  hatreds  and  the  like, 
which  man  has  not  only  done,  but  also  thought.  *  *  *  But  it  is  to  be  ob- 
served that  with  the  e\il,  all  the  evils  which  they  have  done  and  thought 
return  in  a  most  vivid  manner;  while  with  thuse  who  are  in  good  and 
faith  such  is  not  the  case:  for  with  them  all  the  states  of  good,  of  fricndsliip, 
and  of  love  return  with  the  greatest  dehght  and  fehcity.  Experimental 
•proof  that  there  is  no  evil  icith  me"  (no.  4109). 


142       SWEDENBORG'S  TRAVELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  208. 

which  cannot  but  be  unintelligible;  the  reason,  however,  is 
that  the  character  of  the  men  living  at  the  present  time  has 
altogether  changed  from  that  of  the  men  who  lived  in  the 
Ancient  Church,  and  afterwards  in  the  Primitive  Christian 
Church.  If  the  men  of  modern  times  had  lived  in  those  times, 
they  might  have  known  these  things  well  from  experience  and 
from  inward  revelation;  yet  these  things  may  be  known  still 
better  from  the  state  of  the  spirits  and  human  souls  that  now 
till  the  lowest  sphere  of  heaven.  This  also  is  the  reason  I 
am  permitted  to  adduce  from  them  the  experience  of  things 
altogether  obliterated  in  these  days,  and  thus  to  remove  this 
state  of  ignorance." 

Again  he  says,  "In  order  that  the  True  Christian  Eeligion 
might  be  manifested,  it  was  absolutely  necessary  that  some 
one  should  be  introduced  into  the  spiritual  world,  and  receive 
from  the  Lord's  mouth  genuine  truths  from  the  Word.  For 
to  do  this  from  the  false  churches  which  exist  at  the  present 
day,  where  it  is  impossible  to  see  a  single  genuine  truth  from 
the  Word,  except  such  as  is  encompassed  with  and  steeped 
in  falsities  and  coheres  with  falsities,  would  be  like  attempting 
to  sail  to  the  Pleiades,  or  like  undertaking  to  dig  out  the 
gold  which  is  in  the  centre  of  the  earth"  {Livitatio  ad  Novam  • 
Ecdesiam,  no.  38). 

Let  us  now  see  what  is  meant,  in  the  case  of  Swedenborg, 
by  the  opening  of  the  sjjiritual  sight.  In  a  tract  on  wdiich  he 
was  engaged  a  short  time  before  his  death,  and  which  was 
printed  by  Dr.  Immanuel  Tafel  in  the  "Spiritual  Diary," 
Part  VII,  Appendix  I,  pages  168  and  169,  we  read  as 
follows:  "In  place  of  the  miracles  that  were  done  in  the 
Church  before  the  Lord's  Coming,  at  the  present  time  [i.  e. 
in  the  case  of  Swedenborg  himself]  there  has  been  a  mani- 
festation of  the  Lord  Himself,  an  introduction  into  the  spiritual 
world,  and  thereby  immediate  light  from  the  Lord,  illustration 
in  such  things  as  constitute  the  interiors  of  the  church,  but 
principally  an  opening  of  the  spiritual  sense  of  the  Word,  in 
which  the  Lord  is  in  His  Divine  light.  These  revelations  are 
not  miracles;  for  every  man  is  as  to  his  spirit  in  the  spiritual 
world,  yet  without  being  separated  from  his  body  in  the  natural 
world.     In  my  case,  hoivevcr,  there  is  a  certain  separation,  but 


Doc.  208.]      HIS  SPIRITUAL  EXPERIENCE  IN  1743.  H3 

only  as  to  the  intellectual  ])art  of  my  mind,  and  nut  as  to  dhj 
uill  imrt." 

The  opening  of  Swedenborg's  spiritual  sight  implied  there- 
fore a  si'iiaration  of  the  intellectual  'part  of  his  mind  from  the 
bodij.  How  this  separation  was  effected  shall  now  be  examined. 
In  the  "Arcana  Coelestia,"  no.  9281,  we  read:  "Man  has  an 
internal  and  an  external  respiration;  his  external  respiration 
is  from  the  world,  but  the  internal  from  heaven.  When  man 
dies,  external  respiration  ceases,  but  internal  respiration,  which 
is  tacit  and  imperceptible  during  the  life  in  the  body,  continues. 
This  respiration  is  altogether  according  to  the  affection  of 
tmth,  thus  according  to  the  life  of  one's  faith.  Those,  how- 
ever, who  are  in  no  faith,  which  is  the  case  with  those  in  hell, 
derive  their  respiration,  not  from  the  interior,  but  from  the 
exterior;  they  thus  breathe  in  a  contrary  way,  wherefore  on 
approaching  an  angelic  society  where  respiration  from  the 
interior  prevails,  they  begin  to  be  suffocated,  and  become  as 
if  dead;  they  therefore  cast  themselves  down  into  their  hell, 
where  they  again  receive  their  former  respiration  which  is 
opposed  to  the  respiration  of  heaven."  In  the  "Arcana  Coelestia," 
no.  805  we  read,  "The  man  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church  had  an 
internal  respiration,  thus  one  which  agreed  with,  and  was  similar 
to,  the  respiration  of  the  angels;  this  respiration  was  varied 
according  to  all  the  internal  states  of  man.  This  respiratio]i, 
however,  became  changed  in  course  of  time  among  their  posterity, 
until  finally  in  their  last  posterity  [before  the  flood]  after  every 
angelic  quality  had  been  destroyed,  they  could  no  longer 
breathe  with  the  angelic  heaven;  which  was  the  real  cause  of 
their  extinction.  After  these  times  internal  respiration  ceased, 
and  therehy  communication  luith  heaven;  and  external  respir- 
ation succeeded." 

From  this  it  follows  that  for  one  to  have  communication 
with  heaven,  and  have  his  spiritual  sight  opened,  he  has  to 
be  initiated  into  the  internal  respiration  of  the  angels.  On 
this  subject  Swedenborg  relates  with  reference  to  himself:  "I 
was  first  accustomed  to  this  [internal]  respiration  in  infancy 
while  saying  my  morning  and  evening  prayers,  and  also  some- 
times afterwards  while  examhiing  the  concordant  action  of  the 
heart  and  lungs,  and  especially  while  in  the  act  of  composing 


144      SWEDEXBORG'S  TEA  VELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  208. 

those  works  which  have  been  published.*  I  then  noticed  for 
several  years  that  there  was  a  tacit  respiration  which  is  scarcely 
perceptible;  about  this  it  was  also  granted  me  afterwards  to 
think  and  to  speak.  In  this  wise  I  was  introduced  from  my 
infancy  into  such  respiration,  especially  by  intense  speculations, 
in  which  [external]  respiration  is  quiescent:  for  otherwise  no 
intense  speculation  on  the  truth  is  possible.  Afterwards  also, 
when  heaven  had  been  opened  to  me,  so  that  I  could  speak 
with  spirits,  I  was  so  fully  introduced  into  this  respiration, 
that  for  the  space  of  almost  an  hour  I  did  not  draw  any 
breath:  there  was  only  so  much  air  inhaled  that  I  was  able 
to  think.  In  this  manner  I  was  introduced  by  the  Lord  into 
internal  respiration.  Perhaps  also  in  my  dreams;  for  I  noticed 
again  and  again  that  after  falling  asleep,  [external]  respiration 
was  almost  entirely  withdrawn  from  me,  so  that  on  awakening 
I  gasped  for  breath.  This  kind  of  respiration,  however,  ceases 
when  I  do  not  observe,  write,  or  think  on  any  [L  e.  spiritual] 
subject,  and  reflect  only  upon  this,  that  I  believe  these  facts, 
and  that  they  take  place  in  innumerable  ways.  Formerly  I 
was  not  able  to  see  these  varieties  because  I  could  not  reflect 
upon  them;  but  now  I  am  able  to  do  so,  because  each  state 
each  sphere,  and  also  each  society  [of  heaven],  especially  the 
interior  ones,  have  in  me  a  suitable  respiration,  into  which  I 
come  without  reflecting  upon  it.  By  tliis  means  it  is  also 
granted  me  to  he  'present  with  spirits  and  angels"  ("Spiritual 
Diary,"  no.  3464). 

We  are  instructed  here  how  the  opening  of  Swedenborg's 
spiritual  sight  and  the  separation  of  his  intellectual  faculty 
from  his  body  were  effected.  But  as  his  understanding  could 
only  gradually  be  emancipated  from  the  limitations  of  the  body, 
and  accustomed  to  breathe  in  the  atmosphere  of  heaven,  and 
to  see  in  the  light  of  the  angels,  therefore  the  opening  of  his 
spiritual  sight  was  a  very  gradual  process,  as  he  declares  in 
the  following  passage:  "I  was  elevated  into  the  light  of  heaven 
interiorly  by   degrees,   and  in  proportion  as  I  was    elevated, 


*  Swedenborg  means  here  "The  Ecouoii'^y  of  the  Animal  Kingdom," 
"The  Animal  Kingdom,"  and  "The  "Worship  and  Love  of  God,"  which 
were  pubhshed  by  him  before  1748,  when  the  above  paragraph  was  penned. 


Doc.  208.]     HIS  SPIRITUAL  EXPERIENCE  IX  174.3.  145 

iny  understanding  was  elevated,  so  that  I  was  gradually  enabled 
to  perceive  things  which  at  first  I  did  not  perceive,  and  finally 
such  things  as  it  had  been  impossible  for  me  to  comprehend" 
(•'Heaven  and  Hell,*'  no.  130). 

The  nature  of  Swedenborg's  spiritual  states,  before  the  light 
of  the  spiritual  world  had  perceptibly  dawned  upon  him,  he 
describes  most  clearly  in  the  following  passage  written  on  the 
27th  of  August  1748:  "Before  my  mind  was  opened,  so  that 
I  could  converse  with  spirits,  and  thus  be  persuaded  by  living 
experience,  there  existed  with  me  for  several  years  such  evidences, 
that  I  now  wonder  I  could  remain  all  the  while  unconvinced  of 
the  Lord's  government  by  means  of  spirits.  During  several 
years,  not  only  had  I  dreams  hy  ivldch  I  teas  informed  concern- 
iug  the  things  on  irliicli  I  was  uriting  [see  Note  161];  but 
I  experienced  also,  while  writing,  changes  of  state,  there  being 
a  certain  extraordinary  light  in  the  things  which  were  written. 
Afterwards  I  had  many  visions  with  closed  eyes,  and  light 
was  given  me  in  a  miraculous  manner.  There  was  also  an  in- 
flux from  spirits,  as  manifest  to  the  sense  as  if  it  had  been 
into  the  senses  of  the  body;  there  were  infestations  in  various 
ways  by  evil  spirits,  when  I  was  in  temptations ;  and  afterwards 
when  writing  anything  to  which  the  spirits  had  an  aversion  I 
was  almost  possessed  by  them,  so  as  to  feel  something  like  a 
tremor.  Fieiy  lights  were  seen,*  and  conversations  heard  in 
the  early  morning,  besides  many  other  things;   until  at  last  a 


*  This  appearance  of  fiery  lights  Swedenborg  describes  more  particularly 
in  his  "Adversaria,"  Vol.  Ill,  no.  7012,  in  these  words:  "Flames  signify 
confirmation;  such  a  flame  has,  by  the  Divine  mercy  of  God-Messiah^ 
apjieared  to  me  many  times,  and  indeed  of  various  sizes,  and  of  difierent 
colours  and  lustre;  so  that  while  I  was  writing  a  certain  httle  work, 
scarcely  a  day  passed,  for  several  months,  without  a  flame  appearing  to  me 
as  bright  as  a  chimney-fire;  this  was  at  the  time  a  sign  of  approbation, 
and  it  was  before  the  time  when  spirits  began  to  speak  with  me  in  an 
audible  voice."' 

An  allusion  to  this  sign  of  approbation  will  be  found  in  the  photo- 
lithographic edition  of  Swedenborg's  Manuscripts,  Vol.  VI,  page  318,  where 
he  treats  in  a  compendious  form  of  the  "Corpuscular  Philosophy"  (Philosophia 
corpuscularis  in  Compendio),  and  where,  at  the  bottom  of  the  page,  he 
asserts  the  truth  of  his  article  in  this  form:  "These  things  are  true,  be- 
cause 1  have  [received]  the  sign"  (H(ec  vera  sunt,  quia  signum  habeo). 

10 


146       SWEDENBOMG'S  TRAVELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  208. 

spirit  spoke  a  few  words  to  me,  when  I  was  greatly  astonished 
at  his  perceiving  my  thoughts.  I  was  afterwards,  when  my 
mind  was  opened,  greatly  astonished  that  I  could  converse 
with  spirits;  as  the  spirits  were  that  I  should  wonder.  From 
this  it  may  be  concluded  how  difficult  it  is  for  man  to  believe 
that  he  is  governed  by  the  Lord  through  spirits;  and  how 
difficult  it  is  for  him  to  give  up  the  opinion  that  he  lives  his 
own  life  of  himself  without  the  agency  of  spirits"  (Spiritual 
Diary,  no.  2951).  [See  Note  162].  An  additional  reference  to 
those  dreams  which  SAvedenborg  had  before  he  was  fully 
introduced  as  to  his  spirit  into  the  spiritual  world,  was  made 
by  him  in  the  beginning  of  1746,  in  the  "Adversaria."  After 
speaking  of  dreams,  visions,  and  representations,  in  a  general 
way,  he  says  there;  "That  these  things  are  so  I  can  attest; 
and  their  being  so  ought  the  less  to  be  doubted,  because, 
by  the  Divine  mercy  of  God-Messiah,  they  have  happened  so 
frequently,  that  they  have  become  quite  familiar  to  me.  I 
learned  them  partly  by  dreams  which  I  had  at  first  during 
a  number  of  years,  ivJieti  I  learned  something  of  their  real 
signification  [see  Note  161],  and  partly  by  the  other  revelations 
[i.  e.  visions  and  representations];  and  also  by  additional 
revelations,  as,  for  instance,  when  the  very  letters  appeared 
written  before  my  eyes,  and  were  read  to  me,  &c.  &c.  But  I  am 
not  yet  permitted  to  say  more  concerning  these"  (Vol.  II,  no.  183). 

Another  description  of  the  degree  in  which  his  spiritual 
sight  was  opened  during  that  time  is  given  by  him  in  the 
"Spiritual  Diary,"  under  the  date  of  August  31,  1747,  in 
these  words:  "For  nearly  three  years  [about  the  middle  of 
1744],  I  was  allowed  to  perceive  and  notice  the  operation  of 
spirits,  not  by  a  sort  of  internal  sight,  but  by  a  sensation  which 
is  associated  with  a  sort  of  obscure  sight,  by  which  1  noticed 
their  presence,  which  was  various,  their  approach  and  departure^ 
besides  many  other  things"  (no.  192). 

If  now  we  take  a  retrospective  view  of  Swedenborg's 
spiritual  experiences  before  he  was  admitted  consciously  into 
the  spiritual  world,  we  find  that  his  first  spiritual  manifestations 
were  no  doubt  in  the  form  of  dreams,  as  appears  from  our  con- 
cluding remarks  on  Document  206  (p.  130);  for  we  see  there  that 
Swedenborg  had  commenced  as  early  as  1736  to  write  down 


Doo.  208.]      HIS  SPIRIT  UA  L  EXPERIENCE  IX 1 743.  147 

some  of  his  remarkable  dreams,  a  practice  which  he  seems 
to  have  continued  till  1740.  As  the  record  of  these  dreams 
is,  however,  unfortunately  lost,  we  cannot  tell  whether  he  was 
as  early  as  1736,  "informed"  by  his  dreams  "concerning  the 
things  which  he  was  writing."  The  next  spiritual  manifestation, 
in  point  of  time,  was  the  appearance  of  "fiery  lights'"  mentioned 
in  the  footnote  on  p.  145,  which  we  are  able  to  trace  back  as 
far  as  1740;  for  the  article  on  "corpuscular  philosophy,"  the 
truth  of  which  Swedenborg  declares  was  confirmed  to  him  by 
"a  sign,"  was  written  in  the  early  part  of  1740,  as  is  proved 
by  the  dates  affixed  to  the  various  excerpts  and  observations 
contained  in  the  volume  from  which  the  article  is  taken. 

The  next  record  of  Swedenborg's  spiritual  experiences  con- 
sists of  the  memoranda  colistituting  the  present  Document.  In 
these  the  general  contents  of  some  dreams  which  he  had  in 
the  month  of  December,  1743,  are  given,  together  with  some 
references  to  his  mental  states  and  tribulations  at  that  time. 
He  began  a  minute  account  of  his  dreams  on  March  24,  1744, 
and  of  these  dreams  we  know  that  "he  learned  in  part  their 
signification;"  and  that  by  them  "he  was  informed  of  the  things 
concerning  which  he  was  writing."  These  dreams  alternating 
with  minute  descriptions  of  his  mental  states  and  temptations, 
and  indications  of  his  whereabouts  during  that  time  constitute 
Document  209. 

This  most  important  period  of  his  life  will  be  found  more 
fully  discussed  in  Note  168  treating  of  "the  date  of  the  open- 
ing of  Swedenborg's  spiritual  sight." 

After  these  preliminary  explanations  we  direct  the  attention 
of  our  readers  to  the  text  of  Document  208. 

1.  [December].* — [I  dreamt]  of  my  youth  and  of  the 
Gustavian  family. 

2.  Of  Venice  and  the  beautiful  palace. 

3.  Of  Sweden  and  the  white  clouds  in  heaven. 

4.  Of  Leipzig,  and  the  one  who  lay  in  boiling  water. 

5.  Of  him  who  plunged  with  a  chain  into  the  deep. 

6.  Of  the  king  who  gave  something  so  precious  in  a 
peasant's  hut. 

*  See  Note  1«3. 

10* 


148      S  WEDENBORG'S  TEA  VELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  208. 

7.  December.     Of  the  servant  who  desired  me  to  depart. 

8.  Of  my  joys  at  night. 

I  wondered  at  myself,  that  so  far  as  my  own  sensation 
told  me,  I  had  not  any  concern  remaining  for  my  own  honour; 

That  I  was  no  longer  inclined  towards  the  sex,  as  I  had 
been  all  my  life  long.* 

9.  How  I  had  been  almost  the  whole  time  in  a  state  of 
ecstasy,  while  awake. 

10.  How  I  opposed  myself  to  the  Spirit; 

And  how  I  then  enjoyed  this,  but  afterwards  found  that  it 
was  nonsense,  without  life  and  coherence; 

And  that,  consequently,  a  great  deal  of  what  I  had  written, 
in  proportion  as  I  had  denied  the  power  of  the  Spirit,  was 
of  that  description;  and,  indeed,  that  thus  all  the  faults  are 
my  own,  but  the  truths  are  not. 

Sometimes,  indeed,  I  became  impatient  and  thought  I  would 
rebel,  if  all  did  not  progress  with  the  ease  I  desired,  after  I 
no  longer  did  anything  for  my  own  sake.  I  found  my  un- 
worthiness  less,  and  gave  thanks  for  the  grace. 

11.  How,  after  arriving  at  the  Hague  [see  Note  163],  I 
found  self-interest  and  self-love  in  my  work  had  passed  away; 
at  which  I  wondered. 

How  my  inclination  (hogen)  for  woman,  which  had  been  my 
chief  passion  (ImfwiidiMssion),  suddenly  ceased.* 

How  during  the  whole  time  I  slept  extremely  well  at 
night;  wliich  was  more  than  favourable. 

About  my  ecstasies  before  and  after  sleep. 

My  clear  thoughts  about  matters  and  things. 

How  I  resisted  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit;  and  what 
took  place  afterwards.  About  the  hideous  spectres  which  I  saw, 
without  life;  they  were  terrible;  although  bound,  they  kept 
moving  in  their  bands.  They  were  in  company  with  an  animal, 
by  which  I,  and  not  the  child,  was  attacked. 

It  seemed  to  me  as  if  I  were  lying  on  a  mountain,  below 
which  was  an  abyss ;  knots  were  on  it.  I  was  lying  there  trying 
to  help  myself  up,  holding  on  to  a  knot;  without  foot-hold, 
and  an  abyss  underneath. — This  signifies  that  I  desire  to 
rescue  myself  from  the  abyss,  which  yet  is  not  possible. 

*  See  Note  161,  v,  F. 


Doc.  209.]     HIS  SPIRITUAL  EXPERIENCE  IN  1744.  149 

How  a  woman  lay  down  by  my  side;  it  seemed  to  me  as 
if  I  were  in  a  state  of  wakefulness.  I  desired  to  find  out  who 
she  was.  She  spoke  in  a  low  voice;  but  said  that  she  was 
pure,  while  I  had  a  bad  odour.  She  was,  I  beheve,  my 
guardian-angel,  for  temptation  then  began. 


DOCUMENT  209. 

SAVEDENBORG'S  SPIRITUAL  EXPERIENCE 
IN  1744.* 

1.  March  24X25.-J-  I  was  standing  [in  my  dream]  beside 
a  machine  which  was  set  in  motion  by  a  wheel ;  I  became 
more  and  more  involved  in  its  spokes  (stdngar),  and  was 
carried  up,  so  that  I  could  not  escape:  when  I  awoke. — This 
means  either  that  I  ought  to  be  kept  longer  in  straits,  or  it 
describes  the  state  of  the  lungs  [with  the  embryo]  in  the 
womb,  on  wliich  subject  I  wrote  immediately  afterwards.:}:  It 
had  reference  to  both. 

*  Concerning  the  oiiginal  of  this  Document,  see  the  Introduction  to 
Document  208,  p.  134.  For  the  sake  of  convenient  reference  the  editor 
has  numbered  the  paragraphs  of  this  Document. 

As  an  Introduction  to  this  Document  read  Note  161,  containing 
"Swedeuborg's  Philosophy  of  Dreams." 

-}■  The  mark  X,  between  two  dates  signifies  the  inteiTtiediate  night. 
This  sign  is  also  used  by  Swedeuborg  in  his  manuscript  Codex  58,  p.  175, 
which  is  preserved  in  the  Library  of  the  Academy  of  Sciences  in  Stock- 
hohn.  He  says  there:  "What  I  wrote  here  was  pronounced  to  me  in  a 
wonderful  manner;  see  the  dream  of  July  1X2"  {Vide  somnmm,  July  1X2). 

\  At  the  time  when  Swedenl)org  began  writing  his  spiritual  experience 
of  1744,  he  had  prepared  for  the  press  the  manusciipt  of  the  Regnum 
Anhnale  as  far  as  Vol.  I,  no.  272  (p.  331  of  the  Latin  Edition,  and 
p.  398  of  the  English  Edition) ;  for  the  allusion  wliich  he  makes  in  no.  1 
to  "the  state  of  the  lungs  in  the  womb,"  is  one  of  the  subjects  discussed 
in  that  paragraph,  where  we  read:  "The  lungs  which  open  the  scene  and 
commence  the  drama  of  this  life,  are  then  constricted  and  closed,  and 
neither  emit  nor  admit  the  vital  Ijreath  of  the  body."  For  further  infor- 
mation on  this  subject  see  Note  164,  iv,  which  treats  of  "Swedeuborg's 
Studies  in  1743  and  1744." 


150      SWEDENBOEG'S  TRAVELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  209. 

2.  I  was  in  a  kitchen-garden  (ortegdrd)  containing  many 
fine  beds,  one  of  which  I  desired  to  possess ;  I  looked  around, 
however,  to  s«e  if  there  was  a  way  out,  and  when  it  seemed 
to  me  that  I  saw  one,  I  thought  of  another.  Some  one  was 
there  picking  away  a  heap  of  small  (osynlig)  vermin,  and  kill- 
ing them;  he  said  that  they  were  bugs  which  some  one  had 
brought  and  thrown  in,  and  which  infested  those  who  were 
there.  I  did  not  see  them,  but  I  saw  some  other  smaller 
vermin  which  I  let  fall  into  a  white  linen  sheet,  [and  took] 
out  together  with  some  woman. — This  meant  the  uncleanness 
which  has  to  be  rooted  out  of  me. 

3.  I  went  confidently  (fritt)  and  boldly  down  a  large  stair- 
case, at  the  end  of  which  was  a  ladder.  At  the  bottom  was 
a  hole  that  went  down  to  a  great  depth;  it  was  difiicidt  to 
cross  over  to  the  other  side,  without  falling  into  the  hole.  On 
the  other  side  were  some  persons  to  whom  I  reached  out  my 
hand  to  be  helped:  I  awoke. — There  is  danger  of  my  falling 
into  the  abyss,  unless  I  receive  help. 

4.  I  spoke  long  and  familiarly  with  our  Successor  in  Sweden,* 
who  was  changed  into  a  woman;  and  afterwards  with  Carl 
Bromanf  [to  whom  I  said],  that  he  ought  to  be  in  his  favour; 
upon  which  he  replied  something.  Afterwards  I  spoke  with 
Erland  Broman,^"'  [and  told  him]  that  I  had  returned  here. — 
I  do  not  know  what  this  signifies,  unless  it  has  something  to 
do  with  what  follows. 

5.  I  came  into  a  splendid  room  where  I  conversed  with  a 
lady  who  was  the  governess.  She  was  just  on  the  point  of 
telling  me  something,  when  the  queen  entered,  and  passed 
through  into  another  room.  It  seemed  to  me  that  she  was 
the  same  woman  who  represented  our  Successor  [see  no.  4]; 
upon  which  I  left  the  room ;  for  I  was  rather  meanly  dressed, 
as  I  had  just  come  off  my  journey,  and  wore  a  long,  worn 
out  over-coat,  and  was  without  hat  and  wig.  I  was  surprised 
that  she  [the  queen]  deigned  to  come  after  me;  she  informed 
me,   that   some  person  had  given  his  mistress  all  his  jewels; 


*  Duke  Adolphus  Frederic  n  of  Holstein-Gottorp ;  see  also  Note  159. 
f  See  Note  113,  Vol.  I ;  the  original  has  Carl  Brokman. 


Dor.  200.]     HIS  SPIRITUAL  EXPERIENCE  IN  1744.  1 51 

but  had  received  tliem  back  again,  when  she  was  told,  that  he 
had  not  given  her  the  best;  [upon  hearing  which]  she  threw 
away  the  jewels.  She  urged  me  to  re-enter,  but  I  excused 
myself  by  the  plea  that  I  was  so  negligently  dressed,  and  had 
no  wig,  and  so  must  go  home  first.  She  said  that  this  did  not 
matter. — The  meaning  of  this  is  that  I  should  then  write  and 
commence  the  epilogue  of  the  second  volume,*  to  which  I 
wanted  to  write  a  preface,  that  was  not,  however,  required. 
I  acted  on  this  instruction.  What  she  said  about  the  jewels 
had  reference  to  the  truths-j-  which  had,  indeed,  been  dis- 
covered, but  which  were  withdrawn  again,  because  she  was 
indignant  at  not  receiving  all.  Afterwards  I  saw  the  jewels 
in  [her]  hands,  and  a  large  ruby  in  the  middle. 

6.  March  25X20.  It  seemed  to  me  as  if  I  took  a  key 
and  went  in.  The  porter  examined  the  keys  which  I  had, 
when  I  showed  them  all,  [to  see]  if  I  had  two;  it  seemed, 
however,  as  if  Hesselius^"  had  another.  I  was  arrested  and 
put  under  guard,  when  many  came  to  me  in  carriages.  It 
appeared  to  me  as  if  I  had  done  nothing  wTong;  but  it,  never- 
theless, occuri'ed  to  me  that  the  fact  of  my  having  taken  the 
key  might  be  interpreted  unfavourably:  I  awoke. — This  may 
be  explained  in  several  ways;  that  I  had  taken  the  key  to 
anatomy,  while  the  other  one  which  Hesselius'''''  had  was  the 
key  to  medicine,^  or,  that  the  key  to  the  lungs,  and  conse- 
quently to  the  motion  of  the  whole  body,  is  the  pulmonary 
artery  ;§  or  else  [it  is  to  be  explained]  spiritually. 

7.  I  desired  to  be  cured  of  an  illness.  A  heap  of  rags 
was  offered  me  to  buy  for  this  purpose;  I  took  half,  and  left 
the  other  half;  but  I  gave  all  for  the  rags  (igen  slarfivor>ia). 
The  person  said  that  he  himself  would  purchase  something 
for  me  that  would  cure  me. — The  thoughts  of  my  body  were 


*  Tliis  epilogue  closes  Vol.  I  of  the  Regmim  Animale,  p.  424  of  the 
Latin  edition.     See  Note  164,  iv,  A. 

f  See  Note  161,  ix. 

i  See  Note  161,  i. 

§  Swedenborg  was  then  engaged  in  prepai-ing  for  tlie  press  the  second 
part  of  the  Regnum  Animale,  which  treats  of  the  lungs  and  the  organs 
connected  therewith.     See  Note  164,  iv. 


152      S  WEDENB  ORG 'S  TEA  VELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  209. 

rags,  with  which  I  desired  to  cure  myself;  but  they  were  good 
for  nothing. 

8.  Afterwards  I  stepped  out  and  saw  many  black  pictures. 
One  that  was  black  was  thrown  to  me.  I  saw  that  he  (the 
person)  could  not  move  (foga  sig)  on  account  of  his  foot.* — 
The  meaning  is,  I  believe,  that  natural  reason  (ratio  naturalis) 
cannot  agree  with  spiritual  reason.* 

9.  March  30X31.  I  saw  a  number  of  women,-{-  one  of 
whom  wrote  a  letter.  I  took  it,  but  do  not  know  what  be- 
came of  it.  She  was  sowing  (sciclt),  and  a  yellow  man  struck 
her  on  the  back;  and  wished  her  to  have  more  blows;  but  it 
was  enough. — This  I  believe  concerns  what  I  am  writing,  and 
have  written,  namely,  our  philosophy.-j- 

10.  I  saw  a  handsome  womanij:  at  a  window  where  a  child 
was  placing  roses;  she  took  me  by  the  hand  and  conducted 
me. — This  signifies  what  I  am  writing ;  \  and  also,  as  I  believe, 
the  source  of  my  trouble  (min  pldga),  by  which  I  would 
be  led. 

11.  I  saw  a  magnificent  procession  of  men;§  they  were 
adorned,  and  all  looked  so  charming,  that  I  have  scarcely 
ever  seen  anything  more  beautiful;  but  it  soon  disappeared. — 
This,  I  believe,  signifies  experience,  or  experimental  truth, 
which  is  now  in  a  state  of  great  abundance.§ 

12.  April  1X2.  I  rode  on  a  horse  in  the  wind.  I  went 
into  all  the  rooms,  into  the  kitchen  and  other  places  seeking 
some  one,  but  could  not  find  him.  The  rooms  were  untidy. 
At  last  I  was  led  in  the  wind  into  a  hall,  Avhere  I  received 
two  loaves  of  fine  bread,**  and  also  found  him  again.  Many 
people  were  there  and  the  hall  was  clean  and  in  good  order. — ■ 
It  signifies  the  Lord's  Supper.** 

13.  King  Charles  [XII]  ff  was  sitting  in  a  dark  room, 
and  said  something,  but  indistinctly.  Afterwards  some  one  at 
the  table  inquired  whether  he  knew  what  he  was  asking  for; 


*  See  Note  161,  xii,  and  Note  166,  i. 

f  See  Note  161,  iv,  A  and  vi.  t  See  Note  161,  iv,  A. 

§  See  Note  161,  vi.  **  See  Note  161,  x. 

■}-}•  See  Note  161,  v. 


Doc.  209.]      HIS  SPIRITUAL  EXPERIENCE  IN  1744.  153 

when  he  said,  Yes.  He  then  closed  the  windows,  and  I  helped 
him  to  arrange  the  curtains.  I  then  got  on  horseback,  yet 
did  not  take  the  way  I  thought;  but  went  over  hills  and 
mountains,  riding  all  the  time,  with  a  heavy  load  behind  me. 
I  could  not  ride  away  [from  it],  and  the  horse  became  fatigued 
by  the  load,  when  I  desired  it  to  turn  in  somewhere ;  it 
entered,  when  it  became  like  some  slaughtered,  bloody,  red 
animal,  and  lay  down. — This  signifies  that  1  received  every- 
thing I  could  think  of  for  niy  information,  and  that  I  am 
perhaps  pursuing  a  wrong  method.  The  load  behind  me  by 
which  I  became  so  weary  and  dead  on  the  way,  is  the  remain- 
ing part  of  my  work. 

14.  I  stepped  out  of  a  carriage,  which  }vas  being  driven 
into  a  lake.  While  driving  into  it  the  coachman  called  to 
another  carriage  to  take  care;  there  was  real  danger  upon 
driving  in.  I  looked  at  the  other  carriage ;  behind,  it  seemed 
to  have  a  screen,  which  was  opened  like  an  umbrella.  I,  to- 
gether with  the  person  who  sat  behind,  took  the  screen,  stepped 
in  and  shut  it  up. — It  meant  that  the  beginning  of  my  work 
was  diflicult.  The  second  carriage  was  warned  to  be  on  its 
guard,  and  I,  that  I  should  draw  in  my  sails,  and  not  make 
my  notes  so  long.* 

15.  April  2X3.  Two  persons  came;  they  entered  into  a 
house  which  although  built,  was  not  yet  furnished.  They  Avent 
round,  but  did  not  seem  favourably  impressed.  AVe  saw  that 
our  power  was  gone,  and  were  afraid  of  them.  One  of  them 
approached  me  and  said  that  they  had  determined  to  inflict 
a  punishment  upon  me  next  Maunday  Thursday,  unless  I  re- 
moved. I  did  not  know  how  to  get  out,  but  he  said  lie  would 
show  me  the  way :  I  awoke. — This  signified  that  I  had  invited 
the  Highest  to  me  into  an  unprepared  and  untidy  hut,-j-  and 
that  He  found  it  unbecoming,  wherefore  I  was  to  be  punished. 
He,  nevertheless,  most  graciously  pointed  out  a  way  to  me, 
by  which  I  could  escape  their  wrath. 

A  beggar   was  there,    who    exclaimed,    that  he  wanted  to 


*  Swedenborg  alludes  here  to  the  notes  under  the  text  of  the  Regnum 
Animale. 

f  See  Note  161,  xiii. 


1 54      S  WEDENB  ORG'S  TEA  VELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  209. 

have  some  bacon ;  when  they  offered  him  something  else,  he 
still  called  out  for  bacon:  I  awoke. — This,  I  believe,  signi- 
fies the  same. 

16.  I  saw  two  troops  of  soldiers,  dressed  in  blue,  marching 
in  two  bodies  past  my  window,  which  was  partly  open.  I  de- 
sired to  look  out  and  watch  the  marching  of  the  first  corps, 
which  seemed  to  me  magnificent:  I  awoke. — This  means  a 
gracious  protection,  so  that  I  may  escape  destruction.* 

17.  N.  B. — April  3X4,  the  day  before  Easter.  I  experienced, 
nothing  the  whole  night, -|-  although  I  repeatedly  woke  up;  I 
thought  that  all  was  past  and  gone,  and  that  I  had  been 
either  forsaken  or  exiled.  About  morning  it  seemed  to  me 
as  if  I  were  riding  and  as  if  I  had  had  the  direction  pointed 
out.  It  was,  however,  dark,  and  when  I  looked  I  found  that 
I  had  gone  astray  on  account  of  the  darkness;  but  then  it 
brightened  up,  and  I  saw  how  I  had  gone  wrong,  and  noticed 
the  way,  and  the  forests  and  groves  which  I  was  to  go  through, 
and  also  heaven  behind;  when  I  awoke.  My  thoughts  then,  of 
their  own  accord,  turned  upon  this,  and  afterwards  on  the 
other  life,  and  it  seemed  to  me  as  if  everything  was  full  of 
grace.  I  burst  into  tears  at  not  having  loved,  but  rather 
provoked,  Him  who  had  led  me  and  pointed  out  the  way  to 
the  kingdom  of  grace;  and  also  at  my  being  unworthy  of  ac- 
ceptance by  grace.:}: 

18.  April  4X5.     I  went  to  the  Lord's  table. 

(One  courier  more  was  said  to  have  come;  I  said  that  this 
probably  was )§ 

There  was  sung  the  melody  and  a  line  I  remember  from 
the  hymn:     "Jesus  is  my  best  of  friends."** 

It  seemed  to  me  as  if  the  buds  had  opened  and  were 
green. 

19.  April   5X6.     Easter  was  on   the    5th  of  April,  when  I 


*  See  Note  161,  v. 

-}■  That  is,  Swedenborg  had  no  dreams  that  night. 
^  See  Introduction  to  Document  208,  p.  140. 
§  These  words  are  crossed  out  in  the  original. 
**  The   whole   of  this   hymn,   in    an    English   translation,    is    given   in 
Note  169. 


Doc.  209.]      HIS  SPIRITUAL  EXPERIENCE  IN  1744.  1  '^5 

Avent  to  the  Lord's  table.  Temptation  still  continued,*  mostly 
in  the  afternoon  till  six  o'clock:  but  it  assumed  no  definite 
form.  It  was  an  anxiety  felt  at  being  condemned  and  in 
hell;  but  in  this  feeling  the  hope  given  by  the  Holy  Spirit,Y 
according  to  Paul's  epistle  to  the  Romans  v,  5,  remained 
strong. 

The  Evil  One  had  power  given  him  to  disturb  my  inmost 
mind  by  various  thoughts.  On  Easter  day4  after  the  Holy 
Supper,  I  was  inwardly  glad,  although  outwardly  sad.  The 
temptation  came  on  in  the  afternoon,  in  an  entirely  different 
manner,  but  strongly;  for  I  was  assured  that  my  sins  were 
forgiven,  and  still  I  could  not  govern  my  fugitive  thoughts  so 
as  to  restrain  some  expressions  opposed  to  my  better  under- 
standing; I  was,  by  permission,  under  the  influence  of  the 
Evil  One.§  The  temptation  was  assuaged  by  prayer  and 
God's  Word;  faith  was  there  in  its  entirety,  but  confidence 
and  love  seemed  to  be  gone.  I  went  to  bed  at  nine  o'clock; 
but  the  temptation,  accompanied  by  trembling,**  continued 
until  half-past  ten.  I  then  fell  into  a  sleep,  in  which  the 
whole  of  my  temptation  was  represented  to  me ;  how  Er[landJ 
B[roman] -j-J- ^"  sought  by  various  means  to  get  me  on  his 
side,  so  that  I  might  be  of  the  same  party  (in  luxury,  riches, 
pride)  ;^^  but  he  could  not  gain  me  over;  I  persisted  in  my 
resistance  even  more  strongly  after  he  had  incurred  my  con- 
tempt. Afterwards  I  was  with  a  snake  of  a  dark  grey  colour, 
which  was  lying  down,  and  was  B[roman'sJ  dog.  I  struck  at 
it  many  times  with  a  club,  but  never  could  hit  it  on  the  head; 
it  was  in  vain.     It  tried  to  bite  me,  but  could  not;    I  seized 


*  Sec  Note  162,  i,  E.  f  See  Xote  165,  iv. 

I  The  original  has  Pingstdagen  (day  of  Pentecost),  but  there  is  no  doubt 
that  the  reading  should  be  PasJalagen  (Easter). 

§  See  Note  162,  i,  E.  **  See  Note  162,  i,  F. 

ff  The  Swedish  editor  suggests  here  that  Er.  B.  might  also  stand  fur 
Ericus  BenzeUus,  but  as  the  name  Erland  Broman  has  already  occurred 
once  in  full,  in  no.  4  of  the  i)resent  document,  and  as  the  character  of 
that  man,  as  described  by  Swedenljorg  (see  Note  167)  accords  fully  vith 
what  he  relates  here  concerning  Er.  B,,  we  may  take  it  for  granted  that 
these  initials  stand  for  Erland  Broman,  and  not  for  Ericus  Bcnzehus. 

\t  See  Note  161,  i. 


156       SWEDENBORG'S  TEA  VELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  209 

it  by  the  throat,  when  it  could  not  bite  me,  and  I  could  not 
do  it  much  harm ;  but,  finally,  I  grasped  it  by  the  jaws,  which 
I  pressed  hard,  and  also  by  the  nose,  which  I  squeezed  so 
that  something  like  matter  or  poison  started  from  it.  I  was 
told  that  although  the  dog  did  not  belong  to  me,  yet 
if  it  bit  me,  I  should  have  to  chastise  it.  Thereupon  it 
seemed  to  me  as  if  I  told  him  [Broman]  that  I  was  not  going 
to  say  a  single  word  to  him,  and  thus  had  an  estrangement  from 
him.  When  I  awoke,  I  was  uttering  the  words:  Hold  thy 
tongue! — From  this,  without  any  further  explanation,  may  be 
seen  the  nature  of  the  temptation,  and,  on  the  other  hand, 
the  greatness  of  God's  grace  by  the  merit  of  Christ  and  the 
operation  of  the  Holy  Spirit;*  to  whom  be  glory  forever  and 
ever.  The  idea  at  once  struck  me,  how  great  the  grace  of 
the  Lord  is,  who  accounts  and  appropriates  to  us  our  resist- 
ance in  temptation;  although  it  is  purely  God's  grace,-j-  and 
is  His  and  not  our  work;  and  He  overlooks  the  Aveaknesses 
which  we  display  in  it,  which  yet  must  be  manifold.  I  thought 
also  of  the  great  glory  our  Lord  dispenses,  after  a  brief  period 
of  tribulation  (see  Note  165,  iv). 

20.  I  then  fell  asleep,  and  it  appeared  to  me  the  whole 
night,  how  I  was  joined,  first  in  various  ways,  with  others, 
on  account  of  being  sinful ;  and  how  afterwards  I  was  enve- 
loped in  wonderful  and  indescribable  circumvolutions,  and 
so,  during  the  whole  night,  was  inaugurated  in  a  wonderful 
manner.  It  was  then  said,  'Is  there  any  Jacobite  more  than 
honest'  (moti  nogon  jacohit  cir  melir  tin  redlig),  and  in  con- 
clusion I  was  received  with  an  embrace;  afterwards  it  was 
said  that  he  ought  not  to  be  called  so,  the  name  being  given, 
but  so;  but  I  do  not  recollect  the  name,  unless  it  be  Jacobite. 
The  signification  of  this  I  cannot  describe :  it  was  a  mystical 
series. 

21.  Afterwards  I  awoke  and  slept  again  many  times;  and 
all  [I  dreamt]  was  in  answer  to  my  thoughts ;  yet  so,  that  in 
every  thing  there  was  such  life  and  glory,  that  I  can  give  no 
description  of  it;  for  it  was  all  heavenly;   clear  to  me  at  the 


*  See  Note  165,  vi.  -[■  See  Note  165,  \iii. 


Doc.  209.]     HIS  SPIRITUAL  EXPERIENCE  IN  1744.  157 

time,  but  afterwards  inexpressible.  In  short,  1  was  in  heaven, 
and  heard  a  language,  which  no  human  tongue  can  utter  with 
its  inherent  life,  nor  the  glory  and  inmost  delight  resulting 
from  it.* 

22.  Besides,  while  awake,  I  was  in  a  heavenly  ecstasy, 
which  is  also  indescribable.* 

I  went  to  bed  at  nine  o'clock,  and  arose  between  nine  and 
ten;  I  had  thus  been  in  bed  for  twelve  or  thirteen  hours. 
Praise,  and  honour,  and  glory  be  to  the  Highest;  hallowed  be 
His  name!  Holy,  Holy,  Lord  God  of  Hosts! 

23.  How  I  learned  by  experience  the  meaning  of  this:  not 
to  love  the  angels  more  than  God ;  as  they  had  nearly  over- 
thrown the  whole  work.  In  comparison  with  our  Lord  no 
attention  must  be  paid  to  them,  i,  e.  to  them  in  respect  to 
the  help  they  can  render ;  since  their  love  is  far  lower 
than  His. 

24.  By  some  rays  of  light  in  me  I  found  that  it  would  be 
the  greatest  happiness  to  become  a  martyr ;  for  on  behold- 
ing inexpressible  grace  combined  with  love  to  God,  a  de- 
sire was  kindled  in  me  to  undergo  this  torture,  which  is  no- 
thing compared  with  eternal  torment;  and  [a  conviction  then] 
that  the  least  of  the  things  that  one  can  offer  is  his  life. 

25.  Both  in  my  mind  and  body  I  had  a  sensation  of  such 
indescribable  delight,  that  had  it  been  more  intense,  the  body 
would  have  been,  as  it  were,  dissolved  in  pure  bliss.* 

This  took  place  in  the  night  betw'cen  Easter  Sunday  and 
Easter  IVIonday,  and  during  the  whole  of  that  day. 

26.  April  6X7.  N.B.;  KB.;  N.B.  In  the  evening  I  came 
into  another  kind  of  temptation.-j-  Between  eight  and  nine 
o'clock  in  the  evening,  while  I  was  reading  God's  miracles 
wrought  through  Moses,  it  seemed  to  me  as  if  something  of 
my  own  understanding  was  mixed  up  with  it,|  so  tliat  1  was 
not  able  to  have  so  strong  a  faith  as  I  ought.  I  believed, 
and  yet  did  not  believe.  I  was  thinking  that  for  this  reason 
angels  and   God  appeared  to  shepherds,  and  not  to  a  philo- 


*  See  Note  162,  ii.  f  See  Note  162,  i,  E. 

^  See  Note  166,  i. 


158       S  WEDENBORG'S  TBA  VELS  AND  DIABIES.  [Doc.  209. 

sopher,  who  allows  his  understanding  to  come  into  play,  which 
at  all  times  Avould  lead  him  to  ask,  why  God  took  the  wind, 
when  He  called  the  grasshoppers  together  [Exodus  x,  13],  why 
He  hardened  Pharaoh's  heart,  and  did  not  work  directly,  with 
other  similar  things,  which  I  considered,  and  the  efiect  of 
which  was  such,  that  my  faith  was  not  firm.  I  looked  upon 
the  fire,  and  said  to  myself,  "In  this  case  neither  ought  I  to 
believe  that  the  fire  is,  since  the  external  senses  are  more 
fallacious  than  what  God  says,  which  is  the  Truth  itself;  I 
ought  rather  to  believe  this  than  myself.*  With  these  and 
other  similar  thoughts  I  passed  an  hour,  or  an  hour  and  a 
half,  and  in  my  mind  was  engaged  with  the  Tempter.  I  must 
observe  that  on  the  same  day  I  had  gone  to  Delft,-|-  and  had 
had  the  grace  of  being  engaged  in  profound  spiritual  thought, 
my  thoughts  being  more  profound  and  beautiful  than  they 
had  ever  been  before,  and,  indeed,  during  the  whole  day. 
This  was  the  work  of  the  Spirit,  who  had  been  with  me. 

27.  At  ten  o'clock  I  went  to  bed,  and  in  little  more 
than  half  an  hour  afterwards  I  heard  a  noise  under  my  head. 
I  then  thought  that  the  Tempter  was  gone4  Immediately 
afterwards  a  tremor  came  over  me,  powerfully  affecting  me 
from  the  head  over  the  whole  body,  accompanied  by  some 
sound  ;§  this  was  repeated  several  times.  I  felt  that  some- 
thing holy  had  come  over  me.  I  then  fell  asleep,  and  about 
twelve,  one,  or  two  o'clock  at  night  a  most  .  powerful 
tremor  seized  me  from  head  to  foot,  with  a  sound  like  the 
concourse  of  many  winds. §  By  this  sound,  which  was  inde- 
scribable, I  was  shaken,  and  thrown  [from  the  bed]  on  my 
face.  While  at  the  moment  I  was  thus  thrown  down,  I  be- 
came wide  awake,**  and  I  then  saw  that  I  had  been  pro- 
strated.   I  wondered  what  all  this  meant,  and  then  spoke,  as 


*  See  Note  166,  i,  and  165,  ix,  A. 

f  Delft  is  a  Dutch  town,  not  far  from  the  Hague,  in  the  direction  of 
Rotterdam. 

^  See  Note  162,  i,  E.  §  See  Note  162,  i,  F. 

**  By  Swedenborg's  becoming  "wide  awake"  is  meant  that  his  si^iritual 
eyes  were  opened  so  that  he  could  see  into  the  spiritual  world,  Avhere  all 
thuse  things  haj)pened  which  he  relates. 


Doc.  200.]      HIS  SPIRITUAL  EXPERIENCE  IN  1744.  159 

if  I  were  awake.  I  noticed,  however,  that  these  words  were 
put  into  my  mouth:  "O  Thou  Almighty  Jesus  Christ,  who  of 
Tliy  great  mercy  deignest  to  come  to  so  great  a  sinner, 
make  me  worthy  of  this  grace !"  I  Hfted  up  my  hands,  and 
jn-ayed,  wlien  a  hand  came  and  strongly  pressed  my  hands ;  I 
then  continued  my  prayer,  and  said,  "O  Thou,  who  hast  pro- 
mised to  receive  in  mercy  all  sinners,  Thou  canst  not  other- 
wise than  keep  this  Thy  word !"  I  lay  on  His  bosom  (skate*), 
and  looked  at  Him  face  to  face.  It  was  a  countenance  with 
a  holy  expression,  and  so  that  it  cannot  be  described ;  it  was 
also  smiling,  and  I  really  believe  that  His  countenance  was 
such  during  His  life  upon  earth.-{-  He  addressed  me  and 
asked,  if  I  had  a  certificate  of  my  health  (om  jag  har  sund- 
hets  imss)  ?  I  answered,  "O  Lord,  Thou  knowest  this  better 
than  I;"  when  He  said,  "Do  it  then!" — This,  as  I  perceived 
in  my  mind,  signified,  "Love  me  really,  or  do  what  thou  hast 
promised."  0  God,  impart  to  me  grace  for  this!  I  perceived 
that  I  could  not  do  this  by  my  own  strength.  I  noiv  aivoJxe 
in  a  tremor.^  I  again  came  into  such  a  state  that,  whether 
asleep  or  awake,  I  was  in  a  train  of  thought.  I  thought, 
"What  can  this  mean  ?  Has  it  been  Christ,  the  Son  of  God  whom 
I  have  seen?  But  it  is  sinful  in  me  to  doubt  this."  As  we 
are,  however,  commanded  to  try  the  spirits,  I  reflected  on 
everything;  and  from  what  had  happened  the  previous  night 
I  perceived,  that  during  the  whole  of  that  night  I  had  been 
purified  and  encompassed  and  preserved  by  the  Holy  Spirit, 
and  thus  had  been  prepared  for  this  purpose;  and  then  |I  re- 
flected] that  I  had  fallen  on  my  face,  and  I  thought  of  the 
words  I  had  uttered,  and  considered  that  the  prayer  did  not 
come  from  me,  but  that  the  words  were  put  into  my  mouth, 
yet  so  that  it  was  I  who  spoke,  and  further,  that  all  was  holy. 

*  This  word  means  Ijoth  bosom  and  lap. 

-J-  The  Swcdisli  editor  says  here,  "Tlie  time  which  had  hitherto  been  ac- 
cepted for  Swedenboi'g's  first  revelation,  viz.  April  1745,  in  consequence  of 
tliis  notice  has  to  be  placed  a  whole  year  earlier,  and  the 'place  where 
this  revelation  took  place  has  to  be  changed  from  London  to  the  Hague." 
As  to  the  true  date  of  the  opening  of  Swedenborg's  spiritual  sight,  sec 
Note  168. 

I  See  Note  162,  i,  F. 


160      SWEDENBORG'S  TRAVELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  209. 

From  all  this  I  perceived  that  it  was  the  Son  of  God 
Himself  who  had  descended  with  such  a  noise,  by  which  I 
had  been  prostrated  on  the  floor;  who  made  the  prayer,  and 
thereby  Himself  declared  that  He  was  Jesus.  I  prayed  for 
grace,  because  I  had  so  long  entertained  doubts  on  the  sub- 
ject, and  because  it  had  entered  into  my  thoughts  to  demand 
a  miracle,  which  I  now  found  was  unbecoming.  Thereupon  I 
began  to  pray,  and  prayed  only  for  grace;  more  I  could  not 
utter ;  but  afterwards  I  added  to  this  prayer,  and  prayed  that 
I  might  receive  love,  which  is  Jesus  Christ's  work,  and  not 
my  own.     In  the  mean  time  tremors  often  passed  over  me.* 

28.  About  day-break  I  fell  asleep  again,  and  then  had 
continually  in  my  thought,  how  Christ  conjoins  Himself  to 
mankind;  holy  thoughts  came,  but  they  were  of  such  a  nature 
as  to  be  unfathomable;  for  I  cannot  express  with  my  pen  the 
least  part  of  those  things  which  happened.  I  only  know  that 
I  have  had  such  thoughts. 

29.  I  saw  my  father  in  another  dress,  which  was  almost 
reddish.  He  called  me,  and  took  hold  of  my  arms,  which 
were  in  short  sleeves,  but  with  cuffs  at  the  end.  He  took 
both  cuffs  or  ruffles,  and  tied  them  with  my  ribbons. — My  hav- 
ing ruffles  signifies  that  I  am  not  among  the  clergy,  but  that 
I  am  and  ought  to  be  in  a  civil  office. 

Afterwards  he  asked  me  what  I  thought  about  this  question  : 
that  a  king  had  given  leave  to  marry,  and  thus  to  change 
their  condition,  to  thirty  who  had  been  ordained  into  the 
priesthood.  I  answered  that  1  had  thought  and  written  some- 
thing on  such  a  subject ;  but  that  this  has  no  connexion  with 
it.  But  immediately  afterwards  I  found  that  I  could  answer  in 
accordance  with  my  conscience,  that  it  is  not  allowable  for 
any  one  to  change  that  condition  or  state  into  which  he  has 
entered,  no  matter  what  it  may  be.  He  said  that  he  was  of 
the  same  opinion.  But  I  added  that  if  the  king  had  resolved 
upon  this,  the  matter  was  settled.  He  said  that  he  would 
give  his  vote  in  writing;  if  there  are  fifty  [votes]  the  matter 
remains  as  it  is  (sd  hlir  derefter).  I  noticed  as  remarkable, 
the  circumstance  that  I  did  not  call  him,  My  father,  but  My 

*  See  Note  162,  i,  P. 


Doc.  209.]      HIS  SPIRITUAL  EXPERIENCE  IN  1744.  161 

brother.  I  afterwards  thouglit  what  was  the  reason  of  this, 
when  it  seemed  to  me  that  my  father  was  dead,  and  that  con- 
sequently he  who  was  [i.  e.  appeared  as]  my  father  must  have 
been  my  brother. 

I  must  not  forget  that  it  also  entered  into  my  thoughts, 
that  the  Holy  Spirit  desired  to  lead  me  to  Jesus,  and  present 
me  to  Him,  as  a  work  that  had  been  prepared  by  Him,*  and 
that  I  must  not  claim  anything  to  myself;  but  that  all  is  His, 
although  of  grace  He  appropriates  it  to  us. 

I  then  sang  the  hymn  which  I  had  selected,  "Jesus  is  my 
best  of  friends,"  no.  245.-J- 

30.  This  much  have  I  learned  thus  far  in  spiritual  things, 
that  there  is  nothing  for  it  but  to  humble  oneself,  and  with 
all  humility  to  desire  nothing  but  the  grace  of  Christ.^  I 
strove  from  my  own  self  to  obtain  love;  but  this  is  presump- 
tuous: for  when  any  one  has  God's  grace,  he  leaves  himself 
to  Christ's  pleasure,  and  acts  according  to  His  pleasure;  a 
person  is  happiest  when  he  is  in  God's  grace.^  With  the 
humblest  prayer  I  had  to  ask  forgiveness  before  my  conscience 
could  be  appeased;  for  before  doing  so,  I  was  still  in  temp- 
tation. The  Holy  Spirit  taught  me  all  this,  but  I  in  my 
weak  understanding  passed  over  humility,  which  yet  is  the 
foundation  of  all. 

31.  April  7X8.  Throughout  the  whole  night  I  felt  as  if  I 
were  going  down  deep  by  ladders  and  passing  through  various 
rooms;  yet  I  was  confident  and  felt  safe,  so  that  the  descent 
was  without  any  danger  to  me;  in  my  dream  also  this  verse 
occurred  to  me:  "Dcpch  below  nor  height  above  E'er  shall 
hold  my  soul  enticed,"  &c.§ 

32.  It  seemed  to  me  afterwards  as  if  I  were  with  a  number 
of  others  at  a  clergyman's  to  dinner.  I  paid  about  a  louis-d'or 
for  my  meal,  and  thus  more  than  I  ought  to  have  done.  On 
taking  my  departure  1  had  two  vases  of  silver  with  me,  which 


*  Sec  Note  165,  i. 

f  An  English  translation  of  tliis  liymn  will  lie  fo-jml  in  Note  169. 

^  See  Note  165,  viii. 

§  See  hymn,  "Jesus  is  my  best  of  f;iu?Kls,"  Note  169. 

11 


162       S  WEDENB ORG'S  TEA  VELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  209. 

I  had  removed  from  the  table.  This  troubled  me,  and  I  tried 
to  send  them  back  again;  it  seemed  to  me  also  as  if  I  had 
some  plan  for  doing  so. — This,  I  believe,  signifies  that  in 
temptation  I  paid  my  own  (with  God's  grace),  and  more  than 
I  was  obliged  (God's  grace*) ;  but  that  from  this  temptation  I 
have  learned  much  in  spiritual  things,  which  are  meant  by 
the  vases  of  silver-j-  I  intended  to  send  back  to  the  clergy- 
man, and  indeed  that  for  the  glory  of  God  we  ought  to  make 
returns  to  the  church  at  large  in  some  form  or  other;  this, 
it  seems  to  me,  will  also  perhaps  be  done. 

33.  Afterwards  I  was  with  a  very  large  company  at  another 
clergyman's,  where,  it  seemed  to  me,  I  had  been  before.  Upon 
alighting  it  seemed  to  me  as  if  there  were  so  many  of  us 
that  the  clergyman  would  be  over-run;  I  did  not  like  his 
being  burdened  by  so  great  a  number. — This  means  that  at 
improper  times  I  had  many  unruly  thoughts,  which  were  beyond 
my  control;  these  were  also  represented  by  roving  Poles  and 
hussars  who  had  appeared  to  me  before ;  they  seemed,  how- 
ever, to  go  away.:}: 

34,  I  was  also  in  a  temptation,§  where  thoughts  invaded 
me  which  I  could  not  control;  nay  they  poured  in  so  power- 
fully, that  all  my  other  thoughts  were  kept  under,  and  full 
liberty  was  given  them  to  resist  the  power  of  the  Spirit, 
which  leads  in  a  different  direction;**  the  infestation  was,  in- 
deed, so  strong  that  unless  God's  grace  had  been  stronger,  I 
must  either  have  succumbed  or  become  mad.  During  that 
time  I  could  not  direct  my  thoughts  to  the  contemplation  of 
Christ,  whom  I  had  seen  for  that  brief  moment  (see  no.  27). 
The  action  of  the  Spirit  and  its  power  affected  me  so,  that  I 
almost  lost  my  senses, — My  visit  to  the  second  clergyman  was 
meant  by  all  this.  I  can  only  compare  this  to  a  pair  of  scales, 
in  one  of  which  is  our  own  will  and  our  sinful  nature,  and  in 
the  other  God's  power. j-j-  These  our  Lord  disposes  in  temp- 
tation,   so  that  they  are  in    a  state  of  equilibrium;   as  soon 


*  See  Note  165,  viii.  f  See  Note  161,  xiii. 

t  See  Note  161,  vi.  §  See  Note  162,  i  E. 

**  See  Note  165,  iv.  ff  See  Note  165,  x. 


Doc.  209.]      HIS  SPIRITUAL  EXPERIE2^CE  IN  1744.  163 

then  as  it  is  borne  down  on  this  side,  He  helps  it  up  again. 
Such  have  I  found  to  be  the  case,  speaking  in  a  natural 
manner;  from  which  it  follows  that  this  is  far  from  being  our 
own  power,  for  that  draws  the  scale  down,  and  is  rather 
opposed  to,  than  co-operating  with  the  Spirit's  power;  and, 
consequently,  it  is  entirely  our  Lord's  work,  which  is  thus 
disposed  by  Him. 

35.  I  then  found  that  things  were  reproduced  in  my  thoughts, 
which  had  entered  into  them  long  before;  and  I  saw  confirmed 
thereby  the  truth  of  God's  Word  that  there  is  not  the  least 
word  or  the  least  thought  which  God  does  not  know,  and  for 
which  we  ourselves  should  not  be  responsible,  were  it  not  for 
God's  grace.* 

36.  This  have  I  learned,  that  the  only  thing  in  this  state 
— and  I  do  not  know  any  other — is,  in  all  humility  to  thank 
God  for  His  grace,  and  to  pray  for  it,  and  to  recognize  our 
own  unworthiness,  and  God's  infinite  grace.* 

37.  It  was  wonderful  that  I  could  have  at  one  and  the 
same  time  two  thoughts,  which  were  quite  distinct:  one  for 
myself  who  was  occupied  entirely  by  different  thoughts,  and 
at  the  same  time  the  thoughts  of  the  temptation,  in  such  wise 
that  nothing  was  able  to  drive  them  away.  This  kept  me  in 
such  a  state  of  captivity  that  I  was  at  a  loss  whither  to  fly, 
for  I  carried  them  with  me. 

38.  Afterwards,  when  various  things  occurred  to  me,  of 
which  I  had  thought  long  ago,  and  which  had  become  fixed 
in  my  mind,  it  was  just  as  if  I  had  been  told  that  I  had 
found  reasons  for  excusing  myself — this  also  was  a  great 
temptation  for  me — or  again  reasons  for  attrilniting  to  myself 
the  good  that  I  had  done,  or  rather  that  was  done  through 
me:  but  God's  Spirit  prevented  even  this,  and  caused  me  to 
find  it  otherwise. 

This  last  [temptation]-|-  was  severer  than  the  first,  as 
it  went  to  the  innermost,  and  to  resist  it  I  received  a  stronger 
evidence  of  the  Spirit;  for  at  times  I  broke  into  a  perspir- 
ation.     AVhat    then    arose   in   my   mind    had    no    longer   the 


*  See  Note  165,  viii.  f  bee  Note  162,  i,  E. 

11* 


1 64      S  WEDENB OEG'S  TEA  YELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  209. 

effect  of  condemning  me;  for  I  had  a  strong  assurance 
that  I  had  been  forgiven;  but  the  desire  came  to  excuse  my- 
self, and  make  myself  free.  Very  often  I  burst  into  tears, 
not  of  sorrow,  but  of  inmost  joy  at  our  Lord's  deigning  to  be 
so  gracious  to  so  unworthy  a  sinner ;  for  the  sum  of  all  I 
found  to  be  this,  that  the  only  thing  needful  is  to  cast  one- 
self in  all  humility  on  our  Lord's  grace,  to  recognize  one's 
own  umvorthiness,  and  to  thank  God  in  humility  for  His 
grace:  for  if  there  is  a  feeling  of  glorification  contained  in  it, 
the  tendency  of  which  is  towards  our  own  honour — whether  it 
is  a  glorification  of  God's  grace  or  of  anjiihing  else — such  a 
feeling  is  impiu-e.* 

40.  While  I  was  thinking,  as  is  often  the  case,  suppose 
some  one  should  consider  me  as  a  saint,  and  on  that  account 
think  highly  of  me;  nay,  suppose,  as  is  done  by  some  simple- 
minded  people,  he  should  not  only  revere  but  also  adore  [me] 
as  one  whom  he  considers  a  holy  man  or  a  saint;  in  this 
case  I  found  that  in  the  zeal  in  which  I  was,  I  was  willing 
to  inflict  upon  him  the  greatest  possible  pain,  rather  than 
that  sin  should  be  laid  upon  him.  I  saw  also  that  I  must 
entreat  the  Lord  with  the  most  earnest  prayers,  not  to  have 
any  share  in  so  damnable  a  sin,  which  would  then  be  laid  to 
my  charge.  For  Christ,  in  whom  dwells  the  fulness  of  the 
Godhead,  must  alone  be  addressed  in  prayer,-]-  because  He 
graciously  accepts  the  greatest  sinner,  and  does  not  take  into 
account  our  unworthiness ,  wherefore  we  must  not  approach 
any  except  Him  in  prayer.  He  is  omnipotent,  and  the  only 
Mediator;:}:  what  He  does  on  account  of  others  who  have  been 
sanctified,  is  His  concern,  not  ours. 

41.  I  found  that  I  was  more  unworthy  than  others  and  the 
greatest  sinner,  for  this  reason,  that  our  Lord  has  granted  me 
to  penetrate  by  thought  into  certain  things  more  deeply  than 
many  others;  and  the  very  source  of  sin  hes  in  the  thoughts 
I  am  carrying  out;  so  that  my  sins  have  on  that  account  a 
deeper  foundation  than   those   of  many  others;  and  in  this  I 


*  See  Note  165,  \m.  f  See  Note  165,  ii. 

J  See  Note  165.  i,  and  v. 


Doc.  209.]     HIS  SPIRIT  UAL  EXPERIENCE  IN  1 744.  165 

found  my  unwortliiness  and  my  sins  greater  than  those  of  other 
men.  For  it  is  not  sufficient  to  declare  one's  own  unworthi- 
ness,  since  the  heart  may  be  far  removed  from  such  a  decla- 
ration, and  it  may  be  a  mere  matter  of  the  imagination;  but 
actually  to  see  that  such  is  the  case,  is  due  to  the  grace  of 
the  Spirit. 

42.  Now,  while  I  was  in  the  spirit,  I  thought  and  strove 
by  thought  to  attain  a  knowledge  of  how  to  avoid  all  that  was 
impure;  I  noticed,  however,  that  this  intruded  itself  from  the 
ground  of  the  love  of  self,  on  all  occasions*  whenever  any- 
thing was  reflected  upon;  as,  for  instance,  when  any  one  did 
not  regard  me  according  to  my  own  estimation  of  myself,  I 
thought,  Oh,  if  you  only  knew  what  grace  I  have,  you  would 
act  diiferently;  this  then  was  not  only  impure,  but  originated 
in  the  love  of  self.  At  last  I  found  this  out,  and  entreated 
God's  forgiveness,  and  I  then  wished  that  others  also  might 
have  the  same  grace,  as  they  perhaps  either  have  had  or  will 
have.  From  this  I  observed  clearly  that  there  was  still  in  me 
that  same  pernicious  apple  which  has  not  yet  been  converted, 
and  which  is  Adam's  root  and  his  hereditary  sin.*  Yes,  and 
an  infinite  number  of  other  roots  of  sin  remain  in  me. 

43.  I  heard  some  one  ask  his  neighbour  at  the  table, 
whether  any  one  could  be  melancholy  who  had  an  abundance 
of  money.  I  reflected,  and  if  it  had  been  proper  for  me  in 
company,  or  if  the  question  had  been  addressed  to  me,  I  would 
have  answered,  "A  person  who  has  every  thing  in  abundance, 
is  not  only  subject  to  melancholy,  but  is  even  exposed  to  that 
higher  kind  of  melancholy  which  belongs  to  the  mind  and  soul, 
or  to  man's  spirit  which  causes  it.  I  wondered  that  the  person 
could  raise  such  a  question.  To  this  I  can  the  better  testify, 
as  all  that  I  can  reasonably  require  has  been  bestowed  upon 
me  by  God's  grace  in  abundance.  I  can  live  plentifully  on 
my  annual  income ;  I  can  carry  out  what  I  have  in  mind,  and 
yet  have  a  sur})lus.  I  can  therefore  bear  witness  that  the 
sorrow  or  melancholy  which  arises  from  want  of  the  necessaries 
of  life,  is  of  a  lower  and  corporeal  kind,  and  does  not  equal 
the  other.     (The  power  of  the  Spirit  prevails  in  the  one  kind, 

*  See  Note  165,  vii. 


166      SWEDEKBOBG'S  TRAVELS  AND  DIABIES.  [Doc.  209. 

but  whether  it  does  in  the  other  I  do  not  know,  for  it  is 
possible  that  the  other  is  intensified  on  mere  bodily  grounds. 
Still  I  will  not  go  further  into  this  subject).* 

44.  I  saw  a  bookshop,  and  immediately  the  thought  struck 
me  that  my  work  would  have  more  effect  than  that  of  others ; 
yet  I  checked  myself  at  once ;  for  one  serves  another,  and  our 
Lord  has  more  than  a  thousand  ways  by  which  to  prepare  a 
man,  so  that  each  and  every  book  must  be  left  to  its  own 
merits,  as  a  means  near  or  remote,  according  to  the  rational 
condition  of  every  man.  Still  arrogance  at  once  crops  up: 
may  God  control  it,  for  the  power  is  in  His  hands! 

45.  I  experienced  so  much  of  the  Lord's  grace,  when  I 
resolved  to  keep  my  thoughts  in  a  state  of  purity,  as  to  feel 
an  inmost  joy;-]-  still  this  was  accompanied  by  pain  of  body, 
which  could  not  bear  the  heavenly  joy  of  my  soul,  wherefore 
I  commended  myself  most  humbly  to  God's  grace,  that 
He  would  do  with  me  according  to  His  good  pleasure.  May 
God  grant  me  humility  to  see  my  frailty,  impurity,  and  un- 
worthiness. 

46.  All  the  while  I  was  in  society  constantly  as  before, 
and  no  one  could  [observe]  the  least  change  in  me;  this  was 
of  God's  grace:^ ....  I  was  not  allowed  to  mention  the  large 
measure  of  grace  which  had  fallen  to  my  lot;  for  I  perceived 
that  on  the  one  hand  it  could  serve  no  other  purpose  than  to 
set  people  thinking  about  me  either  favourably  or  unfavourab- 
ly, according  to  their  disposition  towards  me;  and,  on  the  other 
hand,  it  would  not  be  productive  of  any  use,  if  the  glorification 
of  God's  grace  [served  to  encourage]  my  own  self-love.§ 

47.  The  best  comparison  I  could  make  of  myself  was  with 
a  peasant  elevated  to  power  as  a  prince  or  king,  so  that  he 
could   have    whatever   his   heart   desired;    and   yet  there  was 


*  The  passage  enclosed  in  parenthesis  was  evidently  crossed  out  by  the 
writer  immediately  after  he  had  penned  it. 

t  See  Note  162,  ii.  ^  See  Note  165,  viii. 

§  This  paragrajjh,  according  to  a  statement  of  the  Swedish  editor,  is 
crossed  out  in  the  original,  the  pen  having  been  di-awn  thi'ough  each  hne. 
After  a  good  deal  of  trouble  a  portion  of  the  writing  has  been  deciphered 
by  him.     The  words  in  brackets  have  been  su^^pHed  by  the  translator. 


Doc.  209.]     HIS  SPIRIT  UAL  EXPERIENCE  IN  1744.  167 

something  in  liim  -which  desired  to  teach  him  that  he  himself 
knew  nothing.  By  this  comparison,  however,  it  is  seen  that 
it  is  Thy  liand  [O  God]  which  causes  this  great  joy.  I  was 
appreliensive,  however,  that  he  [the  peasant]  was  not  able  to 
place  himself  in  [the  way  of]  this  grace. 

48.  April  8X9.  It  seemed  to  me,  as  if  I  held  a  dog  on 
my  knees,  which,  to  my  astonishment,  was  able  to  talk,  and 
ask  after  its  former  owner  Swab.*^"^*  It  was  of  a  blackish 
colour,  and  even  kissed  me. — I  awoke,  and  entreated  Christ's 
mercy  for  cherishing  so  much  pride  and  arrogance,  by  which 
I  flatter  myself. 

Afterwards  it  seemed  to  me  that  on  my  day  of  prayer, 
which  was  yesterday,  many  things  had  been  packed  up  for 
the  army.-f 

49.  A  young   woman    dressed   in   black  then  came  in  and 

said  that  I  had  to  go  to .Whereupon  she  came  beliind  me 

holding  me  so  firmly  along  the  whole  back  with  her  hands, 
that  I  could  not  move.  I  prayed  some  one  standing  by  to 
help  me,  when  he  got  her  away ;  but  I  had  no  power  to  move 
my  arm  myself. — This  had  reference  to  the  temptation  on  the 
previous  day,  and  to  my  inability  to  do  any  good  from  my- 
self.— I  then  heard  as  if  some  one  were  whistling,  when  he 
[she?]  went  away,  and  I  was  seized  with  a  tremor.^ 

50.  Afterwards  I  saw  some  one  in  St.  Peter's  church  going 
into  the  vault  underneath,  where  Peter  is  lying.  He  was  taken 
out,  but  it  was  said  that  another  was  hiding  there. 

It  seemed  to  me  as  if  I  were  at  liberty  to  go  in  and  out. 
May  God  lead  me. 

Afterwards  I  saw  all  my  impurity,  and  recognized  that  I 
was  unclean  from  head  to  foot. — I  called  on  the  mercy  of 
Jesus  Christ. 

It  then  seemed  to  me  that  "I  poor  sinful  creature"  was 
brought  before  me.  This  [i.  e.  the  prayer  from  the  Swedish 
prayer-book  containing  this  sentiment]  I  read  the  following  day. 


*  See  Note  101,  i. 

t  That  is,  it  liad  provided  Swedenborg  with   states  useful  in  his  next 
temptations. 

I  See  Note  162,  F. 


168      SWEDENBOBG'S  TBA  VELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  209. 

51.  April  9X10.  The  whole  day  of  the  9th  I  spent  in 
prayer,  in  songs  of  praise,  in  reading  God's  Word,  and  fasting ; 
except  in  the  morning  when  I  was  otherwise  occupied,  until 
the  same  kind  of  temptation  came,  and  I  was  compelled  to 
think  on  subjects  contrary  to  my  own  will. 

52.  This  night  I  slept  very  tranquilly.  At  three  or  four 
o'clock  I  awoke  and  lay  awake,  but  in  a  kind  of  vision.  I 
could  look  up  and  be  observant  whenever  I  chose,  so  that  I 
was  not  otherwise  than  awake,  and  yet  in  the  spirit  there  was 
an  inward  gladness  which  diffused  itself  over  the  whole  body. 
All  seemed  in  a  wonderful  and  transcendent  manner  (pa 
qfwersiuinnerligit  sett)  to  approach  and  conspire  (aboiiterade) ; 
to  rise  up  as  it  were  and  nestle  in  infinitude  as  a  centre, 
where  Love  itself  was;*  thence  it  seemed  to  extend  itself 
around  and  thus  down  again.  In  this  manner  it  moved  in 
an  incomprehensible  circle  [spire?]  whose  centre  was  Love, 
around  and  thus  hither  again;  that  Love  moved  towards 
and  into  a  mortal  body,  so  that  I  became  filled  with  it. 
I  likened  that  inward  feeling  of  gladness  to  what  is  felt 
by  a  chaste  husband  who  is  in  an  actual  state  of  love, 
and  enjoys  its  supreme  delight  with  his  spouse.  Such  a 
supreme  feeling  of  bliss  was  shed  over  my  whole  body,  and 
indeed,  for  a  long  time,  even  during  the  whole  time  before  I 
fell  asleep,  and  after  I  awoke  for  a  half,  nay  for  a  whole  hour.f 
Now,  when  I  was  in  the  spirit  and  yet  awake — for  I  could 
lift  up  my  eyes  and  be  awake — and  when  I  came  into  the 
same  state  again,  I  saw  and  perceived  that  that  supreme 
Love*  was  the  source  of  that  inmost  and  real  feeling  of 
gladness;  and  that  in  proportion  as  I  could  be  in  that  Love, 
in  the  same  proportion  I  was  in  a  state  of  bliss ;  but  as  soon 
as  I  came  into  another  love  which  did  not  centre  in  it,  I 
was  beyond  its  influence.  When  there  was  thus  an  affection 
for  self,  or  some  other  affection,  which  did  not  centre  in  that 
supreme  Love,  I  was  no  longer  in  that  state  of  gladness;  a 
shght  chill  crept  over  me,  I  shivered  and  felt  a  pain,  whence 
I  found  that  that  was  the  source  of  my  pains  sometimes,  and 
also  of  that  great  pain  and  sorrow  when  the  spirit  is  troubled; 

*  See  Note  165,  ii  and  iv.  t  See  Note  162,  ii. 


Doc.  209.]      HIS  SPIRITUAL  EXPERIENCE  IN  1744.  169 

likewise  when  a  person  receives  Christ  at  the  communion  in  an 
unworthy  manner  this  causes  him  in  the  end  to  he  in  eternal 
torments  and  constitutes  hell ;  for  the  Spirit  visits  upon  man  such 
an  unworthiness. — From  the  state  in  which  I  was,  I  came  still 
deeper  into  the  spirit,  and  although  I  was  awake,  I  could  not 
control  mj'self,  hut  was  seized  with  an  irresistihle  impulse  to 
throw  myself  on  my  face,  to  raise  my  hands,  and  pray,  as 
before  [see  no.  27],  about  my  unworthiness,  and  to  ask  with 
the  deepest  humility  and  reverence  for  grace,  that  I,  who  am 
the  greatest  of  sinners,  may  receive  forgiveness  of  sins.  I 
then  noticed  that  I  was  in  a  similar  state  to  that  in  which 
I  had  been  the  night  before;  but  more  I  could  not  see,  as  I 
was  awake.  I  wondered  at  this,  and  it  was  then  shown  to 
me  in  the  spirit,  that  a  man  in  that  condition  is  like  one 
who  has  liis  head  down  and  his  feet  up;  and  it  occurred 
to  me  why  Moses  had  to  take  off  his  shoes,  when  he  was  to 
approach  the  Holy  One;  and  also  why  Christ  washed  the 
apostles'  feet,  and  answered  Peter  that  it  is  sufficient  to  wash 
the  feet.* — Afterwards  I  perceived  in  the  spirit  that  what 
proceeds  from  the  centre  itself  which  is  Love,  is  the  Holy 
Spirit,-|-  which  is  represented  by  water  ;^  for  this  was  mentioned, 
and  also  aqua  (water)  or  unda  (a  wave).  In  short,  if  a  person 
is  in  such  a  state  that  he  is  not  influenced  by  a  love  which 
centres  in  himself,  but  by  one  which  centres  in  the  common 
good,  such  as  on  earth  or  in  the  moral  world  represents  love 
in  the  spiritual  world;  and  if  he  is  not  in  that  love  for  the 
sake  of  himself  or  of  society,  but  for  the  sake  of  Christ,  whose 
love  constitutes  also  the  centre — if  a  person  is  in  such  a  state, 
then  he  is  in  a  right  state;  Christ  is  [then]  the  ultimate  end, 
and  the  rest  are  mediate  ends  leading  directly  towards  the 
ultimate  end.§ 

53.  Afterwards  I  fell  asleep,  and  saw  one  of  my  acquaint- 
ances sitting  at  a  table;  he  saluted  me,  but  I  did  not  notice 
it  at  once,  and  before  I  returned  his  salutation  he  became 
offended  and  addressed  some  harsh  words  to  me.  I  tried 
to    excuse   myself,    and    at   last   succeeded.     I    said,    I    am 


*  See  Note  161,  xii.  f  See  Note  165,  iv. 

J  See  Note  161,  vii.  §  Compare  Note  166,  iv. 


1 70      -S  WEDENBOEG'S  TBA  VELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  209. 

habitually  engaged  in  thought,  so  that  I  do  not  observe 
when  1  am  saluted,  and  sometimes  pass  my  friends  in  the 
streets  without  noticing  them.  I  appealed  to  an  acquaintance 
who  was  present  to  bear  witness  to  that,  when  he  affirmed  it; 
I  added  that  no  one  was  more  desirous  to  be  polite  and 
humble  than  I  (and  may  God  grant  that  this  may  ever  be 
so).  Ttiis  was  on  account  of  the  previous  night,  when  I  in- 
dulged in  thoughts  different  from  what  I  ought  to  have  done. 
May  our  Lord,  in  His  infinite  grace,  excuse  me.  My  friend, 
however,  made  no  reply;  whence  it  seemed  that  he  was  satis- 
fied, as  I  thought. 

54.  x^pril  10X11.  I  came  into  a  low  room  where  there 
were  many  people;  but  I  looked  only  at  a  woman  who  was  in 
black,  but  not  ill-looking;  she  went  far  into  a  chamber,  but  I 
would  not  follow,  though  with  her  hand  she  beckoned  me  to- 
wards the  door.  Afterwards  I  went  out,  when  I  found  myself 
several  times  stopped  by  a  spectre  which  attached  itself  to 
me,  covering  the  whole  of  my  back;  finally  it  disappeared.  I 
came  out,  wiien  a  hideous  spectre  approached  me  and  did  the 
same;  it  was  an  ugly  old  man;  at  last  I  escaped  from  them. — 
These  were  my  thoughts  on  the  previous  day,  when  I,  indeed, 
looked  upon  myself  as  entirely  unworthy,  and  thought  that  I 
would  never  be  able  to  continue  in  this  state  during  the  whole 
of  my  life-time;  nevertheless  I  comforted  myself  with  this 
thought,  that  God  is  mighty  in  everything,  and  that  His  power 
was  doing  this ;  yet  there  was  something  in  me,  that  prevented 
my  submitting  myself  to  God's  grace  as  I  ought  to  have  done, 
thus  suffering  Him  to  do  with  me  according  to  His  good 
pleasure. 

55.  On  stepping  out,  I  saw  many  people  sitting  in  a  gallery, 
when,  lo,  a  stream  of  water*  came  rushing  down  through  the 
roof;  it  was  so  impetuous  that  it  penetrated  everything  that 
was  in  its  way.  Some  tried  to  close  the  opening  so  that  no 
water  might  come  in;  others  tried  to  escape  that  it  might 
not  reach  them;  otliers  again  dissipated  the  stream  into  drops, 
while  some  directed  it  outside  the  gallery. — This,  I  believe, 
meant  that  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit*  flowed  into  my  body 

*  See  Note  161,  vii. 


Do  c.  209.]     ins  SPIRIT  UAL  EXPEEIEXCE  IN  1 744.  1 7 1 

and  thoughts;  part  of  it  I  stop])^d  up,  from  another  part  I 
sought  to  escape,  and  still  another  part  I  turned  aside:  for 
the  people*  signified  my  thoughts  and  my  will. 

56.  Afterwards  I  came  out  thence,  and  began  in  thought,  in 
a  certain  way,  to  measure  and  divide  into  parts  what  proceeded 
Irom  the  centre  to  the  circumference  [see  no.  52].  It  seemed 
to  be  heaven ;  for  there  appeared  afterwards  a  heavenly  lustre. — 
I  can,  indeed,  make  guesses  about  this;  but  I  am  not  allowed 
to  look  upon  them  as  certain,  because  it  concerns  something 
in  the  future. 

57.  AVhilst  I  was  in  the  first  struggle,  I  called  on  Jesus 
for  help,  and  it  ceased.  I  also  folded  my  hands  under  my 
head,  and  then  it  did  not  come  a  second  time.  I  was,  never- 
theless, in  a  tremor-j-  when  I  awoke,  and  heard  now  and  then 
a  dull  soimd;  but  I  do  not  know  whence.^ 

58.  Afterwards,  when  awake,  I  began  thinking  whether  all 
this  was  not  mere  phantasy;  and  I  then  noticed  that  my 
faith  was  vacillating.  I  therefore  pressed  my  hands  together, 
and  prayed  that  I  might  be  strengthened  in  faith,  which  also 
took  place  immediately.  Again,  when  thoughts  occurred  to 
me  about  my  being  worthier  than  others,  I  prayed  in  like 
manner,  whereupon  these  thoughts  at  once  vanished;  if,  there- 
fore, our  Lord  in  the  least  withdraw  His  hand  from  any  one, 
he  is  out  of  the  true  path,  and  also  out  of  [a  state  of]  faith, 
as  has  been  manifestly  the  case  with  me. 

59.  I  slept  this  night  about  eleven  hours,  and  during  the 
whole  of  the  morning  was  in  my  usual  state  of  internal  gladness, 
which  was,  nevertheless,  attended  with  a  pang:  this,  I  thought, 
arose  from  the  power  of  the  Spirit  and  my  own  unworthiness. 
At  last,  with  God's  help,  I  came  into  these  thoughts,  that 
we  ought  to  be  contented  with  everything  which  pleases  the 
Lord,  because  it  is  for  the  Lord  [and  not  for  us]  to  say; 
and,  further,  that  the  Spirit  is  not  resisted,  when  we  receive 
from  God  the  assurance  that  it  is  God's  grace  which  does  all 
tilings   for  our   welfare  :§    for   if  we    are   God's,   we  must   be 


*  See  Note  161,  \-i.  f  See  Note  161,  i,  F 

t  See  Note  162,  i,  E.  §  See  Note  165,  ^^ii. 


172      SWEDENB  ORG'S  TRA  YELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  209. 

delighted  with  whatever  He  pleases  to  do  with  His  own;  still 
we  must  ask  the  Lord  for  this,  because  not  even  the  least 
thing  is  in  our  own  power.  For  this  the  Lord  gave  me  His 
grace.  I  reflected  upon  this,  desiring  to  understand  the  reason 
why  all  this  happens.*  Yet  this  was  sinful;  for  my  thoughts 
ought  not  to  have  gone  in  that  direction,  but  I  ought  to  have 
prayed  to  the  Lord  for  power  to  control  them.  It  ought  to 
be  enough  for  us  [to  know]  that  it  so  pleases  the  Lord.  Li 
everything  we  ought  only  to  call  upon  Him,  pray  to  and  thank 
Him,  and  with  humility  recognize  our  own  unworthiness. 

60.  I  am  still  weary  in  my  body  and  mind;  for  I  know 
nothing  except  my  own  unworthiness,  and  am  in  pain  on 
account  of  being  a  wretched  creature.  I  see  by  this  know- 
ledge that  I  am  unworthy  of  the  grace  I  have  received. 

61.  1  observed  also  that  the  stream  of  water  which  rushed 
down  [cfr.  no.  55]  penetrated  the  clothes  of  some  one,  as  he 
withdrew.  It  is  possible  that  a  drop  of  it  reached  me,  and 
that  it  urges  me  on  so;  suppose  the  whole  stream  [had  descended 
upon  me]? 

I  therefore  accepted  the  following  creed:  God's  will  be 
done;  I  am  Thine  and  not  mine.-|- 

God  give  His  grace  for  this  [work];  for  it  is  not  mine. 

62.  I  learned  that  a  person  may  be  in  spiritual  anguish; 
even  though  he  be  assured  by  the  Spirit  that  his  sins  are  for- 
given, and  although  he  have  the  hope  and  confidence  that  he 
is  in  God's  grace. 

63.  April  11X12.  I  dreamt  during  the  whole  night,  yet 
I  recollect  only  very  little.  It  seemed  to  me  as  if  I  were 
instructed  the  whole  night  in  many  things  which  I  do  not 
remember.  I  was  asleep  for  nearly  eleven  hours,  and  what 
I  recollect  seems  to  be  this:  1.  The  substantial  or  essential 
points  which  one  ought  to  pay  attention  to  and  to  seek  after 
were  mentioned.  2.  The  thymus  gland  and  succenturiate  kidneys 
were  mentioned.^    Of  this  I  make  the  following  explanation: 

*  That  is,  why  Swedenborg  had  to  exi^erience  these  pecuhar  states. 
■\-  This  is  crossed  out  in  the  original.     See  also  no.  69. 
t  The  thymus  gland  and  its  relation  to  the  succenturiate  kidneys  or 
suijrarenal  capsules  (glandules  renales),  are  treated  of  by  Swedenborg  in 


Doc.  209.J      II JS  SPIRITUAL  EXFERIEXCE  Jx^  1744.  173 

As  the  thymus  gland  secretes  the  impure  serum  from  the  blood, 
and  the  renal  glands  or  succenturiate  kidneys  remit  the  same 
in  a  purified  condition  into  the  blood,*  such  is  the  case  with 
us,  I  believe,  in  a  spiritual  manner.  3.  My  sister  Caisa-|-  ap- 
peared, who  had  done  something  wrong,  and  then  lain  down 
and  screamed;  when  our  mother  came,  she  assumed  quite  a 
different  expression  and  language.:^ — The  explanation  of  this 
shall  be  given  afterwards.  4.  A  clergyman  was  there  who 
preached  to  a  large  congregation,  and  at  the  end  spoke  against 
another  person — whether  he  mentioned  his  name  or  not  I  do 
not  know.  A  man,  however,  rose  and  spoke  against  him,  say- 
ing that  it  ought  not  to  be  so.  I  met  them  afterwards  in  a 
private  company,  and  the  question  arising,  it  was  said  that 
the  punishment  for  such  a  course  was  disgrace  and  a  fine  of 
three  marks  S^vedish.  The  preacher  did  not  seem  to  know 
that  it  was  a  punishable  offence.  It  was  said  that  one  begins 
with  what  amounts  to  a  fine  of  one  mark  Swedish,  then  two 
marks,  &c. — This  signifies  that  it  is  wrong  to  preach,  or  speak, 
or  write  against  any  one  in  particular,  because  this  is  a  punish- 
able offence  and  libelous,  as  it  affects  one's  reputation  and 
honour.  5.  Afterwards  my  knees  moved  involuntarily,  which 
perhaps  signifies,  that  I  have  become  somewhat  humble;  which 
also  is  the  case  and  the  effect  of  God's  grace;  for  this  I  give 
thanks  in  the  most  humble  manner.§ 

64.  Afterwards  I  perceived  in  myself,  and  perhaps  from 
point  3  in  my  dream,  that  in  every  particular  thought,  and 
even  in  that  which  we  consider  pure,  an  infinite  quantity  of 
sin  and  impurity  is  contained,**  and  likewise  in  every  desire 
which  enters  from  the  body  into  the  thoughts;  these  spring 
from  great  roots.  Although,  therefore,  a  thought  may  appear 
pure,  it,  nevertheless,  is  a  fact  that  a  person   may  think  in  a 

the  Regnnm  Animale,  Latin  Edition,  Vol.  II,  no.  379,  p.  225;  English 
Edition,  Vol.  II,  no.  441,  p.  290.     See  Note  164,  iv. 

*  See  Regnum  Animale,  Enghsh  Edition,  Vol.  11,  p.  290,  no.  iii;    also 
Note  164,  iv, 

f  Catharine,  see  Note  5,  C,  and  Document  9,  Table  IV,  p.  91. 

J  See  Note  161,  i. 

§  See  Note  161,  xii,  and  Introduction  to  Document  208,  p.  140. 
**  See  Note  165,  vii. 


1 74      5 WEDENB ORG'S  TEA  YELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  209. 

certain  way  from  timidity,  hypocrisy,  and  (many  other  causes, 
as  may  also  be  traced  out  by  an  exploration  of  the  thoughts; 
so  that  on  this  account  man  is  so  much  the  more  unable  to 
free  himself  from  sin,  and  there  is  not  a  single  thought  which 
is  not  very  much  alloyed  with  uncleanness  and  impurity  [compare 
no.  178].  It  is  therefore  best  that  man  should  every  hour  and 
every  moment  acknowledge  that  he  is  deserving  of  the  punish- 
ment of  hell;  but  that  God's  grace  and  mercy  which  are  in 
Jesus  Christ  overlook  it  [see  Note  165,  ii].  I  have,  indeed, 
observed  that  our  whole  will  into  which  we  are  born,  and 
which  is  ruled  by  the  body  and  introduces  thought,  is  opposed 
to  the  Spirit  which  does  this  ;*  wherefore  there  is  a  continual 
strife,  and  we  can  by  no  manner  of  means  unite  ourselves 
with  the  Spirit,  which  by  grace  is  with  us;  and  hence  it  is 
that  we  are  dead  to  everything  good,  but  to  everything  evil 
we  are  inclined  from  ourselves.-]-  For  this  reason  we  must 
at  all  times  acknowledge  ourselves  guilty  of  innumerable  sins; 
because  our  Lord  God  knows  all,  and  we  only  very  Httle  about 
them ;  we  know  only  so  much  as  enters  into  our  thoughts,  and 
only  when  it  also  enters  into  the  actions  do  we  become  con- 
vinced of  it.^     (It  is  also  to  be  noticed— §) 

65.  April  12X13.  I  perceived  that  it  is  as  I  had  also 
thought  by  the  Spirit  on  the  previous  day,  and  as  had  been 
represented  to  me  by  some  sort  of  luminous  spiritual  writing,** 
viz.  that  the  will  has  most  to  say  in  the  understanding ;-]"{-  for 
on  inhaling  the  breath  the  thoughts  press  in  from  the  body, 
and  on  exhaling  it  they  are  as  it  were  driven  out  or  rectified; 
so  that  the  very  thoughts  have  their  alternate  play  like  the 
respiration  of  the  lungs.  The  inhalation  of  the  breath  belongs 
to  the  will,  and  its  exhalation  to  nature,  and  at  each  respiration 
the  thoughts  also  undergo  their  changes,  so  that  when  wicked 
thoughts  entered  the  mind,  I  had  only  to  hold  in  the  breath, 
whereupon  they  ceased.     From  this  the  reason   may   be  seen 


*  That  is,  which  conveys  to  us  God's  grace  and  mercy;  see  Note  165,  vii. 
f  See  Note  165,  vii.  i  See  Note  166,  i. 

§  These  words  are  crossed  out  in  the  original. 
**  See  Note  161,  i,  B,  and  G.  ff  See  Note  166,  u. 


Doc.  209.]      7/15  SPIRIT  UAL  EXPERIENCE  IX  1 744.  1 7  5 

why  in  deep  tliought  the  hings  arc  kept  in  a  state  of  equilibrium 
and  at  rest,  and  breathe  more  naturally,  and  why  the  breath 
is  then  inhaled  more  rapidly  than  exhaled,  just  the  reverse  of 
what  is  usually  the  case;  likewise,  why,  when  a  person  is  in 
a  state  of  ecstasy  and  the  breath  is  retained,  the  thoughts  are 
as  it  were  absent ;  which  is  also  the  case  in  sleep,  when  both 
the  inhalation  and  exhalation  belong  to  nature,  and  when  that 
is  represented  which  flows  in  from  above.  The  same  may  be 
also  deduced  from  the  brain,  where  all  the  inmost  organs  to- 
gether with  the  brain  itself  are  in  a  state  of  expansion  during 
inhalation,  and  where  the  thoughts  originate  and  have  their 
course.* 

6G.  Afterwards  I  arrived  at  a  place  where  amazingly  large 
and  high  wind-mills  were  going  at  a  frightful  speed.  I  came 
then  into  darkness,  so  that  I  crept  on  the  ground,  being  afraid 
of  some  of  the  sails  taking  hold  of,  and  thus  kilhng  me;  I 
really  got  beneath  a  sail,  which  then  stopped,  and  I  brought 
myself  into  such  a  position  that  the  sail  helped  me. — On  the 
previous  day  I  had  had  conflicting  thoughts,  which  were 
signified  by  the  sails  of  the  mill;-j-  so  that  at  times  I  was  at 
a  loss  which  way  to  turn.  With  God's  grace,  however,  they 
were  tempered,  and  I  escaped  safe  and  sound;  wherefore,  glory 
and  honour  be  to  God,  who  has  respect  for  my  Aveakness! 

67.  Afterwards  it  seemed  to  me  as  if  I  w^as  in  company 
with  some,  who  appeared  desirous  of  making  gold;  but  they 
saAV  that  they  had  to  climb  up,  which  they  were  unable  to 
do,  and  that  otherwise  it  was  impossible  for  them  to  make 
gold.     This  continued  for  some  time,  until  at  last  I  was  to- 


**  A  summary  of  the  action  of  the  will  and  of  nature  in  respiration  is 
given  by  Swedenborg  in  the  Regnum  Animalc,  Latin  Edition,  Vol.  II,  no.  348, 
pp.  162,  163;  Enghsh  Edition,  Vol.  II,  no.  410,  p.  209  (u).  This  part 
he  probably  saw  through  the  press  at  the  time;  while  the  part  which  he 
was  preparing  for  the  press  was  the  chapter  on  the  tliymus  gland,  which 
he  mentions  in  no.  fi3,  (2).  Still  it  is  possible  that  during  the  day  he  was 
engaged  on  the  chapter  treating  of  the  diaphragm,  which  follows  that  on 
the  thymus  gland,  and  where  in  the  Latin  Edition,  no.  389,  note  I  (English 
Edition,  no.  451,  note  I,  p.  318)  he  likewise  discusses  the  action  of  the 
will  and  nature  in  respiration.  See  Note  166,  iii. 
f  See  Note  161,  xiii. 


176      SWEDENBORG'S  TRAVELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  209. 

gether  with  two,  who,  nevertheless,  persisted  in  ch'mbing  up, 
although  our  Lord  was  not  with  them.  I  said  that  this  could 
not  be  done,  and  then  went  up  before  them;  I  had  a  rope 
and  pulled,  and  I  then  perceived  that  there  was  something 
beneath  which  pulled  strongly  against  me,  and  at  last  I  saw 
that  it  was  a  man  against  whom  I  struggled,  and  whom  I 
thus  brought  up.  I  was  glad  then  and  told  them  it  was  as 
I  had  said. — The  signification  of  this  I  think  is,  that  gold 
means  that  which  is  good;*  that  aurum  (gold),  consequently, 
is  that  which  is  good  and  well-pleasing  to  God;  in  order  to 
receive  it  we  must  climb  up  to  Him,  and  this  does  not  lie  in 
our  power,  even  though  we  suppose  that  we  are  able  to  do  it 
from  our  own  strength;-]-  we  then  also  find  that  there  is  some 
one  who  pulls  strongly  in  an  opposite  direction ;  but  ultimately 
the  victory  is  gained  through  God's  grace.^ 

68.  After  this  I  was  for  a  long  time  in  the  same  thought, 
which  gradually  appeared  in  a  reddish  light;  by  which  was 
signified  the  presence  of  God's  grace  in  that  thought.§  The 
sum  and  substance  of  this  was,  that  we  must  really  do  what 
is  good  and  execute  it  with  God's  grace  and  in  the  faith 
granted  by  God,**  and  that  this  is  what  is  meant  by  making 
gold;*  for  in  that  case  we  receive  from  our  Lord  every- 
thing that  we  need,  and  what  is  useful  to  us.  This  was 
represented  to  me  very  powerfully,  viz.  that  that  which  is  good 
must  be  carried  into  effect,  and  that  in  this  lay  [the  meaning 
ofj  gold. 

69.  After  getting  up,  I  was  in  great  fear  of  our  Lord.  I 
was,  as  it  were,  in  a  state  of  cold,  and  at  every  least  wink  or 
thought  which  caused  me  to  fear,  I  was  seized  with  a  chill. 
God's  grace  thus  showed  me  that  I  had  to  strive  after 
salvation  amid  fear  and  trembling.**  But  I  have  for  my 
motto:  God's  will  be  done;  I  am  Thine  and  not  mine  [see 
no.  61];  as  therefore  I  have  given  myself  from  myself  to  the 
Lord,  He  may  dispose  of  me  after  His  own  pleasure.ff    In 


*  See  Note  161,  ix.  f  See  Note  165,  vii. 

I  See  Note  165,  viii.  §  See  Note  161,  vii. 

**  See  Note  165,  x. 
ff  See  Introduction  to  Document  208,  p.  134 


Dor.  200.]      HIS  SPIRITUAL  EXPERIENCE  IN  1744.  1 77 

the  body  there  seemed  to  be  something  of  discontent,  but  in 
tlie  spirit  joy;*  for  the  grace  of  our  Lord  does  this.  May 
God  strengthen  me  therein! 

70.  I  was  continually  in  a  state  of  combat  between 
thoughts  which  were  antagonistic  to  one  another.  I  pray  Thee, 
O  Almighty  God,  that  Thou  wouldst  grant  me  the  grace  of 
being  Thine  and  not  mine.  Pardon  my  saying-  that  I  am 
Thine  and  not  mine;  it  is  God's  and  not  my  privilege  to 
say  so.  I  pray  fo?'  the  grace  of  being  Thine,  and  of  not  being 
left  to  myself. 

April  13X14.  71.  It  seemed  to  me  as  if  the  grace  of 
the  Spirit  was  working  in  me  during  the  whole  night.  I  saw 
my  sister  Hedwig,^  with  whom  I  would  have  nothing  to  do-f- — 
This  signifies  that  I  must  not  touch  the  (Economia  [Regni] 
Animalis,].  but  leave  it. 

72.  It  seemed  afterwards  that  when  the  time  was  passing 
slowly,  she  first  said  to  her  children,  go  out  and  lock  [the 
house],  and  then  that  they  might  play  at  backgammon  or 
cards ;  whereupon  they  sat  down  and  beguiled  their  time  with 
it,  and  likewise  by  sitting  down  to  a  meal. — This,  I  believe, 
signifies  that  there  is  nothing  wrong  in  this,  if  it  is  done  in 
the  right  [spirit] — § 

73.  During  the  whole  day  I  was  in  conflicting  thought, 
which  tried  to  destroy  that  which  was  of  the  Spirit  by  abusive 
language.  I  found  therefore  that  the  temptation  was  very 
strong.**  By  the  grace  of  the  Spirit  I  was  led  to  fix  my 
tlioughts  on  a  piece  of  wood  or  a  tree,  then  on  the  cross  of 
Christ,  and  on  the  crucified  Christ;  and  whenever  I  did  so  the 
other  thoughts  fell  down  flat,  as  of  their  own  accord.  I  bore 
down  this  thought  so  strongly  upon  the  other,  that  it  seemed 
to  me  I  should  crush  the  tempter  with  the  cross,  and  drive 
him  away ;  when  I  was  relieved  for  a  time.  Afterwards  I  had 
to  fix  my  thoughts  upon  it  so  intently,  that  whenever  it  escaped 


*  See  Note  162,  ii.  f  See  Note  161,  i,  C. 

X  That  is,  that  Swedenborg  must  not  go  on  with  the  method  wliich 
he  had  followed  in  this  work;  but  that  he  must  follow  that  according  to 
which  ho  had  worked  out  the  Regnum  Animale. 

§  See  Note  161,  iv,  F.  **  See  Note  162,  i,  E. 

12 


1 78      S WEDENB ORG'S  TEA  YELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  209. 

from  tliem  and  my  interior  vision,  I  fell  into  temptation 
thoughts.  God  be  praised  who  gave  me  this  weapon !  May  God 
graciously  keep  me  in  it,  that  I  may  have  my  crucified  Saviour 
constantly  before  my  eyes.  For  I  dared  not  look  upon  my 
Jesus  whom  I  have  seen,*  because  I  am  an  unworthy  sinner ; 
but  I  ought  rather  to  fall  upon  my  face,  and  it  is  Jesus  who 
then  takes  me  up  to  Himself,  that  I  may  see  Him.  For  this 
reason  I  look  upon  the  crucified  Christ. 

74.  April  14X15.  It  seemed  to  me  as  if  I  were  racing 
down  the  stairs,  lightly  touching  each  step;  I  came  down 
safely  and  without  danger.  A  voice  came  from  my  dear  father, 
"You  are  frightening  people  thus,  Emanuel!"  He  said  it  was 
wrong,  but  he  would  let  it  pass. — The  reason  of  this  was, 
that  I  had  been  too  bold  yesterday  in  the  use  of  the  cross 
of  Christ;  but  by  God's  grace  I  came  through  without 
danger. 

75.  I  climbed  up  on  a  platform  [jay  Idengde  mig  pel  en 
lafive],  and  broke  off  the  neck  of  a  bottle;  some  thick  stuff 
came  out,  covering  the  floor  upon  wliich  it  flowed  down. — 
This,  I  believe,  means  that  yesterday  a  good  deal  of  evil  was 
rooted  out  of  my  thought.  I  sat  down  upon  that  which  was 
written,-f  showing  what  I  have  still  to  do. 

76.  I  heard  a  bear  growHng,  but  did  not  see  it.  I  dared 
not  remain  in  the  upper  story  of  the  house,  because  a  dead 
carcase  was  there  wliich  it  might  scent.  I  therefore  came 
down  into  the  room  of  Dr.  Morseus,"'':}:  and  shut  the  windows. — 
This  signifies  temptation,  it  may  be  to  greed  and  also  to 
something  else;  likewise,  that  I  am  progressing  in  my  ana- 
tomical speculations.§ 

77.  Doctor  Morceus  seemed  to  court  a  pretty  maiden,  and 
obtained  her  consent;  he  had  permission  to  take  her  where 
he  pleased.  I  jested  with  her,  saying  that  she  liked  to  say 
Yes,  and  the  like.     She  was   a  handsome  maiden,   and  grew 

*  See  no.  27.  t  Probably  his  MS.  for  the  printer. 

^  The  Swedish  editor  has  Dr.  Morsiis,  but  he  agrees  w-ith  the  editor 
of  these  Documents,  that  the  original  which  is  very  difficult  to  make  out, 
bears  also  the  reading  of  Morceus;  the  letter  ce  being  written  a  by 
Swedenborg,  thus  bearing  a  similarity  to  the  written  character  of  s. 

§  See  Note  161,  i. 


Doc.  209.]      ins  SPIRIT  UAL  EXPERIENCE  IN  1 744.  1 79 

taller  and  more  beautiful. — The    meaning  is,   that  I  was  to 
inform  myself  about  the  muscles  and  explore  them.* 

78.  I  had  a  preternaturally  good  and  long  sleep  for  twelve 
hours.  On  awaking  I  had  the  crucifixion  of  Jesus  and  His 
cross  before  my  eyes.  The  Spirit  came  with  its  heavenly 
and  almost  ecstatic  life  in  so  high  a  degree,  and  permitted 
me,  as  it  were,  to  rise  higher  and  higher  in  it,  that  if  I  had 
ascended  still  higher,  I  should  have  been  dissolved  in  this  real 
life  of  joy.-j- 

79.  It  then  appeared  to  me,  in  the  spirit,  that  I  had  gone 
too  far;  that  I  had  embraced  in  my  thoughts  Christ  on  the 
cross,  when  I  had  kissed  his  feet,  and  afterwards  moved  to 
a  distance,  falling  on  my  knees  and  praying  before  Him 
crucified:  it  seemed  as  if  the  sins  of  my  weakness  were 
forgiven,  whenever  I  did  this.  It  occurred  to  me  that  I 
might  have  Him  before  the  eyes  of  my  body  in  an  image; 
but  I  found  that  such  would  be  far  from  right,  and,  indeed,  a 
great  sin. 

80.  April  15X1G.  It  seemed  to  me  as  if  I  were  climbing 
up  a  ladder  fi'om  a  great  deep;  others,  women,  came  after 
me.^  I  stopped,  and  frightened  them  purposely,  and  then  went 
up.  A  green  sward  received  me,  where  -I  lay  down.  The 
others  came  after  me,  they  were  women,  and  lay  down  beside 
me;  one  was  young,  and  the  other  a  little  older.  I  kissed 
the  hands  of  both,  and  did  not  know  which  of  the  two  I 
should  love.^ — Those  who,  finally,  came  up  with  me,  and  whom 
I  met,  saluted,  and  received  again,  were  my  thoughts  and 
my  mental  occupation  (ouvrage  iVespit),  which  are  of  two 
kinds.§ 

81.  Afterwards  I  came  to  a  place  where  many  men**  were 
assembled;  a  great  number  of  handsome  young  people  were 

*  Swedenljorg  treats  of  the  muscles  in  the  Regmmi  Animale,  throughout 
the  whole  of  the  chapter  on  the  diaphragm;  especially  in  the  Latin  Edition, 
nos.  387 — 390,  EngUsh  Edition,  nos.  449—453.  He  also  wrote  a  special 
treatise  on  the  muscles  about  that  time,  which  is  contained  in  Codex  .58 
of  his  MSS.,  leaves  132  to  137,  and  which  is  photo-lithographed  in  Vol.  \1 
of  his  MSS.,  pages  13  to  25.    See  Note  161,  iv,  and  Note  164,  iv. 

t  See  Note  162,  ii.  ^  See  Note  161,  iv.  A,  B. 

§  See  no.  85,  (1).  **  See  Note  161,  vi. 

12* 


180       SWEDENBORG'S  TRAVELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  209. 

collected  in  a  crowd  in  one  spot;  fresh  numbers  joined  them, 
among  them  Henning  Gyllenborg^''°*  on  horseback;  I  went 
to  meet  him,  kissed  liim,  and  stood  by  him. — The  meaning  of 
this  is,  that  I  come  back  again  to  the  things  of  my  memory  and 
imagination,^  and  salute  them;  consequently  that  I  return 
to  the  ui^per  and  lower  faculties.^ 

82.  Afterwards  I  returned,  and  was  at  home  in  my  own 
house.  I  was  visited  by  many  people.  I  knew  I  had  hidden 
away  a  pretty  little  woman§  and  a  lad,  and  I  kept  them  hidden. 
There  was  otherwise  but  a  poor  store  of  provisions  in  a  heap. 
I  was  unwilling  to  get  out  my  plate,  on  which  I  was  to 
have  a  collation;  neither  was  I  willing  to  lead  them  into  an 
interior  gorgeous  room,  which  was  well  furnished. — This  signifies 
that  I  have  come  home  to  myself  again,  having  acquired  that 
knowledge  which  is  now  written;**  and  that  in  time  perhaps 
I  shall  make  use  of  it,  bring  out  the  silver  plate,  and  lead 
people  into  the  handsome  apartment. 

83.  It  seemed  to  me,  as  if  I  were  accusing  some  one,  but 
I  do  not  recollect  whom;  in  the  end,  however,  I  crossed  out 
and  excused  something;  since  the  person  himself  had  said 
it  was  so;  the  words,  however,  were  buried. — This  means  that 
I  accused,  and  again  excused  myself,  because  I  confessed  all 
myself. 

84.  The  word  Nicolaiian,  or  Nicolaus  Nicolai  (Nicholas  of 
Nicholas)  was  mentioned. — I  do  not  know  whether  this  means 
my  new  name. 

The  most  singular  thing  is,  that  I  now  represent  the  inner 
man,  and,  as  it  were,  another  than  myself;  that  I  visit  my  own 
thoughts,  frighten  them,  i.  e.  the  things  of  my  memory;  that 
I  accuse  another. — This  shows  that  matters  are  changed  now; 


*  See  Note  161,  ii.  f  See  Note  161,  vi. 

I  By  the  two  faculties,  the  upper  and  the  lower,  Swedenborg  means 
here  those  of  the  memory  and  the  imagination.  The  relations  between 
these  and  the  supreme  faculty  of  thought  are  described  by  him  in  the 
Epilogue  to  Volume  II  of  the  Begnum  Animale,  Latin  Edition,  no.  398, 
p.  270,  and  Enghsh  Edition,  no.  460,  p.  348,  especially  in  Note  i;  see 
Note  164,  iv.  §  See  Note  161,  iv. 

**  Swedenborg  seems  to  have  finished  here  the  manuscript  for  Vol  II. 
of  the  Begnum  Animale,  which  is  all  that  he  printed  at  the  Hague. 


Doc.  209.]     HIS  SPIRIT  UAL  EXPERIENCE  IN  1744.  ]  81 

and  that  I  represent  the  inner  man,  who  is  opposed  to  another 
[i.  e.  the  external  man].     For  I  prayed  to  God  that  I  miglit 
not  be  my  own,  but  that  God  miglit  please  to  let  me  be  His. 
This  has  now  lasted  for  twenty-one  days. 

85.  I  have  since  found  that  most  of  this  has  a  different 
meaning:  1.  The  two  women*  signified,  that  I  would  rather 
be  in  philosophical  than  in  spiritual  studies ;  that  this,  con- 
sequently, rather  exhibited  my  own  inclination.  2.  My  kissing 
Henning  Gyllenborg,  and  seeing  so  many  people,-j-  signified 
that  I  not  only  was  delighted  at  being  in  the  world,  but  also 
inclined  to  boast  of  my  work.  3.  Nicolaus  Nic6lai\.  was  a 
philosopher  who  every  year  sent  loaves  of  bread  to  Augustus; 
this  signified  first  of  all,  that  I  considered  it  my  duty  to  be 
again  reconciled  to  our  Lord,  since  in  spiritual  things  I  am  a 
stinking  corpse.§  On  this  account  I  went  to  our  Ambassador 
Preis^^^  and  he  called  on  Pastor  Pombo,  that  I  might  receive 
an£w  the  Lord's  Supper,  which  was  also  granted.  I  met 
him  "snth  the  ambassador  and  went  in  with  him;  this  was  our 
Lord's  providence.  The  same  day.  I  dined  with  Ambassador 
Preis,  but  had  no  appetite. 

86.  April  17.  I  received  the  Lord's  Supper  at  the  house 
of  Pastor  Pombo. 

87.  April  17X18.  I  had  fearful  dreams.  I  dreamt  how 
the  executioner  roasted  the  heads  wliich  he  had  struck  off; 
and  how  for  a  long  time  he  put  the  roasted  heads  one  after 
another  into  an  empty  stove,  which  never  was  filled;  these 
were  said  to  be  his  food.  The  executioner  was  a  tall  woman 
who  laughed,  and  had  a  little  girl  with  her. 

88.  Afterwards  I  dreamt  how  the  Evil  One  led  me  into, 
various  deep  places,  and  bound  me.  I  cannot  remember  it 
all.     Being  thus  tied,  I  was  cast  into  hell.** 

89.  A  great  procession  was  to  take  place  from  which  I 
was  excluded ;  I  was  to  have  come  away  from  it.  Yet  I  insisted 
on  making  my  way  there,  and  sat  down,  but  was  advised  to  go 


*  See  no.  80.  f  See  no.  81. 

I  See  no.  84.  §  See  Note  165,  vii. 

**  See  Note  162,  i,  E. 


182      S  WEDENB ORG'S  TEA  VELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  209. 

away.    I  went.   I  nevertheless  had  another  place  where  I  could 
see  the  procession,  which  had  not  yet  come. 

90.  As  I  am  certain,  however,  that  God  grants  His  grace 
and  mercy  to  all  poor  sinners,  who  are  willing  to  be  converted, 
and  who  with  unshaken  faith  take  refuge  in  His  inconceiv- 
able mercy  and  the  merit  of  the  Saviour  Jesus  Christ,*  so 
also  I  feel  assured  of  His  grace,  and  leave  myself  to  His 
protection,  since  I  believe  most  firmly  that  I  have  received 
forgiveness  of  my  sins.-{-  This  is  my  consolation,  which  may 
God  for  the  sake  of  Jesus  Christ:|:  strengthen. 

91.  I  was  this  day  at  intervals  in  interior  anxiety,  and 
at  times  in  a  state  of  despair;  still  I  was  assured  of  the 
forgiveness  of  my  sins.  In  consequence  of  this  a  cold  sweat 
(en  stark  ^ers)  sometimes  broke  out  on  me  until  10  o'clock, 
when  with  God's  help  I  fell  asleep.§  A  voice  then  seemed 
to  say  to  me  that  some  command  would  be  given  me  from 
within.  I  slept  for  an  hour  and  a  half;  although  in  the  night 
I  had  slept  for  more  than  ten  hours.  With  God's  grace  I 
had  a  preternatural  sleep;  and  this  has  been  the  case  now 
for  an  entire  half  year.** 

92.  April  18X19.  It  seemed  to  me  as  if  we  were  labouring 
a  long  time  to  bring  in  a  box  which  contained  precious 
things;  the  time,  indeed,  was  so  long,  that  it  reminded  one 
of  Troy;f-f  they  persevered  with  it,  and  at  last  removed  the 
part  below.  It  was  then  brought  in  in  triumph,  and  they  kept 
on  sawing  and  sawing. — This  shows  how  we  must  labour  in 
order  to  gain  heaven.:|:^ 

93.  I  seemed  to  have  a  plain  watch  with  me,  but  at  home 
a  precious  one,  which  I  was  not  willing  to  exchange  for  one 


*  See  Note  165.  vi. 

•J-  See  Introduction  to  Document  208,  p.  140. 
\  See  Note  165,  i. 
§  See  Note  162,  i,  E. 

**  From  this  it  would  seem  that  Swedenborg  came  into  this  state  about 
the  middle  of  October  1743. 

f f  Swedenborg  alludes  here  to  the  wooden  horse  which  was  with  great 
difficulty  dragged  inside  the  walls  of  Troy. 
%\  See  Note  165,  x. 


Doc.  209.]    HIS  SPIRITUAL  EXPERIENCE  I^  17U.  183 

of  gold. — Tins  signifies  that  I  shall  perhaps  obtain  knowledge 
of  a  noble  kind,  upon  which  I  may  expend  ray  time. 

94.  My  lower  extremities  (imhdd)  seemed  to  be  wrapped 
in   several    folds   of  blanket,    which   were    wound   around    in 

various  ways ;  and  just  then  came  a This  means  that 

I    continue    to   be    protected  so    as   to    keep    in    the    right 
direction. 

95.  There  was  a  very  well-trained  dog,  of  a  dark 
brown  colour,  which  followed  me.  Whenever  any  reptile 
came,  the  dog  raised  itself  up;  when  we  approached  a  water, 
it  went  in,  to  explore  its  depth. — This  means  perhaps 
Tobit's  dog. 

96.  I  saw  in  a  window  a  strange  but  lively  animal  of  a 
dark  brown  colour;  it  rushed  in  through  another  window.  "What 
it  had  on  its  back  was  rubbed  off,  and  was  changed  into  a 
handkerchief.  I  examined  it  and  found  it  to  be  small,  but 
could  not  show  it  to  any  one  else.  It  was  in  the  interior 
of  a  chemist's  shop.  I  asked  whether  I  should  shoot  it. — 
This  signifies  that  I  am  to  be  instructed  in  something  which 
will  be  of  use  in  curing,  and  in  other  things. 

Afterwards  it  seemed  that  it  was  shown  to  me,  that  I 
should  be  told  or  given  to  understand  when  I  went  wrong. 

97.  I  saw  Mr.  Konig*  and  Prof.  Winbom^^^  coming; 
i.  e.  I  was  going  to  live  with  them ;  on  week-days,  with  those 
who  are  not  Christians:  for  Konig  was  said  not  to  be  a 
Christian.  By  Winbom's  coming  and  going  were  signified  the 
Sundays.-^- 

98.  The  same  day  I  was  somewhat  disturbed  in  mind,  as 
I  could  not  control  the  thoughts,  which  flowed  in  against  my 
will  both  in  a  negative  and  an  affirmative  form.:):  I  was  at 
Divine  service,  where  I  noticed  that  thoughts  on  matters  of 
faith,  respecting  Christ,  His  merit  and  the  like,  even  though  they 
be  entirely  favourable  and  confirmatory,  still  cause  a  certain 
disquietude,   and  give  rise  to   opposing  thoughts  which  cannot 


*  The  Swedish  Agent  Johann  Frederic  Konig  at  Hamburg;  see  Document 
206,  p.  82;  and  Document  207,  p.  132. 

t  See  Note  161,  i.  \  See  Note  162,  i,  E. 


184      SWEDENBOEG'S  TRAVELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  209. 

be  resisted,  whenever  man  tries  to  believe  from  his  own 
understanding,  and  not  from  the  Lord's  grace.*  At  last  it 
was  granted  me  by  the  grace  of  the  Spirit  to  receive  faith 
without  reasoning  upon  it,  and  thus  to  be  assured  in  respect 
to  it;  I  then  saw,  as  it  were,  below  me  my  own  thoughts, 
by  which  faith  was  confirmed;  I  laughed  in  my  mind  at 
them,  but  still  more  at  those  by  which  they  were  im- 
pugned and  opposed.  Faith  appeared  to  be  far  above  the 
thoughts  of  my  understanding.*  Then  only  I  got  peace:  May 
God  strengthen  me  in  it!  For  it  is  His  work,  and  mine  so 
much  the  less,  as  my  thoughts,  and  indeed  the  best  of  them, 
destroy  more  than  they  are  able  to  promote.  Man  smiles  at  him- 
self, both  when  he  thinks  in  opposition  to  faith,  and  when  he 
desires  with  his  understanding  to  confirm  what  he  believes. 
It  is  therefore  a  higher  state — I  am  uncertain  whether  it  is 
not  the  highest — when  man,  by  grace,  no  longer  mixes  up  his 
understanding  in  matters  of  faith;  although  it  appears  as 
if  the  Lord  ynth  certain  persons  permits  the  understanding 
to  precede  such  states  of  assurance  in  respect  to  things 
which  concern  the  understanding.  "Blessed  are  they  who 
believe  and  do  not  see."*  This  I  have  clearly  written  in  the 
Prologue,  nos.  21,  22  ;f  yet  of  my  own  self  I  could  never  have 
discovered  this  or  arrived  at  its  knowledge;  but  God's  grace 
has  wrought  this,  I  being  unconscious  of  it;  afterwards,  however, 
I  perceived  it  fi-om  the  very  effect  and  the  change  in  my 
whole  interior  being.  This,  therefore,  is  God's  grace  and 
His  work,  and  to  Him  alone  belongs  eternal  glory. :{:  From  tliis 
I  see  how  difficult  it  is  for  the  learned,  more  indeed  than  for 
the  unlearned,  to  arrive  at  such  a  faith,  and  consequently  to 
conquer  themselves  [to  such  a  degree]  that  they  are  able  to 
smile  at  themselves  :§  for  man's  worship  of  his  own  understanding 
must  first  of  all  be  abolished  and  overthrown;  and  this  is 
God's  work  and  not  man's.    It  is  also  God's  work  for  man 


*  See  Note  165,  xi,  A. 

f  The  Prologue   to  the    Begnum  Animate,  English  Edition,    Vol.    I. 
pp.  13,  14. 

\  See  Note  165,  viii. 

§  See  Note  165,  ix,  A,  and  Note  166,  i. 


Doc.  200.]      HIS  SPIBIT UAL  EXPEBIENCE  IN  1744.  ]  85 

to  continue  in  tliat  state.  Faith  is  in  this  wise  separated 
from  our  understanding,  and  resides  above  it.  This  is  pure 
faith;  the  other,  so  long  as  it  is  mixed  up  with  our  own  under- 
standing, is  impure.  Man's  understanding  must  be  put  in 
bonds  and  under  the  government  of  faith.*  The  ground  of 
faith,  however,  must  be  this,  that  He  w^ho  has  spoken  it  is  God 
over  all  and  Truth  itself.  That  we  must  become  like  little 
children  must,  it  seems,  be  understood  in  this  sense.-]-  Much 
of  what  I  have  experienced  agrees  v/ith  this,  perhaps  also  the 
roasting  of  so  many  heads,  which  were  the  food  of  the  Evil 
One,  and  their  being  thrown  into  a  stove.ij: 

99.  That  confirmations  also  obscure  faith,  may  be  seen  from 
this  consideration,  that  the  understanding  never  goes  beyond 
mere  probabilities,  and  thus  is  constantly  engaged,  as  it  were, 
in  trying  major  and  minor  terms,§  On  this  account  the  con- 
firmations of  our  o-wTi  understanding  are  always  subject  to 
doubt,  by  which  the  light  of  faith  is  darkened.*  Faith,  con- 
sequently, is  purely  God's  gift,  and  is  received  by  man  when 
he  lives  according  to  the  commandments  of  God,  and  when  he 
continually  prays  to  God  for  it.** 

100.  April  19X20.  I  had  a  different  kind  of  sleep  alto- 
gether; I  dreamt  much,  and  afterwards  a  tremor  came  over 
me  iff  yet  I  could  not  bring  anything  to  my  remembrance,  for 
each  time  I  tried  it  escaped  me. 

101.  I  clasped  my  hands,  and  on  awaking  it  seemed  to 
me  as  if  they  were  pressed  together  by  a  hand  or  finger. — 
This  means,  with  God's  help,  that  our  Lord  has  heard  my 
prayers. 

102.  Afterwards  I  was  in  vision,  which  is  neither  a  state 
of  sleep,  nor  of  wakefulness,  nor  of  ecstasy.^:}:  It  was  repre- 
sented to  me  that  King  Charles  [XII]^§§  the  first  time  fought  in 
vain;  but  that  afterwards  in  his  second  battle  against  the  Saxons 
he   was   victorious,   and   covered   with   blood.     Still  later  the 


*  See  Note  165,  ix,  A.  f  See  Note  161,  vi. 

%  See  no.  87.  -  {5  See  Note  166.  i. 

**  See  Note  165,  ix,  B,  and  x.  ft  Sec  Note  162,  i,  P. 

\\  See  Note  162,  i,  C.  §§  See  Note  161,  v. 


186      S  WEDENB ORG'S  TEA  VELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  209. 

Muses  (Camence)  also  were  victorious. — This  signifies  that  with 
God's  grace  I  conquered  in  the  strife,  and  that  the  blood  and 
merit  of  Jesus  helped  me  ;*  further,  that  in  my  studies  also  I 
shall  reach  the  end  I  have  proposed  to  myself. 

103.  I  then  arose,  full  of  God  (en  hel  Gud).  God  be 
thanked  and  praised!  I  do  not  ivill  to  he  my  own;  I  am  cer- 
tain of  it,  and  believe  that  Tliou,  0  God,  lettest  me  he  Thine,  all 
my  life  long,  and  that  Thou  dost  not  take  away  Thy  Holy 
Spirit  from  me,  which  strengthens  and  iqjholds  me. 

104.  This  day  I  was  in  most  severe  temptation,-}-  so  that  when- 
ever I  thought  of  Jesus  Christ,  ungodly  thoughts  immediately 
pressed  in,  which  I  could  not  control  as  I  wished.  I  beat  my- 
self. Yet  I  can  affirm,  that  I  never  was  of  better  courage 
than  to-day,  and  that  I  was  not  in  the  least  faint-hearted  and 
pained  as  on  previous  days,  although  the  temptation  was  most 
severe.  The  reason  is,  that  our  Lord  has  given  me  this  strong 
faith  and  confidence,  that  He  helps  me  for  the  sake  of  Jesus 
Christ:^  and  according  to  His  own  promise;  so  that  I  then  ex- 
perienced what  effect  such  faith  has. 

105.  I  was  also  possessed  of  such  courage,  and  was  so  in- 
censed against  Satan,  that  I  desired  to  slay  him  with  the 
weapon  of  faith.  Hence  may  be  seen  what  effect  the  right 
kind  of  faith  has,  without  being  reasoned  out  and  without 
being  strengthened  by  man's  reasoning.§  Yet  this  is  God's 
grace  alone.  If  this  had  happened  before,  I  should,  without 
doubt,  have  been  faint-hearted.  I  was,  nevertheless,  afraid  I 
might  have  offended  our  Lord  by  thus  striving,  as  it  were, 
to  set  myself  free;  wherefore  I  asked  His  forgiveness  with 
all  the  humility  of  which  I  was  capable. — This  most  prob- 
ably was  signified  by  Charles  XII  being  all  covered  with 
blood.** 

106.  April  21X22.  It  appeared  to  me  as  if  I  had  gone 
astray  in  the  dark,  and  had  not  gone  out  with  the  others.  I 
was  keeping  by   the  walls,  and  at  last  came  to  a  handsome 


*  See  Note  165,  vi.  f  See  Note  162,  i,  E. 

^  See  Note  165,  i.  §  See  Note  165,  ix,  A. 

**  See  no.  102. 


Doc.  209.]      HIS  SPIRITUAL  EXPERIENCE  IN  1744.  187 

liousc,  where  there  were  some  people  who  wondered  at  my 
coming  that  way.  They  came  to  meet  me,  and  told  me  that 
this  was  not  the  way.  I  said  that  in  the  hall  (i  whidj  perhaps 
there  was  an  opening  this  way ;  which  they  denied, — This  means 
that  I  had  gone  most  fearfully  astray  on  the  previous  day. 

107.  There  was  a  great  dog  which  came  under  the  cover 
where  I  was  lying,  and  licked  my  throat.  I  was  afraid  it 
would  bite  me;  but  this  did  not  happen,  and  I  was  told  that 
it  would  not  bite  mc.— This  signifies  the  incidental  thoughts 
which  I  had;  and  that  I  was  precluded  from  thinking  on  what 
is  holy. 

108.  Afterwards  I  was  with  some  actors.  Some  one  said 
that  a  Swede  had  come  to  visit  me.  We  drove  in.  A  large 
staircase  was  got  ready  for  him.  It  was  a  dog  wrapt  up,  with 
a  pup  which  it  was  suckling. — My  awful  thoughts  were  signi- 
lied  thereby.  The  dog  was  fastened  to  a  measuring  rod,  or 
something  like  it,  and  would  not  go  away;  in  another  room 
it  was  at  last  torn  off. — This  means  that  I  am  freed  from 
them. 

109.  It  appeared  to  me  in  vision  as  if  something  were  torn 
asunder  in  the  air ;  which  probably  means  that  my  conflicting 
thoughts  are  to  be  torn  apart. 

Upon  awaking  I  heard  the  word:  alt  mid  (all  is  grace);  by 
which  is  signified  that  all  that  has  happened  is  grace,*  and 
for  the  best. 

110.  Afterwards,  because  it  seemed  to  me  I  was  so  far 
separated  from  God  that  I  could  not  yet  think  of  Him  in  a 
sufficiently  vivid  manner  (sd  lej'vande),  I  came  into  a  state  of 
doubt  whether  I  should  not  direct  my  journey  homewards;  a 
crowd  of  involved  reasons  [then]  came,  and  my  l)ody  was  seized 
with  a  tremor.-j-  Yet  I  gathered  courage  and  perceived  that 
I  had  come  [to  Holland]  to  do  that  which  was  best  of  all, 
and  that  I  had  received  a  talent  for  the  promotion  of  God's 
glory ;  I  saw  that  all  had  helped  together  to  this  end ;  that 
the  Spirit  had  been  with  me  from  my  youth  for  this  very  pur- 
pose ;f  wherefore  I  considered  myself  unworthy  of  life,  unless, 

*  See  Note  165,  \aii.  f  See  Note  162,  i,  F. 

^  .S(.'e  Introduction  to  Document  208  p.  139. 


188       SWEDENBORG'S  TEA  VELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  209. 

I  followed  the  straight  direction.  I  then  smiled  at  the  other 
seducing  thoughts ;  and  thus  at  luxury,  riches,  and  distinction, 
which  I  had  pursued.  All  these  I  saw  to  be  vain ;  and  I  dis- 
covered that  he  who  is  without  them,  and  is  contented,  is 
happier  than  he  who  possesses  them.  I  therefore  smiled  at 
all  arguments  by  wliich  I  might  be  confirmed ;  and  with  God's 
help  made  a  resolution.     May  God  grant  His  help. 

111.  It  seemed  to  me  as  if  I  heard  a  hen  cackle,  as  happens 
immediately  after  it  lays  an  egg. 

I  further  noticed  that  faith  is  a  sure  confidence  which  is 
received  from  God,  which,  nevertheless,  consists  in  every  man's 
acting  according  to  his  talent  for  doing  good  to  his  neighbour, 
and  continually  more  and  more;  that  a  man  must  do  so  from 
faith,  because  God  has  so  ordered  it,  and  must  not  reason 
any  more  about  it,  but  do  the  work  of  love  from  obedience 
to  faith,  even  though  this  be  opposed  to  the  lusts  of  the  body 
£t^fid  its  persuasions.*  AVherefore  faith  without  works  is  not 
{he  right  kind  of  faith.-J-  A  man  must  in  reality  forsake 
himself. 

112.  April  22X23.  I  had  depressing  dreams  about  dogs 
that  were  said  to  be  my  countrymen,  and  which  licked  my  neck, 
but  without  biting;  besides  other  dreams  *  *  *^  In  the  morning 
awful  thoughts  haunted  me,  just  as  on  the  preceding  day,  viz. 
that  the  Evil  One  had  taken  possession  of  me;  yet  with  the  con- 
solation that  he  was  without,  and  that  I  would  soon  be  relieved. 
While  I  had  the  most  damnable  thoughts,  the  worst  that 
possibly  could  be,  Jesus  Christ  was  presented  vividly  before 
my  internal  sight;  and  the  operation  of  the  Holy  Spirit  came 
over  me,  from  which  I  knew  that  the  devil  was  gone.  On 
the  following  day  also  I  was  in  a  state  of  infestation,  in  con- 
flicting thoughts,  and  in  strife.  In  the  afternoon  I  was  most- 
ly in  a  tranquil  state,  and  thought  of  God,  though  engaged  in 
worldly  things.     I  was  then  travelling  to  Leyden. 

113.  April  23X24,   in  Leyden.     It  seemed   to  me   as  if  I 
were   put  to  flight  by  a  woman,   who  drove  me  into  the  sea, 


*  See  Note  165,  x.  '         t  See  Note  165,  ix,  B. 

I  See  Note  161,  iv,  F. 


Doc.  209.]      HIS  SPIRITUAL  EXrEBIEXCE  IX  1711.  189 

and  upwards  [ocliop] ;  at  last  I  struck  heras  hard  as  I  could  with  a 
plate  on  the  forehead,  and  pinched  her  face;  so  that  she  seemed 
to  be  conquered. — These  were  my  infestations,  and  the  struggle 
with  my  thoughts,  which  I  had  vanquished. 

114.  It  seemed  as  if  the  words  interiorcscit  (he  becomes 
more  interior),  intcgratur  (he  is  being  made  whole)  were  pro- 
nounced.— This  means  that  I  am  being  inwardly  purillcd  by 
means  of  my  infestations. 

Afterwards  something  holy  was  dictated  to  me  during  the 
w^hole  night;  the  concluding  words  were  sacrarium  et  sanctit- 
arhun;  when  I  found  myself  in  company  with  a  w^oman*  whom 
I  loved  *  *  * — This  signifies  extreme  affection  for  what  is  holy; 
for  all  love  derives  thence  its  origin  *  *  * 

115.  Afterwards  I  slept  a  little,  and  it  appeared  to  me 
as  if  a  quantity  of  oil  mixed  with  mustard  was  floating 
about. — This  probably  denotes  the  state  of  my  life  in  future; 
that  there  will  be  joy  in  it  mixed  with  adversity;  or  perhaps 
it  means  a  medicine  intended  for  me. 

This  took  place  in  Leyden  on  the  morning  of  April  24. 

116.  April  24X25,  in  Amsterdam.  During  the  whole  night, 
for  about  eleven  hours,  I  lay  in  a  strange  trance;  [I  know  not] 
whether  I  was  asleep  or  awake.  I  knew  all  that  I  dreamt, 
but  my  thoughts  were  kept  bound,  which  at  times  produced 
perspiration.  I  cannot  describe  the  nature  of  the  sleep,  during 
which  my  double  [conflicting]  thoughts  were  as  it  were  severed, 
or  rent  apart.  Among  other  things  1  dreamt  that  I  spoke 
several  times  with  King  Charles  XII.,f  and  that  he  spoke 
with  me  in  broken  French,  which  I  did  not  understand;  at 
which  I  wondered.  Even  when  I  conversed  with  others,  and 
thought  he  did  not  hear  me,  he  was  close  by,  so  that  I  blushed 
at  what  I  said.— This  signifies  that  God  speaks  with  me,  and 
that  I  comprehend  only  the  least  portion  of  what  he  says, 
because  it  is  in  representations,  of  which  I  understand  as  yet 
but  very  little;:}:  and,  further,  that  He  hears  and  perceives 
everything  that  is  spoken,    and  every  thought  that  any  one 


*  See  Note  161,  iv,  B.  f  See  Note  161,  v. 

X  See  Note  161,  i,  A. 


190       SWEDENBOEG'S  TBA  VELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  209. 

entertains.  It  is  also  most  certain  that  not  a  single  thought 
escapes  from  any  man  which  He  does  not  see;  in  fact  He 
sees  every  thing;  He  sees  [in  me]  a  thousand  times  more  than 
I  see  myself. 

117.  April  25X26.*  It  seemed  as  if  women  and  men  were 
sitting  in  a  ship,  ready  to  start  off.  One  was  holding  my  dog,-J" 
which  I  took  from  him.  He  showed  me  the  way  home  into  a 
beautiful  room  where  there  was  some  wine. — This  perhaps 
means  that  I  should  send  my  work  over  to  England;  and  that 
I  was  to  be  taken  somewhere  to-day  where  I  should  enjoy  my- 
self; which  also  took  place  at  H.  Hinr.  Posch.^ 

118.  April  25X26,  at  the  Hague.  I  enjoyed  a  good,  re- 
freshing sleep  for  about  eleven  hours,  during  which  I  saw 
several  representations.  It  appeared  to  me  as  if  a  married 
woman  was  pursuing  me,  but  I  was  saved.  — This  signifies  that 
the  Lord  saves  me  from  temptations  and  persecutions. 

119.  A  married  woman  desired  to  have  me,  but  I  liked  an 
unmarried  one;  whereat  the  former  became  angry  and  perse- 
cuted me.  I,  nevertheless,  obtained  the  unmarried  one,§  in 
whose  company  1  was,  and  whom  I  loved. — This  probably 
means  my  thoughts. 

120.  There  was  a  woman  who  owned  a  large  and  fine  es- 
tate;** I  was  to  marry  her,  and  we  strolled  over  her  possessions. 
It  was  piety  and,  I  believe,  wisdom**  who  owned  this  property. 
I  was  in  her  company  and  loved  her  in  the  usual  way,-]"!-  which 
seemed  to  be  in  the  place  of  marriage  itself. 

121.  It  was  also  represented  to  me  in  a  certain  manner 
that  I  was  not  to  contaminate  myself  by  reading  other  books 
treating  on  theology  and  similar  subjects;  because  all  this  I 
have  from  the  Word  of  God  and  the  Holy  Spirit.:}::}: 

122.  April  28X29.    Last  night  it   seemed  to  me   as  if  I 


*  This  date  is  crossed  out  in  the  original. 
■f  The  original  is  either  hud  (skin)  or  hund  (dog). 
I  The  Swedish   editor   instead   of  Fosch,   suggests    Pasch,   which  is  a 
Swedish  name. 

§  See  Note  161,  iv.  **  See  Note  161,  iv,  A. 

ft  See  Note  161,  iv,  B.  it  See  Note  162,  iv. 


Doc.  209.J     HIS  SPIRITUAL  EXPERIENCE  IN  1744.  1 91 

saw  King  Charles  XII.,  to  whom  I  had  previously  dedicated 
my  work;  but  now  it  seemed  to  me  as  if  he  had  risen  from 
the  dead;  and  as  if  I  were  going  out  to  dedicate  [my  work] 
to  him  as  to  any  other. 

123.  I  came  out  of  a  certain  way,  which  was  a  cross-way. 
I  was  directed  to  go  up  [a  certain  eminence],  but  it  seemed  to 
me  as  if  it  were  only  for  a  few  days,  wherefore  I  Avent  back 
again  to  the  plain,  where  there  were  many  people.  I  desired 
to  go  away,  but  was  very  much  pushed  about. 

124.  I  gave  some  fruits  to  a  gardener  to  sell.  He  sold 
them,  and  returned  me  two  carolins,  but  it  was  said  that  he 
had  retained  for  himself  tliirteen  dalers;  about  which  I  did 
not  trouble  myself. 

125.  *  *  *  I  saw  a  fat  and  red  woman  who  showed  me  some- 
thing repulsive.*     I  would  have  nothing  to  do  with  her. 

126.  All  this,  it  seems  to  me,  represents  that  I  must  em- 
ploy my  remaining  time  in  writing  upon  that  which  is  higher, 
and  not  upon  worldly  things  which  are  far  below ;  and,  indeed, 
that  I  must  write  about  that  which  concerns  the  very  centre 
of  all,  and  that  which  concerns  Christ.-|-  May  God  be  so 
gracious  as  to  enlighten  me  respecting  my  duty ;  for  I  am  still 
in  some  obscurity  as  to  the  directioij  whither  I  am  to  turn. 

127.  Some  one,  it  seemed,  wrote  something  short  to  King 
Frederic;*  he  observed  that  it  was  short,  and  gave  several 
orders  to  a  person,  who  first  was  a  woman  and  afterwards  a 
small  man,  to  worry  the  writer  in  various  ways  with  love- 
intrigues  and  the  like.  They  did  their  best,  but  I  saw  that 
they  could  not  do  him  any  harm  or  injury.  He  said  that  now 
between  the  thirty-sixth  and  thirty-seventh  day  (so  many 
days  had  passed  since  my  temptation)  he  would  borrow  a 
great  deal  and  go  to  heaven,  and  that  he  would  not  pay 
those  from  whom  he  borrowed.  This  I  told  to  Swab  [either 
Anders  or  Anton,  see  Note  66]  that  he  should  report  it 
to  the  King. — This  seems  to  signify,  that  if  I  go  on  with  the 
other  [work]  which  I  have  proposed  to  myself,  I  shall  have 


*  See  Note  161,  iv,  C,  F. 

•J-  See  Introduction  to  Document  208,  p.  139. 


192       S  WEDENBORG'S  TBA  VELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  209. 

borrowed  from  the  spiritual  with  which  to  go  to  heaven,  which 
I  am  unwilling  to  repay  until  the  very  last. 

128.  April  30XMay  1.  I  saw  some  one  on  guard  armed 
with  a  sword;  the  sword  was  pointed  and  sharp;  and  he  had 
something  stuck  on  his  coat-sleeves.  I  was  in  danger  from 
him ;  for  I  saw  that  he  was  intoxicated,  and,  consequently,  might 
do  harm. — This  signifies  that  on  the  previous  day  I  had  drunk 
more  than  I  ought,  which  is  not  of  the  spirit,  but  of  the  flesh, 
and  thus  sinful. 

129.  Afterwards,  it  seemed  to  me,  I  was  in  company  with 
my  deceased  brother  Eliezer,*  who  was  attacked  by  a  boar, 
which  laid  hold  of  him  and  bit  him;  I  tried  to  drag  the 
animal  down  with  a  hook,  but  could  not.  Afterwards  I  went 
up  and  saw  that  he  was  lying  between  two  boars,  which  were 
eating  his  head.  I  could  not  get  any  one  to  help  him ;  I  ran 
past. — This  denotes,  I  believe,  that  on  the  previous  day,  I  had 
indulged  my  appetite  and  partaken  too  freely  of  the  necessaries 
of  life,  which  is  also  a  work  of  the  flesh,  and  not  of  the  spirit. 
For  such  is  the  life  of  swine,  which  are  forbidden  by  Paul;  of 
such  a  nature  are  the  so-called  feasts  (comessationes). 

130.  On  the  following  day  I  was  more  on  my  guard,  but 
I  fell  into  a  somewhat  strong  temptation.-{-  At  the  idea  that 
henceforth  I  should  apply  force  to  my  appetite,  I  came  into 
a  strange  condition,  and  as  it  were  into  a  state  of  chagrin; 
yet  I  was  soon  relieved  from  it,  after  praying  and  singing  a 
hymn;  especially  w^hen  I  w^ould  no  longer  be  my  own,  but  live 
as  a  new  creature  in  Christ. 

131.  Afterwards  several  days  in  succession  I  was  gene- 
rally for  a  few  hours  in  spiritual  anxiety,  without  being  able 
to  tell  the  cause;  although  I  seemed  to  be  assured  of  God's 
grace.  In  the  afternoons,  however,  I  was  in  a  state  of  great 
happiness  and  spiritual  peace. 

132.  On  leaving  the  Hague  in  the  "treckschuyt"  for  the 
land  of  the  Meuse  (Marslandzskuten),\  which  was  on  the  tliir- 
teenth  of  May,  it  seemed  to  me  that  my  brother  Jesper^^*  was 


*  See  Note  161,  ii.  f  See  Note  162,  i,  E. 

\  The  Swedish  editor  suggests  Maaslandskuiten,  trec'kschuit  fran  MaaS' 
land,  the  "treckschuyt"  from  the  land  of  the  Maas  or  Meuse. 


Doc.  209.]      HIS  SPIRIT  UAL  EXPERIENCE  IN  1 744.  1 93 

put  in  prison  on  my  account,  and  also  another  person.  I  had 
put  something  into  a  carriage  and  imported  it,  for  which, 
it  seemed  to  me,  I  was  responsible.  The  judges  by  whom  he 
was  to  be  judged  came  in,  holding  in  their  hands  two  papers 
covered  with  writing.  In  the  mean  time  I  saw  birds*  w'hich 
came  flying  towards  me;  these  I  struck  on  the  neck  with  a 
sharp  knife,  so  that  they  died.  The  judges  afterwards  came 
and  released  my  brother  Jesper,  whom  I  then  kissed  for 
joy. — This  signifies  that  my  thoughts,*  had  been  running  wild, 
but  with  the  Spirit's  help  I  killed  them;  and  on  that  account 
was  declared  free. 

133.  On  my  arrival  in  England  by  Harwich  (Harderivick) 
I  slept  only  a  few  hours,  when  much  appeared  to  me  which 
seemed  to  concern  my  work  here.  This  took  place  on  May  4X5, 
according  to  the  English  calendar.-j- 

(a)  [It  seemed  to  me]  as  if  I  had  lost  a  bank-bill,  and  the 
finder  got  only  nine  stivers  for  it.  The  same  was  the  case 
with  another  who  found  a  similar  note,  and  which  was  pur- 
chased likewise  for  only  nine  stivers.  I  then  said  in  jest  that 
it  w'as  Puritanism  (jnetasteri). — By  this  is  probably  shown  of 
what  quality  people  are  in  England,  part  of  them  honest,  part 
dishonest. 

134.  (b)  There  were  some  who  admired  my  engravings, 
which  were  well  done.  They  desired  to  inspect  my  first 
sketches,  to  see  whether  I  had  been  able  to  sketch  them  in 
the  same  way  in  which  they  were  finished. — This  apparently 
means  that  my  work  is  approved,  and  that  people  believe  that 
I  possess  the  ability  to  do  it. 

135.  (c)  A  little  letter  came  into  my  hands  for  whicli  I 
paid  nine  stivers.  On  opening  it  a  large  book  with  blank 
paper  was  contained  in  it;  in  the  middle  of  it  were  many 
beautiful  drawings;  the  rest  consisted  of  blank  paper.  A 
woman  was  sitting  at  my  left  hand;^   she  came  round  to  my 

*  See  Note  161,  xi. 

•J-  The  Calendar  as  improved  by  Pope  Gregory  XIII  was  not  introduced 
into  England  until  1752,  wherefore  upon  arriving  in  England  Swedenborg 
found  himself  thrown  back  twelve  days.  As  we  see  from  no.  132  he  left 
the  Hague  on  May  13,  and  he  arrived  in  England  in  reality  on  the  16th. 

t  See  Note  161,  iv. 

13 


194      SWEDENBOBG'S  TEA 7ELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  209. 

right,  and  turned  over  the  leaves,  when  the  drawings  came 
out.  It  seemed  to  me  that  the  meaning  of  the  letter  was 
that  in  England  I  should  order  a  number  of  such  designs  or 
patterns  to  be  drawn.  The  woman  had  a  thick  neck,  and  was 
bare  on  both  sides  down  to  the  feet;  her  skin  was  bright  as 
if  it  had  been  polished,  and  on  her  thumbs  was  a  miniature 
painting. — This  apparently  signifies  that  with  God's  help  I  shall 
execute  many  handsome  designs  in  my  work;  and  that  hence- 
forth speculation,  which  has  hitherto  been  a  posteriori,  will 
change  into  a  priori;"^  this  seemed  to  be  signified  by  the 
change  of  position. 

136.  (d)  It  seemed  to  me  as  if  I  had  been  ordered  on  a 
commission  with  Bergenstjerna,^^^-j-  money  being  granted  for 
the  purpose.  The  commission,  with  which  I  was  very  much 
pleased,  was  it  seemed  to  me  to  lae  in  Sicily;  yet  I  was  to  be 
on  my  guard  there  against  scorpions. — This  probably  means 
that,  after  my  work  is  done,  I  shall  receive  something  else 
as  a  commission,  which  perhaps  wOl  have  to  be  carried  on  in 
some  other  place;  perhaps  also  it  means  that  the  commission 
will  be  on  some  other  matter. 

137.  May  5X6  [old  style].  In  London  I  was  beaten  by  a 
big  man,  which  I  bore  patiently.  Then  I  had  to  sit  on  a 
horse  and  ride  by  the  side  of  a  carriage,  when  the  horse 
turned  its  head,  caught  me  by  the  head,  and  held  me. — What 
this  means  I  do  not  know.  I  must  have  done  something  wrong 
to  a  pious  shoemaker,  who  had  been  with  me  on  the  journey, 
and  with  whom  I  was  then  lodging;  or  else  it  means  that  I 
did  not  think  of  my  work. 

138.  This  is  the  sum  of  all:  1.  That  there  is  nothing  but 
grace,  by  which  we  can  be  saved.  2.  Grace  is  in  Jesus  Christ, 
who  is  the  seat  of  grace  (the  mercy-seat).  3.  Love  to  God 
in  Christ  promotes  salvation.  4.  Man  then  allows  himself  to 
be  led  by  the  spirit  of  Jesus.  5.  Everything  that  comes  from 
ourselves  is  dead,  and  is  nothing  but  sin,  and  worthy  of  eternal 
damnation.  6.  For  good  can  come  from  no  other  source  save 
the  Lord.^ 

*  See  Introduction  to  Document  208,  p.  140. 

f  See  Note  161,  i.  t  See  Note  165,  ii,  and  vii. 


Doc.  209. 1      HIS  SriBl  T  UAL  EXPERIENCE  IN  1744.  1 95 

139.  May  19X20,  in  London.  On  the  twentieth  I  was  to 
go  to  the  Lord's  Supper  in  the  Swedish  church,  after  1  had 
had  many  pernicious  thoughts,  from  which  I  perceived  that 
my  body  is  in  a  continual  state  of  rebelhon;  this  was  also 
represented  to  mo  by  scum,  which  was  to  be  skimmed  off.  On 
Sunday  morning  it  came  very  clearly  from  the  Spirit  into  my 
lips,  that  this  [i.  e.  the  Holy  Supper]  is  the  manna*  which 
descends  from  heaven.  This  came  to  me  neither  in  sleep  nor 
in  a  state  of  wakefulness,  but  it  came  most  distinctly  into 
my  thought  and  into  my  lips  that  by  this  is  signified 
Christ  in  the  Lord's  Supper.*  The  day  before  I  had  been 
prepared,  so  that  1  was  interiorly  tranquil  and  peaceful,  being 
contented  with  the  Lord's  dispensation;  the  whole  time  also 
I  felt  the  strong  influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  the  whole 
body  was  filled  with  a  delight  in  the  heavenly  kingdom  upon 
earth. -|- 

140.  I  could  not  control  myself  so  entirely  as  not  to  have 
carnal  desires;  yet  without  any  intention  of  causing  their 
ultimation.  Yet  it  seemed  tome  in  my  dream  that  my  liavhig 
accompanied  Prof.  (-Elilreicli'"":j:  to  sundry  places  was  not  so 
altogether  against  the  Divine  Providence;  as  about  it  1  did 
not  receive  an  admonition,  as  about  other  of  my  doings.  It 
however  happened,  as  had  been  represented  to  me  in  a 
dream  some  days  before,  that  I  was  in  one  day  twice  in 
danger  of  my  life;  so  that  if  God  had  not  protected  me,  I 
should  have  lost  my  life  in  two  places.  The  particulars  1  will 
not  describe. 

141.  The  internal  state  of  delight,  however,  continued  so 
strong  in  the  mornings,  evenings,  and  during  the  day,  especially 
when  I  was  by  myself  alone,  without  company,  that  it  may 
be  compared  to  heavenly  joy  on  earth.*  Li  this  state  I  hope 
to  continue,  so  long  as  by  our  Lord's  grace  alone  I  walk  in 
pure  paths  and  have  right  intentions;  for  as  soon  as  I  turn 
aside,  and  try  to  find  my  joy  in  worldly  things,  this  state  of 
delight  ceases.     God  alone  knows  whether  the  principle  of  the 


*  See  Nolo  161,  x.  t  ^ee  Note  162,  ii. 

^  See  Note,  160,  iii. 

IS" 


196      SWEDENBOEG'S  TRAVELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  209. 

interior  which  is  the  influx  of  God's  Spirit,*  is  constantly  with 
man.  This  [i.  e.  the  interior]  is  sensible  of  every  least  degree 
of  its  exaltation;  wherefore  I  was  thinking,  that  if  I  have 
heavenly  joy,  why  should  I  seek  after  worldly,  which  in  com- 
parison is  nothing,  is  inconstant,  pernicious,  rebellious,  and 
destructive. 

142.  By  various  circumstances  I  was  led  into  the  church 
belonging  to  the  Moravian  Brethren,  who  maintain  that  they 
are  the  true  Lutherans,  and  that  they  feel  the  influx  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  as  they  tell  each  other;  further,  that  they  have 
respect  only  to  God's  grace,  to  Christ's  blood  and  merit,-]-  and 
that  they  go  about  in  simplicity.  On  this  subject  I  shall  speak 
more  fully  some  other  time;  for  as  yet  1  am  not  allowed  to 
join  their  brotherhood.  Their  church  was  represented  to  me 
three  months  ago  just  as  I  saw  it  afterwards;  all  were  dressed 
there  like  clergymen. 

143.  June  11X12.  I  was  thinking  about  those  who  resist 
the  Holy  Spirit,  and  about  those  who  suffer  themselves  to  be 
led  by  it.  There  appeared  to  me  a  man  in  white  with  a 
sword,  another  went  to  meet  him,  but  was  wounded  by  his 
sword;  he  renewed  the  contest,  when  he  was  very  severely 
struck  about  the  ears  and  temples.  Another  came  and  fought 
with  him ;  he  also  was  pierced  so  that  blood  appeared.  I  had 
a  long  spear,  and  was  thinking  that  if  he  should  come  towards 
me,  I  would  hold  that  before  me;  but  just  at  the  time  when 
he  was  not  far  from  me,  I  saw  him  cast  away  his  sword,  and 
go  his  way.  As  I  was  wondering  at  this,  I  perceived  that 
one  was  going  before  me,  who  was  offering  his  sword,  and 
was  willing  to  give  it  up,  and  surrender  at  discretion.  This 
was  the  reason  the  other  threw  away  his  sword. 

144.  June  15X16.  The  16th  was  a  Sunday.  My  former 
life  was  represented  to  me,  and  how  afterwards  I  walked  where 
there  were  precipices  on  all  sides,  and  how  I  turned  away 
from  them.  I  then  came  into  a  glorious  grove,:}:  with  most 
beautiful  fig-trees  in  all  directions  in  vigorous  growth  and 
arranged  in  order,  on  one  of  which  the  withered  fruit  seemed 

•  See  Note  165,  iv.  t  See  Note  165,  vi. 

\  See  Note  161,  viii. 


Doc.  209.]      HIS  SPIRITUAL  EXPERIENCE  IN  17U.  197 

to  remain.  The  grove  had  trenches  on  all  sides  except  that 
where  I  was.  I  contemplated  passing  over  a  high  bridge, 
which  had  earth  and  grass  on  the  top;  yet  I  did  not  venture, 
because  it  looked  dangerous.  At  some  distance  from  it  I 
saw  a  large  and  very  handsome  palace  with  wings;  where,  it 
seemed  to  me,  I  desired  to  take  lodgings  in  order  to  have 
always  the  prospect  of  the  grove  and  the  trenches,  A  window 
was  open  a  long  way  down  in  one  of  the  wings;  there  I  thought 
I  should  like  to  have  my  room. — This  means  that  on  Sundays 
I  ought  to  be  engaged  with  spiritual  things,  which  were  re- 
presented by  the  noble  grove.*  The  palace*  was  most  likely 
the  plan  of  my  work  which  looks  towards  the  grove  [i.  e. 
spiritual  tilings],  whither  I  purpose  to  look  by  means  of  it. 

145.  June  20X21.  It  seemed  to  me  as  if  a  deliberation 
was  carried  on,  whether  I  was  to  be  admitted  to  the  society 
there,  or  to  any  of  their  councils.  My  father  came  out  and 
told  me  that  what  I  had  written  on  Providence  Avas  the  finest. 
I  recollect  that  I  had  written  simply  a  small  treatise  on  the 
subject.-j-  Afterwards  I  was  found  one  night  in  the  church, 
but  naked,  with  nothing  on  but  a  shirt,  so  that  I  did  not 
venture  to  come  out. — This  means,  perhaps,  that  I  am  not 
yet  clothed  and  prepared,  as  I  ought  to  be. 

146.  June  26X27.  I  was  somewhere  with  many  people.  I 
went  past  my  garden,  which  looked  very  much  out  of  order; 
no  doubt  in  comparison  with  the  heavenly  garden. — I  heard 
for  a  long  time  a  report,  as  if  cannons  were  being  fired  against 
the  enemy  in  various  directions ;  I  had  an  idea  that  the  enemy 
were  beaten.  A  messenger  also  came  who  stated  that  the  Danes 
had  made  an  attack  with  10,000  men;  that  they  had  mostly 
advanced  sword  in  hand,  but  had  everywhere  been  beaten  back. 
I  was  also  in  another  place,  and  desired  to  start  out  to  visit 
the  battle-field.  IVIany  where  I  was  intended  to  fly,  as  they 
were  of  the  Danish  party;  but  I  advised  them  to  remain,  as 
they  were  in  no  danger  but  the  Danish  soldiers  only. — I  saw 
afterwards  that  I  was  protected  by  a  large  screen;    also  that 

*  See  Note  161,  viii. 

t  This  work  was  never  published  by  Swedenborg,  although  he  had 
announced  its  publication  (see  Document  201,  Vol.  I).  The  manuscript 
has  since  been  lost,  or  perhaps  it  was  destroyed  by  the  author  himself. 


]  98      S  WEBENBOEG'S  TEA  VELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  209. 

I  had  something  the  matter  with  my  left  foot,  of  which  I  was 
not  aware :  it  was  bound  up,  but  would  soon  be  right  again. — 
In  a  large  cage  there  was  a  little  bird,  which  had  been 
hidden  away  a  long  time;  it  was  still  alive,  and  having  got 
something  to  eat  and  drink  it  went  in  and  out  of  the  cage. — I 
saw  Ericus  Benzelius^  wearing  a  wig  with  two  locks  behind; 
he  walked  as  though  weary  and  old.  I  followed  him,  and  saw 
that  he  entered  a  church  and  sat  down  in  the  lowest  place. 

147.  July  1X2.  Something  very  wonderful  happened  to 
me.  Violent  tremors  came  over  me,  one  after  another,  as 
many  as  from  ten  to  fifteen* — ^just  as  when  Christ  manifested 
to  me  His  Divine  grace.-f  I  expected  to  be  thrown  on  my 
face,  as  happened  the  last  time,  but  I  was  not.  With  the 
last  of  these  tremors  I  was  raised  up;  and  with  my  hands  I 
felt  a  person's  back;  I  passed  them  over  the  whole  back,  and 
over  the  chest  below.  Immediately  the  person  lay  down,  and  I 
saw  the  countenance  in  front,  but  very  obscurely.  I  was  then 
upright  on  my  knees,  and  was  considering  whether  I  should 
lie  down  beside  him;  but  did  not,  as  it  did  not  seem  permitted. 
All  the  tremors  commenced  in  the  body  below,  and  ran  up 
to  the  head.  This  took  place  in  vision,  when  I  was  neither 
awake  nor  asleep  ;:|:  but  when  I  had  all  my  thoughts  collected. 
The  internal  man  separated  from  the  external  felt  all  this. 
After  I  was  fully  awake,  several  tremors  similar  to  the  former 
passed  over  me.  It  must  have  been  a  holy  angel,  since  I 
Avas  not  thrown  on  my  face. — Our  Lord  knows  best  what  all 
this  means.  It  seemed  to  me  as  if  I  had  been  told  before, 
that  I  should  have  something  for  my  obedience  or  for  something 
else.  God's  grace  is  exhibited  both  towards  the  internal  and 
the  external  man  with  me.  To  God  alone  be  glory  and 
honour ! 

From  what  follows  and  from  other  indications  I  perceived 
that  it  signified  this:  that  I  shall  discover  the  truths  about 
the  internal  sensations,  but  on  the  back,  and  obscurely  as  to 
their  front.  For  before  this  came  over  me,  it  seemed  to  me 
as  if  I  had  been  told  that  this  was  an  announcement  in  respect 


*  See  Note  162,  i.  F.  f  See  no.  27. 

I  See  Note  162,  i,  C. 


Doc.  209.]      HIS  SPIRIT  UAL  EXPERIENCE  IN  1744.  1 99 

to  what  I  had  hitherto  done;  afterwards  also  it  appeared  to 
me,  as  if  it  had  come  to  a  point  when  my  mean  stivers  were 
exchanged  for  better  coin;  then  also  a  little  gold  was  given 
me,  altliough  there  was  some  copper  amongst  it.* 

148.  July  3X4.  With  overflowing  tenderness  I,  as  it  were, 
took  leave  from  her  [i.  e.  a  female  friend],  kissing  her;  when 
another  appeared  at  some  distance  from  her.-j-  The  effect  of 
this  was,  that  upon  awaking  I  was  constantly  in  a  state  of 
heated  love.^  It  was  stated,  however,  and  regrets  were  ex- 
pressed that  the  subject  treated  by  me  was  not  under- 
stood.— This  signifies  that  I  have  now  finished  writing  on  the 
senses  in  general  and  the  operation  of  the  interior  faculties; 
which  subject,  in  the  form  in  which  I  have  sketched  it  out, 
cannot  be  comprehended ;  and  that  now  I  approach  the  follow- 
ing part  which  treats  on  the  brain.§ 

149.  July  7X8.  I  saw  how  all  in  an  oblong  globe  con- 
centrated itself  upwards  in  its  higher  part;  in  the  lower  part 
of  the  globe  there  was  something  like  a  tongue;  which  after- 
wards spread  out. — This,  as  I  believe,  signifies  that  the  inner- 
most is  a  holy  place  (sanduarium),  and  that  it  is,  as  it  were, 
a  centre  for  the  globe  below;  further,  that,  as  is  shown  by 
the  tongue,  a  greater  part  of  this  sanctuary  will  be  discovered. 
I  believe  that  I  am  destined  for  this.  This  was  no  doubt  the 
meaning  of  the  sanctiiarium  with  which  I  was  to  busy  myself 
[cfr.  no.  114],  and  which  is  confirmed  by  this,  that  all  objects 
of  tJie  sciences  are  represented  to  me  tinder  the  form  of  women** 
It  was  also  confirmed  by  this,  that  a  deliberation  was  held 
whether  1  should  be  admitted  into  the  society  where  my  father 
was  [cfr.  no.  145]. 

150.  I  also  lighted  upon  these  assuring  thoughts,  that  the 
Son  of  God  is  love,  and  that  for  the  purpose  of  doing  good 
to  mankind.  He  took  upon  Himself  their  sins,  even  to  their 
heaviest  punishment;  for  if  there  be  justice  mercy  must  exist 
by  love.f-j- 


*  See  Note  164,  vi,  vii,  and  ix,  A. 

t  See  Note  161,  iv,  A,  and  C.  ^  See  Note  161,  iv.  B. 

§  See  Note  164,  v  to  ix,  also  ix,  B. 
*♦  See  Note  161,  iv,  A.  ff  See  Note  165,  v. 


200      SWEDENB ORG'S  TEA  VELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  209. 

151.  July  9X10.  I  was  in  company  with  the  King*  and 
conversed  with  him;  and  then  he  went  into  a  room.  After- 
wards I  spoke  with  the  Princes,  his  sons,*  with  whom  I  be- 
came acquainted;  they  talked  among  themselves  about  me.  I 
said  I  felt  overcome  with  love  and  veneration.  On  taking  my 
departure  I  saw  that  the  Queen's  table  was  laid.  I  was  not 
dressed  as  I  ought  to  have  been;  for,  as  before  [see  no.  5], 
I  had  hastily  taken  off  my  white  jacket;  I  wished  to  go  upstairs 
and  put  it  on  again.  I  was  speaking  with  my  father,  who 
kissed  me,  because  I  had  reminded  him  not  to  swear:  mean- 
while the  Queen  came  up  with  her  suite. — This  means  that  I 
am  becoming  acquainted  with  God's  children;  for  on  the 
previous  day  I  had  selected  for  myself  other  lodgings. 

152.  July  14X15.  I  was  speaking  with  Brita  Behm,^*^-!-  who, 
it  seemed  to  me,  had  given  birth  to  a  son;  yet  as  Schwede^° 
had  been  dead  a  long  time,  I  wondered  how  this  could  be. 
The  child,  however,  died,  and  in  its  stead  were  the  two  Rosen- 
adlers.:|:  She  took  me  into  a  large  and  costly  carriage,  of 
surpassing  magnificence,  and  conducted  me  to  Count  Horn.^°* 
There  preparations  were  made  for  dinner;  I  went  away,  but 
was  to  come  back  again.  I  was  flying  along  and  came  to  a 
handsome  town  which  I  descried;  yet  I  perceived  that  I  was 
flying  wrong,  and  turned  back. — This  signifies  my  work  on 
the  internal  senses  and  the  brain  [see  no.  148],  which  was 
compared  to  the  two  sons  of  Brita  Behm.-j-  My  being  conveyed 
in  a  costly  carriage  to  Count  Horn,  who  was  the  President 
of  the  College  of  Chancery  and  Prime-minister,§  and  thence 
to  another  town,  means  perhaps  that  my  work  will  be  prolonged 
to  the  soul.** 

*  See  Note  161,  v.  f  See  Note  161,  ii. 

J  By  the  two  Rosenadlers  are  meant  Johan  Adrian  and  Carl  Albrecht, 
the  sons  of  Johan  Rosenadler  and  Eva  Schwede,  the  daughter  of  Brita 
Behm.     See  Note  51,  Volume  I. 

§  See  Note  161.  v. 
**  Swedenborg's  work  on  the  brain,  'which  is  mentioned  here  and  in 
no.  148,  was  continued  to  the  Soul.  For  on  pp.  221—223  of  Codex  58 
(Vol.  VI  of  the  photo-Hthographed  edition  of  his  MSS.,  pp.  81—83),  he 
introduces  into  his  treatise  on  the  brain  a  chapter  on  the  soul;  and  after 
defining  the  soul  on  p.  221  as  "the  universal  essence  of  its  body,"  he 
declares  on  p.  223  (Vol.  VI   photo-hthographed  MSS.,  p.  83)  that   "the 


Doc.  209.]      HIS  SPIRITUAL  EXPERIEyCE  IN  1744.  201 

153.  I  crossed  a  water  on  a  footbridge;  a  ship  was  lying 
by;  I  came  to  a  hole.  I  then  thought  of  bread,*  that  large 
and  small  loaves  were  taken  there  every  day. — It  is  probably 
the  Lutheran  church;  Christ  is  compared  to  the  spiritual  bread.* 

154.  July  21X22.  I  saw  a  congregation  where  every  one 
had  a  little  crown  on  his  head;  and  where  two  stood  in  front 
with  very  large  and  magnificent  crowns.  One  of  them  spoke 
full  of  joy  half  in  French,  and  half  in  German. — The  martyrs 
who  received  crowns  were  denoted  thereby;  for  of  these  I  had 
thought  on  the  previous  day;  but  who  the  two  [in  front]  were, 
and  whether  one  of  them  was  Huss,  I  do  not  know. 

155.  A  little  child-J-  would  take  hold  of  me,  and  take  me 
with  him ;  but  it  seemed  to  me  as  if  at  last  I  refused  [to  go].— 
This  means  tliat  we  must  he  like  children  in  respect  to  the  Lord. 
Since  children  have  now  been  represented  to  me  twice,  and 
also  in  the  preceding  night,  I  lighted  upon  these  thoughts, 
that  we  must  not  trouble  ourselves  for  w^hat  is  spiritual  to 
such  a  degree  that  it  comes  to  us  through  our  own  power, 
nor  for  worldly  things;  but  that  like  children  we  must  cast 
all  our  cares  upon  the  Lord. 

156.  I  made  my  way  into  a  church,  and  desired  to  come 
out  in  time;  but  it  was  full.  I,  nevertheless,  forced  my  way 
through,  when  I  came  to  an  empty  bench  on  which  lay  a 
cloth;  with  this  I  tried  to  cover  myself. — This  signifies  that 
I  desire  to  make  my  way  into  the  church  by  my  own  care, 
and  that  I  desire  to  preserve  my  incognito.  This  also  I  did 
on  the  previous  day;  yet  such  care  ought  to  be  submitted  to 
our  Lord. 

soul  is  as  it  were  a  divinity  presiding  over  a  certain  microcosm  or  universe," 
and  proves  this  at  some  length.  In  a  marginal  note,  however,  which  runs 
along  the  whole  of  this  passage,  he  says:  "It  is  to  be  observed  that  what 
is  said  here  must  not  be  inserted  in  the  chapter  or  thesis,  because  it  is 
premature ;  but  it  is  to  be  kept  in  reserve.  Such  seems  to  me  the  purport 
of  a  command  I  have  received  (Observandum,  quod  hose  non  inserenda 
iint  in  capite  seu  these,  nam  prcematumm  est;  sed  reservanda ;  ita  videar 
jusstis;"  instead  of  the  word  j^issus  Swedenborg  first  wrote  monitus,  but 
he  crossed  out  monitus,  and  wrote  jussus  instead). — The  admonition  that 
Swedenborg  was  not  to  continue  there  his  dissertation  on  the  brain  to  the 
soul,  he  seems  to  have  received  above  in  no.  In2.  See  Note  164,  viii  and  ix. 
*  See  Note  161,  x.  f  See  Note  161,  vi. 


202      S  WEDENB ORG'S  TEA  VELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  209 . 

157.  On  awaking  I  had  a  vision,  when  I  saw  much  gold 
before  me;  the  air  was  full  of  it. — It  denotes  that  the  Lord, 
who  disposes  all  things,  gives  me  in  spiritual  and  worldly 
matters  all  that  I  need,  whenever  like  a  child  I  cast  my  care 
upon  Him. 

158.  July  22X23.  It  appeared  to  me  as  if  I  took  a  very 
high  flight,  but  in  such  a  circle  that  I  came  down  just  as  I 
became  tired.  I  saw  a  beautiful  saloon,  with  costly  tapestry 
suspended  from  the  walls,  all  in  one  piece. — This  signifies  that 
on  the  previous  day  I  had  this  in  my  mind  and  at  heart,  that 
the  sum  of  all  is,  that  we  must  allow  Christ  to  care  for  us 
in  spiritual  and  worldly  things. 

I  saw  a  boy  running  off  with  one  of  my  shirts,  and  I  ran 
after  him. — It  means  probably  that  I  had  neglected  to  wash 
my  feet. 

159.  July  24X25.  Among  other  things  it  appeared  to  me 
as  if  I  were  in  company  with  many  persons,  and  as  if  we  made 
merry.  It  seemed  to  me  that  I  was  to  be  some  one's  guest; 
I  went  thence  on  a  journey,  but  was  under  the  impression 
that  I  was  to  come  back  again.  As  I  travelled  on,  however, 
without  thinking  of  it  I  altered  my  course  towards  a  different 
direction.  I  met  one  who  said  that  he  had  cut  out  a  set 
of  bed-curtains  for  me;  he  said  something,  however,  against 
my  science. — I  do  not  know  whether  I  am  to  follow  a  different 
method  with  my  work;  and  whether  a  preparation  is  to  be 
made  thereby  for  something  else.     I  am  in  the  dark  about  it. 

160.  July  27X28.  I  saw  my  father*  in  a  beautiful  surplice 
before  a  congregation.  He  conversed  with  me  in  a  friendly 
manner,  and  desired  to  introduce  me  to  some  one  in  an  inner 
room,  who  appeared  to  be  asleep,  and  to  whom  he  wished  to 
speak  about  me.  I  withdrew  softly,  for  fear  of  awakening 
him. — This  meant,  that  I  was  then  beginning  to  read  the  Bible 
in  the  evenings;  and  that  on  Saturday  evening  I  was  afraid  I 
had  not  prepared  myself  properly. 

161.  July  29X30.  I  saw  a  great  beast  with  wings,  which 
at  times  looked  like  a  human  being,  yet  with  a  great  gorge; 
it  did  not  dare  to  touch  me.     I  pursued  it  with  a  sword,  yet, 

*  See  Note  161,  iii. 


Doc.  209.]     HIS  SPIRITUAL  EXPERIENCE  IN  17 U.  203 

I  had  no  chance,  nor  was  I  strong  enough  in  my  arms,  to 
strike  it.  At  last  I  saw  it  standing  hefore  me  with  a  gun, 
from  which  it  fired  something  like  ])oison,  without,  however, 
doing  me  any  harm :  for  I  was  protected.  Immediately  after- 
wards I  thrust  my  sword  into  its  jaws,  yet  without  much  effect. 
I  ascended  higher;  it  seemed  to  me  as  if  some  one  said  that 
it  was  slain. — The  previous  day  I  had  been  thinking  of  the 
woman  and  the  dragon  in  the  Book  of  Revelation  [chap,  xii], 
and  I  wished  I  could  be  instrumental  in  killing  the  dragon; 
when  yet  nothing  is  in  my  power,  but  only  in  the  Lord's. 

162.  July  SOX  August  1.  I  was  a  long  time  in  a  state  of 
holy  tremor,*  yet  at  the  same  time  in  a  deep  sleep.  I  was 
thinking  I  should  see  something  holy,  and  it  seemed  to  me 
that  I  was  thrown  on  my  face;  but  I  cannot  affirm  this  with 
certainty.  Afterwards  I  was  removed  thence,  and  discovered 
near  me  beneath  my  back  some  one,  with  whom  I  seemed  to 
be  acquainted.  I  was  annoyed  at  his  having  withdrawn  me 
thence,  and  when  he  was  about  to  depart  I  told  him  he  must 
not  do  so  again.  The  tremor  continued;  but  I  did  not  see 
anything  else. — This  signified  that  something  holy  had  come 
to  me,  and  had  affected  me  thus;  and  also,  that  I  was  led 
to  my  work  upon  the  senses,  which  I  began  writing  to-day  ;-{- 
and  that  I  did  not  wish  to  be  drawn  away  by  it  from  that 
w^hich  is  more  important. 

163.  Afterwards  I  was  waiting  for  a  procession  of  horses. 
Large,  beautiful  horses,  of  a  yellowish  white  colour,  came  in 
great  numbers,  and  were  followed  by  some  beautiful  ones  in 
pairs;  they  came  to  me  fat,  large,  and  beautiful,  decorated 
with  fine  harness. 

This  signifies  the  work  upon  which  I  have  now  entered; 
the  last  was  upon  the  brain.  I  find  by  this  that  I  shall  have 
God's  assistance  in  it;  I  believe  that  He  will  aid  me  in  it.:|: 

*  See  Note  162,  i,  F. 

f  Swedenborg  began  ■writing  out  for  the  press  Part  III  of  the  Regvnm 
Animale;  a  portion  of  which  was  pubhshed  by  liim  in  London,  in  1745. 
under  the  title,  De  Cute,  Sensu  Tactus  et  Gustus;  et  dc  Formis  Organicis 
in  Gencre  (the  Skin,  the  Senses  of  Touch  and  Taste,  and  Organic  Funns 
generally).     See  Note  164,  ix,  C. 

i  Sec  Note  164,  ix,  C. 


204      SWEDENBORG'S  TEA  VELS  AXD  DIARIES.  [Doc.  209. 

164.  August  4X5.  I  saw  one  approaching  me  with  a  drawn 
sword;  I  also  seemed  to  have  a  sword  with  a  silver  hilt.  But 
when  he  reached  me,  I  had  nothing  but  a  broken  sheath.  He 
lay  down  on  my  back  and  bit  my  hands ;  I  called  for  help, 
but  none  came. 

Afterwards,  I  boasted  of  my  strength*'  in  the  presence  of 
As[sessor]  B  *  *  *  This  signifies  that  daily  I  sin  against  my 
God  in  the  thoughts  which  cling  to  me;  and  from  which  no 
man,  but  God  alone,  can  deliver  me;  likewise  that  I  had  boasted 
to  D.  H.  about  my  work.  On  the  following  day  I  had  intended 
to  go  to  the  communion ;  but  I  forbore,  when  from  the  above 
I  found  that  none  but  God  alone  can  give  absolution  from 
sins;  wherefore  it  was  given  me  also  to  observe  some  things 
with  respect  to  confession  [before  the  communion]. 

165.  August  8X9.  I  arrived  in  Sweden  and  found  the 
country  divided  into  two  kingdoms.  The  larger  one  was  in 
the  direction  of  Upland,  the  other  in  the  direction  of  Orebro ; 
there  were  two  kings,  the  latter  was  less  powerful;  his  domi- 
nion, nevertheless,  was  said  to  extend  to  Bohus[lan].  I  was 
with  this  king,-|-  and  his  power  increased.  It  seemed  to  me  as 
if  a  decree  were  issued  that  I  should  become  Secretary  in  Java; 
but  I  was  found  unfit  for  the  place,  as  I  could  not  converse 
in  the  language;  I,  nevertheless,  went.  Afterwards  I  dreamt 
about  small  birds,  which  ahghted  round  my  head,  and  had  to 
be  removed. — It  means  that  I  had  not  properly  arranged  and 
carried  out  the  subject  of  the  corpus  reticidare  Malpighii.\ 

166.  August  26X27.  During  the  last  few  days  I  was  very 
much  troubled  and  oppressed  by  my  sins,  which,  it  seemed  to 
me,  had  not  been  forgiven,  and  which  prevented  my  attend- 
ing the  Lord's  Supper  the  last  time.  [See  no.  164.]  The 
previous  day,  however,  it  seemed  to  me  that  I  had  been  re- 
lieved. During  the  night  the  soles  of  my  feet  appeared  all 
white.§ — This  signifies  that  my  sins  have  been  forgiven;**  and 


*  See  Note  161,  iv,  F.  f  See  Note  161,  v. 

%  This  subject  is  treated  of  by  Svvedenborg  in  Part  III  of  the  Regmim 
Animale,  nos.  433  to  437  of  the  Latin  Edition,  and  nos.  495  to  499  of  the 
Enghsh  Edition  (pp.  397  to  404).     See  Note  164,  ix,  D. 

tj  See  Note  161,  xii.  **  See  Introduction  to  Document  208,  p.  140. 


Doc.  209.]     HIS  SPIRIT  DA  L  EXPERIENCE  IN  1 744.  205 

also   many   other  things,   as  for  example,  that  I  was  received 
again  into  favour. 

1G7.  August  27X28.  It  seemed  to  me  as  if  I  took  a  book 
out  of  my  father's  library.  Afterwards  I  came  into  a  ship 
and  sat  down  with  one  where  the  rudder  usually  is ;  another 
was  sitting  at  my  right  side.  When  I  rose  from  my  seat, 
some  person  occupied  it,  and  when  I  desired  to  resume  it,  he 
moved  up  further  to  the  right,  and  made  room  for  me.  A 
woman  was  sitting  at  my  left,  and  another  before  me.  I  rose 
and  allowed  her  to  sit  there;  she  sat  down,  but  no  fauteuil 
was  there,  only  an  arm-chair,  and  I  was  sitting  in  front  of 
her.  Wine  was  brought  on  board,  which  when  poured  into  a 
wine-glass  looked  like  cowslip  wine.  One  of  these  glasses  was 
offered  to  me,  which  I  emptied  at  a  draught.  It  was  the  most 
delicious  beverage  I  ever  tasted;  and  without  knowing  what 
it  was,  it  entered  into  my  thoughts  that  it  was  heavenly  nectar. 
The  same  man  continued  to  sit  in  his  place  on  the  right  near 
the  rudder. — This  signifies  the  assistance  I  receive  in  my  work 
from  a  higher  hand,  so  that  I  am  employed  simply  as  an  in- 
strument;* on  this  account  there  was  also  one  among  those 
who  followed  me,  whose  business  I  said  it  was  to  sweep  clean. 
This  too  signifies  me. 

168.  September  1X2.  I  thought  of  going  to  the  Lord's 
table  on  the  second  of  August  [September],  since,  according 
to  my  best  knowledge,  I  was  assured  of  being  relieved  from 
my  sins;*  but  I  then  noticed  a  large  dog  which  ran  towards 
me,  yet  without  doing  me  any  harm;  I  pointed  it  out  to  one 
who  sat  beside  me,  to  whom  it  likewise  did  no  harm. — This 
means  either  that  on  the  previous  day  I  desired  to  boast  of 
one  of  my  visits,  or  that  others  around  me  use  flattering 
language. 

169.  Afterwards  it  seemed  to  me  as  if  I  heard  that  Didron-{- 
had  left  his  King  with  whom  he  was  in  great  favour,  and 
joined  the  Danes;  also  that  he  was  slain  there,  and  that  his 
wife,  who  was  false,  was  the  cause  of  it.   I  waited  for  his  body. — 


*  See  Introduction  to  Document  108,  p.  140. 

•}•  iJidron  is   the   name   of  a  Swedisli   nohle   family,   many  members   of 
which  served  with  distinction  in  the  Swedish  army. 


206       SWEDENBOBG'S  TEA  VELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  209. 

I  heard  just  now,  and  it  was  also  breathed  into  me,  that 
I  ought  not  to  leave  the  Church  of  Christ,  nor  [go]  to  that 
place  to  take  the  Lord's  Supper,  that  if  I  did  so  I  should 
become  again  spiritually  dead.*  More  I  could  not  understand 
of  this,  so  that  there  must  be  some  mystery  connected  with 
it.  When  I  abstained  from  the  Holy  Supper  [cfr.  no.  164], 
I  was  illuminated  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  which  is  usually  the 
case  when  I  act  according  to  command. 

170.  September  16;  on  a  Sunday  afternoon.  In  the  night 
between  the  fifteenth  and  sixteenth  I  saw  in  my  dream  two 
kings,  the  King  of  France  and  the  King  of  Poland-|-  who 
proposed  sublime  things  to  me.  Afterwards  I  saw  a  little 
girl  who  sang  to  me,  when  I  went  out. — This  signifies  that 
what  I  had  written  was  well-pleasing;  it  was  the  last  of  the 
first  chapter  on  the  sense  of  touch4 

171.  Immediately  after  dinner,  while  I  was  sleeping,  a 
woman§  appeared  to  me,  but  I  did  not  see  her  face.  She 
was  very  stout,  and  dressed  entirely  in  white.  I  desired  to 
purchase  from  her  something  to  drink;  she  replied  that  she 
had  nothing  left.  There  was  one  present  who  yielded  me  his 
right  to  get  a  glass  from  her  which  she  had  concealed  in  her 
dress.  She  was  looking  for  it,  when  I  saw  how  very  stout 
she  was,  as  if  she  were  with  child.**  After  looking  in  the 
folds  of  her  sleeve,  she  found  again  what  she  had  for  drinking. 
I  thought  it  was  chocolate,  but  it  was  wine.  I  thought  I 
would  not  have  it,  if  it  were  chocolate;  but  immediately  after- 
wards I  awoke.  It  seemed  to  me  then,  as  well  as  several 
times  before,  that  I  perceived  a  very  strong  smell  of  wine.  I 
wondered  most  at  her  snow-white  clothes. — I  do  not  under- 
stand very  well  what  this  signifies;  and  whether  she  w^as  the 
woman  who  was  with  me,  when  the  word  scDictuarium  was 
mentioned   [cfr.  no.  114],  and  who  was  now  with  child,  for  I 


*  See  Note  161,  ii.  f  See  Note  161,  v. 

I  The  last  portion  of  the  first  chapter  on  the  sense  of  touch,  which 
treats  on  the  use  of  touch,  extends  fi'om  p.  136  to  144,  in  Part  III  of  the 
Regnum  Animale,  Latin  Edition,  and  from  p.  555  to  p.  561  in  Vol.  II  of 
the  Enghsh  Edition.     See  Note  164,  ix,  E. 

§  See  Note  161,  iv.  **  See  Note  161,  iv,  D. 


Doc.  209. ]     HIS  SPIRIl ' UAL  EXPERIENCE  IN  1744.  207 

did  not  see  her  face.  It  means  probably  that  I^  am  engaged 
now  in  writing  and  in  bringing  forth*  what  I  have  undertaken; 
as  during  the  whole  day  I  found  myself  in  a  full  state  of 
illustration  respecting  the  matters  I  had  in  hand.-j- 

172.  September  17X18.  I  saw  the  King  of  Prussia,  and 
one  who  said  he  was  going  to  rouse  a  feeling  of  hostility 
between  the  Kings  of  Prussia  and  France. 

173.  September  18X19.  It  seemed  to  me  that  I  was  going 
over  a  field,  which  was  very  rough;  I  had  an  iron  staff  in  my 
hand  which  towards  the  last  was  not  heavy  to  walk  with.  I 
reached  the  end  of  the  piece  of  ground,  when  I  lay  down  in 
a  bed.  A  very  large  ox,  of  a  black  colour,  came  against  me 
with  its  horns,  in  order,  as  it  seemed,  to  gore  me.  I  was 
frightened,  but  was  told  that  I  should  come  safely  through  it; 
when  I  awoke. — Something  will  happen  to  me  after  I  have 
gone  through  the  first  chapter  on  the  sense  of  touch  [cfr.  no.  170]. 

174.  September  21.  Before  I  fell  asleep  that  day,  which 
was  a  Sunday,  I  -was  deeply  occupied  in  my  thoughts  upon 
the  things  on  which  I  am  writing.  "Hold  your  tongue,"  I 
was  told,  "or  I  will  slay  you;"  and  I  saw  some  one  sitting 
on  a  piece  of  ice.  I  was  frightened.  It  came  upon  me  just 
as  in  a  vision.  I  then  restrained  my  thoughts,  and  one  of 
the  usual  tremors:[:  came  over  me. — The  meaning  of  this  was, 
that  I  should  not  continue  thinking  so  long,  especially  on 
Sundays;  perhaps  also  in  the  evenings. 

175.  September  29X30.  This  was  the  night  between  a 
Saturday  and  a  Sunday.  I  saw  the  gable-end  of  the  most 
beautiful  palace  which  could  possibly  be  seen;  its  middle 
seemed  illuminated  as  with  bright  sunshine.  I  was  told  that  it 
was  resolved  in  the  society  that  I  should  become  an  immortal 
member  of  it,  which  no  one  ever  before  had  been,  unless  he 
had  died  and  were  still  living  [in  the  other  world].  Others 
said  that  there  were  several  [in  this  condition].  The  thought 
occurred  to  me  whether  it  was  not  most  important  to  be 
with  God,   and  so  to   live  as  that  He  would  look  favourably 


*  See  Note  161,  iv,  D.  f  See  Note  162,  i,  B. 

^  See  Note  162,  i,  F. 


208       SWEDENB ORG'S  TEA  VELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  209. 

upon  what  1.  had  finished   writing  respecting  Organic  Forma 
generally,*  and  especially  the  conclusion.-{- 

176.  Afterwards  some  one  told  me  that  he  would  call 
upon  me  at  ten  o'clock,  but  he  did  not  know  where  I  lived; 
and  I  answered,  as  it  then  seemed  to  me,  that  I  lived  in  the 
gable  end  of  that  palace. — This  signified  that  what  I  had 
written  there  with  God's  help,  was  of  such  a  nature  that  it 
wovild  lead  me  on  further  and  that  I  would  see  still  more 
glorious  things.:^ 

177.  Afterwards  I  was  with  women,§  but  would  not  touch 
them,  as  I  had  previously  had  to  do  with  holier  things.  Many 
things  then  occurred  to  me  which  I  left  to  God's  good  pleasure, 
since  I  am  an  instrument  with  which  He  may  do  what  He 
pleases;**  but  I  should  like  to  be  with  those  mentioned 
first;  yet  not  my  will  but  God's  be  done. 

God  grant  that  I  do  not  mistake  in  this ;   I  believe  I  do  not. 

178.  October  3,  in  the  afternoon.  I  was  taking  a  little 
nap,  when  it  was  represented  to  me  how  the  inmost  of  indi- 
vidualities (unitates)  consists  entirely  of  the  end  which  is  the 
reason  of  the  cause  ;■]"[-  so  that  if  our  thoughts  are  also 
considered  as  individualities,  they  contain  within  themselves 
no  other  end  and  no  other  reason,  than  what  comes  either 
from  the  Spirit  of  God  or  from  the  body.^|  "When  this  comes 
from  the  body,  all  from  the  inmost  is  sin:  for  all  that  we 
propose  to  ourselves  is  opposed  to  what  is  spiritual.  What 
it  is  whioh  governs  us,  we  can  easily  find  out,  if  we  reflect 
on  our  loves  which  accompany  [thought]. -j"|- 

179.  October  3  to  6.  I  have  noticed  several  times  that 
there  are  various  kinds  of  spirits.  The  one  spirit,  which  is 
that  of  Christ,  is  the  only  one  that  has  all  blessedness  with 
it;^:^   by   other   spirits   man  is    enticed    a    thousand    ways   to 

*  The  dissertation  on  "Organic  Forms  generally"  fills  nos.  470  to  486,  in 
the  fii-st  chapter  on  the  sense  of  touch  in  the  Latin  edition,  and  nos.  531  to  547, 
in  the  English  edition;  see  Note  164,  ix,  F. 

-j-  In  the  conclusion  of  this  dissertation  Swedenborg  shows  how  good 
and  truth  are  appropriated  by  man,  antl  evil  and  falsity  rejected. 

^  See  Introduction  to  Document  208,  p.  149. 

§  See  Note  161,  iv.  **  See  Introduction  to  Document  208,  p.  140. 

tt'See  Note  166,  iv.  |t  See  Note  165,  iv. 


Doc.  209.]        HIS  SPIRIT  VAL  EXPERIENCE  IX  1741.        209 

follow  them;  but  woe  to  those  who  do  so.  Another  time  Korah 
and  Dathan  occurred  to  me,  who  brought  strange  fire  to  the 
altar,  and  could  not  offer  it  ;*  such  is  the  case  when  a  different 
fire  is  introduced  than  that  which  comes  from  Christ.  I  saw 
also  something  like  a  fire  coming  to  me.-f  It  is  necessary 
therefore  that  a  distinction  should  be  made  between  spirits; 
which,  however,  cannot  be  done  except  through  Christ  Himself 
and  His  spirit.ij: 

180.  Afterwards  it  Avas  represented  to  me  in  sleep  what 
terrible  danger  I  had  been  in  the  night  between  the  29tli  and 
30th  of  last  month,  when  I  Avas  upon  ice  which  afterwards 
could  scarcely  bear  me,  and  I  came  then  to  a  fearfully  great 
chasm ;  a  person  on  the  other  side  could  not  come  to  my 
assistance,  wherefore  I  turned  back.  God  alone  through 
Christ§  has  helped  me  in  this  danger:  for  He  is  as  a  Lord 
and  Master  to  me,  and  I  am  His  slave;  and  to  Him,  without 
whom  no  one  can  come  to  God,**  be  all  honour  and  thanks! 

181.  October  6X7.  There  was  a  vivid  and  yet  gracious 
appearance  as  if  all  was  overcast  by  black  crape  or  skin, 
which  was  shining,  yet  had  no  consistence;  it  was  said  that 
it  could  not  endure,  wherefore  it  was  wrapped  up,  and  I 
received  a  promise  of  greater  enlightenment;  there  was  also 
an  appearance  as  of  an  inward  light.  This  [viz.  the  wrapping 
up]  I  was  trying  to  do  from  my  own  self  on  Sundays. — This 
denotes  that  by  my  own  understanding  and  my  ovm  phantasy 
I  desired  to  enter  into  something  which  is  compared  to  crape, 
and  which  did  not  stand  the  proof. 

182. 1  was  further  informed  respecting  my  book  upon  the  "Wor- 
ship and  Love  of  God,"  which  was  said  to  be  a  Divine  book;-|"|- 

*  Book  of  Numbers,  chaji.  xvi.  ■}-  See  Xote  162,  i,  D. 

^  See  Note  165,  iv.  §  See  Note  165,  i.  **  See  Note  165,  ii. 

•j-f  A  woi-k  entitled  "The  "Worship  and  Love  of  God"  (De  Cultu  et 
Aniore  Dei)  was  soon  after,  in  1745,  pul^Hshcd  by  Swedenborj?  in  London, 
containing  two  parts.  Part  III  was  left  by  liim  in  an  unfinished  state,  partly  in 
proof-sheets  and  partly  in  manuscript,  and  in  this  condition  is  preserved  now 
among  the  Swedenborg  MSS.  in  the  Academy  of  Sciences  in  Stockholm. 
A  fac-simUe  edition  of  this  part  is  contained  in  Vol.  VII  of  the  jihoto- 
lithogi'aphic  edition  of  the  Swedenborg  MSS.  An  English  translation  of 
Parts  I  and  II  appeared  in  Liondon  in  1801,  and  another  in  1828;  an 
American  edition  was  pubUshed  some  time  aftei'wards. 

14 


210       SWEDENBOBG'S  TRAVELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  209. 

I  believe  it  was  to  contain  also  something  about  spirits; 
my  book  on  the  Infinite  (de  Infinito)*  I  thought  treated  on 
something  similar;  but  I  did  not  receive  an  answer  to  this 
[suggestion]. 

183.  Afterwards  I  lighted  upon  these  thoughts,  and  received 
this  instruction,  viz.  that  all  love  for  whatever  object,  as,  for 
instance  for  the  work  upon  which  I  am  now  engaged — whenever 
such  an  object  is  loved  [for  its  own  sake],  and  not  as  a  medium 
for  the  only  love,  which  is  to  God  and  Jesus  Christ,^  is 
a  meretricious  love.  For  this  reason  also  this  love  is  always 
compared  in  God's  Word  to  whoredom.:}:  This  I  have  also 
'experienced  in  myself.  But  when  love  to  God  is  man's 
chief  love,  then  he  does  not  entertain  for  these  objects  any 
other  kind  of  love  than  that  of  promoting  thereby  his  love 
to  God. 

184.  I  seemed  also  to  see  the  Czar  Peter,  with  other 
Russian  magnates,  who  despised  me  because  I  had  half  sleeves. 
I  do  not  know  to  what  party  they  belonged. 

On  several  occasions  fine  bread  with  other  things  was 
given  to  me.  May  God  grant  that  this  be,  as  I  believe,  the 
spiritual  bread.§ 

185.  From  this,  and  from  what  has  been  said  before,  it 
may  be  seen  how  easily  human  beings  may  be  led  astray  by 
other  kinds  of  spirits,**  who  represent  themselves  to  men  accord- 
ing to  the  quality  of  the  love  of  each :  for  loves  are  represented 
by  spirits,  even  in  the  very  operation  when  women  [the  rest 
of  the  sentence  is  wanting]. 

186.  October  7X8.  I  desired  to  follow  a  certain  way,  but 
saw  a  little  boy  going  up  a  narrow  footpath.  I  followed  him, 
but  came  into  a  fog.  It  seemed  to  me  as  if  there  were 
soldiers.  I  walked  on  crouching  and  was  afraid.  I  thought, 
however,  that  they  were  not  enemies,  but  some  of  our  own 
peojDle.  But  when  I  could  not  see  any  road  before  me,  I 
turned  about,  and  came  into  a  room  in  a  state  of  disorder. 
I   asked    for    another    apartment,    and  after    obtaining    it,   I 

*  See  first  footnote  on  p.  6.  Vol.  II. 

f  See  Note  165,  i.  %  See  Note  161,  iv,  B. 

§  See  Note  161,  x.  **  Cfr.  no.  179. 


Doc.  209.]     HIS  SPIRITUAL  EXPERIENCE  IN  1744.  211 

asked  for  some  water.  The  person  said  it  was  fresh  but  muddy;* 
whereupon  1  ordered  some  milk,  and  awoke.— This  means  that 
.'.  was  on  a  wrong  way,  and  t'uUowed  my  own  understanding  into 
a  log.  In  such  a  case  we  are  afraid  of  our  own  people,  as 
of  enemies;  but  when  we  pursue  the  right  way,  we  are  afraid 
of  nobody.  By  the  water  is  meant  that  my  understanding 
is  still  turbid;*  and  by  the  milk  that  it  requires  to  be 
strengthened  more. 

187.  Afterwards  I  saw  in  a  vision  somebody  who  wore  a 
black  cloak;  this  was  taken  away  from  him,  when  he  disap- 
peared.— This  means  that  the  former  blackness  [see  no.  181] 
vanished;  which  is  the  case  when  a  man  follows  this  [i.  e. 
the  right]  way  and  puts  his  trust  entirely  in  God  and  Christ,-j- 
and  not  in  himself;  or  in  other  words  when  he  does  not  make 
flesh,  i.  e.  his  own  understanding,  his  arm. 

188.  I  found  besides  that  we  are  soldiers  to  fight  continually 
against  Satan.  If  we  have  God's  Spirit  and  life,  then  it  is 
daily  a  victory,  but  if  we  have  it  not  it  is  daily  a  defeat. 
We  fall  into  one  defeat  after  another.-i*  If  such  be  the  case, 
we  must  not  despair,  but  trust  in  God's  grace. 

189.  Last  night  it  seemed  to  me  as  if  I  had  seen  a  com- 
mission of  a  lieutenant-captain  or  something  of  the  kind;  but 
I  asked  Secretary  Bierchenius^-'-^:^  to  report  that  I  wished 
to  retain  my  former  appointment  as  assessor. — By  which  is 
signified  that  I  did  not  know  what  is  meant  by  being  a  soldier 
and  fighting  against  Satan :  for  God  sends  angels  to  man  to  assist 
him  to  fight.  This  is  meant  by  the  black  cloak  which  was  taken 
oti'  [see  no.  187].     God  Himself  has  deigned  to  enhghten  me. 

I  saw  also  in  vision  a  heart  tilled  with  blood,  by  which  is 
meant  love.§ 

190.  October  8X9.  This  night  was  the  most  delightful  of 
all;  since  I  saw  tlu;  kingdom  of  Innocence.  Below  my  feet 
I  saw  the  most  beautiful  garden  which  could  possibly  be  seen. 
On  every  tree  in  the  garden  there  gradually  appeared  white 
roses.     Afterwards  I  came  into  a  long  room,   where  beautiful 


*  See  Note  161,  vii.  f  Soe  Note  165,  iv. 

^  Sec  Note  161,  i.  §  See  Note  161,  xii. 

14* 


212      SWEDENBOEG'S  TRAVELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  209. 

white  cups  were  standing,  which  were  filled  Avith  milk  and 
bread,  and  which  looked  so  inviting  that  nothing  can  be  ima- 
gined more  so.  I  was  in  company  with  a  lady,  of  whom  I 
have  no  particular  recollection.  I  then  went  back,  when  a 
dear  little  innocent  child*  came  to  me,  and  told  me  that  the 
lady  had  gone  without  taking  leave.  She  begged  me  to  buy 
her  a  book,  which  she  wished  to  take  with  her,  but  which  she 
did  not  show  me.     I  then  awoke. 

Besides  this  it  seemed  to  me  as  if  I  entertained  in  a 
house  or  palace  which  stood  apart  a  large  company  of  people 
who  were  my  acquaintances.  Among  them  were  Senators 
Lagerberg^^-j-  and,  I  believe,  Ehrenpreus"^-{-  and  others.  All 
this  was  at  my  expense,  and  it  seemed  to  me  as  if  it  was 
going  to  cost  me  a  large  sum;  the  thought  kept  coming 
continually,  that  it  was  expensive;  but  every  now  and  then  I 
did  not  care  for  that,  for  I  noticed  that  the  whole  was  borne 
by  the  Lord,  who  owned  that  prope^-ty,  or  exhibited  it  to 
me, — This  signifies  that  I  was  in  the  kingdom  of  Innocence, 
treating  the  worldly-minded  people  there  without  seeing  them. 
It  means  either  that  my  work  is  not  like  them,  although  I 
treat  them  with  it,  or  something  else.  The  child  was  innocence 
itself;*  with  this  I  was  quite  touched,  and  I  wished  that  I 
might  be  in  a  kingdom  whepe-  all  is  innocence.  I  regretted 
that  on  awaking  I  had  to  leave  it.  I  do  not  know  what  is 
meant  by  the  lady  who  went  away  without  taking  leave. 

On  the  next  day,  or  on  the  9th,  my  eyesight  was  so  strong 
that  I  could  read  the  Bible  with  the  small  print  without  the 
least  difficulty. 

191.  October  9X10.  In  a  vision  there  appeared  to  me  a 
fire  as  of  coal,  which  was  burning  briskly. — This  meant -the 
fire  of  love  [see  Note  161,  vii]. 

Afterwards  there  was  signified  to  me  by  a  representation  *  *  * 
[see  Note  161,  iv,  F],  that  on  the  previous  day  I  was  engaged 
with  my  work.:|:   which  is    entirely    different  from   the  other§ 

*  See  Note  161,  vi.  f  See  Note  161,  i. 

^  Swedenborg  alludes  here  to  the  elaboration  for  the  press  of  Part  III 
of  the  Regnum  Animale;  see  Note  164,  x. 

§  The  other  work  is  that  on  "The  Worship  and  Love  of  God"  (see 
no.  182). 


Doc.  200.]     HIS  SPIRITUAL  EXPERIENCE  IN  17 U.  213 

and  [proceeds  from]  au  entirely  different  love;  and  [I  was  in 
doubt]  whether  the  former  work  shoukl  prevail*  (om  dm  shille 
rddaj,  and  whether  it  should  not  rather  be  regarded  as  mere 
talk  and  as  a  plaything  only,  when  compared  with  the  other. 
Upon  awaking  I  fully  made  up  my  mind  to  abandon  the  former 
work;f  and  I  should  have  done  so,  if  it  had  not  aftenvards 
seemed  to  me  in  my  sleep,  that  I  had  been  sent  to  a  certain 
place  with  a  letter.  I  did  not  find  the  way;  but  my  sister 
Hedwig'^  saw  the  letter,  and  said  it  Avas  intended 'for  Ulrica 
Adlersten,:}:  who  had  it  appeared  longed  for  me.  I  went  there, 
and  saw  also  Schonstrom.^^  Afterwards  I  had  continually  a 
sensation  as  if  they  went  up  to  the  brain  and  down  again. — 
By  this  I  was  confirmed  to  go  on  with  my  work.§  May  God 
grant  that  this  be  not  against  His  good  pleasure,  since  as 
soon  as  I  break  off  my  sleep  I  at  once  come  into  the  effort 
to  abandon  it  ;  besides  God  Himself  helped  me  to  arrive  at 
this  resolution.**     To  God  alone  be  praise  and  honour! 

A  child  fell  over  my  foot,  hurt  himself,  and  screamed;  I 
helped  him  to  get  up,  and  said,  Why  do  you  race  so? — This 
no  doubt  meant  that  1  was  too  much  in  a  hurry  with  .that  [i.  e. 
the  second  work].-|"j- 

192.  October  10X11.  I  was  in  company  with  a  woman,:}:^ 
yet  did  not  approach  her.  I  afterwards  met  a  gentleman 
whom  I  asked  whether  I  could  ei^ter  his  service,  since  I  had 
lost  my  place  through  the  war.  The  answer  was,   No.     They 

*  The  meaning-  of  tliis  seems  to  be,  whether  Swedenborg  should  go  on 
with  the  Uegnum  Animate,  or  not. 

f  He  alludes  here  to  the  elaboration  for  the  press  of  Part  III  of  tho 
Rcgnum  Animate;  see  Note  164,  x. 

I' Ulrica  Adlei-sten  was  the  wife  of  Swedenborg's  first  cousin,  Albrccht 
Schonstrom;8>  see  Document  9,  p.  85,  no.  3. 

§  Swedenborg  seems  to  have  been  in  doubt  whether  to  proceed  with 

the  printing  of  Vol  III  of  the  Regnum  Animate,  or  not;  sec  Note  1^4,  x. 

**  He  appears  to  have  gone  on  with  the  printing  of  the  Regnum  Animate 

until  October  27,  when  he  began  the  preparation  eft"  his  other  work,   De 

Cultu  et  Amove  Dei;  see  no.  202. 

ff  The  other  work  is  that   on  "The  Worship  and  Love   of  God''   ^aco 
no.  182). 

^^  See  Note  161,  iv,  E. 


y 


214      6'  WEDENB ORG 'S  TEA  VELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  209. 

played  as  it  were  basset;*  the  money  kept  changing  hands, 
and  I  was  present  with  them  all  the  time.  I  asked  my  servant 
whether  he  had  said  that  I  owned  some  [money] ;  he  answered, 
No,  and  said  that  he  would  give  no  other  answer.  —  This 
signifies  the  Moravian  church  [see  no.  142],  that  I  am  with 
them  and  yet  not  accepted  by  them;  also  that  I  say  I  have 
no  knowledge  about  religion,  but  have  lost  all;-{-  further  that 
they  who  play  basset  keep  losing  and  winning. 

193.  October  12X13.  It  seemed  to  me  as  if  some  one  was 
beaten  and  scourged;  yet  afterwards  he  preached  above  and  below 
with  greater  zeal,  and  did  the  same  [as  before]. — By  this  is  meant 
that  when  any  one  receives  chastisement  from  our  Lord,  he 
is  afterwards  gifted  with  greater  zeal  and  spirit  to  go  on  with 
that  to  which  he  is  led  by  the  Spirit;  so  that  chastisement 
and  punishment  augment  them.:^  On  the  previous  day  I  was 
thinking  that  I  was  so  glad ;  I  allowed  my  thoughts  free 
course,  [and  wondered]  whether  punishment  would  cause  a 
change  in  this:  the  above  is  the  answer  to  this  question. 

194.  Afterwards  I  seemed  to  say  to  myself  that  the  Lord 
Himself  will  instruct  me.§ — For,  as  I  discovered,  I  am  in  such 
a  state  that  I  know  nothing  on  this  subject  [i.  e.  on  religion, 
cfr.  no.  192],-|-  except  that  Clirist  must  be  all  in  all,  or  God 
through  Christ,  so  that  we  of  ourselves  cannot  contribute  the 
least  towards  it,  and  still  less  strive  for  it:  wherefore  it  is 
best  to  surrender  at  discretion,  and  were  it  possible  to  be 
altogether  passive  in  this  matter,  it  would  be  a  state  of 
perfection.** 

195  I  saw  also  in  a  vision  how  some  beautiful  bread  was 
presented  to  me  on  a  plate.-j"|- — This  was  a  prediction  that 
the  Lord  Himself  will  instruct  me,  as  soon  as  I  have  attained 
that  state  in  which  I  shall  know  nothing,  and  in  which  all 
my  preconceived  notions  will  be  removed  from  me;  which  is 
the  first    state  of  learning:   or,   in  other  words,  that  I  must 

*  Basset  is  a  game  of  cards,  played  in  the  last  century,  resembling  the 
modern  faro ;  it  is  said  to  have  been  invented  in  Venice  by  a  nobleman, 
who  was  banished  for  the  invention. 

t  See  Note  162,  iii.  t  See  Note  165,  iv. 

§  See  Introduction  to  Document  208.  p.  140. 
**  See  Note  165,  vii.  ff  See  Note  161,  x. 


Doc.  209.]     HIS  SPIRIT  UAL  EXPERIENCE  IW  1 744.  215 

first  become   a   cliild,    and  that   then   I   shall    be   able   to   be 
nurtured  in  knowledge,  as  is  being  the  case  with  me  now.* 

196.  October  13X14.  Among  other  things  I  was  told  that 
during  the  last  two  weeks  I  have  begun  to  improve  in  my 
looks,  and  to  appear  like  an  angol.-|- — May  God  grant  that 
this  be  so !  May  God  aid  me  in  this,  and  not  take  away  from 
me  His  grace! 

197.  October  15X16.  In  a  vision  I  saw  how  some  one 
bearing  a  heavy  load  of  boards  fell  imder  its  weight ;  ano- 
ther came  to  his  assistance,  but  I  did  not  see  how  he  was 
helped. 

In  my  sleep  I  saw  that  at  last  I  went  up  by  a  foot-bridge, 
seeing  a  gi'eat  gulf  and  dangers  before  me,  but  I  managed 
to  climb  up  after  another  person  by  means  of  a  rope,  without, 
however,  seeing  the  top,  or  how  I  might  reach  it. — This 
signifies  that  they  who  strive  to  help  themselves  into  the 
kingdom  of  heaven  by  their  own  effort,  or  to  rise  on  high 
by  themselves,  labour  in  vain,  and  are  exposed  to  constant 
danger ;  which  labour  becomes  light,  when  they  address  themselves 
to  God,  who  is  man's  help  in  such  a  case.:|: 

198.  October  18X19.  I  dreamt  how  a  big  dog,  which  I 
thought  was  fastened,  fleAv  at  me  and  bit  me  in  the  leg.  Some 
one  came  and  held  its  terrible  jaws,  so  that  it  could  do  no 
more  mischief. — The  day  before  I  had  been  at  the  Medical 
College  hearing  a  lecture,  when  I  was  rash  enough  to  think 
that  I  should  be  mentioned  as  one  of  those  who  understood 
anatomy  best;    I  was  glad,   however,   that  this  was  not  done. 

It  appeared  to  me  in  vision  the  following  night  as  if  a 
crooked  leg  (sncfot,  i.  e,  snedfot)  went  out  of  my  body. — This 
probably  signified  that  by  that  bite  I  had  become  like  one 
with  a  crooked  leg. 

199.  October  19X20.  I  dreamt  how  I  saw  one  beast 
after  another.  When  they  opened  their  wings,  I  saw  that  they 
were  dragons.§  I  flew  over  them,  but  struck  against  one.— 
Such  dragons   signify  spurious  loves,   which  do  not  appear  as 


*  See  Note  162,  iii.  f  See  Introduction  to  Document  208,  p.  J  41. 

X  See  Note  165,  vii.  $5  See  Note  161,  xi. 


216      S  WEDENB OBG'S  TEA  VELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  209. 

dragons,   until  their  wings  are  discovered.*      I  was  engaged 
then  in  writing  on  this  subject. 

200.  October  20X21.  It  was  most  gracious  and  wonderful 
that  on  the  previous  day  I  had  felt  myself  unworthy  of  all 
the  grace  God  had  been  pleased  to  exhibit  towards  me;  for 
love  of  my  own  self  and  pride  were  so  deeply  rooted  in 
me ;  I  therefore  prayed  to  God  that  He  would  remove  them 
from  me,  since  this  is  not  in  my  own  power.-]-  In  the  evening 
I  found  myself  in  a  most  curious  state  of  mind,  such  as  I 
had  never  experienced  before :  for  I  despaired  of  God's  grace, 
although  I  knew  that  God  is  so  gracious,  and  that  He  has 
shown  greater  grace  towards  me  than  towards  any  one  else. 
There  was  an  anxiety  in  the  soul,  but  not  in  the  mind,  though 
I  became  conscious  of  it  only  in  the  mind  itself,  without  feeling 
any  pain  in  the  body. 

Afterwards  I  fell  asleep,  when  it  seemed  to  me  as  if  I 
were  closely  followed  by  two  dogs:  after  a  long  time  I  got 
out  of  their  reach,  when  I  was  told  in  my  thoughts,  that  the 
object  of  these  strange  pains  was  to  cure  me  of  them.  When- 
ever, therefore,  the  root  of  what  is  deeply  ingrained  in  man 
is  removed,  such  a  feeling  of  pain  is  caused  ;  this  is  well- 
worth  being  remembered  and  preserved  in  the  thoughts. 

201.  Afterwards  I  saw  a  great  King,  who  was  King  of 
France.:}:  He  went  without  a  suite,  and  had  but  a  small  regal 
court.  No  one  from  these  indications  could  have  seen  that 
he  was  a  king.  Some  person  with  me,  it  seemed,  would  not 
recognize  in  him  a  king,  whereupon  I  said  that  he  was  of  those 
who  did  not  care  for  such  things.  He  was  courteous  towards 
all  without  distinction,  and  conversed  also  with  me.  On  going 
out,  too,  he  had  no  suite,  but  took  upon  himself  the  burdens 
of  others,  and  wore  garments  similar  to  theirs. 

Thence  I  came  into  another  large  society,  where  I  found 
every  thing  much  more  magnificent. 

Afterwards  I  saw  the  Queen;  when  the  chamberlains 
entered  and  bowed  before  her,  she  also  made  a  deep  reverence; 
and  there  was  no  pride  in  her.— It  signifies  that  in  Christ 

*  See  Note  161,  xi.  f  See  Introduction  to  Document  208,  p.  140. 

I  See  Note  161,  v. 


Doc.  209.]    HIS  SPIRIT  UAL  EXPERIENCE  IN  1744.  217 

there  is  not  the  least  pride,  but  that  He  makes  Himself  equal 
with  others,  although  He  is  the  greatest  King.*  He  does  not 
trouble  Himself  about  what  is  great,  and  he  likewise  takes 
upon  Himself  the  burdens  of  others.  The  Queen,  by  whom 
is  meant  wisdom,  partakes  of  the  same  character.  She  also 
has  no  love  of  self;  and  does  not  think  herself  greater  on 
account  of  being  a  queen. 

202.  October  26X27.  It  was  foretold  to  me  that  the 
twenty-seventh  of  October  would  come  again ;  when  I  undertook 
"The  "Worship  and  Love  of  God."-}-  It  seemed  as  if  it  were 
Christ  Himself  with  whom  I  associated,  as  witli  another  person? 
without  ceremony.  He  borrowed  a  small  sum  of  money  from 
another  amounting  to  about  five  pounds.  I  was  disappointed 
that  He  did  not  borrow  the  money  from  me.  I  took  up  two 
bank-notes,  of  which  methought  I  first  let  one  drop,  and  then 
the  other.  He  asked  what  they  were;  I  replied  that  I  had  found 
two,  one  having  been  probably  dropped  by  Him.  I  offered 
them  and  He  took  them.  In  such  an  innocent  way  we  seemed 
to  live  together;  it  was  the  state  of  innocence. 

203.  Afterwards  I  was  in  my  room  with  another,  an  ac- 
quaintance or  relative.  I  told  him  that  I  would  show  liim 
that  I  had  a  better  apartment.  I  accordingly  went  out  with 
him  first  into  an  adjoining  room,  which  extended  a  great 
length  ;  it  was  a  whole  suite  of  rooms,  but  did  not  belong 
to  me.  Some  one  in  a  bed  asked  what  he  wanted.  I  left, 
and  went  with  him  into  my  own  saloon.  On  opening  the  door 
I  found  that  a  whole  market-place  was  lodged  there.  Immediately 
before  me  many  articles  were  exposed  for  sale.  Beyond  this 
the  flank  of  a  large  palace  was  visible ;  but  this  was  removed, 
and  then  everything  before  me  and  at  the  sides  appeared  full 
of  beautiful  earthen- ware ;  it  looked  like  porcelain,  and  had 
just  been  placed  there.  On  the  side  they  were  still  busy  arranging 
it.  Afterwards  I  went  into  my  own  little  chamber  which  was 
also  shining. — By  this  is  signified  the  whole  of  that  work  upon 
which  I  am  now  entering  in  God's  name;  in  front,  before  me,  is 
the  part  on  "The  Worship  of  God,"  at  the  sides  that  treating 
on  "The  Love"  [of  God].    There  is  also  signified  thereby  that  I 

♦  See  Note  165,  ii.  f  See  Note  164,  x. 


218       S  WEDENB  ORG 'S  TRA  VELS  AND  DIARIES.  [Doc.  209. 

must  not  take  of  the  articles  manufactured  by  others,*  as 
those  were  contained  in  the  saloon  which  I  had  rented;  but 
that  I  must  use  my  own.  My  chamber,  which  Avas  adjoining, 
signified  this  other  work;  and  the  room  at  the  side  signified 
the  one  which  did  not  belong  to  me.  May  God  lead  me 
in  the  right  way !  Christ  said  that  I  must  not  undertake 
anything  without  Him. 

204.  I  mounted  a  fine  black  horse.  There  were  two  of 
us.  The  horse  was  fiery;  it  first  went  out  of  the  way,  but 
afterwards  turned  round. — This  signifies  my  undertaking,  which 
as  yet  appears  dark  to  me,  but  at  last  will  move  in  the 
right  track. 

205.  While  I  was  going  with  my  friend  through  a  long 
passage,  a  pretty  maiden-}-  came  and  rushed  into  his  arms  and 
as  it  were  sobbed.  I  asked  her  whether  she  knew  him.  She 
did  not  answer.  I  then  took  her  away  from  him,  and  led  her 
by  the  arm. — This  was  my  new  work  to  which  she  addressed 
herself,  from  which  I  took  her  in  this  way. 

206.  In  the  morning  there  appeared  to  me  in  a  vision 
a  market,  like  the  "disting"^  market.  It  was  in  my  father's 
house  at  Upsal,  in  the  saloon  up  stairs,  in  the  entrance, 
and  all  over  the  house. — This  signifies  the  same  [as  above, 
cfr.  no.  203];  so  that  this  must  be  done,  and  indeed  with  a 
greater  degree  of  certainty. 

207.  In  the  morning,  on  awaking,  I  fell  into  a  swoon  or 
fainting  fit,  similar  to  that  which  I  experienced  about  six 
or  seven  years  ago  at  Amsterdam,  when  I  entered  upon  the 
(Economia  Regni  Animalis;  but  it  was  much  more  subtle,  so 
that  I  was  almost  dead.  It  came  upon  me  as  soon  as  I  saw 
the  light.  I  threw  myself  upon  my  face,  when  it  gradually 
passed  ofi".  In  the  mean  time  short  interrupted  slumbers 
took  possession  of  me.     So  that  this  swoon  or  deliquium  was 

*  See  Note  162,  iv.  f  See  Note  161.  iv,  A. 

I  The  "disting"  is  a  large  market  or  fair  which  is  held  at  Upsal  in  the 
•month  of  February.  It  is  said  to  have  taken  its  origin  from  a  feast  which 
was  celebrated  in  ancient  times,  about  that  period  of  the  year,  in  honour 
of  the  goddess  Disa,  and  which  was  called  "Disablot"  (worship  of  Disa). 
About  the  same  time  also  a  -'ting"  i.  e.  a  court  was  held  among  the 
assembled  people,  where  goods  were  exchanged. 


Doc.  209.]     HIS  SFIRITUAL  EXPERIENCE  IN  1744.  219 

more  interior  and  deeper;  but  I  soon  got  over  it. — This 
signifies  that  my  head  is  being  cleared,  and  is  really  being 
cleansed  of  all  that  would  obstruct  these  thoughts;  as  was 
also  the  case  last  time ;  because  it  gave  me  penetration, 
cspocially  whilst  writing.  This  was  also  represented  to  me 
now,  in  that  I  appeared  to  write  a  fine  hand.* 

[Thus  ends  the  remarkable  diary  of  Swedenborg's  spiri- 
tual experience  in  1744.  After  a  few  blank  pages  there 
is  another  entry  marked:  11X12,  recording  some  experience 
he  had  with  Prof.  CEhlreich,^''^f  similar  to  that  described 
in  no.  140,  under  the  date,  May  19X20.  From  this  it  would 
seem  that  the  date  of  these  memoranda  is  June  11X12,  1744, 
and  that  no.  208  Avhich  now  follows  ought  in  reality  to  come 
after  no.  143.] 

208.  *  *  *  ^  I  left  Prof.  (Ehlreich.f  On  the  way  there  was 
deep  water;  but  at  the  side  there  was  a  passage  (en  gCuig), 
where  was  very  little;  wherefore  I  stepped  out  at  the  side, 
for  it  did  not  seem  necessary  for  me  to  walk  through  the 
deep  water. 

A  rocket  seemed  to  burst  over  my  head,  which  shed  many 
sparks  of  beautiful  fire. — It  means  perhaps  love  for  what 
is  high.§ 

209.  On  another  blank  page  in  the  back  part  of  the  original 
manuscript  volume  the  author  gives  a  further  explanation,  in 
Latin,  of  a  statement  made  by  him  in  no.  149,  to  this  effect: 
All  objects  of  the  sciences,  viz.  all  truths,  were  represented 
to  him  under  the  form  of  women  or  virgins,**  and  he  declares 
himself  there  to  be  their  "devoted  servant;"  although  these 
words  are  afterwards  crossed  out. 

*  See  Note  162,  i,  B.  f  See  Note  160,  iii. 

%  See  Note  161.  iv,  F.  §  See  Note  161,  vii. 

**  See  Note  161,  iv,  A. 


SECTION  IX. 

SWEDENBORG'S  CORRESPONDENCE 
FROM  1749  TO  1772. 


DOCUMENT  210. 

FIRST  LETTER  OF  J.  WRETMAN'*'  TO 
EMANUEL   SWEDENBORG.=*= 

Well-born  Sir, 

I  was  glad  to  learn  from  your  esteemed  letter 
of  the  10th  (old  style),  21st  (new  style)  of  the  present  month  tliat 
the  letter  from  England  which  I  forwarded  to  you  had  been  duly 
received.  Another  letter  from  Sweden  is  now  enclosed  to  you; 
the  postage  of  both  letters,  according  to  your  instructions,  hav- 
ing been  charged  to  your  account. 
I  have  the  honour  to  remain 

Your  most  obedient  servant, 

Joachim  Wretman. 

Amsterdam,  Nov.  25,  1749. 


To  Mr.  Em.  Swedenborg,  at  the  Sign  of  St.  Josepli.  Care  of 
Mr.  Beckers,  Rue  de  St.  Pierre,  Aix  La  Chapelle. 

*  The  Swedish  urijiinal  of  this  Dooimicnt  is  preserved  in  tlie  Archives 
of  the  Swedcnl)org  Society,  London,  wliei-e  it  was  de])osit('d,  with  tlie 
other  letters  addressed  by  Wretman  to  Swedenl)org,  l)y  the  Editor  of  these 
Documents. 


DOCUMENT  2\l. 

SECOND  LETTER  OP  J.  WRETMAN^*'  TO 
EMANUEL  SWEDENBORG.* 

Well-born  Sir, 

Taking  the  opportunity  of  sending  you  a  letter 
from  England,  I  have  the  honour  of  wishing  you  a  very 
happy  New  Year,  May  you  enjoy  numberless  returns  of  this 
festive  season,  in  a  state  of  perfect  health  and  with  all  the 
blessings  you  may  desire. 

With  these  wishes  I  have  great  pleasure  in  commending 
myself  to  your  favour,  assuring  you  that,  with  all  due  defer- 
ence, I  shall  forever  be 

Your  most  obedient  servant, 

Joachim  Wketman, 

Amsterdam,  January  9,  1750. 


To  Mr.  Em.  Swedenborg,  at  the  Sign  of  St.  Joseph,  Care  of 
Mr.  Beckers,  Rue  de  St.  Pierre,  Aix  La  Chapelle. 

*  The   Swedish   ovig-inal    of  this   Document   is  in  tlie   Archives  of  the 
Swedenborg  Society,  London,  (see  foot-note  to  Document  210). 


DOCUMENT  212. 

THIRD  T.ETTER  OF  J.   WRETMAN^'*  TO 
EMANUEL  SWEDENBORa* 

"Well-bom  Sir, 

I  was  delighted  to  have  the  honour  of  receiving 
your  acceptable  letter  of  the  2nd  inst.,  and  should  have  liked 
very  much  to  hear  that  the  letter  from  England  had  duly 
arrived. 

In  case  any  parcels  arrive  from  England  by  post, 
they  shall  be  paid  for  and  kept  subject  to  your  orders. 
Messrs.  Grill"^  of  this  place  have  informed  me  that  two  par- 
cels have  been  left  in  their  care  by  a  skipper  from  England; 
one  of  which  is  addressed  to  Jansonius  Wacsberg  and  the  other 
to  Jacob  Verlouw,  Amsterdam;  but  as  the  latter  bookseller 
has  failed,  and  it  is  supposed  that  these  parcels  concern  you, 
we  desire  to  know  in  what  way  you  would  like  to  dispose  of 
them.     Meanwhile  I  remain,  with  all  due  deference, 

Your  most  obedient  servant, 
Joachim  Wretman. 

Amsterdam,  January  20,  1750. 

To  Mr.  Em.  Swedcnborg,  at  the  Sign  of  St.  Joseph,  Care  of 
Mr.  Beckers,  Rue  de  St.  Pierre,  Aix  La  Chapelle. 

*  The  original  of  this  letter  is  in  the  Archives  of  the  Swedenborg' 
Society,  London  (see  footnote  to  Document  IdiOj. 


15 


DOCUMENT  213. 

FOURTH  LETTER  OF  J.  WRETMAN^'*  TO 
EMANUEL  SWEDENBORG* 

Well-bom  Sir, 

In  agreement  with  instructions  contained  in  your 
honoured  letters  of  the  11th  and  24th  of  last  month,  I  notified 
to  Messrs.  GrilF^  that  the  parcels  of  books  which  had  arrived 
must  remain  in  their  care,  until  you  dispose  of  them  other- 
wise. Of  the  parcels  which  were  to  arrive  from  England 
by  post,  I  have  not  yet  heard  anything.  The  Mallium  Sana 
which  you  wish  is  not  known  here  at  all ;  at  least  it  is  not  kept 
for  sale;  but  they  have  promised  to  inquire  for  it.  As  soon 
as  I  receive  even  a  small  quantity  of  it,  it  shall  be  forwarded 
to  you,  together  with  the  melon  seeds;  but  I  am  at  a  loss  to 
know  what  you  mean  by  cocomhes,  unless  you  intend  it  for 
couconibre  [cucumber]  seed.  I  shall  therefore  delay  executing 
your  order  until  I  receive  more  minute  instructions.  The  bulbs 
of  the  tulips,  hyacinths,  and  others  must  be  put  into  the  ground 
in  autumn,  before  the  frost  begins  ;  for  if  they  be  planted 
in  spring  all  will  not  come  up ;  the  flowers  must  be  left  [i.  e. 
they  must  not  be  cut  off],  or  the  bulbs  will  die.  For  four  or 
five  florins  some  of  each  might  be  collected,  and  sent  to  Sweden 
by  the  first  ship.  If  then  all  the  flowers  do  not  come  out,  the 
loss  will  be  small  compared  with  the  trouble  of  planting  them. 
With  usual  deference  I  remain 

Your  obedient  servant, 
Joachim  Weetman. 
Amsterdam,  February  10,  1750. 

To  Mr.  Em.  Swedenborg,  at  the  Sign  of  St.  Joseph,  Care  of 
Mr.  Beckers,  Rue  de  St.  Pierre,  Aix  La  Chapelle. 

*  The  Swedish  original  of  this  letter  is  in  the  Archives  of  the  Sweden- 
borg Society,  London  (see  footnote  to  Document  210). 


DOCUMENT  214, 

FIFTH  LETTER  OF  J.  WRETMAN^"'*  TO 
E^IANUEL  SWEDENBORa  * 

Well-born  Sir  and  kind  Patron, 

I  was  delighted  to  hear  by  your  kind  letter  of 
August  21  that  you  had  safely  reached  home,  and  that  the 
box  containing  the  sugar  had  likewise  been  delivered  in  good 
time.  I  received  at  the  same  time  your  remittance  of  52  florins 
1 0  stivers  by  draft  on  Messrs.  Anthon  and  John  Grill,"^  which 
has  been  honoured,  and  by  which  your  account  with  me  has 
been  settled.  I  was  very  glad  to  hear  that  your  garden  and 
residence  escaped  the  last  terrible  fire  in  Stockholm.  The 
signs  of  the  times  look  threatening,  especially  for  the  Swedish 
shipping  interest.  When  the  Court  of  Denmark  shows  an  ill- 
will  against  that  of  Sweden  by  calling  back  their  Ambassador 
without  his  taking  leave,  it  looks  very  badly,  and  the  whole 
Korth  in  this  case  ^vill  be  involved  in  war  for  the  sake  of 
France  and  England. 

I  commend  myself  to  your  constant  favour,    and  I,    with 
profound  deference,  have  the  honour  to  remain  always 

Your  obedient  servant, 

Joachim  Wketman. 
Amsterdam,  September  1,  1759. 

To  Mr.  Em.   Swedcnborg,    Assessor  in  the  Royal  College  of 
Mines,  Stockholm. 

*  The  Swedish  original  of  this  letter  is  in  the  Archives  of  the  Swctlcn- 
borg  Society,  London  (see  footnote  to  Document  210). 

15* 


DOCUMENT  215. 

BARON  VON  HATZEL*  TO  EMANUEL 
SWEDENBORG.f 


Well-born  Sir, 

From  my  venerable,  pious,  and  deeply  learned 
friend,  his  Excellency  Count  G.  Bonde,^'^  I  first  heard  of  the 
extraordinary  insight  and  illumination  wherewith  the  Almighty 
has  been  pleased  to  gift  you ;  but  subsequently  I  was  able  to  per- 
ceive and  see  it  more  clearly  by  the  writings  which  you  have 
published  in  London,  and  some  of  which  I  have  read  with 
amazement.  Now,  as  from  my  early  youth,  with  the  talent 
which  God  has  entrusted  to  me,  I  have  striven  after  truth,  and 
have  preferred  theosophy  to  all  other  things,  the  desire  has 
sprung  up  in  me  not  only  to  make  your  acquaintance,  but  also 
in  many  things  to  become  your  disciple,  and  by  following 
the  same  way  in  which  you  began  and  have  succeeded  so  well, 
to  reach,  under  your  guidance,  the  same  fountain  of  wisdom 
and  intelligence,  and  taste  of  its  waters;  and  in  making  this 
request  of  you  I  am  not  impelled  by  the  desire  to  become 
great,  or  wealthy,  or  distinguished  above  others,  but  only  to 
acquire  wisdom.  As  you  will  not  be  displeased  with  my  motive, 
and  as  you  can  be  convinced  of  its  purity  by  the  spirits  with 
whom  at  your  own  pleasure  you  hold  familiar  intercourse ;  and 


*  Some  particulars  respecting  Baron  von  Hatzel  are  furnished  by  Count 
Gustavus  von  Bonde  in  Document  216. 

•]-  The  German  original  of  this  letter  is  contained  in  the  Bergius  Col- 
lection, Vol.  XVI,  p.  278,  in  the  Library  of  the  Academy  of  Sciences  in 
Stockholm. 


Doc.  215.]      BARON  HATZEL  TO  SWEDENB ORG.  229 

as  you  yourself  know  and  teach  that  all  good  is  and  must  be 
communicated  to  others,  I  therefore  flatter  myself  that  you  will 
promote  what  I  intend,  and  not  withhold  your  help,  and, 
especially,  that  you  will  kindly  point  out  to  me  in  which  of 
the  Jive  hooks  of  Moses,  in  which  chapter,  and  in  which  tivo 
vei'ses,  lies  concealed  the  potuer  of  entering  into  consort  with 
spirits;*  likewise,  how  this  power  is  to  be  used,  and  how  one 
must  comport  himself.  It  is  a  great  favour  which  I  here  ask 
from  you  whom  I  love;  yet,  if  I  consider  that  true  love  re- 
fuses nothing,  I  am  confident  that  you  will  the  more  readily 
grant  my  request,  as  you  may  rest  assured,  that  I  seek  the 
good  and  the  true  solely  for  the  sake  of  the  good  and  the 
true  and  for  the  sake  of  their  use;  and  that  I  shall  be  most 
profoundly  grateful  to  you,  my  amiable  preceptor,  and  prepared 
at  all  times  to  render  any  service  in  return.  If  you  comply 
with  my  request,  you  will  thereby  facilitate  and  promote  very 
much  my  intention  to  translate  all  your  writings  into  the  High 
German  and  French  languages,  in  order  that  the  Divine  Truths 
contained  therein  may  be  made  accessible  even  to  the  unedu- 
cated. Will  you  kindly  take  my  ideas,  or  rather  my  request, 
into  consideration,  and  examine  whether  I  am  a  capable  sub- 
ject or  not,  and  act  according  to  your  discretion;  and  what- 
ever you  may  do,  I  shall  be  pleased  therewith,  and  submit 
to  your  judgment  respecting  me  ?  Should  you  be  inclined  to 
accept  the  testimony  of  his  Excellency  Count  von  Bonde,  he 
will  willingly  speak  in  my  favour,  and  endeavour  to  prevail 
upon  you  to  answer  me.  He  will  also  undertake  to  forward 
to  me  the  letters  with  which  you  may  graciously  favour  me. 
As  soon  as  I  receive  your  reply  to  which  I  look  forward 
eagerly,  I  shall  take  the  liberty  frankly  to  communicate  to  you 
some  points  which  have  struck  me  in  reading  your  writings. 
But  meanwhile  I  pray  that  God  may  keep  you  for  many 
years  in  a  state  of  health,  and  that  He  may  speed  His  work 
through  you. 


*  The  idea  that  there  are  two  verses  in  the  Sacred  Scripture  by  wliich 
man  receives  the  power  of  holding  converse  with  spii'its,  has  been  widely 
Bpread  among  necromancers  of  all  ages. 


230  SWEDENBORG'S  COBRESPONDENCE.    [Doc.  216. 

I  commend  myself  to  you  with  all  due  consideration,  and 
have  the  honour  to  remain,  with  profound  esteem  and  genuine 
love, 

Your  obedient  arid  faithfiil  servant, 

L.  Baeon  von  Hatzel, 

Chevalier  Grand  Croix  de  I'Ordre  Constantinien 

de  St.  George. 

P.  S.  Have  you  ever  read  Edelmann's^^®  writings  ?  What 
do  you  think  of  them  ? 


DOCUMENT  216. 

COUNT  GUSTAVUS  BOOT)E^''  TO  EMANUEL 
SWEDENBORG.* 


Well-bom  Assessor, 

On  account  of  our  old  friendship  I  hope  you 
will  not  be  displeased  at  the  freedom  I  take  in  recommending 
to  you  one  of  my  friends  in  Holland,  and  the  request  he  makes 
in  the  enclosed  letter.  His  name  and  address  are  as  follows: 
M.  d'  Hatzel,  Baron,  Chevalier  et  Grand  Croix  de  I'Ordre  Con- 
stantinien, Rotterdam.  After  corresponding  with  him  for  se- 
veral years  on  matters  connected  with  medicine  and  some  other 
sciences  in  which  he  is  versed,  he  wrote  to  me  in  the  spring 
that  he  had  read  some  of  your  rare  writings,  and  had  heard 
that  their  author  was  living  here  in  Sweden ;  wherefore  he  begged 
me  very  much  to  inquire  about  it,  and  to  let  him  know.  On 
receiving  my  answer  he  sent  me  the  enclosed  letter  begging  me 
to  recommend  its  contents  to  you  in  the  best  manner.  As  his 
handwriting  is  very  indistinct  and  illegible,  I  have  had  it  copied, 
that  you  may  read  and  understand  it  better.     In  his  letter  to 

*  A  copy  made  from  the  oi-iginal  Document  is  contained  ia  the  Bergius 
Collection,  Vol.  XYI,  p,  280,  in  the  Library  of  the  Academy  of  Sciences  in 
Stockholm. 


•Doc.  217.]      SWEDENBORG  TO  COUNT  BONDE.  231 

me  he  writes  that  he  has  derived  inexpressible  pleasure  and 
light  from  your  writings  in  matters  on  which  he  has  speculated 
for  many  years;  wherefore  he  begged  me  the  more  to  advocate 
his  request.  If  you  choose  to  grant  his  desire,  and  send  me 
a  reply  to  his  letter,  I  will  take  care  to  get  it  into  the  hands 
of  the  owner. 

I  willingly  make  use  of  this  occasion  to  remind  you  of  a 
kind  promise  you  made,  to  honour  me  this  summer  with  a 
visit,  and  to  examine  my  little  garden,  so  far  as  it  deserves 
this  name;  when  you  may  rest  assured  that  you  will  be  more 
than  welcome,  and  when  I  shall  have  an  opportunity  of  assur 
ing  you  still  more  of  the  constant  esteem  with  which  I  am 
Your  most  dutiful  servant, 

GUSTAVUS  BoNDE. 

Ilassleby,  (Hesselby),  August  7,  1760. 


DOCUMENT  217. 

EMANUEL  SWEDENBORG  TO  COUNT 
GUSTAVUS  BONDE.^^'* 

Your  Excellency, 

I  thank  you  for  the  honour  of  your  letter,  and 
your  very  kind  invitation  to  Hesselby.  The  letter  from  Baron 
Hatzel  of  Rotterdam,  which  you  enclosed  to  me,  I  ought,  in  con- 
formity with  his  wishes,  to  have  answered;  but  as  it  concerns 
the  writings  which  were  lately  published  in  England,  and  which 
appeared  without  my  name,  on  that  account  I  must  not  enter 
into  any  literary  connection  with  any  one  abroad,  and  thereby 

*  The  oriprinal  of  this  important  letter  is  presen'ed  in  the  Archives  of 
the  Bonde  Family  in  SUfstaliolm,  (see  Forssell,  Catalogue  of  the  MSS. 
preserved  in  Siifstaholm).  A  copy  of  the  original  letter  countersigned  by 
Count  G.  A.  Sparre  and  Baron  Axel  Hjalmar  Leijonhufvud,  was  most 
kindly  forwarded  by  these  two  nobles  to  the  Editor  of  these  Documents, 
on  February  22,  18(j9.  A  coi)y  iirejiarcd  from  Swedenliorg's  original  draught 
ol  the  letter  is  contained  in  the  Burgius  Cullection,   Vol.  XV'I,  p.  281, 


232  SWEDENBORG'S  CORRESPONDENCE.    [Doc.  217. 

acknowledge  myself  as  their  author.*  But  it  is  different  in 
my  own  country.  Those  abroad,  however,  may  be  answered 
through  the  medium  of  others;  and  I  therefore  humbly  beg 
that  you  will  remember  me  kindly  to  him,  and  excuse  my  not 
being  able  to  give  him  an  answer  with  my  own  hand;  you 
will  express  to  him  also  my  pleasure  at  his  having  derived 
satisfaction  and  light  from  the  perusal  of  these  writings,  which 
is  a  sign  of  his  having  been  in  a  state  of  illustration  from 
heaven;  for  the  matters  which  are  there  treated  of  cannot  be 
comprehended  without  illustration,  since  they  do  not  belong 
to  the  external  but  to  the  internal  understanding.  With  respect 
to  some  verses  in  the  books  of  Moses,  which  possess  the 
property  and  power  of  introducing  man  to  intercourse  with 
spirits  or  enabling  him  to  speak  with  them;  I  do  not  know  of 
any  verses  in  Scripture  which  have  this  property  more  than 
others;  I  only  know  that  the  Word  of  God  is  every^vhere 
written  in  such  a  style,  that  when  a  man  reads  it  with  affection 
and  attention,  spirits  and  angels  have  a  part  in  it,  and  adjoin 
themselves  to  him;  for  the  Word  of  God  is  so  written  that  it 
forms  a  bond  of  union  between  heaven  and  earth  (see  what 
is  written  on  this  subject  in  the  work  on  Heaven  and  Hell, 
nos.  303  to  310).  The  Lord,  nevertheless,  so  disposes  it,  that 
spirits  and  men  are  seldom  brought  together  so  closely  as  to 
converse  with  one  another  ;-J-  for  by  intercourse  with  spirits 
men  are  brought  into  such  a  condition  as  to  their  souls,  that 
they  are  speedily  in  danger  of  their  life;:}:  wherefore  I  would 
dissuade  all  from  cherishing  such  desires.  The  Lord  Himself 
has  been  pleased  to  introduce  me  into  converse  and  inter- 
course with  spirits  and  angels  for  the  reasons  which  have  been 
explained  in  my  writings;  wherefore  I  am  protected  by  the 
Lord  Himself  from  the  many  desperate  attempts  and  attacks 
of  evil  spirits.     The  way  in  which  spirits  and  men   are   kept 

*  In  his  original  draught  Swedenborg  had  added  here  the  following 
words:  "The  bookseller  who  has  these  wiitings  for  sale  has  also  been  for- 
bidden to  make  my  name  known." 

f  In  the  original  draft  the  following  words  are  added  here:  "for  this 
is  more  dangerous  than  men  suppose." 

\  The  following  words  are  added  in  the  original  draft:  "Unless  the 
Lord  Himself  bring  them  into  this  condition,  and  take  them  under  His 
care,  and  protect  them  specially,  as  is  the  case  with  me." 


Doc.  218.]     SWEDENBORG  TO  COUNT  HOPKEN.  233 

apart  is  tliis;  spirits  are  kept  in  spiritual,  and  men  in  natural, 
thought  and  speech ;  whereby  they  are  separated  so  as  to 
make  one  only  by  correspondences;  the  nature  of  which  has 
likewise  been  treated  of.  As  long  therefore  as  spirits  are  in 
a  spiritual,  and  men  in  a  natural  state,  they  are  not  brought 
together  so  as  to  converse  with  one  another,  although  they 
are  together  in  affection;  but  when  spirits  converse  with  men 
they  are  out  of  their  spiritual  state,  and  in  a  natural  state 
like  men,  and  then  they  may  bring  them  into  danger  of  so^l 
and  life,  as  has  been  stated  above.  For  this  reason  they  have 
to  be  kept  apart,  so  that  the  spirits  do  not  know  anything  of 
man,  nor  man  of  them,  although  they  are  always  together; 
for  man  cannot  live  unless  he  be  associated  with  spirits,  through 
whom  he  is  connected  with  heaven  and  hell,  and  thereby 
receives  his  life. 

I  am  bold  enough  to  pray  you  most  humbly  to  write  to 
Baron  Hatzel;  remember  me  kindly  to  him,  give  him  my  ex- 
cuse, and  communicate  to  him,  as  an  answer  to  his  letter,  as 
much  as  you  please  of  what  I  have  here  written;  for  he  writes 
on  this  subject  in  his  letter  to  me,  and  desires  information.  I 
remain,  with  all  deference  and  respect, 

Your  most  humble  servant, 
Em.  Swedenboeg. 
Stockholm,  August  11,  1760. 


DOCUMENT  218. 

EMANUEL  SWEDENBORa  TO  COUNT 
HOPKEN.^'* 

Your  Excellency, 

When  I  had  the  honour  of  being  with  you,  I 
promised  to  send  you  my  Begnum  Minerals;  but  on  looking  for 
it  I  found  that  it  was  gone,  and  I  remembered   then  that  I 

*  The  copy  of  Swammerdam's  Bihlia  Naturce  presented  by  Swedenborg 
to  Count  Hcipken  containing  the  Swedish  original  of  the  above  letter  is 
now  in  the  possession  of  Prof.  Loven  of  the  Carolinska  Institutct  in  Stockholm. 


234  SWEDENBORG'S  CORRESPONDENCE.    [Doc.  219. 

had  given  it  to  the  Library  in  Stockholm.  In  order  to  fulfil 
my  promise  I  send  you  instead  Swammerdam's  Bihlia  Naturce, 
which  will  perhaps  interest  you  more  than  the  Begnum  Minerale. 
I  have  no  longer  any  use  for  this  book,  since  my  attention 
has  been  directed  from  natural  to  spiritual  things. 
I  remain  with  deference, 

Your  most  humble  servant, 
Em.  Swedenborg. 

April  10,  [1760?] 


DOCUMENT  219. 

SIXTH  LETTER  OF  J.  WRETMAN^'*  TO 
EMANUEL  SWEDENBORa.* 

Well-born  Sir  and  kind  Patron, 

I  was  very  much  pleased  to  learn  from  your 
favour  of  June  21,  that  the  pyramids  of  box-tree  which  I 
forwarded  to  you,  have  arrived  safely,  and  that  they  meet  with 
your  approval.  I  have  been  also  informed  by  my  brother  that 
the  amount  charged  has  been  paid  to  him;  for  Avhich  I  express 
to  you  my  best  thanks.  A  better  opportunity  could  not  have 
occurred,  than  when  I  sent  it  at  your  desire  by  Capt.  John 
Frederic  Last,  with  very  small  charges  for  freight. 
Four    figures    of   box-tree,   packed    in    baskets,    at 

5  florins  5  stivers 21    — 

Baskets,  earth,  straw,  &c 1      4 

Invoice,  customs'  examination,  and  taking  on  board    1    16 

Sound  dues  and  agio 10 

The  whole  sum  in  Dutch  currency  ....    24    10 

Will  you  kindly  pay  this  sum,  like  the  last,  to  my  brother, 

John  Wretman  in  Stockholm,  and  also  ask  Mr.  Peter  Hultman,^^'- 

on  the  strength  of  the  contract  which  I  made  with  the  skipper, 

to  have  the  figures  delivered  to  him,  and  to  give  them  good 

*  The  Swedish  original  of  this  Document    is   in  the  Ai'chives  of  the 
Swedenborg  Society,  London  (see  footnote  to  Document  210), 


Doc.  220.]  SWEDENBOEG  TO  FILENIUS. 


235 


quarters.  You  must  not  think  that  they  are  clear,  because 
they  require  several  years'  growth  and  Avatchful  care  before 
they  are  so  far  ready  as  to  do  service  in  the  field,  and  I  hope 
also  that  like  faithful  grenadiers  they  will  stick  to  their  posts.* 
I  desire  nothing  more  than  that  they  may  please  you,  and 
that  I  may  forever  enjoy  the  favour  of  being 

Your  humble  servant, 

Joachim  Whetman. 

Amsterdam,  September  27,  1760. 

To  Mr.  Emanuel  Swedenborg,  Assessor  in  the  Eoyal  College 
of  Mines,  Stockholm. 


DOCUMENT  220. 

EMANUEL  SWEDENBORa  TO  BISHOP 
FILENIUS.^  t 

Eight  Reverend  Doctor  and  Bishop, 
Most  honoured  Brother, 

I  had  the  honour  of  receiving  your  favour  in 
which  you  informed  me  of  the  engagement  which  has  since 
tei-minated  in  the  marriage  of  your  and  my  sister's  daughter, 
Anna  Dorothea  Filenia,  with  Magister  Samuel  Alf,^"  professor 
and  lector.  With  all  my  heart  I  wish  them  success  and  happiness ; 
and  may  they  be  long  and  permanently  blessed  therewith,  to 
their  own  and  their  parents'  heartfelt  joy,  which  will  also  be 
a  joy  to  me. 

With  deference  and  hearty  congratulations  for  a  blessed 
New  Year  I  remain,  Right  Reverend  Doctor  and  Bishop, 

Your  most  humble  servant, 

Em.  Sw'edenbokg. 

Stockholm,  January  6,  1763. 

*  Respecting  these  box-troeii,  which  were  planted  before  Swedenborg's 
house,  see  Document  5.  no.  6. 

■{-  The  Swedish  onginal  of  this  letter  is  preserved  in  the  Cathedral- 
Library  of  Linktiping  among  the  letters  of  BishuiJ  Fik-nius. 


DOCUMENT  221. 

FIRST  LETTER  OF  EMAMJEL  SWEDENBORO 
TO  DR.  BEYER.'^* 

Reverend  Doctor, 

As  an  opportunity  offers,  I  make  use  of  it  to 
send  you  the  beginning  of  the  Apocaly2)sis  Revelata,  so  far  as 
it  is  printed,  I  send  you  two  copies.  The  remainder,  or  as 
much  as  may  then  have  appeared,  will  follow  next  spring,  so 
as  to  complete  your  copies. 
I  remain  in  all  friendship 

Your  obedient  servant, 

Eman.  Swedenboeg. 

Amsterdam,  October  1,  1765. 


*  Swedenborg's  letters  to  Dr.  Beyer  came  at  an  early  period  into  the 
possession  of  the  Academy  of  Sciences  in  Stockholm;  where  they  were 
preserved  among  the  Swedenborg  MSS.  Together  with  the  original  draughts 
of  some  of  the  letters  which  had  remained  in  Swedenborg's  possession 
these  letters  were  bound  in  one  volume  at  the  expense  of  Augustus  Norden- 
skold  (see  Note  35,  Yol.  I,  p.  639).  In  a  catalogue  of  the  MSS.  prepared 
by  Secretary  "Wilcke,  who  died  in  1796,  it  is  stated  that  this  volume  was 
"lent  to  'Wadstr6m."36  Of  the  nineteen  letters  belonging  to  the  Collection, 
sixteen  were  printed  in  the  "Samhngar  for  Philantroper,"  a  Journal 
published  by  the  Philanthropic  Exegetic  Society  in  Stockholm  during  1788 
and  1789  (see  Note  20,  Vol.  I,  p.  622).  The  letters  seem  to  have  remained 
afterwards  in  the  possession  of  one  of  the  heirs  of  Gustaf  J.  BiUberg, 
Secretary  of  the  Society  "Pro  Fide  et  Charitate"  (see  Note  119,  Vol.  I,  p.  705), 
until  some  time  in  1866  or  1867,  when  they  were  unfortunately  dispersed. 
In  1868  and  1869  the  Editor  of  these  Documents  obtained  a  clue  to  the 
whereabouts  of  some  of  the  letters,  and  the  Librarian  Ahlstrand  of  the 
Academy  of  Sciences  in  Stockholm,  acting  on  his  information,  succeeded  in 
estabUshing  the  proprietorship  of  the  Academy  to  them.  Mainly  through 
the  exertions  of  T.  A.  af  BOlbergh,  Piscal-Advocate  in  the  Court  of  Appeals, 


DOCUMENT  222. 
DR.  BEYER"  TO  EMANUEL  SWEDENBORG* 

Well-born  Sir, 

A  long  felt  sense  of  duty  impels  me  to  return 
you  my  humble  thanks  for  the  printed  sheets  of  the  AioocaJyims 
Bevelata  which  you  kindly  sent  me.  Since  receiving  them  my 
zeal  has  very  much  increased,  and  I  rejoice  at  the  good  hope 
which  you  kindly  hold  out  in  respect  to  it.  It  cannot  be  other- 
wise, when  one  ponders  over  it  more  deeply,  than  that  the 
spiritual  sense  reigns  in  this  book  hitherto  so  completely 
sealed.  The  desire  was  long  since  awakened  in  me,  and  be- 
comes stronger  from  day  to  day,  to  go  through  the  whole  of 
your  theological  -writings;  and  by  the  kindness  of  my  cousin 
I  have  succeeded  in  getting  most  of  them  into  my  hands,  and 
have  also  had  the  opportunity  to  read  a  great  part  of  them. 

most  of  the  letters  have  been  restored  to  the  Librarj^  of  the  Academy. 
A  few  he  was  unable  to  regain;  one  of  these  has  since  found  its  way 
into  the  British  Museum,  where  it  is  exhibited  in  one  of  the  glass- 
cases.  Ten  of  the  letters  which  were  published  in  the  "Samlingar  for 
Philantroper,"  appeared  in  an  English  translation  in  the  New  Jerusalem 
Magazine  of  1790,  and  from  that  source  they  were  introduced  by  Dr. 
Im.  Tafel  into  Part  II  of  his  German  collection  of  the  Swedenborg 
Documents;  to  these  he  subsequently  added  six  ot  the  remaining  letters 
which  had  been  published  in  the  Swedish  periodical.  All  these  letters  were 
introduced  into  the  enlarged  edition  of  the  Enghsh  translation  of  the 
Swedenborg  Documents,  published  in  1855 ;  but  only  fourteen  of  them  are 
in  the  American  reprint  of  1847. 

The  original  of  the  above  letter  wliicli  has  never  before  appeared  in 
print,  is  presci-ved  in  the  Libraiy  of  the  Academy  of  Sciences  in  Stockholm. 

*  A  copy  taken  from  the  Swedish  original  is  contained  in  the  Bergius 
Collection,  Vol.  XVI,  p.  275,  in  the  Library  of  the  Academy  of  Sciences 
in  Stockholm. 


238  SWEDEXB ORG'S  CORRESPONDENCE.    [Doc.  222. 

I  refrain  from  describing  to  you  the  joy  I  have  often  ex- 
perienced, and  how  the  glorious  truths  are  beginning  to  shine 
before  me ;  also  how,  in  accordance  with  my  wishes,  I  should 
not  rest  until  I  had  read  all  the  writings  over  and  over  again, 
Avere  I  not  prevented  by  my  daily  occupations  and  engagements. 
I  was  pleased  to  see  in  the  Ught  of  the  sound  and  genuine 
philology  of  modern  times,  that  your  system  of  doctrine  does 
not  militate  against  it,  but  rather  seems  to  kindle  a  purer 
light.  But  I  have,  nevertheless,  been  troubled  for  some  time 
that  you  do  not  anywhere  speak  of  the  writings  of  the  apostles 
as  being  God's  Word.  They  had  likewise  an  immediate  influx 
of  God's  Spirit;  they  were  God-inspired  (GsoTrvsuaxoi)  in  no 
less  a  degree  than  the  prophets.  It  has  also  seemed  to  me 
as  if  you  were  not  willing  to  look  upon  their  writings  and 
declarations  as  correct  in  every  way.  Several  things  have 
occurred  to  me  to  afford  some  solution  of  it;  and  I  respect- 
fully submit  to  you  whether  it  is  to  be  understood  that  accord- 
ing to  your  opinion  the  apostles  were  certainly  influenced  by 
God's  Spirit,  and  indeed  to  such  a  degree  that,  in  agreement 
with  God's  distinct  promise,  the  very  words  were  instilled  into 
them;  but  that  the  difference  must  be  attributed  to  the  doctrine, 
and  the  word  out  of  which  doctrine  is  derived,  which  had  to 
be  accommodated  to  the  comprehension  and  the  method  of 
thought  prevailing  in  the  churches  of  that  time;  so  that  not 
the  same  relation  of  correspondence  in  spiritual  and  heavenly 
thmgs  can  exist  in  their  word  and  doctrine,  as  in  the  remain- 
ing portions  of  God's  Word,  which  we  have;  but  that  the 
doctrine  of  the  apostles  was,  nevertheless,  pure,  correct,  and 
Divine.  Paul,  so  far  as  I  can  see,  certainly  does  not  differ 
from  you  in  the  doctrine  of  faith,  of  good  works,  imputation,  &c.; 
and  he  seems  to  confirm,  in  Hebrews,  v,  11  to  14,  the  un- 
pretending view  which  I  have  expressed  above.  I  should  like 
some  expression  from  you  on  this  subject^  if  it  could  be  done 
without  inconvenience  to  you.  Another  wish  I  have  besides, 
to  see  the  subject  of  marriage  fully  treated  of,  which  among 
those  who  have  delicate  feelings  awakens  embarrassing  questions 
of  conscience,  and  by  the  generality  of  men  is  not  well  under- 
stood, and  still  less  properly  explained. 

The  great  kindness  you  have  already  shown  me,  emboldens 


Doc.  223.]  SWEDEXBOBG  TO  DR.  BEYER.  239 

me  to  ask  you  to  procure  for  me  through  Captain  Sjogard 
vohimes  I,  II  and  VIII  of  the  Arcana  Goelestia,  i.  e.  every- 
thing before  no.  2760  and  after  no.  9442.  Mr.  Beyer  promises 
to  pay  for  them  in  his  account  with  Messrs.  Hasselgren.  All 
the  remaining  books  have  arrived  from  England,  but  these 
they  were  unable  to  find.  I  am  under  the  sense  of  no  small 
loss,  as  long  as  I  have  no  access  to  them.  I  am  also  dis- 
satisfied with  myself  for  daring  to  cause  you  so  much  trouble. 
With  all  deference  I  remain 

Your  humble  servant, 

Gabriel  Andeesson  Beyer. 
Gottenburg,  March  18,  176G. 


DOCUMENT  223. 

SECOND  LETTER  OF  EMANUEL  SWEDENBORG 
TO  DR.  BEYER.'' ''^ 

[Reverend  Doctor], 

I  have  at  last  brought  the  Book  of  Revelation 
to  a  close,  and  send  you  eight  copies  of  it;  two  bound,  and 
six  in  sheets,  which  you  will  please  to  dispose  of  in  the  follow- 
ing manner:  one  copy  for  yourself,  one  for  the  Bishop,-j-  one 
for  the  Dean,^  one  for  Dr.  Rosen,*^  one  for  the  burgomaster, 
Mr.  Petterson,  one  for  the  library;  the  two  remaining  copies 
you  may  lend  out  to  your  friends.  At  the  conclusion  of  every 
chapter  there  are  memoral)le  relations  separated  from  the  text 
by  asterisks  which  you  wdll  please  to  read  over  first.  From 
these  a  thorough  knowledge  may  be  gathered  of  the  wretched 
state  into  which  the  Reformed  Churches  have  been  brought  by 
Faith  alone.  I  am  now  going  from  this  place  to  England, 
where  some  noise  is  probably  being  made,   on  account  of  the 

*  The  Swedish  original  of  this  Document  is  Letter  II  in  the  "Sam- 
lingar  for  Philantroper,"  from  which  the  above  translation  has  been  made. 
In  the  English  and  American  editions  of  the  Swcdenborg  Documents  this 
Document,  in  a  translation  taken  from  the  "New  Jerusalem  Magazine"  of 
1790  (p.  139),  figures  as  no.  I  of  Swedenborg's  Letters  to  Dr.  Beyer. 

f  Bishop  Lambcrg  (sec  Note  178).  i^  Dr.  Ekcbom  (see  Note  179). 


240  SWEDENBOBG'S  CORBESPONDENCE.    [Doc.  224. 

bishops   of  England  being  somewhat  severely  treated  in  the 

memorable  relations ;  yet  necessity  required  it.    I  remain  [with 

all  friendship] 

Your  obedient  servant, 

Em.  Swedenboeg. 
Amsterdam,  April  8,  1766. 


DOCUMENT  224. 

THIKD  LETTER   OE  EMANUEL   SWEDENBORG 
TO  DR.  BEYER.''* 

Reverend  Doctor, 

I  had  the  pleasure  yesterday  to  receive  your 
favour  of  the  18th  of  March.  This  week  I  will  go  to  London, 
and  towards  the  close  of  July  or  the  beginning  of  August  I 
intend  to  return  to  Sweden,  when  I  shall  be  pleased  to  renew 
my  conversations  with  you  at  Gottenburg. 

I  learn  from  your  letter  that  you  did  not  receive  Vols.  I, 
II,  and  VIII  of  the  Arcana  Cmlestia,  w^hen  yet  the  person  in 
London  has  still  some  complete  copies  in  stock.  As  soon  as 
I  arrive  there,  I  will  inquire  how  this  has  happened,  and 
send  you  the  missing  volumes ;  or  else  I  will  forward  you  a 
complete  copy,  without  any  payment  whatever. 

In  respect  to  the  writings  of  the  apostles  and  Paul, 
I  have  not  quoted  them  in  the  Arcana  Ccelestia,  because 
they  are  doctrinal  writings,  and  consequently  are  not  written 
in  the  style  of  the  Word,  like  those  of  the  prophets, 
of  David,  of  the  Evangelists,  and  the  Book  of  Revelation. 
The  style  of  the  "Word  consists  altogether  of  correspondences, 
wherefore  it  is  effective  of  immediate  communication  with 
heaven;  but  in  doctrinal  writings  there  is  a  different  style, 
which  has  indeed  communication  with  heaven,  but  mediately. 
They  were  written  thus  by  the  apostles,  thM  the  new  Christian 

*  The  Swedish  original  from  which  the  above  translation  has  been  made 
is  preserved  in  the  British  Museum  in  London;  part  of  it  was  printed  as 
Letter  III  of  the  "Samhngar  for  Philantroper."  A  translation  of  this  portion 
constitutes  Letter  LL  in  the  EngUsh  and  American  editions  of  the  Sweden- 
borg  Documents,  taken  from  the  "New  Jerusalem  Magazine"  of  1790,  p.  140. 


Doc.  225.]  SWEDENBOEG  TO  COUNT  SCHEFFEE.  241 

Church  might  be  commenced  through  them;  wherefore  matters 
of  doctrine  could  not  be  written  in  the  style  of  the  Word, 
but  they  had  to  be  expressed  in  such  a  manner,  as  to  be 
understood  more  clearly  and  intimately.  The  writings  of  the 
apostles  are,  nevertheless,  good  books  of  the  church,  insisting 
upon  the  doctrine  of  charity  and  its  faith  as  strongly  as  the 
Lord  Himself  has  done  in  the  Gospels  and  the  Book  of 
Revelation ;  as  may  be  seen  and  found  evident  by  every  one 
who  in  reading  them  directs  his  attention  to  these  points. 
That  Paul's  expression  in  Romans  ii,  28,  concerning  Justific- 
ation by  Faith,  has  been  quite  misunderstood,  is  proved  in  the 
Apocalypsis  Bevelata,  no.  417,  to  which  you  may  refer;  where- 
fore the  doctrine  of  Justification  by  Faith  Alone,  Avhich  con- 
stitutes the  theology  of  the  Reformed  churches  at  the  present 
day,  is  built  on  an  entirely  false  foundation.  With  my  kindest 
remembrances  to  your  and  my  friends,  I  remain  with  esteem, 

Your  obedient  servant, 
Em.  Swedenbohg. 
Amsterdam,  April  15,  176G. 


DOCUMENT  225. 

E^IANUEL  SWEDENBORG  TO  THE   [SWEDISH] 
AjMBASSADOR  [IN  PARISJ.* 

Your  Excellency, 

I  passed  the  winter  at  Amsterdam,  and  during 
that  period  published  an  Explanation  of  the  Book  ot  Revel- 
ation, entitled  Apocalypsis  Eevelata,  containing  arcana  hitherto 

*  The  Swedish  original  of  this  letter  is  lost.  The  English  translation 
of  which  the  above  is  a  reproduction  with  a  slight  alteration  of  style,  was 
first  pubhshed  in  the  Appendix  to  the  second  edition  ol  "A  theosophic 
treatise  on  Influx,"  by  Swedenborg,  whicli  appeared  in  1784.  The  appendix 
\\-as  also  puldislied  under  the  separate  title  of  "An  Eulogium  on  the  lately 
deceased  Mr.  Emanuel  Swedenborg,  to  which  is  added  a  variety  of  anecdotes 
and  observations  on  Mr.  Swedenl;org,"  &c.  (p.  37).  The  original  draughts 
of  Documents  225,  226,  and  239  seem  to  have  been  discovered  by  the 
brothers  Nordenskold  among  the  Swedenborg  MSS.,  and  brought  to  London 
in  1783  by   C.  F.  ISordenskold   (see  Note  20,  Vol.  I,  p.  622).— The  letter 

16 


242  SWEDENBORG'S  COBRESPONDENCE.    [Doc.  225. 

unrevealed.  I  have  sent  your  Excellency  twenty  copies  of  it. 
Messrs.  Howen  and  Zoon  are  acquainted  with  the  captain  who 
has  charge  of  them.  Two  copies  of  the  work  1  addressed  to 
the  Cardinal  de  Rohan,*  two  to  the  Royal  Society  of  Sciences, 
two  to  the  Secretary  of  State,  and  one  is  intended  for  the 
Royal  Library.  In  the  same  work  are  inserted  various  Memor- 
able Relations  of  my  intercourse  with  the  spiritual  world; 
these  are  separated  from  the  text  by  asterisks,  and  are  placed 
at  the  end  of  the  explanation  of  each  chapter:  as  they  contain 
some  remarkable  particulars,  they  will  probably  excite  the 
reader  to  a  first  perusal.  Besides  tliis  I  have  published  a 
New  Method  for  finding  the  Longitude,  which  I  discovered 
in  my  youth.-]-  Of  this  I  send  your  Excellency  ten  copies, 
that  you  may  distribute  them  to  such  as  possess  a  knowledge 
of  astronomy.  Should  a  suitable  opportunity  present  itself, 
I  shall  esteem  it  a  favour,  if  your  Excellency  would  send  two 
copies  of  it  to  the  Royal  Society  in  Berlin.  This  week  I  shall 
set  out  for  London,  where  I  intend  to  stay  about  ten  weeks, 
and  where  I  may  be  informed  whether  the  books  have  arrived. 

[Em.  Swedenboeg.] 
[Amsterdam,  about  May  or  June,  1706.] 

does  not  seem  to  be  addressed  to  the  Swedish  Ambassador  at  the  Hague, 
because  Swedenborg  speaks  of  having  jjut  the  books  "in  charge  of  a 
captain,"  and  he  desires  to  be  infonned  in  London  whether  "the  books 
have  ai'rived."  That  the  letter  was  written  to  the  Ambassador  in  France 
is  made  probable  from  the  fact  that  two  copies  of  the  work  were  addi'essed 
to  the  "Cardinal  de  Rohan,"  who  was  a  Frenchman  and  lived  in  Paris. 
The  Swedish  Ambassador  in  Paris,  at  the  time  when  Swedenborg  wiote 
the  above  letter,  was  Count  Uhic  Scheffer,  with  whose  brother,  Senator 
C.  F.  Scheffer,  he  was  intimately  acquainted,  and  whom,  with  Senators  von 
Hopken  and  Palmstjerna,  he  had  defended  before  the  Swedish  Diet  in  1761, 
(see  Document  196).  That  Swedenborg,  about  the  time  when  this  letter 
was  written,  sent  a  box  of  books  to  France  appears  from  Document  235. 

*  Cardinal  de  Rohan-Guemene  was  born  in  1734,  and  on  account  of 
his  distinguished  birth  was  I'aised  at  an  early  period  to  the  dignity  of 
Archbishop  of  Strasburg.  One  of  his  ancestors.  Due  Henri  de  Rohan,  had 
been  one  of  the  chiefs  of  the  Huguenots;  and  the  family  had  always  been 
favourably  inclined  towards  Protestantism;  which  seems  to  have  been  one 
of  the  reasons  why  Swedenborg  presented  the  Cardinal  with  two  copies  of 
his  Apocalypsis  Eevelata.    This  distinguished  prelate  died  in  1803. 

f  Concerning  this  edition  of  the  "Method  for  finding  the  Longitude," 
see  Document  203. 


DOCUMENT  226. 

EMANUEL  SWEDENBOKO  TO  THE  SECRETAKY 
OF  STATE  [m  STOCKHOLM]  * 

I  have  at  last  finished  the  explanation  of  the 
Book  of  Revelation,  and  circulated  it  in  all  the  universities  in 
Holland,  Germany,  France,  and  England;  and  am  going  to 
send  seventy  copies  to  Stockholm,  of  which  your  honour  will 
please  to  take  five,  and  give  them  to  the  following  senators: 
Senator  Hopken,^^  Senator  Scheffer,^^^  likewise  to  Norden- 
crantz,^^^  the  counsellor  of  commerce,  and  Bishops  Menander^^" 
and  Serenius;^^^  the  other  five  you  will  please  to  distribute 
among  your  friends.  The  remaining  sixty  copies  I  desire  to 
be  kept  safe  until  my  return  home.  I  intend  to  distribute 
them  among  the  academies  and  libraries  of  Sweden,  and  among 
clergymen  who  are  qualified  for  a  more  than  ordinary  position. 
Four  I  intend  to  present  to  the  Court,  and  the  remainder  to 
universities  and  [theological]  seminaries  in  foreign  parts.  It 
will  give  me  great  pleasure  to  hear  of  your  own  and  your 
dear  father's  welfare. 
I  remain 

Your  [obedient  servant,] 
[Em.  Swedenborg.] 

[Amsterdam,  about  May  or  June,  1766.] 
P.  S.     I  shall  depart  for  London  this  week. 

*  The  above  Document  was  published  in  the  Enghsh  language  in  1784, 
in  the  Appendix  to  the  second  edition  of  Swcdenborg's  "Intercourse  be- 
tween the  Soul  and  the  Body;"  where  the  Swedish  original  is  is  not 
known.  For  further  particulars  respecting  the  history  of  this  documeut 
Bee  the  footnote  to  Document  i!2o. 

16* 


DOCUMENT  227. 

rOUETH  LETTER  OF  EMANUEL  SWEDENBORa 
TO  DR.  BEYER.''* 

Reverend  Doctor, 

I  send  you  herewith  a  complete  set  of  the 
Arcana  Ccelestia,  and  likewise  the  last  volume  of  those  which 
were  still  wanting  in  yours;  they  are,  however,  all  unbound. 
I  thought  at  first  of  bringing  them  to  you  myself;  but  I 
changed  my  mind  about  traveUing  to  Gottenburg,  as  an  oppor- 
tunity offered  of  going  to  Stockholm  directly,  which  will  be 
next  week.  Should  any  one  be  able  to  make  use  of  my  travel- 
ling carriage  on  his  way  to  Stockholm,  or  should  any  one  wish 
to  buy  it,  it  may  be  left  to  them. 

The  unbound  copy  of  the  Arcana  Ccelestia  is  a  present  for 
the  Bishop,-}-  to  whom  you  will  please  to  give  my  best  respects; 
as  well  as  to  my  friends.  With  friendship  and  a  desire  to 
serve  you  I  am 

Your  most  obedient  servant, 
Em.  Swedenboeg-. 

London,  August  22,  1766. 
To  the  Reverend  Doctor  Beyer,  Gottenburg, 


*  The  original  of  this  liitherto  unpubhshed  letter  of  Swedenborg  to 
Dr.  Beyer,  is  preserved  among  the  Swedenborg  MSS.  in  the  Academy  of 
Sciences  in  Stockholm. 

•J-  Bishop  Lamberg  (see  Note  178). 


DOCUMENT  228. 

EMANUEL  S^\^DENBORG  TO  ARCHBISHOP 
MENANDER.^'°* 

Most  reverend  Doctor  and  Bishop, 

I  send  you  a  lucubration  of  my  youth  on  find- 
ing the  longitude  of  places  by  land  and  sea  by  means  of  the 
moon,  which  has  just  been  published  at  Amsterdam,-}-  and 
communicated  to  the  learned  societes  and  universities;  and  I 
would  kindly  ask  you  to  put  it  into  the  hands  of  the  professor 
of  astronomy  at  Abo,  so  that  if  it  meets  with  his  approval, 
he  may  put  it  in  practice.  Several  in  foreign  parts  at  present 
compute  ephemerides  by  pairs  of  stars  according  to  this  method; 
and  after  they  have  been  computed  for  several  years,  a  great 
practical  use  is  expected  from  them. 

The  Apocalypse  has  now  been  explained,  or  rather  revealed, 
'  but  I  have  not  yet  met  with  an  opportunity  for  sending  it  to 
you,  and  at  the  same  time  to  the  Library. 


*  A  copy  of  the  Latin  original  of  this  Document  was  discovered  by 
the  Editor  during  his  stay  in  Sweden  in  1869.  From  this  the  above 
translation  has  been  made.  In  1784  an  English  translation  of  this  letter 
was  published  in  the  appendix  to  the  first  English  edition  of  the  "Doctrine 
of  the  Lord;"  and  in  1785  a  French  translation  appeared  in  the  appendix 
to  the  French  edition  of  the  "Intercourse  between  the  Soul  and  the  Body," 
published  in  London.  From  the  latter  Dr.  Im.  Tafel  prepared  the  translation 
which  he  included  in  his  German  edition  of  the  "Swedenborg  Documents." 
The  Enghsh  translation  of  tliis  letter  which  is  contained  both  in  the  English 
and  Anierican  editions  of  the  "Swedenborg  Documents"  was  prepared  by 
the  English  editor  either  from  the  French  translation  of  1785,  or  from 
Dr.  Tafel's  German  translation. 

f  Concerning  this  edition  of  the  "Method  for  faiding  the  Longitude." 
see  Document  203. 


246  SWEDENBOEG'S  COBBESPONDENCE.    [Doc.  228. 

Will  you  kindly  point  out  to  me  some  one  in  Stockholm 
who  will  take  the  copies  in  charge? 

The  question  is  discussed  by  some,  whether  the  present 
day  is  the  consummation  of  the  age,  and  at  the  same  time 
the  Coming  of  the  Lord,  and  [the  establishment  of]  a  New 
Church  by  Him.  Some  believe  that  the  faith  of  the  present 
day,  which  is  a  faith  in  God  the  Father  for  the  sake  of  the 
Son,  is  the  real  saving  faith;  but  in  the  Aijocalypsis  Revelata 
it  is  shown  that  that  faith  has  destroyed  the  church,  that  it 
has  abolished  religion,  and  that  it  has  thus  devastated  and 
consummated  all  things  of  worship,  so  that  there  is  no  longer 
any  truth  nor  any  good,  and  that  the  works  which  are  called 
the  fruits  of  that  faith,  are  nothing  else  than  such  eggs  as 
are  treated  of  in  Isa.  lix,  5 ;  wherefore  they  who  have  confirmed 
themselves  in  that  faith  with  its  [spider's]  web,  and  who  be- 
lieve that  the  goods  which  they  do  are  the  fruits  of  that  faith, 
are  very  much  deceived  and  in  a  state  of  delirium;  nor  can 
they  be  led  out  of  this  state  except  by  rejecting  the  confirm- 
ation of  that  faith,  and  by  adopting  faith  in  Jesus  Christ, 
which  contains  no  such  things;  concerning  this  faith  see  "The 
Doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusalem  respecting  Faith,"  nos.  34 
to  37. 

The  falsities  of  the  faith  of  the  present  time  are  these: 
First,  That  the  Lord  has  taken  away  the  damnation  of  the 
Law;  when  yet  He  has  not  taken  away  the  least  jot  of  the 
Law;  for  every  one  will  be  judged  according  to  his  works, 
Rom.  ii,  10,  13;  2  Cor.  v,  10,  &c.  But  the  Lord  has  taken 
away  damnation,  because  without  His  coming  into  the  world 
no  one  could  have  been  saved.  Secondly,  That  the  Lord  has 
fulfilled  the  Law  is,  indeed,  the  truth;  for  thereby  He  has 
alone  become  justice  or  righteousness;  but  thereby  He  has 
not  delivered  man  from  the  Law:  for  the  Lord  fulfils  it  with 
all  those  who  shun  their  evils  as  sins,  and  approach  Him  only; 
because  they  who  shun  certain  sins  which  they  discover  in 
themselves,  are  in  the  effort  to  shun  all  sins,  as  soon  as  they 
become  acquainted  with  them.  Thirdly,  That  the  Lord's 
merit  should  be  imputed  to  man,  is  a  thing  impossible; 
the  Lord's  merits  are  two  in  number,  viz..  His  having  sub- 
jugated hell,  and  His  having   glorified  His  humanity.     These 


Doc.  228.]  SWEDEXBORG  TO  MENANDER.  247 

two  cannot  be  imputed  to  another;  but  by  them  He  acquired 
the  power  of  saving  those  men  who  approach  Him,  who  examine 
themselves,  and  shun  their  evils  as  sins.  Fourthly,  That  God 
the  Father  should  be  approached  in  prayer,  and  be  asked  to 
have  mercy  for  the  sake  of  the  Son,  and  to  send  the  Holy 
Spirit,  is  an  inverted  way  of  worship,  and  also  conveys  a  clear 
idea  of  three  gods,  viz.  that  the  Father  is  one,  the  Son  an- 
other, and  the  Holy  Spirit  a  third;  and  if  it  is  declared  that 
by  the  Son  is  understood  His  human  nature,  then  the  idea  of 
the  Lord  becomes  that  of  two.  Fijihhj,  That  man  is  justified 
by  an  oral  profession  of  the  above  faith,  provided  it  be  done 
with  confidence  and  assurance,  is  false,  see  Romans  ii,  10; 
James  i,  22.  In  such  a  faith  there  is  neither  truth  nor  good, 
nor  consequently  anything  of  the  church,  nor  of  religion;  for 
the  truth  of  doctrine  constitutes  the  church,  and  the  good  of 
life  religion.  Sixthly,  It  is  maintained  that  good  works  or  the 
goods  of  charity  are  the  fruits  of  that  faith;  when  yet  the 
nexus  between  that  faith  and  good  works  has  not  yet  been 
discovered  by  the  community  of  the  church;  nay,  it  is  declared 
tliat  good  works  by  no  means  preserve  or  retain  faith;  and 
that  therefore  there  are  no  other  works  of  that  faith  except 
such  as  are  %i  the  Holy  Spirit  interiorly  in  man,  concerning 
Avhich  man  himself  knows  nothing;  while  any  good  works  which 
he  may  do  himself,  are  simply  moral  and  civil  goods,  which 
contribute  nothing  whatever  to  man's  salvation.  Seventhly, 
That  the  saying  of  Paul,  in  Romans  iii,  28,  on  which  the 
theology  of  the  present  day  in  respect  to  salvation  is  founded, 
is  falsely  understood,  has  been  clearly  shown  in  the  Apocalypsis 
lievelata,  no.  417.  Besides  these  there  are  many  other  things 
which  I  do  not  mention  here,  from  which  it  may  appear,  that 
if  any  one  produces  fruits  from  that  faith,  he  produces  those 
eggs  which  are  treated  of  in  Isa.  lix,  5.  For  it  is  taught  in 
the  New  Church  that  faith  can  never  produce  the  goods  of 
charity,  as  a  tree  produces  its  fruits;  but  that  the  truths  which 
are  called  the  truths  of  faith  teach  how  man  ought  to  think 
concerning  God,  and  how  he  ought  to  act  towards  his  neighbour, 
and  that  charity  receives  these  truths  in  its  goods,  as  the 
fruits  receive  their  juices  and  their  flavour  from  the  tree ;  and 
that  thus  the  juices  and  flavours  of  the   fruits  or  good  works 


248  SWEDENBORG'S  COEBESPONDENCE.     [Doc.  229. 

springing  from  the  faith  of  the  present  day,  which  is  treated 
of  above,  consist  of  the  confirmations  of  this  faith,  wliich  are 
falsities;  these  are  contained  in  its  goods,  of  which  man  is 
ignorant,  but  which  is  felt  by  the  angels. 

[Em.  Swedenboeg.] 
[Stockholm,  middle  of  September,  1766; 
see  Document  203,  A  and  B.] 


DOCUMENT  229. 

FIEST  LETTER  OF  EMANUEL  SWEDENBOUa 
TO  C.  F.  (ETINGER/^^* 

Having  returned  within  the  last  few  days  from 
a  journey  abroad  to  Holland  and  England,  I  received  two  of 
your  letters,  the  one  dated  October  13,  1765,  together  with  the 
other;  for  which  I  offer  you  my  thanks.  The  words:  "From 
things  heard  and  seen"  (ex  auditis  et  visis)  I  have  inscribed 
on  five  works,  1.  Heaven  and  Hell,  2.  The  New  Jerusalem  and 
its  Heavenly  Doctrine,  3.  The  Last  Judgment,  4.  The  White 
Horse,  5.  The  Inhabitants  of  the  Planets.  The  following  works 
were  published  afterwards:  1.  Of  the  Lord,  2.  Of  the  Sacred 
Scripture,  3.  The  Doctrine  of  Life  for  the  New  Jerusalem, 
4.  Of  Faith,  5.  Of  the  Spiritual  World,  6.  The  Wisdom  of  the 
Angels    respecting  the  Divine  Providence,  7.  The  Wisdom  of 

*  Tiie  Latin  original  of  this  Document,  from  which  the  above  trans- 
lation has  been  made,  was  printed  in  Volume  IV  of  Clemm's  "VoUstandige 
Einleitung  in  die  Religion  und  gesammte  Theologie"  (Complete  Introduction 
to  Religion  and  the  whole  of  Theology),  Tiibingen,  17S7 ;  it  was  afterwards 
reprinted  in  Di\  Im.  Tafel's  German  edition  of  the  "Swedenborg  Docu- 
ments," and  in  1855  it  was  inserted  in  the  enlarged  English  edition  of  these 
Documents  ("Supplement,"  p.  75),  The  first  English  translation  of  this 
letter  was  pubhshed  in  the  Appendix  to  the  second  edition  of  the  "Inter- 
course between  the  Soul  and  the  Body,"  London,  1784;  where  it  is  stated 
on  p.  41,  that  it  was  prepared  from  the  Danish  translation.  This  trans- 
lation was  repubUshed  in  the  "New  Jerusalem  Magazine"  of  1790,  p.  34; 
and  afterwards  in  the  "Intellectual  Repository"  for  1840,  p.  356.  The  same 
translation  was  afterwards  introduced  into  the  Enghsh  and  American  editions 
of  Dr.  Im.  Tafel's  "Swedenboi'g  Documents." 


Doc.  229.]  SWEDENBORG  TO  (ETINGEB.  249 

the  Angels  respecting  the  Divine  Love  and  the  Divine  Wis- 
dom. These  seven  works,  however,  do  not  exceed  seventy-two 
sheets.  This  year  there  has  been  pubhshed  the  A'pocahjims 
Bevelata,  which  was  promised  in  the  treatise  on  "The  Last 
Judgment,"  and  from  which  it  may  be  clearly  seen  that  I  con- 
verse with  angels,  because  not  the  smallest  verse  in  the  Apo- 
calypse can  be  understood  without  revelation.  Who  can  help 
seeing  that  by  the  New  Jerusalem  is  understood  a  New  Church, 
and  that  its  doctrines  can  be  discovered  only  by  the  Lord 
alone,  because  they  are  described  there  by  mere  typical  things, 
i.  e.  by  correspondences ;  and,  likewise,  that  these  can  be  pub- 
lished to  the  world  only  by  means  of  some  one  to  whom  a  re- 
velation has  been  gi'anted?  I  can  solemnly  bear  witness  that 
the  Lord  Himself  has  appeared  to  me,  and  that  He  has  sent 
me  to  do  that  which  1  am  doing  now,  and  that  for  this  pur- 
pose He  has  opened  the  interiors  of  my  mind,  which  are  those 
of  my  spirit,  so  that  I  may  see  those  things  which  are  in  the 
spiritual  world,  and  hear  those  who  are  there,  and  which 
[privilege]  I  have  had  now  for  twenty-two  years.  The  mere 
bearing  witness,  however,  does  not  suffice  at  the  present  day  to 
convince  men  of  this ;  but  any  one  of  a  sound  understanding 
may  be  confirmed  by  the  testimony  of  my  writings,  and  especially 
by  the  Apocalypsis  JRevelata.  Who  has  heretofore  known  any- 
thing about  the  spiritual  sense  of  the  Word?  and  about  the 
spiritual  world  or  heaven  and  hell  ?  also,  about  man's  Hfe  after 
death?  Should  these  and  many  other  things  be  perpetually 
hidden  from  Christians?  They  have  now  for  the  first  time 
been  disclosed  for  the  sake  of  the  New  Church,  which  is  the 
New  Jerusalem,  that  they  [its  members]  may  know  them; 
others,  indeed,  shall  also  know  them,  who  yet  do  not  know 
them  on  account  of  their  unbelief. 

The  works  which  I  mention  above  are  sold  by  JVIr.  Lewis, 
Paternoster  Row,  near  Cheapside,  London,  England.     These 
writings   of  mine  concerning  the    New  Jerusalem   cannot  be 
called  prophecies,  but  revelations. 
Farewell,  and  remember  kindly 

Yours  sincerely, 

Em.  Swedenboeo. 
Stockholm,  September  23,  1766. 


DOCUMENT  230. 

FIPTH  LETTER  OF  EMANUEL  SWEDENBORa 
TO  DR.  BEYER.''* 

Reverend  Doctor, 

I  arrived  here  in  Stockholm  as  early  as  Sep- 
tember 8.  The  trip  from  England  was  made  in  eight  days ; 
a  favourable  wind  increasing  to  a  perfect  storm  carried  the 
ship  along  in  this  style.  I  have  since  received  yours  of  the 
17th  inst.,  and  am  glad  to  hear  that  yourself  and  my  other 
friends  at  Gottenburg  are  well.  You  will  please  remember  me 
kindly  to  them  all. 

I  wish  much  blessing  to  the  intended  "Collection  of  Ser- 
mons" (Pixediko  Bibliotheket) ;  and  I  send  you  herewith  my  sub- 
scription for  it.  I  presume  you  will  use  all  necessary  pre- 
caution in  this  work,  because  the  time  has  not  yet  arrived 
when  the  essentials  of  the  New  Church  can  be  received  in  this 
manner.  It  is  difficult  to  convince  the  clergy,  who  have  been 
confirmed  in  their  dogmas  at  the  universities:  for  all  confirm- 
ations in  matters  of  theology  are,  as  it  were,  glued  fast  in  the 
brain,  and  can  with  difficulty  be  removed;  and  as  long  as  they 
are  there,  genuine  truths  can  have  no  place.  Besides,  the  New 
Heaven  of  Christians  out  of  which  the  New  Jerusalem  will 


*  The  Swedish  original  of  this  Document  is  preserved  among  the 
Swedenborg  MSS.  in  the  Library  of  the  Academy  of  Sciences  in  Stock- 
holm. It  is  printed  in  the  "Samhngar  for  Philantroper,"  of  1788  as 
Letter  IV.  The  first  Enghsh  translation  was  made  by  Mr.  J.  Strand,  and 
printed  as  Letter  II  in  the  "New  Jeiiisalem  Magazine"  of  1790,  p.  31; 
thence  it  was  introduced  as  Letter  m  into  the  English  and  American 
editions  of  the  "Swedenborg  Documents." 


Doc.  230.]  SWEDENBORG  TO  BEYER.  2."il 

descend   from  the   Lord,   Rev.  xxi,   1,    2,  is  not  yet  fully  es- 
tablished. 

Here  in  Stockholm  it  is  now  generally  believed  that  faith 
and  charity  must  advance  together,  and  that  the  one  cannot 
exist  without  the  other,  as  good  works  are  the  fruits  of  faith, 
and  show  themselves  in  a  state  of  justification.  Very  few 
among  the  Lutherans,  however,  think  beyond  this ;  although  the 
learned  have  not  yet  discovered  any  nexus  between  faith  and 
good  works;  wherefore  they  class  good  works  entirely  among 
moral  and  civil  things,  and  hence  call  them  good,  yet  without 
their  availing  anything  for  salvation ;  besides  several  other 
things.  They  are  also  right  in  this,  because  from  such  a  faith 
no  other  works  can  be  derived ;  it  is  different  with  faith  in 
Jesus  Christ. 

With  respect  to  the  Lord's  Divine  Humanity,  it  is  not 
opposed  to  the  Formula  Concordiw,  where  we  are  taught  that 
"in  Christ  God  is  Man,  and  Man  is  God,"  and  where  Paul's 
statement  is  confirmed  that  "in  Christ  dwelleth  all  the  fulness 
of  the  Godhead  bodily;"  besides  other  passages. 

Of  the  writings  of  Bohme*  I  am  unable  to  judge,  as  I  have 
never  read  them.     I  remain  with  respect  and  friendship 

Your  obedient  servant, 

Em.  Swedenboeg. 

Stockholm,  September  25,  1766. 


To  the  Reverend  Doctor  Gabriel  Andersson  Beyer, 
Gottenburg. 


*  See  Notes  40  and  41. 


DOCUMENT  231. 
C.  F.  (ETINGER^^^  TO  EMANUEL  SWEDENBORG  * 

Stuttgart,  October  7,  1766. 

As  I  am  here  on  raatters  of  the  Diet  (Land- 
schaft),  I  received  yesterday  your  favour  of  September  23.  I 
have  in  the  mean  time  obtained  the  catalogue  of  your  books, 
and  have  read  the  remaining  books,  especially  that  which  treats 
of  the  "Wisdom  of  the  Angels ;-{-  and  have  found  therein  much 
that  agrees  with  the  Holy  Scripture.  But,  my  dear  Sir,  you 
will  scarcely  be  willing  to  believe  how  much  I  had  to  suffer 
on  your  account,  for  having  translated  merely  the  things  seen 
recorded  in  the  first  volume  of  your  work.ij: 

You  solemnly  bear  witness  in  your  letter  that  the  Lord 
Himself  appeared  to  you  and  sent  you  to  do  that  which  you 
are  now  doing.  I  believe  that  your  sight  has  been  opened 
like  that  of  Gehazi  to  see  things  which  are  without  a  parallel. 
I  believe  that  from  having  been  a  celebrated  philosopher  you 

*  This  letter  was  originally  written  in  the  Latin  language;  a  German 
translation  was  published  in  1767  by  Dr.  Clemm  in  his  "Vollstandige  Ein- 
leitung,"  &c.  (see  footnote  to  Document  229),  p.  210,  and  reprinted  by 
Dr.  Im.  Tafel  in  his  German  edition  of  the  "Swedenborg  Documents" 
(p.  350  to  354).    It  has  never  before  been  translated  into  EngUsh. 

-j-  Prelate  CEtinger  means  here  "The  Wisdom  of  the  Angels  respecting 
the  Di\ane  Love  and  the  Divine  Wisdom,"  and  "The  Wisdom  of  the  angels 
respecting  the  Divine  Providence." 

^  In  his  work  entitled:  "The  Earthly  and  Heavenly  Philosophy  of 
Swedenborg  and  others"  (Stvedenbofff's  mid  andcrer  Irdische  und  Himm- 
lische  Philosophie,  Frankfort  and  Leipzig,  1765),  CEtinger  had  translated 
the  memorable  relations  appended  to  the  various  chapters  in  the  first 
volume  of  the  Arcana  Coelestia. 


Doc.  231.]  (ETIXGER  TO  SWEDEXBORG.  253 

have  become  a  prophet*  and  seer,  as  has  been  the  case  in 
the  first  times.  But  as  the  spirits  of  the  prophets  who  speak 
from  the  spirit,  are  subject  to  the  prophets  to  whom  it  is 
granted  to  speak  according  to  the  spirit,  1  Cor.  xii,  1,  you 
will  have  no  objection  to  being  tried. 

Is  not  the  Sacred  Scripture,  yea  the  Holy  Revelation,  a 
book  to  which  all  have  access  who  read  and  hear?  We  read 
in  Isa.  xxxiv,  16,  "Seek  ye  in  the  Book  of  the  Lord;  no  one 
of  these  shall  fail."  An  inhabitant  of  this  earth  is  therefore 
told  to  seek  even  before  he  has  received  from  you  the  dis- 
covery of  the  spiritual  sense.  If  nothing  of  the  unknown  things 
of  heaven  may  be  understood  without  you,  the  Revelation,  be- 
fore your  time,  has  been  read  in  vain.-|-  But  it  is  given  there 
to  understand,  that  all  have  to  expect  a  city  whose  architect 
is  God.:}: 

What  new  doubts  you  raise  thereby  in  me,  who  have  been 
so  anxious  to  hear  of  your  discoveries!  The  world  is  unbe- 
lieving enough,  without  your  depriving  it  of  the  power  of  under- 

*  Swedenborg  expressly  repudiates  in  his  first  letter  to  (Etinger 
(Document  229)  the  character  of  a  prophet  which  he  attributes  to  him 
here;  for  he  says,  "My  writings  concerning  the  New  Jerusalem  cannot  be 
called  prophecies,  but  revelations." 

f  Dr.  Imanuel  Tafel  in  reply  to  this  says  (p.  351),  "This  is  a  most  in- 
correct conclusion.  For  is  it  the  only  purpose  of  the  Sacred  Scripture,  to 
teach  us  'the  unknown  things  of  heaven?'  The  Sacred  Scripture  has  not 
been  among  men  in  vain,  if  it  gave  to  each  at  all  times  what  he  then 
needed  and  was  able  to  comprehend;  and,  according  to  Swedenborg,  this 
knowledge  the  Sacred  Scripture  was  able  to  dispense  even  before  the  re- 
velation of  the  spiritual  sense.  It  is  quite  possible,  however,  that  our  wants 
at  the  present  time  are  dili'erent  from  what  they  were  in  former  times; 
and,  likewise,  that  our  faculty  of  comprehension  at  the  present  time  is 
more  matuied  than  it  was  formerly,  and  this  might  very  well  have  been 
the  reason  why  the  spiritual  sense  is  discovered  now  and  was  not  before  j 
besides,  the  revelation  of  the  spiritual  sense  at  the  present  time  does  not 
exclude  the  i)ossibility  of  some,  according  to  their  need  and  their  faculty 
of  comprehension,  discovering  some  things  of  the  spiritual  sense  before, 
although  not  so  clearly,  and  not  so  correctly." 

I  The  same  writer  says  (p.  351),  "Certainly,  'a  city  was  to  be  expected 
whose  architect  would  be  God;'  yet  it  would  be  absurd,  and  at  the  same 
time  contradictory,  to  understand  a  material  city  thereby ;  for  by  corajjar- 
ing  collateral  portions  of  Scripture,  it  becomes  very  evident  that  a  spiritual 
city  must  be  understood  by  it."     . 


254  SWEDENBORG'S  CORRESPONDENCE.    [Doc.  231. 

standing  a  real  city  by  God's  city.  You  say  it  must  be  under- 
stood spiritually.  Please  send  me  another  reply  before  you 
die;  or  doubts  will  enter  into  our  minds  even  on  what  you 
have  stated  concerning  man's  state  after  death. 

Jehovah  appeared  unto  Gideon  (Judges  vi,  4),  saying,  "I 
have  sent  thee."  Gideon  replied,  "Shew  me  a  sign  that  thou 
talkest  with  me."  You  have  given  us  several  remarkable  signs 
touching  man's  existence  after  death.  They  are  important,  but 
not  sufficient  to  cause  us  to  believe  that  the  Revelation  of 
John  is  to  be  understood  only  spiritually,  and  not  corporeally 
and  literally.  You  also,  I  suppose,  have  asked  for  signs ;  but 
your  signs  are  not  for  us.  Give  us  a  sign  that  your  doctrine 
of  the  New  Jerusalem  is  true ;  God  cannot  say  anything  contra- 
dictory to  His  spirit.  I  pray  you  therefore  to  crave  permission 
from  the  Lord,  who  has  appeared  to  you,  to  interrogate  John 
as  to  the  truth  of  your  explanation.  As  you  have  conversed 
with  Enos,  you  may  unhesitatingly  demand  to  speak  with  the 
twelve  apostles  and  with  Paul,  whose  epistles  you  do  not  quote. 
Or  would  you  have  us  believe  you  rather  than  Paul,  and  rather 
than  John?  Does  not  Paul  say,  "Should  any  one  preach  an- 
other gospel  unto  you,  let  him  be  accursed  ?  "  *  Why  do  you 
never  make  mention  in  your  writings  of  having  conversed  with 
the  twelve  apostles  or  the  twenty-four  elders? 

But  suppose,  as  Paul  says,  a  false  angel  of  light,  who  is 
opposed  to  the  literal  sense  of  John's  Revelation,  should  have 
resolved  and  said,  "I  will  be  a  lying  spirit  in  the  mouth  of 
Swedenborg"  (2  Chron.  xviii). 

How  important  the  Word  spoken  by  Jesus  at  the  end  of 
the  Revelation  (xxii,  18),  "If  any  one  shall  add, and  if 

*  Dr.  Immanuel  Tafel  retorts  here  (p.  353),  "This  passage  does  not 
apply  to  Swedenborg;  for  by  'another  gospel'  CEtinger  understood  here 
either  a  new  Word  of  God,  or  a  neiv  doctrine  from  the  Word  opposed  to 
that  which  was  preached  by  the  apostles.  Yet  Swedenborg  never  pretended 
to  publish  a  new  Word  of  God,  and  it  would  have  to  be  proved  first  that 
his  doctrine  is  contradictory  to  that  preached  by  the  apostles.  But  the  fact 
of  Swedenborg's  reveahng  many  new  things  in  the  fonner  Word,  i.  e.  many 
things  which  were  heretofore  not  noticed  in  it,  and  his  confirming  these 
things  by  corresponding  experiences,  does  not  by  any  means  militate  against 
the  Word  of  Grod  and  against  the  doctrine  of  the  apostles;  but,  on  the 
contrary,  is  quite  in  conformity  therewith." 


Doc.  232.]  SWEDENBORG  TO  (ETIXGER.  255 

any  one  shall  take  aAvay  from  the  words."  But  if  you  say, 
"the  city  is  not  a  city  of  walls,  of  pearls,  of  the  fountain  of 
life,"  is  not  this  equivalent  to  taking  away?  And  again,  by 
declaring  in  your  book  concerning  the  New  Jerusalem,  that  the 
New  Heaven  and  the  New  Earth  signify  the  New  Church,  and 
that  the  city  which  comes  down  signifies  its  heavenly  doctrine, 
do  you  not  thereby  take  every  thing  in  the  Holy  Revelation 
in  a  sense  different  from  what  is  warranted  by  the  unequivoval 
meaning  of  the  words?* 

You  do  not  seem  to  be  acquainted  with  the  purpose  of 
eternities  in  Christ,  as  taught  in  the  Ephesians  and  Colossians, 
or  you  would  not  declare  that  the  earth  will  continue  to  exist 
as  a  seminary  of  spirits.  The  planets,  for  all  we  know,  may 
be  seminaries  of  spirits.    The  Scripture  is  mute  on  the  subject. 

According  to  my  opinion  a  person  may  have  been  in  the 
spiritual  world  for  two  thousand  years,  as  they  have  been  described 
by  Zinzendorf,  and  yet  on  the  day  of  the  Lord,  after  wood,  hay, 
and  stubble  have  been  burnt  up,  he  will  have  to  think  of  it 
differently.  All  this  I  write  out  of  love  and  remain 
Your  obedient  servant, 

F.  C.  (ExiNGEB,    Abbot. 


DOCUMENT  232. 

SECOND  LETTER  OF  EMANUEL  SWEDENBORG 
TO  F.  C.  (ETINGER.^«'f 

I.  Query:    Is  a  sign  required  to    show  that  I 
have  been  sent  by  the  Lord  to  do  what  I  am  doing?  Answer: 
Signs  and  wonders  do  not  take  place  at  the  present  day,  be- 
cause they  compel  externally,  and  internally  do  not  convince. 
What  effect  did  the  miracles  in  Egypt  and  Jehovah's  des- 

*  Dr.  Immanuel  Tafel  says  (p.  354),  "It  plainly  appears  from  the  ahove 
that  Qitiugcr  behoved  exclusively  in  the  literal  meaning  of  Sci-ipture,  the 
utter  insufficiency  of  which  has  been  glaiingly  shown  in  modem  times." 

f  ^he  Latin  onginal  of  the  second  letter  of  Swcdenborg  to  (Etingor, 
from  which  the  above  translation  has  been  made,    was    hkewise   published 


256  SWEDENBORG'S  CORRESPONDENCE.     [Doc.  232. 

cent  on  Mount  Sinai  have  upon  the  Israelitish  people,  who, 
notwithstanding,  after  the  lapse  of  a  mouth  made  for  them- 
selves a  golden  calf,  and  worshipped  it  in  place  of  Jehovah. 
And  what  effect  did  the  Lord's  miracles  have  upon  the  Jemsh 
nation,  by  whom  He  was  notwithstanding  crucified  ?  The  same 
would  be  the  case  now,  should  the  Lord  appear  in  the  clouds 
with  the  angels  and  trumpets;  as  described  in  Luke  xiv,  16, 
29-31.  The  sign,  given  at  this  day,  will  be  illustration,  and 
thence  an  acknowledgment  and  a  reception  of  the  truths  of 
the  New  Church ;  with  some  also  there  will  be  an  illustration 
which  speaks  (illustratio  loquens)*  which  is  more  than  a  sign. 
But  some  sign  will  perhaps  still  be  given. 

II.  Query:  Whether  I  have  conversed  with  the  apostles? 
Answer:  I  have  conversed  with  Paul  for  an  entire  year,  and 
also  on  the  subject  of  what  he  wrote  in  his  epistle  to  the 
Romans,  iii,  28.  Three  times  I  spoke  with  John,  once  with 
Moses,  a  hundred  times  with  Luther,  who  confessed  to  me 
that,  contrary  to  an  admonition  received  from  an  angel,  he  ac- 
cepted the  doctrine  of  faith  alone  solely  for  the  purpose  of 
separating  from  the  Papists.  With  the  angels,  however,  I  have^ 
now  conversed  for  twenty-two  years,  and  I  am  still  conversing 
with   them    daily;    these    the  Lord  has   associated   with  me. 

There  was  no  use  in  my  mentioning  this  in  my  writings; 
for  who  would  have  beHeved  it  ?  and  who  would  not  have  said, 
show  me  a  sign  that  I  may  beUeve?  And  this  every  one 
would  say  who  did  not  see  it. 

III.  Query:  Why  from  being  a  philosopher  I  have  been 
chosen?    Answer:   The  cause  of  this  has  been,  that  the  spiri- 

by  Dr.  Clemm  in  1767,  (see  footnote  to  Document  229).  It  was  afterwards 
reprinted  by  Dr.  Im.  Tafel  in  his  "Swedenborg  Documents,"  p.  355,  and 
inserted  in  the  supplement  to  the  enlarged  English  edition  of  1855,  p.  76. 
The  first  English  translation  of  this  letter,  prej^ared  from  the  Danish  trans- 
lation, was  pubhshed  in  1784  in  the  Ajjpendix  to  the  second  edition  of  the 
"Intercourse  between  the  Soul  and  the  Body,"  p.  42;  and  was  transferred 
thence  to  the  "New  Jerusalem  Magazine"  of  1790,  p.  34.  The  same  trans- 
lation was  afterwards  with  a  few  changes  introduced  into  the  English  trans- 
lation of  Dr.  Im.  Tafel's  "Swedenborg  Documents,"  published  in  England 
and  America. 

*  Swedenborg  here  evidently  means  himself  from  what  he  has  said  in 
the  Invitatio  ad  Novum  Ecdesiam,  nos.  43,  44,  and  52. 


Doc.  232.]  SWEDENBORG  TO  (ETIKGER.  257 

tual  things  which  are  being  revealed  at  the  present  day  may 
be  taught  and  understood  naturally  and  rationally :  for  spiritual 
truths  have  a  correspondence  with  natural  truths,  because  in 
these  they  terminate,  and  upon  these  they  rest.  That  there 
is  a  correspondence  of  all  spiritual  things  with  all  things  of 
man,  as  well  as  with  all  things  of  the  earth,  may  be  seen  in 
the  work  on  "Heaven  and  Hell,"  nos.  87  to  102,  and  nos.  103 
to  115.  For  this  reason  I  was  introduced  by  the  Lord  first 
into  the  natural  sciences,  and  thus  prepared ;  and,  indeed,  from 
the  year  I7J0  to  1744,  when  heaven  was  opened  to  nie.  Every 
one  also  is  led  by  means  of  natural  things  to  spiritual  things; 
for  man  is  born  natural;  by  education  he  is  made  moral,  and 
afterwards  by  regeneration  from  the  Lord  he  becomes  spiritual. 
The  Lord  has  granted  to  me  besides  to  love  truths  in  a  spiri- 
tual manner,  i.  e.  to  love  them,  not  for  the  sake  of  honour, 
nor  tor  the  sake  of  gain,  but  for  the  sake  of  the  truths  them- 
selves; for  he  who  loves  truths  for  the  sake  of  the  truth,  sees 
them  from  the  Lord,  because  the  Lord  is  the  Way  and  the 
Truth  (John  xiv,  6);  but  he  who  loves  them  for  the  sake 
of  honour  or  gain,  sees  them  from  himself;  and  seeing  from 
oneself  is  equivalent  to  seeing  falsities.  Falsities  that  have 
been  confirmed  close  the  church,  wherefore  truths  rationally 
understood  have  to  open  it.  How  else  can  spiritual  things 
which  transcend  the  understanding,  be  understood,  acknow- 
ledged, and  received  ?  The  dogma  which  has  been  handed 
down  by  the  Papists,  and  accepted  by  the  Protestants,  viz.  that 
the  understanding  is  to  be  held  in  bondage  under  obedience  to 
iaith,  has  a  second  time  closed  the  church,  and  what  else  is  to 
open  it  again,  except  an  understanding  illustrated  by  the  Lord ; 
but  on  this  subject   see  the   Apocalyj^sis  Revelata,  no.  914. 

IV.  I  am  very  sorry  that  you  should  have  had  to  suffer 
for  the  translation  of  the  book  on  Heaven  and  Hell ;  but  what 
suffers  more  at  the  present  day  than  truth  itself?  How  few 
tlicre  are  who  see  it,  yea,  who  are  willing  to  see  it!  Do  not 
allow  yourself  to  be  discouraged  thereby,  but  be  a  defender 
of  the  truth.     I  remain 

Your    most    obedient 
Em.  Swedenboeg. 
Stockholm,  November  11,  1766. 

17 


DOCUMENT  233. 
F.  C.  (ETINGER^''  TO  EMANUEL  SWEDENBORO  * 

Your  favour  of  November  11  was  received 
with  the  greatest  pleasure.  As  this  is  a  subject  of  prime  im- 
portance to  those  who  are  of  a  clear  mind,  allow  me  to  ask 
you  for  some  further  information  for  this  purpose  (ea  Lege), 
that  you  may  not  be  under  the  impression,  that  instruction 
can  be  received  from  any  man  of  God  with  the  same  degree  of 
certainty  as  from  the  words  of  Jesus  Christ,  whether  the  words 
be  dictated  to  him  in  heaven  or  on  earth  in  the  form  of  a 
canon.  According  to  Matt,  v,  18,  heaven  and  earth  shall  pass 
away,  but  His  words  shall  not  pass  away.  He  alone  who 
dwells  in  the  bosom  of  the  Father  has  the  prerogative,  that 
His  words  shall  endure  through  all  ages,  intensively,  extensively, 
and  protensively,  without  any  increase  or  decrease;  for,  al- 
though the  spirit  of  Christ  has  moved  all  the  prophets,  still 
no  one  has  been  inspired  with  the  same  purity,  all  being  mere 
instruments. 

You  say  there  is  no  need  of  signs ;  yet  you  add,  "But  some 
sign  will  perhaps  still  be  given."     This  is  well. 

Again  you  say  that  you  have  conversed  with  John  three 
times;  we  therefore  ask,  in  place  of  a  sign  from  you,  that  you 
should  converse  with  him  a  fourth  time,  and  ask  him,  whether 
that  city  is  to  be  understood  in  a  proper  or  in  a  metaphorical 
sense ;  and  also,  whether  your  spiritual  explanation  agrees  more 
with  the  words  of  the  text,  than  that  of  our  countryman,  the 

*  The  Latin  original  from  which  this  translation  has  been  made,  was 
published  by  Dr.  Clemm  in  1767  (see  footnote  to  Document  229) ;  and  w^as 
afterwards  reprinted  by  Dr.  Im.  Tafel  in  his  German  edition  of  the  "Sweden- 
borg  Documents,"  p.  359.    It  has  never  before  been  translated  into  English 


Doc.  233.]  (ETINGER  TO  SWEDEJSBORG.  259 

late  Prelate  Bengel,^^'  whose  literal  interpretation  has  acquired 
fame  everywhere,  even  in  Rome. 

Some,  indeed,  maintain  that  it  is  wrong  to  interrogate  tlie 
dead;  but  you,  in  accordance  with  Hebrews  xii,  25,  and  with 
leave  given  from  on  high,  have  approached  the  living,  the 
spirits  of  the  just  who  have  been  made  perfect;  if  therefore, 
most  venerable  man,  you  would  relate  to  us  the  conversations 
you  have  had  with  Paul  and  John,  with  Moses  and  Luther, 
each  of  your  books  would  acquire  much  greater  power.  In 
this  particular,  however,  you  do  not  favour  us. 

Most  undoubtedly  1  have  wondered  much  that  you,  from 
being  a  philosopher,  should  have  become  a  seer  and  prophet. 
I  have  often  said  to  the  scoffers  who  pronounced  me  a  fanatic 
on  your  account:  Is  it  possible  that  a  philosopher  who,  like 
Wolf,^^  has  weighed  and  measured  everything,  should  all  at 
once,  as  is  maintained,  have  become  an  imbecile;  that  he  should 
have  suddenly  ceased  to  think  according  to  the  rules  of  order, 
and  yet,  for  twenty-two  years  have  written,  from  his  own  see- 
ing and  hearing,  systematically  and  in  agreement  with  sundry 
passages  of  Scripture,  on  man's  state  after  death?  Let  philo- 
sophers solve  the  problem,  how  he  could  have  come  into  such 
a  state  while  exhibiting  so  much  symmetry.  A  book  has 
come  into  our  hands  entitled :  Dreams  of  a  Spirit-seer  (Triiume 
eines  Geistersehers),  in  which  the  author*  exalts  you  as  much 
by  praises  on  the  one  hand,  as  he  drags  you  down  by  crimi- 
nations on  the  other,  for  fear  of  his  seeming  a  fanatic.  The 
theologians  in  the  universities  condemn  you  on  account  of  your 
errors  in  respect  to  the  Trinity,  justification,  and  redemption, 
which  you  explain  according  to  Dippel's^^^  method. 

The  nature  of  Christ's  descent  to  hell  is  most  admirably 
explained  by  you ;  and  if  your  books  had  no  other  use  but 
that,  it  would  be  sufficiently  great.  Many  also  by  a  perusal 
of  your  writings  believe  in  the  immortality  of  the  soul,  which 
they  had  denied  before. 

A  most  clear-headed  man  attributes  [in  your  books]  more 
to  the  science  of  correspondences,  than  to  prophecy.  Of  what  use 
is  it,   [says  he,]   to  know  anytliing  from  the  mouth  of  angels, 

*  The  philosopher  Irauianucl  Kant  (see  Note  184). 

17* 


260  SWEDENBORG'S  CORRESPONDENCE.    [Doc.  234. 

when  yet  the  angels  together  with  the  blessed  have  in  the  end 
to  derive  their  information  from  the  priesthood  of  Christ ;  which 
with  your  angels  you  certainly  do  not  acknowledge  with  a 
sufficient  degree  of  reverence,  with  your  knees,  as  it  were, 
bent,  and  your  feet  [unjcovered. 

Let  this  be  sufficient,  and  may  erroneous  views  like  the 
above  not  deceive  you  in,  and  deprive  you  of,  the  hope  of  your 
New  Church.  One  thing  more  I  would  like  to  ask  you,  viz. 
that  you  would  write  a  history  of  your  life  explaining  how 
and  by  what  interior  incidents  it  happened  that  from  a 
philosopher  you  have  become  a  revelator. 

Farewell  and  remember 

Your  sincere  and  obedient 

F.  C.  (Etingeb. 

Stuttgart,  December  4,  1766. 


DOCUMENT  234. 

SIXTH  LETTER  OF  EMANUEL   SWEDENBORa 
TO  DR.  BEYER.''* 

MEMORANDUM. 

Several  questions  have  been  propounded  to 
me  by  your  friend,  to  which  you  will  please  to  receive  the 
following  as  an  answer: 

I.  My  opinion  concerning  the  writings  of  Bohmef  and  L 

I  have  never  read  either ;    I  was   forbidden   to   read  writers 
on  dogmatic  and  systematic  theology,  before  heaven  was  opened 

*  The  Swedish  original  from  which  the  above  translation  has  been  made 
is  preserved  among  the  Swedenborg  MSS.  in  the  Libraiy  of  the  Academy 
of  Sciences  in  Stockholm.  It  was  printed  in  1788  in  the  "Samlingar  for 
Philantroper,"  as  Letter  I.  The  first  English  translation  was  pubhshed  in  the 
"New  Jerusalem  Magazine"  of  1790,  p.  73;  and  it  has  been  transfeiTed 
thence,  as  Letter  IV,  to  the  Enghsh  and  American  editions  of  the 
"Swedenborg  Documents." 

•{■  See  Notes  40  and  41,  and  also  Note  161,  iv. 


Doc.  234.]  SWEDENBORG  TO  BEYER.  261 

to  me;  because  unfouudecl  opinions  and  inventions  might  there- 
by have  easily  insinuated  themselves,  which  afterwards  could 
only  have  been  removed  with  difficulty ;  wherefore,  when  heaven 
was  opened  to  me,  I  had  first  to  learn  the  Hebrew  language, 
as  well  as  the  correspondences  according  to  which  the  whole 
Bible  is  composed,  which  led  me  to  read  the  Word  of  God 
over  many  times ;  and  as  God's  Word  is  the  source  whence 
all  theology  must  be  derived,  I  was  enabled  thereby  to  receive 
instruction  from  the  Lord,  who  is  the  Word. 

II.  Query:  How  soon  a  New  Church  may  he  expected? 
Answer :  The  Lord  is  preparing  at  this  time  a  New  Heaven 
of  those  who  believe  in  Him,  acknowledge  Him  as  the  true 
God  of  heaven  and  earth,  and  look  to  Him  in  their  lives, 
which  means  to  shun  evil  and  do  good;  for  from  that  heaven 
the  New  Jerusalem  is  to  come  down ;  see  Rev.  xxi,  2.  I  daily 
see  spirits  and  angels,  from  ten  to  twenty  thousand,  descend- 
ing and  ascending,  and  being  set  in  order.  By  degrees,  as  that 
heaven  is  being  formed,  the  New  Church  likewise  begins  and 
increases.  The  universities  in  Christendom  are  now  first  be- 
ing instructed,  whence  will  come  new  ministers;  for  the  new 
heaven  has  no  influence  over  the  old  [clergy]  who  deem  them- 
selves too  learned  in  the  doctrine  of  justification  by  faith  alone. 

III.  About  the  promised  treatise  on  infinity,  omnipotence,  and 
omnipresence*  Answer:  There  are  many  things  on  these  subjects 
interspersed  throughout  the  "Angelic  Wisdom  concerning  the 
Divine  Providence,"  nos.  4G  to  54,  and  157 ;  also  in  the  "Angelic 
Wisdom  concerning  the  Divine  Love  and  the  Divine  Wisdom," 
nos.  4,  17,  19,  21,  44,  69,  72,  76,  106,  156,  318,  and  in  the 
"Apocalypse  Revealed,"  no.  961 ;  these  subjects  will  be  further 
treated  of  in  the  arcana  of  Angelic  Wisdom  concerning  Con- 
jugial  Love:  for  to  write  a  separate  treatise  on  these  Divine 
attributes,  without  the  assistance  of  something  to  support  them, 
would  cause  too  great  an  elevation  of  the  thoughts ;  wherefore 
these  subjects  have  been  treated  in  a  series  with  other  things 
which  fall  within  the  understanding. 

I  have  with  pleasure  perused  your   "New  Essays   on  the 


*  This  work  was  promised  by  Swedenborg  in  1763  in  the  preface  to  the 
Doctrine  of  the  Lord. 


262  SWEDENBOBG'S  CORRESPONDENCE.    [Doc.  234. 

Gospels"  (Nya  Forsok  ofiver  Evangelierne) ;  fine  interpretations 
are  given  in  respect  to  the  First  Coming  of  the  Lord.  I  wish 
to  give  here  the  signification  of  a  manger,  of  the  baptism  of 
John,  and  of  Elias.  A  manger  signifies  instruction  from  the 
Word,  because  mules  and  horses  signify  the  understanding  of 
the  Word  (see  "Apocalypse  Revealed,"  no.  298);  and  a  manger 
contains  their  food;  there  being  no  room  in  the  inn,  signifies 
that  there  was  no  place  of  instruction  in  Jerusalem;  where- 
fore it  is  said  to  the  shepherds,  who  signify  the  church  to 
come,  "This  shall  be  the  sign  unto  you;  ye  shall  find  the  babe 
lying  in  a  manger"  (Luke  ii,  12).  The  baptism  of  John  pre- 
pared the  heavens,  so  that  the  Jewish  people  might  subsist, 
when  God  Himself  should  come  down  among  them.  John 
signified  all  the  prophecies  in  the  Old  Testament  respecting 
the  Lord  and  His  advent;  likewise  Elias,  because  he  was  the 
chief  of  the  prophets. 

As  here  [in  Stockholm]  they  now  begin  to  think  more  of 
charity  than  before,  asserting  that  faith  and  charity  cannot 
be  separated,  therefore  faith  alone  begins  also  to  be  called 
Moravian  faith. 

[Em.  Swedenboeg.] 

Stockholm,  February,  1767.* 


*  The  date  in  the  original  letter  is  not  in  Swedenborg's  handwriting, 
but  was  inserted  by  Dr.  Beyer.  On  the  back  of  the  paper  is  written:  To 
the  Reverend  Doctor  Beyer. 


DOCUMENT  235. 

SEVENTH  LETTER  OF  JOACHIM  WRETMAN"* 
TO  EMANUEL  SWEDENBOIIG.* 

"Well-born  Assessor  and  kind  Patron, 

It  will  be  a  great  pleasure  to  me  to  hear 
that  you  continue  to  enjoy  good  health,  I  received  the 
following  answer  from  Rouen,  dated  June  29,  1766,  concern- 
ing the  books  which  were  shipped  last  summer  to  France: 
"We  received  the  box  of  books  from  Captain  Peter  Boores, 
and  have  consigned  them  to  a  friend  for  distribution.  It 
is  detained  in  the  syndical  chamber  of  the  libraries  in  Paris ; 
but  as  the  books  are  addressed  to  gentlemen  of  note,  they  will 
no  doubt  be  released,  but  not  without  causing  our  friend  some 
trouble  in  going  to  and  fro."-j-  I  have  not  heard  anything 
since,  wherefore  I  have  no  doubt  that  they  were  duly  distri- 
buted. My  chief  object  in  making  this  communication  is  to 
have  the  opportunity  of  presenting  to  you  some  of  the  seed  of 
the  well-known  egg-plant  or  tree,  which  must  be  sown  as  soon 
as  the  frost  is  out  of  the  ground.  I  shall  be  glad  to  hear  of 
their  doing  well,  and  of  your  being  pleased  with  them. 

Besides  I  have  the  honour  of  commending  myself  to  your 
precious  and  constant  favour,  and  remain  always,  with  all  due 
deference, 

Your  humble  servant, 

Joachim  Wretman. 
Amsterdam,  March  21,  1767. 

*  The  Swedish  original  from  which  the  above  translation  has  been  made 
is  in  the  Archives  of  the  Swedenborg  Society,  London  (see  footnote  to 
Document  210). 

f  Furtlier  particulars  respecting  these  books  may  be  learned  from  Docu- 
ment 225,  whence  it  apjiears  that  they  were  addressed  to  the  Swedish  Am- 
bassador in  Paris,  Count  Ulric  Schefier,  About  the  same  time,  and  while 
the  books  were  on  their  way  to  Paris,  there  was  a  change  of  administration 
in  Sweden,  which  resulted  in  Count  Sclieffor's  recall  ;  so  that  on  the  arrival 
of  tlie  books  he  was  no  longer  in  PaiLs  to  receive  them.  He  was  succct^ded 
by   Count  G.  Ph.  Creutz. 


DOCUMENT  236. 

FIRST  LETTER  OF  J.  C.  LAVATER^^^  TO 
EMANUEL  SWEDENBORG.* 

Most  reverend  and  excellent  Man, 

I  doubt  not  but  that  you  are  often  troubled 
with  letters  from  foreigners  with  whom  you  are  unacquainted, 
and  as  you  are  much  engaged  in  meditation,  business,  travel, 
and  the  company  of  persons  of  renown,  you  v(ill  probably  con- 
sider the  present  application  from  an  unknown  Swiss  as  trifling 
and  impertinent.  Yet  knowing  that  so  great  a  man  is  my 
contemporary,  I  cannot  help  inquiring  of  him  a  few  things 
which  seem  to  me  to  be  of  the  greatest  importance;  as  I 
know  no  person  in  the  world  but  yourself  (who  have  given 
proofs  of  an  extraordinary  and  almost  Divine  knowledge)  cap- 
able of  solving  my  questions,  I  will  therefore  take  the  liberty 
of  proposing  them,  trusting  that  you  will  condescend  to  satisfy 
me  therein  as  soon  as  possible. 

I.  I  have  been  engaged  these  three  years  heart  and  soul 
in  writing  a  poem  on  the  tuture  happiness  ot  Christians,-J-  and 
have  lately  written  several  letters  particularly  to  Zimmerman,^:' 


*  The  English  translation,  constituting  the  above  Document,  appeared 
first  in  the  "New  Jerusalem  Magazine,"  of  1790,  p.  179;  the  editors  of  which 
state  that  the  Latin  original  was  then  in  their  possession.  It  was  after- 
wards introduced  into  the  English  and  American  editions  of  the  "Sweden- 
borg  Documents." 

•j-  The  title  of  this  work,  which  was  published  at  Ziirich  from  1768  to 
1773  in  three  volumes,  is:  "Prospects  into  Eternity"  (Aussichten  in  die 
Ewigkeit). 

\  Johan  Georg  von  Zimmerman,  the  celebrated  author  of  a  work  on 
"SoHtude"  (Ueber  die  Einsamkeit),  in  four  volumes. 


Doc.  236.]  LAVATEB  TO  SWEDENBORG.  2G5 

in  Hanover,*  the  present  celebrated  physician  to  the  King  of 
England,  and  my  intimate  friend,  to  the  end  that  I  miglit 
collect  the  opinions  of  the  wise  and  learned,  before  I  publish 
the  poem  itself.  I  most  fervently  wish  to  have  your  opinion 
also,  which  would  be  of  great  use  to  me ;  but  I  do  not  know 
whether  you  are  conversant  with  the  German  language;  I 
would  willingly  send  you  a  copy,  or  if  you  please,  translate 
the  principal  parts  into  Latin. 

II.  I  have  long  been  convinced  from  the  Holy  Scriptures 
and  my  own  particular  experience,  that  God  frequently  answers 
faithful  and  ardent  prayers  in  such  a  manner,  that  on  account 
of  them  not  only  wonderful  things  have  been  done,  but  even 
real  miracles  effected.  I  am  now  writing  a  dissertation  on 
this  subject,  and  therefore  beg  to  know  your  opinion.  You 
probably  do  not  doubt  that  God  and  Christ  still  work  miracles 
for  the  sake  of  the  faithful,  who  are  much  united  to  him; 
perhaps  some  certain  instances,  which  are  beyond  doubt, 
may  have  come  to  your  knowledge. — Is  it  true  that  a  very 
pious  girl  in  Stockholm,  of  the  name  of  Catherine  Fagerberg, 
by  means  of  prayer  and  an  extraordinary  faith,  has,  Avhen 
asked,  quickly  cured  many  persons  otherwise  incurable  ?  Could 
you  furnish  me  with  certain  and  authentic  proofs  of  the 
truth  thereof? 

in.  As  I  have  heard  and  read  much  of  your  familiar  con- 
verse with  the  spirits  of  the  deceased,  may  I  be  permitted, 
most  respected  man,  to  propose  to  you  some  questions,  from 
a  mind  that  is  very  sincere  and  filled  with  respect  towards, 
you,  by  the  solution  of  which  I  may  be  convinced  concerning 
these  almost  incredible  reports. 

1.  Felix  Hess,  a  friend  of  mine,  died  March  3,  1768, — 
whether  he  will  appear  to  me,  while  I  am  living,  and  when, 
and  in  what  maner? — whether  he  will  reveal  to  me  any  thing 
respecting  the  happiness  of  those  in  heaven,  or  concerning  my 
ecclesiastical  destination  on  earth? 

N.  B.  I  fervently  desired  him  before  his  death  to  comply 
with  my  request  if  possible. 

*  The  original  English  translation  has  here  "Hanoverian,"  but  as  Zimmer- 
man was  a  native  Swiss,  who  subsequently  resided  in  Hanover,  we  liave 
taken  the  libeily  of  correcting  this  passage. 


266  SWEDENBORG'S  CORRESPONDENCE.    [Doc.  236. 

2.  Henry  Hess,  brother  of  the  deceased,  my  very  good 
friend,  whether,  and  when  he  will  be  convinced  of  that  power 
of  faith  and  prayer  which  I  teach;  and  of  which  he  still 
entertains  doubts? — and  which  of  the  inhabitants  of  Zurich 
who  are  yet  in  a  doubtful  state  will  be  convinced? 

3.  Shall  I  ever  be  so  happy  as  to  converse  with  angels 
or  spirits  of  the  deceased  without  any  false  fanaticism,  and 
without  disobedience  to  the  commandment  of  God  not  to 
interrogate  the  dead ;  and  by  what  manner  of  life,  or  by  what 
virtues  I  can  arrive  at  such  a  high  privilege? 

4.  Whether  the  dream  1  had  on  June  9th,  this  year, 
proceeded  from  Felix  Hess? 

Be  not  angry,  thou  most  excellent  and  learned  man,  with 
a  very  studious  disciple  of  the  truth,  who  will  neither  be 
rashly  credulous,  nor  be  a  disbeliever,  but  who  has  an  open 
breast,  ready  to  receive  from  his  inmost  soul  whatever  truth 
beams  forth.  Farewell,  do  not  suffer  me  long  to  wait  in  vain 
for  an  answer.  May  God  and  Christ,  to  whom  we  belong, 
whether  living  or  dead,  be  with  you, 

John  Caspar  Lavatee 
of  Ziirich, 
Minister  of  the  Word  of  God. 

Zurich  in  Switzerland, 
August  24,  1768. 


DOCUMENT  237. 

SE^^NTH  LETTER  OF  EMxA.NUEL  SWEDENBORa 
TO  DR.  BEYER.''* 

Reverend  Doctor, 

By  Captain  Magnus  Sjogarcl  I  send  you  a  copy 
of  the  recently  published  work  on  "Conjugial  and  Scortatory 
Love."'  Should  any  of  the  friends  in  Gottenburg  desire  it, 
you  will  find  on  a  slip  enclosed  in  the  book,  the  address  where 
it  may  be  purchased  in  Amsterdam;  as  soon  as  I  hear  their 
wishes  on  the  subject,  the  books  shall  be  despatched  by  the 
first  opportunity.  My  address  you  will  likewise  find  on  the 
slip  of  paper.  Please  give  my  best  respects  to  the  Bishop,-j- 
the  Dean,:|:  Jjurgomaster  Petterson,  and  to  Dr.  Rosen.*^  I  remain 
in  all  friendship  and  fidelity 

Your  most  obedient  servant  and  friend, 
Em.  Swedenboeg. 

Amsterdam.  October  1,  1768. 


To  the  Reverend  Doctor  and  Lector  Gabr.  Ander.  Beyer, 
Gottenburg. 

*  The  Swedish  original  of  this  Document  is  preserved  in  the  Library 
of  tlie  Academy  of  Sciences  in  Stockholm, 
f  Bishop  Lamberg  (see  Note  178). 
\  \)T.  Ekebom  (sec  Note  179). 


DOCUMENT  238. 

THIRD  LETTER   OF  EMANUEL   SWEDENBORG 
TO  F.  C.  CETINGER.'''* 

Reverend  and  Most  Honoured  Councillor, 

I  was  glad  to  receive  your  letter,  dated  Murhard, 
October  28,  I  am  sorry  you  have  not  yet  received  the  three 
copies  of  the  work  on  "Conjugial  and  Scortatory  Love."  I 
took  them  to  a  place  in  Amsterdam,  whence  similar  parcels 
are  despatched  to  various  parts  of  Germany.  I  think  they 
are  first  conveyed  to  Arnhem,  and  are  taken  thence  by  coach 
or  carrier  to  their  appointed  places.  I  directed  it  to  Wurtem- 
berg.  Should  the  parcel  have  arrived  there,  it  is  most  prob- 
ably in  one  of  the  hotels  or  inns  where  the  carriers  come,  or 

*  The  Latin  original  of  this  Document  was  in  the  possession  of  Prof. 
Veesenmeyer  in  Ulm,  but  after  "his  death  it  could  not  be  found  among  his 
papers.  By  the  kind  permission  of  the  Professor,  Dr.  Im.  Tafel  took  a 
copy  of  the  letter  in  1833,  and  inserted  it  in  his  German  edition  of  the 
"Swedenborg  Documents,"  p.  362.  A  portion  of  the  letter,  beginning  with 
the  second  paragraph,  had  been  previously  printed  by  CEtinger  himself  in 
a  German  edition  of  Swedenborg's  work  "The  Earths  in  the  Universe," 
(p.  222),  which  was  translated  by  one  of  his  nephews,  and  seen  through 
the  press  by  him  in  1770.  In  the  Appendix  to  that  work  (p.  223)  is  also 
printed  the  Latin  original  of  the  paper  on  "The  natural  and  spiritual  sense 
of  the  "Word,"  which  accompanies  this  letter.  Both  these  documents,  as 
printed  by  Dr.  Im.  Tafel,  were  introduced  into  the  Supplement  to  the  en- 
larged English  edition  of  the  "Swedenborg  Documents,"  pp.  78  to  81.  The 
above  is  the  first  complete  translation  of  the  Document  into  English.  As 
much  of  it  as  had  been  printed  by  CEtinger,  had  appeared  before  in  an 
English  dress  in  the  "Nev/  Jerusalem  Magazine"  of  1790,  together  mth  the 
paper  on  "The  natural  and  spiritual  sense  of  the  Word"  (see  pp.  35  to  38) ; 
and  thence  it  was  incorporated  into  the  Enghsh  and  American  "editions  of 
the  "Swedenborg  Documents." 


Doc.  238.]  SWEDENBOEG  TO  (ETINGEB.  269 

where  they  stay.  If  an  opportunity  offer,  nine  other  copies 
shall  be  forwarded,  together  with  the  treatise  on  the  Planets. 
I  asked  the  porter  by  whom  your  letter  was  delivered,  whether 
his  master  knew  of  another  opportunity;  but  he  has  not  yet 
returned  to  give  me  an  answer;  should  one  occur,  1  will  not 
fail  on  my  part  to  avail  myself  ot  it. 

You  suggest  a  doubt  in  respect  to  Christ's  having  power 
given  Him  over  all  Hesh,  when  yet  the  angels  and  the  in- 
habitants of  heaven  have  not  fleshy,  but  shining  bodies.  To 
this  be  pleased  to  receive  kindly  the  following  reply:  In  the 
above  passage  by  all  Hesh  are  understood  all  men,  wherefore 
in  the  Word  in  various  places  mention  is  made  of  all  flesh, 
which  signifies  every  man.  With  respect  to  the  bodies  of 
angels  they  do  not  appear  shining,  but,  as  it  were,  fleshy ;  for 
they  are  substantial  though  not  material,  and  substantial  things 
are  not  translucent  before  the  angels.  Everything  material 
is  originally  from  what  is  substantial;  and  into  this  every  man 
comes  after  he  has  laid  aside  his  material  coverings  by  death. 
On  this  account  man  after  death  is  a  man,  but  purer  than 
before;  comparatively  as  what  is  substantial  is  purer  than  what 
is  material.  That  the  Lord  has  power  not  only  over  all  men,  but 
also  over  all  angels,  is  evident  from  His  own  words  in  Matthew, 
"All  power  is  given  unto  me  in  heaven  and  on  earth"  (xxviii,  18). 

As  in  your  letter  you  speak  of  the  natural  and  spiritual 
sense  of  the  Word,  and  lest  it  should  be  believed  that  I  have 
^vritten  anything  contradictory  to  these  senses,  I  add  a  separate 
piece  of  paper  on  which  these  two  senses  of  the  Word  are 
described.  I  shall  ever  remain,  most  venerable  and  excellent  Sir, 

Your  most  faithful  servant, 
Em.  Swedenboeg. 

Amsterdam,  November  8,  1768. 


THE  NATURAL  AJfD  SPIRITUAL  SENSE  OF  THE  WORD. 

That  in  the  Word  there  is  an  internal  or  spiritual  sense, 
in  its  external  or  natural  sense,  as  a  precious  stone  in  its 
matrix,  or  as  a  beautiful  infant  in  its  swaddhng  clothes,  is  a 
truth  which   has  heretofore  been  altogether  unknown  in  the 


270  SWEDIJNBOBG'S  COEBESPONDENCE.    [Doc.  238. 

Christian  world,  and  hence  also  it  is  altogether  unknown  what 
is  meant  by  the  consummation  of  the  age,  the  Coming  of  the 
Lord,  the  Last  Judgment,  and  the  New  Jerusalem,  on  which 
subjects  many  things  are  spoken  and  i^redicted  in  the  Word 
of  each  Testament,  both  Old  and  New.  Without  the  unfold- 
ing and  opening  out  of  the  literal  sense  of  the  Word  by  its 
spiritual  sense,  how  can  any  one  know  intellectually  what  is 
signified  by  the  things  which  the  Lord  predicted  in  Matthew  xxiv, 
and  also  in  the  Book  of  Revelation,  and  in  Hke  manner  in 
Daniel,  and  in  the  Prophets,  in  many  passages?  Make  the 
experiment  yourself,  if  you  be  so  disposed,  and  read  those 
passages  of  the  prophetic  Word  wliich  treat  sometimes  of  wild 
beasts  and  cattle,  sometimes  of  pools  and  swamps,  sometimes 
of  forests  and  brakes,  sometimes  of  valleys  and  mountains, 
sometimes  of  screech-owls,  of  ochim,  tziim,  satyrs,  &c.,  &c,; 
try  whether  you  can  perceive  anything  Divine  therein,  unless 
you  believe  it  to  lie  concealed  interiorly,  on  account  of  its 
being  inspired  by  God,  just  as  a  precious  stone  lies  concealed 
in  its  matrix,  as  was  said  above.  That  the  precious  stones, 
or  treasures,  which  lie  concealed  within  are  those  things  which 
the  internal  sense  contains,  is  fully  demonstrated  in  the  Doctrine 
of  the  New  Jerusalem  concerning  the  Sacred  Scripture,  nos.  6 
to  26;  and  in  the  same  Doctrine  it  is  further  proved  that  the 
literal  sense  is  the  basis,  continent,  and  firmament  of  its 
spiritual  sense,  nos.  27  to  36;  also  that  Divine  Truth  in  the 
literal  sense  of  the  Word  is  in  its  fulness,  in  its  sanctity,  and 
in  its  power,  nos.  37  to  40 ;  and,  likewise,  that  the  doctrine 
of  the  church  is  to  be  drawn  from  the  literal  sense  of  the 
Word,  and  to  be  confirmed  thereby,  nos.  50  to  61;  and,  finally, 
that  by  the  literal  sense,  through  the  medium  of  the  spiritual 
sense,  there  is  effected  conjunction  with  the  Lord,  and  con- 
sociation with  the  angels,  nos.  62  to  69. 

To  the  above  I  wdll  add  something  new  from  the  spiritual 
world:  The  rulers  of  the  church  who  flock  into  that  world 
after  death,  are  first  taught  concerning  the  Sacred  Scripture, 
that  it  contains  a  spiritual  sense,  which  in  the  world  was  un- 
known to  them;  and  they  are  also  told,  that  the  angels  of 
heaven  are  in  that  sense,  whilst  man  is  in  the  sense  of  the 
letter;  and  further,  that  a  translation  or  change  of  the  latter 


Doc.  238.]  SWEDENBORG  TO  (ETINGER.  271 

sense  into  the  former  is  effected  with  man,  while  he  reads 
the  Word  in  a  state  of  holiness;  that  there  is  then  a  kind  of 
unfolding  or  unswatliing,  like  the  breaking  of  the  shell  enclos- 
ing an  almond,  whereupon  the  shell  is  dispersed  and  the  naked 
almond  passes  into  heaven,  and  is  received  by  the  angels; 
and  that  it  is  also  like  the  casting  of  a  seed  into  the  ground, 
where  it  is  stripped  of  its  coverings,  and  the  germ  is  put 
forth.  The  seed  in  this  case  is  the  Word  in  the  sense  of  the 
letter,  and  the  germ  which  is  put  forth  thence  is  the  si)iritual 
sense;  the  latter  passes  to  the  angels,  and  the  former  remains 
with  man.  The  seed,  nevertheless,  remains  with  man  in  his 
mind  as  in  its  soil,  and  in  time  produces  its  germ  and  fructifies 
it,  provided  man  by  the  seeds  of  life  which  are  the  truths  of 
faith  and  the  goods  of  charity,  is  conjoined  to  the  Lord,  and 
consociated  with  the  angels.  The  above  rulers  are  further 
admonished  to  receive  thoroughly  this  belief,  that  the  AVord 
in  its  bosom  is  spiritual,  because  Divine ;  and  that  unless  they 
receive  this  belief,  they  may  be  seduced  by  satans,  so  that 
they  even  deny  the  sanctity  of  the  Word;  in  which  case  the 
church  with  them  is  dissi})ated.  This  further  argument  is  also 
urged  upon  them,  that  if  they  do  not  believe  the  internal 
sense  of  the  Word,  the  Word  may  finally  appear  to  them  as 
some  unpolished  and  unconnected  writing,  or  even  as  a  book 
of  all  heresies,  because  from  the  literal  sense,  as  from  a  kind 
of  lake,  heresies  of  every  sort  may  be  drawn  forth  and  confirmed. 
Those  who  believe  the  internal  sense  of  the  Word,  are  after- 
wards received  into  companies  of  angelic  spirits,  who  in  process 
of  time  are  elevated  into  heaven  and  become  angels;  but  those 
who  do  not  believe,  are  removed  into  companies  of  spirits, 
who  in  course  of  time  are  cast  into  hell,  and  become  satans. 
Those  are  called  satans  there,  who  in  the  world  had  falsified 
every  truth  of  the  Word,  and  who  in  consequence  thereof 
had  imbibed  falsities,  so  that  at  last  they  could  no  longer  see 
anything  oi'  truth. 


DOCUMENT  239. 

EMANUEL  SWEDENBORG  TO  A  GENTLEMAN 
AT  LEYDEN  IN  HOLLAND.* 

1  had  lately  the  honour  to  send  you  a  copy 
of  a  work  published  at  this  place,  which  contains  an  abridg- 
ment of  all  the  doctrinal  points  treated  oi  in  all  my  other 
writings.  I  think  of  making  a  tour  to  Leyden  in  a  few  week's 
time,  when  I  shall  be  glad  to  be  informed  of  the  opinion  of 
the  learned  in  your  city  respecting  the  work.  It  is  sold  by 
Christian  Seep,  Bookseller,  Amsterdam. 

[Em.  Swedenboeg.] 

[Amsterdam,  beginning  of  March,  1769.] 


*  The  above,  together  with  Documents  225  and  226,  was  originally 
published  in  the  Appendix  to  the  second  edition  of  Swedenborg's  work  on 
"The  Intercourse  between  the  Soul  and  the  Body,"  pubhshed  in  1784.  For 
further  particulars  see  footnote  to  Document  225. 


DOCUMENT  240. 

EIGHTH  LETTEK  OF  EMANUEL  SWEDENBORa 
TO  DR.  BEYER.22* 

Reverend  Doctor, 

I  had  the  pleasure  of  receiving  yours  of 
Novemher  23,  1768.  The  reason  I  did  not  answer  it  sooner 
was,  that  I  postponed  until  a  little  work  was  published  en- 
titled, "A  Brief  Exposition  of  the  Doctrine  of  the  New  Church 
signified  by  the  New  Jerusalem  in  the  Book  of  Revelation," 
in  which  work  are  fully  shown  the  errors  of  the  hitherto  re- 
ceived doctrine  of  justification  by  faith  alone,  and  the  impu- 
tation of  the  righteousness  or  merit  of  Christ.  This  treatise 
was  sent  by  me  to  all  the  clergy  in  Holland,  and  will  come 
into  the  hands  of  the  most  eminent  in  Germany.  I  have  been 
informed  that  they  have  attentively  perused  it,  and  that  some 
have  already  discovered  the  truth,  while  others  do  not  know 
wdiich  way  to  turn;  for  what  is  written  therein  is  sufficient  to 
convince  any  one  that  the  above-mentioned  doctrine  is  the 
cause  of  our  having  at  the  present  day  no  theology  in  Christen- 
dom. I  intend  sending  to  you  by  the  first  ship  twelve  copies 
of  the  work,  which  you  will  please  to  dispose  of  in  the  following 
manner :  one  copy  to  the  Bishop,-]-  one  to  the  Dean,^  and  the 

*  The  Swodish  original,  from  which  the  al)ove  translation  has  been  made, 
is  presented  in  the  Library  of  the  Academy  of  Sciences  in  Stockholm.  It 
was  pubhshed  in  the  "Samhngar  for  Philantroper"  in  1788,  as  Letter  V. 
The  first  English  translation  appeared  in  the  "New  Jerusalem  Magazine" 
of  1790,  (p.  141).  And  this  translation  was  aftei-wards  introduced  as  Letter  V 
into  the  English  and  American  editions   of  the  "Swedenborg  Documents." 

f  Bishop  Lamberg  (see  Note  178). 

i  Dr.  Ekebom  (see  Note  179). 

18 


274  SWEDENBOBG'S  COBBESPONDENGE.    [Doc.  240. 

rest,  except  your  O'v^ii,  to  the  "lectors"  of  theology,  and  to  the 
clergy  of  the  town;  since  no  one  can  better  judge  of  the  work, 
than  he  who  has  thoroughly  mastered  the  arcana  of  justification. 
After  this  little  work  has  been  read,  will  you  kindly  request 
the  Dean*  to  express  his  opinion  concerning  it  in  the  Con- 
sistory; when  all  those  that  can,  and  are  willing  to  see  the 
truth,  will  accede. 

Here  [in  Amsterdam]  they  frequently  inquire  of  me  respect- 
ing the  New  Church,  when  it  will  come  ?  To  which  I  answer: 
By  degrees,  in  proportion  as  the  doctrine  of  justification  and 
imputation  is  extirpated ;  which  perhaps  will  be  brought  about 
by  this  work.  It  is  known  that  the  Christian  Church  did  not 
take  its  rise  immediately  after  the  ascension  of  Christ,  but  in- 
creased gradually,  which  is  also  understood  by  these  words 
in  the  Revelation,  "And  the  woman  flew  into  the  desert,  into 
her  place,  where  she  is  nourished  for  a  time,  times,  and  half 
a  time,  from  the  face  of  the  serpent"  (xii,  14).  The  serpent 
or  dragon  is  that  doctrine. 

In  about  a  month  I  shall  leave  here  for  Paris,  and  that 
for  a  purpose  w^hich  must  not  be  di\Tilged  beforehand. 

With  respect  to  the  visions  of  several  persons  mentioned  in 
your  letter,    they  are  nothing  but    fantastic    visions.       With 
my   respectful  compliments   to   the    Bishop,-}-   and    my    other 
friends  in  Gottenburg,  I  remain  with  hearty  friendsliip 
Your  faithful  servant, 

Em.  Swedenbokg. 

Amsterdam,  March  15,  1769. 


To   the  Keverend  Doctor  and  Lector  Gabr.  Anders.  Beyer, 
Gottenburg. 

*  Dr.  Ekebom  (see  Note  179). 

•j-  Bishop  Lamberg  (see  Note  178). 


DOCUMENT  241. 

NINTH  LETTER  OF  EMANUEL  SWEDENBORG 
TO  DR.  BEYER.''* 

Reverend  Doctor, 

I  herewith  send  you  ten  copies  of  the  published 
treatise  on  "Conjugial  Love,"  which  when  an  opportunity  offers 
you  may  sell  at  nine  copper  dalers  per  copy.  The  book 
is  very  much  in  demand  in  Paris,  and  in  many  places  in 
Germany. 

Of  the  work  last  published  entitled,  "Brief  Exposition  of 
the  Doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusalem,"  I  sent  you  only  one 
copy,  which  you  will  please  to  keep  for  yourself  alone  and  not 
communicate  to  any  one  else :  for  it  will  cause  a  change  in  the 
whole  of  that  theology  which  has  up  to  the  present  time  pre- 
vailed in  Christendom,  and  partly  sets  forth  also  that  theology 
which  will  be  for  the  New  Church.  "What  is  written  therein 
will  be  thoroughly  understood  by  scarcely  any  one  in  Gotten- 

*  The  Swedish  original,  from  which  the  above  translation  has  been 
made,  is  preserved  in  the  Library  of  the  Academy  of  Sciences  in  Stock- 
holm. It  was  printed  in  the  "Samhngar  for  Philantroper"  in  1788,  as 
Letter  VHI.  An  Enghsh  translation  is  contained  in  the  Supplement  to 
the  enlarged  English  edition  of  the  "Swedenborg  Documents,"  published  in 
1855  (p.  5). 

The  P.S.  which  is  added  to  the  letter  has  hitherto  been  published  as  a 
separate  document ;  but  by  a  comparison  with  Document  244,  where  Sweden- 
borg introduced  the  identical  words  of  this  postcript,  it  is  made  evident 
that  it  belongs  in  reality  to  Document  241.  The  Swedish  original  of  this 
postscript,  written  on  a  separate  leaf,  is  presei'ved  in  the  Library  of  the 
Academy  of  Sciences  in  Stockholm.  It  was  printed  in  the  "Samlingar  for 
Philantroper"  of  1788,  after  Letter  XVIII.  An  Enghsh  translation  ap- 
peared in  the  Supplement  to  the  enlarged  English  edition  of  the  •'Sweden- 
borg Documents,"  p.  10. 

18* 


276  SWEDENBORG'S  CORRESPONDENCE.    [Doc.  241. 

burg  except  yourself.  This  little  work  has  been  sent  to  all 
professors  and  clergymen  in  Holland,  and  has  already  reached 
the  principal  universities  of  Germany;  it  is  being  translated 
into  English  in  London,  and  will  also  be  published  in  Paris. 
We  must  therefore  first  wait  for  the  judgment  which  is  passed 
upon  it  abroad,  before  it  is  generally  made  known  in  Sweden. 
You  will,  therefore,  keep  it  for  the  present  for  yourself  alone. 
On  April  26  I  shall  leave  for  Paris;  and  I  remain,  with 
loving  friendship, 

Your  most  obedient  servant  and  faithful  friend, 

Em.    SwEDENBOEa. 

Amsterdam,  April  23,  1769. 


P.  S.  In  the  short  treatise  [Brief  Exposition],  which  I 
have  sent  you,  as  well  as  in  all  my  former  writings,  I  do  not 
mean  a  Son  of  God  born  from  eternity,  but  the  Son  of  God 
conceived  and  born  in  the  world,  in  whom  is  the  Divine  Tri- 
nity. In  the  Apostles'  creed,  which  was  the  confession  of  faith 
of  the  Apostolic  church,  no  other  Son  of  God  is  mentioned, 
nor  is  any  other  meant  in  the  Gospels,  Luke  i,  32,  35;  Matt, 
iii,  17;  xvii,  5;  John  xx,  31;  1  John  v,  20,  21.  The  reason, 
however,  why  the  Nicene  Council  afterwards  adopted  a  Son 
of  God  from  eternity,  and  added  still  another  Divine  person, 
was  this,  that  it  could  not  discover  any  other  expedient  for 
expelling  the  erroneous  doctrine  of  Arius ;  and  for  this  reason, 
especially,  the  present  church  insists  that  reason  shall  be 
bound,  and  placed  under  obedience  to  a  blind  faith.  But, 
that  this  does  not  transcend  man's  faculty  of  comprehension, 
and  that  he  is  able  to  see  and  thus  to  believe,  may  be  seen 
in  no.  117,  and  afterwards  in  no.  44. 


1 


DOCUMENT  242. 

SECOj^D  LETTEK  of  J.  C.  LAYATER^^'  TO 
EMANUEL  S^YEDENBORa.* 

Most  noble,  venerable,  and  beloved  in  Christ  our  Lord, 

I  have  taken  the  liberty  of  writing  to  you  a 
second  time,  as  it  is  likely  you  may  not  have  received  my 
other  letter  on  account  of  your  travels;  but  I  have  at  last 
learned  by  what  means  this  will  probably  reach  you. 

I  revere  the  wonderful  gifts  you  have  received  from  God. 
I  revere  the  wisdom  which  shines  forth  from  your  writings, 
and  therefore  cannot  but  seek  the  friendship  of  so  great  and 
excellent  a  man  now  living.  If  what  is  reported  be  true,  God 
will  show  you  how  much  I  seek  to  converse  with  you  in  the 
simplicity  of  my  mind.  I  am  a  young  man  not  yet  thirty 
years  old,  a  minister  of  the  gospel;  I  am  and  shall  remain 
employed  in  the  cause  of  Christ  as  long  as  I  live.  I  have 
written  something  on  the  happiness  of  the  future  life.  O, 
if  I  could  exchange  letters  with  you  on  this  subject,  or  rather 
converse ! 

I  add  some  [of  my]  writing:   You  shall  know  my  soul. 

One  thing  I  beg  of  you.  Divinely  inspired  man !  I  beseech 
you  by  the  Lord  not  to  refuse  me! 

In  the  month  of  March,  1768,  died  Felix  Hess,  my  best 
friend ;  a  youth  of  Zurich,  twenty-four  years  of  age,  an  upright 

•  The  English  translation,  constituting  this  document,  appeared  first  in 
the  "New  Jerusalem  Magazine"  of  1790,  p.  245,  together  with  Document  236 ; 
the  editors  state  there  that  the  Latin  originals  of  these  two  documents 
were  then  in  their  hands.  The  letters,  in  the  form  in  which  they  appear 
there,  were  subsequently  embodied  in  the  English  and  Amen<'an  editions  of 
the  "Swedenborg  Documents." 


278  SWEDENBORG'S  GOBBESPONDENCE.    [Doc.  243. 

man,  of  a  noble  mind,  striving  after  a  Christian  spirit,  but  not 
yet  clothed  with  Christ.  Tell  me,  I  pray,  what  he  is  doing? 
paint  to  me  his  iigure,  state,  &c.,  in  such  words,  that  I  may 
know  that  God's  truth  is  in  you. 

I  send  also  a  cipher  writing  which  you  will  understand, 
if  what  is  reported  of  you  be  true.  I  request  it  may  not  be 
shown  to  any  person. 

I  am  your  brother  in  Christ ;  answer  very  soon  a  sincere 
brother,  and  answer  the  letter  I  have  sent  in  such  a  manner, 
that  I  may  see  what  I  am  believing  on  the  testimony  of  others. 

Christ  be  with  us,  to  whom  we  belong  living  or  dead. 

John  Casper  Lavateb, 
Minister  at  the  Orphan  Asylum. 

Zurich    in    Switzerland, 
September  24,  1769. 


DOCUMENT  243. 

TENTH  LETTER  OF  EMANUEL  SWEDENBORG- 
TO  DR.  BEYER.'^* 

Reverend  Doctor  and  Dear  Friend, 

Shortness  of  time  would  not  permit  me 
in  my  last  letter  to  answer  the  point  about  the  boy  from 
Skara.  If  the  account  about  him  is  true,  it  proves  the  com- 
munication of  spirits  with  man.  A  genteel  and  rich  family 
here  in  Stockholm  are  desirous  of  taking  the  boy  into  their 
house,  and  of  educating  him  in  whatever  branch  he  may  wish  to 

*  Tlie  Swedish,  original  from  which  the  above  translation  has  been 
■made,  is  preserved  in  the  Library  of  the  Academy  of  Sciences  in  Stock- 
holm. It  was  printed  in  the  "Samlingar  for  Philantroper"  of  1788,  as 
Letter  X.  The  English  translation  of  the  letter,  which  was  incorporated 
in  the  English  and  American  editions  of  the  "Swedenborg  Documents," 
appeared  originally  in  the  "New  Jerusalem  Magazine"  for  1790,  pp.  30 
and  75. 


Doc.  243.]  SWEDENBORG  TO  BEYER.  279 

learn.  Shpuld  this  arrangement  be  acceptable  to  the  boy, 
and  an  opportunity  present  itself  of  his  being  brought  here  in 
company  with  a  person  travelling  this  way,  the  family  would 
be  pleased;  in  that  case  thirty  dalers  in  silver  might  be 
furnished  him  to  cover  his  travelling  expenses,  and  if  on  his 
arrival  he  address  himself  to  me,  he  will  be  taken  to  the 
family. 

I  pass  by  his  vision  of  white  serpents,  as  this  took  place 
in  his  tender  infancy;  for  which  reason  I  do  not  enter  into 
its  explanation;  besides,  it  may  be  explained  either  negatively 
or  athrmatively.  But  his  knowing  the  use  of  herbs  and  [the 
cure  of]  certain  diseases,  if  really  the  case,  is  not  on  account 
of  such  diseases  and  cures  existing  in  the  other  life  among 
spirits  and  angels.  There  are,  however,  spiritual  diseases 
[and  cures]  corresponding  to  natural  diseases  and  cures  in 
this  world;  wherefore,  when  such  effects  take  place,  they  are 
due  to  correspondences.  As  there  are  no  natural  diseases 
among  spirits  in  the  spiritual  world,  neither  are  there  any 
hospitals;  but  instead  of  these  there  are  spiritual  madhouses, 
in  which  are  those  who  theoretically  denied  God,  and  in  others 
such  as  denied  Him  practically.  Those  who  in  the  world 
were  idiots,  on  their  arrival  in  the  other  world  are  likewise 
foolish  and  idiotic ;  but  when  their  externals  are  removed  and 
their  internals  opened,  as  is  the  case  with  all,  then  they  are 
endowed  with  an  understanding  in  accordance  with  their  genius 
and  their  previous  life ;  for  real  madness  and  insanity  reside 
in  the  external  or  natural,  and  not  in  the  internal  or  spiri- 
tual man. 

I  will  now  give  you  an  account  of  my  first  youth:  From 
my  fourth  to  my  tenth  year  I  was  constantly  engaged  in 
thought  upon  God,  salvation,  and  tlie  spiritual  diseases  (pas- 
siones  spiritnalef;)  of  men;  and  several  times  I  revealed  things 
at  which  my  father  and  mother  wondered ;  saying,  that  angels 
must  be  speaking  through  me.  From  my  sixth  to  my  twelfth 
year  I  used  to  delight  in  conversing  with  clergymen  about 
faith,  saying  that  the  life  of  faith  is  love,  and  that  the  love 
which  imparts  life  is  love  to  the  neighbour;  also  that  God 
gives  faith  to  every  one,  but  that  those  only  receive  it  who 
practise  that  love.      I  knew  of  no   other  faith  at  that  time. 


280  SWEDENBORG'S  CORRESPONDENCE.    [Doc.  244. 

I 

than  that  God  is  the  Creator  and  Preserver  of  nature,   that       I 
He  imparts  understanding  and  a  good  disposition  to  men,  and       I 
several  other  tilings   that  follow  thence.     1  knev?  nothing  at 
that  time   of  that  learned   faith   which  teaches  that  God  the 
Father  imputes  the  righteousness  of  His  Son  to   whomsoever, 
and  at  such  times,  as  He  chooses,  even  to  those  who  have  not       ! 
repented  and  have  not  reformed  their  lives.   And  had  I  heard       ! 
of  such  a  faith,  it  would  have  been  then,  as  it  is  now,  above 
my  comprehension.  \ 

I  remain  with  all  affection  and  friendship 

Your  most  obedient  servant  and  friend, 
Eman.  Swedekboeg. 

Stockholm,  November  14,  1769.  I 

To    the   Reverend    and   Most   Learned  Doctor    and    Lector      i 
Gabriel  And.  Beyer,  Gottenburg.  i 


DOCUMENT  244. 

EMANUEL  SWEDENBORG  TO  COUNT 
HOPKEN.^^* 

[Your  Excellency,] 

I  had  the  honour  to  receive  on  the  14th  inst. 
your  Excellency's  favour,  dated  November  5.  I  am  glad  that 
the  last  two  books  have  arrived.  It  is  certain  that  the  "Brief 
Exposition  of  the  Doctrine  of  the  New  Church"  meets  with 
adverse  criticisms,  as  was  foreseen  by  your  Excellency;  yet 
only  in  the  beginning,  as  long  as  men  are  in  darkness  on  account 
of  preconceived  and  false  principles.  Since,  however,  that 
which  is  rational  has  light  within  itself,  even  in  theological 
matters,  therefore,  the  truth  will  gradually  be  seen  and  acknow- 

*  A  copy  of  the  Swedish  original  is  preserved  in  the  Library  of  the 
Academy  of  Sciences;  it  is  printed  in  Part  III  of  "Nya  Kp-kan  och  dess 
inflytande,"  &c.,  p.  7. 


Doc.  244.]  SWEDENBORG  TO  HOPKEN.  281 

ledged,  as  has  been  the  case  in  many  places  abroad.  But 
as  I  am  doubtful  whether  this  change  has  already  taken  place 
in  Stockholm,  I  have  deUvered  only  one  copy  to  Bishop  Benzel- 
tjerna^"  with  strict  injunctions  that  it  is  by  no  means  to  be 
communicated  to  any  one  else;  for  Benzelstjerua  in  my  esti- 
mation is  a  rational  man  even  in  theology,  and  does  not  accept 
iirational  things  from  obedience  to  faith.  The  reason  why  a 
preference  is  accorded  to  CathoHcs  is  stated  in  no.  105  and 
the  following  numbers ;  but  there  is  another  reason  besides, 
because  the  purpose  is  to  establish  a  universal  church  in  all 
Christendom.  When  this  preliminary  treatise  was  finished, 
the  whole  heaven  from  east  to  west,  and  from  south  to  north, 
appeared  to  me  covered  with  beautiful  roses  of  a  dark  scarlet 
colour,  so  that  all  who  were  present  with  me  in  the  world  of 
spirits,  were  astonished  at  it;  this  was  a  sign  of  the  assent 
and  the  joy  of  the  New  Heaven.*  In  the  short  treatise  which 
I  have  sent  you,  as  well  as  in  all  my  former  writings  I  do 
not  mean  a  Son  of  God  born  from  eternity,  but  the  Son  of 
God  conceived  and  bom  in  the  world,  in  whom  there  is  the 
Divine  Trinity.  In  the  Apostles'  creed,  which  was  the  con- 
fession of  faith  of  the  Apostolic  church,  no  other  Son  of  God 
is  mentioned,  nor  is  any  other  meant  in  the  Gospels,  Luke  i, 
32,  35;  Matt,  iii,  17;  xvii,  5;  John  xxi,  31;  1  John  v,  20,  21. 
The  reason,  however,  why  the  Nicene  Council  afterwards 
adopted  the  tenet  of  a  Son  of  God  from  eternity,  and  added 
still  another  Divine  person,  was,  that  it  could  not  discover 
another  expedient  for  expelling  the  erroneous  doctrine  of 
Arius;  and  for  this  reason  especially  the  present  church  in- 
sists that  reason  shall  be  bound,  and  placed  under  obedience 
to  faith.  But  that  this  does  not  transcend  man's  comprehension, 
and  that  he  is  able  to  see  and  thus  to  believe,  may  be  seen 
in  no.  117,  and  after  it  in  no.  44. -f 

*  The  same  phenomenon  is  described  by  Swedenborg  in  a  "Sketch  of 
an  Ecclesiastical  History  of  the  New  Church,"  (see  Volume  VIII  of  the 
photo-hthographed  MSS.,  p.  1)  in  these  words:  "After  the  'Brief  Expo- 
sition.' &c.  had  been  written,  the  angelic  heaven  from  the  east  to  the  west, 
and  from  the  south  to  the  north,  appeared  of  a  dark  scarlet  colour  with 
the  most  beautiful  flowers ;  it  apjjcared  so  before  me,  the  kings  of  Deumark, 
and  others.    At  another  time  it  had  a  beautiful  flaming  appearance." 

f  Compare  postscript  to  Document  241. 


282  TRIAL  AT  GOTTENBURG.  [Doc.  245. 

Your  Excellency's  pleasure  in  my  writings   gladdens    my 
heart,  and  I  thank  you  for  it  with  all  due  respect,  remaining, 
Your  Excellency's  most  humble  servant, 
Em.  Swedenboeg. 

Stockholm,  November  17,  1769. 


DOCUMENT  245. 

SWEDENBORG'S  CONTROVERSY  WITH  THE 
CONSISTORY  OF  GOTTENBURO. 

INTRODVCTION. 

A  carefully  prepared  digest  of  the  acts  of  this  important 
controversy  occupies  Part  I  of  a  work  which  appeared  in  1847, 
in  the  Swedish  language,  under  this  title:  "The  New  Church 
and  its  influence  upon  the  study  of  theology  in  Sweden,  A 
contribution  to  the  Swedish  Church  history  of  later  years" 
(Nya  Kyrkan  och  dess  infiytande  im  Theologiens  Studium  i 
Sverige).  Upon  this  work,  which  we  have  reason  to  think 
was  written  by  our  well-known  friend  Dr.  Kahl  of  Lund,  we 
have  mainly  drawn  for  the  materials  used  in  the  preparation 
of  this  Introduction,  and  of  some  of  those  historical  parts 
which  serve  as  connecting  links  between  the  particular  docu- 
ments composing  this  larger  document. 

The  documents  themselves  which  illustrate  this  episode  in 
Swedenborg's  life,  are  derived  (1)  from  the  "Nya  Kyrkan,"  &c.; 
(2)  from  the  "Minutes  respecting  Swedenborgianism  and  the 
so-called  Sermon-Essays"  (Handlingar  rorande  Svedenhorgia- 
nismen  och  de  sd  haUade  Pt'ediko-Forsok),  under  which  title 
was  published,  in  a  quarto  volume  of  upwards  of  200  pages, 
the  official  record  of  the  Proceedings  of  the  Consistory  of 
Gottenburg  from  March  22,  1769,  to  February  7,  1770;  and  (3) 
from  the  published  and  unpublished  letters  of  Emanuel  Sweden- 
borg  written  during  that  period. 

With  respect  to  the  origin  of  this  controversy,  we  read  in 
the  "Nya  Kyrkan,"  &c.  (p.   10)  as  follows:  "For  twenty  years 


Doc.  245.]  INTRODUCTION.  283 

Swedenborg  had  continued  to  publish  his  theological  works 
without  being  disturbed  by  any  one,  and  he  had  distributed 
them  to  the  libraries  of  universities  and  to  the  learned  in 
England,  Holland,  France,  Germany,  and  Sweden.  Sundry 
theologians  also,  e.  g.  Hartley,  CEtinger,  Beyer,  Rosen,  and 
Lavater,  had  studied  his  writings,  expressing  admiration 
and  approval  of  his  teachings.  Most,  it  is  true,  had  simply 
glanced  over  the  title-pages  of  these  works  without  taking  any 
further  notice  of  their  contents.  But  no  one  had  considered 
himself  called  upon  to  protest  against  the  circulation  and  the 
reading  of  these  writings,  although  they  contained  views  which 
could  not  easily  be  made  to  harmonize  with  what  was  regarded 
as  orthodox  in  the  Roman  Catholic  and  Protestant  churches 
of  the  eighteenth  century.  Swedenborg's  writings,  however, 
were  composed  in  a  language  which  was  not  generally  under- 
stood. They  were  possessed  only  by  the  learned,  who  are  not 
always  inclined  to  judge  the  orthodoxy  of  theological  productions 
by  the  standard  of  the  conclusions  ot  the  Council  of  Trent, 
the  Heidelberg  Catechism,  or  the  Formula  Concordioe,  and 
who,  besides,  are  not  fond  of  submitting  the  settlement  of 
doctrinal  or  exegetical  controversies  to  spiritual  or  civil  courts. 
But  gradually  Swedenborg's  friends  in  his  own  country  by 
reviews,  translations,  and  sermons,  began  to  introduce  a  know- 
ledge of  his  rehgious  views  to  a  class  of  readers  who,  un- 
accustomed to  a  deeper  investigation  of  the  Scripture  and  to 
higher  theological  speculation,  regard  as  heterodox  and  heretical 
all  religious  knowledge  which  in  any  degree  changes  or  modifies 
the  sanctioned  doctrines,  or  which  is  above  the  sphere  of  the 
doctrinal  text-books  in  current  use.  A  new  epoch  now  began 
to  open  in  the  history  of  Swedenborg's  writings,  at  least  in 
Sweden. 

"Several  of  the  Swedish  clergy  found  fault  with  the  views 
of  the  iSIew  Church,  and  insisted  that  they  should  be  formally 
opposed,  as  militating  against  the  Evangelical  Lutheran  faith. 
Such  an  opposition  first  manifested  itself  in  the  diocese  of 
Gottenburg,  and  the  immediate  cause  of  it  was  as  follows: 
In  the  'Clerical  News'  (Presttldnimjeny  a  monthly  magazine, 
published  at  Gottenburg  by  Dr.  Rosen  a  "lector"  (professor) 
in   that  town,    a  review  of  Swedenborg's  Apocali/psis  Bevelata 


284  TRIAL  AT  CrOTTENBURG.  [Doc.  245. 

had  been  inserted;  and  another  "lector,"  Dr.  Beyer,  had  edited 
a  collection  of  sketches  for  sermons  under  this  title:  'New 
attempts  at  explaining  the  texts  for  Sundays  and  Holidays 
(Xya  Forsok  till  forldaring  qfwer  Son-och  Hogtidsdags-Texter), 
Gottenburg,  1767;  in  which  the  texts  are  explained  in  the 
spirit  of  Swedenborg's  teaching.  These  literary  productions 
strengthened  in  many  quarters  the  conviction  which  had  pre- 
viously been  gaining  ground,  that  these  theological  doctors 
shared  Swedenborg's  religious  views ;  and  no  length  of  time 
elapsed  before  the  clergy  gave  evidence  of  this  conviction,  by 
word  and  deed. 

"At  a  meeting  of  the  clergy  held  at  Gottenburg  in  Sep- 
tember 1768,  Dean  P.  Aurelius  of  Grimmeton  insisted  'that, 
for  his  OAvn  sake  and  that  of  the  brethren  at  home,  the 
Consistory  should  employ  the  most  stringent  measures  for 
stopping  the  circulation  of  such  recently  published  books  as 
contain  doctrines  which  militate  against  God's  Word  and  the 
symbohcal  [dogmatic]  writings  of  the  church'  (see  'Handlingar' 
p.  3).  In  agreement  there^vith,  but  in  less  objectionable  and 
more  considerate  terms,  Dean  A.  Kollinius  of  Seglora  submitted 
a  memorial  to  the  Consistory,  dated  October  12,  1768,  in 
which  he  prayed,  'that  the  Bishop  and  the  members  of  the 
Consistory,  as  the  most  competent  judges  in  theological  matters, 
would  enlighten  the  clergy,  as  to  how  far  the  writings  of 
Swedenborg  are  really  objectionable;  so  that  in  case  these 
writings  contain  merely  innocent  theological  problems,  a  mis- 
taken zeal  may  not  raise  up  heaven  and  earth  against  them; 
but,  in  case  they  really  militate  against,  and  present  as  ir- 
rational, the  evangelical  doctrine  in  the  form  in  which  it  is 
explained  from  God's  Word  in  our  symbolical  writings  it  may 
be  looked  upon  as  a  real  crime,  at  least  in  those  who  exercise 
the  function  of  teachers,  to  seek  to  imbue  others  with  the 
religious  principles  of  Swedenborg.'" 

The  author  of  "Nya  Kyrkan"  says  here:  "If  Kollinius* 
prayer  had  been  acted  upon,  and  the  members  of  the  Con- 
sistory had  gone  into  the  fundamental  question,  i.  e.  if  they 
had  compared  Swedenborg's  and  Luther's  systems,  and  had 
examined  how  much  of    what  is  really  bad  and  imchristian  is 


Doc.  245.]  INTRODUCTION.  285 

contained  in  the  former  system ....  a  long  and  wearisome  re- 
ligious contest  would  no  doubt  have  been  prevented."  On 
p.  14,  he  continues,  "A  calm  exegetical  and  critical  exami- 
nation of  Swedenborg's  system,  however,  was  never  considered 
for  a  moment;  nothing  was  thought  of  but  the  stringent 
measures  insisted  upon  by  Aurelius,  by  which  'the  circulation 
ot  Swedenborg's  writings  might  be  stopped.'  Beyer's  and 
Rosen's  opponents,  without  making  any  previous  examina+'on, 
took  it  at  once  for  granted,  that  Swedenborg's  system  was  un- 
biblical  and  heterodox,  and  they,  consequently,  appealed  first 
to  the  Consistory  and  afterwards  to  the  higher  authorities,  as 
though  they  were  tribunals  of  inquisition,  with  tlie  keys  of 
loosing  and  binding  doctrinal  questions  in  their  hands,  and 
which,  without  any  previous  examination  and  investigation, 
might  pass  sentence  of  condemnation  in  the  most  uncompro- 
mising spirit  of  hierarchy.  The  majority  of  the  Consistory, 
nevertheless,  disappointed  the  expectations  of  the  dissatisfied 
members  of  the  clergy  in  this  respect.  Bishop  Lamberg^^^  was 
not  willing  to  treat  this  question  in  an  inquisitorial  fashion, 
and  the  attempt  to  make  of  the  Consistory  a  tribunal  on  matters 
of  faith  miscarried  in  the  very  first  instance.  The  majority 
of  this  body,  consisting  of  Bishop  Lamberg,  and  the  "lectors" 
Beyer,^^  Rosen,*'^  Roempke,^^'  and  Wallenstrale, ^^^  did  not 
consider  themselves  called  upon,  *as  the  most  competent  judges 
in  theological  matters,'  to  express  an  opinion  with  regard  to 
the  actual  value  (lialt)  of  Swedenborg's  doctrines,  since  thus 
far  they  had  not  had  the  opportunity  of  procuring  for  them- 
selves his  expensive  theological  writings,  and  still  less  had  they 
time  to  study  them." 

Dr.  Beyer,  at  the  request  of  the  Consistory,  had  prepared 
the  draught  of  a  reply  to  the  resolution  passed  at  the  meet- 
ing of  the  clergy  in  1768.  From  this  we  make  the  following 
extract : 


286  TRIAL  AT  GOTTENBUBG.  [Doc.  245. 


A. 

DR.  BEYER  ON  SWEDENBORG  AND  HIS  WRITINGS* 

"Swedenborg  is  generally  known  to  be,  as  to  his  person 
and  life,  a  God-fearing  and  virtuous,  and  also  a  quiet,  peace- 
ful, and  well-reputed  citizen;  and  in  the  public  prints  is  de- 
clared to  be  a  giant  of  learning  in  the  various  sciences;  but 
especially  is  he  known  to  have  an  unbounded  veneration  for 
the  Divine  Word.  The  thoughts  of  such  a  man  on  matters 
of  religion  ought  surely  not  to  be  condemned  rashly,  and 
without  a  previous  most  thorough  examination . .  . 

"So  long,  however,  as  such  an  investigation  and  examination 
have  not  been  made,  this  Consistory  does  not  deem  itselt 
justified  in  declaring  that  the  works  of  Assessor  Swedenborg 
are  to  be  classed  among  the  number  of  prohibited  books ; 
and,  consequently,  they  do  not  feel  themselves  called  upon  to 
endeavour  to  obtain  in  the  proper  place  an  order  for  their 
prohibition. 

"But  meanwhile,  both  in  respect  to  the  writings  of  Assessor 
Swedenborg,  which  are  written  in  Latin,  a  foreign  tongue,  and 
according  to  a  transcendental  method,  as  well  as  in  respect 
to  all  other  writings,  the  foUo^dng  words  of  the  Lord  and 
their  meaning  furnish  a  safe  rule  of  criticism  to  all  the  learned, 
by  the  application  of  which  they  will  not  only  not  fail  in  their 
judgment,  but  also  be  freed  from  error:  'If  any  one  will  do 
the  will  of  Him  who  has  sent  Jesus,'  or  if  any  one  has  the 
desire  and  purpose  to  live  as  the  Lord  has  given  us  to  under- 
stand is  well-pleasing  to  Him — 'he  shall  know,'  or  he  is  able 
to  know  'whether  a  doctrine  is  of  God,'  and  thus  is  Divine, 
or  whether  it  has  a  merely  human  source  and  thus  ought  to 
be  rejected"  (John  vii,  17). 

In  pursuance  of  a  resolution  written  by 

G.  A.  Betee. 
February  15,  1769. 

The   opposition   in  the  Consistory  consisted  of  Dean  Eke- 
bom,"^   Dean  Kullin,^^*   and  Pastor  Hempke,"^  whose  senti- 

*  See  "Handlingar  rorande  Swedenborgianismen,"  &c.,  p.  5. 


Doc.  245.]      EKEB OM  AGAINST  S  WEDENB ORG.  287 

merits  found  utterance  in  the  follo^ving  document  from  the  pen 
of  Dr.  Ekebom,  Dean  of  Gottenburg: 


,     B. 

r>n.  F^BBO.V'5'"   CHARGES  AGAINST  SWEDENBORO.* 

"On  the  question,  whether  the  published  theological  writ- 
ings of  the  well-born  Assessor  Swedenborg  are  to  be  regarded 
as  orthodox  or  heretical,  and  in  what  light  they  ought  to  be 
looked  upon  and  judged  by  the  clergy  of  our  diocese,  I  sub- 
mit with  due  deference  to  the  favourable  consideration  of  the 
Bishop  and  of  the  Venerable  Consistory  the  following  remarks : 

'•'■  First,  To  the  person  of  Assessor  Swedenborg  I  leave  all 
the  honour  and  esteem  to  which  he  may  lay  claim  on  account 
of  his  advanced  age,  his  rank,  his  merits,  and  his  insight  into 
the  various  sciences.  I  do  not  judge  either  him  or  any  one 
else.     The  Lord  is  He  who  knows  and  judges  both  him  and  me. 

Secondly,  I  am  not  acquainted  with  the  religious  system  of 
Assessor  Swedenborg,  nor  shall  I  take  any  trouble  to  become 
acquainted  with  it.  I  am  told  that  this  knowledge  may  be 
chiefly  acquired  by  studying  his  published  writings  on  'the 
New^  Jerusalem,'  on  'Charity  and  Faith,'  on  'the  Lord,'  &c., 
none  of  which  works  I  have  possessed,  read,  or  seen. 

'•^Thirdly,  Nevertheless,  in  thinking  of  the  conversations 
which  Assessor  Swedenborg  had  in  this  place,  at  various  times, 
with  myself  and  others,  and  in  comparing  them  with  his  so- 
called  Apocah/psis  lievelata,  of  which  he  was  kind  enough  to 
send  me  a  copy  from  Amsterdam,-}-  I  must  confess  that  his 
doctrines  appear  to  me  corrupting,  heretical,  injurious,  and  in 
the  highest  degree  ohjectio)iahIe.'\. 

"In  proof  of  this  I  will  confine  myself  to  stating  the 
following  points  : 


*  See  "Handliiigar,"  &c.,  pp.  7  to  11. 
f  See  Document  223. 

^  Read  in  this  connection  what  the  Rev.  T.  Hartley  says  in  Document 
258,  no.  18. 


288  TRIAL  AT  GOTTEN  BURG.  [Doc.  245. 

(a)  "Tlie  Sacred  ScrijJtiirelias  been  hitherto  hadly  and  perverse- 
ly explained  (A.  R.  p.  21,  no.  1).  Too  much  has  been  made 
of  the  Hteral  sense,  of  which  the  true  meaning  cannot  be  com- 
prehended, before  the  spiritual,  the  angeMc,  and  the  Divine 
sense  has  first  been  collected.  Since  the  Last  Judgment, 
which  took  place  in  the  spiritual  world  as  early  as  1757,  and 
since  the  Coming  of  the  New  Jerusalem,  this  sense  has  been 
for  the  first  time  revealed  by  God  to  Assessor  Swedenborg, 
who,  as  far  as  this  is  concerned,  does  not  seem  to  be  unwilling 
to  be  regarded  as  a  God-inspired  man  (Vir  Theopneustos). 
Again,  the  Sacred  Scripture  has  been  written  by  mere  corre- 
spondences; and  uithout  the  knoidedge  of  correspondences,  and 
a  special  illustration  and  hence  revelation,  it  cannot  be  under- 
stood in  by  far  the  greater  7mmber  of  passages  (see  Preface). 
How  then  should  he  who  is  not  in  a  state  of  illustration,  or 
who  does  not  understand  the  doctrine  of  correspondences, 
know  e.  g.  that  dva,3X£']>ai,  to  receive  sight  (recipere  visum) 
signifies  that  they  who  have  been  in  ignorance  of  the  truth 
would  receive  intelligence  ;  that  to  receive  hearing  (recipere 
auditum)  signifies,  that  they  who  had  not  heard  before  con- 
cerning God  and  the  Word  would  listen  and  obey ;  that  to 
be  resuscitated  from  the  dead  signifies  that  they  who  other- 
wise would  have  perished  are  made  alive;  that  a  garden,  a 
grove,  a  forest  signify  wisdom  and  knowledge;  that  the  olive- 
tree,  the  vine,  the  cedar,  the  oak  signify  the  celestial,  the 
spiritual,  the  rational,  natural,  and  sensual  good  and  truth  of 
the  church;  that  a  mountain,  a  hill,  a  valley  signify  the  higher, 
lower,  and  lowest  things  of  the  church;  that  Egj^ot  signifies 
knowledge,  Ashur  reason,  Moab  the  adulteration  of  good,  the 
sons  of  Ammon  the  adulteration  of  truth.  Tyre  and  Sidon  the 
thoughts  of  truth  and  good  ?  I  ask,  can  the  Sacred  Scripture 
with  such  an  explanation  remain  any  longer  the  fundamental 
ground  (principimn)  for  the  knowledge  of  Faith,  Religion,  and 
Revealed  Theology. 

(b)  "  God  is  one  in  essence  and  in  person,  in  whom  is  a  Trinity, 
and  the  Lord  is  that  God.  The  Lord  is  the  Only  God,  in 
whom  is  the  Trinity  (Preface).  The  whole  Trinity  is  in  the 
Lord.  His  Divine  (the  Divine  nature)  is  called  Father.  His 
Human   (the   Human    nature)   is   the    Son.     And  the  Divine 


Doc.  245.]       EKEB  OM  AGAINST  S  WEBENB  ORG.  289 

Proceeding  (i.  e.  as  much  as  I  could  gather  on  this  subject), 
the  Divine  virtue  and  operation  which  enlightens  and  sanctifies 
us,  is  the  Eohj  Sinrit  (cfr.  A.  R.  pp.  59,  629,  Latin  edition). 

(c)  ^^No  satisfaction  for  the  sins  of  the  ivorld  is  given.  The 
purpose  of  Christ's  Coming  into  the  world  was  the  subjugation 
of  hell,  and  its  removal  from  man;  and  Chi'ist  removed  it  by 
contests  against  it,  and  victories  over  it;  and  He  reduced  it 
into  order  and  under  obedience  to  Him  (A.  R.  pp.  59,  60). 

(d)  ^'■Justification  hy  faith  alone  is  abused,  with  gross  con- 
tempt, throughout  the  whole  of  Swedenborg's  work. 

(e)  The  following  is  his  explanation  of  the  essential  parts  of 
the  Holy  Supper:  By  the  bread  and  the  blood  of  the  Lord 
nothing  else  can  be  understood  than  the  Divine  in  itself,  and 
from  itself;  by  ilesh  is  understood  the  Divine  Good  of  the 
Divine  Love,  and  by  blood  the  Divine  Truth  from  that  Good 
(A.  R.,  p.  208,  Latin  Edition). 

(f)  "Of  the  conversations  and  statements  of  those  who  de- 
parted this  life  with  a  profession  of  faith  alone,  I  find  a 
short,  but  derisive  doctrinal  exposition  in  the  memorable 
relation  on  p.  208  of  the  Aiiocalypsis  Bevelata. 

"In  consideration  of  what  I  have  here  quoted  to  you  in 
haste,  I  submit  to  your  judgment,  whether  Swedenborgianism 
is  not  in  all  its  parts  diametrically  opposed  to  God's  revealed 
Word,  and  the  dogmatic  writings  of  the  Lutheran  church; 
whether  it  is  not  full  of  the  most  intolerable  fundamental 
errors,  which  overturn  the  very  foundation  of  faith  and  of  the 
whole  Christian  religion ;  and,  consequently,  whether  it  is,  not 
merely  schismatic,  but  in  the  highest  degree  heretical,  and  in 
most  of  its  parts  Socinian  and  thus,  in  every  sense,  objectionable? 

"For  the  above  reason,  and  by  virtue  of  my  office  as  a 
member  of  the  Consistory,  and  as  a  pastor  in  this  town 
where  Assessor  Swedenborg  has  resided  some  time,*  and  has 
had  opportunity  for  spreading  his  views  and  attaching  to 
himself  disciples,  I  cannot  refrain  from  urging  the  following  re- 
solutions : 


♦  Swedenborg  never  resided  in  Goltenburg;  he  only  passed  through  it 
on  his  way  to  Holland  or  England. 

19 


290  TRIAL  AT  GOTTENBURG.  [Doc.  245. 

'•^First,  that  the  clergy  of  the  diocese  be  admonished  in 
the  most  earnest  manner  to  be  on  their  guard  against  the 
theological  writings  published  by  Assessor  Swedenborg. 

'■'■Secondly,  That  Pastor  Kollinius  be  urged  to  make  a  posi- 
tive statement  containing  the  names  of  'the  leading  men 
in  this  place  of  whom  report  says  that  they  favour  and  follow 
Assessor  Swedenborg's  theological  principles,'  so  that  inno- 
cent men  who  shun  all  false  and  heretical  learning  may  es- 
cape suspicion;  and  that  those  who  favour  and  promote  false 
views  may  be  treated  according  to  law  and  royal  decrees. 

'"''Thirdly,  As  leading  men  (by  whom  may  be  meant  mem- 
bers of  the  clergy  either  of  the  town,  or  of  the  Diocese,  or 
perhaps  even  members  of  the  Consistory)  seem  to  have  be- 
come the  subject  of  a  most  unworthy  suspicion  among  the  clergy 
of  the  diocese,  that  our  Bishop,  who  is  placed  as  a  superin- 
tendent over  the  clergy,  and  likewise  over  the  gymnasia  and 
schools  of  his  diocese,  be  instructed  on  the  part  of  the  Con- 
sistory, to  report  the  present  as  a  most  important  matter  of 
the  Church  in  the  House  of  the  Clergy  at  the  approaching 
Diet,  which  will  not  fail  to  take  such  steps  and  measures  to 
prevent  the  spread  of  Swedenborgian  doctrines,  as  their  pre- 
cious official  oath  and  the  exigency  of  the  case  demand,  and 
as  the  law  prescribes. 

"0.  Ekebom. 

"Gottenburg,  March  22,  1769." 


On  March  30,  after  the  Minutes  containing  Dr.  Ekebom's 
charges  against  Swedenborg  had  been  read,  Dr.  Beyer  caused 
the  following  reply  to  be  inserted  in  the  Minutes  for  publi- 
cation. 


Doc.  245.]  BEYER  ON EKEBOM.  291 

C. 

DR.  BEYER'S  REPLY  TO  DR.  EKEBOM* 

"As  a  further  and  necessary  complement  of 
the  passages  which  Dr.  Ekebom^'^^  entered  on  the  Minutes, 
on  March  22,  from  Assessor  Swedenborg's  theological  works, 
I  desire  to  communicate  here  a  passage  upon  which  I  lighted 
in  liis  last  published  work  on  'Conjugial  and  Scortatory  Love' 
(no.  82) ;  because  it  furnishes  a  kind  of  summary  of  the 
Assessor's  system  of  rehgion.  The  passage  referred  to  li- 
terally translated  reads  as  follows:  'Afterwards  a  man  came 
running  from  the  northern  quarter  in  great  haste  ;  he  looked 
at  me  with  a  threatening  countenance,  and  addressing  me 
in  a  passionate  tone  of  voice,  said:  "Art  thou  he  that 
wishes  to  seduce  the  world  by  instituting  a  New  Church  which 
thou  understandest  by  the  New  Jerusalem  about  to  come  down 
from  God  out  of  heaven;  and  by  teaching  that  the  Lord  will 
gift  with  love  truly  conjugial  those  who  embrace  the  doctrines 
of  that  church  ;  the  delights  and  felicity  of  wliich  love  thou 
exaltest  to  heaven?  Is  not  this  a  mere  fiction?  and  dost  thou 
not  hold  it  forth  as  a  bait  and  enticement  for  others  to  accede 
to  thy  new  [doctrines]?  But  tell  me  briefly,  what  are  those 
doctrines  of  the  New  Church  that  I  may  see  whether  they 
agree  or  disagree  ?"  I  replied,  "The  doctrines  of  the  church 
understood  by  the  New  Jerusalem  are  as  follows :  First,  That 
there  is  one  God,  in  whom  is  the  Divine  Trinity,  and  that 
He  is  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Secondly,  That  a  saving  faith 
is  to  believe  in  Him.  Thirdly,  that  evils  are  to  be  shunned 
because  they  are  of  the  devil,  and  from  the  devil.  Fourthly, 
that  goods  are  to  be  done  because  they  are  of  God,  and  from 
God.  Fifthly,  that  these  are  to  be  done  by  man  as  from  him- 
self; but  that  it  ought  to  be  believed  that  they  are  done  by 
the  Lord  with  man,  and  by  means  of  man."  Having  heard 
these  things  liis  fury  abated  for  a  while ;  but  after  some  delibe- 
ration he  again  looked  at  me  with  a  stern  countenance,  and 
said:    "Are  these  five  precepts  the  doctrines  of  the  faith  and 


*  See  "Handlingar,"  &c.  pp.  11  to  14. 

19* 


292  TRIAL  AT  GOTTENBURG.  [Doc.  245. 

charity  of  the  New  Church?"  I  replied,  "Yes."  He  then 
asked  sharply,  "How  can  you  demonstrate  the  first,  that  there 
is  one  God,  in  whom  there  is  a  Divine  Trinity,  and  that  He 
is  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ?"  I  said,  "I  demonstrate  it  thus: 
Is  not  God  one  and  indivisible?  Is  there  not  a  trinity?  If 
God  is  one  and  indivisible,  is  He  not  one  person?  If  He  is 
one  person,  is  not  the  trinity  in  that  person  ?  That  He  is  the 
Lord  Jesus  Clirist  is  evident  from  these  considerations,  that 
He  was  conceived  from  God  the  Father  (Luke  i,  34,  35),  and 
thus  that  as  to  His  soul  He  is  God;  and  hence,  as  He  Him- 
self says,  that  the  Father  and  He  are  one  (John  x,  30) ;  that 
He  is  in  the  Father,  and  the  Father  in  Him  (John  xiv,  10,  11); 
that  he  that  seeth  Him  and  knoweth  Him,  seeth  and  knoweth 
the  Father  (John  xiv,  7,  9) ;  that  no  one  seeth  and  knoweth 
the  Father,  except  Him  who  is  in  the  bosom  of  the  Father 
(John  i,  18) ;  that  all  things  of  the  Father  are  His  (John  iii, 
35;  xvi,  15);  that  He  is  the  Way,  the  Truth,  and  the  Life; 
and  that  no  one  cometh  to  the  Father,  but  by  Him  (John 
xiv,  6) ;  also  that  He  is  of  Him,  because  He  is  in  Him ;  and, 
according  to  Paul,  that  all  the  fulness  of  the  Godhead  dwells 
bodily  in  Him  (Col.  ii,  9);  and,  moreover,  that  He  hath 
power  over  all  flesh  (John  xvii,  2),  and  that  He  hath  aU  power 
in  heaven  and  in  earth  (Matt,  xxviii,  18):  from  all  of  which 
it  follows,  that  He  is  God  of  heaven  and  earth."  He  after- 
wards asked  how  I  prove  the  second,  "that  a  saving  faith  is 
to  believe  on  Him  ?"  I  said,  "By  these  words  of  the  Lord: 
This  is  the  will  of  the  Father,  that  every  one  who  believeth 
on  the  Son  should  have  eternal  life  (John  vi,  40).  God  so 
loved  the  world,  that  He  gave  His  only-begotten  Son,  that 
whosoever  believeth  on  Him  should  not  perish,  but  have  ever- 
lasting hfe  (John  iii,  15,  16).  He  that  believeth  on  the  Son, 
hath  eternal  Hfe;  but  he  that  believeth  not  the  Son  shaU  not 
see  life ;  but  the  wi'ath  of  God  abideth  on  him"  (John  iii,  36). 
He  afterwards  said,  "Demonstrate  also  the  third  and  the 
following : "  when  I  replied,  "What  need  is  there  to  demon- 
strate that  evils  ought  to  be  shunned  because  they  are  of 
the  devil  and  from  the  devil;  and  that  goods  ought  to  be 
done,  because  they  are  of  God,  and  from  God;  also  that  the 
latter   are    to    be   done    by   man   as   from   liimself;    but  that 


Doc.  245.]  BEYEll  ON  EKEBOM.  293 

he  ought  to  believe  that  they  are  to  be  done  by  the  Lord 
with  man,  and  by  means  of  man?  That  these  three  points 
are  true  is  proved  by  the  whole  Sacred  Scripture  from  be- 
ginning to  end;  for  what  else  is  insisted  upon  there  in  general, 
except  that  man  must  shun  evils  and  do  goods,  and  beheve  on 
the  Lord  God?  Besides,  -without  these  three  points  there  is 
no  religion;  for  does  not  religion  relate  to  life?  and  what  is 
hfe  but  to  shun  evils  and  do  goods?  and  how  can  a  man  do 
the  latter  and  shun  the  former  except  as  from  lumself?  Where- 
fore, if  you  remove  these  three  points  from  the  chui'ch,  you 
remove  from  it  the  Sacred  Scripture,  and  you  also  remove  re- 
ligion; and  when  these  are  removed  the  church  is  not  a  church." 
The  man,  after  hearing  these  things,  retired,  and  was  musing; 
but  still  he  departed  in  indignation.' 

"As  to  the  rest  I  fully  agree  with  the  Doctor  where  he 
says:  *I  do  not  judge  either  him  [Assessor  Swedenborg],  or 
any  one  else.  The  Lord  is  He  who  knows  and  judges  both 
him  and  me.'  But  for  this  very  reason  I  cannot  agree  with 
him  in  his  judgment  afterwards,  where  he  declares  at  the 
same  time  that  'Swedenborgianism  is  in  all  its  parts  diame- 
trically opposed  to  God's  Holy  Word,  &c.;  that  it  is  hereti- 
cal, Socinian,  and  thus  in  every  sense  objectionable.'  I  do 
not  see  any  ground  for  passing  this  judgment  without  a  pre- 
vious knowledge  of  his  system  of  religion,  and  before  bringing 
the  matter  and  the  person  in  question  in  a  lawful  manner  be- 
fore the  proper  tribunal  ;  otherwise  we  should  be  guilty  of 
arbitrariness  of  the  kind  which  is  described  in  the  Code  of 
Laws,  chap,  xxv,  §§  21  and  22;  in  order  to  avoid  this  I 
deem  it  necessary  that  this  subject  should  be  submitted  for 
lawful  examination  to  the  proper  authority.  Should  the  vene- 
rable Consistory  nevertheless  find  sufficient  reasons  in  what 
has  thus  far  been  advanced,  for  regarding  the  writings  of 
Swedenborg  as  seductive — on  which  subject,  for  the  reasons 
above  stated,  I  suspend  my  own  judgment — I  still  think  that 
in  this  matter  we  cannot  address  ourselves  in  a  lawful  way  to 
any  one  else  than  in  humility  to  His  Royal  Majesty,  who  will 
perhaps  most  graciously  decide,  what  steps  are  further  to  be 
taken  mih.  the  matter  in  a  lawful  way. 

"Beyer.  " 


294  TRIAL  AT  GOTTENBURG.  [Doc.  245. 

Dr.  Rosen,*^  who  had  been  absent  at  the  last  two  sittings 
of  the  Consistory,  handed  in  on  April  5  the  following  opinion 
on  Swedenborg's  writings : 

D. 

VE.  eos:en*^  on  the  writings  of  swedenboro* 

"My  thoughts  respecting  the  well-born  Assessor  Sweden- 
borg  and  his  theological  writings  are  as  follows: 

"Were  I,  in  violation  of  the  law,  to  condemn  any  one 
unheard,  or  to  condemn  the  writings  of  an  author  without 
having  properly  examined  them,  I  might,  indeed,  after  a  super- 
ficial examination  find  a  good  deal  in  these  writings  which  is 
opposed  to  our  accepted  creed.  Yet  I  should  be  very  slow 
in  regarding  as  a  Socinian  him  who,  with  all  due  reverence, 
regards  Christ  as  God,  even  though  he  should  condemn  a  good 
many  [other  doctrines].  And,  again,  it  would  be  difficult  for 
me  to  believe  that  any  one  denies  the  atonement  who  attributes 
to  the  Lord  all  merit  and  all  righteousness,  and  all  possible 
as  well  as  all  real  redemption,  &c.  As  the  author,  however, 
on  account  of  his  absence  cannot  defend  himself  orally,  and 
as  I  am  not  yet  very  well  acquainted  with  his  writings,  the 
whole  of  which  I  have  not  yet  seen,  I  consider  it  a  Christian 
duty  not  scornfully  to  reject  what  I  have  not  properly  ex- 
amined. 

"It  is  true  that  in  my  "Clerical  News"  (Preste-Tidningar) 
for  April  1768,  I  gave  the  general  public  some  information 
about  the  Aiiocalypsis  Bevelata;  yet  I  was  neither  then  nor 
am  I  now  prepared  to  give  a  circumstantial  account  of  it, 
free  from  all  mistakes.  I  have  seen  that  the  great  Ernesti^^ 
has  been  too  hasty  in  his  judgment;  and  I  see  now  that 
Dean  Ekebom"^  has  not  been  as  accurate  as  he  ought  to  have 
been,  but  attributes  to  Assessor  Swedenborg  expressions  which 
do  not  at  all  occur  on  p.  21  of  the  Apocalypsis.  In  the 
edition  of  that  work  which  is  in  my  hands  there  is  not  a  word 
written  about  the  'Sacred  Scripture  having  been  hitherto  badly 
and  perversely  understood,'  but  we  read  that  'the  Apocalypse 

*  See  "HandUngar,"  &c.,  pp.  21  to  23. 


Doc.  245].  ROSEN  ON  SWEDENBORG'S  WRITINGS.  295 

has  hitherto  not  been  understood',  and  this  is  what  every  one  says 
who  ventures  into  its  depths.  Besides  it  is  difficult  for  a  man 
possessed  of  the  greatest  learning,  even  though  he  be  tho- 
roughly well  disposed  and  impartial,  to  be  assured  that  he  has 
a  true  insight  into  the  Swedenborgian  system.  On  reading 
the  first  line  of  p.  275  of  the  Apocalypsis  Bevclata,  where  our 
Assessor  makes  this  statement,  that  'the  Lord  by  the  passion 
of  the  cross  did  not  remove  sins  but  bear  them,'  it  struck 
me  at  once  that  our  author  contradicted  altogether  what  is 
written  in  John  i,  29.  It  was  only,  when  a  long  time  after- 
wards I  came  across  the  author's  'Doctrine  of  the  New  Jeru- 
salem concerning  the  Lord,'  that  I  became  acquainted  with 
his  true  meaning  :  for  there  it  is  written  on  p.  23,  that  'the 
Lord  by  the  passion  of  the  cross  has  not  removed  sins, 
but  that  He  is  removing  them'  (quod  non  abstulerit  peccata, 
sed  avferat  ilia);  whence  it  appears  that  Assessor  Swedenborg 
according  to  the  letter  does  not  contradict  the  above  passage, 
but  respects  it  as  a  part  of  God's  Word.  From  this,  how- 
ever, I  do  not  desire  to  draw  any  other  conclusions  than  that, 
first,  a  person  may  easily  run  into  error  and  pass  a  wrong 
judgment,  if  he  draw  rigorous  conclusions  from  one  or  two 
passages  taken  out  of  their  context,  or  which  are  picked  up 
here  and  there  in  his  writings;  and  secondly,  that  according 
to  the  Swedenborgian  system  tlie  Lord  has  both  home,  and  is 
removing  the  sins  of  men. 

"Nevertheless,  I  do  not  go  security  for  the  whole  of  the 
above-named  system,  nor  for  my  accuracy  in  understanding 
it;  wherefore  I  do  not  venture  in  so  hasty  a  manner  to  enter 
into  a  criticism  of  the  so-called  'Swedenborgianism ;'  especial- 
ly as  neither  I  nor  my  colleagues  are  under  any  order  from 
those  high  in  authority  to  examine  it.  Still  I  am  examining 
it  without  any  exhortation,  as  time  and  opportunity  permit 
me,  and  as  long  as  I  enjoy  the  advantage  of  having  in  my 
hands  the  Assessor's  Arcana,  which  the  Right  Eeverend 
Bishop  has  lent  to  me  . .  .* 

"With  respect  to  the  resolutions  which  were  brought  be- 
fore the  Consistory  at   its  last  meeting,    it   does   seem  just, 

*  Compare  Document  227. 


296  TRIAL  AT  GOTTENBURG.  [Doc.  245. 

first,  that  the  clergy  should  be  informed  what  judgment  has 
been  passed  on  the  writings  of  Swedenborg  by  the  learned, 
whether  this  judgment  be  favourable  or  unfavourable;  secoiidly, 
that  the  Bishop  be  requested  to  have  the  whole  matter  in- 
vestigated in  a  legal  manner,  through  the  action  of  the  vener- 
able House  of  the  Clergy;  and  thirdly,  that  Dean  KoUinius 
should  be  requested  to  name  the  leading  persons  who  in  this 
place  are  promoting  Swedenborgian  views.  I  observe,  however, 
that  my  vote  in  this  matter  is  superfluous,  as  the  Consistory 
have  already  executed  the  resolutions  passed  at  their  last 
meeting." 

[Rosen.] 

Meanwhile  Swedenborg  himself  who  was  staying  at  tho 
time  in  Amsterdam,  had  been  informed  by  Dr.  Beyer  tlirough 
a  friend  of  the  attempt  which  was  being  made  by  Dr.  Ekebom"^ 
to  cast  odium  on  his  writings  and  to  deter  others  from  reading 
them.  He  hastened  to  defend  himself  in  a  letter  addressed 
to  the  Consistory,  which  was  enclosed  in  the  following  letter 
to  Dr.  Beyer: 

E. 

ELEVENTH  LETTER  OF  EMANUEL  SWEDENBORG  TO  DR.  BEYERS"-* 

"In  a  letter  addressed  to  me  by  the  highly 
esteemed  Mr.  Peter  Hammarberg,^^*  I  received  a  copy  of  the 
opinion  expressed  by  Dr.  Olof  Ekebom,^^^  Dean  of  Gottenburg, 
on  the  subject  of  the  writings  which  have  been  published  by 
me.  Enclosed  you  find  my  reply,  which  you  will  please  to  hand 
in  to  the  venerable  Consistory,  after  having  first  taken  a  copy 
of  the  letter  for  yourself,  and  another  for  the  Bishop,"^  which 
you  will  please  forward  to  him,  so  that  my  reply  may  not 
be  suppressed  in  the  Consistory.  Should  the  Dean  not  be 
willing  to  withdraw  and  utterly  repudiate  his  opinion,  I  insist 

*  The  Swedish  original  of  this  letter,  from  which  the  above  translation 
has  been  made,  is  preserved  ki  the  Library  of  the  Academy  of  Sciences 
in  Stockholm.  It  was  printed  as  part  of  Letter  VI  in  the  "Samlingar  for 
Philantroper"  for  1788.  An  Enghsh  translation  of  it  was  pubhshed  in  the 
Supplement  to  the  enlarged  Enghsh  edition  of  the  "Swedenborg:  Documents" 
(p.  4). 


Doc.  245.]   S  WEDENB ORG'S  BEPL  Y  TO  EKEB  OM.  297 

that  both  the  Dean's  opinion  and  my  reply  be  printed, 
as  is  the  case  with  the  opinions  expressed  by  the  Council, 
the  Courts  of  Appeal,  and  the  various  Departments,  so  that 
I  may  institute  a  criminal  process.  Next  week  I  intend  to 
set  out  for  Paris ;  in  case  anything  of  importance  take 
plLce  in  this  matter,  I  may  be  informed  of  it  by  a  letter 
addressed  to  me  in  Paris,  Care  of  the  Ambassador,  Count 
Gust.  Phil.  Creutz.^'*^  Desiring  to  be  remembered  kindly  to 
my  friends  and  patrons  in  Gottenburg,  I  remain,  most  reverend 
and  most  learned  Doctor  and  Lector, 

"Your  most  obedient  servant  and  faithful  friend, 
"Em.  Swedenborg. 

'-Amsterdam,  April  15,  1769." 

F. 

EiTANUEL  SWEDENBOEG'S  REPLY  TO   THE   OPINION  EXPRESSED  BT  DR.  OLOF 

£ir^£OAf,"'  DEAN    OF   GOTTENBURG,    BEFORE   THE   CONSISTORY,  ON 

MARCH  22,  1709.* 

Read  before  the  Consistory  on  April  20,  1769. 

"I  have  received  the  opinion  expressed  by 
the  Dean  of  Gottenburg  before  the  Consistory  on  the  subject 
of  the  Doctrine  of  the  New  Church,  which  has  been  published 
to  the  world  by  our  Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  through  me  His 
seiTant,  in  the  'Doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusalem,'  and  in  the 
'Apocalypse  Revealed;'  and  as  I  find  that  the  Dean's  opinion 
is  full  of  reproaches,  and  also  here  and  there  contains  untruths, 
I  deem  it  too  prolix  to  answer  each  of  them  separately, 
especially  as  I  perceive  that  they  are  written  by  a  person  who 
does  not  seem  to  have  a  bridle  for  his  tongue,  nor  eyes  in  his 
forehead,  to  see  those  things  which  are  written  in  these  works 
in  conformity  with  God's  Word  and  an  enlightened  under- 
standing; such  persons  are  described  by  the  Lord  Himself  in 

*  The  Swedish  original  of  this  Document  from  which  the  above  translation 
has  been  made,  was  fii-st  jirintcd  in  the  "Handliiigar,"  &c.,  of  1769  (jjp.  25 
to  28).  Afterwards  it  was  re])rinted  as  part  of  Letter  VI  of  the  "Samlingar 
for  Philantroper"  for  1788.  The  first  Enghsh  translation  appeared  in  the 
"Intellectual  Repository"  for  1812,  from  which  it  was  embodied  in  the 
English  and  American  editions  of  the  "Swedenborg  Documents." 


298  TRIAL  AT  GOTTENBVRG.  [Doc.  245. 

Matt,  xiii,  13  to  15.  I  sliall  take  from  the  Doctor's  opinion 
only  these  words,  that  the  doctrine  is  'in  the  highest  degree 
heretical  and  in  most  of  its  parts  Socinian.' 

"The  doctrine  cannot  be  called  heretical,  since  it  acknow- 
ledges and  affirms:  first,  the  Divine  Trinity  (see  'Doctrine  of 
the  New  Jerusalem  concerning  the  Lord,'  no.  55  and  the 
following  numbers,  also 'Apocalypse  Revealed,'  nos.  961,  962); 
secondly,  the  Sanctity  of  the  Holy  Scripture,  especially  its 
literal  sense  (see 'Doctrine  of  the  Sacred  Scripture,'  no.  27  etseq., 
no.  37  et  seq.,  no.  50  et  seq.,  and  'Apocalypse  Revealed'  nos.  200, 
898,  911);  thirdly,  a  Christian  Life  (see  'Doctrine  of  Life  for 
the  New  Jerusalem  from  the  precepts  of  the  Decalogue,'  from 
beginning  to  end) ;  fourthly,  the  connection  between  Faith  and 
Charity  (see  'Apocalypse  Revealed,'  in  many  places);  fifthly, 
that  Faith  in  God  must  be  based  upon  our  Saviour,  accord- 
ing to  His  own  words  in  John  iii,  15,  16;  vi,  40;  xi,  25,  26; 
and  XX,  last  verse  ;  but  especially  John  iii,  35,  36,  and 
Col.  ii,  9.  Likewise,  in  accordance  with  the  Formula  Con- 
cordise,  where  we  read  that  in  Jesus  Christ,  God  is  Man, 
and  Man  God,  pp.  607,  762,  763,  765,  840  et  seq.;  that  His 
Human  Essence  has  been  exalted  into  Divine  Majesty  and  power, 
pp.  337  et  seq.,  607,  608  et  seq.,  774,  834  et  seq.,  844,  847,  852, 
861,  863,  869;  that  Jesus  Christ  has  all  power  in  heaven  and 
on  earth,  pp.  775,  776,  780,  833;  that  also  as  to  His  Human 
Essence  He  governs  all  things  by  His  most  immediate  presence, 
pp.  337,  375,  600,  608,  611,  738,  768,  783,  784,  785,  786, 
Appendix,  pp.  149,  150;  besides  many  other  things  (see  edition 
of  Leipzig,  1765). 

"On  the  strength  of  all  these  passages,  and  of  what  the 
Lord  Himself  teaches  in  John  xiv,  6  to  11,  according  to  the 
doctrine  of  the  New  Church,  Faith  in  God  is  based  on  the 
Saviour  Himself.  From  this  alone  it  may  be  seen  with  how 
little  show  of  reason  and  lack  of  pertinence  this  doctrine  has 
been  attacked  with  abusive  language,  and  further,  that  no  one 
of  sound  understanding  can  say  that  it  is  'full  of  the  most 
intolerable  fundamental  errors,'  that  it  is  'corrupting,  heretical, 
injurious,  and  in  the  highest  degree  objectionable.'  Such 
abusive  language  is  used,  although  the  Dean  in  his  Opinion 
(§  2)  admits  his  not  having  read  my  writings,  in  these  words: 


Doc.  245.J   S WEDEyBOEG'S  BEFL  Y  TO  EKEUOM.  299 

*I  am  not  acquainted  with  the  religious  system  of  Assessor 
Swedenborg,  nor  shall  I  take  any  trouble  in  order  to  become 
acquainted  with  it.  I  am  told  that  this  knowledge  may  be 
chiefly  acquired  by  studying  his  published  writings  on  the  "New 
Jerusalem,"  on  "Charity  and  faith,"  on  "The  Lord,"  &c.,  not 
one  of  which  works  I  have  possessed,  read,  or  seen.'  Is  not 
seeing  and  judging  of  any  one's  writings  in  this  manner  like 
being  blind  before  and  having  eyes  behind,  and  these  even 
covered  with  a  film?  And  can  any  one  competent  to  judge  in 
spiritual  or  temporal  matters  regard  an  outburst  of  feeling 
expressed  in  such  language  otherwise  than  as  criminal?  The 
'Doctrine  [of  the  New  Jerusalem],'  mentioned  by  the  Dean,  is 
in  Gottenburg,  .and  might  have  been  consulted  by  him,  if  he 
had  chosen  to  do  so.  The  Dean  likewise  abuses  the  spiritual 
sense  of  the  Word,  which  our  Saviour  suflers  to  be  revealed 
at  the  present  day;  as  if  that  sense  prevented  the  Sacred 
Scripture  'from  being  any  longer  the  fundamental  ground  of 
the  knowledge  of  Faith,  Religion,  and  Revealed  Theology,' 
when  yet  in  the  'Doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusalem  concerning 
the  Sacred  Scripture'  the  following  points  are  proved  and 
demonstrated:  I.  That  the  literal  sense  of  the  Word  is  the 
basis,  continent,  and  firmament  of  its  spiritual  sense,  nos.  27 
to  36;  II.  That  in  the  Hteral  sense  of  the  Word  Divine  Truth 
is  in  its  fulness,  its  sanctity,  and  its  power,  nos.  37  to  49; 
III.  That  the  doctrine  of  the  church  must  be  drawn  from 
the  literal  sense  of  the  Word,  and  be  confirmed  thereby, 
nos.  50  to  61;  IV.  That  by  the  literal  sense  of  the  Word 
there  is  conjunction  with  the  Lord,  and  consociation  with  the 
angels,  nos.  62  to  68,  besides  several  other  things.  Concern- 
ing the  spiritual  sense,  and  its  inestimable  benefits,  see  nos.  5 
to  26,  and  also  the  'Apocalypse  Revealed,'  nos.  200,  898,  911, 
as  well  as  in  a  thousand  other  places. 

With  respect  to  the  second  point  where  the  doctrine  is 
called  Socinian,  it  is  a  cursed  blasphemy  and  lie :  for  Socinianism 
signifies  a  denial  of  the  Divinity  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ; 
when  yet  His  Divinity  is  principally  affirmed  in  the  Doctrine 
of  the  New  Church,  and  it  is  proved  therein  that  the  Saviour 
has  completely  atoned  for  and  redeemed  mankind,  so  that  no 
one  could  have  been  saved  without  His  Coming  (see  'Apocalypse 


300  TRIAL  AT  GOTTENBUBG.  [Doc.  245. 

Revealed,'  no.  67,  and  several  other  places)  ;  wherefore,  I 
look  upon  the  word  'Socinian'  as  a  downright  insult,  and  a 
diabolical  mockery. 

"This,  together  with  the  rest  that  is  contained  in  the  Dean's 
Opinion,  may  be  taken  for  what  is  meant  by  'the  flood  which 
the  dragon  cast  out  of  his  mouth  after  the  woman  to  drown 
her,  when  she  was  yet  in  the  wilderness'  (Rev.  xii,  15);  and 
it  may  come  to  pass  that  what  is  mentioned  immediately  after- 
wards, may  likewise  take  place,  'And  the  dragon  was  wroth 
with  the  woman,  and  went  to  make  war  with  the  remnant  of 
her  seed,  who  keep  the  commandments  of  God,  and  have  the 
testimony  of  Jesus  Christ'  (verse  17).  That  the  New  Jerusalem 
signifies  the  New  Church,  which  is  to  be  the  Bride  and  Wife  of 
the  Lamb,  may  be  seen  in  the  'Apocalypse  Revealed,'  nos.  880, 
881;  and  that  this  church  will  undoubtedly  come,  because 
the  Lord  Himself  has  predicted  it,  you  may  see  in  the 
Revelation  xxi  and  xxii;  also  in  Zechariah  xiv,  7  to  9 ;  and 
in  the  last  chapter  of  the  Revelation  in  these  words  :  'I 
Jesus  have  sent  mine  angel,  to  testify  unto  you  these  things 
in  the  churches.  I  am  the  root  and  race  of  David,  the  bright 
and  morning  star.  And  the  spirit  and  the  bride  say.  Come.  And 
let  him  who  heareth  say,  Come.  And  let  him  who  is  willing, 
receive  the  water  of  life  gratis'  (Rev.  xxii,  16,  17). 

"Em.  Swedenboeg. 

"Amsterdam,  April  25,  1769. 

"P.  S.  I  request  that  this  letter  be  laid  before  the  vener- 
able Consistory.  Likewise,  that  a  copy  of  it  be  sent  to  the 
Right  Reverend  Bishop.  "^^^ 

On  May  3,  1769,  Dr.  Beyer  submitted  to  the  Consistory 
the  following  letter  from  Emanuel  Swedenborg,  containing  an 
additional  reply  to  Dr.  Ekebom: 


Doc.  245.]  SWEDEXBORG  TO  BEYER.  301 

G. 

TWELFTH  LETTEIt  OP  E'MANUEL  SWEDEXBORO  TO  DR.  BEYERT-* 

"Reverend  Doctor, 

"Before  departing  for  Pars  next  week  I  desire 
to  make  the  following  addition  to  the  reply  I  made  to  Dr. 
Ekebom's  Opinion.  It  is  stated  there  that  I  have  written: 
First,  'that  the  Sacred  Scripture  has  been  hitherto  badly  and 
perversely  explained'  (Apocalypse  Revealed,  p.  21,  no.  1); 
this  is  a  pure  falsehood,  for  in  the  place  quoted  no  expression 
like  this  occurs.  Secoidlij,  'that  no  satisfaction  is  given  for 
the  sins  of  the  world,'  which  is  likewise  a  pure  falsehood. 
Thirdly,  'that  justification  by  faith  alone  is  abused.'  This 
is  true,  since  faith  alone  is  faith  separate  from  charity  or 
good  works;  and  faith  separated  from  charity  has  been  rejected 
by  the  Court  of  Appeals  in  Stockholm;  and  also  afterwards 
by  the  University  of  Upsal,  and  probably  also  by  the  Universities 
of  Lund  and  Abo.  Dr.  Ekebom,"^  it  seems,  does  not  yet  know 
that  good  works  which  follow  faith  freely  and  spontaneously, 
and  are  called  fruits  of  faith,  works  of  the  spirit,  and  works 
of  grace,  and  which  are  done  in  a  state  of  justification,  accord- 
ing to  the  Formula  Concordice  itself  have  no  connection  with 
faith,  and  therefore  do  not  contribute  anything  to  salvation; 
nay  it  is  stated  that  it  would  be  injurious  should  they  connect 
and  mix  themselves  with  faith;  and  that  which  has  no  connection 
is  in  itself  separate.  Among  the  quotations  from  the  Formula 
Concordice  concerning  the  Divinity  of  Christ  which  I  sent  in 
my  last  reply,  some  are  erroneously  given,  viz.  337,  375  which 
ought  to  be  737,  775.  On  the  same  subject  I  add  here  a 
clearer  and  more  comprehensive  collection  of  extracts  from 
the    Formula    Coticordice  (see  the  Leipzig  edition  of   1765), 


*  The  Swedish  original,  from  which  the  above  translation  has  been  made 
was  printed  first  in  the  "Handlingar,"  &c.  of  1769  (pp.  28  to  31).  It  was 
afterwards  reprinted  as  Letter  VII  in  the  "Samlingar  fiir  Philantroper" 
for  1788.  The  first  Enghsh  translation  was  published  in  the  "Intellectual 
Repository"  for  1812,  in  conjunction  with  Document  245,  F,  and  thence 
was  transferred  to  the  Enghsh  and  American  editions  of  the  "Swedeuborg 
Documents." 


302  TRIAL  AT  GOTTENBURG.  [Doc.  245. 

which  is  as  follows:  That  in  Christ  God  is  Man  and  Man  God, 
pp.  607,  765.  That  Christ,  true  God  and  Man,  is  in  one 
indivisible  Person,  and  abides  to  eternity,  pp.  600,  762,  763, 
8-iO  et  seq.  That  Christ,  as  to  the  Human  Nature,  has  been 
raised  to  the  omnipotent  power  of  God;  forasmuch  as  He 
was  such  a  man,  that  the  Human  Nature  had  so  close  and 
so  ineffable  a  union  and  communion  with  the  Son  of  God,  as 
to  become  One  Person,  p.  607.  That  Christ's  Human  Nature 
has  been  exalted  to  Divine  Majesty  and  Power,  is  known 
from  the  Council  of  Ephesus,  and  Chalcedon;  next  from  the 
Fathers,  as  Athanasius,  Augustine,  Chrysostom,  Eusebius, 
Cyril,  Eustachius,  Gregory,  Epiphanius,  Theodoret,  Basil  the 
Great, .  Theophylact,  Hilary,  Origen,  Nicephorus,  Nyssenius, 
Yigilius  Leo,  pp.  840  to  878.  It  is  also  confirmed  from  the 
Word  in  many  places,  pp.  608,  844,  847,  852,  861,  863,  869. 
That  Christ's  Human  Nature  has  received  the  most  excellent, 
the  greatest,  and  supernatural  properties,  and  the  celestial 
prerogatives  of  majesty,  strength,  and  power,  p.  774.  Moreover, 
the  spirit  of  all  wisdom,  pp.  781,  782.  That  Christ  operates 
in,  with,  and  thi'ough,  both  natures,  and  through  the  human, 
as  by  the  organ  of  Deity,  pp.  773,  779,  847.  That  this  takes 
place  by  the  hypostatic  union,  glorification,  and  exaltation, 
pp.  774,  779.  That  in  the  state  of  humiliation  He  emptied 
Himself,  and  did  not  put  forth  and  manifest  that  majesty 
always,  but  when  it  seemed  good  to  Him,  until  He  put  off 
the  form  of  a  servant  after  the  resurrection,  and  entered  into 
the  very  Divine  Glory  and  Majesty,  pp.  608,  764,  767.  That 
by  virtue  of  the  hypostatic  union  He  wrought  miracles  even 
in  the  state  of  exinanition,  pp.  167,  767.  That  Christ  is  our 
Redeemer,  Mediator,  Head,  High  Priest,  and  King,  as  to  both 
natures,  p.  773.  That  Christ  was  essentially  exalted  to  the 
right  hand  of  God,  according  to  His  Human  Nature,  p.  608. 
That  He  is  at  the  right  hand  of  God,  that  He  has  risen  above 
all  the  heavens,  and  actually  iills  all  things,  and  rules  every- 
where, not  only  as  God,  but  also  as  man,  as  the  prophets 
have  prophesied  concerning  Him,  into  the  possession  of  which 
power  He  actually  came  according  to  the  Human  Nature, 
p.  768.  That  the  right  hand  of  God  is  everywhere,  and  that 
Christ  according  to  His  Humanity  governs  all  things  by  His 


Doc.  245.]  SWEDENBORG  TO  BEYER.  303 

presence,  and  holds  all  things  under  His  feet,  p.  600.  That 
through  the  unity  of  the  person  were  given  to  Christ,  as  to 
the  Human  Nature,  Majesty,  Glory,  Omnipotence,  and  Omni- 
science, with  the  most  inward  dominion  of  all  things,  pp.  737  et 
seq.,  COS  d  seq.,  834  et  seq.,  Appendix,  pp.  147,  148.  That  Christ, 
by  personal  union  and  exaltation  according  to  the  llesh,  being 
seated  at  the  right  hand  of  God,  received  all  power  in  heaven 
and  on  earth,  p.  833.  That  Christ,  even  according  to  the 
Human  Nature,  has  all  power  in  the  heavens  and  the  earth, 
pp.  775,  779,  and  is  confirmed  by  passages  from  the  Scriptures, 
pp.  775,  776,  780.  That  Christ  according  to  the  Human 
Nature  is  omnipotent,  pp.  3,  10,  611,  768,  783,  785,  Appendix, 
p.  150.  That  the  regal  office  of  Christ  is  this,  that  as  God- 
Man,  in  both  natures,  as  King  and  Lord  of  heaven  and  earth. 
He  might  govern,  by  His  inmost  presence,  all  things  in  the 
kingdom  of  power,  grace,  and  glory,  pp.  787,  876,  Appendix, 
p.  149.  That  the  flesh  of  Christ  is  vivifying,  and  that  Christ 
possesses  the  power  of  vivifying  according  to  the  Human  Nature, 
pp.  776,  777,  783,  Appendix,  p.  152.  That  Christ,  according 
to  both  natures,  is  to  be  adored  and  worshipped,  agreeably 
to  the  Augsburg  Confession,  p.  226,  Appendix,  p.  151.  That 
Christ  overcame  the  devil,  hell,  and  damnation,  p.  767,  and 
in  addition,  pp.  613,  614,  788,  Appendix,  p.  150. 

"Should  double  the  number  of  quotations  from  the  Formula 
Concordice  be  required  concerning  the  Person  of  Christ,  as 
well  as  concerning  Justification  by  Faith  alone,  they  shall  be 
produced  another  time. 

"Em.  Swedenborg. 
"Amsterdam,  April  22,  1769. 

"P.  S.  Will  you  kindly  communicate  to  the  venerable 
Consistory  either  this  original  letter,  or  a  copy  thereof;  it 
would  be  well  that  the  Right  Reverend  Bishop  should  also 
receive  a  copy." 

The  author  of  "Nya  Kyrkan,"  &c.,  says  with  regard  to 
Swedenborg's  reply  to  Dr.  Ekebom  (p.  21):  "To  a  document 
like  that  of  Dr.  Ekebom,  wliich  lacked  all  scientific  and 
diplomatic  tact,  no  milder  reply  than  that  made  by  Sweden- 
borg could  be  expected. . . .  The  Dean  of  Gottenburg  made  no 


304  TRIAL  AT  GOTTENBUBG.  [Doc.  245. 

attempt  to  rebut  Swedenborg's  arguments,  but  contented  liimself 
with  reproaching  Dr.  Beyer  in  the  Consistory  for  acting  as 
Swedenborg's  messenger;  he  gave  him  also  to  understand  that 
'perhaps,  before  he  was  aware,  he  himself  might  be  brought 
up  on  account  of  his  Sermon-Essays.'" 

The  author  of  "Nya  Kyrkan,"  &c.,  continues  on  the  same 
page,  "The  old  odium  tJieologicum,  so  well  known  in  ecclesias- 
tical history,  now  took  possession  of  the  members  of  the 
Consistory  of  Gottenburg;  and  those  of  one  party  it  filled  with 
an  extravagant  zeal  for  orthodoxy,  and  those  of  the  other  with 
as  great  an  anxiety  on  account  of  their  faith.  To  the  latter 
party  belonged  Beyer  and  Rosen,*^  against  whom  the  persecution 
was  directed,  and  most  frequently  they  were  joined  by  E-oempke.^^' 
The  other  party  was  headed  by  Dean  Ekebom,^'^^  who  in  most 
cases  was  supported  by  the  Bishop^^^  and  the  other  members 
of  the  Consistory.  The  proceedings  of  the  case  were  seen 
through  the  press  by  an  Assessor,  of  the  name  of  Aurell,^^^ 
under  the  title,  'Minutes  respecting  Swedenborgianism  and  the 
so-called  Sermon-Essays.'  These  Minutes  begin  with  March  22, 
1769,  and  were  closed  on  February  7,  1770,  during  the  whole 
of  which  time  the  Swedenborgian  controversy  continued  without 
interruption;  for  as  soon  as  one  question  was  settled  another 
was  quickly  raised.  When  Dean  Kollinius  refused  to  give  the 
names  of  the  'leading  men  in  the  place  who  were  thought  to 
favour  Swedenborg's  theological  principles,'  saying  in  a  discreet 
and  noble  manner  that  'his  object  in  sending  in  his  memorial 
had  been  to  obtain  enlightenment,  and  not  to  bring  any  one 
into  ill  repute,'  AurelP^^  directed  his  accusation  against  Beyer's 
Sermon-Essays,  or  his  Collection  of  Sermons;  and  when  this 
accusation  also  miscarried,  since  Roempke^^'  with  the  consent 
of  the  Consistory  had  granted  permission  that  it  should  be 
printed,  Aurell  procured  from  some  of  the  students  of  the 
gymnasium  the  notes  which  they  had  taken  of  Beyer's  lectures, 
and  he  requested  permission  to  have  them  printed  under  the 
name  of  'dictata/  so  that  the  public  generally  might  convince 
themselves  of  their  heterodoxy.  Permission  having  been  refused, 
'since  Beyer's  dictata  had  been  penned  by  inexperienced  students 
who  had  neither  sufficient  intelligence  fully  to  understand  their 
teacher's  meaning  during  the  lesson,  nor  learning  enough  to 


Doc.  245.]  SWEDEKBORG  TO  BEYER.  305 

express  it  intelligibly  and  satisfactorily,'  Aurell  sent  a  copy 
of  these  'dictata'  privately  to  Bishop  Filenius,®  who  was  at 
the  time  the  Speaker  of  the  House  of  the  Clergy,  and,  although 
related  to  Swedenborg,  one  of  his  bitterest  antagonists.  They 
did  not  even  scruple  to  summon  the  students  of  the  gymnasium 
before  the  Consistory,  in  order  that  they  might  bear  witness 
against  their  teacher;  in  short  Aureil  and  Ekebom  left  no 
means  untried  by  which  they  hoped  to  calumniate  a  system 
of  religion  which  they  did  not  understand,  and  to  cast  odium 
upon  such  as  favoured  it,  accusing  them  of  a  desire  to  pro- 
selytize among  the  students  of  the  gymnasium,  and  among  the 
pubhc  at  large." 

Meanwhile  Bishop  Lamberg^^^  had  gone  to  Stockholm, 
where  Swedenborg  had  likewise  arrived.  From  that  place 
Swedenborg  wrote  the  following  letter  dated  October  13,  1769, 
to  Dr.  Beyer  which  proved  another  apple  of  discord.  For 
Dr.  Beyer  having  received  the  writer's  permission,  had  it 
printed  and  circulated  among  his  friends  in  Gottenburg.  The 
following  translation  is  made  from  the  original  letter,  which 
contains  some  passages  that  were  left  out  in  the  printed  copy: 


H. 

THIRTEENTH  LETTER  OF  EMANUEL  SWEDENBORG  TO  DR.  BEYER."^-* 

"Reverend  Doctor  and  Dear  Friend, 

"Your  letter  ot  the  18th  inst.  came  duly  to 
hand,  and  in  reply  it  may  not  be  unpleasant  to  you  to  hear 
a  short  account  of  what  occurred  to  me  upon  my  arrival  here. 

■*■■  The  Swedish  original  of  this  letter,  from  which  the  above  translation 
has  been  made,  is  preserved  among  the  Swedenborg  MSS.  in  the  Library 
of  the  Academy  of  Sciences  in  Stockholm,  together  with  Swedenborg's 
original  draught  of  the  same.  In  the  form  in  which  it  was  printed 
at  Gottenburg,  it  appeared  as  Letter  IX  in  the  "Samhngar  for  Philan- 
troper."  The  first  English  translation  appeared  in  1784  in  the  Ap- 
pendix to  the  second  edition  of  Swedenborg's  work,  "The  Intercourse 
between  the  Soul  and  the  Body,"  (p.  38);  the  same  translation  in  an 
improved  form  was  printed  in  the  "New  Jerusalem  Magazine"  for  1790 
(p.  38),  whence  it  found  its  way  into  the  EngUsh  and  American  editions 
of  the  "Swedenborg  Documents"  as  Letter  VI. 

20 


306  TRIAL  AT  GOTTENBURG.  [Doc.  245. 

I  arrived  here  in  Stockholm  at  the  beginning  of  the  month, 
and  found  high  as  well  as  low  pleased  that  I  had  come,  and 
favourably  disposed  towards  me.  I  was  soon  invited  to  dine 
with  His  Royal  Highness,  the  Crown-Prince,^^  and  had  a  long 
conversation  both  with  him  and  the  Crown-Princess.  Afterwards 
I  dined  with  some  of  the  senators,  and  conversed  with  the 
leading  members  of  the  House  of  the  Clergy;  likewise  with 
the  bishops  who  are  here  present,  all  of  whom  treated  me  with 
kindness,  except  Bishop  Filenius.^  On  being  informed  that 
my  copies  of  the  work  on  'Conjugial  Love'  had  been  confiscated 
at  Norrkoping,  I  inquired  of  Bishop  [MJennander^^"  of  Abo, 
Bishop  Benzelstjerna^"  of  AVesteras,  Bishop  Liitkeman^^^  of 
Gothland,  and  Bishop  Lamberg,^^®  how  the  matter  stood.  They 
all  answered  that  they  knew  nothing  on  the  subject,  except  that 
the  books  were  lying  in  store  until  my  arrival,  so  that  they 
might  not  be  scattered;  also  that  Bishop  Filenius^  had  made 
an  announcement  to  that  effect  in  the  House;  that  the  House 
itself  had  not  discussed  the  matter,  and  still  less  had  given 
its  consent  to  have  them  confiscated;  no  notice  to  that  effect 
therefore  had  been  entered  in  the  Minutes,  so  that  the  Beverend 
House  of  the  Clergy  had  no  share  in  the  matter,  but  only 
Bishop  Filenius.  I  had  some  dispute  with  the  latter  on  the 
subject,  who  insists  that  they  be  not  delivered  without  an 
examination,  and  is  unwilling  to  agree  that  the  examination  of 
this  book,  which  does  not  treat  of  theology  but  chiefly  of 
morals,  is  unnecessary,  and  that  such  a  procedure  is  paving 
the  way  for  a  'dark  age'  (sceculum  obscurum)  in  Sweden. 
[This  ill-will  of  Bishop  Filenius  is  due  to  domestic  affairs  and 
to  party -spirit,  and  is  representative  of  the  persecution  by 
the  dragon  and  the  stinging  of  the  locusts  in  the  Eevelation: 
such  causes  at  least  have  suggested  themselves  to  me,  but  I 
shall  leave  their  determination  to  another  time  and  opportunity.*] 
"The  procedure  of  Bishop  Filenius,  however,  does  not  affect 
me,  since  1  have  brought  with  me  thirty-eight  copies,  and  had 
previously  sent  in  five;  more  than  half  of  these  are  already 
distributed  to  the  Bishops,  the  members  of  the  House  of 
the    Clergy,    the    Senators,    and    Their  Majesties,    the   King 

*  This  has  been  omitted  in  the  jarinted  copy. 


Doc.  245.]  SWEDENB ORG  TO  BEYER.  307 

and  Queen;''  and  after  the  rest  are  distributed,  there  will 
be  more  than  enough  in  Stockholm.  Those  that  are  detained 
at  Norrkoping  will  be  sent  abroad,  where  there  is  a  great 
demand  for  them. 

"I  send  you  herewith  a  little  tract  which  I  published  in 
London  on  'The  Intercourse  between  the  Soul  and  the  Body.' 
It  has  been  sent  to  the  various  scientific  societies  and  to  the 
universities  in  England  and  France.  You  will  please  to  read 
the  very  last  lines  in  it.  This  tract  is  now  probably  trans- 
lated into  Enghsh.* 

"The  small  treatise  entitled  'A  Brief  Exposition  of  the  Doc- 
trine of  the  New  Church,'  I  have  sent  only  to  Bishop  Benzel- 
stjerna,^"  with  strict  injunctions  not  to  lend  it  to  any  one:  for 
there  are  fevr  in  Sweden  who  penetrate  with  their  understandings 
into  any  matter  belonging  to  theology,  and  unless  they  do  so, 
they  cannot  receive  any  enlightenment  from  God's  Word. 
For  instance,  they  cannot  understand  that  in  Romans  iii,  28, 
and  Gal.  ii,  16,  an  imputative  faith  in  the  merit  of  Christ  is 
not  meant,  but  the  faith  of  Jesus,  Avhich  is  a  faith  from  Jesus 
in  Jesus;  and,  likewise,  that  the  works  of  the  law  of  the 
decalogue  are  not  there  meant,  but  the  works  of  the  Mosaic 
law,  which  were  simply  for  the  Jews;  and,  further,  that  in 
Romans  iv  is  understood  the  imputation  of  the  faith  of  the 
present  church;  nor  are  they  willing  to  be  enhghtened  in  such 
texts  of  the  Scriptures  as  concern  God's  Son,  that  by  the  Son 
of  God  is  not  understood  a  Son  of  God  from  eternity,  but  a 
Son  of  God  conceived  in  time  from  Jehovah  God,  and  born 
of  the  virgin  Mary,  according  to  the  distinct  words  of  Luke  i, 
32,  35;  Matt,  iii,  17;  xvii,  5;  John  xx,  31;  1  John  v,  20,  21, 
and  other  places.  This  is  likewise  agreeable  to  the  Apostles' 
Creed,  where  no  other  Son  of  God  is  mentioned,  whence  it 
follows  that  the  primitive  church  knew  of  no  other.  A  Son 
of  God  from  eternity  was  adopted  in  the  Nicene  and  Athanasian 
Creeds,  because  they  could  find  no  other  way  by  which  to 
refute  and  expel  the  errors  of  Arius,  (compare  the  Apostles' 
Creed).     I  therefore  adhere  to  the  Apostohc  church. 

*  The  first  English  translation  of  this  work  was  prepared  by  tlie  Rev. 
T.  Hartley  and  printed  in  1770. 

20* 


308  TRIAL  AT  GOTTENBURG.  [Doc.  245. 

"To  worship  God  the  Saviour  cannot  be  prohibited  through- 
out Christendom,  and  still  less  among  the  Lutherans  (see  the 
Augsburg  Confession,  p.  19,  and  also  the  'Apology,'  p.  226); 
nor  can  it  be  denied  that  in  Christ  Man  is  God  and  God  is 
Man,  with  many  other  things  which  I  mentioned  in  a  former 
letter.  The  Formula  Concordice  explains  also  a  divine  trinity 
in  those  who  are  re-born  by  faith  (p.  695,  Apology,  p.  130); 
how  much  more  then  is  a  Divine  Trinity  in  God  the  Saviour, 
&c.  &c.  (Col.  ii,  9).  All  this,  however,  and  much  more, 
will  be  demonstrated  in  a  work  which  will  be  published  two 
years  hence.*  The  'Brief  Exposition'  is  a  forerunner  of  it,  and 
is  to  prepare  the  way  for  its  reception.  This  little  preliminary 
treatise  has  been  spread  throughout  the  whole  of  Christendom, 
Sweden  excepted,  because  theology  is  now  in  its  wintry  state, 
and  here  in  the  north  the  night  lasts  longer  than  in  southern 
parts;  wherefore  they  in  their  darkness  may  be  supposed  to 
kick  against  everything  of  the  New  Church  which  belongs 
to  the  understanding  or  to  reason.  Still  there  are  those  in 
the  ecclesiastical  order  who  are  exceptions  to  this  rule;  I 
apply  also  to  myself  what  the  Lord  has  said  to  His  disciples 
in  Matt,  x,  16. 

"What  you  relate  respecting  your  wife  in  her  dying  hours, 
was  caused  especially  by  the  impression  of  two  clergymen, 
who  associated  her  in  her  thoughts  with  those  spirits,  from 
whom  she  then  spoke;  it  happens  sometimes  with  some  in  the 
hour  of  death  that  they  are  in  the  state  of  the  spirit.  Those 
spirits  that  first  spoke  through  her  belonged  to  the  followers 
of  the  dragon,  which  was  cast  down  from  heaven  (see  Rev.  xii), 
and  who  became  then  so  filled  with  hatred  against  the  Saviour, 
and  consequently  against  God's  Word,  and  against  everything 
belonging  to  the  New  Church,  that  they  cannot  bear  to  hear 
Christ  mentioned.  When  the  sphere  of  our  Lord  descends 
upon  them  out  of  heaven,  they  become  like  raving  maniacs, 
and  seek  to  hide  themselves  in  holes  and  caverns,  and  thus 
save  themselves,  according  to  Rev.  vi,  16.  Your  deceased 
wife  was  yesterday  with  me,  and  informed  me  of  many  things 

*  Swedenborg  refers  here  to  the  "True  Christian  Rehgion,"  which  was 
pubhshed  in  Amsterdam  in  1771, 


Doc.  245.]  SWEDENBORG  TO  BEYER.  309 

which  she  had  thought,  and  spoken  to  you,  her  husband,  and 
■with  tliose  who  led  her  astray.  Were  I  at  this  time  near  you, 
I  might  rehite  to  you  many  things  on  this  subject,  but  I  am 
not  permitted  to  write  about  them. 

"I  have  no  time  at  present  to  express  myself  about  the 
boy  concerning  whom  you  write.* 

"With  my  kindest  regards  to  you  and  to  my  friends,  and 
especially  to  the  Councilmen  Wenngren^'^^  and  Hammarberg,^^* 
I  remain  in  all  friendship  and  sincerity,  reverend  Doctor. 

"Your  most  obedient  servant, 

"EmAN.    SwEDENBOEa. 

"Stockholm,  October  30,  1769. 

"P.  S.  You  may  show  this  letter  to  others,  and  if  you 
choose  you  may  have  it  copied  and  printed.  Two  honourable 
friends  in  London  f  have  invited  me  to  England,  and  I  am 
considering  whether  I  shall  go  thither  next  spring. 

"I  have  been  informed  that  a  letter  has  been  printed  in 
Gottenburg,  in  which  it  is  stated  that  in  Paris  I  was  ordered 
to  leave  that  city.  This  is  a  direct  falsehood,  as  can  be  proved 
by  Count  Creutz,^^^  our  Ambassador  in  Paris." 

On  the  effect  which  the  printing  of  this  letter  produced  in 
Gottenburg,  the  author  of  "Nya  Kyrkan,"  &c.  (p.  24)  expresses 
himself  as  follows;  "This  letter,  which  was  published  separately, 
serves  to  show  that  even  in  the  matter  of  exegesis  Swedenborg 
was  in  advance  of  his  age.  But  being  printed  in  Gottenburg 
at  a  time  when  generally  throughout  Sweden  they  had  not  the 
faintest  idea  of  the  possibility  ot  any  other  interpretation  of 
the  Bible  than  that  supplied  by  the  Reformers,  it  could  not 
but  pour  oil  upon  the  flames  of  controversy  which  raged  for 
a  long  time  both  in  the  Consistory  and  in  the  Diocese.  Speak- 
ing of  the  necessity  of  admitting  the  use  of  the  understanding 
in  matters  of  theology,  and  of  the  long  winter  of  theology  in 
the  north;  declaring  that  Romans  iii,  28,  treats  simply  of  the 
faith  of  Jesus,  and  not  of   the   imputative   faith  of  the  merit 

*  Concerning  this  l)oy,  see  Document  243. 

f  TheKev.  Tliomae  Hartley  i  and  Dr.  Messiter,^  see  Document  1,  Vol.1 
(p.  5). 


310  TBIAL  AT  GOTTENBURG.  [Doc.  245. 

of  Christ;  and  desiring  to  enlighten  the  clergy  in  passages 
from  the  "Word  concerning  the  Son  of  God — all  this  opened 
old  wounds  and  caused  new  sores." 

The  printing  of  Swedenborg's  letter,  however,  created  a  stir, 
not  only  in  Gottenburg  but  also  in  the  Diet  in  Stockholm, 
as  appears  from  the  following  letter,  which  was  addressed  by 
Bishop  Lamberg^^^  to  the  Consistory  on  December  4: 


BISHOP  LA3IBERG^'<^  TO  THE  CONSISTORY  OF  GOTTENSURQ.* 

"Yesterday  afternoon  I  brought  the  [Swedenborgian]  matter 
before  the  Ecclesiastical  Committee,  who  had  already  held 
three  sessions  on  the  subject,  and  who  will  soon  be  prepared 
to  bring  it  for  discussion  before  the  whole  House.  This  much 
I  can  already  state,  that  in  future  it  will  not  be  advisable 
for  any  one  who  fills  the  pubhc  office  of  a  teacher  to  defend 
chis  doctrine,  or  to  spread  it  among  others.  We  demand, 
and  justly,  that  no  one  shall  be  invested  with  the  office  of 
teacher,  whether  in  the  school  or  in  the  church,  who  has  taken 
an  oath  on  the  Symbolic  [dogmatic]  Books,  and  yet  prefers 
the  writings  of  Swedenborg,  although  they  militate  against  the 
principal  points  in  these  books. 

"The  scandal  made  by  the  letter  which  I  mentioned  in  my 
last,  and  which  was  printed  in  Gottenburg,  is  indescribable. 
If  any  one  has  not  read  his  writings,  he  may  yet  judge  from 
this  letter  alone  what  the  intention  of  this  man  is  in  respect  to 
our  precious  doctrine  of  salvation.  Socinianismf  manifests 
itself  there  so  clearly,  that  no  one  except  the  merest  idiot  in 
polemics  can  dare  to  deny  it.  AVhat  scandal  this  infamous 
(ohyggeligt)  letter  must  also  have  caused  among  the  honourable 
clergy  of  the  diocese,  who  are  so  zealous  to  preserve  purity 
of  doctrine,  upon  discovering  that  this  letter  was  printed  in 
Gottenburg,  in  the  centre  of  the  diocese,  and  in  that  place 
where  the  Bishop  and  the  Consistory  have  their  seat.   I  cannot 

*  The  first  letter  of  the  Bishop  is  printed  in  the  "Handhngar,"  &c., 
p.  127;  the  second  on  p.  107. 

f  See  what  Swedenborg  himself  says  on  the  charge  of  his  beirtg  a 
Socinian  in  his  reply  to  Dr.  Ekebom  (Document  245,  F.  p.  299). 


Doc.  245.]       LAMBERG  TO  THE  CONSISTORY.  311 

express  in  sufficiently  strong  language  the  great  sorrow  I  feel 
in  this  matter,  and  I  urge  upon  you,  as  I  have  already  done 
in  my  last  letter,  to  send  me  as  speedily  as  possible  a  reply 
to  the  questions  I  have  propounded,  so  that  those  measures 
may  be  adopted  which  I  counsel  for  chccldng  in  future  the 
arbitrary  spirit  in  our  clergy." 

The  position  which  the  Bishop  of  Gottenburg  was  determ- 
mined  to  take,  in  respect  to  the  doctrine  promulgated  by  Sweden- 
borg,  appears  still  more  clearly  from  the  following  extract 
from  a  letter  which  he  addressed  to  a  friend  in  Gottenburg, 
on  November  16,  and  which  was  inserted  in  the  Minutes  of 
the  Consistory  of  December  5: 

"I    intend   in  future  to  keep  the  strictest  guard,  lest 

this  cancer  should  spread.  I  have  proposed  to  myself  even  to 
read  all  the  writings  of  this  singular  man,  in  order  to  expose 
before  the  eyes  of  the  diocesan  clergy,  by  a  pastoral  letter 
or  some  other  means,  this  doctrinal  system,  which  is  sufficiently 
tinged  with  Mohammedanism.  I  have  long  since  regarded  every- 
thing belonging  thereto  as  so  absurd,  that  no  rational  man,  if 
he  make  but  the  least  claim  to  education,  can  be  beguiled 
by  it.  But  when  people  get  tired  of  God's  Word,  Avhich  is 
true  and  able  to  teach,  then  it  seems  that  the  Lord  of  the 
Word  suffers  them  to  be  carried  away  by  the  most  arrant 
nonsense"  

The  person  who  had  to  suffer  most  for  the  printing  of 
Swedenborg's  letter  was  Dr.  Beyer,^^  who,  in  his  capacity  of 
Dean  (Decan)  of  the  Consistory,  had  given  his  official  consent 
to  its  being  printed.  Against  him,  therefore,  were  chiefly  directed 
the  attacks  of  Dr.  Ekebom^''^  and  of  his  co-adjutor.  Assessor 
Aurell;^**^  and  after  the  case  of  the  Gottenburg  Consistory 
against  Swcdenborg  and  Dr.  Beyer  had  been  brought  by  Bishop 
Lamberg"^  before  the  House  of  the  Clergy,  those  two  men  sought 
by  every  means  to  stimulate  the  zeal  and  inflame  the  ani- 
mosity of  the  leading  men  of  that  House.  Assessor  Aurell 
accordingly  sent  an  inflammatory  letter,  dated  December  9,  to 
Bishop  Filenius,^  the  Speaker  of  the  House  of  the  Clergy,  in 
which  he  used  the  following  language: 


312  TRIAL  AT  GOTTENBUBG.  [Doc.  245. 

J. 

ASSESSOR  ATJRELL"^  TO  BISHOP  FILENIUS.^* 

...  "I  entreat  you  to  take  the  most  energetic 
measures  to  stifle,  punish,  and  utterly  eradicate  the  Sweden- 
borgian  innovation  and  downright  heresies,  by  which  we  are 
encompassed.  Comanced,  by  the  decided  stand  you  have 
taken,  that  you  have,  as  the  foremost  defender  of  our  religion, 
both  the  power  and  the  means  in  your  hands  of  preserving 
God's  honour,  and  having  His  power  and  will  declared  among 
men  in  a  genuine  and  uncontaminated  form,  all  those  whose 
minds  are  still  free  from  nonsense,  and  who  are  unaffected 
and  undisturbed  in  their  senses,  place,  like  myself,  their  hope 
and  consolation  in  you,  and  trust  that  you  will  take  proper 
measures,  so  that  the  boar  which  devastates  and  the  wild  beast 
which  desolates  our  country  may  be  driven  out  with  a  mighty 
band,  and  that  that  which  God's  hand  has  planted  and  con- 
firmed may  be  established  among  us." 

The  author  of  "Nya  Kyrkan,"  &c.,  remarks  here:  "By  such 
language  and  by  such  means  AurelP^^  sought  to  get  the  better 
of  his  adversaries.  During  the  most  illustrious  times  of  Vati- 
canism, Rome's  'defender'  had  a  Torquemada  or  some  other 
Great  Inquisitor  to  express  such  sentiments  in  the  most 
beautiful  language,  and  to  execute  his  will.  'God's  honour, 
His  power  and  will'  were  then  synonymous  with  the  only  saving 
E-oman  Catholic  church,  and  all  those  who  sought  to  reform 
its  abuses  and  purify  its  doctrines  were  'driven  out  like  Avild 
beasts'  or  burned  at  the  stake.  But  such  has  never  been  the 
mode  of  proceeding  in  protestant  Sweden,  at  least  not  in 
the  eighteenth  century.  Ecclesiastical  tradition  among  us  had 
frequently  to  give  way  to  Biblical  truth,  and  an  arbitrary  will 
to  argument.  Nevertheless,  Aurell's  letter  was  received  ap- 
provingly by  the  Speaker  of  the  House  of  the  Clergy,  whose 
reply,  which  is  dated  December  28,  is  as  follows :" 

*  See  "Handlingar,"  &c.,  p.  162. 


Doc.  215.]  FILEXIUS  TO  AUBELL.  313 


K. 

BISHOP  FILENIUS^  TO  A.^SES<:OR  AVRLLL."^* 

"I  have  the  honour  to  offer  you  my  best  thanks 
for  the  two  letters  you  had  the  kindness  to  address  to  me. 
The  first,  which  was  dated  December  9,  inclosed  twelve  sheets 
of  the  Minutes  of  the  Most  Venerable  Consistory  of  Gotten- 
burg  concerning  the  circulation  in  the  diocese  of  Gottenburg 
of  the  gross  errors,  which  tlie  well-born  Assessor  Emanuel 
Swedenborg  has  pubhshed  in  respect  to  our  pure  doctrine  of 
salvation;  likewise  an  infamous  (ohyggeUgt)  letter  of  the  above- 
named  Assessor,  dated  October  30,  which  had  been  printed 
at  Gottenburg,  together  with  *A  Short  Synopsis  of  some  of  his 
printed  works,'**  all  of  which  unfortunately  bear  witness  of  liis 
delusions  and  confused  ideas  in  respect  to  most  of  the  eternal 
fundamental  truths  of  our  Evangelical  Christian  faith;  and 
also  two  copies  of  crude  dictata  composed  in  the  Swedenborgian 
mode  of  thought  and  intended  for  the  youth  in  the  Royal 
gymnasium  of  your  town.  Your  second  letter,  which  has  like- 
wise reached  me,  was  dated  the  20th  of  this  month;  in  this 
letter  were  enclosed  sheets  13  and  14  of  the  printed  Minutes 
mentioned  above,  together  with  a  sad  account  of  how  this  abo- 
minable infection,  which  is  not  grounded  in  sound  reason,  and 
still  less  in  God's  Holy  AVord,  but  consists  of  untruthful 
visions  and  dreams,  by  various  means  is  beginning  to  spread 
like  a  cancer. 

"Since  the  copies  of  Assessor  Swedenborg's  so-called 
'Delights  of  Wisdom  concerning  Conjugial  Luve,'  which 
arrived  from  Amsterdam  on  May  1  for  the  opening  of  the 
Diet  in  Norrkoping,  were  at  my  request  detained  in  the 
custom-house  of  that  town,  nothing  more  has  been  heard  in 
Stockholm,    either   before    or  since,    concerning  the    singular 


*  See  "Handlingar,"  &c.,  pp.  130  to  133. 
**  Aurell  seems  to  have  printed  a  collection  of  passages    from  Sweden- 
borg's   published   writings,    to    which  Dr.  Beyer    refers    in    his    -Deience' 
(Document  245,  P)  under  the  title  ot  Excerpta. 


314  TRIAL  AT  GOTTENBURG.  [Doc.  245. 

movements  and  sports  of  the  delirious  fantasy  of  the  Assessor 
'from  things  heard  and  seen,'  except  that  soon  after  his  arrival 
a  petition  was  handed  in  to  the  House  of  the  Clergy,  requesting 
the  release  of  the  confiscated  books.  How  very  much,  there- 
fore, was  I  surprised  when  in  the  middle  of  October  I  learn- 
ed for  the  first  time  what  had  happened  in  Gottenburg, 
through  reading  by  mere  chance  eight  sheets  of  the  printed 
Minutes  of  the  venerable  Consistory,  by  which  also  the  mem- 
bers of  the  House  of  the  Clergy  were  amazed,  when  they  saw 
how  far  the  hallucinations  of  a  human  mind,  disturbed  by  ima- 
ginary visions  and  fables,  could  go  in  their  madness,  when 
complete  licence  is  given  them  to  spread  themselves,  so  that 
they  impose  even  upon  discreet  people,  who  are  unwilling 
to  have  their  darkness  enlightened  by  the  good  and  pure 
revealed  Word  of  a  saving  God,  and  who  do  not  allow 
God's  Spirit,  which  is  always  connected  with  the  Word,  to 
exert  the  vivifying  force  of  the  Word  in  their  hearts.  The 
House  of  the  Clergy  could  not  help  being  amazed  also  at  the 
rashness  of  the  printer  Smitt,  in  daring  to  print  the  above- 
mentioned  rude  letter  of  the  Assessor,  dated  October  30,  which 
first  came  to  my  own  knowledge  and  to  that  of  the  House  in 
November. 

"You,  as  well  as  Dean  Ekebom^'''^  and  the  worthy  Deans 
Aurelius  and  Kollinius,  who,  in  these  troubled  times  of  our 
Zion,  have  displayed  so  much  cautious  attention  and  zeal  in 
what  concerns  God's  honour,  will  please  rest  assured,  that 
throughout  this  confused  affair  all  the  Christian,  delicate, 
cautious,  and  severe  measures  will  be  taken  which  the  exigen- 
cies of  the  case  require,  so  as  to  save  from  eternal  damnation 
those  souls  which  Jesus,  the  only  begotten  Son  of  God  from 
eternity,  has  redeemed  by  His  blood  and  His  death. 

"It  is  a  matter  of  the  deepest  regret  that  Assessor  Sweden- 
borg,  who  has  at  all  times  been  universally  honoured,  and  who 
besides  has  been  distinguished  for  his  learning  in  the  sciences 
of  mining  and  physics,  should  now,  at  his  advanced  age, 
have  been  for  several  years  in  a  state  of  second  childhood,  and 
so  much  possessed  by  a  perverted  imagination,  as  to  be  no 
longer  able  to  bear  contradiction  or  receive  enlightenment. 
It  is  very  grievous  indeed,  and   to  be  lamented  with  tears. 


Doc.  2-15.]  FILEXIUS  TO  AURELL.  315 

that  there  should  be  men  among  us  who  'went  out  from  us, 
but  have  not  been  ol  us'  (1  John  ii,  19),  and  who  suffer  them- 
selves to  be  deceived  by  all  the  puffs  of  a  foolish  learning, 
and  for  this  reason  have  rendered  themselves  amenable  to  the 
severe  judgment  of  God,  'because  they  received  not  the  love 
of  truth,  that  they  might  be  saved;  and  for  this  cause  God 
shall  send  them  strong  delusion,  that  they  should  believe  a 
lie'  (2  Thess.  ii,  10,  11). 

"May  God  for  Christ's  sake  take  pity  on  the  flock  of  His 
heritage  and  on  the  vineyard  which  His  right  hand  has  planted, 
and  not  suffer  it  to  become  the  prey  of  fools;  but  may  He  humi- 
liate all  haughty  spirits,  and  those  who  with  inflated  arrogance 
try,  by  dazzling  others  with  something  new,  however  false 
and  foohsh  it  may  be,  to  seduce  their  souls,  and  to  falsify 
our  true  doctrine  of  God,  by  using  all  their  power  to  under- 
mine the  foundations  of  our  most  holy  faith,  to  defile  our 
faith  in  Jesus  Christ,  our  crucified  Saviour,  our  only  hope  of 
salvation,  and  the  immovable  foundation  and  corner-stone  of 
our  faith ;  and  who  dare  to  set  up  in  its  place  the  most  infa- 
mous and  untruthful  nonsense,  until  with  a  will-o'-the  Avisp, 
they  extinguish  the  feeble  light  of  reason  in  God's  people,  and 
lull  to  sleep  the  heart,  which  is  deceitful  above  all  things,  in 
a  licentious  and  carnal  security,  which  is  of  nature  and  without 
grace  in  Christ. 

"The  whole  of  this  infamous  matter  has,  in  accordance 
with  the  laws  of  the  country,  been  entrusted,  with  entire  con- 
fidence, to  the  highly  enlightened  and  wise  care  ol  the  judicial 
power,  having  been  consigned  to  the  hands  of  Mr.  von 
Rosir,^^^  the  high,  well-born  Chancellor  of  Justice,  and  Knight 
of  His  Majesty's  Order  of  the  Polar  Star,  to  whose  solid 
learning  and  zeal  for  God's  honour,  for  the  sanctity  of  the 
law  and  the  impartial  administration  of  justice.  His  Royal 
Majesty,  our  Most  gracious  King,  by  the  unanimous  recom- 
mendation of  the  Houses  of  the  Diet,  has  lately  confided 
the  trust  of  this  high  office.  All  the  papers  which  have  been 
received  respecting  this  delicate  matter  have  already  been 
most  respectfully  submitted  to  his  discreet,  profound,  and  sym- 
pathetic consideration.  With  the  sincerest  wish  for  all  grace 
and  felicity  in    the  IS^ew  Year  which    will    soon    begin,    and 


316  TRIAL  AT  GOTTENBVBG.  [Doc.  245. 

ever  afterwards,  I  remain,  though  personally  unknown  to  you, 
with  much  respect  and  friendship 

"Your  most  obedient  servant, 
"Petrus  Filenius. 

"Stockholm,  December  28,  1769." 

At  the  time  Bishop  Filenius  sent  the  preceding  letter  to 
Assessor  Aurell,  Swedenborg  wrote  the  following  letter  to  liis 
friend,  Dr.  Beyer: 


L. 

FOVETEENTH  LETTER  OF  EMANUEL  SWEDENBORG  TO  DR.  BEYER.''^^ 

"Reverend  Doctor  and  Dear  friend, 

"Your  letter,  which  was  written  on  the  2nd  of 
December,  I  have  received  only  to-day,  through  neglect  of 
the  letter-carriers  who  have  kept  it  thus  long  in  their  hands. 
Your  last  letter  also,  containing  30  dalers  in  silver,  was  duly 
received,  for  which  please  accept  my  best  thanks.  I  have  like- 
wise received  the  printed  letter,  about  which  there  was  at 
first  a  great  ado  in  the  House  of  the  Clergy.  Such  a  noise, 
however,  does  no  harm;  for  its  effect  is  like  that  of  fermen- 
tation in  the  preparation  of  wine,  by  which  it  is  cleared  of  im- 
purities; for  unless  what  is  wrong  is  ventilated,  and  thus  ex- 
pelled, what  is  right  cannot  be  seen  and  adopted. 

"I  have  indeed  heard  about  the  doings  in  the  Ecclesiastical 
Committee  of  the  venerable  House  of  the  Clergy,  yet  have 
not  taken  a  single  step  in  defence  of  the  case ;  for  I  know  that 
our  Saviour  Himself  defends  His  Church,  especially  against 
those  who  refuse  to  enter  through  the  true  door  into  the 
sheepfold,  that  is,  into  the  church,  and  thus  into  heaven;  such 

*  The  original  of  this  Document,  from  which  the  above  translation 
has  been  made,  together  \vith  Swedenborg's  first  draught  of  the  same,  is 
preserved  in  the  Library  of  the  Academy  of  Sciences  in  Stockholm.  It 
was  printed  as  Letter  XI  in  the  "Samhngar  for  Philantroper"  for  1788. 
The  first  Enghsh  translation  was  pubhshed  in  the  "New  Jerusalem  Maga- 
zine" for  1790,  and  this  translation  was  embodied  in  the  Enghsh  and 
American  editions  of  the  "Swedenborgf  Documents." 


Doc.  245.]  SWEDENBORG  TO  BEYER.  317 

are  called  thieves  and  robbers.  The  Lord  Himself  says,  *He 
that  entereth  not  by  the  door  into  the  sheepfold,  but  climbeth 
up  some  other  way,  the  same  is  a  thief  and  a  robber;  I  am 
the  door,  by  me  if  any  one  enter,  he  shall  be  saved,  and  shall 
tind  pasture'  (John  x,  1,  9).  I  have  also  been  told  by  an 
angel  from  the  Lord  that  'I  may  rest  securely  on  my  arms 
in  the  night,'  by  which  is  meant  the  night  in  which  the  world 
is  now  immersed  in  respect  to  the  things  of  the  church. 

"I  have  also  read  the  Appendix  to  the  'Spy,'  no.  48,  and 
in  the  last  expressions  perceive  the  author's  interior  meaning, 
which  is  not  difficult  to  see. 

"With  respect  to  tlie  two  clergymen  of  whom  your  de- 
ceased wife  spoke,  she  did  not  mention  their  names,  for  which 
reason  neither  can  I  mention  them.  It  is  well  known  that 
among  the  clergy  also  there  are  false  spirits,  not  only  in  this 
country,  but  also  throughout  the  world.  After  saying  these  words 
among  other  things,  she  departed  among  the  spirits  of  the 
dragon  who  in  the  day  of  her  death  first  spoke  through  her, 
and  she    is  still  with  them. 

"An  extract  from  Dr.  Ekebom,^^^  in  the  proceedings  of  the 
Consistory  on  December  6,  has  likewise  been  communicated 
to  me,  where  he  continues  his  usual  unbecoming  invectives. 
I  look  upon  these  as  mere  barkings,  against  which  I  must 
not  lift  a  stone,  and  cast  it  at  him  with  a  view  of  driving 
the  dogs  away. 

"I  am  glad  that  you  are  translating  into  Swedish  the  little 
work  on  the  'Intercourse  between  the  Soul  and  the  Body.' 
It  has  been  very  well  received  abroad  in  all  places,  as  well 
as  by  many  intelligent  persons  here  in  Stockholm.  I  remain 
in  all  friendship  and  afFection,  Reverend  Doctor, 

"Your  most  obedient  servant  and  friend, 
"Eman.  Swedenboeg 

"Stockholm,  December  29,  1769." 

Meanwhile  the  Chancellor  of  Justice,  Rosir,"^  to  whom,  as 
we  have  seen  from  Bishop  Filenius'  letter,  (p.  315)  had  been 
referred  the  difference  between  the  Consistory  of  Gottenburg 
on  the  one  hand  and  Emanuel  Swedenborg  and  Dr.  Beyer 
on  the  other,   after  examining  carefully  the  whole    case,    ex- 


318  TRIAL  AT  GOTTENBURG.  [Doc.  245, 

pressed  liimself  in  his  memorial  to  the  King,  dated  December 
29,  1769,  to  this  effect:  On  the  one  hand  he  said  "It  is 
sometimes  more  prudent  to  leave  erroneous  and  absurd  doc- 
trinal views  alone,  since,  as  experience  has  shown,  by  such 
an  examination  they  become  better  known,  and  more  widely 
spread:"  on  the  other  hand  he  said,  the  duty  of  his  office 
required  him  not  to  disregard  a  matter  of  so  great  importance 
for  the  whole  country,  as  the  Swedenborgian  theology  has 
proved  to  be,  from  being  able  for  a  longer  time  to  produce  so 
great  a  stir,  as  is  shown  by  the  printed  Minutes.  He,  there- 
fore, in  the  above  memorial  proposed  those  measures  which 
were  carried  into  effect  by  the  following  Koyal  Resolution, 
dated  January  2,  1770. 


M. 

ROYAL   RESOLUTION* 

"Adolphus  Frederic,  by  the  grace  of  God,  &c. 

"Our  especial  favour  and  gracious  pleasure, 
under  God  Almighty,  to  the  true  men  and  subjects,  the 
Bishop  and  members  of  the  Consistory, 

"Our  Chancellor  of  Justice  in  a  humble  memorial  has 
reported  to  us  the  stir  which  the  theological  writings  of  Emanuel 
Swedenborg,  and  the  so-called  Swedenborgianism  which  thence 
has  taken  its  rise,  have  caused  in  the  diocese  which  has  gra- 
ciously been  entrusted  to  your  charge.  We  deem  it  necessary 
to  make  known  to  you  this  same  memorial,  which  is  enclosed 
to  you  herewith  together  with  the  sealed  acts  belonging  thereto. 
It  is  also  our  gracious  will  and  order  that  as  soon  as  possible 
you  report  to  us  in  a  humble  memorial,  not  only  how  you 
have  found  the  doctrinal  views  of  the  above-mentioned  Sweden- 
borg, and  in  case  they  be  deemed  erroneous,  what  measures 
have  been  taken  to  prevent  them  spreading,  and  likewise 
why  at  the  very  beginning  you  did  not  make  a  humble  report 
to  us  on  this  subject;  also  how  you  regard  the  so-called 
'Sermon-Essays,'  which  have  been  examined  by  yourselves  in 
your  censorial  capacity,  and  whether  you  have  found  them  in 

*  See  "Handlingar,"  &c.,  p.  163. 


Doc.  245.]  B  0  YAL  RESOL  UTION.  319 

all  points  agreeing  with  our  pure  evangelical  doctrine,  or  how 
f%r   you   have  discovered  in  them    anything    deviating  there- 
from; in  the   latter   case  you  Avill   also  report  to  us  whether 
the  author  of  these  essays  is  known  to  you,  or  can  be  discovered 
by  you.     It  is  also  your  duty  to  make  a  more  thorough  ex- 
amination  of  the  so-called  dktata,  and  to  inform  us  how  all 
these  are  connected ;  also  whether  it  cannot  be  traced  out  how 
far  the  students,  in  what  is  found  there  to  be  erroneous  and 
objectionable,    have   received    instruction    from    others.      The 
proceedings  of  all  your  examinations  have  to  be  submitted  to 
us.     Besides,  Lector  Dr.  Beyer^^  will  have  to  give  an  account 
of  himself  individually  in  those  matters  that  have  been  brought 
up  against   him.     Further,   as   we  deem  it  indispensable  that 
a  legal  investigation  be    made  in  respect   to  the  person   who 
caused  Swedenborg's  letter  of  October  30,  1769,  to  be  printed, 
a  gracious   order  in  connection  therewith  has  just  been   for- 
warded to  the  Court  of  Appeals  at  J6nkoj)ing.   In  respect  to 
the    importance    and    delicate   nature    of    this    matter,    it   is 
likewise    our   desire    to  enjoin    you   to    have    a   watchful    eye 
upon    all    theological    works    announced    for    publication,    so 
that,   in    accordance    with   the    laws  in  respect  to  the   liberty 
of  the  press,  they  be  first  examined  by  you,  and,  in  case  any 
book  appear  without  permission,  or  be  found  to  militate  against 
our  profession  of  faith,  that  the  copies  be  at  once  confiscated, 
and  the   author  subjected  to  a  fine;  further,  that  reviews    or 
translations  of  Swedenborg's  works,  or  of  other  similar  writings, 
which  contain  anything  conflicting  with  our  pure  doctrine,  are 
not  to  be  passed  without  your  most  careful  examination ;  espe- 
cially when  not  Avritten  in  the  Latin  language,  and  when  they 
contain  any  refutation,  in  the  substance  of  the  review,  by  which 
they  may   exert  an  injurious  influence  upon  the  more  simple- 
minded  people,  who  are  not  thoroughly  grounded  in  learning. 
Again,   although   we    entertain    a  gracious   confidence  in  our 
faithful  suljjects   the   clergy,   that    they    will    not  allow  them- 
selves to  be  led  astray  by  any  erroneous  doctrines,  but  rather 
that  with  attention  and  zeal  for  our  pure  faith  they  will  seek 
to  administer  their  precious  oflice,  and  when  called  upon  will 
meet   diligently  and   prudently    the  erroneous  views  that  may 
be  brought  up   against  it,   we,  nevertheless,  desire  to  impress 


320  TRIAL  AT  GOTTENBUBG.  [Doc.  245. 

upon  them  the  warning,  that  they  should  carefully  watch  over 
themselves  and  their  hearers,  and  that,  in  case  they  find  any- 
thing erroneous  obtruding  itself  upon  them,  they  immediately 
make  a  report  to  you  on  the  subject.  And,  finally,  we  desire 
to  impress  upon  the  Bishop,  and  in  case  of  his  absence  upon 
his  substitute,  that  he  regularly  and  frequently  inform  himself 
as  to  the  manner  in  which  theology  is  taught  in  private  and 
in  public,  in  the  gymnasia  and  in  schools. 

"All  of  this  those  whom  it  concerns  have  to  carry  into  efi'ect. 
And  we  hereby  commend  you  to  the  grace  of  God  Almighty. 

"Adolphus  Fkedeeic, 

"The  Council-chamber,  Stockholm,  January  2,  1770. 

"P.  P.  VON   Hegaedt." 

The  King's  letter  caused  several  resolutions  to  be  passed 
by  the  Consistory  of  Gottenburg.  A  circular  letter  was  sent 
to  the  clergy  of  the  Diocese,  containing  the  requisite  warnings 
and  monitions;  and  although  in  the  Royal  instruction  not  a 
single  word  about  the  suppression  of  Swedenborgianism  is 
contained.  Dr.  Ekebom,  nevertheless,  gave  utterance  to  this 
idea;  notwithstanding  the  objection  of  most  of  the  members  of 
the  Consistory  that  nothing  had  as  yet  been  proved,  either  in 
Stockholm  or  Gottenburg,  which  deserved  the  epithet  of  heretic- 
al and  false  or  which  showed  that  Swedenborgianism  had  been 
refuted. 

Doctor  Beyer  now  voluntarily  furnished  the  information, 
that  he  had  had  a  hand  in  the  composition  of  the  "New 
Essays  towards  a  Collection  of  Sermons"  (Nya  forsoken 
till  en  Hand-Postilla),  and  that  they  might  be  regarded  as 
his  work,  provided  exception  be  made  of  the  evening  sermons, 
which  were  furnished  by  the  Lector  and  Magister  Gothenius  ;^^^ 
as  was  likewise  admitted  by  that  gentleman.  Dr.  Beyer  also 
acknowledged  the  above-mentioned  Dictata  as  his  own,  so  far 
as  their  contents  were  concerned,  provided  the  grammatical  and 
orthographical  mistakes,  the  improper  punctuation,  the  broken 
connection,  and  other  faults  of  rhetoric  be  not  imputed  to  him. 

About  this  time  Swedenborg  wrote  the  following  letter  to 
one  of  his  friends  in  Gottenburg,  Mr.  Wenugren,^^^  who  was 
one  of  the  town-councillors. 


Doc.  245.]  SWEDENBORG  TO  WENNGREN.  321 

N. 

FAIA^'VF.L  SWEDKXBORO  TO  COUNCILLOR  WKNXaRFJf.* 

"Esteemed  Friend, 

"I  received  your  letter  containing  the  notes 
respecting  the  boy  who  can  cure  diseases.  I  cannot  express 
myself  at  present  on  this  subject,  because  here  as  well  as  in 
other  parts  of  the  country,  the  cause  of  religion  is  agitated 
by  the  subject  of  my  inspiration,  which  would  enter  in  some 
small  measure  into  this  matter  also.-j' 

"Within  the  last  few  days  the  venerable  House  of  the 
Clergy  has  arrived  at  a  conclusion  in  respect  to  that  part  of 
the  action  brought  before  them  which  concerns  me  alone. 
Whether  Dr.  Ekebom^"  is  as  much  pleased  with  the  result 
as  he  has  hitherto  been,  may  be  best  found  out  at  Gotten- 
burg.  Clergymen,  and  others  also,  will  perhaps  by  letter  give 
a  definite  account  of  this  result  in  the  course  of  next  week. 
Among  his  party  there  have  been  some  grievous  slanderers, 
whose  utterances  fell  like  fire-balls  from  the  clouds  and  became 
extinguished.     I  remain 

[Your  most  obedient  servant,] 
"Emanuel  Swedenboeg. 

"Stockholm,  January  18,  1770." 


But  to  return  to  Doctors  Beyer  and  Rosen.  The  author 
of  "Nya  Kyrkan"  says  (p.  28):  "Before  the  Royal  Resolution 
[No.  M]  arrived  at  Gottenburg,  it  was  preceded  by  a  rumour, 
that  the  public  teacher  who  had  promoted  the  circulation  of 
Swedenborg's  views,  and  who  professed  them,  had  been  sen- 
tenced to  be   removed  from  ofhce    and   exiled;'"  and  this  re- 

*  The  Swedish  oripfinal  from  wliich  tlie  above  translation  has  been 
made  was  i)rintod  as  Letter  XII  in  the  "Samhngar  for  Philautroper"  for 
1788.  Tlie  first  English  translation,  which  was  subsequently  introduced  into 
the  EngHsh  and  American  editions  of  the  "Swedenborg  Documents,"  a])- 
l)eared  on  p.  220  of  the  "New  Jerusalem  JNIagazine"  for  1790. 

f  Further  particulars  concerning  this  boy  may  be  seen  in  Document 
243. 

21 


322     ,  TRIAL  AT  GOTTENBURG.  [Doc.  245. 

port  had  been  favoured  by  Bishop  Lamberg's  letter  of  De- 
cember 4,  1765  (No.  I).  Such,  however,  as  we  have  seen, 
was  by  no  means  the  case.  But  one  of  the  results  produced 
by  the  Royal  Resolution  was  this:  not  only  Dr.  Beyer,  but 
also  Dr.  Rosen,  in  conjunction  with  Dr.  Ekebom,  in  letters 
addressed  to  the  King,  expressed  their  views  respecting  the 
theological  writings  of  Swedenborg,  while  Dr.  Beyer  had,  be- 
sides, to  defend  himself  from  the  charges  which  had  been 
brought  against  him  personally. 

The  author  of  "Nya  Kyrkan"  continues,  "With  a  result 
before  their  eyes  such  as  was  indicated  by  common  rumour 
and  in  the  letter  of  Bishop  Lamberg,  it  was  by  no  means 
surprising  that  both  Beyer  and  Rosen,  who  held  ecclesiastical 
offices,  should  obey  the  royal  injunction  with  a  certain  feeling 
of  apprehension,  and  that  with  a  trembling  hand  they  should 
sign  the  papers  containing  their  defence,  which  possibly  might 
become  the  means  of  their  being  sacrificed  to  their  religious 
convictions.  These  papers  manifest  on  the  one  hand  a  free 
and  undaunted  spirit,  and  on  the  other  they  give  evidence  of 
a  humble  disposition,  showing  that  their  authors  in  the  course 
they  had  chosen  had  taken  fully  into  account  both  their  privi- 
leges as  men  of  science,  and  their  duties  as  servants  of  the 
state  and  of  the  church.  Their  apologies  seek  to  determine 
more  accurately  the  terms  symbolism  and  orthodoxy,  and  are 
of  an  historical,  as  well  as  dogmatic  interest,  because  they 
seek  not  only  to  indicate,  but  also  to  develop,  the  relation  of 
the  new  doctrine  to  the  prevailing  faith  of  the  church.  As 
Rosen's  defence  has  hitherto  existed  only  in  manuscript,  and 
as  only  a  part  of  Dr.  Beyer's  has  appeared  in  an  English  and 
German  translation,  this  seems  to  be  the  place  to  make  the 
reader  acquainted  with  the  first  apologetic  writings  of  the  New 
Church  in  Sweden.  Besides,  from  these  papers  we  are  able  to 
form  an  idea  of  the  individuality  of  these  two  men,  both  Avherein 
they  agreed  and  wherein  they  differed.  Both  apologies  bear 
the  impress  of  the  interior  character  of  their  authors,  and  are 
in  a  certain  sense  an  image  of  their  souls;  for  the  words  of 
both  speak  the  language  of  their  hearts.  Rosen,  however, 
understood  better  than  Beyer  how  to  impart  elegance  to  his 
language,   and    how    to    awaken  an  interest   in  the  views  he 


Doc.  245.]  DR.  BEYER'S  DEFENCE.  323 

defended  by  the  vivacity  of  his  style  and  the  originality  of 
his  mode  of  presentation.  On  this  account  a  comparison  be- 
tween the  two  will,  perhaps,  in  the  minds  of  most  readers,  be 
in  favour  of  Dr.  Rosen.     Beyer's  declaration  is  as  follows:" 


O. 

Dli.  BEYER'S  DEFENCE* 

"By  Your  Royal  Majesty's  gracious  letter  of 
January  2,  addressed  to  this  Consistory,  it  was  enjoined  upon 
the  members  of  the  said  Consistory,  to  report  in  a  humble 
opinion  how  they  have  found  the  doctrinal  views  of  Sweden- 
l)org,  and  I  have,  besides,  been  most  graciously  ordered  to 
defend  myself  separately  against  that  of  which  I  have  been 
accused  individually.  I  appreciate  in  all  humility  this  royal 
grace,  and  in  accordance  therewith  I  shall  in  all  humihty  do 
my  duty  as  a  subject  with  obedience,  sincerity,  and  truth- 
fulness. 

"For  a  long  time  I  have  entertained  a  secret  desire  to 
address  myself  to  Your  Royal  Majesty,  the  most  gracious 
father  of  his  country,  who,  in  your  royal  care  for  the  Lord's 
church  and  kingdom  upon  earth,  are  the  holiest  representative 
of  the  Highest  King;  and  in  all  humility  to  give  exj)ression 
to  a  deeply  rooted  conviction,  and  lay  before  you  a  faithful 
confession  in  respect  to  those  things  which  are  of  paramount 

*  The  Swedish  original,  from  which  the  above  ti'anslation  has  been 
made,  is  contained  in  the  "Nya  Kyrkan,"  &c.,  Part  I,  pp.  29  to  48.  A 
German  translation  of  a  gi-eat  portion  of  "Beyer's  Defence,"  was  pubhshed 
in  Hamburg  in  1770,  among  various  other  documents  connected  with 
Swedenborg's  Controversy  with  the  Consistoiy  of  Gottenburg.  These 
documents  were  jirinted  there  under  the  ausjiices  of  Swedenboi'g  him- 
self, as  appears  from  his  Letter  to  General  Tuxen  (Document  245,  U); 
and  in  the  fuUowing  year  they  were  reprinted  by  Prelate  (Etinger  under 
the  title  of  "Schwedische  Urkunden"  (Swedish  Documents).  An  abridged 
English  translation  of  the  above  Document  was  published  in  the  "Intel- 
1(  ctual  Repository"  for  1812,  and  was  afterwards  brought  out  by  the  Rev. 
S.  Noble  in  the  form  of  a  tract,  under  the  following  title:  "A  Declaration 
respecting  the  Doctrines  taught  by  Swedenborg,  by  Gabriel  A.  Beyer,  D.  D." 
This  tract  was  afterwards  embodi^'d  in  the  En^hsh  and  American  editions  of 
the  -'Swedeuborg  Document*!." 

21* 


324  TRIAL  AT  GOTTENBURG.  [Doc.  245. 

importance  for  time  and  eternity.  It  is  therefore  a  source  of 
rejoicing  to  me  that  an  opportunity  now  offers  for  doing  so. 
For  I  must  look  upon  your  instruction  in  this  light,  that  I 
am  to  express  in  the  Consistory,  or  publicly,  my  real  senti- 
ments in  respect  to  Swedenborgianism  so-called,  and  I  am 
glad  of  this  for  several  reasons.  One  is,  that  the  public,  and, 
indeed,  also  some  among  the  learned,  from  their  great  ignor- 
ance of  the  subject,  do  not  seem  to  be  sufficiently  prepared 
to  hear  truthful  testimony  respecting  it ;  secondly,  that  it  is 
necessary  to  put  an  end  to  the  unpleasant  controversies  which 
are  most  certainly  to  be  expected  from  the  intense  hatred 
with  which  even  mere  vague  reports  respecting  Assessor 
Swedenborg's  doctrinal  views  are  regarded;  a  further  reason 
is,  that  genuine  truths  require  a  calm,  settled  state  of  mind, 
and  cannot  thrive  amidst  turmoil,  but  if  they  are  of  God, 
they,  nevertheless,  cannot  be  overthrown  (Acts  v,  39);  and  a 
final  reason  is,  that  I  could  never  expect  to  be  treated  ac- 
cording to  law  in  the  Consistory  and  in  this  place,  as  ap- 
pears sufficiently  from  the  printed  Minutes  of  the  Consistory, 
e.  g.  pp.  Ill  and  115. 

"Your  Royal  Majesty's  gracious  order,  under  God's  pro- 
vidence, does  away  with  these  objections,  and  in  giving  my 
humble  opinion,  and  making  my  defence,  this  order  shall  be 
the  pole  star  by  which  I  shall  be  guided. 

"Your  gracious  order  expressly  says,  first,  that  a  humble 
opinion  should  be  submitted  how  the  members  of  the  Con- 
sistory have  found  Swedenborg's  doctrinal  views.  Upon  com- 
parison with  the  memorial  of  the  Chancellor  of  Justice,  which 
has  been  most  graciously  communicated,  it  appears  that  the 
opinion  should  be  expressed  in  positive  terms,  after  presuma- 
hly  complete  information  lias  been  acquired  from  Assessor  Sweden- 
horg's  theological  (corJx's.  My  own  most  humble  opinion  would 
certainly  have  influenced  the  general  finding  of  the  Consistory, 
which  is  obtained  by  a  process  of  voting ;  but  as  this  is  in 
the  closest  connection  with  the  separate  defence  which  I  am 
most  graciously  ordered  to  make,  I  entreat  that  I  may,  in 
all  humility,   be  allowed  to  make  my  statement  here  as  well. 

"Having  been  from  childhood  interested  and  zealous  in  the 
study  of  the  established  form  of  doctrine,   as  is  proved    by 


Doc.  245.]  DR.  BEYER'S  DEFENCE.  325 

some  small  treatises  I  have  published  on  this  subject,  about 
four  years  ago  I  happened  to  read  something  that  Assessor 
Swedenborg  had  written.  At  first  it  appeared  to  me  uninter- 
esting, incomprehensible,  and  of  small  value  to  the  study  of 
theology.  But  when,  led  by  curiosity,  I  had  with  awakened 
attention  read  half  a  volume,  I  soon  discovered  important 
reasons  for  not  desisting  until  I  had  gone  over  all  his  writ- 
ings of  this  description;  and  may  I  be  allowed  to  observe  in 
deep  humility,  that,  although  I  uninterruptedly  continued  their 
perusal  for  a  long  time,  employing  for  this  purpose  every 
moment  1  could  spare  from  my  public  duties  ;  and  although 
I  read  them  over  several  times,  I,  nevertheless,  wish  I  could 
have  studied  them  for  several  years  longer,  on  account  of 
their  precious  contents,  so  as  to  be  able  to  submit  to  you  a 
riper  opinion  respecting  them. 

"Assessor  Swedenborg's  works  of  this  kind  are  all  published 
in  Latin,  in  large  quarto  volumes,  viz.  eight  heavy  volumes, 
entitled  Arcana  Codestia^  which  contain  an  explanation  of 
the  spiritual  sense  of  every  chapter  and  verse  in  Genesis 
atid  Exodus ;  the  Apocalyse  Revealed'  is  written  in  a  similar 
style.  Further,  the  'New  Jerusalem  and  its  Heavenly  Doc- 
trine,' 'The  New  Jerusalem  concerning  the  Sacred  Scripture,' 
'The  White  Horse,'  'The  Doctrine  of  Life  for  the  New 
Jerusalem,  from  the  precepts  of  the  Decalogue,'  'The  Doctrine 
of  the  New  Jerusalem  respecting  Faith,'  'AngeHc  Wisdom 
respecting  the  Divine  Love  and  the  Divine  Wisdom,'  'Angelic 
AVisdom  respecting  the  Divine  Providence,'  'Heaven  and  Hell,' 
'Conjugial  and  Scortatory  Love,'  'The  Last  Judgment  and  the 
Destmction  of  Babylon,'  'Continuation  concerning  the  Last 
Judgment  and  the  Spiritual  World,'  'The  Earths  in  the  Solar 
System  and  the  Stariy  Heaven,'  'Brief  Exposition  of  the 
Doctrine  of  the  New  Church,'  'The  Litercourse  between  the 
Soul  and  the  Body.' 

"It  is  impossible  to  pass  a  correct  judgment  upon  these 
works  unless  several  of  them  have  been  compared  together  ;  but 
before  I  proceed  to  give  my  humble  opinion  I  must  consider 
what  the  Lord's  Word  and  His  doctrine  recjuire,  and  in  doing 
so  I  must  keep  in  view  the  statutes  of  Your  Royal  Majesty 
and  of  the  Church.     So  long  as  I  allow  myself  to  be  directed 


326  TRIAL  AT  QOTTENBURG.  [Doc.  245. 

by  them,  I  hope  to  be  regarded  graciously,  even  though  I  be 
totally  ignorant  of  what  may  be  brought  forward  as  a  settled 
matter   from   other  quarters,  and  even  by  men  of  distinction. 

"Your  Royal  Majesty  graciously  allows  even  your  meaner 
subjects  to  speak  according  to  the  light  which  they  possess. 

'The  words  of  the  Lord  are,  'But  be  not  ye  called  Rabbi ; 
for  one  is  your  leader,  even  Christ;  and  all  ye  are  brethren.  And 
call  no  one  your  father  upon  the  earth  :  for  one  is  your  Father 
which  is  in  heaven.  Neither  be  ye  called  leaders:  for  one  is 
your  leader,  even  Christ'  (Matt,  xxiii,  8 — 10).  In  agreement 
therewith  a  great  apostle  is  unwilling  that  one  should  say  that 
he  is  'of  Paul,'  another  that  he  is  'of  Apollos,'  a  third  'of 
Cephas,'  and  a  fourth  'of  Christ'  (1  Cor.  i,  11,  12);  this  he 
calls  carnal,  for  'neither  is  he  that  planteth  any  thing,  nor  he 
that  watereth,  but  God  that  giveth  the  increase'  {lUd.  iii,  4  et  seq.). 
The  former  is  done,  and  the  latter  avoided  when  we  adopt 
the  Lord's  Word  in  the  first  place  as  our  chief  rule,  and 
have  regard  to  it  only;  and  when  we  thus  'search  the  Scriptures, 
because  they  are  they  which  testify  of  Him,'  and  when  we 
know,  for  instance,  that  'Moses  wrote  concerning  Him'  (John  v, 
39,  46).  This  conformity  is  commended  as  praiseworthy  in 
the  case  of  the  Bereans  (Acts  xvii,  11).  The  consequence 
of  this  is,  that  a  person  is  enabled  to  testify  truthfully  con- 
cerning him;  even  as  He  Himself  says,  'And  ye  also  (disciples 
of  the  Word,  taught  of  God)  shall  bear  witness'  (John  xv,  27) ; 
'For  whosoever  shall  confess  me  before  men,  him  will  I  con- 
fess also  before  my  Father  which  is  in  heaven;  but  whosoever 
shall  deny  me  before  men,  him  will  I  also  deny  before  my 
Father  which  is  in  heaven'  (Matt,  x,  32,  33).  Therefore  also 
the  true  disciple  is  described  in  Luke  vi;  which  is  a  subject 
carried  out  a  little  in  the  'New  Attempt  towards  a  Collection 
of  Sermons,'  which  is  humbly  added  to  this  memorial,  and 
where  it  will  be  found  written  for  the  fourth  Sunday  after 
Trinity.  Peter,  the  apostle,  accordingly  says,  'Be  ready  always 
to  give  an  answer  to  every  man  that  asketh  you  a  reason  of 
the  hope  that  is  in  you  with  meekness  and  fear'  (1  Peter  iii, 
15).  How  much  more  then  when  those  who  are  in  authority 
mildly  and  from  zeal  for  the  Lord's  cause  graciously  demand 
from  you  such  an  answer. 


Doc.  245.]  DB.  BE  YER  'S  DEFENCE.  327 

"Accordingly  the  worthy  writers  of  the  'Formula  Concor-' 
diae'  say,  'We  believe,  acknowledge,  and  teach,  that  the  only 
rules  and  guides  by  which  all  doctrines  and  all  teachers  of 
doctrine  must  be  viewed  and  judged  are,  and  can  be  no  other 
than,  the  prophetic  and  apostolic  writings,  as  well  those  of 
the  Old  as  those  of  the  New  Testament'  (Leipzig  Edition, 
p.  570).  'The  Holy  Scripture  alone  is  acknowledged  as  a 
judge,  a  measure,  and  a  rule;  by  which  as  by  a  touchstone, 
all  doctrines  must  be  most  carefully  investigated  and  judged, 
whether  they  are  godly  or  ungodly,  whether  they  are  true  or 
false;  but  the  other  forms  of  confession  and  other  writings, 
which  we  have  touched  upon  above,  do  not  possess  the  power 
of  acting  as  judges ;  for  this  dignity  belongs  only  to  the  Sacred 
Scripture;  but  they  simply  bear  witness  of  our  religion 
(Ibid.  p.  572).     The  same  is  again  expressly  stated  on  p.  632. 

In  Your  Royal  Majesty's  gracious  Order  for  the  Church 
(kyrkoordning)  for  the  years  1686  and  1687  all  are  admonished 
'to  abide  constantly  by  God's  Holy  Word'  (Chapter  i,  §  6). 
Clergymen  above  others  are  commanded  'to  read  the  Sacred 
Scripture,  and  pray  to  God  faithfully  for  grace  and  illustration, 
so  that  they  may  understand,  teach,  and  explain  the  same 
correctly;  whatever  is  spoken  and  taught  must  be  founded 
in  the  Holy  Scripture'  (Chapter  ii,  §§  1,  2).  The  oath  ad- 
ministered to  the  bishops  binds  them  'to  abide  constantly  by 
God's  Word  and  the  right  religion'  (Chapter  xxi,  §  2).  He 
who  is  ordained  into  the  ministry  pledges  himself  'not  to 
entertain,  spread,  or  preach  any  other  doctrine  than  that  which 
God  the  Holy  Ghost  has  Himself  dictated  and  taught,  and 
which  is  extensively  written  in  the  Holy  Bible,  but  briefly 
contained  in  the  creeds  and  the  symbolical  writings'  (Chapter 
xxii,  §  2).  The  oath  sworn  by  members  of  the  Consistory 
obliges  them  'not  to  utter  any  other  views  than  such  as  God's 
Word  teaches'  (Rattegdngsforordningen,  §  6).  The  regula- 
tions for  judges  (Domarereglorna)  likewise  declare  that  'he  is 
not  fit  to  be  a  preacher,  who  does  not  know  what  is  written 
in  the  Scriptures,  and  what  is  the  ground  and  the  meaning 
thereof  (Ecd.  iverket,  p.  58).  The  oaths  administered  to 
the  lectors  and  rectors  of  the  gymnasia,  in  the  Royal  Regu- 
lations for  the  Schools  (Kongl.  Scliolaeordningen)  for  the  year 


328  TRIAL  AT  GOTTENBURG.  [Doc.  245. 

1727,  contain  similar  words:  and  whenever  the  Symbolical 
hooks,  on  such  occasions,  are  added  in  order  after  God's  Word 
or  the  Sacred  Scripture,  it  is  in  all  humility  and  without 
pretence  clear  to  me,  that  the  meaning  of  the  Royal  Orders 
in  respect  to  them  is  such  as  the  first  foundation  and  chief 
basis  of  the  Symbolical  books  themselves,  viz.  that  which  be- 
fore has  been  pointed  out  in  all  humility,  yields  without  being 
forced. 

"But  above  all  Your  Royal  Majesty's  most  gracious  decree 
about  the  freedom  of  the  press,  dated  December  2,  1766, 
proclaims  for  all  the  inhabitants  of  Sweden  a  fundamental 
law,  viz.  all  freedom  in  matters  of  religion  which  are  not 
opposed  to  our  genuine  confession  of  faith  and  pure  evangeUcal 
doctrine. 

"And  now,  as,  in  accordance  with  what  precedes,  a  doctrine 
is  pure,  when  it  is  derived  from  and  proved  by  the  AVord, 
and  a  confession  is  genuine  when  it  agrees  with  such  a  doctrine; 
it  is  fortunate,  that  no  one  is  charged  with  a  transgression  of 
the  law  in  this  respect,  who  confesses  and  teaches  what  is 
found  and  most  clearly  proved  to  be  God's  teaching  in  the 
Sacred  Scripture. 

"On  such  incontestable  grounds  I  venture  in  my  weakness, 
with  confidence,  and  yet  humbly,  to  utter  the  sentiments  of 
my  heart  in  respect  to  the  theological  writings  of  Assessor 
Swedenborg,  and  afterwards  to  do  my  humble  duty  in  honestly 
defending  myself  against  those  charges  which  concern  me  indi- 
vidually. 

"Convinced  by  experience,  I  must  in  the  first  place  observe, 
that  no  one  is  competent  to  pass  a  judgment  about  these 
writings,  who  has  not  read  them,  or  has  not  been  willing  to 
read  them;  nor  is  he  who  has  read  them  only  superficially, 
or  who  with  a  determination  at  heart  to  condemn  them,  has 
read  a  passage  here  and  there  without  making  a  critical 
examination  of  them;  nor  again  is  he  who  rejects  them  as 
soon  as  he  meets  with  some  things  which  conflict  with  principles 
that  he  has  long  entertained  and  acknowledged  as  correct, 
and  of  which  he  is  blindly  enamoured.  Again,  all  those  are 
incompetent  to  pass  a  judgment  in  respect  to  these  writings 
who  are  zealous  dogmatists  and  but  slightly  acquainted  with 


Doc.  245.]  DK.  BEYER'S  DEFENCE.  329 

the  Scriptures  ;  or  who  cleave  to  the  letter,  like  the  Jews,  in 
their  interpretation  of  the  sense  of  Scripture ;  or  who  are  timid 
and  afraid  of  finding  a  ghost  in  every  line ;  further,  those  who 
hate  the  very  name  of  Swedenborg,  or  who  are  altogether 
unlearned,  and  not  grounded  in  philology  and  the  sciences; 
or  those  who  have  not  patience  to  read  and  study  a  tiling  in 
its  whole  connection ;  or  who  are  either  unable  or  unwilling 
to  use  the  faculties  with  which  they  have  been  endowed  to  follow 
the  author  by  an  orderly  course  of  reasoning  into  the  region 
of  abstract  ideas;  and,  finally,  those  who  are  entirely  absorb- 
ed by  lusts  and  by  the  world. 

"But,  on  the  other  hand,  the  lover  of  the  truth,  who  is 
free  from  all  these  things,  and  who  is  willing  in  a  spirit 
of  impartiality  to  try  the  spirits  whether  they  are  of  God 
(1  John  iv,  1),  and  especially  he  who  prays  to  God  for  illus- 
tration and  is  willing  to  do  the  will  of  Him  who  sent  Jesus 
(John  vii,  16,  17),  upon  considering  the  writings  of  the  above 
author  will  at  once  notice  a  circumstance  which  is  rendered 
remarkable  by  the  long  time  during  which  it  has  lasted,  viz. 
that  although  more  than  twenty  years  have  now  elapsed  since 
these  particular  writings  began  to  be  published,  and  distributed 
among  the  academies  and  libraries,  and  the  most  learned  men 
in  most  European  countries,  not  a  single  refutation  of  them 
has  thus  far,  to  the  best  of  our  knowledge,  come  to  light;  if 
we  except  a  few  one-sided  reviews,  filled  with  crude  and 
derogatory  assertions  lacking  all  rational  demonstration.  Again, 
he  will  see  that  all  Swedenborg's  works  give  evidence  of  an 
unexpected  insight  into  all  the  so-called  learned  languages, 
as  the  Hebrew,  Arabic,  Greek,  without  mentioning  the  Latin, 
which  knowledge  with  him  is  fully  commensurate  with  the  im- 
portance of  the  matters  on  which  he  treats ;  further,  that  he 
possesses  in  a  remarkable  degree  a  knowledge  of  various 
commendable  and  useful  sciences,  as,  of  philosophy  in  its 
most  abstruse  depths,  of  mathematics,  architecture,  natural 
history,  chemistry,  experimental  philosophy,  astronomy,  history, 
and  especially  of  anatomy,  and  others ;  that  a  consistency 
prevails  thoughout  all  his  works,  and  that  not  a  single  real 
contradiction  can  be  discovered  there;  that  there  is  everywhere 
in  his  treatises   an  unbroken  order,  and  wherever  possible  a 


330  TRIAL  AT  GOTTENBilRG.  [Doc.  245. 

cliain  of  argumentation  which  coheres  no  less  perfectly  than 
a  series  of  mathematical  demonstrations  for  him  who  is  able 
to  follow  it,  and  which  cannot  be  denied  by  any  one  who  is 
accustomed  to  such  demonstrations;  that  the  first  fundamental 
principles  are  always  retained  and  observed  in  everything  that 
follows,  where  they  always  fit  in  properly ;  that  nowhere  occur 
things  impossible  in  themselves,  but,  on  the  contrary,  all  pure, 
universally  acknowledged  truths  may  be  traced  there  again, 
and  none  of  them  is  contradicted  and  weakened;  that  in  this 
respect  not  a  single  instance  in  the  history  of  literature  can 
be  brought  forward,  which  can  at  all  be  compared  with  the 
works  of  this  author;  that  all  his  theoretical  propositions  have 
a  practical  tendency,  and  are  for  the  sake  of  practice ;  that 
the  amendment  of  the  life  is  therefore  everywhere  insisted 
upon,  so  as  to  make  us  fit  and  to  dispose  us  for  heaven;  that 
it  is  impossible  to  form  better  subjects  than  by  following  out 
the  precepts  of  this  doctrine;  and  that  in  studying  most 
things  in  these  books  diligently  and  impartially,  experience 
teaches  that  the  result  of  it  is  enlightenment  in  the  under- 
standing, and  an  inclination  to  assent  to  what  is  written. 
Let  no  one,  therefore,  in  future  apply  to  the  author  the 
words  with  which  Festus  addressed  Paul  (Acts  xxvi,  24). 

"If,  now,  we  approach  our  subject  more  closely,  and  com- 
pare these  books  with  the  Holy  Bible  and  with  the  books 
that  have  been  adopted  by  the  church,  we  find  that  the  diffi- 
cult passages  of  the  former  are  satisfactorily  explained  accord- 
ing to  Assessor  Swedenborg's  principles,  and  also  that  the 
things  'hard  to  be  understood'  in  the  writings  of  the  Apostle 
Paul  [see  2  Peter  iii,  16]  are  comprehended  Avithout  difficulty. 

"With  regard  to  the  confessional  writings  of  the  church, 
the  author  adheres  to  the  Apostles'  and  the  Nicene  Creeds, 
in  which  only  One  God  and  Lord  is  mentioned;  and  in  re- 
gard to  the  Athanasian  Creed,  that  he  acknowledges  it  as  a 
whole  and  in  part,  with  the  exception  of  the  particular,  that 
we  are  to  believe  in  God  the  Father,  in  God  the  Son,  and  in 
God  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  at  the  same  time  to  think  that  the 
Father  is  one,  the  Son  another,  and  the  Holy  Spirit  still 
another,  whence,  in  spite  of  all  precautions,  the  idea  of  three 
Gods  becomes  inevitably  implanted  in   the  minds   of   people 


Doc.  245.]  DE.  BEYER'S  DEFEXCE.  331 

generally.  He  takes  great  pains  in  the  examination  of  the 
dogmatic  books,  and  nowhere  does  he  express  contempt 
for  them;  but  in  various  points  he  desires  to  approximate 
them  more  closely  to  the  real  meaning  of  the  Word,  as  in 
respect  to  the  law,  the  gospel,  faith,  charity,  justification,  im- 
putation, &c.  He  even  approves  and  adopts  a  good  deal  of 
what  is  contained  therein.  Besides,  nowhere  in  his  writings 
does  he  ridicule  or  condemn  any  system  of  religion  which 
teaches  faith  in  One  God,  and  a  life  of  charity  towards  the 
neighbour,  according  to  the  light  which  is  possessed. 

"But  let  us  take  a  closer  view.  These  theological  writings 
may  be  divided  into  three  general  classes ;  according  to 
the  nature  of  their  contents.  In  the  first  may  be  included 
every  thing  that  belongs  to  the  interpretation  of  Scripture; 
in  the  second  what  has  reference  to  the  doctrines  of  religion; 
and  in  the  tliird  all  experiences  concerning  the  other  or 
spiritual  world. 

"In  order  to  give  a  definite,  humble  opinion  in  regard  to 
the  first  class,  it  is  absolutely  necessary  to  have  read,  not 
merely  to  have  glanced  at,  the  Arcana  Codestia,  and  the 
'Apocalypse  Revealed.'  In  respect  to  the  second  class,  to 
have  well  considered  and  examined  first  of  all  and  briefly  the 
'New  Jerusalem  and  its  Heavenly  Doctrine,'  and  in  addition 
'The  Doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusalem  respecting  the  Lord, 
the  Sacred  Scripture,  a  Life  according  to  the  ten  command- 
ments, and  respecting  Faith,'  and  finally,  the  climax  of  all 
theology,  the  'Angelic  AVisdom  respecting  the  Divine  Love 
and  the  Divine  Wisdom,'  and  respecting  the  'Divine  Providence,' 
together  with  the  dogmatic  part,  scattered  throughout  the 
Arcana  Ccelestia  and  the  Apocalypse  Revealed,'  as  well  as 
in  the  treatise  respecting  'Conjugial  and  Scortatory  Love.'  In 
regard  to  the  thiiil  class  it  is  necessary  to  have  seriously 
considered  the  memorable  relations  contained  in  the  Arcana 
Ccelestia,  the  -Apocalypse,'  and  in  'Conjugial  and  Scortatory 
Love,'  as  well  as  in  other  works. 

"With  regard  to  the  inter])retation  of  Scripture;  we  are 
soon  able  to  discover,  that  what  with  Origen  were  mere 
obscure  traces,  what  Coccejus  attempted  to  guess  at,  and  what 
several  God-fearing   and  learned    theologians    saw  through  a 


332  TBIAL  AT  GOTTENBUBG.  [Doc.  245. 

veil,  has  been  manifested  in  clear  daylight  in  the  Aixana 
Ccelestia  and  especially  the  'Apocalypse  Revealed,'  which  have 
been  published  by  Assessor  Swedenborg.  What  immediately 
strikes  one's  attention  is  this,  that  when,  according  to  the 
principles  of  the  system,  the  signification  of  the  words  has  been 
acquired,  you  can  read  in  order,  one  after  another,  the  contents 
prefixed  to  each  chapter,  and  obtain  a  continuous,  general  idea 
of  the  whole  Biblical  book  which  is  being  explained ;  and  this 
is  even  more  the  case  when  you  approach  each  chapter 
separately,  where  the  significations  given  to  the  particular  words 
may  be  connected  together  into  a  whole  chain-like  explanation. 
The  signification  of  each  word  remains  ever  the  same;  and 
after  a  knowledge  of  them  has  once  been  acquired,  in  accord- 
ance with  sound  rules  of  explanation,  it  may  be  applied  to 
the  explanation  of  other  passages  almost  in  the  same  way 
as  the  various  meanings  of  a  word  recorded  in  the  dictionaries 
are  made  use  of,  when  you  desire  to  become  acquainted  with 
an  author  in  his  own  language.  How  surprised  you  are  to 
discover  by  this  means  that,  in  a  book  which  to  all  appear- 
ance is  purely  historical,  there  are  contained  only  spiritual 
and  heavenly  things,  that  is,  things  in  the  highest  degree 
worthy  of  the  wisdom  of  God  respecting  Himself,  and  respect- 
ing heaven  and  the  church ;  for  instance,  in  the  history  of  Lot 
and  his  daughters  (Genesis  xix,  31).  And  lest  any  one,  with 
an  appearance  of  right,  should  think  that  such  explanations 
and  interpretations  are  mere  products  of  the  author's  brain, 
he  observes  with  all  possible  care  the  recognized  rule  of 
interpretation,  that  Scripture  must  be  interpreted  by  Scripture, 
and,  indeed,  according  to  a  fixed  mode  of  demonstration 
determined  by  the  nature  of  the  subject  itself. 

"When  thus  the  glory  and  splendour  of  the  Divine  sense 
began  to  shine  in  the  clouds  of  heaven  or  in  the  literal  mean- 
ing of  the  Word,  then  also  could  be  discovered  to  him  what 
its  genuine  meaning  must  be  in  the  doctrine  of  the  church. 
For  the  church  is  spiritual,  and  must  derive  everything  belong- 
ing to  it  from  the  spirituality  of  the  Word,  so  that  nothing 
can  be  true  in  the  church  without  its  being  at  the  same  time 
true  in  heaven;  and  the  church  cannot  communicate  with  the 
Lord   and  heaven,  except  so  far   as   the  men  of  the  church 


Doc.  215.]  DR.  BEYER'S  DEFENCE.  333 

think  in  agreement  with  heaven,  and  all  their  thoughts  are 
from  the  Word  and  in  accordance  with  the  Word,  for  the 
Lord  is  the  Word  (John  i,  1,  14).  AVhat  other  exalted  ideas 
we  ought  to  entertain  respecting  the  incomparable  Sacred 
Scriptures  he  shows  and  proves  in  his  work  respecting  the 
'Sacred  Scripture,'  and  in  that  respecting  the  'White  Horse.' 
And  in  case  the  question  should  be  raised,  why  such  an 
understanding  of  the  Sacred  Scripture  is  now  brought  for- 
ward for  the  first  time,  a  full  and  satisfactory  answer  will  be 
found  in  many  parts  of  his  writings;  as  for  instance  in  the 
book  entitled  'The  Angelic  Wisdom  respecting  the  Divine 
Providence,'  no.  264. 

"If  now,  after  what  has  been  said,  we  come  to  judge  of 
the  doctrines  which  are  found  everywhere  in  his  writings,  but 
especially  in  those  books  which  with  respect  to  their  contents 
belong  to  the  second  class  of  his  works,  it  can  scarcely  be 
expected  otherwise,  than  that  we  shall  find  them  everywhere 
resplendent  with  light,  and  confirmed  by  the  distinct  utterances 
of  the  Word  itself,  even  by  its  very  letter,  and,  indeed,  in  a 
manner  which  cannot  be  contradicted  (my  unpretending,  humble 
meaning  here  is,  that  cannot  be  contradicted  by  impartial, 
diligent  searchers  for  the  truth).  A  fundamental  rule  with 
him  in  regard  to  every  doctrine  of  the  church  is,  that  it 
must  be  drawn  and  collected  from,  and  at  the  same  time 
confirmed  by,  the  literal  meaning  of  the  Word,  but  by  one 
who  has  been  duly  illustrated  for  this  purpose  in  the  Word 
('Sacred  Scripture,'  no.  50  et  scq.).  Thi  srule  he  has  observed 
with  every  one  of  his  doctrines,  and  in  agreement  therewith  he 
has  clearly  proved  them  by  unanswerable  passages  of  Scripture 
in  more  than  a  hundred  places  in  his  writings.  For  instance, 
with  respect  to  the  doctrine  that  there  is  only  One  God,  and 
that  Jesus  Christ  is  that  God,  and  that  in  His  essence  and 
person  there  is  a  real  Trinity,  called  Father,  Son,  and  Holy 
Spirit,  see  the  'Arcana  Ca^lestia,'  nos.  3061,  3704,  9030; 
'Apocalypse  Revealed,'  nos.  613,  962;  'Doctrine  of  the  Lord,' 
no.  GO.  This  doctrine,  as  taught  there,  agrees  almost  altogether 
with  what  a  Lutheran  teacher  of  the  church,  the  very  celebrated 
Chancellor  Mosheim,  has  stated  in  his  Theolofjia  Dofjmatka, 
pp.  310,  311,  312  (Edition   of  1761),  where  he  quotes  what 


334  TRIAL  AT  GOTTEN  BURG.  [Doc.  245. 

Luther  and  Hiinnius  have  said  on  the  subject  of  three  persons 
in  the  Godhead.  It  would  be  easy  for  me,  in  all  humility,  to 
quote  passages  where  the  remaining  articles  and  doctrines 
are  proved  by  a  similar  mode  of  demonstration,  but  this  would 
be  too  prolix  here;  they  can  be  gathered  copiously  from  the 
passages  selected  from  the  'Arcana  Ccelestia,'  which  are 
contained  in  the  book  entitled  'The  New  Jerusalem,'  and 
which  ought  to  be  consulted  by  every  accui'ate  reader.  Nothing 
can  be  concluded  rationally  and  accurately  from  the  published 
Excerpta;'^  for,  without  taking  into  consideration  the  manifestly 
uncharitable  utterances  of  the  compiler,  none  of  the  principal 
views  professed  by  the  author  are  introduced  there;  besides, 
there  is  an  unmistakable  indication  of  a  desire  on  his  part 
to  uncover  the  weak  side  of  these  views,  by  an  utter  absence 
of  all  intermediate  truths,  by  which  their  connection  and  their 
consequences  might  appear,  and  likewise  by  the  omission  of 
every  kind  of  argument,  by  which  one  might  be  enabled  to 
institute  a  rational  investigation.  An  answer  to  this  procedure 
seems  to  be  furnished  by  Dr.  Rosen's  '  Unpretending  Thoughts 
upon  Swedenborgianism.'-J-  Meanwhile,  after  due  consideration, 
we  are  led  to  acknowledge  that  there  is  an  undeniable  con- 
formity between  these  doctrines  and  the  real  meaning  of  God's 
Word,  whereby  they  acquire  a  strength  in  demonstration  which 
it  is  impossible  to  impair,  when  we  accept  it  as  a  principle, 
that  the  doctrine  of  a  church  must  be  that  'wisdom  which 
Cometh  from  above'  (James  iii,  17);  and  from  which  it  follows 
that  we  must  first  believe,  and  afterwards  employ  confirmations 
from  various  sources,  even  from  good  natural  sciences;  again, 
that  there  is  an  agreement  throughout  with  the  inspired  doctrines 
contained  in  the  writings  of  the  apostles,  which  are  enlightened 
and  developed  beautifully  by  the  above-mentioned  doctrines, 
and  are  thereby  considerably  increased,  provided  we  take  into 
due  consideration  what  is  stated  about  the  primitive  Christian 
Church  in  the  treatise  concerning  'The  Lord'  (no.  55);  and, 
finally,  we  recognize   as  the  sum  and  substance  of  all  these 


*  Concerning  these  published  Excerpta,  see  footnote  to  the  letter  which 
Bishop  Filenius  wrote  to  Assessor  Aurell  (Document  245,  K,  p.  313). 
t  See  Document  245,  D,  p.  293. 


Doc.  245.]  DB.  BEYER'S  DEFENCE.  335 

doctrines,  that  we  must  believe  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  as 
the  only  God  of  heaven  and  earth,  the  Creator,  Redeemer, 
Saviour,  Renovator,  Regenerator,  and  Justifier,  who  blesses 
us  to  eternity,  who  is  the  All  in  all  of  heaven  and  the  church; 
and  that  we  must  act  according  to  His  commandment  or 
injunction,  which  is,  'to  love  Him  above  all  things,  and  our 
neighbour  as  ourselves,'  because  He  is  Love  itself. 

"It  is  usually  objected  to  the  authors  doctrines  that  they 
do  away  with  Christ's  satisfaction,  turn  people  away  from  faith 
in  Christ;  set  up  self-righteousness  and  self-merit,  and  that 
they  clearly  teach  Socinianism,  Mahomedanism,  &c.  If  we 
duly  examine  his  teachings  in  this  respect,  we  find  that  on 
grounds  derived  from  the  Word  he  develops  and  proves,  that 
the  Lord  in  the  Humanity  which  He  assumed  fulfilled  every- 
thing contained  in  the  highest  Divine  sense  of  the  Word, 
down  to  its  lowest  natural  or  literal  sense;  further,  that  in 
this  same  Humanity  He  combated  the  powers  of  hell,  and 
overcome  and  subdued  them ;  that  He  glorified  this  Humanity 
or  made  it  Divine,  and  so  is  a  perfect  Saviour  to  eternity, 
and  the  Omnipotent  God  even  in  respect  to  His  Humanity. 
Higher  and  more  complete  ideas  respecting  the  satisfaction 
made  by  the  Lord  for  the  human  race,  cannot  certainly  be 
demanded. 

"No  one  probably  has  urged  more  strongly  the  necessity 
of  faith  in  Christ  than  he,  who  in  a  thousand  places  has 
quoted  among  other  passages  John  iii,  16;  xv,  4;  and  besides 
he  inculcates  everywhere,  that  it  is  impossible  for  a  Christian, 
or  for  any  one  else,  to  enter  heaven  and  be  in  the  Lord, 
without  the  idea  and  the  acknowledgment  that  He  alone  is 
God,  the  Redeemer  and  Justifier.  Self-righteousness  is  not 
preached  by  the  author,  who  uniformly  keeps  close  to  the 
above  passage,  John  xv,  4;  and  insists  that  man  must  con- 
form to  Divine  order  by  doing  good  as  from  himself,  yet 
knowing  and  believing  at  the  same  time  that  it  is  in  reality 
from  the  Lord;  nay,  he  proves  that  all  of  man's  own  is  nothing 
but  evil  and  falsity,  as  it  consists  in  the  love  of  self  and  of 
the  world.  Wherefore  no  merit  can  be  attributed  to  man, 
but  all  merit  belongs  to  the  Lord. 

"No    one    teaches    a    doctrine    more    opposed    to    tluit   of 


336  TRIAL  AT  GOTTEXBURG.  [Doc.  245. 

Socinus  and  his  followers,  whose  principles  he  quotes  and 
refutes  in  many  places  ;  and  no  one  has  given  a  fuller  description 
of  the  certain  doom,  which  will  overtake  confii'med  Socinians, 
(e.  g.  in  'Heaven  and  Hell,'  no.  3.) 

"So  far  as  Mahomedanism  is  the  result  of  Mahomed's  own 
invention,  he  has  a  perfect  horror  of  it ;  as  can  be  sufficiently 
proved  from  what  he  says  in  the  work  on  'Conjugial  and 
Scortatory  Love'  in  the  chapter  on  Polygamy. 

"Another  objection  against  his  works  is,  that  they  do 
not  keep  within  the  established  doctrines,  and  that  with  respect 
to  the  profundity  of  their  truths  they  are  altogether  novel 
and  unusual.  Here  it  may  be  proper  to  observe  in  a  general 
way,  that  no  bounds  can  be  set  to  the  infinity  of  Dinne 
Wisdom  in  the  Word ;  and  that  with  respect  to  the  future  of  the 
Church,  no  one  can  draw  a  line  which  must  not  be  overpassed 
in  the  revelation  of  Divine  Wisdom.  Ecclesiastical  History 
teaches  us  that  the  Christian  Church  among  various  peoples 
and  at  various  times  had  different  limits  assigned  to  it;  and 
in  making  an  application  to  the  science  of  theology  itself,|it 
could  not  well  maintain  its  high  rank  in  the  field  of  learning, 
if,  by  right  and  in  an  infallible  manner,  bounds  could  be 
assigned  to  it  more  than  to  all  the  other  sciences,  which,  as 
is  well-know'n,  can  never  reach  their  greatest  summit.  The 
theologians  have  sufficiently  proved  this  in  their  own  persons 
by  changing  and  improving  the  creeds  in  various  ways, 
since  the  time  of  those  who  made  them.  What  is  spiritual 
transcends  immeasurably  what  is  natural  in  every  respect; 
and  who  dares  to  proliibit  Divine  light  from  shining  as  much 
as  it  pleases  ?  Or  who  does  what  is  right  and  good,  by  closing 
the  eye  of  his  understanding  against  it,  or  by  hiding  the  light 
under  a  bushel  (Matt,  v,  16)'?  When  unknown  and  new  truths, 
which  yet  in  themselves  are  the  ancient  truths,  are  put  for- 
ward, they  require  new  terms  and  new  expressions,  so  that 
they  cannot  but  seem  strange  in  the  form  in  which  they  are 
communicated. 

"In  order  to  give  in  all  humility  a  definite  expression 
respecting  the  author's  experience,  I  may  state  that  a  trust 
and  confidence  in  it  follow  as  a  natural  consequence  from 
the  ability  to   comprehend  and  to   make  yourself  at  home  in 


Doc.  245.]  DR.  BEYER'S  DEFENCE.  337 

the  principles  which  underlie  the  doctrinal  system;  e.  g.  in 
respect  to  the  Sun  of  heaven,  that  in  its  essence  it  is  the  love 
and  wisdom  proceeding  from  the  Lord,  that  thence  is  all  good 
and  all  truth,  and  that  from  it  originates  every  thing  that  is 
truly  human;  in  respect  to  the  will  and  understanding,  that 
they  constitute  man,  and  that  they  are  receptacles  of  good 
and  truth;  again,  that  without  interior  and  exterior  senses 
there  is  no  consciousness  of  life,  and  that  there  is  neither 
life  nor  sensation  except  in  forms;  further,  that  the  Lord's 
kingdom  in  general  is  a  kingdom  of  an  infinite  variety  of  uses, 
functions,  and  purposes,  and,  indeed,  in  every  object  from  the 
greatest  to  the  least;  besides  many  other  general  principles, 
a  complete  knowledge  of  which  may  be  obtained  by  studying 
the  work  on  'Angelic  "Wisdom  concerning  the  Divine  Love 
and  the  Divine  Wisdom.'  And  how  little  has  mankind  been 
hitherto  enabled  to  form,  in  the  least  degree,  a  precise 
idea  respecting  the  eternal  world!  With  what  delight  then 
should  we  now  strive  to  know  what  has  hitherto  remained 
unknown,  and  which  it  was  impossible  to  know  before;  and 
which  the  more  it  is  studied,  is  found  the  more  to  harmonise 
with  what  we  read  in  Scripture,  where  these  subjects  are 
presented  in  a  general  form  in  the  literal  sense,  and  are  treated 
of  as  to  tlieir  particulars  in  the  spiritual  sense!  I  therefore 
purposely,  with  all  due  submission,  pass  by  those  epithets 
which  are  inconsiderately  heaped  upon  the  author,  such  as 
fanatic,  visionary,  enthusiast,  &c.,  words  in  current  use  at  the 
present  time,  but  the  meaning  of  which  is  not  known:  'they 
speak  evil  of  the  things  that  they  understand  not'  (2  Peter  ii,  12). 
"In  conclusion,  whatever  may  be  said,  in  all  humility,  in 
respect  to  the  three  classes  of  books  mentioned  above,  there 
is  only  one  mode  by  which  a  satisfactory  knowledge  can  be 
obtained  respecting  them,  and  that  is,  that  whoever  is  anxious 
to  arrive  at  certainty  in  his  investigation  of  the  truth,  must 
undertake  a  study  of  these  books  for  himself,  or  at  least 
be  willing  to  be  instructed  respecting  them  by  others.  For 
the  most  part  their  contents  are  too  sublime  to  be  read  and 
comprehended  by  all;  but  it  is  the  business  of  the  learned 
and  of  the  clergy  to  study  them,  so  that  they  may  obtain  a 
knowledge    of  the   principles    taught    therein,    and    may  thus 

22 


338    •  TRIAL  AT  GOTTEXBUBG.  [Doc.  245. 

be  able  to  communicate  them  to  others  according  to  their 
requirements,  and  their  capacity  of  comprehending  them. 

"In  obedience  to  Your  Koyal  Majesty's  most  gracious 
command,  that  I  should  deliver  a  full  and  positive  declaration, 
I  acknowledge  it  to  be  my  duty  to  declare,  in  all  humble 
confidence,  that  as  far  as  I  have  proceeded,  and  agreeably 
to  the  gift  bestowed  upon  me  for  investigation  and  judgment, 
I  have  found  in  the  above-named  writings  of  Swedenborg 
nothing  but  what  closely  coincides  with  the  words  of  the 
Lord's  mouth,  and  shines  with  a  light  truly  Divine.  A  man 
who  by  nature  is  timid  and  reserved  like  myself,  wo  ild  not 
dare  to  give  expression  to  these  sentiments,  unless  the  Lord 
had  armed  me  with  confidence  in  His  cause,  and  His  Divine 
Mercy,  under  the  kind  protection  of  a  most  gracious  and  just 
sovereign  against  grievous  persecutions,  had  permitted  me  to 
give  expression  to  these  sentiments.  One  source  of  comfort 
for  myself  is  the  conviction,  that  however  many  of  Your  Royal 
Majesty's  faithful  subjects,  who  are  thoroughly  acquainted 
with  these  books,  may  be  graciously  questioned  on  this  sub- 
ject, their  answers  will  undoubtedly  be  found  to  agree  with 
the  declaration  which  I  herewith  make  in  all  humility. 

"Entertaining  at  heart  the  thoughts  which  I  here  humbly 
express,  I  have  from  the  very  first,  and  repeatedly  after- 
wards, in  the  Minutes  of  the  Consistory,  declared  it  as  my 
opinion,  that  the  question  about  Swedenborgianism,  to  which 
Assessor  Aurell,  through  Deans  Aurelius  and  Collinius,  gave 
a  public  character,  as  well  as  all  judgment  in  this  question, 
ought,  in  accordance  with  the  law,  to  be  submitted  in  all 
humility  for  Your  Royal  Majesty's  gracious  examination  and 
disposition;  which  opinion  may  be  graciously  found  in  the 
printed  Minutes  of  the  Consistory,  pp.  7,  14,  19,  110,  115. 
And  acting  in  accordance  with  this  opinion,  after  the  represent- 
ations of  Dr.  Ekebom  (see  Minutes  of  the  Consistory,  pp.  10, 
11),  I  have  never  taken  any  part  in  the  common  measures 
adopted  by  the  Consistory,  except  so  far  as,  in  conformity 
\vith  the  law,  I  have   signed  the  resolutions  of  the  majority.* 

*  Dr.  Beyer,  on  accoimt  of  being  Dean  (Decaims)  of  the  Consistory, 
had  to  sign  all  the  resolutions  passed  by  that  body. 


Doc.  245.]  DR.  BEYER'S  DEFENCE.  339 

"A  matter  in  itself  so  innocent  and  peaceful  as  the  genuine 
so-called  Swedenborgianism,  according  to  all  appearance  would 
never  have  caused  the  least  trouble,  if  Assessor  Aurell  had 
not  been  so  very  anxious  to  make  it  publicly  hateful,  and 
if  Dr.  Ekebom,  who  in  this  matter  is  leagued  with  the  above- 
named  assessor,  had  not  been  so  zealous  in  calumniathig  and 
condemning  the  same  publicly  in  the  printed  Minutes,  and 
also  several  times  on  other  occasions.  Nevertheless  no  other 
disturbance  has  been  noticed  in  the  church,  either  in  town  or 
in  the  diocese  at  large;  and,  so  far  as  is  known  or  can  be 
proved,  no  one  who  is  favourably  disposed  to  these  doctrines 
has  had  any  controversy  or  quarrel  with  any  one  on  this 
subject;  nor  has  any  one  been  engaged  in  making  proselytes, 
or  talking-  derogatorily  of  the  established  religion.  The  author 
has  not  sought  to  be  avenged  on  his  opponents  by  involving 
them  in  law-suits;  nor  has  he  displayed  arrogance  in  word  or 
gesture,  or  provoked  them  by  stinging  expressions;  because 
these  and  similar  acts  are  in  direct  opposition  to  the  Lord's 
Divine,  gentle,  peaceful,  charitable,  and  humble  doctrine.  I 
nuist  also  in  all  humility  add  here  that  ever  since  the  last 
meeting  of  the  clergy,  from  September  1768  to  November 
1769,  everything  has  remained  perfectly  calm,  as  well  here 
as  in  other  places,  although  the  very  disputation  read  before 
the  meeting  (Frestniots-dispiitationen)  bore  a  close  relationship 
to  the  writings  of  Assessor  Swedenborg,  and  the  '  New  Sermon- 
Essays  '  were  then  delivered  to  the  clergymen  present  who  had 
previously  paid  for  them.  This  calm  was  not  even  disturbed, 
when  Dr.  Ekebom's  dreadful  declaration  of  March  22,  17()9, 
about  Swedenborg's  writings*  appeared  in  print,  together 
with  the  extract  from  the  work  on  'Conjugial  and  Scortatory 
Love'  containing  a  kind  of  synopsis  of  the  doctrinal  system 
of  Assessor  Swedenborg  (see  'Minutes  of  the  Consistory,' 
pp.  12,  13),*i*  without  mentioning  Assessor  Swedenborg's  own 
memorable  letters:}:  ('Minutes  of  the  Consistory,'  pp.  25,  26). 
Although  in  the  limited  space  of  this  humble  opinion  and 
declaration  I  have    endeavoured  to  be   as    concise  and  brief 


*  See  Document  245,  B.  f  See  Document  245,  C. 

I  See  Document  245,  ¥  and  Gr. 

22* 


340  TRIAL  AT  GOTTEXB  UEG.  [Doc.  245. 

as  possible,  yet,  on  account  of  the  many  particulars  that  had 
to  be  included  in  it,  I  am  afraid  I  have  been  unpleasantly 
prolix,  without,  however,  having  made  my  statement  as  complete 
as  I  could  wish.  The  lofty  judgment  of  Your  Royal  Majesty 
is  able  to  discover  in  a  few  brief  hints  much  more  than  a 
man  of  the  greatest  genius  is  able  to  express.  I,  therefore, 
ask  your  most  gracious  permission,  that,  in  consequence  of 
all  that  has  been  stated  above,  I  may  use  the  briefest  and 
most  direct  language  in  making  a  humble  declaration  with 
respect  to  that  with  which  I  have  been  personally  charged. 

"I  have  had  a  hand  in  the  composition  of  the  'New  Sermon- 
Essays,'  a  copy  of  which  is  presented  herewith,  while  suffering 
from  much  feebleness  of  body,  and  a  chronic  disease  of  the  chest 
with  fever,  but  with  the  faculties  of  the  mind  unimpaired,  and 
the  gift  of  writing  undiminished,  or  rather  increased.  An 
exception,  however,  must  be  made  of  the  so-called  ^nyttorne' 
(Evening-sermons),  which  in  the  &st  part,  and  also  in  the 
second,  as  far  as  Easter-Sunday  and  the  first  Sunday  after 
Easter,  were  composed  by  Lector  Gothenius :  ^^'^  for  all  the  rest 
I  am  responsible.  All  that  is  good  and  true  therein  is  mostly 
due  to  the  reading  of  Assessor  Swedenborg's  books,  while  the 
Divine  text  in  each  particular  case  has  been  my  guide,  without 
which  I  was  not  willing  to  undertake  the  consideration  of 
any  doctrinal  subject.  All  the  defects  that  may  be  discovered 
therein  must  be  put  down  to  the  account  of  my  great  imperfection, 
as  well  as  to  want  of  time,  'wliich  prevented  me  devoting  the 
proper  attention  to  the  proof-reading.  It  has  been  my  constant 
endeavour  to  admit  only  such  things  as  could  not  be  objected 
to  by  the  powers  of  the  land,  and  as  would  not  disturb  the 
peace  of  the  church,  as  may  appear  especially  from  the  new 
essay  for  the  twenty-third  Sunday  after  Trinity,  pages  308 
and  309.  That  these  small  essays  have  anywhere  caused 
disturbance  has  not  been  noticed,  nor  has  any  public  criticism 
of  them  appeared,  although  it  is  now  three  years  since  they 
first  began  to  be  issued  in  sheets.  In  respect  to  the  permission 
to  print  them,  a  sufiicieutly  minute  account  will  be  found  in 
the  printed  'Minutes  of  the  Consistory,'  p.  79.  From  private 
conversations  only  have  I  learned  that  this  collection  of 
essays  is  objected  to  for  not  containing  discussions  on  certain 


Doc.  245.]  DB.  BEYER'S  DEFENCE.  341 

doctrinal  subjects,  which  are  usually  insisted  upon  in  public 
as  being  foremost  in  importance.  As,  however,  I  could  not 
find  these  doctrines  immediately  in  my  texts,  and  as  I  had 
resolved  to  write  nothing  but  what  the  sense  of  my  texts 
required,  and  what  was  contained  therein,  it  was  not  by  my 
own  choice  that  these  subjects  were  left  untouched. 

"In  the  interleaved  copy  of  the  Excerpta  Sveclenbot'gianismi* 
it  is  stated  that  the  new  essay  for  the  twenty-sixth  Sunday 
after  Trinity  contradicts  the  doctrine  of  the  resurrection  of 
the  flesh;  yet  that  doctrine  is  not  discussed  there,  and  still 
less  denied,  but  the  subject  of  the  resurrection  is  there  so 
treated,  that  it  does  not  interfere  with  the  doctrine  of  the 
particular  last  judgment  which  awaits  every  man;  and  each 
and  every  one  is  left  at  liberty  to  tliink  of  his  gross  body  of 
clay  as  he  pleases;  he  may  thus,  if  he  choose,  believe  that 
that  body  will  again  be  united  to  the  spirit,  although  this 
certainly  does  not  want  it,  and  will  never  ask  for  it  again. 

"With  respect  to  the  contents  of  the  interleaved  copy  of  the 
so-called  dktata,  I  acknowledge  that  in  a  private  introductory 
course  of  lectures  on  the  study  of  theology,  which  I  delivered 
before  the  students  of  the  gymnasium,  I  permitted  the  students 
to  write  down,  that  they  might  remember,  certain  passages  in 
Latin,  which  I  read  and  sought  to  make  intelligible  to  them. 

"These  passages  were  from  Assessor  Swedenborg's  writings, 
and  especially  from  his  work  on  the  'White  Horse.'  In 
selecting  these  I  was  most  careful  not  to  bring  anything  be- 
fore the  students  which  might  invalidate  the  dogmatic  books; 
being  convinced  that  these  passages  are  in  strict  accordance 
with  the  meaning  of  the  Lord's  Word,  and  firmly  believing 
that  it  is  always  commendable  to  contribute  to  the  increase 
of  theological  knowledge. 

"When  I  delivered  these  lectures  either  in  private  or  in 
public,  the  doors  of  the  lecture-room  in  the  gymnasium  were 
never  closed,  so  that  visitors  were  occasionally  present,  and 
never  have  I  mentioned  the  name  of  Assessor  Swedenborg 
before  the  students,  or  recommended  his  writings  to  them. 
Wherefore,  up  to  the  present  time,  no  cause  has  been  discovered, 

*  Aurell's  Compilation,  see  Document  245,  K. 


342  TBIAL  AT  GOTTENBUBG.  [Doc.  245. 

for  which  any  action  should  be  taken  against  me,  in  agreement 
with  Your  Royal  Majesty's  gracious  orders  for  the  government 
of  the  schools  (Scliolae-orchiing),  Chapter  10,  §  2,  viz.  that  a 
reprimand  should  be  administered  to  me  for  teaching  contrary 
to  God's  written  Word;  which  reprimand,  when  duly  carried 
out,  wouid  have  to  be  pronounced  by  the  Bishop  and  the 
Consistory;  and  in  case  of  non-compliance  on  my  part,  the 
matter  would  have  to  be  reported,  in  all  humility,  to  Your 
Majesty.  In  order  to  assure  the  public  generally  of  the 
harmlessness  of  the  principles  taught  in  my  lectures,  I 
considered  myself  bound  to  publish  the  short  Latin  oration, 
which  herewith  follows,  and  which  was  pronounced  in  the 
presence  of  most  of  the  members  of  the  Consistory,  and  after- 
wards communicated  to  the  Bishop  of  the  diocese,  and  generally 
distributed,  and  against  which  no  i^oints  of  accusation  were 
raised.  How  I  have  been  treated  by  the  Consistory,  on 
account  of  these  so-called  dictata,  may  be  seen  from  the 
printed  ^Minutes  of  the  Consistory,'  p.  40,  and  in  many  other 
places  afterwards. 

"Next  in  order  I  have  to  defend  myself,  in  all  humility, 
on  account  of  having  given  leave  to  print  an  extract  from  one 
of  Swedenborg's  letters,  dated  October  30,  1769,  a  point 
which  the  Chancellor  of  Justice  has  noticed.  As  I  was  at 
the  time  Dean  of  the  Consistory,  I  considered  myself  not  only 
justified,  but  even  in  duty  bound  to  grant  this  permission. 
Our  practice  has  been  to  acknowledge  the  office  of  the  dean 
in  printing  matters  in  this  wise,  that  small  papers  were  not 
submitted  to  the  whole  Consistory,  but  were  simply  furnished 
with  the  dean's  signature;  an  instance  of  which  is  furnished 
by  the  'Gottenburg  Magazine'  (GotJiehorgska  Magasinet)  of 
1766  and  1767,  and  the  'Clerical  News'  (Prest  Tidningame) 
of  1768,  which  even  contained  theological  matters;  this  took 
place  after  Your  Royal  Majesty's  most  gracious  order  with 
respect  to  the  freedom  of  printing  was  published.  When  the 
question  of  the  printing  of  that  letter  came  up  before  the 
Consistory,  some  of  its  members  endeavoured  to  establish  the 
position,  that  the  printing  of  this  letter  ought  legally  to  have 
been  submitted  to  the  action  of  the  whole  Consistory.  Yet 
if  this  matter  be  fully   examined,  during   the  whole  time  the 


Doc.  245.]  DR.  BEYER' ^  DEFENCE.  343 

present  members  of  the  Consistory  have  been  in  office  only 
the  followng  writings  have  been  submitted  to  the  action  of 
the  full  board:  Dr.  Ekebom's  discourse,  delivered  at  Ljunby 
during  the  visitation  of  the  late  Bishop  "Wallin;  the  Swedish 
translation  of  Newton's  remarks  on  the  prophecies  of  Daniel 
and  the  Revelation  of  John,  and  the  disputation  delivered  be- 
fore the  meeting  of  clergymen  by  the  late  Lector  Arwidson. 
All  the  other  books  which  have  been  printed,  and  of  which 
there  is  a  great  number,  e.  g.  the  translation  of  Tillotson's 
Sermons,  in  four  volumes,  &c.,  have  not  been  formally  sub- 
mitted to  the  whole  board,  but  the  dean  only  has  usually 
taken  them  in  charge.  My  reasons,  therefore,  for  not  seeing 
any  objection  to  granting  leave  for  the  printing  of  the  letter, 
are  these:  that  it  was  simply  a  letter,  and  not  a  theological 
treatise,  in  which  case  it  would  certainly  have  been  brought 
under  the  notice  of  the  whole  board;  that  it  did  not  seem  to 
contain  any  of  tlfose  matters  which  are  forbidden  in  §  1  of 
the  Royal  Order  mentioned  above;  but  on  the  contrary,  such 
as  seem  to  be  admissible  according  to  §  5,  and,  as  §  13 
expressly  declares,  must  not  be  rejected  and  excluded  from 
printing  on  the  plea  of  containing  vituperation,  slander,  or 
criticism.  For  with  respect  to  the  theological  matter  which, 
according  to  the  printed  'Minutes  of  the  Consistory,'  is  said 
to  be  discussed  in  the  letter,  it  may  be  mentioned  by  way  of 
defence  that  there  are  great  philologists  and  theologians  in 
the  Lutheran  church  at  the  present  day,  for  instance  Michaelis, 
the  aulic  councillor  in  Gottingen,  who  have  clearly  proved 
that  the  meaning  of  Paul  in  his  e])istle  to  the  Romans  and 
Galatians,  on  account  of  their  having  been  first  addressed 
to  the  Jews,  cannot  justly  be  interpreted  as  having  reference 
to  the  moral  law,  but  must  mean  the  law  in  that  sense  in  which 
it  was  looked  upon  by  the  Jews  themselves  (J.  D.  Michaelis, 
Introduction  to  the  Divine  Writings  of  the  New  Testament, 
edition  of  1766,  pp.  1424,  1430);  from  which  it  seems  to  follow 
that  the  question  of  justification  and  imputation,  as  indicated 
in  these  passages  (Rom.  iii,  28,  and  Gal.  ii,  16),  may  be  classed 
among  those  points  on  which  teachers  are  not  agreed  among 
themselves,  and  which  according  to  the  Common  T<aw  (Miss- 
gerniyigar,  B.,  Chap,  i,  §  4)  cannot  be  visited  wit})  punishment. 


344  TEIAL  AT  GOTTENBUBG.  [Doc.  245. 

"If  the  author  has  been  too  personal  in  his  remarks,  so 
that  a  just  accusation  may  be  brought  against  him,  the  aggrieved 
party  has  full  opportunity  furnished  him  for  doing  so  in  a  law- 
fid  manner,  since  the  well-known  author  of  the  letter  is  himself 
responsible  for  it.  But  that  Dr.  Ekebom,  in  his  unfounded 
guesses  and  one-sided  examination,  has  been  entirely  wrong, 
in  asserting  that  I  have  been  instrumental  in  getting  the  letter 
printed,  is  made  plain  and  comprehensible  to  all  by  the  free 
confession  of  the  printer  Smitt,  made  on  p.  100  of  the  printed 
Minutes,  that  'he  had  printed  the  letter  on  his  own  account 
and  at  his  own  expense.' 

"The  last  point  which  in  all  humility  I  find  has  been 
brought  against  me,  is  Assessor  Aurell's  letter  to  Bishop 
Filenius,  the  speaker  of  the  last  honourable  House  of  the 
Clergy.*  If  that  assessor  had  been  better  informed  in  regard 
to  the  statements  which  he  makes,  I  am  sure  he  would  not 
have  written  as  he^  has;  and  if  he  did  not  entertain  an 
undeserved  grudge  against  me,  which  he  proves  by  not  mention- 
ing Lector  Roempke's  disputation  before  the  meeting  of  the 
clergy  at  the  same  time  with  my  essay  for  Whit-Monday, 
which  he  declares  in  the  'Minutes,'  he  intends  to  publish  in 
Swedish  with  notes — I  say  it  in  all  humility,  if  he  had  not 
been  filled  with  a  feeling  of  enmity  towards  me,  he  might  well 
have  saved  aU  his  calumnies  and  detractions.  The  real  state 
of  the  case  I  have  already  endeavoured  to  explain,  and  with 
the  rest  I  in  all  humility  need  not  trouble  myself. 

"Most  gracious  King,  enemies,  haters,  and  detractors  shall 
now  see  their  desires  upon  me  gratified,  if  my  most  humble 
declaration  and  defence,  which  I  herewith  lay  before  the  throne, 
is  regarded  with  disfavour,  in  which  case  my  misfortune  would 
be  evident.  But  I  trust  in  the  word  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  the 
Almighty  God,  'Behold  I  make  all  things  new:  I  come  quickly' 
i.  e.  surely,  Rev.  xxi,  5;  xxii,  20:  and  from  Your  Royal 
Majesty's  most  gracious  sympathy  for  the  welfare  of  the  Lord's 
kingdom  upon  earth,  and  your  justice  combined  with  mercy 
towards  your  faithful  subjects,  I,  who  have  been  for  twenty-two 
years   a  diligent  servant  in  the  Consistory,  and  for  eighteen 

*  An  extract  from  this  letter  is  contained  iii  Document  245,  J. 


Doc.  245.]         DR.  EKEBOM'S  DECLARATION.  345 

years  in  the  gymnasium,  and  who  am  the  father  of  five 
children  unprovided  for,  hope  that  I  shall  receive  from  you 
protection,  and  a  livelihood  in  connection  with  the  office  I 
have  tilled,  and  in  which  I  have  prospered  during  the  course 
of  my  life.  Your  Royal  Majesty's  gracious  order,  with  respect 
to  what  I  shall  publicly  teach,  or  not,  shall  always  be  observed 
by  me  in  humble  obedience,  and  with  the  respect  due  from  a 
subject.  Hoping  in  all  humility  that  I  shall  be  most  graciously 
permitted  to  explain  further  anything  that  may  be  found  un- 
satisfactory in  my  humble  declaration,  or  that  may  be  advanced 
by  my  adversaries  in  their  attempts  to  refute  or  weaken  the 
same,  I  commend  myself  in  my  temporal  affairs  to  Your  Royal 
Majesty's  good  pleasure,  and  I  remain  with  all  due  submission, 
most  mighty  and  most  gracious  King, 
"Your  Royal  Majesty's,  &c. 

"G.  A.  Beyer. 
«Gr.  L.  L.  ord.  Pr.  et  Th.  Doct." 

Dr.  Beyer's  declaration  was  submitted  to  the  Consistory 
on  February  14,  1770.  Dr.  Ekebom's  declaration,  which  is  as 
follows,  was  received  at  the  same  time. 


P. 

DR.  EKEBOM'S  DECLARATION* 

A  humble  declaration: 
"I.     With  respect  to  the  Swedenhonjian  doctrines  in  general. 

"Being  called  upon  by  His  Royal  Majesty's 
most  gracious  order,  contained  in  His  gracious  letter  to  the 
Consistory  of  this  place,  dated  January  2,  1770,  to  express  a 
humble  opinion  in  general  upon  the  doctrines  of  the  Well-born 

*  The  German  translation  of  this  document,  from  which  our  version 
has  been  made,  is  contained  in  a  work  printed  by  Prelate  (Etinger  in  1771, 
under  the  following  title :  Swedish  Documents  respecting  Assessor  Swedenborg, 
■which  will  be  decided  by  the  Swedish  Diet,  June  13,  1771  (Schwedische 
Urkufiden  von  dem  Assessor  Swedenborg,  u-elche  auf  dem  Schwedischen 
Reichstag  den  Idten  Juni,  1771,  werden  zur  Entscheidimg  kommen),  i)p.  24 
to    27.     These   documents    had   been    previously    published    in   Hamburg 


346  TRIAL  AT  GOTTENBUEG.  [Doc.  245. 

Assessor  Emanuel  Swedenborg,  in  a  like  humble  manner  I 
refer  to  the  written  declaration  on  the  same  subject  which  I 
submitted  to  the  Consistory  on  March  22,  1769,  and  which 
at  my  request  was  entered  on  its  Minutes. 

"I  there  made  an  honest  confession,  that  I  was  then  un- 
acquainted with  the  religious  system  of  Assessor  Swedenborg, 
a  knowledge  of  which  I  believed  then,  and  I  believe  still, 
I  may  the  more  readily  dispense  with,  as  this  would  be  of  no 
use  to  me  in  the  chief  object  of  my  public  office  of  teacher, 
nor  would  it  contribute  in  the  least  to  the  edification  of  my 
own  poor  heart.  Besides,  the  Swedenborgian  system  of  doc- 
trine— if  it  deserves  the  name  of  a  system — appears  to  me 
much  more  extensive  than  the  numerous  duties  of  my  office, 
more  useful  studies,  and  the  few  leisure  hours  I  have,  permit 
me  to  examine. 

"I  commenced  reading  some  of  the  theological  writings 
of  Assessor  Swedenborg  with  a  little  more  attention,  when, 
after  the  time  of  his  stay  in  this  town,  some  unfortunate  seed 
were  scattered,  and  when  especially  during-  this  last  year  the 
Swedenborgian  weeds  began  to  spread  here.  But  I  did  not 
require  to  read  very  long,  nor  to  weigh  very  seriously  what 
I  had  read,  before  I  became  aware  that  the  author,  by  his 
horrible  deviations  from  our  pure  doctrine,  had  arrived  at 
some  intolerable  conclusions,  and  at  last  at  such  doctrines, 
as  undoubtedly  bear  witness  to  a  troubled  fantasy,  and  are 
unsupported  by  any  other  arguments  than  such  as  are  derived 
from  'things  heard  and  seen.'  In  my  written  declaration,  which 
I  submitted  to  the  Consistory  on  March  22,  1769,  I  used 
these  words:  that  the  doctrines  of  Mr.  Swedenborg  are  '■cor- 
rupting, heretical,  injurious,  and  in  the  highest  degree  objection- 
able,' and  further  that  ^tliey  are  diametrically  opposed  to  God's 
7'evealed  Word,  and  the  dogmatic  writings  of  the  Lutheran 
church.'  Such  were  my  expressions  then,  and  I  cannot  retract 
them  now. 


according  to  a  statement  made  on  p.  86:  "The  documents  have  ah'eady 
been  pubUshed  in  Hamburg,  and  we  desire  to  publish  them  here,  so  that 
every  one  may  be  able  to  decide  patiently,  how  he  must  try  them  so 
that  he  may  retain  what  is  good." 


Doc.  245.J          DR.  EKEBOM'S  DEGLARATIOX.  347 


II.   With  respect  to  the  hook  called  'Neiv  Essays' 

"The  author  (Doctor  Gabriel  A.  Beyer,  lector  in  the  Royal 
Gymnasium  of  this  town)  promises  on  the  title-page  an  edifij'nuj 
explanation  of  the  texts  for  Sundays  and  feast  days.  This 
explanation,  however,  is  aranged  entirely  according  to  the 
Swedenborgian  method  of  explaining  the  Sacred  Scriptui'e. 

"In  the  explanation  of  most  texts,  I  can  see  how  the 
Lector  has  deviated  entirely  from  the  literal  sense,  and  con- 
sequently from  that  explanation  of  the  Gospel  history  which 
is  founded  on  the  pure  Word  of  God  and  which  harmonizes  with 
the  analogy  of  fjiith  and  of  the  Sacred  Scripture,  and  which 
from  the  time  of  Luther  has  been  approved  by  the  whole 
Evangelical  church;  and  that  in  its  stead  he  has  so  zealously 
pursued  a  mystical,  sj^iritual,  and  angelic  sense,  that  a  simple  rea- 
der must  necessarily  be  involved  in  obscurities  and  unintelligible 
things,  not  knowing  Avhether  everything  perhaps  w^iich  the 
Scripture  sayr,  and  what  he  himself  from  childhood  has  read 
and  heard  in  sermons,  concerning  the  three  persons  in  the 
godhead,  concerning  the  doctrine  of  the  atonement  and 
redemption  which  have  been  effected  in  Jesus  Christ,  concer- 
ning justification  by  faith  alone,  concerning  the  sacraments  and 
the  last  judgment,  and  concerning  the  person,  offices,  benefits, 
miracles,  &c.  of  the  Saviour — is  not  all  an  idle  tale  and  fic- 
tion; since  these  doctrines,  which  are  the  very  constellations 
of  religion,  that  ought  to  be  kept  constantly  before  the  eyes, 
are  in  these  dsy,  motley,  insipid,  and  unworthy  essays,  put  on 
artificial  and  refined  screws,  and  are  placed  in  great  jeopardy, 
especially  when  a  simple-minded  man  sees  that  every  thing  must 
be  taken  in  a  figurative,  mystical,  and  abstruse  sense. 

III.     With  respect  to  the  so-called  'Dictata.' 

"These  public  lectures  to  w'hich  Dr.  Beyer  has  directed 
the  attention  of  the  students  of  the  gymnasium,  which  he 
dictated  to  them,  are  of  two  kinds: 

"1.  Those  belonging  to  the  so-called  Coller/iiim  TJieologicum 
introductorium,  from  which  it  is  made  very  evident,  that  his 
intention  has  been  no  other   than  to  initiate  the  students  of 


348  TRIAL  AT  GOTTENBURG.  [Doc.  245. 

the  gymnasium  into  an  entire  theological  system  according  to 
the  doctrine  of  Assessor  Swedenborg  and  his  new  church. 

"2.  Those  wliich  are  intended  as  an  explanation  of  the 
history  of  the  Lord's  passion, 

"It  does  not  require  a  long  examinaton  before  you  recog- 
nize in  these  dictata  the  style  and  terminology  of  Assessor 
Swedenborg. 

"It  is  well  known  that  Sacred  Scripture  is  the  source  of 
religion  and  of  faith,  or  the  fountain  whence  we  must  deduce 
all  our  knowledge  of  religion,  and  our  doctrine  of  salvation. 
If  this  principle  or  this  source  is  badly  explained,  there  must 
necessarily  arise  thence  a  perverted  religion  and  false  doctrine. 
This  also,  as  is  well-known,  is  the  principal  source  of  all 
heresies.  Besides,  it  is  also  known  that  Assessor  Swedenborg 
has  adopted  an  entirely  different  foundation  for  the  explanation  of 
the  Sacred  Scripture,  from  the  one  accepted  by  the  Evangelical 
church;  and  which  by  the  Lord's  command  must  be  accepted 
without  contradiction.  The  Assessor  bases  his  whole  expla- 
nation of  the  Scripture  on  a  spiritual  sense,  and  upon  his 
so-called  correspondences.  These,  again,  are  said  to  rest  on 
his  immediate  revelations,  or  on  his  oft  repeated  and  quoted 
'Audita  et  Visa  e  Coelo'  (things  heard  and  seen  from  heaven). 

"Dr.  Beyer  declares  that  Divine  inspiration  is  an  influx 
of  Divine  Truth  through  the  heavens  into  the  world,  wherefore 
this  also  has  a  triple  sense,  a  celestial,  a  spiritual  and  a  natural. 
These  senses  of  the  Word,  he  says,  are  above  the  human 
rational,  because  man's  spirit  is  an  organized  substance,  just 
as  the  body  is;  which  human  rational  is  made  up  of  the  ap- 
pearances and  fallacies  of  the  external  senses,  &c. 

"These  significations  in  the  Word,  he  says,  no  man  is 
able  to  understand  who  does  not  know  the  science  of  corre- 
spondences, because  the  Word  is  written  by  mere  correspon- 
dences. Because  the  Lord  spoke  from  His  Divine  nature  or 
(N.  B.)  the  Father,  He  spoke  by  correspondences. 

"0.  Ekebom, 
"Th.  Doct.  and  Dean  of  Gottenburg. 

"Gottenburg,  February  12,  1770." 

A  week   before   Drs.  Beyer  and  Ekebom  delivered  their 


Doc.  245.]  DR.  ROSEN'S  DECLARATION.  349 

statements,  Dr.  Rosen  submitted  to  the  Consistory  the  Ibllowiiig 
dechiration : 


Q. 

DR.  ROSiN'S  DECLARATION.* 

"A  humble  declaration: 

"I  see  the  arena  before  me,  and  I  step  forth 
to  'bear  witness.  Respectful  silence  is  out  of  place.  The 
King  has  said:  'Thou  art  permitted  to  speak  for  thyself 
(Acts  xxvi,  1).  What  dost  thou  believe  and  teach?  Testify 
freely,  and  thou  shalt  fare  well.  Were  Balaam's  'ci/es  open' 
(Num.  xxiv,  3)?  Is  Hhe  spirit  of  the  lioly  gods'  in  Emanuel 
(Dan.  V,  11),  or  does  he,  'deluded  by  soft  dreams,'  'intrude 
into  those  things  which  he  hath  not  seen'  (Col.  ii,  18)?  Is 
there  no  more  'to  be  any  propheV  (Ps.  Ixxiv,  9;  1  Sam.  iii,  1); 
and  shall  we  'find  no  vision  from  the  Lord'  (Lam.  ii,  9)? 
If  so,  abandon  Swedenborg  and  reject  visions. 

"Sire  and  King!  whether  I  speak  or  keep  silence,  I  shall 
equally  be  regarded  as  a  transgressor:  for  'the  adversary  walketh 
about'  (1  Peter  v,  8).  And  yet  I  have  done  nothing  that 
mercy  and  grace  may  not  forgive.  How  then  shall  I  answer 
Your  Majesty,  and  how  shall  I  bring  my  suit  before  your  throne? 

"Even  'though  I  were  righteous,  yet  would  I  not  answer, 
but  would  make  supplication  to  my  Judge'   (Job  ix,  15). 

"May  I  say  with  David,  ' Search  me,  O  God'  (Ps.  cxxxix,  23)? 
Though  I  should  hear  the  words  ring  in  my  ears,  Thou  must 
%nd  up  the  testimony,  and  seal  the  Law'  (Isa.  viii,  16);  thou 
must  retract  thy  faith,  and  reject,  yea,  reject  it!  —  I  shall 
yet  do  my  duty,  and  'give  God  the  praise'  (John  ix,  24),  glad 
^for  conscience  sake  to  endure  grief,  hecause  this  is  acceptahle 
with  God'  (1  Peter  ii,  19,  20).  Let  another  'confer  with  flesh 
and  hlood'  (Gal.  i,  16).  Shall  I  keep  back  my  confession 
or  speak  enigmatically? 

"Well  then,  Consistory,  tell  me  what  I  shall  reject?  I  receive 


*  The  Swedish  oiiginal  of  this  Document  is  printed  in  the  "Xya  Kyrkan," 
tc.  Part  1.  pp.  48  to  51. 


350  TRIAL  AT  GOTTENBUBG.  [Doc.  245. 

uo  answer,  for  the  judge  is  angry.  He  has  'scourged  without 
law  and  without  judgment  a  Roman'  (Acts  xvi,  37).  What 
shall  I  reject?  Swedenborgian  ideas,  or  statements  which  are  not 
approved,  and  which  must  not  be  inquired  into  ?  What  shall  I 
reject  ?  None  of  God's  declarations,  and  no  part  of  'our  most  holy 
faith'  (Jude  20) ;  but  Swedenborgian  ideas,  Swedenborg's  whims, 
the    creations   of  his  brain  and  his  perverted  teachings. 

"Be  merciful,  0  King,  and  listen  to  the  language  of  my 
heart!  I  never  judge  of  doctrines  by  visions,  but  the  reverse. 
I  have  dreamt  no  dreams,  and  abhor  all  idle  talk.  One  thing, 
however,  seems  astonishing  to  me,  and  difficult  to  understand, 
how  in  ancient  times  persons  believed  that  spirits  could  speak 
with  men  (Acts  xii,  15;  xxiii,  9). 

"Being  a  subject  I  lay  my  hand  on  my  mouth,  and  yet  I 
know  that  Paul  was  'cauglit  jqf  (2  Cor.  xii,  2),  and  that 
'Jieaven  was  opened'  for  many  (John  i,  51 ;  Acts  vii,  56). 

"Why  then  should  visions  and  spirits  be  'foolishness'  to 
us,  as  the  'crucified  Christ  was  unto  the  Greeks'  (1  Cor.  i.  23), 
and  as  the  letter  is  to  freethinkers?  An  extraordinary  sign 
appears;  it  is  our  duty  'to  discern'  it  (Matt,  xvi,  3);  and  if 
it  is  really  a  fact  that  spirits  or  angels  have  spoken  with 
Swedenborg,  I  am  not  disposed  'to  fight  against  God'  (Acts 
xxiii,  9);  nor  am  I  willing  'to  curse  him  whom  God  hath  not 
cursed'  (Num.  xxiii,  8). 

"And  withal  none  is  infalHble,  'none  good  and  wise  but 
one,  that  is,  God'  (Matt,  xix,  17;  Rom.  xvi,  27). 

"Away  with  a  false  spirit  of  compromise!  away  with  idolatry! 
The  Teacher  who  'taught  with  authority'  (Mark  i,  27),  'who 
received  honour  from  no  man'  (John  v,  41),  the  'ruler  of  my 
faith'  (2  Cor.  i,  21),  He  shall  decide. 

"  'How  can  ye  believe,  wliich  receive  doctrine  (mening)  one 
of  another,  and  seek  not  the  doctrine  that  cometh  from  God 
only'  (John  v,  44)?  —  'Christ  is  my  Master'  (Matt,  xxiii,  8), 
'Scripture  is  my  test'  (Symbolical  Books,  p.  572),  'doctrine  is 
my  lamp'  (Ps.  cxix,  105);  this  also  is  my  'palladium,'  the 
only  'image  ivhich  has  ever  come  down  from  heaven'  (Acts 
xix,  35).  Ought  we  not  to  think  of  human  writings  in  a  human 
fashion,    and  to  worship  God  as  Paul  has  done? 

"Behold,  then,   'I  believe   all  things  which  are  written  in 


Doc.  245.]  DR.  ROSEN'S  DECLARATION.  351 

the  Law  and  in  the  prophets'  (Acts  xxiv,  14),  If,  therefore, 
'the  Sadducees  say  that  there  is  no  resurrection,  neither  angel, 
nor  spirit,'  I  'confess  both'  (Acts  xxiii,  8).  And  'for  this  I 
stand  and  am  judged'  (Act  xxvi.  6). 

"And  this  is  the  doctrine  with  respect  to  spirits  which  is 
condemned  by  the  Consistory,  a  doctrine  which  comes  accredited 
by  Scripture. 

"The  prophet,  however,  discovered  vanity  in  what  is  written 
by  'the  scribes'  (Jer.  viii,  8).  If  the  King  grant  me  to  con- 
firm my  declaration  before  a  legal  tribunal  by  clear  references 
and  lawful  arguments,  I  will  make  it  manifest  that  it  is  one 
thing  'to  break  the  tradition  of  the  elders'  (Matt,  xv,  2,  6), 
and  quite  another  'to  walk  aside  from  the  rule'  (Phil.  iii.  16). 

"If  'Abraham,'  according  to  Paul,  'was  justified  by  faith' 
(Romans  iv,  3),  and  according  to  James  'by  works'  (James  ii, 
24),  Emanuel  gets  ready  his  harrow,  and,  'far  from  teaching 
for  doctrines  the  commandments  of  men'  (Matt,  xv,  9),  preaches 
that  'the  Lord  is  our  Righteousness  or  our  Justification'  (Jer. 
xxiii,  6),  and  is  full  of  zeal  against  a  wrong  understanding, 
but  never  against  faith. 

"Let  Scripture  be  interpreted  by  Scripture,  and  no  empty 
word  will  be  discovered  therein!  Let  Huiiti/  and  imritij  be 
respected,  which  are  demanded  by  Paul  (Eph.  iv,  3,  6);  let 
us  worhip  '■one  God'  (Isa.  xlv,  21),  and  a  '■Trinity'  in  Him 
(Coloss.  ii,  9);  one  God  'who  dwelletJi  on  high'  (Isa.  hii,  15); 
one  Lord,  the  Saviour,  who  has  gained  the  victory  (Ps.  ex); 
one  Lord,  ^who  is  the  Spirit'  (1  Cor.  iii,  17).  John  exclaims, 
'He  is  Love'  (1  John  iv,  8,  16);  and  Paul,  that  'He  ivas  in 
Christ'  (2  Cor.  v,  19).  Our  cause  speaks  for  itself,  and  'we 
see  light  in  the  light  of  Him  who  is  true'  (Ps.  xxxvi,  9; 
1  John  v,  20),  who  is  known  every  where  and  praised  with- 
out end;  whose  'second  a])pearance'  is  expected  (1  Tim.  vi,  14), 
with  'peace  upon  Israel'  (Ps.  cxxv,  5).  "John  Rosen." 

The  author  of  "Nya  Kyrkan,"  in  publishing  for  the  first 
time  this  intrepid  utterance  of  Dr.  Rosen,  says:  "When 
Paul  in  former  times  defended  Christianity  before  Agri})pa 
and  Festus,  the  last  King  of  Israel  is  reported  to  have 
said  to  the   apostle   of  the   Gentiles,    'Almost  thou   persuad- 


352  TRIAL  AT  GOTTENBURG.  [Doc.  245. 

est  me  to  be  a  Christian.'  We  do  not  know*  wliat  Adolphus 
Frederic  said  after  hearing  Rosen's  declaration.  But  from 
the  King's  remark  to  Swedenborg,  which  we  shall  quote  here- 
after,-]- it  Avould  seem  that  Rosen's  frank,  as  well  as  laconic 
and  pithy,  Bible  language  did  not  displease  that  monarch." 

While  the  Documents  0,  P  and  Q  were  pending  before 
the  King  and  the  Council  of  State,  Swedenborg  wrote  the 
following  letter  to  Dr.  Beyer: 

R. 

FIFTEENTH  LETTER  OF  EMANUEL  SWEDENBORG  TO  DR.  BEFEfi.*'^ 

"Reverend  Doctor  and  Lector, 

"Only  two  days  ago  I  received  your  favour  of  the  21st  of 
last  March,  and  on  reading  it  through  I  was  surprised  at  the 
reports  which  are  said  to  have  reached  Gottenburg  from  Stock- 
holm to  the  effect  that  you  and  Dr.  Rosen  are  to  be  deposed, 
deprived  of  office,  and  banished  from  the  country,  a  report  to 
which  certainly  I  can  give  no  credence;  for  it  contradicts  my 
reason  in  the  highest  degree  to  believe  that  a  person  may  be 
deprived  of  office  and  banished  from  the  country,  on  the  mere 
allegation  of  his  being  heretical,  without  the  principal  point  of 
accusation  against  him  being  investigated.  In  the  printed 
Minutes  I  cannot  find  that  they  have  taken  a  single  step  in 
regard  to  the  question  itself,  but  that  they  have  simply  busied 
themselves  in  making  attacks  in  abusive  and  unseemly  language, 
when  yet  the  real  point  at  issue  is  this,  whether  it  is  allowable 
to  approach  immediately  our  Redeemer  and  Saviour  Jesus 
Christ,  or  whether  we  must  go  a  circuitous  way,  namely,  to 
God  the  Father,  that  He  may  impute  to  us  the  merit  and 
righteousness  of  His  Son,  and  send  the  Holy  Spirit.    But  that 

*  The  King's  official  reply  to  the  declarations  of  Drs.  Beyer  and  Rosen 
is  contained  in  Document  245,  T. 

f  See  Document  6,  no,  37. 

^  The  Swedish  original  of  this  Document,  from  which  the  present 
translation  has  been  made,  is  preserved  in  the  Library  of  the  Academy  of 
Sciences  in  Stockholm.  It  was  jjrinted  as  Letter  XILL  in  the  "Samhngar 
for  Philautroper,"  and  an  English  translation  of  it  is  contained  in  the 
Supplement  to  the  enlarged  English  edition  of  the  "Swedenborg  Documents," 
published  in  1855,  pp.  6  to  9. 


Doc.  245.]  SWEDENBORG  TO  BEYER.  353 

we  may  go  the  other,  which  is  the  direct  way,  namely,  to  our 
Saviour,  Jesus  Christ,  is  in  accordance  botli  with  the  'Augs- 
burg Confession,'  and  the  'Formula  Concordise,'  and  also  with 
our  own  prayers  and  hymns;  and  it  entirely  agrees  with  God's 
Word. 

"In  the  'Augsburg  Confession'  are  the  following  words: 
'For  [the  Scripture]  sets  before  us  Christ  alone  as  the  Medi- 
ator, the  Propitiator,  the  High  Priest,  and  the  Intercessor; 
He  is  to  be  invoked,  or  addressed;  and  He  has  promised  that 
He  will  hear  our  prayers;  and  the  Sacred  Scripture  very 
greatly  approves  of  this  worship,  viz.  that  He  should  be  invoked 
in  all  afflictions'  (1  John  ii,  1). 

"'In  the  'Formula  Concordia^"  are  these  words:  'We  have 
a  command  that  we  should  call  upon  Christ  according  to  this 
saying,  'Come  unto  me  all  ye  that  labour,'  &c.,  which  is  cer- 
tainly addressed  to  us;  and  Isaiah  says,  chap,  xi,  'In  that  day 
there  shall  be  a  root  of  Jesse,  which  shall  stand  for  an  ensign 
of  the  people.  On  Him  shall  the  nations  call.'  And  in 
Psalm  xlv,  'The  rich  among  the  people  shall  entreat  Thy 
countenance.'  And  in  Psalm  Ixxii,  'And  all  kings  of  the  earth 
shall  fall  down  before  Him.'  And  in  another  verse,  'They 
shall  pray  before  Him  continually.'  And  in  John  v,  23,  Christ 
says,  'AH  shall  honour  the  Son,  even  as  they  honour  the 
Father.'  See  also  Paul  in  1  Thess.  ii.  These  are  the  identi- 
cal words  quoted  from  the  work. 

"In  our  Hymn-book  are  prayers  and  hymns  addressed  to 
Jesus  Christ  alone;  as  Hymn  266,  of  which  I  will  quote  only 
what  follows: 

'Lo!  Jesus  is  my  might; 
He  is  my  heart's  delight. 
O  Jesus,  hear  my  voice. 

If  I  of  Christ  make  sure, 

I'll  ever  feel  secure. 

And  freed  from  all  my  sins. 

As  Jesus  is  my  shield, 
I'll  ne'er  to  Satan  yield 
Tho'  he  against  me  rage. 

23 


354      ,  TRIAL  AT  GOTTENBUEG.  [Doc.  245. 

My  cares  and  all  my  woe 
On  Him  alone  I'll  throw, 
Who  is  my  strength  and  guard. 

By  day  and  night  I  rest 

Safely  on  Jesus'  breast, 

In  w^hom  alone  I  trust'  (Verses  1,  3,  8). 

"Besides  all  this,  two  of  my  letters,  which  have  been  inserted 
and  printed  in  the  Gottenburg  'Minutes,'*  contain  numerous 
proofs,  adduced  from  the  whole  of  the  'Formula  Concordise,' 
that  our  Saviour,  even  as  to  His  Humanity,  is  God,  which 
Luther  and  the  'Formula  Concordise'  corroborate  with  all  their 
power,  and  which  is  also  in  agreement  with  the  entire  Word 
of  God.  In  proof  of  this  I  refer  you  only  to  Col.  ii,  9; 
1  John  V,  20,  21.  More  to  the  same  purport  has  been  adduced 
from  one  of  my  works,  an  extract  from  which  may  be  found 
in  the  printed  'Minutes'  of  the  Gottenburg  Consistory  (Docu- 
ment 245,  C,  p.  291  et  seq.).  This  doctrine  they  there  call 
Swedenlorgianism;  but  for  my  part  I  call  it  Genuine  Christi- 
anity. 

"This  is  the  question  now  at  issue,  which  the  members  of 
the  Consistory  have,  on  their  part,  not  touched  upon  at  all, 
but  respecting  which  they  have  simply  burst  forth  into  abusive 
language,  which  affects  not  simply  my  person  and  honour, 
but  our  Redeemer  and  His  holiness.  How  they  will  answer 
for  this  after  death,  I  will  not  here  consider. 

"xA.s  to  the  Son  of  God  from  eternity,  which  is  likewise 
a  controverted  point,  I  have  proved,  that  in  the  Apostles' 
Creed,  which  is  received  throughout  the  whole  of  Christendom, 
and  which  contains  the  doctrine  of  the  apostles  themselves^ 
no  other  Son  of  God  is  mentioned  than  the  Son  of  God  born 
in  time,  who  is  our  Redeemer  Himself,  to  whom  every  man 
can  address  himself,  and  to  whom,  by  virtue  of  what  is  stated 
in  the  'Augsburg  Confession'  and  the  'Formula  Concordia^,' 
he  must  address  himself,  that  he  may  obtain  salvation.  And 
if  our  freedom  be  interfered  with  in  this  respect,  I  would  rather 
live  in  Tartary  than  among  Christians.    If  any  other  be  willing 

*  Document  245,  F  and  G. 


Doc.  245.]  SWEDENBORG  TO  BEYER.  355 

to  ,^0  further— to  a  Son  of  God  from  eternity,  he  is  at  liber- 
ty to  do  so. 

"Your  letter,  and  your  fear  of  harsli  treatment,  have  induced 
me  to  develop  and  explain  the  point  at  issue  in  this  manner, 
since  theological  subjects  are  of  such  a  nature,  that  a  person 
may  easily  wander  about  in  darkness  in  respect  to  them, 
particularly  if  accusers,  with  a  pretence  of  learning,  try  to 
blacken  them  by  such  coarse  expressions,  and  seek  to  kill  the 
'man-child'  with  murderous  words.  However,  I  presume,  and 
1  believe  it  as  a  certainty,  that  His  Royal  Majesty  with  the 
enlightened  members  of  the  Council  will  judge  of  this  matter 
in  its  true  light,  and  not  according  to  the  glosses  of  the  Doaii 
and  others.  For  if  you  should  be  removed  from  office  and 
exiled,  what  could  the  present  as  well  as  future  generations 
say,  but  that  this  had  happened  to  you  for  no  other  reason  than 
that  you  had  approached  immediately  our  Lord  and  Saviour, 
and  that  you  had,  notwithstanding,  not  denied  the  Trinity.  What 
astonishment  and  indignation  must  not  this  cause  in  every  one! 

"This  subject,  in  its  whole  extent,  will  soon  be  placed  before 
tlie  whole  of  Christendom,*  and  the  judgment  passed  upon  it 
1  will  hereafter  submit  to  the  King,  and  to  the  Honourable 
Houses  of  the  Realm  in  general:  for  during  a  session  of  the 
Diet,  the  House  of  the  Clergy  is  not  at  liberty  to  submit  to 
His  Royal  Majesty  its  own  separate  or  independent  opinion, 
wliich  shall  afterwards  have  the  force  of  law.  Theological 
matters  belong  to  the  other  Houses  also.-j- 

"With  respect  to  your  journey  here,  I  do  not  think  that 
your  presence  in  Stockholm  would  greatly  benefit  your  cause. 
I  will  only  ask  you  to  be  khid  enough  to  copy  this  letter,  and 
send  a  copy  to  His  Excellency  Senator  Stockenstrom,"^  and 
another  to  His  Excellency  Senator  R.  Hermanson,^^'-*  informing 

*  The  al)ovc'  letter  was  written  on  April  12,  1770,  and  in  the  "True 
Christian  KeHgion,"  no.  791  Swedenborg  states  that  that  work  was  finished 
un  June  19,  1770;  so  that  the  publication  of  that  work  was  evidently 
befure  his  mind  when  he  penned  these  expressions. 

•}-  The  Swedish  Diet  at  the  time  of  Swedenborg  was  divided  into  four 
Houses :  the  House  of  Nobles,  theHouse  of  the  Clergj',  the  House  of  Burgheis, 
and  the  House  of  Peasants.  Any  measure  to  have  legal  power  had  to  pass 
three  out  of  the  four  Houses.  This  lumbersome  legislative  machinery  was 
abolished  in  1806,  and  the  two  chambers-system  introduced. 

23* 


356  TRIAL  AT  GOTTENBURG.  [Doc.  245. 

them  that  it  is  done  at  my  request.  I  intend  to  send  a  copy 
myself  to  the  Chancellor  of  Justice,"^  and  one  to  his  Ex- 
cellency Count  Ekeblad.^*^"  I  remain  with  all  friendship  and 
affection, 

"Your  obedient  servant, 

"Em.  Swedenboeg. 
"Stockliolm,  April  12,  1770." 

Two  days  after  Swedenborg  had  addressed  the  preceding 
letter  to  Dr.  Beyer,  Dr.  Rosen  wrote  the  following  letter  to 
"one  of  the  Senators,"  who  had,  as  the  author  of  "Nya  Kyrkan" 
says,  "desired  a  detailed  account  of  the  case."  The  following 
Document  therefore  may  be  regarded  as  a  supplement  to  the 
declaration  which  Dr.  Rosen  submitted  to  the  King  (Docu- 
ment 245,  Q.): 

S. 

DR.  ROSEN  TO  A  SENATOR* 

"High  well-born  Baron,  Councillor  of  His  Royal  Majesty 
and  the  Kingdom  of  Sweden,  Knight  and  Commander  of 
your  Order. 

"Gracious  Sir, 

"As  Swedenborgianism  and  I  have  fallen  into 
the  hands  of  your  Excellency,  I  will  not  distress  myself  about 
a  fortunate  issue  of  our  cause,  and  my  acquittal.  The  exigency 
of  the  case,  nevertheless,  requires  that,  with  your  gracious 
leave,  I  should  explain  myself  at  greater  length. 

"The  severest  reproach  against  the  doctrine  to  which  I 
bear  witness,  is  its  difference  from,  and  in  some  respects  con- 
flict with,  the  Confession  of  Faith,  on  which  we  have  taken  an 
oath;  my  crime  also  consists  in  nothing  else  than  refusing,  on 
that  ground,  to  reject  the  doctrines  of  Swedenborg. 

"Gracious  Sir,  the  essence  of  the  purity  of  our  doctrine  is 
its  accordance  with  Scripture ;  and  the  laws  of  Sweden^  especially 

*  The  Swedish  original  of  this  Document  is  printed  in  "Nya  Kyrkan," 
&c.,  Part  I,  pp.  51  to  58. 


Doc.  245.]  ROSEN  TO  A  SENATOR.  357 

a  law  dating  from  the  year  1766,  indicate  this.*  If  all 
CMiristians  who  are  related  to  us  })y  faith  appeal  to  God's  Word, 
though  some  do  violence  to  it  and  strain  it,  nevertheless  if 
we  examine  this  matter  justly  and,  as  it  were,  standing  in 
God's  presence,  the  question  resolves  itself  into  this,  AVho  has 
really  the  law  and  the  Word  on  his  side?  He  who  has  is  ortho- 
dox, and  he  alone.  A  great  advance  in  linguistics  and  an 
accumulation  of  inestimable  philological  and  philosophical -f 
discoveries,  made  in  recent  times,  give  me  a  just  hope 
that  an  amendment  in  our  faith  and  life,  which  is  as  possible 
as  it  is  necessary,  will  eventually  take  place  And  now  it 
happens  that  a  wonderful  man,  who  gives  evidence  of  a  most 
unusual  learning  in  natural  and  spiritual  things,  declares  that 
he  has  been  sent  by  the  Lord  for  such  a  purpose ;  and  on 
being  asked  for  his  credentials,  he  solves  all  involved  theolo- 
gical problems,^:  strikes  down  naturalism  and  superstition,  with 
the  same  weapons  exposes  the  nakedness  of  the  learned,  and 
subjects  himself  to  the  good  and  evil  report  of  the  Lord's 
apostles  ;  he  manifests  the  greatest  possible  veneration  for 
Scripture,  he  worships  God,  and  urges  man  to  sanctification : 
in  short,  he  seeks  to  promote  the  honour  of  the  Most  High. 
It  is  excusable,  if  for  such  a  man,  whose  'eyes  are  open' 
(Num.  xxiv,  4),  and  'in  whom  is  undoubtedly  the  spirit  of  the 
holy  gods'  (Dan.  v.  ii),  I  should  conceive  some  veneration. 
"Mere  curiosity,  however,  has  not  led  me  to  liis  doctrines, 

*  "The  statutes  concerning  the  freedom  of  writing  and  printing  do  not 
mention  the  dogmatic  books,  §  1,  and  admit  of  no  other  than  a  literal 
explanation." 

f  "The  symbols  are  sacred  among  us,  so  far  as  they  aie  th?  Word  of 
Cxod  propounded  as  to  its  meaning  and  as  to  its  words.  If  a  different 
meaning  should  be  laid  upon  them,  by  an  advance  in  the  study  of  theo- 
■0<j.-y,  tliey  are  no  longer  the  Word  of  God.  The  same  would  be  the  case, 
]f  a  creed  should  originate  in  the  notions  of  men.'  See  Schubert's  Con- 
sideration of  the  Articles  of  Faith. 

^  "Paul,  for  instance,  says  (Homans  iv,  3)  that  'Abraham  was  iuntificd 
hy  faith,  and  James  (ii,  21)  declares  that  he  was  justified  by  works.  The 
apostle  likewise  states,  that  'justification  or  righteousness  is  imputed  to  man 
without  works'  (Romans  iv,  6;  xi,  17);  when  yet  'God  will  render  to  every 
man  according  to  his  deeds'  (Romans  ii,  0).  Of  this  subject  Swcdeuborg 
gi\es  a  natural  and  unforced  explanation." 


358  TRIAL  AT  GOTTENBUBG.  [Doc.  245. 

but  I  have  been  drawn  to  them  by  their  consistency  with 
God's  Word.  If,  for  instance,  Doctor  Luther  has  taken  the 
law  in  a  sense  that  greatly  astonishes  Paul,  it  is  the  friend 
of  angels,  our  celebrated  countryman  alone,  who  is  acquainted 
with  this  circumstance.  Still  Grotius  and  Michaelis  interpret 
Romans  iii,  28  in  the  same  sense  as  Swedenborg;  all  of  whom 
are  giants  in  learning. 

"What  Mosheim,  a  man  of  like  celebrity,  thought  about 
the  doctrine  of  the  Divine  Trinity,  he  gives  us  sufficiently  to 
understand,  when  he,  who  worships  three  persons,  is  unable 
to  connect  any  thought  with  these  expressions,  and  is  unable 
to  give  a  definition  of  a  person  and  of  an  essence.  In  a  similar 
manner  Michaelis,  the  aulic  councillor,  acknowledges  the  eter- 
nal birth  of  the  Son,  but  is  unable  to  find  any  passage  from 
Scripture  by  which  to  confirm  it.* 

"Our  last  synodal  disputation  took  exception  both  to  the 
sentence  of  condemnation  under  which  we  are  (forkastelsedom), 
and  to  vindictive  justice  (liamd-rattfanligliet). 

"To  these  views  Swedenborgianism  and  the  more  enlight- 
ened doctrine  of  Christ's  satisfaction  are  most  closely  related. 
This  doctrine  Grotius  saw  before  Swedenborg.-f  The  Dutch 
theologian  also  on  the  subject  of  justification  entertains  similar 
ideas  with  the  Swedish  theologian.  How  was  it  possible  for 
the  North  to  be  enlightened  two  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago, 
when  a  canonized  blindness  was  of  more  value  than  the  light 
of  the  morning  stav? 

"No  visionary  or  dreamer  has  the  honour  to  think  alike 
with  those  harbingers  of  light,  Grotius,  Mosheim,  Michaelis, 
and  others.  Swedenborg  is  the  man  who  utters  'unspeakable 
words'  (appTjxa  pTjjxaxa,  2  Cor.  xii,  4)  in  agreement  with 
reason. 

"No  contradiction  can  be  discovered  in  those  dreams  which 
he  has  had  during  twenty-six  years,  if,  in  accomodation  to  the 
notions  of  the  world,  it  is  just  to  call  them  so.  Paul's  sermons 
in  olden  times  were  considered  foolishness.  If  an  apostle  has 
been  caught  up  into  the  third  heaven,  the  possibility  of  strange 

*  "He  coiToborated  the  Divinity  of  Jesus,  and  contents  himself  with  not 
controverting  the  rest." 

t  Grotius  ad  Cormtliios  v,  19,  20,  21. 


Doc.  245.]  ROStJN  TO  A  SENATOR.  359 

tilings  ought  at  least  not  to  be  disputed.  What  happened  to 
an  Ezekiel  and  a  Daniel,  may  certainly  happen  also  to  an 
Emanuel.  Visions  and  revelations  are  certainly  most  unex- 
pected things ;  but  deliberate  falsehoods  and  a  fanciful  con- 
fusion can  certainly  not  be  reconciled  with  so  great  and  pro- 
found an  insight.  'Standhafte  Erfahrunyen  sind  heine  Ein- 
bildungen'  [a  constant  series  of  experiences  is  not  a  matter  of 
the  imagination],  says  Superintendent  ffitinger'^^  in  relation  to 
Emanuel  Swedenborg,  in  his  preface  to  'The  Earthly  and 
Heavenly  Philosophy  of  Swedenborg  and  others'  (Swedenborg's 
und  Anderer  Irdische  und  Hiramlische  Philosophie).  And  who 
has  ever  dreamt  about  the  world  of  spirits  and  the  lower 
earth,  about  the  heavens  and  the  mansions  that  are  there 
prepared?  These  subjects  of  superlative  importance  are  now 
first  understood  by  us  on  reading  the  Word.  Read  among 
others  Isa.  xiv,  9,  15;  Ezek.  xxxi,  14,  16;  John  xiv,  2. 

"Our  association  with  spirits,  and  by  their  means  with 
heaven  and  hell,  remains  a  psychological  arcanum,  which  the 
world  is  unable  to  perceive;  and  yet  Scripture  treats  of  this 
subject  (Matt,  xvii,  15,  18;  see  also  Grotius  on  Ephes.  ii.  2; 
vi,  12).  So  long  as  this  bond  of  connection  between  human 
souls  and  spirits  escapes  our  notice,  Swedenborgianism  is  mad- 
ness in  our  eyes;  not,  however,  when  it  is  known  in  what  mode 
and  by  what  means  spiritual  blessings  are  communicated  to 
us,  and  remain  with  us. 

"Gracious  Sir,  permit  me  to  insert  here  a  brief  summary 
of  the,  I  hope,  unpresuming  ideas  on  the  subject  of  Sweden- 
borgianism which  I  submitted  to  the  Consistory. 

"I  have  declared,  that  there  is  a  Trinity  in  God;  but  we 
must  have  a  different  idea  of  the  three  persons*  from  that 
which  is  commonly  entertained.  The  doctrine,  on  examination 
in  its  extreme  form,  proves  this  sufficiently.  For  the  Church, 
or  to  speak  more  correctly,  the  people,  call  upon  the  Father, 


*  "The  offence  given  by  a  person  who  prefeis  to  speak  the  language  of 
Scripture  rather  than  that  of  our  Fathers  of  tlie  Cliurch,  can  ceilainly  be 
only  a  light  one;  since  the  mere  fear  of  committing  a  great  error,  by 
straying  outside  of  Scripture  on  so  important  a  question,  must  be  esteemed 
much  higher  than  deference  to  the  conclusions  of  men." 


360  TRIAL  AT  GOTTENBUBG.  [Doc.  245. 

as  one  God,  to  be  conciliated  for  the  sake  of  the  second,  and 
do  such  and  such  things  by  the  operation  of  the  third,  as 
our  Prayer-books  tell  us.  Are  we  not  told  that  one  God 
was  angry  and  implacable,  until  the  death  of  the  second? 
How  does  this  strike  the  more  enlightened  theologians? 
Since  these  views  are  not  met  with  in  God's  Word,  and  are 
opposed  to  reason,  I  cannot  see  why  in  a  determined  and 
free  nation,  they  should  be  maintained  to  be  infallible  and 
pure  doctrine.  A  religion  which  is  not  derived  exclusively 
from  the  Word,  but  in  a  great  measure  from  the  human 
brain,  may  be  examined  throughout  the  whole  world  in  a 
humble  unpresuming  manner;  especially  if  it  has  been  estab- 
lished by  men  like  ourselves.  I  am  far  from  declaring  that 
the  doctrine,  considered  as  a  whole,  is  of  such  a  nature. 
Such  is  far  from  being  the  case.  But  with  all  due  deference 
for  the  basis  on  which  they  rest,  I  do  think  that  some  of 
our  dogmatic  expressions  confound  the  simple-minded  and  lead 
them  into  error. 

"Further,  I  believe  I  have  declared,  or  at  least  thought, 
that  worship  without  understanding  is  no  worship,  and  like- 
wise that  human  fictions  in  matters  of  faith  are  bad  materials 
for  constructing  the  Church;  nay,  that  they  are  an  abomination, 
when  they  conflict  both  with  reason  and  revelation. 

"I  believe  I  have  declared,  or  at  least  thought,  that  recon- 
ciliation consists  in  this,  that  salvation  from  sin  and  the  devil 
has  been  rendered  possible  ;  that  man's  state  of  captivity  is 
spiritual,*  and  the  ransom  of  a  similar  nature;  that  our  deliver- 
ance has  been  represented  in  the  Sacred  Scripture  by  the  most 
exact  corresponding  images  of  our  own  wicked  nature ;  in  short, 
that  God  does  not  change  His  disposition  towards  mankind, 
but  that  we  through  His  grace  change  our  disposition  to- 
wards Him. 

"I  believe  I  have  declared,  or  thought,  that  justification 
and  faith   are  imputed  to   us,   or  are    looked   upon    as    ours, 

*  '"Spiritual  captivity  consists  in  being  led  away  from  truths  and  goods,  and 
introduced  into  falsities  and  evils'  (Apocalypse  Revealed,  no.  591).  And 
deliverance  out  of  tliis  state  of  captivity,  or  redemption  by  the  blood  of 
Christ,  has  been  effected  by  the  same,  understood  in  a  spiritual  manner, 
i.  e.  by  Divine  Truth.    Faith  is  due  to  that  blood." 


Doc.  245.]  ROSEX  TO  A  SEXATOR.  .301 

although  they  come  from  above;  that  salvation  actually  takes 
place  by  a  removal  of  evil  and  falsity  from  the  heart,  through 
the  implantation  of  truth  and  charity  by  the  Lord,  and  so 
forth.  I  know  that  much  may  be  added  here,  and  also  many 
objections  brought  forward;  but  I  hasten  to  that  matter  which 
concerns  me  more  particularly. 

"Gracious  Sir,  it  is  by  no  means  unusual  for  a  philo- 
logist to  agree  with  Grotius,  Mosheim,  and  Michaelis,  and 
to  understand  certain  passages  in  Scripture  differently  from 
the  old  Reformers. 

"It  is  perhaps  not  appropriate  to  declare  what  genuine 
Lutherans  think.  I,  nevertheless,  ventured  to  do  so  in  support 
of  Section  I,  chap,  i,  Misdemeanours  B.'  [of  the  Swedish 
Code  of  laws];  where  most  undoubtedly  a  distinction  is  made 
between  errors  and  the  views  respecting  which  Lutheran 
teachers  are  found  to  differ. 

"As  regards  myself,  I  have  not  discovered  a  new  rehgion, 
nor  have  I  propagated  any  other  than  the  evangelical  religion, 
so  far  as  it  harmonizes  with  om-  symbolical  [dogmatic]  books. 
I  have  admitted  that  Swedenborgianism  diminishes  our  vene- 
ration for  these  books ;  and  when  I  observed  this  I  became 
much  troubled  in  my  mind  about  it,  and  the  result  of  my 
investigations  was  that  I  halted  in  my  resolution.  Yet  the 
teachers  of  our  dogmas,  far  from  putting  their  own  declara- 
tions on  a  par  with  Scripture  (how  strange,  if  the  Lutheran 
colony  in  Sweden  should  attribute  to  the  Augsburg  prin- 
ciples a  greater  weight  than  is  done  both  in  the  fatherland 
of  protestantism  and  by  the  originators  of  the  law!  To  do 
so  would  be  a  sign  of  a  fanatical  and  almost  frantic  zeal, 
and  not  of  veneration  for  the  Word,  and  gratitude  to- 
wards its  Giver),  ascribe  the  power  of  judging  to  the  Word 
alone;  and  as  all  human  statutes  in  the  Swedish  laws  are 
framed  in  accordance  with  Scripture,  and  are  not  placed 
above  it;  nay,  as  the  free  Houses  of  the  Swedish  Diet  in 
1766,*  in  describing  the  limits  of  the  freedom  of  writing  and 

*  "The  force  of  this   argument  is  deiiveil   from    the  intention   of  the 
statute.      The  preamlile  states,  that  the  fre<.'(.lom  of  v/riting  is  intended  to 
benefit  the  cultivation   of  the  sciences  without  any  exception.     The  fi-ee- 
\ 


362  TRIAL  AT  GOTTEXBURG.  [Doc.  245. 

printing,  have  not  mentioned,  but  have  purposely,  as  it  seems, 
disregarded  every  ecclesiastical  standard  which  is  generally 
more  talked  about  than  the  Divine  Word — I  mean  here  every- 
thing concerning  the  symbolical  [dogmatic]  writings;  I  have, 
therefore,  ventured,  not  to  reject  the  Swedenborgian  system  on 
account  of  some  differences  between  it  and  the  usual  forms  of 
doctrine,  being  convinced  that  His  Royal  Majesty  would  not 
regard  unfavourably,  an  unreserved  veneration  for  Scripture, 
provided  human  zeal  and  praiseworthy  well-intentioned  measures 
are  not  blamed  and  abused. 

"I  call  strict  attention  to  the  literal  meaning  of  Section  I 
in  our  most  recent  fundamental  law,  and  maintain  that  a  real 
distinction  is  there  made  between  that  which  is  usually 
called  'norma  pi'ofessionis'  (the  rule  of  our  profession)  and 
our  'genuine  Confession  of  Faith.'  For  1.  The  Apologia  Aug. 
Coufessionis  recognizes  three  or  four  sacraments,  if  I  under- 
stand properly  pp.  200,  201 ,  while  in  Sweden  Ave  are  satisfied 
with  Baptism  and  the  Holy  Supper;  2.  Assessor  Swedenborg 
has  discovered  a  gross  contradiction,  which  has  escaped  the 
confessors,  and  of  which  he  speaks  on  p.  32  of  'Summaria  Ex- 
positio;'  while  our  true  Confession  of  Faith  is  exempt  from 
mistakes  and  errors;  3.  Our  dogmatic  books  admit  of  a  rigorous 
investigation,  but  not  so  our  true  confession  or  creed;  4.  our 
dogmatic  books  are  controversial  writings,  composed  for  the 
purpose  of  exhibiting  the  distinction  between  us  and  other 
partakers  of  the  Christian  faith,  but  they  do  not  contain  the 
kernel  of  God's  Word,  and  the  whole  doctrine  ot  theology 
which  is  comprised  in  the  Confession  of  Faith. 

"Besides,    I  have   neither  confirmed  another  doctrine,  nor 


dom  oi  writing  and  pnnting  is  unlimited  in  many  things.  In  Divine  matters 
God's  and  not  men's  detinitions  must  establish  just  bounds;  if  in  theology 
anything  is  to  be  gained  by  the  statute.  Besides,  the  symbolical  [dogmatic] 
books  are  not  mentioned  in  Section  I,  but  only  our  genuine  Confession  of 
Faith.  Is'ow,  as  I  have  neither  spoken  nor  written  against  that,  I  do  not 
find  myself  guilty  of  any  breach  of  the  law;  unless  it  consists  in  this,  that 
I  think  in  a  human  way  about  human  writings,  that  I  despise  all  theolo- 
gical subterfuges;  that  I  disregard  forced  interpretations  of  Scripture,  and 
by  the  evangelical  doctrine  understand  no  other  than  that  which  is  cor- 
rectly diawn  from  the  Word  of  God,  whether  in  olden  or  recent  times." 


Doc  245.J  ROSES  TO  A  SENATOR.  ;^63 

have  I  spoken  against  our  accepted  doctrine,  so  far  as  Bibli- 
cal religion,  as  it  flows  from  the  interpretation  of  the  greatest 
Master,  is  identical  -with  that  of  Sweden.  Should  there  be 
any  difi'erence  in  the  form  of  expression,  this  admits  of  a 
humble  and  unpresuraing  revision,  and  if  it  be  so  wished  by 
those  in  authority,  it  can  be  more  carefully  compared  with 
the  "Word.  Our  wliole  doctrine  also  admits  of  examination 
according  to  the  example  of  the  Bereans,  and  as  long  as 
God's  Word  is  the  standard,  that  doctrine  is  not  discredited, 
if  all  the  dark  bonds  and  chains  of  hell,  wherewith  Satan 
holds  men  captive,  are  riven  asunder  in  it. 

"Finally,  in  the  Consistory  I  declared  my  opinion  on  what 
constitutes  a  subject  for  a  disputation,  wherein,  I  believe,  1 
was  fully  justified.  In  accordance  with  a  resolution  made  at 
the  meeting  at  Upsal,  I  am  allowed  to  raise  a  point  for  a 
disputation  without  special  occasion,  and  I  am  allowed  to 
bring  forward  arguments  in  its  support;  how  much  more,  then, 
am  I  permitted  to  put  in  their  proper  light  controverted 
points,  when  ordered  to  do  so  by  the  King.  It  would  not  in 
such  a  case  have  been  becoming  to  keep  out  of  sight  Biblical 
grounds  of  decision,  against  my  better  judgment.  On  the 
other  hand,  however,  I  will  always  consider  it  as  censur- 
able openly  to  defend  Swedenborg,  in  case  or  whenever  he 
is  declared  to  be  in  error  by  His  Royal  Majesty. 

"In  conclusion  I  have  drawn  a  clear  distinction  between 
the  whole  of  Sweden])orgianism  and  the  three  points  of  doctrine, 
which,  according  to  the  best  of  my  knowledge,  I  have  proved 
to  be  concordant  with  God's  Word,  when  interpreted  without 
prejudice.  Nor  did  I  enter  into  the  whole  width  and  dejith 
of  the  interior,  i.  e.  'the  spiritual,  meaning  of  Scripture,  but 
I  confined  myself  to  the  doctrine,  or  the  catechism,  which  is 
gathered  from  tlie  literal  meaning;  and  w^hen  examined  by 
this  criterion,  I  did  not  find  the  doctrine  to  conflict  with  the 
true  confession.  And  last  of  all,  if  I  have  been  in  error  in 
differing  in  opinion  from  the  majority  of  the  Consistory,  I  have 
erred  in  thought,  and  not  in  deed. 

"His  Royal  Majesty  has  graciously  demanded  a  humble 
and  decisive  judgment  respecting  the  Swodenl)orgian  doctrines. 
I  considered  it  dangerous  to  testify  in  respect  to  them;  since, 


364  TRIAL  AT  GOTTENBVRG.  [Doc.  245. 

on  the  one  hand  our  Confession  does  not  admit  of  artificially 
constructed  by-ways,  nor  of  any  private  reservations,  and  on 
the  other  hand,  respect  for  the  fundamental  law  scarcely 
permitted  any  one  to  express  himself  with  all  frankness. 
Under  such  critical  circumstances  I  ventured  in  all  humility, 
as  before  God,  to  express  myself  in  full  freedom  without 
having  respect  to  any  other  language  than  that  which  is 
certain,  and  is  aUe  to  teach;  and  which  is  an  everlasting 
foundation,  in  accordance  with  which  the  King  and  the  Houses 
\\ill  be  judged  hereafter,  and,  if  they  are  wise,  will  themselves 
likewise  judge.  If,  however,  I  be  held  responsible  for  thoughts 
which,  compelled  by  Christian  charity,  I  uttered  in  the  right 
place  and  at  the  right  time,  I  shall  comfort  myself  among 
other  things  with  Komans  ix,  33;  x,  9;  x,  11. 

"This,  but  no  more,  have  I  ventured,  with  all  due  sub- 
mission to  human  authority,  to  bring  forward,  as  long  as  the 
Swedenborgian  controversy,  placed  before  the  highest  tribunal, 
remains  as  yet  unsettled;  and  I  have  been  commanded  to 
express  myself,  supported  by  arguments,  and  not  blindly,  nor 
with  extreme  arbitrariness,  which  is  no  less  convenient  than 
it  is  damnable.  God  forbid  that  by  my  word  or  thought  I 
should  have  forfeited  the  E,oyal  grace,  and  my  privileges  as 
a  subject.  After  having  served  without  reproach  for  many 
years,  a  prospect  which  is  more  than  sad  and  an  abyss  of 
misfortunes  open  before  me  on  account  of  this  affair. 

"Your  Excellency  will  no  doubt  find  means  for  my  rescue. 

"1  hope  I  may  be  included  for  all  time  in  your  usual 
grace.  But,  gracious  Sir,  a  confession  at  the  expense  of 
truth,  and  by  which  the  cause  of  truth  is  injured,  I  deprecate 
more  than  all  sufferings. 

"With  profound  deference,  gracious  Sir,  I  remain 

"Your  Excellency's  humble  servant, 
"Rosen. 

"Gottenburg,  April  14,  1770." 


The  deliberations  of  the  Privy  Council  or  Senate,  to  which 
the  whole  subject  of  the  so-called  "Swedenborgianism,"  embrac- 
ing the  declarations  of  Drs.  Beyer,  Rosen,  and  Ekebom  had  been 


Doc.  245.]     E  0  YAL  BESOL  UTION  TO  CONSISTOR  Y.         365 

referred,  res.ilted  in  two  Uoyal  Resolutions,  Nos.  T  and  U. 
The  first  of  these  resolutions,  which  is  addressed  to  the  Con- 
sistory of  Gottenburg,  concerns  Drs.  Beyer  and  Rosen.  Of 
this  the  editor  discovered  one  portion  in  a  Swedish,  and 
another  in  a  German  publication,  and  by  adding  the  two 
portions  together  he  is  able  to  present  it  in  an  almost  complete 
form  to  his  readers.  The  second  resolution  concerns  the 
introduction  of  Swedenborg's  writings  into  Sweden. 


T. 

EOYAL  RESOLUTION  ADDRESSED  TO  THE  CONSISTORY  OF  GOTTENBVRa* 

(a)  -'His  Royal  Majesty  could  not  help  being 
troubled  and  disturbed  at  seeing  that,  although  Swcdenborg  s 
errors  are  manifest,  two  clergymen,  Rosen  and  Beyer,  have, 
nevertheless,  distinctly  declared  that  they  are  inclined  to  his 
doctrine,  which  they  maintain  to  be  in  agreement  with  the 
Sacred  Scripture;  witli  this  difference,  however,  that  the  former 
says  he  has  not  given  instruction  in  it,  while  the  latter  has 
disseminated  it  so  far  as  his  'Sermon-Essays,'  his  'Dictata,' 
and  Swedenborg's  printed  letter  contain  the  said  doctrine. 
His  Royal  ISIajosty  supposed  that  Rosen  and  Beyer,  in  their 
capacity  of  clergymen,  public  teachers,  and  members  of  the 
Consistory,  and  as  guardians  of  religion  and  Divine  doctrine, 
w'ould  have  done  all  in  their  power  to  promote  the  honour  of 
God's  name,  to  preserve  the  light  of  the  gospel  in  its  perfect 
clearness,  and  to  direct  the  path  of  guileless  youths  in  the 
same;  and,  further,  that  they  would  have  observed  the  rules 
of  religion,  the  regulations  of  the  government,  and  the  de- 
clarations  of  the  King,  all  of  which  have    for   their   objects 


*  The  first  portion  marked  (a)  is  extracted  from  a  work  entitled: 
"Frank  Views  respecting  the  mode  in  which  to  meet  fanatical  vagaries  and 
rehgious  errors,  especially  the  so-called  Swedenborgianism"  (Ofih-rjripeliga 
Tankar,  om  Sattet  at  hcmota  Swarmagtige  Uptoger  och  Wilfarande 
ReligioHs-Mamigar ;  siirdeles  den  sd  kallude  Su-edcnhorgiaiiisnun),  Stock- 
holm, 1788,  p.  76.  The  portion  maikcd  (b)  was  found  in  German  in 
an  anonymous  publication  by  Piclate  G^tinger'''^  entitled:  ''Schwedische 
Urkunden,"  &c.  (see  footnote  to  Document  245,  P),  1771,  pp.  16  and  17. 


366  TRIAL  AT  GOTTENBURG.  [Doc.  245. 

unity  and  purity  of  doctrine.  But  as  His  Royal  Majesty  has 
not  discovered  in  them,  what  His  lloyal  Majesty  was  justified 
in  expecting  from  them,  and  what  both  the  laws  of  God  and 
of  man  demand,  His  Royal  Majesty  would  have  full  cause 
for  having  them  treated  in  accordance  Avith  the  statutes  of 
religion;  yet  out  of  mercy,  and  out  of  regard  for  their  own 
welfare,  and  wishing  to  try  whether  they,  like  such  as  have 
gone  astray,  may  be  brought  back  again  to  the  right  way, 
His  Royal  Majesty  is  willing  to  waive  severer  measures  at  this 
time ;  and  for  this  reason  His  Royal  Majesty  graciously  orders 
Bishop  Lamberg  to  summon  them  without  delay  before  the 
Consistory,  and  to  inform  them,  how  His  Royal  Majesty  has 
looked  upon  their  behaviour,  and  afterwards  to  seek  to 
convince  them  of  their  errors. 

(b)  "Further,  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  Bishop  Lamberg  to 
inform  them  that  their  defence  of  Swedenborg's  doctrine  on 
the  plea  of  its  agreement  with  the  "Word  of  God  can  avail 
nothing;  since  it  cannot  be  unknown  to  them  that  there  is 
scarcely  one  of  the  numerous  sects  that  have  rebelled  in  the 
Christian  church,  from  the  first  century  after  Christ  to  the 
present  time,  that  did  not  base  itself  on  the  Sacred  Scripture, 
yet  according  to  a  different  interpretation  of  the  same ;  nor 
that  the  statutes  of  religion,  the  constitution  and  the  acts 
that  have  been  sanctioned  by  the  King,  insist  upon  the  unity 
and  purity  of  that  doctrine  which  is  based  on  the  Sacred 
Scripture,  and  expressed  in  the  three  symbols  or  creeds,  and 
likewise  in  the  unaltered  Augsburg  Confession,  which  was 
adopted  by  the  Council  of  Upsal  in  1593,  and  which  is  explained 
in  the  'Formula  Concordiee;'  and  that  the  above  statutes  and 
bodies  of  law  are  totally  opposed  to  any  one  explaining  the 
Scripture,  and  especially  the  chief  grounds  of  our  faith,  accord- 
ing to  his  own  good  pleasure  and  notions,  and  to  his  striving 
to  make  proselytes.  Again,  he  is  to  inform  them  that  there 
is  no  ambiguity  either  in  the  passages  extracted  from  Sweden- 
borg"s  writings  by  members  of  the  Consistory,  nor  in  what 
Swedenborg  says  in  the  treatise  on  the  'Intercourse  between 
the  Soul  and  the  Body,'  which  appeared  last  year,  and  where 
he  clearly  insists,  in  several  places,  on  his  own  revelations. 
And,   finally,   that   no    conclusion   in    favour    of   the   Sweden- 


Doc.  245.J  RESOLUTION  RESPECTING  SWEDEXBORG.  367 

borgian  propositions  can  be  drawn  from  this  consideration, 
that  no  one  has  undertaken  their  refutation,  although  they 
have  been  published  now  for  twenty  years;  for  this  merely 
shows  that  not  every  one  who  has  read  these  writings,  deems 
it  necessary  to  refute  absurd  things,  which  fall  to  the  ground 
when  left  to  themselves,  but  which  by  a  review  might  become 
more  generally  known.  It  must  be  shown  to  these  gentlemen 
what  great  risk  they  run,  were  they  treated  in  accordance 
with  the  statutes  of  rehgion ;  and  they  must  be  earnestly  called 
upon  to  give  up  in  future  their  erroneous  views,  which,  however 
clear  they  are,  may  yet  cause  troubles  in  the  church;  and, 
finally,  they  are  to  be  told  that,  by  favour  and  grace,  time 
is  granted  them  for  consideration  and  retiection,  when  they 
will  have  to  express  themselves  distinctly  and  clearly  in  the 
'Minutes*  of  your  body,  whether  they  will  take  this  warning 
to  heart,  or  whether  they  persist  in  their  views.  Of  all 
this  the  Consistory  will  make  a  humble  report,  the  sooner 
the  better,  so  that  we  may  see  what  other  more  vigorous 
measures  may  be  necessary,  to  secure  calm  and  rest  in  our 
Christian  Church,    and  to  render  safe   its  doctrine   by  an  act 

of  sanctification 

"The  Council  Chamber,  Stockholm,  April  26,  1770." 

The  author  of  the  "Nya  Kyrkan,"  (Part  I,  p.  70)  gives 
another  extract  from  this  resolution,  where  the  members  of 
the  Consistory  are  instructed  that  "the  whole  of  this  matter 
must  be  treated  with  much  privacy  and  caution,  so  as  not  to 
excite  curiosity,  and  cause  scandal  among  the  public  generally. 

The  othei-  Royal  Resolution,  which  is  directed  against  the 
introduction  of  Swedenborg's  writings  into  Sweden,  is  as  follows: 

U. 

ROYAL  RE-OLUriON  IN  RESPECT  TO  SWEDENBORO'S  VI-RITINGS* 

"Adolphus  Frederic,"  &c.  &c. 

"Our  especial  favour,  &c.  By  a  memorial 
which  we  had  read  to  us,  we  were  informed  that  several  of 
the  theological  works  of  Assessor  Swedenborg,  which  have  been 

*  A  copy  of  the  original  Document  was  transferred  from  Count  Enge- 
strijm's  libraiy  to  tJie  Koyal  Library  in  Stockholm,  where  it  is  now  preserved. 


368  TRIAL  AT  GOTTENBUBG.  [Doc.  245. 

printed  abroad,  have  been  imported  into  this  country.  And  inas- 
much as  we  consider  it  necessary  in  a  general  way  that  books 
containing  erroneous  views  on  our  pure  doctrine,  should  not 
be  circulated  among  the  people  at  large,  it  is  therefore  our 
gracious  will,  that  a  careful  and  cautious  investigation  be 
instituted,  with  a  view  of  finding  out  what  these  books  are, 
and  how  they  have  been  imported  into  the  country;  and  that, 
if  any  of  these  books  can  be  discovered,  the  necessary  measures 
be  taken  for  having  them  confiscated;  and,  further,  that  those 
whom  it  concerns  in  bookshops  and  commission  houses  be 
warned  to  observe  the  law  and  the  statutes  in  respect  to 
theological  writings.  We  also  order  that  under  this  date  a 
gracious  letter  be  addressed  to  our  General  Custom  House 
Office,  instructmg  the  intelligent  officials  in  the  commission 
houses  and  custom  houses  of  our  seaports,  that  in  accordance 
with  the  Royal  Resolution  of  April  22,  1735,  which  was  issued 
at  the  instance  of  the  House  of  the  Clergy,  no  books  imported 
from  abroad  are  to  be  delivered,  under  a  fine  of  fifty  dalers 
in  silver,  before  permission  has  been  granted  by  the  executive 
of  the  nearest  Consistory. 

"We  hereby  commend  you,  &c. 

"Adolphus  Fkedeeic. 

"The  Council  Chamber,  Stockholm,  April  26,  1770. 


"To  the  College  of  Chancery  in  reference  to  books  and  writ- 
ings containing  erroneous  statements  on  our  pure  doctrine." 


Of  these  royal  resolutions,  which  were  issued  on  April  26, 
1770,  Swedenborg,  who  was  at  the  time  in  Stockholm,  had  not 
the  remotest  idea  when  writing  a  few  days  afterwards  the 
following  two  letters ;  one  to  Dr.  Beyer,  and  the  other  to 
General  Tuxen  of  Elsinore,  in  Denmark. 


Doc.  245]  SWEDENBORG  TO  BEYEE.  3fi9 


SIXTEFNTH  LETTER  OF  EMANUEL  SWEDENBORO  TO  VR.  BFA'RR.** 

"Reverend  Doctor, 

"I  received  your  letter  dated  March  18,  to- 
gether with  a  copy  of  the  one  which  you  submitted  to  His 
Royal  Majesty  [Document  245,  O].  You  mention  also  that 
inlbnuation  had  reached  Gottenburg  of  a  resolution  which  had 
been  projected  in  the  Privy  Council ;  the  subject,  however, 
was  re-considered,  after  a  copy  of  the  letter  which  I  had 
written  to  you  [Document  245,  Rj,  was  sent  to  Senator  Eke- 
blad^**"  and  the  Chancellor  of  Justice,^^^  and  the  final  re- 
sult is  contained  in  the  letter  addressed  by  the  Chancellor  to 
the  Consistory  of  Gottenburg  [Document  245,  T],  of  wiiich 
you  will  kindly  let  me  have  a  copy.  Had  they  retained  the 
first  project,  according  to  which  Swedenborgianism  was  not  to 
be  talked  of  or  mentioned  in  conversation,  when  yet  it  signi- 
fies the  worship  of  the  Lord,  what  would  have  been  the  re- 
sult, but  a  fear  in  the  clergy  to  speak  about  Christ  and  His 
care  for  humanity;  for  by  doing  so  they  would  in  this  case 
have  run  the  risk  of  a  public  admonition,  for  supporting 
'Swedenborgianism,'  and  in  consequence  thereof  Christianity 
would  have  declined  in  Sweden,  and  the  country  would  have 
lapsed  into  Socinianism,  and  finally  into  heathenism,  as  may 
be  concluded  from  Matt,  xii,  30,  and  Mark  ix,  40.  Such  an 
offspring  would  have  been  born  from  the  first  project.  For 
this  reason  also,  when  certain  clergymen  of  this  town,  who  are 
animated  by  a  genuine  zeal,  first  heard  of  this  report,  they 
were  astonished,  thinking  that  thus  Christianity  would  die  out 
in  our  country.  I  have  heard  that  the  bishop  and  many 
members   of  the  venerable   House    of  the    Clergy   expressed 

*  The  Swedish  original  of  tliis  letter  is  preserved  among  the  Sweden- 
borg  MSS.  in  the  Library  of  the  Academy  of  Sciences  in  Stockholm.  It 
was  printed  in  the  "Samhngar  for  Philantroper,"  for  1788  as  Letter  XIll. 
An  English  translation  appeared  in  the  "New  Jerusalem  Magazine"  for 
1790,  p.  239,  whence  it  was  transferred  as  Letter  IX  to  the  editions  in 
English  of  the  "Swedcnborg  Documents"  pubhshed  in  England  and 
America. 

24 


370  TBIAL  AT  GOTTENBURG.  [Doc.  245. 

themselves  handsomely  at  the  Diet  upon   the  doctrines,   dis- 
cussed there. 

"Nothing  of  what  the  Consistories  submitted  against  my 
writings  has  been  communicated  to  me,  so  that  I  am  totally 
ignorant  of  what  passed  in  the  Privy  Council.* 

"Next  June  I  will  travel  to  Amsterdam,  where  I  intend 
to  publish  the  'Universal  Theology  of  the  New  Church.'  The 
worship  of  the  Lord  is  the  foundation  therein,  and  if  upon 
that  foundation  the  true  house  or  temple  be  not  built,  others 
will  erect  upon  it  lupanaria  or  brothels. 

"With  respect  to  the  dragonist  spirits,  they  are  all  removed 
far  away  to  the  south,  where  certain  places  are  assigned  to 
the  learned,  to  each  his  own  cell,  where  they  may  confirm 
themselves  in  justification  by  faith  alone,  and  those  who  con- 
firm themselves  therein  by  the  Word  of  God,  depart  thence 
into  a  desert,  and  so  on  farther;  and  the  rest,  after  making 
their  escape,  receive  no  homes ;  whither  they  direct  their  way 
I  do  not  yet  know  :  in  heaven  there  is  no  place  for  them. 
Their  fate  will  be,  as  described  in  the  'Apocalypse  Revealed,' 
no.  421.  But  the  abyss  which  is  described  there  is  now  re- 
moved farther  towards  the  south,  as  has  been  observed. 

"I  remain  with  all  friendship  and  trust, 

"Your  most  obedient  servant, 

"Em.  Swedenbokg 

"Stockholm,  AprH  30,  1770." 

General  Tuxen^°^  was  the  first  who  called  Swedenborg's 
attention  to  the  printed  Minutes  of  the  Consistory  of  Gotten- 
burg  (see  Document  245,  X,  p.  373),  and  Swedenborg  ac- 
knowledged his  kind  offices  by  giving  him  in  the  following 
letter  a  general  account  of  his  difficulties  with  the  Consistory. 
Swedenborg's  letter  to  General  Tuxen  serves,  therefore,  in  the 
place  of  a  general  resume  of  these  difficulties  up  to  May  1, 
1770. 

*  From  this  passage  it  appears,  as  if  not  only  the  Consistoiy  of  Gotten- 
burg,  but  also  the  other  Consistories  of  Sweden  had  been  ordered  to  sub- 
mit their  opinions  of  Swedenborg's  theological  writings.  Cfr,  on  this  sub- 
ject Document  6,  no.  37. 


Doc.  245.J  SWEDENBORGTOTUXEK  371 

W. 

EMANUEL  SWEDENBORG  TO  OBNERAL  COMMISSARY  C.  TUXBN.^°^* 

"I  received  your  letter  of  March  4  by  your  son,  Lieutenant 
Tuxen,  from  whom  I  had  the  pleasure  of  receiving  a  visit.  I 
ought  to  have  answered  your  letter  earlier;  but  as  I  waited 
for  the  conclusion  of  the  Gottenburg  affair,  in  order  to  inform 
you  in  respect  to  it,  my  answer  has  been  delayed  for  some  time. 
I  suffered  this  matter,  with  all  the  ire  that  was  poured  out  upon 
it  at  Gottenburg,  to  come  to  an  end,  and  then  I  at  last 
sent  to  the  Chancellor  of  Justice^**^  and  Senator  Ekeblad^""  a 
copy  of  the  enclosed  [Document  245,  R],  causing  thereby 
a  change  in  the  affair,  of  which  I  shall  inform  you  some 
other  time. 

"The  affair  took  its  rise  at  Gottenburg,  principally  from  the 
Dean.  The  deputies  of  that  place  having  been  instructed  to 
complain  of  me  and  of  Dr.  Beyer  to  the  Diet,  they  pushed 
matters  as  far  as  they  could,  but  would  never  have  effected 
anything,  had  not  Bishop  Filenius,  who  was  then  the  Speaker 
in  the  House  of  the  Clergy,  taken  up  the  matter,  and,  by 
cunning  and  craft,  gained  over  a  crowd  in  the  House.  This 
the  Bishop  did  at  first  from  secret  dislike,  and  afterwards 
from  malice.  The  result  was  that  a  committee  was  appointed 
in  the  House  of  the  Clergy  on  the  Swcdenborgian  cause. 
Whilst  they  deliberated  on  this  subject,  I  did  not  hear  a 
word  of  it,  as  all  was  carried  on  with  secrecy ;  yet  the  com- 
mittee, which  consisted  of  bishops  and  professors,  found  the 
matter  quite  different  from  what  Bishop  Filenius  had  repre- 
sented: they  terminated  in  my  favour,  and  expressed  them- 
selves in  the  House  with  respect  to  myself  very  handsomely 
and  reasonably.  Bishop  Filenius,  nevertheless,  succeeded  in 
having  a  memorial  submitted  to  His  Royal  Majesty  ar.d  the 

*  A  copy  of  the  Swedish  original  of  this  Document  is  preserved  in  the 
Cathedral-Library  of  Linkoping  among  the  letters  of  Dr.  Carl  Jesper  Ben- 
zeliu9.99  An  English  translation  was  published  by  Mr.  Augustus  Norden- 
skold^s  in  the  Appendix  to  the  -'New  Jerusalem  Magazine"  for  1790;  wjience 
it  was  inserted  in  the  English  editions  ot  the  "Swedenborg  Documents" 
published  in  Engluud  and  America. 

24* 


372  TRIAL  AT  GOTTENBURG.  [Doc.  245. 

Privy  Council,  to  this  effect,  that  the  Chancellor  of  Justice 
should  endeavour  to  quell  the  disorders  which  had  arisen  at 
Gottenburg;  whereupon  the  Chancellor  of  Justice  sent  a  letter 
to  the  Consistories  that  they  should  express  themselves  in  re- 
gard to  this  matter ;  and  after  their  opinions  had  been  received, 
the  affair  occupied  the  Privy  Council  for  two  days ;  and  not 
until  then  did  I  come  forward  with  the  enclosed  letter  [Docu- 
ment 245,  R],  which  was  read  before  the  Council.  The  con- 
clusion is  contained  in  a  letter  addressed  by  the  Chancellor 
of  Justice  to  the  Consistory  of  Gottenburg,  which  is  not  against 
me,  and  the  particulars  of  which  I  shall  relate  to  you  some 
other  time.  Of  all  this  I  knew  nothing  while  it  was  being 
discussed;  but,  enjoying  the  calm  in  my  chamber,  I  allowed 
the  storm  to  rage  as  much  as  it  pleased  outside:  for  it  had 
been  resolved  in  the  Diet,  as  well  as  in  the  Privy  Council, 
that  my  person  should  not  be  touched. 

"I  send  you  the  enclosed  copy,  which  I  have  also  presented 
to  the  Privy  Council;  that  it  may  be  communicated  to  Count 
Bernstorff^"^  and  Count  Thott,^"^  so  that  they  may  see  what 
the  state  of  the  case  really  is,  and  that  the  printed  Minutes 
of  Gottenburg,  which  are  filled  with  invectives,  may  not  dis- 
turb the  good  opinion  which  they  have  hitherto  entertained. 
If  the  enclosed  could  also  be  translated  into  German,  and 
printed  in  Hamburg,  I  should  be  very  much  pleased. 

"In  the  month  of  June  next  I  intend  to  set  out  for  Am- 
sterdam, where  I  will  publish  the  'Universal  Theology  of  the 
New  Church.'  If  the  ship  then  remains  some  time  off  Elsi- 
nore,  I  shall  have  the  pleasure  of  coming  to  your  house,  to  wish 
you  and  your  dear  wife  and  children  all  spiritual  welfare.  I 
remain,  with  all  affection,  trust,  and  friendship, 

"Your  most  obedient  servant, 

"Em.  Swedenboeo. 
"Stockholm,  May  1,  1770. 

"P.  S.  If  1  have  failed  to  address  you  by  your  proper  title, 
which  I  forget,  I  beg  to  be  excused." 

When  Swedenborg  became  acquainted  with  the  real  result 
of  the  deliberations  of  the  Privy  Council  as  expressed  in  the 


Doc.  245.]  SWEDENBORG  TO  THE  KING.  373 

Royal  Resolutions,  contained  in  Document  245,  T  and  U,  he 
was  anything  but  satisfied  therewith,  and  protested  against 
them  in  the  following  letter  addressed  directly  to  the  King: 


X. 

EMANVEL  SWEDENBORO  TO  THE  KINd  OF  SWEDEN." 

"Most  powerful  and  most  gracious  King, 

"I  feel  compelled  at  this  juncture  to  have  re- 
course to  Your  Majesty's  protection;  for  I  have  been  treated 
as  no  one  has  ever  been  treated  before  in  Sweden  since  the 
introduction  of  Christianity,  and  still  less  since  the  establish- 
ment of  freedom  here.  I  will  first  give  you  a  brief  account 
of  things  as  they  have  happened.  Upon  my  return  from 
abroad  the  last  time  I  was  informed,  that  Bishop  Filenius  had 
confiscated  my  work  entitled  'De  Amore  Conjurjiali, '  which  had 
appeared  in  Holland  and  been  sent  to  Norrkoping.  I  there- 
fore immediately  enquired  of  some  bishops  whether  this  had  been 
authorized  by  the  House  of  the  Clergy  ;  they  answered  that 
they  were  aware  of  the  confiscation  but  that  no  general  action 
had  been  taken,  and  that  not  a  word  about  it  had  been  entered 
upon  the  Minutes.  Immediately  afterwards  the  clergy  from 
Gottenburg  made  a  noise  in  their  House  about  my  books,  and 
pushed  matters  so  far,  that  the  House  appointed  a  committee 
de  Sivedenhorgianismo  [on  Swedenborgianism],  which  consisted 

*  A  copy  of  the  Swedish  original  of  this  Document  is  contained  in 
"Vol.  XIV,  p.  803  of  the  Bcrgius  Collection  of  Letters  belonging  to  the 
Academy  of  Sciences  in  Stockholm.  The  Swedish  copy  contained  in  Part  I 
of  the  "Nya  Kyrkan,"  &c.,  p.  61,  is  a  version  made  either  from  a  German 
or  EngUsh  translation.  A  German  translation  of  this  letter  appeared  as 
early  as  1771  in  a  pubhcation  of  Prelate  CEtinger's,  entitled  "Swedische 
Urkunden,"  &c.,  pp.  17  to  22.  A  French  translation  was  published  in  the 
preface  to  Pemety's  French  version  of  "Heaven  and  Hell,"  in  1782;  and 
an  Enghsh  translation  in  the  collection  of  Documents  appended  to  the 
second  edition  of  the  English  translation  of  "The  Intercourse  between  the 
Soul  and  the  Body,"  printed  in  1784,  pp.  19  to  22.  In  1790  this  translation 
was  reprinted  in  the  "New  Jerusalem  Magazine,"  pp.  98  to  102;  and  was 
afterwards  embodied  in  the  English  editions  of  the  "Swedenborg  Docu- 
ments" published  in  England  and  America. 


374  TRIAL  AT  GOTTEN B URG.  [Doc.  2 15. 

of  bishops  and  professors.  This  committee  sat  for  several 
months,  and  at  last  reported  handsomely  and  reasonably  on 
that  subject,  and  thereby  suppressed  completely  the  disturb- 
ance which  had  been  made;  but  to  put  an  end  to  it  still  more 
effectually,  it  was  resolved  that  a  humble  memorial  should  be 
addressed  to  Your  Royal  Majesty,  requesting  that  the  Chan- 
cellor of  Justice  should  inquire  about  the  disturbances  which 
had  arisen  in  Gottenburg.  When  the  Bishop  and  the  Dean  of 
that  place,  who  are  the  torch  and  trumpet  (fax  et  tuba)  in  this 
affair,  discovered  that  they  made  no  progress  in  the  reverend 
House  of  the  Clergy,  they,  to  stir  up  and  kindle  the  flame 
anew,  commenced  a  publication  of  twenty  sheets  or  more  about 
'Swedenborgianism,'  which  is  filled  with  invectives;  and  after 
this  had  been  sent  to  Stockholm,  the  matter  was  taken  up 
and  settled  by  Your  Majesty  in  the  Privy  Council,  in  conse- 
quence of  which  the  Chancellor  of  Justice  dispatched  to  the 
Consistory  of  Gottenburg  an  official  letter,  wherein,  I  have 
reason  to  think,  he  assented  to  the  opinion  expressed  by  the 
Consistory. 

"I  received  no  more  intimation  than  a  child  in  the  cradle 
of  all  that  took  place,  of  the  committee  in  the  reverend  House 
of  the  Clergy,  of  the  memorial  they  submitted  to  Your  Royal 
Majesty,  of  the  publication  in  Gottenburg  on  'Swedenborgian- 
ism,'  of  the  resolution  which  was  passed  by  Your  Royal  Ma- 
jesty in  the  Privy  Council,  and  of  the  letter  embodying  it  which 
was  dispatched  to  the  Consistory  in  Gottenburg.  Of  all  this, 
from  beginning  to  end,  I  received  not  the  least  intimation: 
all  was  done  without  my  receiving  a  hearing;  when  yet  the 
whole  matter  was  about  'Swedenborgianism,'  and  the  papers 
printed  in  Gottenburg  are  filled  with  coarse  and  reprehensible 
language  without  touching  materially  the  subject  of  'Sweden- 
borgianism,' which  is  the  worship  of  the  Lord  our  Saviour.* 
Of  these  printed  papers  I  had  no  other  knowledge  than  what  I 
received  from  a  general  commissary  of  war^"^  at  Elsinore,  and 

*  In  the  German  translation  by  Prelate  (Etinger  the  following  words 
are  added  here :  -Among  these  papers  there  are  also  two  letters  written 
by  Bishop  Fileuius,  who,  nevertheless,  had  no  right  at  all  to  meddle  in 
these  things."' 


Doc.  245.]  SWEDENBORG  TO  THE  KING.  375 

afterwards  from  a  friend  liere  in  Stockholm  who  lent  them  to 
me  for  a  day.  Wherefore  I  still  insist  that  every  thing  that 
has  taken  place  since  my  return  home  has,  from  beginning  to 
end,  been  done  without  giving  me  a  hearing. 

"From  a  rumour  which  has  spread  here  in  town  I  have 
learned  that  from  the  office  of  the  Chancellor  of  Justice  a 
communication  has  been  made  to  the  Consistory  of  Gotten- 
burg,  to  the  effect  that  my  books  have  been  entirely  forbidden 
to  be  imported  into  this  country,*  and,  further,  that  the  same 
office  has  stigmatized  my  revelations  as  untrue  and  false.  In 
reply  to  this  I  humbly  beg  to  make  the  following  statement : 
That  our  Saviour  visibly  revealed  Himself  before  me,  and 
commanded  me  to  do  what  I  have  done,  and  what  I  liave  still 
to  do;  and  that  thereupon  He  permitted  me  to  have  inter- 
course with  angels  and  spirits,  I  have  declared  before  the 
whole  of  Christendom,  as  well  in  England,  Holland,  Germany, 
and  Denmark,  as  in  France  and  Spain,  and  also  on  various 
occasions  in  this  country  before  their  Royal  Majesties,  and 
especially  when  I  enjoyed  the  grace  to  eat  at  their  table,  in 
the  presence  of  the  whole  royal  family,  and  also  of  five  senators 
and  others ;  at  which  time  my  mission  constituted  the  sole  topic 
of  conversation.  Subsequently,  also,  I  have  revealed  this  be- 
fore many  senators;  and  among  these  Count  Tessin,^''  Count 
Bonde,^^^  and  Count  Hopken^^  have  found  it  in  truth  to  be 
so,  and  Count  Hopken,  a  gentleman  of  enlightened  under- 
standing, still  continues  to  believe  so;  without  mentioning  many 
others,  as  well  at  home  as  abroad,  among  whom  are  both 
kings  and  princes.  All  this,  however,  the  office  of  the  Chan- 
cellor of  Justice,  if  the  rumour  is  correctly  etated  declares  to  be 
false ;  when  yet  it  is  the  truth.  Sliould  they  reply  that  the  thing 
is  inconceivable  to  them,  I  have  nothing  to  gainsay,  since  I  am 
unable  to  put  the  state  of  my  sight  and  speech  into  their 
heads,  in  order  to  convince  them  ;  nor  am  I  able  to  cause 
angels  and  spirits  to  converse  with  them;  nor  do  miracles 
happen  now;  but  their  very  reason  will  enable  them  to  see  this, 
when  they  thoughtfully  read  my  writings,   wherein  much  may 

*  In  the  German  translation  these  words  are  added :  "under  penalty  of 
fifty  dalers  and  of  confiscation." 


376  TRIAL  AT  GOTTENBURG.  [Doc.  245. 

be  found  which  has  never  before  been  discovered,  and  which 
cannot  be  discovered  except  by  real  vision,  and  intercourse 
with  those  who  are  in  the  spiritual  world.  In  order  that 
reason  may  see  and  acknowledge  this,  I  beg  that  one  of  your 
Excellencies  may  peruse  what  has  been  said  on  this  subject 
in  my  book,  'De  Amore  Conjugiali/  in  a  memorable  relation 
on  pages  314  to  316;  his  Excellency  Count  Ekeblad  and  his 
Excellency  Count  Bjelke  possess  the  book.  If  any  doubt 
should  still  remain,  I  am  ready  to  testify  with  the  most  solemn 
oath  that  may  be  prescribed  to  me,  that  this  is  the  whole 
truth  and  a  reality,  without  the  least  fallacy.  That  our  Sa- 
viour permits  me  to  experience  this,  is  not  on  my  own  account, 
but  for  the  sake  of  a  sublime  interest  which  concerns  the 
eternal  welfare  of  all  Christians.  Since  such  is  the  real  state 
of  things,  it  is  wrong  to  declare  it  to  be  untruth  and  falsity; 
although  it  may  be  pronounced  to  be  something  that  cannot 
be  comprehended. 

"If  now  the  rumour  which  has  been  spread  is  correct, 
viz.  that  such  things  are  contained  in  the  letter  which  was 
sent  from  the  office  of  the  Chancellor  of  Justice  to  the  Con- 
sistory of  Gottenburg,  it  follows  hence  that  my  books  are  de- 
clared to  be  heretical,  and  that  I  am  declared  to  speak  un- 
truths and  falsehoods  in  matters  of  revelation,  and,  further, 
that,  from  beginning  to  end,  all  this  has  been  determined  upon 
without  giving  me  a  hearing.  What  else  results  from  this, 
but  that  in  agreement  with  the  resolution  any  severe  treat- 
ment* may  be  brought  forward  by  the  Consistory  of  Gotten- 
burg and  Bishop  Filenius,  and  sentence  may  be  pronounced 
upon  me,  without  my  being  heard  in  the  affair  at  all;  for  of 
what  use  is  a  declaration  or  a  defence  after  the  sentence  has 
been  pronounced? 

"This  is  the  reason  why,  as  I  said  above,  'I  am  compelled 
to  have  recourse  to  Your  Majesty,  since  I  have  been  treated 
as  no  one  has  ever  been  treated  before  in  Sweden  since  the 
introduction  of  Christianity,  and  still  less  since  the  establish- 
ment of  freedom,'  by  being  treated  as  I  have  been,  without  a 
hearing  having  been  granted  me. 

*  The  German  translation  adds  here,  "even  as  to  my  being  cast  into  prison," 


Doc.  245.J  SWEDENBORG  TO  THE  KING.  377 

"As  this,  however,  concerns  not  only  my  writings,  but  as 
a  natural  consequence  my  person  also,  I  make  a  humble  re- 
quest, that  the  memorial  should  be  communicated  to  me  which 
was  addressed  to  Your  Royal  Majesty  in  this  matter  by  the 
House  of  the  Clergy,  likewise  the  Minutes  of  the  Pri\7  Coun- 
cil, and  the  letter  which  was  despatched  from  the  office  of  the 
Chancellor  of  Justice  to  the  Consistory  of  Gottenburg,  in  order 
that  I  may  at  once  be  heard,  and  may  show  forth  the  whole 
of  my  treatment  before  the  public  at  large.* 

"In  respect  to  Doctors  Beyer  and  Rosen  of  Gottenburg,  I 
have  given  them  no  other  advice  than  that  they  should  ap- 
proach our  Saviour,  Jesus  Christ,  to  whom  all  power  has  been 
given  in  heaven  and  on  earth  (Matt,  xxviii,  18),  and  should 
strive  after  their  salvation ;  and  as  far  as  I  have  been  able  to 
learn,  they  have  affirmed  and  insisted  upon  that  one  point, 
which  is  also  in  conformity  with  the  'Augsburg  Confession,' 
the  Formula  Conmrdiw,  and  the  whole  Word  of  God;  never- 
theless, for  this  acknowledgment  alone  they  have  become  to  a 
certain  extent  martyrs,  at  least  so  far  as  regards  the  cruel 
persecutions  of  the  Bishop  and  the  Dean  of  that  town.  The 
same  expression  also  I  apply  to  my  books,  which  I  regard  as 
my  own  self,  when,  nevertheless,  all  that  the  Dean  of  Gotten- 
burg has  poured  out  against  them,  consists  of  sheer  invectives, 
which  do  not  contain  a  particle  of  truth. 

"Your  Royal  Majesty's  most  humble  and  most  dutiful  ser- 
vant and  subject, 

"Emanuel  Swedenbokg. 

[Stockholm,  May  10,  1770.]t 

"I  enclose  two  letters  I  have  addressed  to  Dr.  Beyer;  the 
first  of  these  concerns  the  worship  of  the  Lord  which  is  shown 
to  be  in  agreement  with  the  'Augsburg  Confession,'  the  For- 
mula Concordicc,  and  the  whole  Word  of  God." 

*  In  the  Gennan  translation  the  last  two  clauses  read  as  follows:  "in 
that  I,  like  other  subjects,  may  once  have  a  hearing,  and  that  I  may  en- 
joy the  advantage  (benejicitim)  of  submitting  a  reply." 

f  In  the  Swedish  copy  from  which  the  above  translation  has  been 
made  no  date  is  given;  we  therefore  supply  the  same  from  the  French 
translation  of  Pernety. 


378  TRIAL  AT  GOTTENBVRG.  [Doc.  245 


« 


No  answer  was  received  by  Swedenborg  to  tliis  letter,  be- 
fore lie  left  for  Amsterdam  at  the  close  of  July,  1770,  as  ap- 
pears from  the  following  letter  to  one  of  his  friends  in  Gotten- 
burg,  in  which  a  copy  of  what  he  had  written  to  the  King 
was  enclosed: 


Y. 

EMANUEL  SWEDENBORG  TO  AUGUSTUS  ALSTRQMER*^* 

"Well-born  Sir, 

"As  I  shall  leave  next  week  for  Amsterdam, 
and  as  I  understand  that  the  religious  trial  of  Drs.  Beyer  and 
Rosen  has  been  settled  by  the  Privy  Council  in  an  unexpected 
manner  (cfr.  Document  245,  T],  and  as  this  wdll  probably  be 
talked  about  for  a  long  time  in  Gottenburg,  I  have  the  honour 
to  communicate  to  you  what  I  submitted  on  this  subject  to 
His  Majesty,  so  as  to  break  the  force  of  the  malicious  com- 
ments, which  will  no  doubt  issue  from  the  mouths  of  cer- 
tain persons,  originating  in  their  interior  stupidity  and  per- 
versity. 

"Two  gentlemen  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Appeals  (Justi- 
tice  Bevisionen)  told  me  that  the  Privy  Council  was  the  xjontifex 
maximus  in  religious  matters.  At  the  time  I  did  not  make 
any  reply;  if,  however,  they  should  repeat  this  statement  to 
me,  I  should  say  that,  far  from  being  the  ijontifex  maximus, 
they  are  simply  the  vicarius  vicarii  loontificis  maximi,  since 
Christ,  our  Saviour  is  dXonQ  i^ontifex  maximus;  that  the  Houses 
of  the  Diet  are  His  vicarius,  and  therefore  are  responsible  to 
Him ;  and  that  the  Privy  Council  is  the  vicarius  of  the  Houses 
of  the  Diet,  and  only  as  such  has  plenipotentiary  power;  and, 
consequently,  it  is  the  vicarius  vicarii  pontificis  maximi.  Nor 
am  I  able  to  see  in  what  their  pontifical  power  consists,  as 
they  have  simply  assented  to  the  opinion  expressed  by  the 
Consistory  of  Gottenburg;  and,  without  examining  any  of  the 


*  A  copy  of  the  Swedish  original  of  this  Document  is  preserved  among 
Swedenborg's  letters  to  Dr.  Beyer  in  the  Libraiy  of  the  Academy  of  Sciences 
in  Stockholm. 


Doc.  245.]  SWEDEXBOEG  TO  DR.  BEYER.  379 

religious  subjects  in  my  books,  liave  nevertheless  prohibited 
them.  The  Roman  pope's  styling  himself  iiontifex  maxhmis 
is  due  to  arrogance;  for  he  claims  and  takes  upon  himself 
all  the  power  of  Christ,  our  Saviour,  making  the  people  be- 
lieve that  he  is  Christ  upon  earth, 

"I  have  not  yet  received  any  answer  from  the  Privy 
Council;  and  when  the  subject  was  before  them  last  Aveek,  it 
was  resolved  that  it  should  be  postponed,  until  those  members 
who  had  gone  into  the  country  returned.  I  am  well  aware 
that  they  strike  me  upon  my  right  cheek,  but  how  they  will 
be  able  to  wipe  off  what  the  other  cheek  is  anointed  with, 
I  cannot  tell. 

"Please  give  my  kindest  regards  to  Doctors  Beyer  and 
Kosen,  and  to  all  the  rest  who  believe  in  our  Saviour.  I 
remain,  with  all  respect  and  affection, 

"Your  most  obedient  servant, 
"Em.  Swedenborg. 

"Stockholm,  July  19,  1770." 

The  same  sentiments,  only  in  a  rather,  more  extended  form, 
Swedenborg  communicated  to  the  Chancellor  of  .histice  and 
the  three  Swedish  Universities  of  Upsal,  Lund,  and  Abo  in  a 
letter  wherein  was  enclosed  a  copy  of  that  which  he  had 
addressed  to  the  King.  A  copy  of  this  letter,  which  con- 
stitutes Document  245,  AA,  he  also  enclosed  to  Dr.  Beyer, 
as  appears  from  the  following: 

Z. 

SBVENTEENTH  LETTER  OF  EMANUEL  SWEDENBORG  TO  DR.  BJBl'SB."* 

"Reverend  and  most  learned  Doctor  and  Lector, 

"As  I  shall  depart  in  the  course  of  a  few  days 
for  Amsterdam,  I  desire  herewith  to  take  leave  of  you.  I  hope 
that  our  Saviour  will  sustain  you  in  good  health,  preserve 
you  from  further  violence,  and  bless  your  thoughts.     I  enclose 

*  The  Swedish  original  of  this  letter  is  ]irescivc(l  .-nnong  ilic  Sweden- 
borg MSS.  in  the  Academy  of  Sciences  in  Stockholm.  It  \vas  piintcd  in 
the  "SamUngar  for  Philantroper"  as  Letter  XY.     The  fust  English  trans- 


380  TRIAL  AT  GOTTENBUBG.  [Doc.  245. 

a  copy  of  a  letter  which  I  have  addressed  to  the  universities  and 
also  to  the  Chancellor  of  Justice.^^"   With  kind  remembrances 
to  Dr.  Rosen  I  remain,  with  all  friendship  and  affection, 
"Your  most  obedient  servant, 

"Em.  Swedenboeg. 
"Stockholm,  July  23,  1770." 


AA. 

EMANUEL  SWEDENBORO  TO  THE  UNIVERSITIES  OF  VPSAL,  LUND,  AND  ABO* 

"In  a  few  days  I  shall  depart  for  Amsterdam 
in  order  to  publish  there  the  'Universal  Theology  of  the  New 
Church,'  the  foundation  of  which  is  the  worship  of  the  Lord, 
our  Saviour;  on  which  foundation  if  no  temple  be  now  built, 
liipanaria  (brothels)  will  be  erected.  And  now,  as  I  under- 
stand that  the  religious  trial  of  Drs.  Beyer  and  Rosen  has 
been  taken  up  by  the  Privy  Council  and  settled  in  an 
unexpected  manner,  and  as  this  will  probably  be  talked 
about  here  and  there  during  my  absence,  therefore,  in  order 
to  break  the  force  of  the  malicious  comments,  which  will 
probably  issue  from  the  mouths  of  certain  persons,  prompted 
by  their  stupidity  and  interior  perverseness,  it  becomes  my 
duty  in  the  interest  of  this  matter  to  make  known  to  you  what 
I  have  in  the  enclosed  document  (Swedenborg's  letter  to  the 
King,  see  X,  p.  373]  submitted  to  His  Royal  Majesty. 

"Two  gentlemen  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Appeals 
(Justicice  JRevisionen)  told  me  that  the  Privy  Council  was  the 
pontijex  maximus  in  religious  matters.  At  the  time  I  did  not 
make  any  reply ;  if,  however,  they  should  repeat  this  statement 
to  me,  I  should  say  that  far  from  being  the  2)ontifex  maximus, 

lation  was  published  in  the  "New  Jerusalem  Magazine"  for  1790,  p.  240; 
whence  it  was  introduced  as  Letter  X  into  the  English  editions  of  the 
"Swedenborg  Documents"  published  in  England  and  America. 

*  The  Swedish  Copy  of  this  letter  which  was  sent  by  Swedenborg  to 
Dr.  Beyer  is  preserved  in  the  Academy  of  Sciences  in  Stockholm.  It  was 
published  as  a  part  of  Document  Z  in  the  "SamHngar  for  Philantroper," 
the  "New  Jerusalem  Magazine"  for  1790,  and  the  various  English  editions 
of  the  "Swedenborg  Documents."  A  German  translation  was  published  in 
1770  in  the  "Schwedische  Urkunden,"  &c.,  p.  22. 


Doc.  245.]  SWEDENBORG  TO  THE  UNIVERSITIES.  381 

they  are  simply  tlie  vicarius  vicaril  pontijicis  maximi,  since 
Christ,  our  Saviour,  is  alone  yontifex  maximus;  that  the 
Houses  of  the  Diet  are  His  vicarius,  and  therefore  are 
responsible  to  Him;  and  that  the  Privy  Council  is  the  vicarius 
of  the  Houses  of  the  Diet,  and  only  as  such  has  plenipoten- 
tionary  power;  and  consequently  it  is  the  vicarius  vicarii 
pontijicis  maximi.  The  Roman  pope's  styling  himself  pontifcx 
maximus  is  due  to  arrogance;  for  he  claims  and  takes  upon 
himself  all  the  power  of  Christ  our  Saviour,  making  the  people 
believe  that  he  is  Christ  on  earth. 

"Every  lesser  pontifex  or  every  vicarius  pu)d.ificis  maximi 
ought  to  have  his  consistory.  The  Houses  of  the  Diet  have 
theirs  in  the  reverend  House  of  the  Clergy ;  the  Privy  Council 
has  its  especially  in  the  universities:  but  in  the  settlement  of 
the  present  matter  it  has  made  the  Consistory  of  Gottenburg 
its  consistory,  to  whose  opinions  it  is  said  to  have  adhered 
verbatim;  without  being  aware  of  the  fact  that  this  trial  has 
been  the  most  important  and  the  most  solemn  that  has  been 
before  any  council  during  the  last  1700  years,  since  it  concerns 
the  New  Church  which  is  predicted  by  the  Lord  in  Daniel 
and  in  the  Apocalypse,  and  agrees  with  what  the  Lord  says 
in  Matthew  xxiv,  22. 

"I  have  not  yet  received  any  answer  from  the  Privy 
Council;  this  matter  has  been  before  it  once,  when  it  was 
resolved  to  postpone  it  until  those  members  of  the  council, 
who  had  previously  examined  it,  should  return. 

"Em.  Swedenborg." 

The  copy  which  was  forwarded  to  the  University  of  Lund, 
was  addressed  by  Swedenborg  to  his  nephew.  Dr.  Charles 
Jesper  Benzelius,^^  among  whose  correspondence  it  is  preserved 
in  the  Cathedral-Library  of  Linkoping.  This  copy  agrees  in 
every  particular  with  that  which  was  communicated  by  Sweden- 
borg to  Dr.  Beyer,  except  that  it  is  introduced  by  the  follow- 
ing words: 

"Most  honoured  and  dear  Brother, 

"Relying  on  our  near  relationship  and  friendship, 
I  send  you  the  enclosed,  desiring  you  to  communicate  it  to 
your  University;   as  I  have  also  done  in  the  case  of  the  two 


382  TRIAL  AT  GOTTENBURG.  [Doc.  245. 

other  universities,  and  this  because  in  a  few  days  I  shall  depart 
for  Amsterdam,"  &c. 

The  letter  concludes  thus:  "I  remain  with  all  friendship 
and  love,  most  honoured  brother, 

"Your  faithful  friend  and  servant, 
"Eman.  Swedenbokg. 

"Stockholm,  July  23,  1770." 

The  next  development  of  the  case  consisted  of  another 
Royal  order,  dated  December  7,  1770,  in  which  Drs.  Beyer 
and  Rosen  were  called  upon  a  second  time  to  recant  their 
erroneous  views,  and  to  promise  to  give  up  their  belief  in  the 
Swedenborgian  doctrines.* 

That  Drs.  Beyer  and  Rosen  refused  to  comply  with  the 
royal  summons,  is  clearly  stated  by  the  former  in  a  lettel-  to 
Prelate  CEtinger,  dated  June  15,  1771,  where  he  says:  "As 
Dr.  Rosen,  who  has  now  removed  to  Stockholm,  and  I  have 
distinctly  refused  to  recant  before  the  King  our  belief  in  the 
Swedenborgian  principles,  our  case  will  now  be  brought  before 
the  Court  of  Appeals  at  Jonkoping  (Kongl.  Gotha  Hof-Ratt), 
where  it  is  to  be  examined  further,   and  to  be   adjudicated.-|' 

In  the  following  letter  Swedenborg,  who  had  meanwhile 
published  in  Amsterdam  the  greater  part  of  his  "Universal 
Theology,"  makes  his  comment  on  this  new  state  af  affairs: 


BB. 

mOHTEENTH  LETTER  OF  EMANUEL  SWEDENBORG  TO  DR.  BEYER.^ 

"Reverend  Doctor, 

"I  received  yesterday  your  last  letter  together 
with  one  from  Dr.  Rosen.  Previously  I  had  received  one  from 
Assessor  Queckfelt,^"*  from  which  I  was  led  to  infer,  that 
the  case  would  take  a  new  turn,  if  I  presented  myself  before 

*  See  "Oforgripeliga  Tamkar  om  Sattet  at  bemota  den  as  kallade 
Swedenborgianismen,"  Stockholm,  1788,  p.  77. 

■J-  See  "Schwedische  Urkunden,"  &e.,  p.  154. 

I  The  Swedish  original  of  this  document  is  preserved  in  the  Library  of 
the  Academy  of  Sciences  in  Stockholm.    It  v.'as  printed  as  Letter  XVI  in 


Doc.  245.]  SWEDENBORG  TO  DR.  BEYER.  383 

the  Privy  Council  as  a  tert'ms  interveniens ;*  yet  to  do  so 
would  do  no  good,  as  I  distinctly  did  so  a  short  time  before 
my  departure  [see  close  of  Document  245,  X,  p.  376],  and 
supported  with  weighty  arguments  the  cause  itself,  as  well  as 
your  case.  I  wonder  that  they  keep  stirring  up  this  affair  at 
Gottenburg;  I  will  complain  of  them  at  the  next  Diet,  when 
I  send  over  my  Unicersa  Theologia  Novi  Coeli  et  Novos 
Ecclesice,  which  will  leave  the  press  towards  the  close  of  the 
month  of  June.  I  will  send  two  copies  of  this  work  to  each 
House,  and  request  them  to  appoint  for  its  consideration  a 
general  committee  from  all  the  Houses,  in  order  to  put  an 
end  to  the  affair  in  this  way.  I  am  certain  of  this,  that  after 
the  appearance  of  the  book  referred  to,  the  Lord  our  Saviour 
will  operate  both  mediately  and  immediately  towards  the 
estafelishment  throughout  the  whole  of  Christendom  of  a  New 
Church  based  upon  this  'Theology.'  The  New  Heaven,  out  of 
which  the  New.  Jerusalem  will  descend,  will  very  soon  be 
completed  (Rev.  xxi,  1-3).  When  our  adversaries  enter  the 
other  life,  they  will  have  their  places  assigned  to  them.  I 
pity  them.  With  my  kindest  remembrance  to  Doctor  Rosen, 
I  remain,  with  all  affection, 

"Your  most  obedient  servant  and  friend, 
"Em.  Swedenborg. 

"Amsterdam,  April  30,  1771." 

The  next  letter,  which  was  written  after  the  "Universal 
Theology"  had  been  pubhshcd,  contains  the  last  utterance 
Swedenborg  made  on  the  subject  of  the  difficulty  with  the 
Consistory  of  Gottenburg: 


the  "Samlingar  for  Philantroper"  for  1788.     It   has   not   heretofore  beeu 
translated  into  EngUsh. 

*  That  is,  if  Swedenborg  pled  the  cause  of  Drs.  Beyer  and  Rosen  be- 
fore the  Privy  Council. 


384  TBIAL  AT  GOTTENBUBG.  [Doc.  245. 


CC. 

NINETEENTH  LETTER  OF  E^SIANVEL  SWEDENBORO  TO  DR.  BEYER* 

"Reverend  Doctor, 

"Captain  Sjoberg  informed  me  that  he  was 
commissioned  by  Mr.  Hammarberg^^*  to  purchase  some  sets 
of  the  works  written  by  me,  vi^.  four  of  each,  and  among  them 
also  the  last  book  which  appeared  a  few  days  ago.  On  account 
of  the  strict  prohibition  [see  Document  245,  U]  the  captain 
did  not  dare  to  purchase  more  than  one  copy  of  each ;  besides 
this  I  presented  him  with  a  copy  of  the  last  work  published. 
Perhaps  Mr.  Hammarberg  may  know  of  some  way  by  which 
he  could  receive  another  copy  if  it  were  sent  afterwards.  In 
a  few  days  I  will  send  to  Stockholm  by  the  skipper  CaBper 
Nyberg  two  copies  of  the  work  just  published  entitled  ^Vera 
Religio  Cliristiana f  one  for  Bishop  Menander,^®^  and  the 
other  for  Bishop  Serenius;^^^  and  among  other  things  I  will 
give  them  to  understand,  that  as  soon  as  the  Diet  is  properly 
organized,  I  shall  tender  a  formal  complaint  of  the  course 
of  proceeding  of  the  Privy  Council  in  the  Gottenburg  matter, 
in  respect  to  you  and  myself;  from  which  I  hope  a  favourable 
result.  I  enclose  two  copies  of  a  printed  pro  Memoria-^  against 
Dr.  Ernesti.^^  If  you  choose  you  may  communicate  one  of 
them  to  the  members  of  the  Consistory;  since  it  will  be  cir- 
culated in  Germany.  What  is  said  therein  is  applicable  also 
to  your  Dean.  With  my  kindest  regards  to  Dr.  Rosen  I 
remain,  with  all  friendship  and  affection, 

"Your  most  obedient  servant  and  friend, 
"Eman.  Swedenboeg. 

"Amsterdam,  July  2,  1771." 


*  The  Swedish  original  of  this  Document  is  presei'ved  in  the  Library 
of  the  Academy  of  Sciences  in  Stockholm.  It  was  printed  as  Letter  XVU 
in  the  "Samlingar  for  Philantrojjer."  An  English  translation,  which  was 
originally  published  in  the  "Intellectual  Repository,"  is  contained  in  the 
Appendix  to  the  enlarged  edition  of  the  "Swedenborg  Documents,"  published 
in  England  in  1855,  p.  9. 

-j-  A  translation  of  tliis  i)ro  Memoria  will  be  found  in  Section  XL 


Doc.  245.]  SWEDENBOBG  TO  BEYER.  385 

From  this  document  we  see  that  Swedenborg  did  not  succeed 
by  means  of  his  letter  to  the  King  (Document  245,  X)  in  re- 
moving the  embargo  laid  upon  the  importation  and  sale  of 
his  books  in  Sweden;  and  as  he  never  returned  to  his  native 
country  after  writing  the  above  letter,  he  could  not  carry  out 
his  intention  of  lodging  a  complaint  against  the  action  of  the 
Privy  Council  at  the  Diet  of  1772.  The  persecutions  which 
he  experienced  in  Sweden,  and  which  are  described  through- 
out the  whole  of  Document  145,  were  no  doubt  one  of  the 
reasons  why  he  did  not  return  to  Sweden  after  publishing  his 
last  work  entitled:  "The  True  Christian  Religion;  or.  Uni- 
versal Theology  of  the  New  Church,"  and  why  he  preferred 
to  spend  the  remaining  days  of  his  earthly  life  in  England, 
where  he  died  on  March  29,  1772. 

In  respect  to  the  trial,  however,  as  it  affected  Drs.  Beyer 
and  Rosen,  the  author  of  "Nya  Kyrkan,"  &c.,  says  (Part  I, 
p.  70):  "The  wearisome  trial  in  the  end  led  to  no  other  result 
than  that  the  further  publication  of  the  Minutes  of  tlie  Consistory 
of  Gottenburg  was  prohibited  by  the  government,  and  the  whole 
procedure  against  'Swedenborgianism'  was  finally  stopped  on 
account  of  'the  doubtful  (hesyn)ierUga)  means  Avhich  Avere 
resorted  to  in  its  prosecution.'  Beyer  and  Rosen  meanwhile 
retained  their  appointments  as  lectors  in  the  Gymnasium  of 
Gottenburg,  but  they  were  subjected  to  certain  limitations  in 
the  choice  of  subjects  on  which  they  had  formerly  lectured — 
in  other  words,  Dr.  Beyer  by  a  Royal  Resolution  was  declared 
to  be  infected  with  erroneous  doctrinal  opinions,  and  unfit  to 
instruct  others  in  theological  subjects.*  The  same  limitations 
also,  it  seems,  were  imposed  upon  Dr.  Rosen.  This  gentleman, 
however,  did  not  long  survive  the  close  of  the  first  religious 
trial  of  the  New  Church,  in  which  he  took  such  a  distinguished 
part.  He  became  ill  in  the  middle  of  August  1773,  and  died  on 
tlie  6th  of  the  following  month.  Dr.  Beyer,  after  having  passed 
safely  through  this  memorable  trial,  applied  himself  closely  to 
the  elaboration  of  his  Index  initialis  in  ojiera  Swedetiborgii 
theologica,  which  was  printed  in  Amsterdam  in  1779.  After 
he  had  finished   this  laborious  work,   and  had   sent  the  last 

*  See  "Biografiskt  Lexicon,"  &c.,  Vol.  XIX,  p.  247. 


386  SWEDENBORG'S  CORRESPONDENCE.    [Doc.  246. 

sheet  of  the  manuscript  to  Amsterdam,  we  learn,  that  "he 
died  after  a  few  days'  illness,  in  the  year  1779"  (see  "Nya 
Kyrkan,"  &c.,  Part  III,  p.  25,  and  also  Note  22). 


DOCUMENT  246. 

riEST   LETTER  FROM   SWEDENBORG  TO   THE 
LANDGRAVE  OF  HESSE  -  DARMSTADT.  ^°^* 

Most  Serene  Duke, 

On  receiving  your  most  gracious  letter,  I 
was  doubtful  for  a  time  whether  it  was  signed  by  yourself 
or  not.  The  subject  of  this  doubt  I  communicated  to  Venator,^*'^ 
who  was  with  me.  After  hearing,  however,  that  my  suspicion 
was  unfounded,  and  after  my  doubts  were  thus  dispelled,  I 
felt  I  had  wronged  you;  but  I  deferred  my  reply  until 
I  had  received  from  the  press  the  theological  work,  just 
published,  which  is  entitled,  "The  True  Christian  Religion, 
containing  the  Universal  Theology  of  the  New  Church,  predicted 
by  the  Lord  in  Daniel  vii,  13,  14,  and  in  the  Revelation  xxi, 
1,  2."  Of  this  I  have  sent  your  most  Serene  Highness 
two  copies  by  the  stage  which  leaves  this  city  daily  for  Germany. 

*  The  editor  was  fortunate  enough  to  obtain  Latin  copies  of  Documents 
246,  247,  and  248,  during  his  stay  in  Sweden  in  1870.  From  these  the 
above  translations  have  been  made.  Documents  246  and  247  were 
originally  printed  in  a  French  translation  of  the  "Intercourse  between 
the  Soul  and  the  Body,"  i)ubhshed  in  London  in  1785.  These  two 
letters  were  republished  in  the  Introduction  to  the  French  translation 
of  "The  True  Christian  ReHgion,"  pubhshed  in  Paris  in  1802,  together 
with  a  French  translation  of  Document  248.  Document  246  was  translated 
into  English  by  the  Rev.  Samuel  Noble,  and  printed  in  the  "Intellectual 
Repository,"  for  1815,  p.  310,  whence  it  was  introduced  into  the  Enghsh 
editions  of  the  "Documents  respecting  Swedenborg"  published  in  England 
and  America.  Documents  247  and  248  appeared  in  Enghsh  for  the 
first  time  in  the  edition  of  the  "Swedenborg  Documents,"  published  in 
Manchester  in  1841. 


Doc.  246]     SWEDENBORG  TO  THE  LANDGRAVE.  387 

I  hope  that  you  may  think  favourably  of  this  work,  for  it 
contains  pure  truths  revealed  from  heaven.  In  respect  to 
the  work  called  Arcana  Codestia,  which  was  published  in  London, 
it  can  no  longer  be  obtained  either  here  in  Holland,  or  in 
England,  as  all  the  copies  are  sold.  But  as  I  know  that  there 
are  some  persons  in  Sweden  who  possess  the  work,  I  will 
write  to  one  of  them  and  ask  if  he  is  willing  to  sell  it.  As 
soon  as  I  receive  a  reply  from  them,  or  from  one  of  them, 
I  shall  communicate  it  to  you. 

In  your  gracious  letter  yon  ask  how  I  came  to  have 
intercourse  with  angels  and  spirits,  and  whether  this  state 
could  be  imparted  by  one  to  another.  Deign  to  receive  favour- 
ably the  following  reply: 

The  Lord  our  Saviour  foretold  that  He  would  come  again 
into  the  world,  and  institute  a  New  Church;  He  predicted 
this  in  Revelation  xxi  and  xxii,  and  also  in  several  places  in 
the  gospels.  But  as  He  cannot  come  again  into  the  world  in 
person,  it  was  necessary  that  He  should  do  it  by  means  of 
a  man,  who  should  not  only  receive  the  doctrine  of  that  church 
by  his  understanding,  but  also  publish  it  by  means  of  the  press ; 
and  as  the  Lord  had  prepared  me  for  this  from  my  childhood, 
He  manifested  Himself  in  person  before  me,  His  servant,  and 
sent  me  to  do  this  work.  This  took  place  in  the  year  1743; 
and  afterwards  He  opened  the  sight  of  my  spirit,  and  thus 
introduced  me  into  the  spiritual  world,  granting  me  to  see 
the  heavens  and  many  of  the  wonderful  things  there,  and  also 
the  hells,  and  to  speak  with  angels  and  spirits,  and  this 
continually  for  twenty -seven  years.  I  declare  in  truth,  that 
this  is  so.  This  took  place  with  me  on  account  of  the  Church, 
which  I  mention  above,  the  doctrine  of  which  is  contained 
in  my  books.  The  gift  of  conversing  with  spirits  and  angels 
cannot  be  transferred  from  one  person  to  another,  unless  the 
Lord  Himself,  as  has  Ijeen  the  case  with  me,  opens  the  sight 
of  the  spirit  of  that  person.  It  is  sometimes  granted  to  a 
spirit  to  enter  and  to  communicate  some  truth  to  a  man;  but 
still  leave  is  not  given  to  the  man  to  speak  with  him  mouth 
to  mouth.  This  is  also  most  dangerous,  because  the  spirit 
enters  into  the  affection  of  man's  own  love,  wliich  does  not 
agree  with  the  affection  of  heavenly  love. 

25* 


388  SWEDENBO^G'S  CORRESPONDENCE.    [Doc.  247. 

With  respect  to  the  man  who  is  infested  by  spirits,  I 
have  heard  from  heaven,  that  this  was  caused  by  a  state  of 
meditation  in  which  he  indulged;  but  that  no  danger  is  to  be 
apprehended  from  them,  because  he  is  protected  by  the  Lord. 
The  only  means  by  which  he  can  be  cured,  is  conversion,  and 
supplication  to  the  Lord  our  Saviour  Jesus  Christ.  I  remain 
with  profound  respect,  most  serene  Duke  and  Landgrave, 

Your  most  humble  servant, 
E.  S. 

[Amsterdam,  177L] 


DOCUMENT  247. 

SECOND  LETTER  FROM  SWEDENBORG  TO  THE 
LANDGRAVE  OF  HESSE-DARMSTADT.  ^'^  * 

Most  Serene  Duke, 

I  have  received  and  read  with  pleasure  the 
letter  which  you  addressed  to  me.  I  hope  that  the  work 
which  has  just  been  printed  under  the  title  of  "The  True 
Christian  Religion,"  has  reached  you  during  the  last  few  days. 
If  you  see  fit,  I  should  like  you  to  instruct  the  learned 
among  the  clergy  in  your  duchy  to  report  concerning  it;  but 
I  pray  that  such  among  the  learned  of  your  clergy  be  selected 
as  love  the  truth  and  are  delighted  with  it.  If  they  are  not 
in  the  way  of  truth,  they  will  not  see  light  in  that  work,  but 
only  shade.  What  is  related  of  the  daughter  of  the  Prince 
Margrave  has  no  foundation,  but  has  been  invented  by  some 
gossiping  newsmonger;  I  never  heard  of  it  before;  but  what  is 
reported  concerning  the  brother  of  the  Queen  of  Sweden"  is 
true ;  yet  it  should  not  be  regarded  as  a  miracle,  but  only  as 


*  "With   respect  to   the   original   of  this  letter,   see  footnote  to  Docu- 
ment 246. 


Doc.  247.]     SWEDENBORG  TO  THE  LANDGRA  VE.  389 

a  memorable  occurrence  of  the  kind  related  in  the  above  work 
concerning  Luther,  Melancthon,  and  Calvin.  For  all  these  are 
simply  testimonies,  that  I  have  been  introduced  by  the  Lord 
as  to  my  spirit  into  the  spiritual  world,  and  that  I  converse 
with  angels  and  spirits.  It  is  further  true  that  I  conversed 
with  the  person  whose  name  is  mentioned  in  the  journal  in 
question,  and  six  months  ago  with  Stanislaus,^^^  King  of  Po- 
land, which  took  place  in  a  certain  congregation  or  company 
in  which  he  was,  where  no  one  knew  who  he  was.  The  de- 
light of  his  life  consisted  in  desiring  to  be  present  incognito 
in  assemblies  of  spirits  and  angels,  as  if  he  were  one  of  them, 
and  to  converse  familiarly  with  them. 

Afterwards  I  saw  him  transferred  into  the  northern  quarter, 
and  I  heard  that  he  was  placed  over  some  section  of  Roman 
Catholicism,  whose  chief  moderator  he  is.  He  has  also  con- 
versed frequently  with  the  Pope  who  died  lately,  with  whom 
he  dwelt  after  liis  death,  and  to  whom  he  succeeded;  he  de- 
scended also  to  a  congregation  or  company  consisting  of 
Jesuits,  over  whom  he  ruled  for  a  month ;  and  afterwards  I 
saw  him  ascending  from  them,  when  it  was  granted  me  to  speak 
with  him  several  times.  But  about  the  course  and  state  of 
his  life  I  am  not  allowed  to  divulge  anything.  Concerning 
the  pope  who  reigned  some  thirty  or  forty  years  ago,  you  may 
see  what  has  been  written  in  my  latest  work. 

I  pray  you  to  favour  all  those  things  which  belong  to  the 
honour  of  God,  and  I  remain,  with  a  mind  full  of  veneration. 
Yours,  &c. 

[Em.  Swedenboeg.] 

[Amsterdam],  July  13,  1771. 


DOCUMENT  248. 

EMANUEL  SWEDENBORGl'S  LETTER  TO 
VENATOR.'"'* 

I  hope  that  the  work,  entitled  "The  True 
Christian  Religion,"  which  has  recently  left  the  press,  is  now 
in  your  hands,  and  also  that  the  two  copies  which  I  sent  at 
the  same  time  to  his  Serene  Highness  the  Duke  and  Land- 
grave have  reached  him;  for  I  greatly  desire  to  have  your 
opinion  concerning  the  things  contained  therein,  knowing  as  I 
do  that  by  enlightenment  from  the  Lord  you  will  more  than 
others  see  in  light  the  truths  which  are  manifested  there  from 
the  Word.  To-day  I  send  also  my  reply  to  the  letter  which 
his  Serene  Highness  the  Duke  wrote  to  me  lately;  and  in 
compliance  with  his  orders  I  speak  to  him  of  several  con- 
versations I  had  with,  among  others,  the  Queen  of  Sweden  and 
her  brother.  But  these  must  by  no  means  be  regarded  as 
miracles;  for  they  are  simply  testimonies  that  I  have  been 
introduced  by  the  Lord  into  the  spiritual  world,  and  have 
intercourse  and  converse  there  with  angels  and  spirits ;  in  order 
that  the  church,  which  has  hitherto  remained  in  ignorance 
concerning  that  world,  may  know  that  heaven  and  hell  really 
exist,  and  that  man  lives  after  death  a  man,  as  before;  and 
that  thus  no  more  doubts  may  flow  into  his  mind  in  respect 
to  his  immortality.  Please,  deign  to  satisfy  the  Duke,  your 
prince,  on  this  score,  that  these  things  are  not  miracles,  but 
merely  testimonies  that  I  converse  with  angels  and  spirits. 
The    fact  and  the  reason  that  there  are   no  miracles  at  the 


*  For  particulars  concerning   the  histoi'y  of  this  letter,    see  footnote  to 
Document  246. 


Doc.  248.]  SWEDENBORG  TO  YENATOB.  391 

present  day,  may  be  seen  in  the  above  mentioned  work.   The 

Lord   says Wherefore    those   who    do   not  believe   unless 

they  see  miracles,  are  very  easily  led  into  fanaticism.  I 
have  seen  two  volumes  full  of  miracles  wrought  by  a  certain 
Paris,^"®  which  are  nevertheless  nothing  but  pure  falsehoods, 
being  in  part  fantastical  and  in  part  magical  doings.  The  same 
is  the  case  with  the  other  miracles  among  the  Roman  Catho- 
lics. Examine  also,  if  you  please,  those  things  which  have 
been  related  by  me  on  this  subject  in  the  above  work.  At 
this  day  faith  will  be  established  and  confirmed  in  the  New 
Church  only  by  the  Word  itself,  and  the  truths  which  are 
derived  thence;  if  these  shine  in  a  certain  light  before  the 
eyes  of  those  who  read  my  last  work,  it  is  a  sign  that  the 
Lord  is  present  and  illustrates;  because  He  is  the  Word  it- 
self, and  also  the  truths  that  are  derived  thence.  Farewell  in 
the  Lord. 

[Em.  Swedenboeg.] 

[Amsterdam,  July  13,  1771.] 


SECTION  X. 

TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMPORARIES 

EESPECTING 

SWEDENBORG'S  LIFE  AND  CHARACTER 
FROM  1747  TO  1772. 


A. 
TESTIMONY    COLLECTED    IN    SWEDEN. 

DOCUMENT  249. 

A. 

BAEON  TILAS'S'"''  TESTIMONY* 

FIRST  LETTER  OF  BARON  D.  TJLAS'^°<^  TO  A.  F.  CRONSTEDT.^'"'' 

Some  years  ago  I  had  the  honour  to  take 
part  in  a  correspondence  on  magic  and  mystical  philosophy. 
"We  have  now  got  hold  of  the  right  man  [for  this  purpose]. 
A  very  short  time  ago  (framfor  en  dag)  the  whole  town  was 
almost  in  alarm  about  it;  and  the  affair  spread  surprisingly  fast; 
for  not  a  breath  was  heard  respecting  it  before  my  departure.-{- 
It  is  Swedcnborg,  who  has  intercourse  with  the  dead  when- 
ever he  chooses,  and  who  can  inquire  after  his  former  departed 
friends  when  it  pleases  him,  whether  they  are  in  heaven  or 
hell,  or  whether  they  hover  about  in  a  third,  nondescript  place. 
He  has  had  many  conversations  with  Senator  Ehrenpreuss  ;""^ 
likewise  with  Count  Gyllenborg  [either  Carl  of  Note  87,  or 
Frederic  of  Note  115],  about  whose  condition  he  gives  satis- 
factory accounts4    He  called  on  Baron  Horleman  in  order  to 

*  The  two  letters  containing  Baron  Tilas's  testimony  concerning  Sweden- 
borg  were  discovered  in  1870  by  the  Editor  of  these  Documents  in  the 
Bergius  Collection  of  letters  preserved  in  the  Library  of  the  Royal  Aca- 
demy in  Stockholm. 

f  By  this  statement  of  Baron  Tilas  it  is  proved  that  before  the  begin- 
ning of  1760,  no  one  in  Sweden  had  any  knowledge  of  Swedenborg's  inter- 
course with  the  inhabitants  of  the  spiritual  world. 

%  This  statement  of  Bai'on  Tilas  scarcely  agrees  with  what  Swedenborg 
himself  has  stated  in  his  "Spiritual  Diary,"  respecting  the  spirits  of  these 
men.  The  passages  where  he  describes  their  states  are.  enumerated,  and 
partly  quoted,  in  Notes  173,  87,  and  115. 


396  TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMPORARIES.     [Doc.  249. 

get  from  him  the  plan  for  some  building,*  and  he  found  him 
taking  a  walk  in  his  garden.  For  Broman  [Erland^*^']  he  looked 
for  a  long  time  in  heaven  and  on  earth,  and  also  in  hell,  and 
found  him  at  last  in  loco  tertio  (a  third  place).  Queen  Ulrica 
Eleonora  is  doing  well  [see  Note  4] ;  she  is  now  married  to 
another  noble  gentleman,  and  hves  in  a  state  of  happiness.  I 
am  all  in  a  flutter  before  conversing  with  him  and  hearing 
whom  my  late  wife,  Hedwig  E,euterholm,-{- has  married;  I  should 
not  like  it,  forsooth,  if  she  had  become  sultaness. 

All  this  he  reports  without  a  screw  seeming  to  be  loose 
in  the  clock-work  in  any  other  respect.  He  has  also  written 
a  book  upon  communication  with  spirits,  which  has  been  printed 
in  England;^  I  have  not  yet  seen  it.  Nor  would  I  have  lent 
any  credence  to  all  this  stuff,  had  I  not  heard  it  yesterday 
from  Count  Tessin's  own  mouth  [see  Note  39;  and  also  Docu- 
ment 250,  p.  398].  He  assured  me  that  in  the  other  world 
one  amuses  oneself  with  such  things  as  bear  a  likeness  to  our 
affairs  in  this  world;  and  for  this  reason  Swedenborg  promised 
that  Count  Tessin  should  one  day  sit  again  in  the  Privy  Coun- 
cil ;  but  the  Count  answered  him  smiling,  that  he  had  so  much 
of  this  in  the  world  below,  that  he  did  not  desire  anything 
but  rest  above  [see  Document  250,  p.  400]. 

I  wish  you  were  here,  that  we  might  go  to  him  together, 
but  in  that  case  I  should  have  to  caution  you  first  with  "risum 
teneatis,  amid"  (restrain  your  laughter,  my  friends). 

[Daniel  Tilas.^o^] 

Stockholm,  March  16,  1760. 


*  Baron  Carl  Harleman  was  the  one  who  finished  the  building  of  the 
Royal  Castle  in  Stockholm;  see  Note  96. 

-J-  Baron  TUas  was  manied  twice ;  his  first  wife,  Hedwg  Reuterhohn, 
who  died  in  childbed  in  1741,  was  the  daughter  of  Baron  N.  E.  Reuter- 
holm.  Her  oldest  brother  Esbjom  Christian  is  mentioned  by  Swedenborg 
in  Document  207,  p.  132;  see  respecting  him  Note  156, 

\  Baron  Tilas  probably  means  the  treatise  on  "Heaven  and  Hell,"  which 
was  printed  in  London,  in  1757, 


Doc.  249.J  BARON  TILAS  TO  CROSSTEDT.  397 

B. 

SECOXD  LKTTER  OF  BARON  D.  J-JiAS*"'  TO  A.  F.  CRONSTEDT.'"'' 

Since  writing  my  last  letter  I  have  been  in 
company  with  this  wonderful  man.  Many  consider  him  crazy; 
but  I  desire  to  scan  the  matter  more  thoroughly  before  ex- 
pressing myself  upon  it.  Senator  Hopken^^  has  visited  him 
for  three  or  four  houi's ;  likewise  Senator  Tessin.^*^  He  has 
digested  his  theses  in  five  books,  but  I  do  not  recollect  the 
names  of  all.  One  treats  of  Heaven,  another  of  Hell,  another 
of  the  "New  Jerusalem,"  and  the  "Last  Judgment,"  &c.  Only 
three  copies  of  these  works  have  been  introduced  into  the 
country ;  one  for  his  own  use  and  another  for  the  censor ;  the 
third  copy  Senator  Bonde^''^  has  procured  for  himself  from 
abroad.  He  has  now  asked,  and  likewise  obtained  permission, 
to  import  fifty  copies,  with  the  proviso  that  he  send  in  a  list 
of  those  who  receive  copies.  He  intends  to  submit  them  to 
the  judgment  of  the  bishops  at  the  Diet.  Just  hear  this  sur- 
prising news  :  The  Last  Judgment  has  already  taken  place 
in  1757,  and  he  talks  about  it  as  familiarly  as  if  he  had  been 
the  secretary  there,  and  taken  down  the  minutes.  Since  that 
time  the  judgment  board  is  constantly  in  session,  and  parties 
are  judged  as  soon  as  they  arrive. 

This  information  must  not  be  spread  abroad,  since  I  do 
not  desire  to  be  accountable  for  it.  These  things  are  knowTi 
to  thousands  here;  but  I  do  not  think  it  advisable  they  should 
become  generally  known.  Yet  I  do  not  object  to  your  having 
allayed  the  suspicions  of  the  gentleman  of  whom  you  write  in 
your  last^  since  this  was  quite  proper.  But  to  specify  merely 
what  he  says  about  the  Last  Judgment,  this  is  such  an  extra- 
ordinary statement,  that  it  seems  quite  necessary  to  move  care- 
fully in  the  matter. 

D.  Til  AS. 

Stockholm,  March  24,  1760. 


DOCUMENT  250. 
COUNT  TESSIN'S^'  TESTIMONY* 

A. 

1.  When  Polhem,"  the  Councillor  of  Commerce, 
was  buried,  Swedenborg  took  part  in  the  procession,  and  re- 
ported that  Polhem  had  come  and  was  walking  beside  him, 
and  that  he  asked  what  all  this  was  about;  whereupon  Sweden- 
borg informed  him  that  it  was  his  burial.-j- 

2.  Swedenborg  perhaps  of  all  \dsionaries  wrote  most,  and 
gave  most  particulars.  His  book  "De  Coelo  et  ejus  Mirahilibus, 
et  de  Infenio  ex  aiaUtis  et  visis"  (Heaven  and  Hell,  &c.)  con- 
tains so  many  novel  statements,  that  it  may  be  read  without 
making  one  tired ;  but  it  must  be  read  with  the  same  kind  of 
faith  which  one  places  in  Mohammed's  Alcoran4 

3.  From  mere  curiosity,  for  making  the  acquaintance  of  a 
singular  man,  I  went  to  see  Assessor  Swedenborg  in  the  after- 
noon of  March  5,  1760.  He  lives  far  up  in  Hornsgatan  in  a 
small,  neat  wooden  dwelling  on  a  large  plot  of  ground  with  a 
garden,  belonging  to  him.    I  found  an  old  man,  about  seventy- 


*  The  Swedish  original  of  this  Document  is  contained  in  a  publication 
by  Baron  Ehrenheim  entitled:  "Tessin  och  Tessiniana;  Biographie  mcd 
Anekdoter  och  Rejlexioner,  samlade  utur  framledne  Eiks  Radet,  Gre/ve 
C.  G.  Tessins  egenhandige  Ma^iuscripter"  (Tessin  and  Tessiniana;  a  bio- 
graphy with  anecdotes  and  reflections  from  the  late  Senator  Count 
C.  G.  Tessin's  original  manuscripts),  Stockholm,  1819,  Part  A,  pp.  355  to 
358,  and  Part  B,  p.  368.  The  paragraphs  have  been  numbered  by  the 
Editor  for  the  sake  of  convenient  reference. 

f  For  further  particulars  respecting  this  circumstance,  see  the  -'Smaller 
Spiritual  Diary,"  p.  65,  as  quoted  in  Note  14,  Vol  I,  p.  614. 

I  From  this  and  some  other  statements  it  appears  that  Count  Tessin 
■was  not  one  of  Swedenborg-'s  followers. 


Doc.  250.]  TESSIN'S  TESTIMONY.  399 

thi'ee  years  old,  with  a  countenance  perfectly  like  that  of  the 
late  Bishop  Swedberg,  but  he  was  not  so  tall;  he  had  feeble 
eyes,  a  large  mouth,  and  a  pale  complexion;  but  he  was  cheerful, 
friendly,  glad,  and  talkative.  It  seemed  that  I  was  welcome; 
and  as  I  had  not  intended  to  make  many  preludes,  I  began 
at  once  by  talking  to  him  about  the  work  on  "Heaven  and 
Hell."  He  said  that  besides  his  own  copy  he  had  only  two 
others,  which  he  had  intended  at  the  next  Diet  to  hand  over 
to  two  bishops ;  but  as  he  had  heard  that  one  copy  of  it  had 
come  into  the  country  without  his  knowledge,  and  that  it  had 
been  sold  to  His  Excellency  Count  Bonde,^'^  he  had  recon- 
sidered the  subject,  and  given  one  of  the  copies  to  the  Senator, 
Count  Hopken,^^  and  the  other  to  Q^lreich,  the  Censor  of 
books  and  Councillor  of  Chancery.  He  expects  fifty  more 
copies  from  England  next  spring,  when  he  will  send  me  one. 

4.  For  many  objections  he  did  not  seem  particularly  pre- 
pared, but  stammered  in  an  uncertain  manner.  He  said  he 
was  forbidden  to  repeat  what  the  angels  and  the  departed  had 
told  him,  but  that  for  sixteen  years  God  had  granted  him 
revelations  of  this  kind,  that  he  might  lead  the  world  away 
from  darkness  and  error,  which  of  late  had  increased  to  such 
a  degree,  that  the  very  existence  of  God  was  in  effect  denied. 

5.  During  these  revelations  he  has  never  been  made  ac- 
quainted vnth.  the  first  origin  of  the  earth;*  future  things  also 
have  been  reserved  to  the  Lord  Alone.-|- 

6.  Whenever  he  is  alone,  angels  and  the  departed  come  to 
him;  but  only  a  few  for  a  longer  time  than  half  a  year;  for 
gradually,  he  said,  they  forget  temporal  things,  and  remain  in 
their  heavenly  homes. 

7.  Last  Wednesday  Senator  Ehrenpreuss^'^^  was  v/ith  him 
the  whole  day.  He  fills  the  office  of  judge  in  his  society,  but 
was  ashamed  of  the  little  insight  ^e  formerly  had  compared 
with  the  light  he  has  now. 

8.  After    death    men    remain   in   their   death-slumber    not 


*  Swedenborg  treats  of  this  subject  in  the  woi'k  entitled:  "The  Divine 
Love  and  Wisdom,"  -which  was  pubhshed  in  1736,  three  years  later,  and 
also  in  the  chapter  on  Creation  in  the  "True  Christian  Rehgion." 

^  Compare  also  Document  251,  no.  4. 


400  TESTIMONY  OF  GONTEMFOBARIES.     [Doc.  250. 

longer  than  forty-eight  hours,   until  the  motion  of  the  heart 
has  entirely  ceased,  when  they  wake  up  to  eternal  hfe. 

9.  All  the  heavens,  he  said,  are  divided  into  societies,  and 
all  these  societies  are  classified  according  to  the  inclinations 
of  men;  so  that  all  the  members  are  in  mutual  accord.  In 
case  a  wife  and  husband  are  not  of  the  same  disposition,  they 
meet  indeed  in  the  other  life — as  all  relations  and  acquain- 
tances do  in  the  beginning;  but  each  is  afterwards  directed 
into  his  or  her  respective  society,  where  they  get  another 
mate;  for,  according  to  him,  all  things  in  the  other  life,  are 
circumstanced  like  the  things  in  this  life,  only  in  a  different 
degree. 

10.  Many  thousand  hells,  he  says,  are  there  besides,  which 
are  likewise  divided  into  societies,  and  governed  by  God;  and 
where  punishments  are  inflicted  according  to  His  all -wise 
measure. 

11.  Our  conversation  was  interrupted;  for  he  assured  me 
that  as  soon  as  I  came  into  the  other  world,  I  should 
certainly  be  appointed  to  the  Privy  Council.  I  thanked  him, 
and  assured  him,  that  I  had  enough  of  it  in  this  life. 

12.  As,  God  be  thanked,  I  have  both  a  sound  faith  and 
sound  reason,  it  may  well  be  inferred  what  my  judgment  is 
about  this  man.  But  as  to  the  rest,  he  is  entertaining  in  con- 
versation, by  no  means  obstinate,  sensitive,  or  self-sufficient, 
but  friendly,  courteous,  and  open-hearted;  he  has  a  good  judg- 
ment, both  about  the  times  and  the  people,  explains  every 
tiling  for  the  best,  and  seems  to  be  a  philanthropist  who 
spends  his  life  in  contentment,  and  delights  himself  in  his 
fantasies,  for  which  perhaps  no  medicine  can  be  given. 

13.  I  asked  him  myself  respecting  liis  conversation  with  the 
Queen,"  concerning  her  late  brother,  the  Prince  of  Prussia,^*'' 
and  was  told  that  Senator  Scheffer^^^  was  present,  and  wit- 
nessed the  Queen's  fright. 

14.  It  was  the  widow  of  the  Dutch  Minister  Marteville,*^ 
who  received  information  about  the  lost  receipt. 


Doc.  250.]  TESSIK'S  TESTIMONY,  401 


B. 

In  the  afternoon  of  Juno  3,  1760,  I  visited 
Assessor  Swedcnborg  with  my  brother-in-law,*  my  sister-in- 
law,-}-  Countess  Fersen,^  and  their  children.  He  had  now  often 
seen  Countess  Sack,§  who  favours  his  books,  &c. — I  do  not 
know  whether  I  should  call  fortunate  or  unfortunate  a  weak- 
minded  man  who  finds  enjoyment  in  his  imagination.** 


*  Count  Axel  AVrede-Sparre,  born  in  1708,  died  in  1772;  the  brother  of 
the  Countess  Tessin. 

f  The  wife  of  Count  Axel  Wrede-Span-e  was  the  daughter  of  Senator 
Tomflycht. 

X  The  wife  of  Count  Carl  Reinhold  von  Fersen  was  the  step-daughter 
uf  Count  Tessin's  sister  Ulrica  Maria,  the  second  wife  of  Baron  Frederic 
Hemic  SpaiTe. 

§  Countess  Sack,  who  was,  it  seems,  in  favour  ol  Swedenborg's  wiitings, 
was  the  wife  of  Baron  Johan  Gabriel  Sack,  Councillor  of  Chancery  who 
died  in  1751;  she  was  the  daughter  of  Count  C.  F.  Bjelke,  and  hence  was 
called  Countess  Sack;  she  died  in  1778.  Countess  Tessin  was  the  step- 
sister of  Baron  Sack,  whence  the  interest  the  former  took  in  Countess 
Sack. 

**  It   is    evident   that  Count  Tessin   had  not  read  any  of  Swedenborg's 
writings,  or  he  would  not  have  called  him  "weak-minded." 


28 


DOCUMENT  251. 
LIBRAEIAN  aJORWELL'S"'^'  TESTIMONY* 

Royal  Library,  August  28,  1764,  afternoon. 


1.  A  little  while  ago  I,  the  undersigned,  returned  i 

from  a  visit  to  Assessor  Emanuel  Swedenborff,    on  whom  I  ' 

I 
had  called  in  order  to  request,  on  account  of  the  Royal  Library,  ] 

a  copy  of  the  works  he  has  lately  published  in  Holland.-]- 

2.  I  met  him  in  the  garden  adjoining  his  house  in  Horns-  \ 

gatan  in  the  southern  part  of  Stockholm  (Sodermalm),  where  j 

he  was  engaged  in  attending   his  plants,   attired  in   a   simple  ; 

garment.     The  house  in  which  he  lives  is  of  wood;    it  is  low  I 

and   looks  like  a  garden-house;    its  windows   also  are   in  the  | 

direction  of  the  garden.:}:    Without  knowing  me  or  the  nature  ; 

of  my   errand,   he   said  smiling,  "Perhaps  you  would  like  to  j 

take    a  walk  in  the  garden."     I   answered   that  I  wished  to  ' 

have    the   honour  of   calling  upon   him,   and  asking  him,    on  ■ 

behalf  of  the  Royal   Library,   for  his  latest    works,    so   that  '• 

we   might  have    a   complete  set,   especially    as    we    had    the  i 

*  This  testimony,  which  was,  it  seems,  written  by  Carl  Christoffer  , 
Gjorwell,  the  Royal  Librarian  in  Stockholm,  on  the  same  clay  he  called  ■ 
upon  Swedenborg,  he  published  in  a  work  entitled  "Anmiirkningar  i  j 
Swenska  Historien"  (Contributions  to  Swedish  History),  Vol.  I,  Stockholm,  [ 
September  2,  1786;  pp.  220  to  224.  j 

f  Librarian  GjorweU  meant  the  "Four  Primary  Doctrines  of  the  New  ; 
Jerusalem  respecting  the  Lord,  the  Sacred  Scripture,  Life,  and  Faith,"  and 
also   "The   Angelic  Wisdom  concerning  the  Divine  Love  and  the  Divine 
Wisdom,"  and  concerning  the  "Divine  Providence." 

I    Gjorwell    is    evidently    describing    here   Swedenborg's   garden-liouse,  ; 
where  his  library  was,  and  where  he  frequently  wrote;  and  which  he  mis-  j 
took  for  his  dwelling-house,  which  was  separated  from  the  garden  by  a 
yard;  see  Document  140,  no.  3,  Vol.  I,  p.  391. 

I 


Doc.  251.]  GJOBWELL'S  TESTIMONY.  403 

former  parts  he  had  left  with  Wilde,  the  royal  secretary. 
"Most  willingly,"  he  answered,  "besides,  I  had  intended  to 
send  them  there,  as  my  purpose  in  publishing  them  has  been 
to  make  them  knoAvn,  and  to  place  them  in  the  hands  of 
inteUigent  people."  I  thanked  him  for  his  kindness,  where- 
upon he  showed  them  to  me,  and  took  a  walk  with  me  in 
the  garden. 

3.  Although  he  is  an  old  man,  and  grey  hair  protruded  in 
every  direction  from  under  his  wig,  he  walked  briskly,  was 
fond  of  talking,  and  spoke  with  a  certain  cheerfulness.  His 
countenance  was  indeed  thin  and  meagre,  but  cheerful  and 
smiling.  By  and  by  he  began  of  his  own  accord  to  speak  of 
his  views;  and  as  it  had  been  in  reality  my  second  purpose 
to  hear  them  with  my  own  ears,  I  listened  to  him  with  eager 
attention,  not  challenging  any  of  his  statements,  but  simply 
asking  him  questions,  as  if  for  my  own  enlightenment.  The 
substance  of  his  statements,  and  of  what  I  drew  from  him  by 
polite  questions,  consists  mainly  in  what  follows: 

4.  His  doctrinal  system  of  theology,  which  he,  in  common 
with  other  Christians,  bases  upon  our  common  revelation,  the 
Sacred  Scripture,  consists  principally  in  this:  That  faith  alone 
is  a  pernicious  doctrine,  and  that  good  works  are  the  proper 
means  for  becoming  better  in  time,  and  for  leading  a  blessed 
life  in  eternity.  That  in  order  to  acquire  the  ability  or  power* 
to  do  good  works  prayer  to  the  only  God  is  required,  and  that 
man  also  must  labour  with  himself,  because  God  does  not  use 
compulsion  with  us;  nor  does  He  work  any  miracles  for  our 
conversion.  As  regards  the  rest,  man  must  live  in  his  appointed 
place,  acquiring  the  same  learning,  and  leading  a  similar  life 
as  other  honest  and  modest  persons,  who  live  temperately  and 
piously.  About  the  atonement  and  our  Saviour  he  said  not 
a  single  word.  It  is  a  pity  I  did  not  ask  him  about  it.  But 
his  thoughts  on  this  our  fundamental  article  of  faith  may  be 
inferred  from  his  expression  about  faith  alone.  He  also  said 
that  Doctor  Luther  was  at  the  present  time  in  a  state  of 
suffering   in   the   other   world,    simply    on  account   of  having 


*  "I  use  everywhere  Swedenborg's  own  words."    C.  C.  G. 

26* 


404  TESTIMONY  OF  GONTEMP  OB  ABIES.     [Doc.  251. 

introduced    the    doctrine  of  faith  alone;    although  he  is  not 
among  the  damned. 

5.  The  transition  thence  to  his  own  revelation  was  easy, 
since  he  said  that  he  had  often  seen  and  conversed  with  Dr. 
Luther.  His  principle  of  knowledge  (jnincijnum  cognoscendi) 
is  a  supernatural  sight  and  hearing,  and  the  criterion  that 
both  his  principle  and  his  revelation  are  true  is  this:  that 
God  revealed  Himself  to  him  in  May  1744,  while  he  was 
in  London,  and  that  since  that  time  God  had  prepared 
him  by  a  thorough  knowledge  of  all  physical  and  moral  powers 
(virhites  i^liysiccB  et  morales)  in  this  world  for  the  reception  of 
the  new  revelation ;  and  ever  since  that  time  he  has  constantly 
and  without  interruption  been  in  communion  with  God  whom 
he  sees  before  his  eyes  like  a  sun;  he  speaks  with  the  angels 
and  the  departed,  and  knows  everything  that  takes  place  in 
the  other  world,  as  well  in  heaven  as  in  hell,  but  he  does  not 
Imoiv  the  future. 

6.  His  mission  consists  in  communicating  this  new  light  to 
the  world;  and  whoever  is  willing  to  accept  it,  receives  it; 
the  Lord  also  has  granted  him  this  revelation,  that  he  may 
make  it  known  to  others;  which  he  has  done  in  Latin,  the 
most  universal  language  in  the  world.  He  alone  has  received 
this  revelation,  which  also  is  a  most  particular  gift  (donum 
particularissmmm),  by  which  he  profits  for  the  enlightenment 
of  mankind.  He  who  does  not  scorn  this  light,  and  does  not 
resist  this  revelation,  receives  it;  and  this  revelation  is  a 
living  truth.  Its  object  really  is,  that  a  New  Jerusalem  is  to 
be  established  among  men;  the  meaning  of  which  is,  that  a 
New  Church  is  at  hand,  about  the  nature  of  which,  and  the 
way  to  enter  it,  his  writings  really  treat.        ' 

7.  About  all  this  he  spoke  with  a  perfect  conviction,  laying 
particular  stress  upon  these  words:  '■^All  this  I  see  and  knoiv 
tvithout  becoming  the  sulrject  of  any  visions,  and  ivithout  heing 
a  fanatic;  hut  ivhen  I  a?n  alone,  my  soul  is  as  it  tvere  out  of 
the  body,  and  in  the  other  ivorld;  in  all  respects  I  am  in  a 
visible  mariner  there,  as  I  am  here.  But  when  I  think  of  luhat 
I  am  about  to  write,  and  ivhile  I  am  in  the  act  of  writing,  I 
enjoy  a  perfect  inspiration  (sa  ager  jag  en  full  komlig  Inspira- 


Doc.  252.]  HOPKEN'S  TESTIMONY.  405 

tion) ;  for  otherwise  it  ivoulcl  he  my  own;  hid  now  I  Icnow  for 
certain,  that  what  I  write  is  the  living  truth  of  GocV 

8.  When  a  man  dies,  his  soul  does  not  divest  itself  of  its 
peculiarities  (hojelser);  these  he  takes  with  him :  when  I  could 
not  refrain  from  asking  him  what  Professor  D.  Nils  Wallerius^"^ 
busies  himself  with;  "He  still  goes  about,"  he  said,  "and  holds 
disputations." 

9.  His  former  works  were  printed  in  London,  but  his  latter 
in  Amsterdam.  He  has,  nevertheless,  been  over  to  England, 
in  order  to  present  them  to  the  Royal  Society;  and  on  his 
return  home  he  presented  them  in  Copenhagen  to  the  King 
of  Denmark;  even  as  last  week  he  presented  them  to  both 
their  Majesties  in  Drottningholm.  They  have  been  fiwourably 
received  everywhere.  He  had  only  twelve  copies  of  the  works 
with  him  in  this  country,  four  of  which  are  intended  for  the 
public  libraries,  and  four  more  for  our  most  prominent  bishops. 

That  all  this  is  Swedenborg's  own  relation,  and  that  every- 
thing I  have  written  I  have  seen  and  heard  with  my  bodily 
eyes  and  ears,  I  attest  with  the  signature  of  my  name, 

Caul  Christoffer  Gjorwell, 


DOCUMENT  252. 
COUNT  HOPKEN'S''  TESTBIONY. 

The  circumstances  under  which  this  testimony  was  obtained, 
are  stated  by  Count  Hopken  in  a  letter  to  Mr.  Wargentin, 
introduced  into  Note  28  (Vol.  I,  p.  633)  thus:  "About  a  week 
ago  I  received  a  very  courteous  letter  from  an  unknown 
gentleman  in  Denmark,  in  which  he  entreats  me,  for  his  own 
and  his  wife's  sake,  to  give  them  some  information  about  Sweden- 
borg's system,  and  to  act  as  their  guide."  This  gentleman  was 
Christian  Tuxen,-"'  General  Commissary  of  war  in  Elsinore,  and 
his  letter  resulted  in  a  friendly  correspondence  with  Count 
Hopken  until  the  year  1781.  In  his  letters,  of  which  an 
English  translation  is  given  below,  the  Swedish  statesman 
gives  his  estimate  of  Swedenborg's  character  and  wi'itings. 


406  TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMPORARIES.      [Doc.  252. 

In  respect  to  the  publication  of  these  letters,  General 
Tuxen  wrote,  under  the  date  of  May  8,  1790,  to  C.  F.  Norden- 
skold,^"  as  follows:  "I  will  send  your  brother  [Augustus 
Nordenskold^^]  at  the  earliest  opportunity,  according  to  his 
request,  a  short  description  of  my  acquaintance  and  con- 
versations with  the  late  Swedenborg  [Document  255],  as  well 
as  a  copy  of  the  only  letter  I  received  from  him  [Docu- 
ment 245,  W,  p.  371],  likewise  copies  of  the  supplication  to  the 
King  [Document  245,  X,  p.  373],  and  several  other  documents 
I  myself  received  from  him,  together  with  certified  copies  of 
the  four  or  five  interesting  letters  which  the  late  Count  Hopken 
addressed  to  me.  All  these  documents  your  brother  said  he 
would  translate  into  English,  and  publish  in  a  Magazine  on 
Swedenborgianism,  which  would  appear  in  London;  by  which 
means  they  would  become  quicldy  and  widely  known." 

The  documents  forwarded  by  General  Tuxen  to  Augustus 
Nordenskold  were  published  in  the  English  language  in  an 
"Appendix  to  the  New  Jerusalem  Magazine,"  printed  about 
the  middle  of  1791,  pp.  267  to  274.  They  appeared  after- 
wards in  Noble's  "Appeal,"  and  were  thence  introduced  into 
the  English  editions  of  the  "Swedenborg  Documents"  published 
in  England  and  America. 


A. 

FIRST  LETTER  OF  COUNT  A.  ,T.   VON  MoFKEN"-^  TO  GENERAL 
CHRISTIAN  TUXEN. '°' 

"Sir, 

"My  stay  in  the  country,  at  a  distance  from  the  capital 
and  the  great  world,  is  the  cause  of  my  ausweiing  later  than 
I  ought  the  letter  of  April  21st,  with  which  you  have  honoured 
me.  The  office  with  Avhich  I  was  invested  in  my  country,  has 
often  made  it  my  duty  to  give  my  opinion  and  counsel  in 
delicate  and  difficult  matters;  but  I  do  not  recollect  any  one 
so  delicate  ever  before  to  have  been  submitted  to  my  judgment, 
as  that  which  you  have  been  pleased  to  propose  to  me.  Senti- 
ments and  persuasions  which  one  person  may  entertain,  do 
not  always  suit  others;  and  what  may  appear  to  me  probable, 


Doc.  252.]  HOPKEX  TO  TUXEN.  407 

manifest,  certain,  and  incontestable,  may  to  others  seem  dark, 
incomprehensible,  nay,  even  absurd.  Partly  natural  organization, 
partly  education,  partly  professional  studies,  partly  prejudices, 
partly  fear  of  abandoning  received  opinions,  and  other  causes, 
occasion  a  difference  of  ideas  in  men.    To  unite  and  settle  them 
in  temporal  concerns  is  not  hazardous;  but  in  spiritual  matters, 
^vhen  a  tender  conscience  is  to  be  satisfied,  I  have   not  the 
spirit  requisite   for  this,  and  I  am  also  bound  to  confess  my 
want  of  knowledge.     All  I   could    say  by  way  of  preliminary 
on  this  subject  regards  the  person  of  the  late  Assessor  Sweden- 
borg.     I  have  not  only  known  him  these  two-and-forty  years, 
but  also,  some  time  since,  daily   frequented  his  company.     A 
man  who,  like   me,  has  lived  long  in   the  worlds  and  even  in 
an  extensive   career  of  life,   must  have  had  numerous  oppor- 
tunities  of  knowing   men  as   to    their  virtues   or  vices,    their 
weakness  or  strength;    and  in   consequence   thereof,  I  do  not 
recollect  to  have  known  any  man  of  more   uniformly  virtuous 
cliaracter  than  Swedenborg;  always  contented,  never  fretful  or 
morose,   although  throughout  his   life  his    soul   was    occupied 
with  sublime  thoughts  and  speculations.    He  was  a  true  philo- 
sopher, and  lived  like  one;    he  laboured    diligently,    and  lived 
frugally  without  sordidness ;    he  travelled  continually,  and  his 
travels  cost  him  no  more  than  if  he  had  lived  at  home.     He 
was  gifted  with  a  most  happy  genius,   and  a  fitness  for  every 
science,  which  made  him  shine  in  all  those  which  he  embraced. 
He  was,  without   contradiction,  the   most  learned  man  in  my 
country;    in   his  youth   he  was   a   great  poet.     I  have  in  my 
possession   some  remnants   of   his  Latin   poetry,    which   Ovid 
would  not  have  been  ashamed  to  own.     In  his  middle  age  his 
Jjatin  was  in  an  easy,  elegant,    and   ornamental  style;    in  his 
latter  years  it  was  equally  clear,  but  less  elegant  after  he  had 
turned  his   thoughts  to   spiritual   subjects.     He  was  well  ac- 
quainted with  the  Hebrew  and  Greek;    an  able  and  profound 
mathematician ;  a  happy  mechanician,  of  which  he  gave  proof 
in  Norway,  where,   by  an  easy  and  simple  method,  he  trans- 
l)orted  the  largest   galleys   over  high  mountains  and  rocks  to 
a  gulf  where  the  Danish   fleet  was  stationed.     He  was  like- 
wise a  natural  philosopher,   but  on  Cartesian  principles.     He 
detested  metaphysics,  as  founded  on  fallacious  ideas,  because 


408  TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMFOBABIES.     [Doc.  252. 

they  transcend  our  sphere,  by  means  of  which  theology  has 
been  drawn  from  its  simplicity,  and  become  artificial  and 
corrupted.  Having  for  a  long  time  been  Assessor  in  the 
College  of  Mines,  he  was  perfectly  conversant  with  mineralogy, 
on  which  science  both  as  to  theory  and  practice  he  also 
published  a  valuable  and  classical  work,  printed  in  Leipsic 
in  1734.*  If  he  had  remained  in  ofi&ce,  his  merits  and  talents 
would  have  entitled  him  to  the  highest  dignity ;  but  he  preferred 
ease  of  mind,  and  sought  happiness  in  study.  In  Holland  he 
began  to  apply  himself  to  anatomy,  in  which  he  made  singular 
discoveries  which  are  preserved  somewhere  in  the  Acta  Literaria.-f 
I  imagine  this  science  and  his  meditations  on  the  effects  of 
the  soul  upon  our  curiously  constructed  body,  did,  by  degrees, 
lead  him  from  the  material  to  the  spiritual.  He  possessed  a 
sound  judgment  upon  all  occasions;  he  saw  everything  clearly, 
and  expressed  himself  well  on  every  subject.  The  most  solid 
memorials,  and  the  best  penned,  at  the  diet  of  1761,  on 
matters  of  finance,  were  presented  by  him.  In  one  of  these 
he  refuted  a  large  work  in  quarto  on  the  same  subject,  quoted 
all  the  corresponding  passages  of  it,  and  all  this  in  less  than 
one  sheet.ij:  Of  his  method  of  teaching  we  see  proofs  in  all 
his  writings  which  relate  to  or  are  founded  on  the  Arcana 
Ccelestia.  He  might,  with  or  without  reason,  which  1  do  not 
indeed  venture  to  determine,  be  accused  of  having  given  a 
heated  imagination  too  free  play  in  his  revelations.  But,  for 
my  own  part,  I  have  nothing  on  which  I  could  found  this 
criticism.  Whether  or  not  our  Lord,  in  our  times,  grants  to 
particular  persons  particular  revelations;  what  the  nature  of 
such  revelations  is ;  and  what  is  the  criterion  for  distinguishing 
the  genuine  from  the  false;  upon  all  these  I  have  no  solid 
grounds  for  judging.  The  author  of  the  MontJily  Eeview  judges 
admirably  in  every  other  respect  except  on  matters  of  divinity; 
and  his  testimony  on  that  head  avails  nothing  with  me.  I  once 
represented,  in  rather  a  serious  manner,  to  this  venerable  man, 

*  See  footnote  2,  p.  5. 

f  Count  Hopken  was  evidently  not  acquainted  with  Swedenborg's  works 
entitled  (Economia  Regni  Animalis  and  Regnurn  Animale,  which  were 
published  in  Holland  in  1740  and  1743. 

I  See  Document  181,  Vol.  I,  p.  516. 


Doc.  252.]  HOPKEN  TO  TUXEN.  409 

that  I  thought  he   would   do  better  not  to   mix  his  beautiful 
writings  with  so  many  memorable  relations,  or  things  heard  and 
seen  in  the  spiritual  world  concerning  the  states  of  men  after 
death,  ot  which  ignorance  makes  a  jest  and  derision.     But  he 
answered  me,  that  this  did  not  depend  o)i  him;    that  he  tvai 
too  old  to  simrt  with  spiritiial  tilings,   and  too  much  concerned 
for  his  eternal  happiness  to  yield  to  such  foolish  notions,  assur- 
ing me,  on  his  hopes  of  salvation,   that  imagination  produced 
in  him  none  of  his  revelations,  which  were  true,  and  from  what 
he  had  heard  and  seen.    This  may  be:  the  church  cannot  judgo 
of  mysteries,  nor  can  I.    The  generality,  when  they  are  speak- 
ing of  the  theology  of  Swedenborg,  always  dwell  on  his  memor- 
ahle  relations,  and  think  that  everything  consists  in  them.     In 
whatever   he   relates    of  the   spiritual    world,    and   the    other 
progressions  in  the  angelic  heaven,  there  appears,  as  I  think, 
an  analogy  and  resemblance  of  the  gradations  which  God  has 
established  in   the  world,   and  in   which   no  variations  or  ex- 
ceptions are  admitted;   insomuch,   that  Swedenborg  has  taken 
the   same  road  by  which  we    proceed  from  the  visible  to  the 
invisible,  from  things  known  to   things  unknown,  from  several 
collected   facts   to   one   fundamental  truth  before  unknown  to 
us;    in  like  manner  as  in  arithmetic,  we  are  led  from  known 
numbers  to  those  we  seek.    We  have  no  other  way  of  obtain- 
ing knowledge.    Few  persons  have  judiciously  read  his  works, 
which  everywhere  sparkle  with  genius ;  if  I  meet  with  anything 
unusual  or  extraordinary,  and  wiiich  might  indicate  a  disordered 
understanding,   I   do  not  judge   of  it.     We  read  Plato    with 
admiration;  but  there  is  nothing  to  be  met  with  in  his  works 
which,    if  related   by   another  person,  might  not  be   deemed 
extravagant,  inconceivable,  and  absurd.    But  I  grow  too  prolix, 
Sir,  and  you  may  be  tired  with  such  a  long  and  hastily  written 
letter.     This  I  have  written  with  a  view  of  satisfying  in  some 
manner  your  desire,  and  thus  of  proving  the  perfect  esteem, 
with  which  I  have  the  honour  to  be,  Sir, 

"Your  obedient  sfrvant, 

"HOPKEK. 

"Skenninge,  May  11,  1772. 


410  TESTIMONY  OF  COKTEMP  OB  ABIES.     [Doc.  252. 

"P.  S.     Your   epitaph   on  Swedenborg   is   very  beautiful, 
true,  and  worthy  of  the  subject."* 


B. 

SECOND  LETTER  OF  COUNT  A.  J.   VON  HOPKEN'^'^  TO  GENERAL 
CHRISTIAN  TUXEN^°^ 

"Sir, 

"From  your  long  silence,  I  conclude  you  have  not 
been  satisfied  with  my  last,  containing  my  opinion  on  the  late 
Assessor  Swedenborg's  System  of  Divinity;  and  from  your  letter 
of  March  8th,  I  perceive  I  have  some  cause  for  my  suspicions.-}- 
In  every  science  but  divinity,  a  man  may  give  his  opinion  positive- 
ly, and,  if  it  be  erroneous,  endeavour  to  make  others  embrace 
it  also;  for  this  does  not  destroy  the  calm  and  quiet  of  the 
conscience.  It  is  quite  indifferent  in  the  other  life,  with  regard 
to  happiness,  to  believe  with  Ptolemy,  that  the  earth  rests  in 
the  centre,  and  that  the  sun^,  with  the  other  planets,  revolves 
around  it  in  twenty-four  hours;  or  with  Copernicus,  the  opposite. 
But  as  soon  as  the  question  is  on  a  subject  relating  to 
salvation,  which  is  to  satisfy  the  conscience  at  every  period 
of  life,  then  my  thoughts  are  of  a  more  tender  nature,  and  I 
am  bound  to  use  caution  in  communicating  thorn  to  others. 
The  late  Swedenborg  certainly  was  a  pattern  of  sincerity, 
virtue,  and  piety,  and  at  the  same  time,  in  my  opinion,  the 
most  learned  man  in  this  kingdom;  but  all  these  qualities, 
which  are  so  many  evidences  of  an  honest,  virtuous,  and  pious 
life,  do  not,  at  the  same  time,  prove,  that  he  could  not  err 
like  other  men.  What  to  my  judgment  may  appear  evident, 
convincing,  and  indisputable,  may  to  others  appear  obscure, 
complicated,  and  problematical.  So  diffei-ent  are  our  intel- 
lectual faculties,  as  well  as  our  education  and  circumstances; 

*  Tills  epitaph  which  was  composed  in  the  Swedish  language  will  be 
found  in  Note  210. 

f  General  Tuxen  himself  says  on  this  subject,  "I  embraced  an  opportunity, 
after  the  death  ol  Swedenborg,  of  wTiting  to  his  eminent  brother,  and  of 
putting  several  questions  to  him,  which  he  did  not  directly  answer,  yet 
very  pohtely  sent  me  the  letters  hereunto  subjoined"  (see  Document  255, 
no.  22). 


Doc.  252 .]  HOPKENTO  TUXEX.  411 

and    hence    proceeds   all   the   diversity  of  opinions  prevailing 
among  men,  which  are  never  to  be  reconciled.     I  agree  with 
3'ou,  Sir,  in  this,  that  the  Swedenborgian  system  is  more  com- 
prehensible by  our  reason,  and  less   complicated  than  other 
systems;  and  while  it  forms  virtuous  men  and  citizens,  it  prevents, 
at  the   same  time,   all  kinds  of  enthusiasm  and  superstition, 
both  of  which  occasion  so  many  and  such  cruel  vexations,  or 
ridiculous   singularities,    in  the   world:    and  from   the  present 
state  of  religion,  more  or  less  everywhere  conspicuous,  accord- 
ing to  the  more  or  less  free  form  of  government,  I  am  perfectly 
convinced  that  the   interpolations  which  men   have  confusedly 
inserted  into  religion,  have   nearly   effected  a  total  corruption 
or  revolution;  and  when  this  is  seen,  the  Swedenborgian  system 
will  become  more  general,  more  agreeable,  and  more  intelligible 
than  at  present,  ojnnionum  commenta  delet  dies,  naturce  judicia 
confirmat,    says  Cicero.     The    work    of   God   is    in   its    com- 
position simple,  and  in  its  duration  perpetual;  on  the  contrary, 
the  contrivances  of  man  are  complicated,  and  have  no  lasting 
subsistence.     Those  few  truths  which  we  possess,  and  perhaps 
want  in  this  world,  are  equally  intelligible  to  the  most  simple 
as  to  the  most  profound  metaphysician.    Tenets  and  arguments 
have  troubled  mortals  more  than  convinced  them ;  excited  more 
religious    quarrels   and  wars  in  Christendom,    than  they  have 
made  good  Christians.     The  judgment   of  father  Hellens  has 
afforded  me  great  pleasure;  it  proves  him  to  be  a  reasonable 
man.     The  late  Swedenborg  did  not,  on  his  death-bed,  recant 
what   he    had    written;    of  this   I    have    particularly  informed 
myself.     Your  own   opinion.  Sir,    on  the  Gottenburg  affair,  is 
a  lively  and  exact  representation  of  the  persons  interested.    I 
remember  here  the  expressions  of  an  English  poet: — 

'Is  there  a  churchman  who  on  God  relies, 
Whose  life  his  faith  and  doctrine  justifies? 
They  hunt  good  livings  and  abhor  good  lives.' 

No  notice  is  to  be  taken  of  the  English  criticisms  on  the 
works  of  Swedenborg.  I  have  got  those  journals,  but  have 
not  yet  been  able  to  discover  the  nature  of  their  religious 
opinions.  The  letter  of  David  Paul  ab  Indagine  is  unknown 
to  me;    and  I  have  reason  to   doubt  whether  Swedenborg,  in 


412  TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMPORARIES.     [Doc.  252. 

his  life-time,  ever  knew  of  it.*  In  his  later  years,  he  never 
read  the  writings  of  others,  being  abundantly  occupied  in  writ- 
ing himself.  Your  correspondence,  Sir,  is  not  only  very  agree- 
able to  me,  but  also  very  edifying.  I  wish  my  answer  may 
afford  you  equal  satisfaction;  at  least  I  can  assure  you  of  the 
sincere  affection  with  which  I  have  the  honour  of  remaining, 
Sir, 

"Your  obedient  servant, 

"HOPKEN. 

"Skenninge,  May  21,  1773." 

C. 

THIRD  LETTER  OF  COVNT  A.  J.  VON  HOPKEN^^  TO  GENES.iL 
CHHISTIAN  TUXEN^°^ 

"Sir, 

"Partly  travels,  and  partly  indisposition,  have  prevented 
my  answering  your  favour  of  the  28th  May;  besides,  the 
contents  of  that  letter  are  such  as  to  require  much  time 
for  reflection,  much  attention,  and  still  greater  caution  in  the 
execution,  than  questions  of  another  nature  in  general  demand. 
I  am  not  surprised,  that  the  late  Assessor  Swedenborg  left 
the  objections  of  Paul  ab  Indagine-J-  unanswered;  for  though 
the  system  of  the  former  has  not  a  more  powerful  adversary 
than  this  man,  yet  it  runs  no  risk,  as  nothing  is  objected  to 
Swedenborg,  but  what  might  on  equally  good  ground  be  ob- 
jected to  orthodoxy,  as  it  is  called;  even  his  Autopsy,  or  Visa 
et  Audita,  are  of  such  a  nature,  that  they  can  never  be  proved, 
nor  do  they  cause  any  faith  and  belief  except  as  the  rest 
of  his  tenets  are  well  founded,  and  possess  force  and  authen- 
ticity. Those  who  take  upon  themselves  the  business  of  refut- 
ing the  opinions  of  others,  ought  first  to  obtain  a  perfect  idea 
of  the    system  they  mean  to  refute,   and  not  catch  at  trifles, 

*  This  letter,  which  was  written  by  John  Christian  Cuno  of  Amsterdam, 
and  a  copy  of  which  will  be  found  in  Document  :^56,  C  was  most  undoubted- 
ly knoMTi  to  Swedenborg,  as  appears  from  476. 

-|-  John  Christian  Cuno,  see  Document  256,  C. 


Doc.  252.]  HOPKEN  TO  TUXEX.  413 

which,  by  themselves,  are  apparently  of  no  consequence,  but 
in  their  connection  with  the  whole  are  of  importance:  second- 
ly, to  be  cautious  of  makinf;^  such  objections  as  may,  with 
equal  force,  reason,  and  authority,  be  urged  against  what  is 
called  orthodoxy.  I  think  Paul  ab  Indagine  has  acted  contrary 
to  these  rules;  I  am  persuaded,  Sir,  you  must  already  have  ob- 
served these  defects,  which  consequently  need  not  be  pointed 
out  by  me.  I  am  no  theologian;  but  I  do  not  build  my  re- 
ligion on  that  artificial  and  confused  theology,  which  ambition, 
enthusiasm,  and  superstition  have  spun  out,  which  gives  rise  to 
sects,  and  excites  in  weak  minds  anxiety  and  despair.  If  we 
look  around  us  in  Christendom,  we  shall  find  the  state  of  re- 
ligion to  be  such  as  I  have  described,  and  that  there  is  no 
other  cause  for  it. — I  have  the  honour  to  remain,  with  parti- 
cular esteem,  Sir, 

"Your  most  obedient  servant, 

"HOPKEN. 

"Skhenninge-Ulfasa,  August  1,  1773." 


D. 

FOURTH  LETTER  OF  COUNT  A.  J.  VOX  HiiPKEN'^^  TO  GENERAL 
CHRISTIAN  TUXEN^'^ 

"Sir, 

"By  last  post  I  received  your  honoured  letter  with 
the  greatest  pleasure,  and  acknowledge  the  interest  you 
have  been  pleased  to  take  in  the  change  of  my  situation.*  My 
experience  has  proved  to  me,  that  we  are  not  masters  of  our  own 
fate  in  this  world,  but  that  it  is  governed  by  a  superior  Power, 
which  demands  submission  to  its  decrees.  I  should  be  too 
great  a  loser  if,  on  this  change  of  my  situation,  I  were  to  lose 
your  useful  correspondence.  This  it  is  which  I  therefore  re- 
quest of  you,  when  you  have  matter  and  opportunity;  and,  be- 


*  Count  Hopken,  who  was  obliged  to  retire  from  his  post  of  Piimc 
Minister  of  Sweden  in  1761;  was  again  chosen  a  memlier  of  the  Privy 
Council  or  Senate  in  1773,  upon  which  occasion  General  Tuxen  congratu- 
lated him. 


414  TESTIMONY  OF  C0XTE2IP0BARIES.     [Doc.  252. 

sides,  I  assure  you,  that  with  me  honores  non  mutant  mores; 
on  the  contrary,  I  shall  endeavour  on  all  occasions  to  show 
the  sincere  and  perfect  esteem  with  which  I  always  am,  Sir, 

"Your  most  obedient  servant, 

"HOPKEN. 

"Llfasa,  January  13,  1774." 


E. 


FIFTH  LETTER  OF  COUNT  A.  J.   VON  HOPKEN^"  TO  GENERAL 
CHRISTIAN  TUXEN.'^°' 

"Sir, 

"I  have  had  the  honour  of  receiving  your  letter 
dated  Elsinore,  June  16th.  But  I  am  very  sorry  that  I  could 
only  enjoy  an  hour  of  the  edifying  and  learned  conversation  o± 
Dr.  Bastholm,  and  that  I  could  not  shew  him  more  attention 
and  civility,  as  he  was  to  continue  his  journey  the  next  day 
through  Upsal,  without  returning  to  Stockholm.  I  found  him 
to  be  a  very  rare  clergyman,  for  he  spoke  reasonably  and 
without  acrimony  of  all  the  different  opinions  which  have  of 
late  arisen  in  matters  of  religion.  He  was  by  no  means  a 
Swedenborgian,  for  he  did  not  understand  his  memoraJjle  re- 
lations; and  I  could  wish  the  happy  deceased  had  left  them 
out,  as  they  may  prevent  infidelity  from  approaching  his 
doctrines.  I  represented  to  him  these  inconveniences;  but  he 
said  that  he  was  commanded  to  declare  what  he  had  seen  in 
the  other  world ;  and  he  related  it  as  a  proof  that  he  did  not 
reveal  his  owi  thoughts,  but  that  they  came  from  above.  As 
for  the  rest,  I  find  in  his  system  a  simplicity  and  gradation, 
and  such  a  spirit  as  the  work  of  God  in  nature  everywhere 
proves  and  exhibits ;  for  whatever  man  creates  is  complicated, 
laboured,  and  subject  to  vicissitude.  The  authors  of  the 
Monthly  Revieiv,  who  every  month  publish  criticisms  that  are 
rather  severe,  speak  of  Swedenborg  as  an  extraordinary  and 
wonderful  man,  and,  without  adopting  his  principles,  treat  him 
with  much  regard  and  respect.  The  sentence  said  to  have 
been  pronounced   on  Swedenborg  by   a  committee  during  the 


Doc.  252.]  HOPKEN  TO  TUXEN.  415 

Diet,  wliicli  you  request  of  me,  has  not  reached  my  knowledge, 
and  probably  does  not  exist  in  the  manner  of  approbation. 
The  matter  began  at  Gottenburg  particularly  against  the  late 
Dr.  Beyer,  and  was  continued  here  by  the  Chancellor  of  Jus- 
tice, but  came  to  nothing;  for  neither  the  accuser  nor  the 
judges  understood  Swedenborg,  and  had  no  lights,  or  capacity, 
to  judge  upon  such  matters.  Dr.  Beyer  bestowed  a  vast 
deal  of  pains  upon  his  Index,*  which  deserves  all  admiration, 
and  is  w^ell  worth  possessing.  Here  it  is  not  to  be  had  ex- 
cept at  the  house  of  the  deceased.  It  may  be  had  also  from 
Amsterdam  where  it  w^as  printed. 

"I  have  the  honour  to  be,    with  the  most  perfect  esteem. 
Sir, 

"Your  obedient  servant, 

"HoPKEN. 

"Stockholm,  July  6,  1781." 

"The  above  letters  are  faithful  copies  from  the  originals  in 
my  hands. 

«C.   TuXEN." 

F. 

COUNT  A.  J.  VON  HUFEEN^^  TO  A  FRIEND. 

"Dear  Sir, 

"The  present  religion  is  mystical  and  fdled 
with  paradoxes;  it  is  as  incoherent  and  unreasonable,  as  if 
formed  for  cattle,  and  not  for  rational  men:,  agreeably  to  its 
prevailing  tenets,  you  may  perpetrate  any  villanies,  and  yet 
be  saved.  The  doctrine  of  the  priests  is  Polytheism.  They 
assert  that  One  is  the  Creator  of  the  world,  and  Another  the 
Author  of  religion;  they  make  all  to  depend  upon  faith  and 
instantaneous  salvation.  But  the  doctrine  of  Swedenborg  is  the 
most  rational  of  all  Christian  doctrines,  and  urges,  as  its  first 
object,  to  be  of  good  and  honest  principles.  There  are  two 
circumstances  in  the  doctrine  and  writings  of  Swedenborg: 
the  first  is  his  Memorable  Relations;  of  these  I  cannot  judge, 

*  Index  Initialis  in  Opera  Siccdenborgii  Theologica,  Amsterdam,  1779. 


416  TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMPORARIES.     [Doc. 


9rv"> 


not  having  had  any  spiritual  intercourse  myself,  by  which  to 
judge  of  his  assertions  either  approvingly  or  disapprovingly, 
but  they  cannot  appear  more  extraordinary  than  the  Apoca- 
lypse of  John,  and  other  similar  relations  contained  in  the 
Bible:  the  second  is  his  Tenets  of  Doctrine;  of  these  I  can 
judge:  they  are  excellent,  irrefutable,  and  the  best  that  ever 
were  taught,  promoting  the  happiest  social  life.  I  know  that 
Swedenborg  has  related  his  memorahilia  bond  fide.  I  asked 
him  once,  why  he  wrote  and  published  those  memorable  re- 
lations, which  seemed  to  throw  so  much  ridicule  on  his  doctrine, 
otherwise  so  rational;  and  whether  it  would  not  be  best  for 
him  to  keep  them  to  himself,  and  not  to  publish  them  to  the 
world?  But  he  answered,  that  lie  had  orders  from  tlie  Lord 
to  publish  them;  and  that  those  who  might  ridicule  him  on  that 
account  ivoidd  do  him  injustice;  for,  said  he,  ivJiy  shoidd  I,  ulio 
am  a  man  in  years,  render  myself  ridiculous  for  fantasies  and 
falsehoods.  1  have  sometimes  told  the  King,  that,  if  ever  a 
new  colony  were  to  be  formed,  no  religion  could  be  better, 
as  the  prevailing  and  established  one,  than  that  developed  by 
Swedenborg  from  the  Sacred  Scriptures,  and  this  for  the  two 
toUowing  reasons:  1.  This  religion,  in  preference  to,  and  in  a 
higher  degree  than,  any  other,  must  produce  the  most  honest 
and  industrious  subjects;  for  this  religion  properly  places  the 
u'orship  of  God  in  uses:  2.  It  causes  least  fear  of  death,  as 
this  religion  regards  death  merely  as  a  transition  from  one 
state  to  another,  from  a  worse  to  a  better  situation ;  nay,  upon 
his  principles,  I  look  upon  death  as  being  ot  hardly  any  greater 
moment  than  drinking  a  glass  of  water.  I  have  been  convinced 
ot  the  truth  of  Swedenborg's  doctrine  from  these  arguments 
in  particular,  viz.:  That  One  is  the  author  of  every  thing,  and 
that  a  separate  person  is  not  the  Creator,  and  another  the 
Author  of  religion;  that  there  are  degrees  in  every  thing,  and 
these  subsisting  to  eternity  —  the  history  of  creation  is  un- 
accountable, unless  explained  in  the  spiritual  sense.  We  may 
say  of  the  religion  which  Swedenborg  has  developed  in  his 
writings  from  the  Word  of  God,  with  Gamahel:  'i/'  it  be  of 
God,  it  cannot  be  overthrown ;  but  if  it  be  of  man,  it  icill  come 
to  nought.' 

"HOPKEN." 


DOCUMENT  253. 

TESTIMONY  OF  THE  REV.  NICHOLAS  COLLIN, 

RECTOK  OF  THE   SWEDISH  CHURCH  IN 

PHaADELPHIA. 

The  Rev.  Samuel  Noble  expresses  himself  in  his  "Appeal" 
(p.  188)  in  respect  to  the  testimony  of  this  gentleman  as 
follows:  "The  Rev.  Nicholas  Collin  does  not  ])rofess  the  senti- 
ments of  Swcdenborg:  but  in  the  year  1801,  when,  in  con- 
sequence of  the  adoption  of  those  sentiments  by  many  in 
America,  the  character  and  life  of  Swedenborg  had  there  be- 
come the  subject,  as  he  states,  of  'frequent  and  sedulous  in- 
quiries,' he  published  the  above  letter  of  his  illustrious  country- 
man, with  a  comment  of  his  own,  in  the  PhiladelpJila  Gazette 
of  August  5th,  8tli,  and  10th.  It  was  reprinted  in  the  New 
Jerusalem  ClmrcJi  Repository,  published  at  Philadelphia  in  1817, 
at  which  time  Mr.  Collin  was  still  performing  the  duties  of 
pastor  of  the  Swedish  church  in  that  city.  Mr.  Collin  was 
well  qualified  to  give  authentic  information,  having,  when  a 
very  young  man,  lived  three  years  in  Stockliolm,  when  'Sweden- 
borg was  a  great  object  of  public  attention  in  that  metropolis, 
and  his  extraordinary  character  was  a  frequent  topic  of  dis- 
cussion. Not  seldom  he  appeared  in  public,  and  mixed  in 
private  societies;  therefore  sufficient  opportunities)  were  given 
to  make  observations  on  him.'" 


27 


418  TESTIMONY  OF  G  0  NT  BMP  OU  ARIES.      [Doc.  253. 


A. 

COLLIN'S  BIOGRAPHICAL  NOTICE  OF  EMANUEL  SWEDENBORO. 

"His  family  connections  were  such  as  he  relates,* 
and  well-known  in  Sweden;  some  of  them  by  myself  person- 
ally; particularly  Bishop  Benzelstierna  [see  Note  10].  The 
mention  of  his  father  being,  though  honourable,  modestly  short, 
I  shall  enlarge  upon  it.  This  Jesper  Swedberg  was  well 
qualified  for  one  of  the  principal  bishoprics  in  Sweden,  by  his 
piety,  learning,  integrity,  benevolence,  and  all  other  virtues. 
His  plain  manner  of  living  enforced  his  zealous  remonstrances 
against  pomp  and  luxury,  which,  if  not  very  common,  were 
yet  the  more  pernicious  in  that  distressful  period,  when  Sweden, 
having  lost  her  veteran  armies,  depended  in  a  great  measure  on 
lads  and  old  men  against  the  combined  forces  of  Russia,  Poland, 
and  Denmark,  and  was  moreover  consuming  by  famine  and 
pestilence.  The  Bishop's  influence  animated  that  patriotic 
fortitude,  which  sustained  such  burthens  and  misery,  and  blazed 
in  so  many  battles.  His  popularity  gave  particular  energy  to 
some  public  regulations,  which  lessened  the  havoc  of  pestilence : 
a  judicious  and  pathetic  address  to  the  people  convinced  them, 
that  interring  in  new  grounds  was  a  necessary  measure,  though 
a  temporary  sacrifice  to  their  laudable  attachment  to  the  con- 
secrated grounds  in  which  the  earthly  remains  of  their  beloved 
relatives  reposed.  The  Bishop  was  for  many  years  superin- 
tendent of  the  Swedish  mission  about  Delaware.  His  letters 
to  the  clergy  and  the  congregations,  which  are  preserved  on 
his  records,  bear  witness  to  his  zeal,  kindness,  and  love  of 
science.  He  requested  of  the  missionaries  to  inform  him  of 
any  extraordinary  events,  in  the  moral  and  physical  world, 
which  happened  in  these  parts  of  America.  Some  of  these 
relations  are  recorded:  one  I  find  less  credible,  but  founded 
on  popular  belief,  and  in  part  on  some  very  remarkable  facts. 
As  this  excellent  man  has  been  charged  with  a  fondness  for 
the  marvellous,   and  the  same  foible  is  imputed  as  hereditary 

*  Collin  alludes  here   to  Swedenborg's    Autobiography,   contained   in 
Document  2. 


Doc.  253.]  COLLIN'S  TESTIMONY.  419 

to  the  son,  I  will  candidly  mention  the  only  fact  within  my 
knowledge,  which  may  be  so  construed:  a  female  head-dress, 
called  in  French  fontange,  made  up  of  laces  or  ribbons  to  a 
monstrous  height  of  several  stages,  had  long  been  an  object  of 
his  indignation.  In  a  parish  of  his  diocese,  a  female  still-born 
child  had  a  monstrous  excrescence  on  its  head,  very  similar 
to  this  ornament  of  the  ladies.  He  regarded  this  as  an  ominous 
commination  from  heaven  against  the  sinful  vanity,  and  published 
a  very  spirited  poem,  with  a  drawing  of  the  hideous  forms. 
Those  who  sarcastically  criticise  this,  ought,  however,  to  reflect, 
that  the  most  learned  physiologists  cannot  yet  decide  what 
effect  monstrous  figures  may,  by  affecting  the  mother,  produce 
on  the  unborn  babe.  Certain  it  was,  that  the  Bishop  struck 
a  death-blow  to  many  thousand  fontanges,  and  so  far  saved 
many  fathers  and  husbands  from  expense  and  vexation.* 

"Swedenborg  is  silent  on  the  merits  of  his  youth,  which 
were  great.  The  author  of  a  dissertation  on  the  B-oyal  Society 
of  Sciences  at  Upsal,  published  in  1789,  thus  mentions  him  as 
one  of  its  first  and  best  members:  'His  letters  to  the  Society 
while  abroad,  witness  that  few  can  travel  so  usefully.  An 
indefatigable  curiosity  directed  to  various  important  objects, 
is  conspicuous  in  all.  Mathematics,  astronomy,  and  mechanics 
seem  to  have  been  his  favourite  sciences,  and  he  had  already 
made  great  progress  in  these.  Everywhere  he  became  ac- 
quainted with  the  most  renowned  mathematicians  and  astro- 
nomers, as  Flamstead,^*^  Delahire,^^  Varignon,^"  &c.  This  pur- 
suit of  knowledge  was  also  united  with  a  constant  zeal  to 
benefit  his  country.  No  sooner  was  he  informed  of  any  useful 
discovery,  than  he  was  solicitous  to  render  it  beneficial  to 
Sweden,  by  purchase,  or  sending  home  models.  When  a  good 
book  was  published,  he  not  only  gave  immediate  notice  of  it, 
but  contrived  to  procure  it  for  the  library  of  the  University.'-J- 
"That  Swedenborg,  on  his  return,  was  honoured  by  fre- 
quent conversations  with  Charles  XII,^  may  well  be  believed 
by  all  who  knew  the  real  character  of  that  King :  he  was  not 
a  mere  warrior,  but  fond  of  useful  sciences,  though  impeded 

*  See  also  Vol.  I,  p.  150. 
f  See  Documents  40  to  45. 

27* 


420  TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMPORARIES.      [Doc.  253. 

in  promoting  them  by  a  long  unremitting  warfare,  which  was 
indeed,  after  the  defeat  at  Pultowa,  a  necessary  struggle  for 
the  independence  of  his  country.  He  had  also  acquired  some 
knowledge  of  the  Mathematics,  and  used,  at  leisure  hours,  to 
amuse  himself  and  his  officers  with  the  solution  of  problems. 

"Swedenborg  composed  an  Algebra  in  the  Swedish  language,* 
published  in  1718.  His  Regnuni  Minerale,-\-  which  he  mentions, 
is  well  known,  and  may  be  seen  in  the  Library  of  Philadelphia. 
The  office  of  Counsellor  [Assessor]  in  the  Metallic  College 
[College  of  Mines]  was  conferred  on  him  by  King  Charles,  as 
a  reward  for  knowledge  acquired  by  the  labours  of  youth,  and 
a  means  of  making  it  very  beneficial  to  the  nation::}:  that 
Board  having  inspection  over  the  mines  and  metallic  works, 
so  important  in  that  country,  and  being  a  constitutional  de- 
partment of  the  government. 

"Swedenborg  asserts  with  truth,  that  he  was  in  favour  with 
the  royal  family,  and  generally  respected  by  the  highest  classes. 
This  was  due  to  his  learning  and  excellence  of  character.  The 
then  queen,  Louisa  Ulrica,"  sister  of  Frederic,  the  celebrated 
King  of  Prussia,  had  extraordinary  talents  and  literary  acquire- 
ments. She  patronized  the  arts  and  sciences  in  Sweden.  Her 
large  and  excellent  library,  which  I  have  seen,  employed  much 
of  her  time.  Gustavus,^^  her  son,  then  hereditary  prince,  after- 
wards king,  was  distinguished  by  his  talents  and  his  promotion 
of  the  sciences,  both  useful  and  ornamental.  The  prelates  and 
others  of  the  clergy,  many  of  whom  were  his  relatives  and 
friends,  honoured  him  on  the  same  ground,  being  themselves 
scholars  and  well-bred  persons.  He  could  therefore  assure 
his  friend  that  he  was  in  no  danger  of  persecution;  besides, 
the  National  Church  has  never  been  severe  ;§  and  his  works 
were  at  that  time  in  the  Latin  language,  beyond  the  reach  of 
the  common  people.  I  must,  however,  observe,  that  but  few 
paid  him  this  respect  on  account  of  his  fellowship  with  angels. 
Some  rather  considered  his  theological  theories  as  imbecilities; 

*  See  Document  76,  Vol.  I,  p.  290. 
■f  See  Vol.  II,  p.  5,  footnote  2. 
i  Civ.  Document  144,  Vol.  I,  p.  403. 

§  Document  245,  containing  Swedenborg's  Controversy  with  the  Con- 
Bistory  of  Gotteuburg  gives  a  different  view. 


Doc.  253.J  HIS  CONVERSATION  WITH  tiWEDENBOllijr.  421 

the  author  above-mentioned  *  so  candid  in  his  eulogium,  laments, 
nevertheless,  the  striking  contrast  between  the  Alfjehra  and 
the  visions  of  the  Nevyr  Jerusalem. 

"Swedenborg  states  properly  his  rank  of  nobility.  He  had 
the  common  degree;  and  was  not,  as  many  in  America  style 
liim,  a  baron;  which  title  denotes  the  second  class  of  noble- 
men; the  first  among  the  three  classes  being  counts." 


B. 

COLLIN'S  CONVERSATION  WITH  SWEDENBORG. 

"In  the  course  of  my  education  at  the  Uni- 
versity of  Upsal,  I  had  free  access  to  its  excellent  library, 
which,  by  its  own  revenue  and  by  donations,  receives  con- 
tinually one  or  more  copies  of  every  interesting  new  book. 
There  I  perused  the  theological  treatises  of  Swedenborg,  pub- 
lished in  the  year  1765;  among  them  Arcana  Codestia,  De  Coelo 
tt  Inferno,  &c.  In  that  year  I  went  to  reside  in  Stockholm, 
and  continued  partly  in  that  city,  and  partly  m  its  vicinity, 
for  nearly  three  years.  During  that  time,  Swedenborg  was  a 
great  object  of  public  attention  in  this  metropohs,  and  his 
extraordinary  character  was  a  frequent  topic  of  discussion.  He 
resided  at  his  house  in  the  southern  suburbs,  which  was  in  a 
pleasant  situation,  neat  and  convenient,  with  a  spacious  garden 
and  otlier  appendages.  There  he  received  company.  Not 
seldom  he  also  appeared  in  public,  and  mixed  in  private 
societies;  therefore  sufficient  opportunities  were  given  to  make 
observations  on  him.  I  collected  much  information  from  several 
respectable  persons  who  had  conversed  with  him;  which  was 
the  more  easy,  as  I  lived  the  whole  time,  as  private  tutor,  in 
the  family  of  Dr.  Celsius,^"  a  gentleman  of  distinguished  talents, 
who  afterwards  became  Bishop  of  Scania:  he  and  many  of  the 
eminent  persons  that  frequented  his  house  knew  Swedenborg 
well. 

"In  the  summer   of  1766,  I  waited  on  him  at  his  house; 
introducing  myself,    with  an  apology  for  the  freedom  I  took; 

*  That  is,  the  author  of  a  "Dissertation  on  the  Royal  Society  of  Sciences 
at  Upsal." 


422  TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMPORARIES.     [Doc.  253. 

assuring  him  that  it  was  not  in  the  least  from  youthful  pre- 
sumption, (I  was  then  twenty,)  but  from  a  strong  desire  of 
conversing  with  a  character  so  celebrated.  He  received  me 
very  kindly.  It  being  early  in  the  afternoon,  delicate  coffee, 
without  eatables,  was  served^  agreeably  to  the  Swedish  custom: 
he  was  also,  like  pensive  men  in  general,  fond  of  this  beverage. 
We  conversed  for  nearly  three  hours ;  principally  on  the  nature 
of  human  souls,  and  their  states  in  the  invisible  world;  dis- 
cussing the  principal  theories  of  psychology,  by  various  authors ; 
among  them  the  celebrated  Dr.  Wallerius,^"''  late  Professor  of 
Natural  Theology  at  Upsal.  He  asserted  positively,  as  he  often 
does  in  his  works,  that  he  had  intercourse  with  spirits  of  de- 
ceased persons.  I  presumed,  therefore,  to  request  of  him  as 
a  great  favour,  to  procure  me  an  interview  with  my  brother, 
who  had  departed  this  life  a  few  months  before,  a  young  clergy- 
man officiating  in  Stockholm,  and  esteemed  for  his  devotion, 
erudition,  and  virtue.  He  answered,  that  God  having  for  wise 
and  good  purposes  separated  the  world  of  spirits  from  ours,  a 
communication  is  never  granted  without  cogent  reasons;  and 
asked  what  my  motives  were.  I  confessed  that  I  had  none 
besides  gratifying  brotherly  affection,  and  an  ardent  wish  to 
explore  scenes  so  sublime  and  interesting  to  a  serious  mind. 
He  replied,  that  my  motives  were  good,  but  not  sufficient;  that 
if  any  important  spiritual  or  temporal  concern  of  mine  had 
been  the  case^  he  would  then  have  solicited  permission  from 
those  angels  who  regulate  such  matters.*    He  showed  me  the 


*  Here  the  Editors  of  the  New  Church  Repository  published  in  Phila- 
delphia in  1817,  appended  a  note  as  follows: — "Although  as  to  substance 
there  can  be  no  doubt  of  the  correctness  of  Mr.  Collin's  memory,  yet  with 
due  deference  to  that  respectable  gentleman,  we  cannot  but  remark,  that 
we  are  of  opinion  he  must  have  misapprehended  one  of  Swedenborg's  ex- 
pressions. "We  allude  to  that  which  is  expressed  by  Mr.  Oollhi  in  the 
following  words:  '■That  if  any  important  spiritual  or  temporal  concern  of 
mine  had  been  the  case,  he  would  then  have  solicited  permission  from  those 
angels  who  regulate  such  matters.^  Now,  as  far  as  we  are  acquainted  with 
the  writings  of  Swedenborg,  we  have  no  recollection  of  his  ever  having  in- 
culcated the  idea,  that  apphcation  for  any  favour,  natural  or  supernatural, 
should  be  made  to  angels,  but  to  the  Lord  alone.  We  cannot,  therefore, 
but  conclude,  that  the  declaration  was  either  misunderstood,  or  mis-remem- 


Doc.  253.]  SWEDENBORG'S  EXTERNAL  APPEARANCE.  423 

garden.  It  had  an  agreeable  building;  a  wing  of  which  was 
a  kind  of  temple,  to  wliich  he  often  retired  for  contemplation; 
for  wliich  its  peculiar  structure,  and  dim  religious  light  were 
suitable."* 


C. 

COLLIN'S  DESCRIPTION  OJP  SWEDENBORO'S  EXTERNAL  APPEARANCE. 

In  a  letter  addressed  by  Mr.  Collin  to  the  Rev.  John  Har- 
gi-ove,-{-  of  Baltimore,  dated  Philadelphia,  March  IG,  1801, 
which  was  lately  found  among  the  papers  of  Mr.  Hargrove 
after  his  decease,  Mr.  Collin  states  respecting  Swedenborg  as 
follows: — 

"Swedenborg  was  universally  esteemed  for  his  various  eru- 
dition in  mathematics,  mineralogy,  &c.,  and  for  his  probity, 
benevolence,  and  general  virtue.  Being  very  old  when  I  saw 
liim,  he  was  thin  and  pale;  but  still  retained  traces  of  beauty, 
and  had  something  very  pleasing  in  his  physiognomy,  and  a 
dignity  in   his  tall  and  erect  stature.     On  my  requesting  his 

bered."    Upon  which  Dr.  Collin,  in  a  letter  to  the  Editors,  gave  the  follow- 
ing explanation: — 

"Gentlemen, 

"Permit  me  to  explain  the  following  words  in  my  conver- 
sation with  Swedenborg:  'That  if  any  important  spiritual  or  temporal 
concern  of  mine  had  been  the  case,  he  would  then  have  solicited  permission 
from  those  angels  who  regulate  such  matters.'  This  answer  to  me  is  cor- 
rectly translated  from  the  Swedish.  It  does  not  imply,  as  you  apprehend, 
any  worship  of  angels,  but  only  a  request  to  them,  as  agents,  by  Divine 
commandment.  Christians  have  generally  believed  such  agency,  as  appears 
from  the  Bible  and  ecclesiastical  history.  Many  persons,  not  chargeable 
with  credulity,  have  ascribed  to  them  influence  on  the  human  mind,  and 
aid  in  dangers,  when  human  means  and  other  causes  were  incompetent, 
though  this  agency  was  not  seen,  heard,  or  felt  by  the  bodily  organs. 
Swedenborg  did,  indeed,  assort  a  very  famihar  intercourse  with  them,  but 
not  any  sort  of  adoration. 

"Nicholas  Collin." 

*  Mr.  Collin  means  by  this  structure  what  is  known  as  Swedenborg'a 
summer-house  which  is  preserved  at  the  present  time,  and  is  officially  de- 
scribed in  Document  140,  no.  6,  under  the  heads  fourthly  and  fifthly. 

f  The  Rev.  John  Hargrove  was  the  fiist  New  Church  ftlinister  in 
America. 


424  TESTIMONY  OF  CON  TEMP  OU  ARIES.      [Doc.  254. 

aid  in  procuring  an  interview  with  a  brother  lately  deceased, 
lie  answered  very  properly,  that  the  partition-wall  between  this 
and  the  other  world  could  not  be  opened  without  some  im- 
portant cause,  and  not  to  gratify  mere  curiosity.  When  I  come 
to  Baltimore,  sometime  this  spring,  I  shall  tell  you  more. 
"I  am,  &c. 

"Nicholas  Collin." 


DOCUMENT  254. 
DR.  BEYER'S^'  TESTIMONY. 

In  addition  to  Dr.  Beyer's  testimony  concerning  Sweden- 
borg  in  Document  222,  and  in  A,  C,  and  0  of  Docu- 
ment 245,  to  which  we  refer  the  reader,  we  are  able  to 
add  the  following  letter  which  the  Doctor  wrote  to  C.  F.  Norden- 
skold^"  in  1776,  and  to  which  we  referred  in  Vol.  I,  p.  68.  In 
this  letter  he  gives  an  independent  account  of  the  Lord's  ap- 
pearance before  Swedenborg,  at  the  time  when  he  entered 
upon  his  mission. 

"DR.  SEVER^'^  TO  G.  F.  NORDENSKOLD.^"* 

"Well-born  Sir, 

(1)  ^'The  desire  expressed  in  your  very  welcome 
letter  of  the  7th  inst.,  that  the  writings  [of  Swedenborg]  which 
are  mentioned  therein,  should  first  be  made  generally  access- 
ible to  the  public  at  large  by  publication  [in  Swedish],  agrees 
in  every  respect  with  the  thoughts  and  wishes  I  have  enter- 

*  A  copy  of  this  letter  was  discovered  by  Dr.  A.  Kahl  in  1842  among 
the  papers  of  Major  Gyllenhaal,  a  disciple  of  Swedenborg,  who  died  in 
1840.  This  copy  the  Doctor  kindly  presented  to  the  Editor  of  these  docu- 
ments in  1870.  A  copy  of  tliis  letter  Dr.  Kahl  sent  in  1842  to  Dr.  Im.  Tafel 
who  published  the  Swedish  text  with  a  German  translation  in  Part  IV  of 
his  "Documents  concerning  Swedenborg,"  printed  in  1845.  The  above  is 
the  first  English  truublatiou  of  this  document. 


Doc.  254.]  DR.  BEYER'S  TESTIMONY.  425 

tainecl  on  this  subject  for  a  long  time.*  In  accordance  with 
your  wishes  I  have  made  arrangements  that  a  clean  copy 
should  be  written  out  of  the  "iVora  Hicrosolyma  et  ejus  doc- 
trinct  ccdestis"  and  for  this  purpose  [have  engaged  the  services] 
of  Mr.  Olisch,  of  the  clearing-house,  who  is  well  known  to 
Captain  Iben.  Afterwards  I  shall  see  that  the  treatise  De 
Coelo  et  Inferno  is  intelligibly  translated,  carefully  examined, 
and  wi'itten  out  for  the  printer;  even  as  I,  God  willing,  and 
if  no  other  work  prevent,  shall  undertake  the  translation  of 
the  work  De  Amore  ConjugiaU  et  Scortatorio,  one  of  the  most 
difl&cult  to  translate  into  Swedish.  The  Index-f  will  still  occupy 
me  for  some  time ;  for  I  shall  have  to  revise  and  complete  it. 
It  seems  to  me  also  that  first  of  all  a  short  epitome  in  the 
form  of  a  catechism  ought  to  be  printed.  Captain  Iben  will 
show  you  a  little  work  of  tliat  kind  entitled:  'A  Short  Com- 
pendium of  the  True  Christian  Doctrine  and  Worship;'  and 
it  is  worthy  of  remark  that  a  clean  copy  of  this  work  was 
sent  by  Mr.  Habicht,  a  member  of  the  town-council,  at  his 
own  request,  to  Lilienstrale,  the  Chancellor  of  Justice,  during 
his  last  visit  to  Gottenburg.  This  copy  was  handed  by  the 
Chancellor  of  Justice  to  His  Royal  Majesty,'''*  who  received  it 
graciously  and  said,  'This  will  be  a  pleasant  study  for  my 
mother.' " 

(2)  "A  noble  work  would  be  accomplished  if,  while  we  are 
engaged  here  in  translating  and  writing  out  clean  copies  for 
the  press,  copies  were  taken  in  Stockholm  of  [Swedenborg's] 
explanations  of  the  remaining  books  of  the  Word;  these  ex- 
planations are  of  the  same  calibre  and  of  the  same  value  as 
the  published  'Arcana  Coelestia;'  besides,  they  are  carefully 
bound,  and  not  scattered  about  in  the  box  [where  they  are 
kept]  like  the  other;  two  years,  however,  will  be  required  for 
copying  them.  The  cause  also  would  be  encouraged  in  many 
places,  and  an  interest  would  be  excited  among  many  persons, 
so  as   to  induce  them  to  take   a  vigorous  part  in  our  under- 


*  Mr.  Nordenskold  had  confeiTcd  with  Dr.  Beyer  about  the  piibhcation 
of  some  of  Swedenborg's  writings  in  the  Swedish  language. 

f  Dr.  Beyer's  Index  to  Swedenborg's  theological  writings;  see  Note  22, 
Vol.  I,  p.  626. 


426  TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMPORARIES.      [Doc.  254. 

taking,  if  it  were  countenanced  by  those  high  in  authority, 
and  especially  if  his  Excellency  Senator  von  Hopken  would 
let  us  know  his  heart's  opinion  on  this  subject.  Wherefore  I 
can  scarcely  express  how  very  much  I  desire  that  you  should 
soon  be  received  into  his  confidence,  and  hear  what  hope  he 
holds  out;  and  whether  he  advises  us  to  go  on,  or  to  hold 
back.  He  knows  the  works  very  well,  so  that  it  is  not  ne- 
cessary for  you  to  present  the  subject  formally  to  him. 

(3)  "The  information  respecting  the  Lord's  personal  ap- 
pearance before  the  Assessor,  who  saw  Him,  in  imperial  purple 
and  in  majestic  light,  seated  near  his  bed,  while  He  gave 
Assessor  Swedenborg  his  commission,  I  had  from  his  own  lips 
at  a  dinner-party  in  the  house  of  Dr.  Rosen,*^  where  I  saw 
the  old  gentleman  for  the'  first  time.  I  remember  that  I  asked 
him,  how  long  this  lasted;  whereupon  he  answered,  About  a 
quarter  of  an  hour:  also,  whether  the  strong  light  did  not  affect 
his  eyes;  when  he  said.  No. 

(4)  "It  would  be  very  desirable  indeed,  as  you  have  inti- 
mated, to  collect  anecdotes  respecting  him.  They  might  be 
got  together,  if  every  one  would  note  down,  what  he  knows 
for  certain.  In  connection  with  the  occasion  mentioned  above, 
when  the  Lord  in  a  miraculous  manner  opened  the  interiors 
of  His  servant,  and  thus  the  sight  of  his  spirit  into  the  other 
world,  I  may  mention  here  that  this  opening  did  not  take  place 
completely  at  once,  but  gradually.  Something  on  this  subject 
in  general  may  be  found  in  the  Work  De  Amore  Conjugiali 
et  Scortatorio,  no.  39.  A  preparation  had  to  precede;  and 
what  the  nature  of  this  was,  he  gave  us  to  understand  very 
clearly  in  a  memorandum  ('pro  memoria)  which  he  addressed 
to  me  in  1767,*  where  he  says,  'When  heaven  was  first  opened 
to  me,  I  had  to  study  the  Hebrew  language,  as  well  as  the 
correspondences  in  which  the  whole  Bible  is  written ;  by  which 
I  was  led  to  read  through  God's  Word  many  times ;  and  since 
God's  Word  is  the  source  whence  all  theology  is  taken,  I  was 
thereby  enabled  to  receive  instruction  from  the  Lord,  who  is 
the  Word.'  It  was  not  consequently  in  the  year  1743  (which 
is  not  written  by  a  mistake,  but  agrees  with  all  the  information 

*  See  Document  234,  p.  261. 


Doc.  254.]  PI?.  BEYER'S  TESTIMONY.  427 

on  the  subject  contained  in  his  books),  that  he  was  all  at  once  at 
home  in  the  truths,  which  three  or  four  years  afterwards  he  col- 
lected together,  and  was  able  to  publish  in  due  order  in  the 
Arcana  Coelestm,  in  1749.  Meanwhile  he  had  explored  and  in- 
structed himself  in  natural  things,  and  afterwards  in  spiritual 
things  in  a  rational  manner.  He  was  thus  occupied  until  the 
year  1745,  according  to  the  enlightenment  in  which  he  was  at 
that  time  on  such  things  (cfr.  the  work  De  Infiuxu  or  Commercia 
animw  et  corporis,  no.  20).  For  this  reason  the  work  De  Cultu 
et  Amore  Dei,  is  not  of  importance  in  respect  to  theological  doc- 
trine; but  in  respect  to  natural  truths  it  contains  many  beauti- 
ful and  profound  thoughts.  On  the  subject  of  God,  and  love 
and  wisdom,  on  the  Son,  the  person  of  Adam,  the  sources  of 
life,  and  imputation,  he  expressed  himself  quite  differently  after 
he  had  received  instruction  from  the  Lord  in  the  above  manner; 
wherefore  the  above  work  is  never  cited  in  the  other  works. 
I  never  succeeded  in  reading  the  Regnmn  Animale;  but  there 
seems  to  me  good  ground  for  supposing  that  hypotheses  and 
fallacies  in  that  work  will  disappear  when  they  are  properly 
examined.  Besides,  on  hypotheses  he  writes  in  the  work 
Sapietitia  angdica  de  Amore  et  Sapientia,  no.  303;  he  also 
expresses  himself  in  many  places  in  the  more  recent  books,  on 
fallacies,  the  perception  of  effects  fi'om  their  causes,  and  the 
deduction  of  causes  from  their  effects,  so  that  I  cannot  but 
think,  that  if  there  were  important  mistakes,  he  would  not 
have  failed  to  warn  his  readers  against  his  former  writings. 
You  would,  nevertheless,  oblige  me  very  much  by  pointing  out 
some  of  these  mistakes. 

(5)  "In  respect  to  the  historical  accounts  in  Genesis,  men- 
tioned in  your  esteemed  letter,  they  are  of  two  kinds.  The  first 
kind  which  occurs  in  the  first  seven,  and  even  to  the  twelfth 
chapter,  sounds  like  history,  yet  is  not  history;  but  is  written 
in  imitation  of  it.  All  that  follows  afterwards  is  real  history, 
and  has  actually  taken  place,  as  it  is  there  recorded  (cfr.  Ar- 
cana Codestia,  uos.  1401  to  1403).  History  does  not  constitute 
one  of  the  chief  pui'poses  of  the  Word ;  the  interior  and  spiri- 
tual sense,  which  is  holiness  itself,  and  which  in  every  least 
particular  has  reference  to  the  Lord  and  His  kingdom  in 
heaven  and  in  the  church,  is  the  chief  thing  (cfr.  Arcana  Coe- 


428  TESTIMONY  OF  CON  TEMPORARIES.     [Doc.  254. 

lestia,  nos.  3880,  549,  3993).  For  the  sake  of  that  sense,  and 
in  order  that  there  may  be  au  exact  correspondence,  each 
word  is  used  in  a  natural  sense,  and  for  this  purpose  also,  the 
occurrences  mentioned  took  place  naturally.  In  this  respect 
it  is  a  general  rule  that  each  word  is  significative  and  each 
thing  representative.  The  result  is  that  many  things  in  the 
Word  considered  in  themselves  and  in  a  merely  natural  sense, 
appear  partly  to  be  of  no  value  or  of  little  account,  partly  to 
be  not  very  modest,  partly  to  be  full  of  contradictions,  and 
partly  to  be  nonsensical ;  when  yet  it  is  indispensable  that  they 
should  be  so  on  account  of  the  interior  sense.  No  other  book 
can  be  compared  with  the  Sacred  Scripture.  That  the  Word 
in  the  original  text  could  not  be  otherwise  than  it  is,  may  be 
easily  inferred  from  what  we  read  in  Heaven  and  Hell,  no.  254, 
Arcana  CMestia,  nos.  3039,  7055.  None  of  those  who  penned 
the  Divine  writings  knew  the  science  of  correspondences,  except 
Moses,  Avho  was  educated  in  the  learning  of  the  Egyptians. 
Nor  was  it  at  all  necessary  that  they  should  understand  it, 
since  the  Lord  Himself  through  an  angel  dictated  each  word 
to  them.  That  science  was  entirely  extinguished  with  every 
Jew,  and  did  not  exist  in  the  least  with  the  evangelists.  All 
the  occurrences  which  they  wrote,  they  naturally  had  to  inquire 
about  and  to  collect,  but  when  they  began  writing  the  gospels, 
every  least  particular  of  what  they  wrote  was  from  the  Spirit  of 
the  Lord's  mouth,  without  their  knowing  anything  about  it 
themselves,  or  paying  the  least  attention  to  it.  The  history 
contained  in  the  gospels  is  of  the  same  kind  as  the  true  Bibli- 
cal history  of  which  I  spoke  above;  that  is,  it  is  not  for  the 
sake  of  the  history  related  in  the  natural  sense,  but  for  the 
sake  of  the  Lord  and  His  kingdom,  which  in  a  continuous 
series  is  treated  of  in  the  spiritual  sense ;  different  in  one  gospel 
from  what  it  is  in  another;  for  the  series  of  spiritual  things 
are  manifold  and  innumerable,  as  appears  among  other  things 
from  the  difference  in  the  genealogical  records  in  many  places, 
and  also  in  the  genealogical  accounts  furnished  by  Matthew 
and  Luke;  for  by  the  names  in  the  former  is  described  the 
Lord's  assumption  of  humanity  and  His  birth  in  the  world; 
and  in  the  latter  His  second  birth,  or  the  glorification  of  His 
humanity.  There  is  no  interior  spiritual  sense  in  the  'Acts  of  the 


Doc.  254.]  DB.  BEYER'S  TESTIMONY.  429 

Apostles,'  the  nature  and  (quality  of  which  is  described  above 
(with  the  exception  of  the  Lord's  own  words  quoted  therein) ;  for 
they  describe  merely  natural  occurrences,  without  any  higher 
signification.  The  Book  of  Job  was  written  at  the  time  of  the 
Ancient  Church  by  mere  correspondences,  and  therefore  does 
not  contain  a  real  history;  it  must  therefore  be  understood 
according  to  its  interior  meaning,  yet  that  meaning  is 
not  in  a  connected  series  (see  'Arcana  Cadestia/  no.  2G22, 
'White  Horse,'  no.  16).  The  meaning  of  the  jots  and  tittles 
may  be  seen  in  the  work,  on  'Heaven  and  Hell,'  no.  260 
(cfr.  also  'Arcana  Ccolestia,  no.  9198). 

(6)  "Swedenborg's  Latin  translation  of  the  Book  of  Reve- 
lation can  be  fully  depended  upon,  for  he  knew  what  the  genuine 
reading  was,  viz.  from  the  connection  of  the  internal  sense. 
BengeP^^  depends  upon  his  critical  knowledge  of  various  read- 
ings, which  may  be  turned  in  any  direction.  Swedenborg  has 
generally  clung  to  the  received  text,  but  not  always;  but  he 
has  not  followed  Bengel's  edition.  May  we  soon  be  in  possession 
of  the  whole  theological  work  of  the  old  gentleman!  With 
affectionate  respect,  1  remain 

"Your  humljle  servant, 


"G.  A.  Beyer. 


"Gottenburg,  March  23,  1776." 


DOCUMENT  255. 
GENERAL  CHRISTIAN  TUXEN'S'"^  TESTIMONY* 

1.  A  report  having  been  circulated,  that  the  late  Queen- 
Dowager  of  Sweden,  Louisa  Ulrica,  had  given  Assessor  Sweden- 
borg  a  commission  to  speak  with  her  deceased  brother  the 
Prince  of  Prussia;  I  inquired  (says  the  General)  of  a  certain 
minister ,•{-  a  nobleman  of  great  learning,  who  for  several  years 
past  had  honoured  me  with  his  intimate  friendship,  whether 
he  had  heard  any  thing  of  this  report,  and  what  kind  of  person 
Swedenborg  was,  and  what  character  he  bore.  He  answered 
me,  that  the  report  was  not  ill-founded ;  that  it  had  been  com- 
municated by  all  the  foreign  ministers  in  Stockholm  to  their 
respective  courts;  that  Swedenborg  from  his  youth  was  acknow- 
ledged  to  be  one  of  the  most  learned  men  in  Europe,  parti- 

*  Gen.  Tuxen  wrote  his  testimony  in  the  Danish  lan^age,  and  for- 
warded it  on  May  8,  1790  to  Augustus  Nordenskold^s  (see  Introduction  to 
Document  252),  by  whom  an  Enghsh  translation  was  published  in  the  Ajjpendix 
to  the  "New  Jeru^lem  Magazine"  for  1790,  pages  257  to  265.  The  whole 
of  this  document  was  inserted  by  Dr.  Tafel  in  his  German  edition  of  the 
"Swedenborg  Documents,"  yet  only  a  portion  of  it  was  introduced  into  the 
English  editions  of  these  documents  pubhshed  in  England  and  America. 
For  the  sake  of  convenient  reference  this  document  has  been  divided  by  the 
Editor  into  numbered  paragraphs. 

The  documentaiy  value  of  Gen.  Tuxen's  testimony  is  somewhat  impaired, 
on  account  of  our  not  having  access  to  the  Danish  original,  but  only  to  the 
English  translation  prepared  through  the  agency  of  Augustus  Nordenskold, 
whose  character  as  a  faithful  witness  we  were  obhged  to  impeach  in  Notes 
27  and  35  of  Volume  I,  to  wliich  notes  we  shall  have  occasion  to  refer  the 
reader  in  no.  18  of  this  Document. 

-j-  From  no.  22  of  this  Document  we  learn  that  this  nobleman  was 
Baron  Carl  Frederic  von  Hopken  (see  Note  134,  Vol.  I),  a  younger  brother 
of  Count  A.  von  Hopken.^s 


Doc.  255.]        GENERAL  TUXEN'S  TESTIMONY.  431 

cularly  in  mineralogy ;  but  added,  at  the  same  time,  that  since 
he  had,  during  the  last  twenty-seven  years  of  his  life,  given 
himself  up  to  the  study  of  theology,  it  was  thought  by  many, 
that,  as  he  pretended  that  he  could  speak  with  the  dead,  his 
understanding  was  deranged. 

2.  As  I  lived  at  Elsinore,  I  also  heard  several  other  things 
concerning  him ;  that  he  often  passed  the  Sound  in  his  travels 
to  and  from  Amsterdam  and  London ;  and  in  what  manner  he 
had  answered  his  landlord  who  kept  the  sign  of  Charles  XII, 
who,  on  asking  him  how  that  king  fared  in  the  other  world, 
replied  that  he  retained  the  same  sentiments  and  conduct  in 
the  world  of  spirits  as  he  had  done  in  this  world  (see  Note  3). 

3.  I  have  heard  also  the  following  anecdote  from  a 
very  respectable  friend,  who  was  a  witness  of  it,  viz.:  That 
himself,  together  with  the  other  officers  of  the  custom-house 
at  the  Sound,  had  been  invited  by  the  Swedish  consul, 
Mr.  Kryger,  to  dine  in  the  company  of  Swedenborg,  whom 
many  of  the  first  people  in  town  (also  purposely  invited)  wished 
to  see  and  know.  All  being  seated  at  table,  and  none  of  them 
taking  the  liberty  of  addressing  Swedenborg,  who  was  likewise 
silent,  the  Swedish  consul  thought  it  incumbent  on  him  to  break 
silence,  for  which  purpose  he  took  the  occasion  of  the  death 
of  the  Danish  King,  Christian  VI  [Frederic  V?],*  which  had 
happened  the  preceding  year,  to  inquire  of  Swedenborg,  as  he 
could  see  and  speak  with  the  dead,  whether  he  had  also  seen 
Christian  VI  [Frederic  V?]  since  his  decease.  To  this  Sweden- 
borg replied  in  the  affirmative;  adding,  that  when  he  saw  him 
the  first  time,  he  was  accompanied  by  a  bishop,  or  some  other 
prelate,  who  humbly  begged  the  king's  pardon  for  the  many 
errors  into  which  he  had  led  him  by  his  counsels.  A  son  of 
the  said  deceased  prelate  happened  to  be  present  at  the  table ; 

*  Gen.  Tuxen  evidently  meant  here  King  Frederic  V,  the  son  of  Chris- 
tian VI;  for  Christian  VI  died  in  1746,  fourteen  years  before  it  was  gene- 
rally known  in  Sweden  that  Swedenborg  had  intercourse  with  the  inhabitants 
of  the  spiritual  world  (see  Document  249,  A,  footnote);  while  Frederic  V 
died  January  14,  1766.  It  must  be  remembered  here  that  Gen.  Tuxen  was 
seventy-seven  years  of  age,  when  he  %\Totc  his  testimony  about  Swedenborg; 
that  therefore  his  memoiy  of  dates  and  persons  was  then  already  weakened. 
Compare  also  no.  6,  where  he  speaks  of  "'the  lately  deceased  King  Frederic  V." 


432  TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMPORARIES.     [Doc.  255. 

the  consul,  Mr.  Kryger,  therefore  fearing  that  Swedenborg 
might  say  something  further  to  the  disadvantage  of  the  father, 
interrupted  him,  saying,  Sir,  this  is  his  son!  Swedenborg  re- 
plied, It  may  be,  but  what  I  am  saying  is  true. 

4.  This  and  other  relations  induced  me  a  few  years  after- 
wards to  solicit  the  Swedish  consul,  Mr.  Rahling,  to  acquaint 
me  the  next  time  Swedenborg  came  to  Elsinore;  he  soon  after- 
wards informed  me,  by  means  of  his  nephew,  Mr.  Beyer,  that 
Swedenborg  was  then  at  his  house  at  dinner,  together  with 
the  captain  who  brought  him  over,  and  desired  I  would  make 
great  haste,  as  the  wind  proved  favourable,  and  they  were  on 
the  point  of  embarking.  I  made  all  possible  haste,  and  on 
entering  the  house,  I  addressed  the  Assessor  as  being  an  in- 
timate friend  of  the  consul's,  who  came  on  purpose  to  have 
the  honour  of  the  acquaintance  of  so  celebrated  and  learned 
a  man  as  himself;  and  I  requested  his  permission  to  ask  him 
a  few  questions.  To  this  he  civilly  and  mildly  answered,  "Ask 
what  you  please;  I  will  answer  all  in  truth."  My  first  question 
was,  Whether  the  relation,  reported  as  having  passed  between 
himself  and  the  Queen  in  Stockholm,  was  true?  He  answered; 
Tell  me  in  what  manner  you  have  heard  it  related,  and  I  will 
tell  you  what  part  of  it  is  true  or  otherwise.  I  replied,  that 
as  I  saw  he  was  on  the  point  of  going  on  board  the  vessel,  I 
supposed  there  was  no  time  to  lose,  and  therefore  desired  he 
would  have  the  kindness  to  relate  the  affair  to  me.  He  con- 
sented, and  told  it  me  in  the  same  manner  as  I  had  been  in- 
formed of  it  before  by  means  of  letters  from  people  of  credit; 
adding,  however,  the  following  circumstances: 

[The  particulars  related  by  Gen.  Tuxen  respecting  what 
had  passed  between  Swedenborg  and  the  Queen  will  be  found 
in  Document  274,  A.] 

5.  In  the  course  of  further  conversation  on  the  prin- 
ciples of  religion  advocated  and  explained  by  him,  I  took 
an  opportunity  of  asking  him,  How  a  man,  who  was  confident 
that  he  was  serious  in  his  duty  towards  God  and  his  neighbour, 
could  be  certain  whether  he  was  in  the  right  road  to  salvation 
or  not?  I  was  answered.  That  this  was  very  easy;  and  that 
such  a  man  need  only  examine  himself  and  his  own  thoughts 
according  to  the  Ten  Commandments;  as,  for  instance,  whether 


Doc.  255.J         GEXERAL  TUXEN'S  TESTIMONY.  433 

he  loves  and  fears  God;  whetlier  he  is  happy  in  seeing  the 
welfare  of  others,  and  does  not  envy  them;  whether,  on  having 
received  a  great  injury  from  others,  which  may  have  excited 
him  to  anger  and  revenge,  he  afterwards  changes  his  senti- 
ments, because  God  has  said,  that  vengeance  belongs  to  him, 
and  so  on ;  then  he  may  rest  assured,  that  he  is  on  the 
road  to  heaven;  but  when  he  discovers  himself  to  be  ac- 
tuated by  contrary  sentiments,  on  the  road  to  hell.  This  led 
me  to  think  of  myself  as  well  as  of  others. 

G.  I  also  asked  him.  Whether  he  had  seen  the  lately  de- 
ceased King  Frederic  V.,  adding,  that  although  some  human 
frailty  or  other  might  be  attributed  to  him,  yet  I  had  certain 
hopes  that  he  was  happy?  His  answer  Avas,  "Yes;  I  have 
seen  him,  and  1  know  that  he  is  very  happy,  and  not  only  he, 
but  likewise  all  the  kings  of  the  house  of  Oldenburg,  who  are 
all  associated  together.  This  is  not  the  happy  case  with  our 
Swedish  kings,  some  of  whom  are  not  so  well  off."  This  he 
said  in  the  presence  of  the  consul  and  the  Swedish  captain 
with  whom  he  sailed. 

7.  He  added  further:  "In  the  world  of  spirits  I  have  not 
seen  any  one  so  splendidly  served  and  waited  on,  as  the  de- 
ceased Empress  Elizabeth  of  Russia."*  As  I  expressed  much 
astonishment  at  this,  he  continued,  "I  could  also  tell  you  the 
reason,  which  few  would  surmise;  viz.  That  with  all  her 
faults  she  had  a  good  heart,  and,  with  her  neglect  or  indiffe- 
rence, a  certain  consideration  which  induced  her  purposely  to 
postpone  signing  many  edicts  and  papers  that  were  from  time 
to  time  presented  to  her,  for  which  reason  they  multiplied  to 
such  a  degree,  that  at  last  she  could  not  examine  or  peruse 
them,  but  was  obliged  to  believe  the  representations  of  the 
ministers,  and  sign  as  many  as  possible ;  after  which  she  would 
retire  into  her  closet,  fall  on  her  knees,  and  beg  forgiveness 
of  God  if  she  had,  against  her  will,  signed  anything  that  was 
wrong."-}-  When  this  conversation  was  ended,  Swedenborg  in 
a  friendly  and  civil  manner  took  leave,  and  went  on  board. 

*  She  died  .lunuary  5.  1772.  Coiiconiiiig  her  see  tlie  "Spiritual  Diary," 
no.  6027,  as  printed  by  G.  E.  Klcniming  in  the  Appendix  to  ''Sweden- 
borg's  Dromniar,"  pp.  66  to  70. 

f  Compare  also  Document  5,  no.  19  (Vol.  1,  p.  38). 

28 


434  TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMPORARIES.      [Doc.  255. 

8.  Some  time  afterwards  I  was  informed  tliat  he  had  re- 
turned by  way  of  Gottenhurg  to  Stockhohn,  and  as  I  had  ac- 
cidentally heard  that  the  Consistory  had  begun  to  examine 
into  a  letter  written  by  him  to  a  doctor  of  divinity  at  the 
College  (Dr.  Beyer),  which  was  declared  by  the  Dean  (Dr.  Eke- 
bom)  to  be  heretical,  I  endeavoured  to  obtain  the  extracts  of 
the  Minutes  that  were  printed,  and  which  were  to  prove  the 
doctrine  of  Swedenborg  to  be  erroneous;  but  these  extracts 
aimed  chiefly  at  blackening  the  character  of  Dr.  Beyer  and  a 
learned  Dr.  Rosen.  I  therefore  wrote  to  Swedenborg,  and  re- 
quested him  to  inform  me  concerning  these  transactions,  and 
received  a  letter  from  him  in  answer,  an  attested  copy  of  which 
is  hereunto  annexed.* 

9.  Some  time  afterwards,  I  learned  that  Swedenborg,  who 
was  on  his  last  journey  to  Amsterdam  and  London,-]'  had  been 
detained  for  four  days  by  a  contrary  wind  on  board  a  Swedish 
ship,  anchored  a  few  miles  from  Elsinore.  I  therefore  took  a 
boat  and  went  off  to  see  him  ;  on  my  inquiring  whether  As- 
sessor Swedenborg  was  on  board,  the  captain  answered  in  the 
affirmative,  bade  me  welcome,  and  opened  the  cabin-door,  which, 
as  soon  as  I  entered,  he  shut  after  me. 

10.  I  found  the  Assessor  seated  in  undress,  his  elbows  on 
the  table,  his  hands  supporting  his  face,  which  was  turned 
towards  the  door,  his  eyes  open,  and  much  elevated.  I  was 
so  imprudent  as  immediately  to  address  him,  expressing  my 
happiness  at  seeing  and  speaking  with  him.  At  this  he  re- 
covered himself  (for  he  had  really  been  in  a  trance  or  ecstasy, 
as  his  posture  evinced),  and  rising  with  some  confusion,  advanced 
a  few  steps  from  the  table  in  singular  and  visible  uncertainty, 
expressed  by  his  countenance  and  hands,  from  which,  however, 
he  soon  recovered,  bidding  me  welcome,  and  asking  me  whence 
I  came.  I  answered  that,  as  I  had  heard  he  was  on  board  a 
Swedish  ship  lying  below  the  Koll,  I  was  come  to  invite  him 

*  This  letter  constitutes  Document  245,  W  (p.  371).  In  his  letter  to 
the  King  (p.  374)  Swedenborg  declares  that  the  first  information  about 
the  printed  Minutes  of  the  Gottenburg  Consistory  was  received  by  liim 
from  Gen.  Tuxen. 

■j-  Swedenborg  left  Stockholm  for  Amsterdam  towards  the  close  of 
July  1770;  see  Document  245,  Y  and  AA. 


Doc.  255.]        GENERAL  TUXEN'S  TESTIMONY.  435 

on  the  part  of  my  wife  and  myself,  to  favour  us  with  his  com- 
pany at  our  house.  To  tliis  he  inniiediately  consented,  puUing 
off  his  gown  and  slippers,  putting  on  clean  linen,  and  dressing 
himself  as  hriskly  and  alertly  as  a  young  man  of  one-and- 
twenty.  He  told  the  captain  where  he  was  to  he  found,  if  the 
wind  became  favourable,  and  accompanied  me  to  Elsinore. 

11.  Here  my  wife,  who  was  then  indisposed,  was  waiting 
to  welcome  him,  and  to  request  him  to  excuse  us  if  our  house 
should  in  any  respect  fall  short  of  our  wishes  to  entertain  him, 
adding,  that  she  had  for  these  thirty  years  past  been  afllicted 
with  a  violent  hysterical  disease,  which  occasioned  her  much 
pain  and  uneasiness.  He  very  politely  kissed  her  hand,  and 
answered.  Oh  dear!  of  this  we  will  not  speak;  only  acquiesce 
in  the  will  of  God ;  it  will  pass  away,  and  you  will  again  attain 
the  same  health  and  beauty  as  when  you  were  fifteen  years  of 
age.  I  do  not  recollect  what  she  or  I  answered  to  this;  but 
I  remarked  that  in  answer  to  us  he  replied.  Yes,  in  a  few 
weeks ;  from  which  I  concluded,  that  diseases,  which  have  their 
foundation  in  the  mind,  and  are  maintained  by  the  infirmities 
and  pains  of  the  body,  do  not  leave  man  immediately  on  the 
separation  of  the  body. 

12.  We  then  conversed  on  the  various  kinds  of  pain  my 
wife  had  suffered.  Afterwards  he  said,  among  other  things, 
that  for  twelve  years  past  he  had  been  afflicted  with  a  very 
weak  stomach,  and  during  that  time  had  scarcely  taken  any 
other  food  than  coffee  and  biscuits. 

13.  I  do  not  recollect  on  what  occasion  he  told  me  that 
the  King  had  issued  a  circular  letter  to  all  the  Consistories 
in  Sweden,  requesting  them  to  send  a  statement  of  their 
grounds  of  complaint  against  Swedenborg's  writings  and  ex- 
planations in  religion;  and  that  the  King  the  last  time  he 
spoke  with  him  on  the  subject,  familiarly  laid  his  hand  on  his 
shoulder  and  said.  They  will  not  make  any  reply  to  me  al- 
though I  have  demanded  their  explicit  answers.* 

14.  Nor  do  I  remember  on  what  occasion  we  w^ere  con- 
versing on  certain  passages  in  his  writings,  when  I  produced 
some  of  them,  and  in  searching  we  found  the  letter  which  he 


*  Compare  Document  6,  no.  37  ^Vol.  1,  p.  72). 


436  TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMPORARIES.      [Doc.  255. 

had  written  to  a  learned  friend  in  England,  [the  late  Rev. 
T.  Hartley,]  which  begins,  I  think,  with  these  words:  "I  was 
born  in  Stockholm,  1689."*  Here  he  told  me  he  was  not  born 
in  that  year,  as  mentioned,  but  in  the  preceding  one.  And 
on  my  asking  him  whether  this  was  a  fault  in  the  printing,  he 
answered:  "No;  but  the  reason  was  this:  You  may  remember 
in  reading  my  writings,  to  have  seen  it  mentioned  in  many 
places,  that  every  figure  or  number  in  the  spiritual  sense  has 
a  certain  correspondence  or  signification  annexed;"  and  he 
added,  that  when  he  had  first  put  the  true  year  in  that  letter, 
an  angel  present  told  him,  that  he  should  wTite  the  year  now 
printed  as  much  more  suitable  to  himself  than  the  other;  and 
you  know,  said  the  angel,  that  with  us  time  or  space  are  no- 
thing: "for  this  reason  it  was,"  continued  he,  "that  I  wrote  it."-j- 

15.  On  my  observing  here,  that  it  was  impossible  for  me 
to  remove  time  and  space  from  my  thoughts  in  reading  his 
writings,  he  answered,  ^Hhat  1  easily  believe;  it  also  took  me 
some  time  before  I  could  do  it;  but  I  will  show  and  teach  you 
in  what  manner  it  may  be  done."  Hereupon  he  entered  upon 
a  very  ample  and  rational  explanation,  but  was  interrupted 
by  a  person  coming  from  the  Swedish  merchant  to  invite  him 
to  dinner ;  as  we  went  out  I  had  no  opportunity  of  conversing 
with  him  till  he  returned  from  his  visit. 

16.  Being  then  together,  in  company  with  my  wife,  my  now 
deceased  daughter,  and  three  or  four  young  ladies,  my  relations, 


*  See  Document  2  (Vol.  I,  p.  7). 

f  Dr.  Immanuel  Tafel  says  in  this  connection  in  the  Gennan  edition  of 
the  "Swedenborg  Documents,"  p.  40:  "The  accuracy  of  this  statement  of 
the  General,  which  he  wrote  long  after  the  occurrence  had  taken  place,  was 
questionedby  a  critic  in  the  'Intellectual  Repository,'  London,  1833  (p.  497  etseq.); 
yet  it  is  worthy  of  being  taken  into  consideration,  whether  the  number  1689 
is  not  really  more  correct ;  since,  if  Swedenborg  was  born  in  the  year  which 
is  written  1688,  he  was  actually  bom  in  the  1689th  year  after  Christ;  for 
have  we  not  been  in  the  nineteenth  centuiy,  ever  since  the  figure  1800  has 
been  used?  It  appears,  however,  from  the  memorable  relations  in  tlie 
'Apocalypse  Revealed,'  that  what  took  place  with  Swedenborg  frequently 
had  a  representative  meaning ;  in  that  work  also  peculiai'  stress  is  laid  upon 
the  number  three  and  a  half.  Why  then  could  not  this  have  been  the  case 
with  the  year  of  Swedenborg's  birth  ?"  Compai-e  also  Document  4  (Vol.  I, 
p.  14). 


Doc.  255.]        GENERAL  TUXEN'S  TESTIMONY.  437 

he  entertained  them  very  politely  and  with  much  attention  on 
indififerent  subjects,  on  favourite  dogs  and  cats  that  were  in 
the  room,  which  caressed  him,  and  jumped  on  his  knee  show- 
ing their  little  tricks. 

17.  During  these  trifling  discourses  mixed  with  singular 
questions,  to  all  of  which  whether  they  concerned  this  or  the 
other  world,  he  obligingly  answered,  I  mentioned  once,  that  I 
was  very  sorry  I  had  no  better  company  to  amuse  him,  than  a 
sickly  wife  and  her  young  girls.  He  replied,  "And  is  not  this 
very  good  company?  I  was  always  partial  to  ladies'  com- 
pany. "  * 

18.  This  led  me  jocosely  to  ask  him,  whether  he  had  ever 
been  married,  or  desirous  of  marrying.  He  answered,  No ;  but 
that  once  in  his  youth  he  had  been  on  the  road  to  matrimony; 
King  Charles  XII  having  recommended  the  famous  Polhem^* 
to  give  him  his  daughter.  On  my  asking  what  obstacle  had 
prevented  it,  he  replied:  "She  would  not  have  me,  as  she  had 
promised  herself  to  another  person  to  whom  she  was  more 
attached."  I  then  craved  his  pardon  if  I  had  been  too  in- 
quisitive. [He  answered,  ask  whatever  question  you  please,  I 
shall  answer  in  truth.  I  then  inquired,  whether  in  his  youth 
he  could  keep  free  from  temptations  with  regard  to  the  sex? 
He  replied,  "Not  altogether;  in  my  youth  I  had  a  mistress  hi 
Italy.]! 

19.  After  some  little  pause  he  cast  his  eyes  on  a  harpsi- 
chord, and  asked  whether  we  were  lovers  of  music,  and  who 

*  Compare  Document  4,  Vol,  I,  p.  29. 

•}-  The  portions  in  brackets  for  reasons  which  we  have  stated  at  large 
in  Note  27  of  Volume  I,  we  declare  not  to  be  genuine.  In  addition  to  the 
reasons  which  we  have  furnished  there,  we  adduce  here  the  following:  Ac- 
cording to  the  EngUsh  translator,  who  is  answerable  for  the  statement  iji 
brackets  in  the  first  place,  Gen.  Tuxen  asked  Swedcnborg  the  question  at- 
tributed there  to  him  in  the  presence  of  "his  own  wife,  his  now  deceased 
daughter,  and  three  or  four  young  ladies,  his  relations."  Now,  no  gentle- 
man would  ask  such  a  question  of  anotiier  gentleman  in  the  presence  of  his 
wife,  and  four  or  five  young  girls;  wherefore  on  the  grounds  of  morahty 
and  gentlemanly  conduct  we  declare  it  to  have  been  utterly  imiiossible  for 
Gen.  Tuxen  to  have  asked  this  question  of  Swedcnborg  then  and  there; 
even  as  we  have  already  proved  in  Note  27,  that  Swcdenborg's  alleged 
answer  contains  a  flat  contradiction. 


438  TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMPORARIES.      [Doc.  255. 

played  upon  it.  I  told  him,  we  were  all  lovers  of  it,  and  that 
my  wife  in  her  youth  had  practised  it,  since  she  had  a  fine 
voice,  perhaps  better  than  any  in  Denmark,  as  several  persons 
of  distinction  who  had  heard  the  best  singers  in  France,  Eng- 
land, and  Italy,  had  assured  her;  and  that  my  daughter  also 
played  with  pretty  good  taste.  On  this  Swedenborg  begged 
her  to  play.  She  then  performed  a  difficult  and  celebrated 
sonata,  of  which  he  beat  the  measure  with  his  foot  as  he  sat 
on  the  sofa;  and  when  finished,  he  said,  "Brava!  very  fine." 
She  then  played  another  by  Ruttini;  and  when  she  had  played 
a  few  minutes,  he  said,  "this  is  by  an  Italian,  but  the  first 
was  not."  This  finished,  he  said,  "Brava,  you  play  very  well. 
Do  you  not  sing  also?"  She  answered,  "I  sing,  but  have  not 
a  very  good  voice,  though  I  am  fond  of  singing,  and  would 
sing,  if  my  mother  would  accompany  me."  He  requested  my 
wife  to  join;  to  which  she  assented,  and  they  sang  a  few  Italian 
duets,  and  some  French  airs,  each  according  to  her  respective 
taste,  to  which  he  beat  time,  afterwards  paying  many  com- 
pliments to  my  wife,  on  account  of  her  taste,  and  fine  voice, 
which  she  had  preserved  notwithstanding  so  long  an  illness. 

20.  I  took  the  liberty  of  saying  to  him,  that  since  in  his 
writings  he  always  declared,  that  at  all  times  good  and  evil 
spirits  of  the  other  world  were  present  with  every  man,  I  would 
make  bold  to  ask,  whether  now,  while  my  wife  and  daughter 
were  singing,  there  were  any  from  the  other  world  present  with 
us?  To  this  he  answered,  "Yes,  certainly."  And  on  my  in- 
quiring who  they  were,  and  Avhether  I  had  known  them,  he  said, 
that  it  was  the  Danish  Royal  Family,  and  he  mentioned 
Christian  VI,  Sophia  Magdalena,  and  Frederic  V,  who  through 
his  eyes  and  ears  had  seen  and  heard  it.  I  do  not  positively 
recollect  whether  he  also  mentioned  the  late  beloved  Queen 
Louisa  among  them. 

21.  After  this  he  retired,  and  while  preparing  for  rest,  I 
took  occasion  when  we  were  alone  to  ask  him  whether  there 
were  any  in  Sweden  who  approved  and  took  delight  in  his 
system  of  theology,  and  whether  he  could  mention  any  such  to 
me.  To  this  he  answered,  Yes,  but  few;  and  he  would  willingly 
mention  them  to  me,  but  that  probably  I  did  not  know  them. 
I  replied.  It  might  happen  that  I  knew  some  one  or  other.    He 


Doc.  255.]         GENERAL  TUXEX'S  TESTIMONY.  439 

then  named  a  few  bishops,  and  some  of  the  senators,  among 
others  he  mentioned  Count  Anders  von  Hopken,^^  the  cele- 
biated  minister  and  senator,  of  wliom  he  spoke  favourably. 

22.  As  I  had  been  so  happy  as  to  enjoy  for  several  years 
the  familiar  acquaintance  of  the  younger  brother  of  Count 
Hopken,  Baron  Charles  Frederic  Hopken,^^*  who  was  Am- 
bassador of  Sweden  at  our  court,  and  who  had  been  in  tlie 
like  capacity  at  Constantinople,  and  who  was,  moreover,  a  very 
coui'teous  and  agreeable  nobleman.  I  embraced  an  opportunity, 
after  the  death  of  Swedenborg,  of  writing  to  his  eminent 
brother,  and  of  putting  several  questions  to  him,  which  he  did 
not  directly  answer,  yet  very  politely  sent  me  the  letters  here- 
unto subjoined;*  all  which  are  attested  copies.  They  give  a 
faithful  account  of  our  late  benefactor,  and  indeed  not  only  ot 
ours,  but  that  of  all  mankind,  if  they  are  seriously  solicitous 
about  their  future  state  after  death.  For  my  part,  I  thank 
our  Lord,  the  God  of  He^fven,  that  I  have  been  acquainted 
with  this  great  man  and  his  writings.  I  esteem  this  as  the 
greatest  blessing  I  have  ever  experienced  in  my  life,  and  I 
hope  I  shall  profit  by  them  in  working  out  my  salvation. 

23.  My  valued  guest  afterwards  took  liis  coffee  with  a  few 
biscuits,  and  I  accompanied  him  on  board  the  vesseh  Here 
he  took  leave  of  me  for  the  last  time  in  a  very  affectionate 
manner,  and  I  hope  I  shall  in  the  other  life  testify  to  him  my 
grateful  heart. 

Tins,  to  the  best  of  my  recollection,  is  all  that  passed  be- 
tween us,  and  of  which  my  dear  friend  [Augustus  Norden- 
skold''^]  may  print  whatever  he  pleases,  and  leave  out  what  he 
thinks  of  less  consequence  or  use,  and  he  may  rest  assured  1 
shall  always  regard  it  as  an  honour  and  happiness  to  be 
His  most  obliged  friend  and  servant, 

Chbistian  Tuxen.^"^ 

Elsinore,  May  4,  1790. 

*  These  letters  are  contained  in  Document  252,  A  to  E. 


440  TESTIMONY  OF  GONTEMP  OB  ARIES.      [Doc.  255. 

24.  In  a  postscript  General  Tuxen  makes  the  follo\7ing 
additional  statement:  I  once  asked  the  late  Assessor  whether 
there  were  any,  and  how  great  a  number  of  persons  whom  he 
knew  in  this  world,  to  favour  his  doctrine  ?  He  answered,  Not 
many  yet,  that  he  knew  of,  yet  he  might  compute  their  number 
at  perhaps  fifty  or  thereabouts;  and  in  proportion  the  same 
number  in  the  world  of  spirits. 


To  the  testimony  collected  concerning  Swedenborg  in 
Sweden  must  be  added  the  narratives  of  Sandels,  Robsahm, 
and  the  two  Nordenskolds,  which  are  included  among  the 
"General  Biographical  Notices"  given  in  Section  I;  where  they 
figure  respectively  as  Documents  4,  5,  and  6.  To  these  we 
beg  to  refer  the  reader. 


B. 
TESTIMONY  COLLECTED  IN  HOLLAND. 

DOCUMENT  256. 

TESTIMONY  OF  JOHN  CHRISTIAN  CUNO.^^^ 
(DAVID  PAULUS  AB  INDAGINE.) 

INTnODVCTION. 

This  important  testimony  is  contained  in  one  of  the  four 
folio  MS.  volumes  which  are  preserved  in  the  State  Library 
of  Brussels  under  the  title:  Joli.  Christian  Cuno's  eifjenlu'indige 
Lehensheschreihung  (John  Christian  Cuno's  Autobiography). 
The  portion  concerning  Swedenborg  was  copied  from  these 
volumes  by  Dr.  Aug.  Scheler,  the  royal  librarian  in  Brussels, 
and  published  in  an  octavo  volume  of  172  pages  under  the 
following  title :  Aufzekhnungen  ernes  Amsterdamer  Burgers  ilher 
Swedenhorg  (Notes  of  an  Amsterdam  citizen  on  Swedenborg), 
Hanover,  1858.  From  this  volume  the  translation  of  the 
greater  part  of  what  follows  has  been  prepared. 

Dr.  Scheler  gives  the  following  account  of  the  original 
MS.  volumes:  "Not  very  long  ago  one  of  my  literary  friends 
in  this  place  submitted  for  my  examination  four  staunch  folio 
volumes  bound  in  morocco  which  he  had  bought  from  a  dealer 
in  second-hand  goods  for  upwards  of  six  Prussian  thalers. 
These  volumes  bore  on  their  backs  in  letters  of  gold  the 
above  inscription.  After  tui-ning  over  a  few  leaves  I  dis- 
covered that  I  had  before  me  about  four  thousand  pages  of 
the  MS.  autobiography  of  a  man  who,  although  resident  in 
Holland,  occupied  a  by  no  means  enviable  position  in  the 
history  of  German  literature  as  the  author  of  a  'Messiad'  in 
twelve  cantos  (Amsterdam,   1762),  and  also  of  many  poems, 


442  TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMPORARIES.      [Doc.  256. 

mostly  of  an  ecclesiastical  nature;  of  the  same  Cuno  in  fact 
concerning  whom  some  notices  may  be  found  in  Stosch's 
'Neuem  gelelirten  Euroim'  (The  New  learned  Europe),  Vol.  XVI, 
pp.  980  to  1031;  and  also  in  Jorden's  'Lexicon  deutscher 
Dichter  und  Prosaisten'  (Lexicon  of  German  Poets  and  Prose- 
writers),  Vol.  V,  pp.  838  to  840.  I  found  his  name  also 
mentioned  in  the  French  biographical  collections,  yet  with 
errors  in  their  treatment  of  him,  which  they  probably  derived 
from  German  sources. 

"At  first  I  did  not  feel  much  interested  in  reading  four 
thousand  folio  pages  on  a  man  who  is  scarcely  known  by  name 
to  the  great  public  acquainted  with  literature,  and  who  moved 
during  the  greater  part  of  his  life  in  the  sphere  of  commerce, 
and  indeed  of  a  sea-port  removed  from  the  current  of  thought 
of  the  German  fatherland;  my  hope  also  was  but  slight  of 
meeting  there  with  anything  of  interest  to  the  history  of 
literature.  Very  soon,  however,  I  felt  attracted,  partly  by 
the  moral  dissertations  and  theological  disquisitions,  both  in 
prose  and  poetry,  which  abounded  in  the  volumes,  and  partly 
by  the  vigorous  and  ever  honourable  character  of  the  author, 
and  his  thorough  appreciation  and  understanding  of  everything 
pertaining  to  science,  art,  and  social  interests;  l)ut  especially 
by  the  chequered  course  of  the  events  of  his  life,  so  that  I 
read  nearly  three-fourths  of  the  legible  and  well  arranged 
manuscript. 

"Cuno's  style  is  often  prolix  and  laboured,  and  his  language 
intermixed  with  Dutch  expressions,  but  his  account  is  always 
elevating  and  attractive  from  his  great  mental  activity,  his 
fund  of  knowledge  and  experience,  and  his  strict  morality;  of 
all  which  his  pages  offer  vivid  testimony." 

Dr.  Scheler  afterwards  gives  an  interesting  biographical 
account  of  Cuno,  a  great  part  of  which  is  embodied  in  Note 
212;  and  on  page  16  he  continues,  "An  episode  in  the  year 
1769,  during  which  he  was  fortunate  enough  to  associate  with 
Swedenborg,  seemed  to  me  of  especial  value,  and  the  extract 
from  Cuno's  Memoirs,  which  is  given  in  the  following  pages, 
will  I  think  be  generally  welcomed." 


Doc.  256.]  C UNO'S  EXPERIENCE.  443 

A. 

CUNO'S  EXPERIENCE  OF  SWEDENBORO  IN  1760.* 

1.  I  must  remain  faithful  to  a  promise  made  last  year, 
and  begin  by  giving  an  account  of  the  most  singular  saint 
who  has  ever  lived,  Mr.  Emanuel  Swedenborg.  As  nothing 
concerns  me  more  in  this  world  than  the  worship  of  God, 
and  as  I  found  interspersed  in  the  last  work  of  that  man 
such  strange  and  singular  things,  I  was  naturally  impelled 
by  an  irresistible  curiosity  to  make  the  acquaintance  of  the 
author.  On  reading  the  beginning  of  this  book,  which  like 
all  his  other  works  is  written  in  Latin,  and  which  bears  the 
title,  "The  Delights  of  Wisdom  concerning  Conjugial  Love," 
after  which  follow  "The  Pleasures  of  Lisanity  concerning  Scor- 
tatory  Love,"  I  could  not  think  otherwise  than  that  its  author 
was  insane.  Curiosity,  however,  induced  me  to  read  on,  and 
occasionally  I  found  him  uttering  such  thoughtful  things,  as  I 
had  never  before  heard  from  academical  desks  and  pulpits, 
and  which  never  before  had  entered  my  thoughts. 

2.  I  submit  to  the  judgment  of  my  readers,  what  we 
ought  to  think  concerning  a  man,  who  begins  his  preliminary 
chapter  on  the  joys  of  heaven  and  nuptials  there  in  these 
words :  "I  am  aware  that  many  who  read  the  following  pages, 
and  the  Memorable  Relations  annexed  to  the  chapters,  will 
believe  that  they  are  fictions  of  the  imagination ;  but  I  protest 
in  truth  that  they  are  not  fictions,  but  were  truly  done  and 
seen;  not  seen  in  any  state  of  the  mind  asleep,  but  in  a  state 
of  full  wakefulness:  for  it  has  pleased  the  Lord  to  manifest 
Himself  to  me,  and  to  send  me  to  teach  the  things  relating 
to  the  New  Church,  which  is  meant  by  the  New  Jerusalem 
in  the  Revelation:  for  which  purpose  he  has  opened  the 
interiors  of  my  mind  and  spirit;  whereby  it  has  been  granted 
me  to  be  in  the  spiritual  world  with  angels,  and  at  the  same 
time  in  the  natural  world  with  men,  and  this  now  for  twenty- 
five  years."     Such  an  unexpected  assertion,  which  has  never 

*  For  the  sake  of  convenient  reference  the  paragraphs  of  this  Document 
have  been  numbered  by  the  Editor. 


444  TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMPORARIES.      [Doc.  256. 

been  made  by  any  man  before,  would  be  sufficient  to  induce 
any  intelligent  reader  to  throw  the  entire  work  under  his 
cliair. 

3.  When  a  certain  scholar  cotdd  not  understand  the  dark 
satires  of  Persius,  he  is  said  to  have  dashed  them  down  full 
of  impatience,  exclaiming.  "If  you  refuse  to  be  understood, 
you  ought  not  to  be  read"  (si  non  vis  mtelligi,  non  debes  legi). 
Still  we  should  wrong  Swedenborg  very  much  by  charging 
him  with  want  of  clearness.  His  style  is  very  simple,  clear, 
and  intelligible ;  sometimes  indeed  his  descriptions  are  so  full 
of  details  and  so  picturesque,  that  they  could  easily  be  painted, 
and  represented  in  interesting  pictures.  In  respect  to  his 
Latinity,  it  must  certainly  not  be  submitted  to  a  critical  Latin 
scholar ;  for  it  can  be  very  easily  seen  that  he  does  not  wield 
the  pen  of  a  Petrus  Biermannus  Secundus;  nevertheless,  he 
can  say  everything  he  pleases  in  Latin,  and  be  understood  by 
his  readers.  Besides,  the  Latinity  of  most  of  the  Fathers  of 
the  Church,  and  even  of  many  theologians  of  the  present  time 
when  they  write  on  theological  and  Biblical  matters,  is  far 
from  being  Ciceronian.    But  let  me  pass  from  words  to  things. 

4.  The  Christian  worship  of  God  is  subject  to  this  sad 
calamity  in  this  world,  that  attacks  are  made  upon  it  either 
by  arrogant  fools  who  call  themselves  strong-minded,  or  by 
visionaries;  the  latter  rendering  it  ridiculous  sometimes  without 
wishing  to  do  so,  but  the  former  endeavouring  to  do  so  with 
all  their  power.  The  learned  Mr.  Swedenborg  cannot  be 
classed  among  freethinkers  and  enemies  of  the  Christian 
religion;  for  he  writes  with  the  greatest  reverence  for  God 
and  His  Word.  He  has  impressed  upon  me  the  most  pro- 
found reverence  for  the  adorable  Saviour  of  the  world,  and 
his  entire  system  of  doctrine  is  based  upon  His  Divinity. 
Although,  on  the  other  hand,  his  writings  contain  many  evident 
errors,  so  that  he  must  be  classed  among  the  heretics  [!],  I 
nevertheless  cannot  discover  in  him  so  very  easily  those  motives 
by  wliich  most  heretics  are  carried  away.  Those  who  know 
this  man  and  desire  to  judge  of  him  without  prejudice,  may 
indeed  declare  him  to  be  somewhat  eccentric  in  liis  habits 
and  his  mode  of  living,  yet  they  cannot  charge  him  with 
anything  wrong  or  disorderly.    I  scarcely  believe  that  he  has 


Doc.  256.]  CUNO'S  EXPERIENCE.  445 

any  enemies;  at  all  events  he  could  not  have  made  tliem  by 
the  innocent,  even  sainted,  tenor  of  his  life;  and  should  he 
have  them,  it  would  be  impossible  for  them,  as  well  as  for 
tlie  scoffers  who  examine  closely  all  modes  of  life  different 
from  theii'  own,  to  discover  anything  in  him  which  they  could 
justly  find  fault  with,  or  even  calumniate.  Before  making  his 
more  intimate  ac(|uaintance,  I  inquired  most  particularly  after 
these  points  especially  among  the  Swedish  merchants,  among 
whom  there  was  one  of  his  countrymen,  Mr.  Joachim  Wretmau,^^'' 
whom  I  could  trust  as  imbued  with  Christianity,  and  a  man 
of  intelligence. 

5.  My  first  acquaintance  with  him  dates  from  November  4, 
1768,  when  I  happened  to  meet  him  in  the  French  book-shop 
of  Mr.  Francois  Changuion.  The  old  gentleman  speaks  ])oth 
French  and  High  German,  yet  not  very  readily.  Besides,  he 
is  afflicted  with  the  natural  infirmity  of  stuttering;  yet  at  one 
time  more  than  at  another.  Our  first  meeting  was  pleasing 
and  sympathetic.  He  permitted  me  to  call  upon  him  at  his 
own  house;  which  I  did  on  the  following  Sunday,  and  I  con- 
tinued to  do  so  almost  every  Sunday,  after  attending  church 
in  the  morning.  He  lodged  near  our  old  church  in  Calf-street 
(Kiilbergasse),  wliere  he  had  engaged  two  comfortable  rooms. 
One  of  my  fu'st  questions  was,  whether  he  had  no  male 
attendant  to  wait  upon  him  in  his  old  age,  and  to  accompany 
him  on  his  journeys?  He  answered  that  he  needed  no  one  to 
look  after  him,  l)ecause  his  angel  was  ever  with  him,  and 
conversed  and  had  intercourse  with  him.  If  another  man  had 
uttered  these  words,  he  would  have  made  me  laugh;  but  I 
never  thought  of  laughing  when  this  venerable  man,  eighty- 
one  years  old,  tokk  me  this ;  he  looked  far  too  innocent,  and 
when  he  gazed  upon  me  with  his  smiling  blue  eyes,  which  he 
always  did  in  conversing  with  me,  it  was  as  if  truth  itself 
was  speaking  from  them. 

6.  I  often  noticed  with  surprise  how  scoffers,  who  had 
made  their  way  into  large  societies  where  I  had  taken  him, 
and  whose  purpose  it  had  been  to  make  fun  of  the  old  gentle- 
man, forgot  all  their  laughter  and  their  intended  scoffing,  and 
how  they  stood  agape  and  listened  to  the  most  singular  things 
which  he  like  an  open-hearted  child  told    about   the   .spiritual 


446  TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMPORARIES.      [Doc.  256. 

world  without  reserve  and  with  full  confidence.  It  almost 
seemed  as  if  his  eyes  possessed  the  faculty  of  imposing  silence 
on  every  one. 

7.  He  lived  with  simple  burgher  folks,  who  kept  a  shop 
in  which  they  sold  chintz,  muslin,  handkerchiefs,  and  the 
like,  and  who  had  quite  a  number  of  little  children.  I  in- 
quired of  the  landlady  whether  the  old  gentleman  did  not 
require  very  much  attention.  She  answered,  "He  scarcely 
requires  any;  the  servant  has  nothing  else  to  do  for  him, 
except  in  the  morning  to  lay  the  fire  for  him  in  the  fire- 
place. Every  evening  be  goes  to  bed  at  seven,  and  gets  up 
in  the  morning  at  eight.  We  do  not  trouble  ourselves  any 
more  about  him.  During  the  day  he  keeps  up  the  fire  him- 
self; and  on  going  to  bed  takes  great  care,  lest  the  fire  should 
do  any  damage.  He  dresses  and  undresses  himself  alone, 
and  waits  upon  himself  in  every  thing,  so  that  we  scarcely 
know  whether  there  is  any  one  in  the  house  or  not.  I  should 
like  him  to  be  with  us  during  the  rest  of  his  hfe.  My  children 
will  miss  him  most;  for  he  never  goes  out  without  bringing 
them  home  some  sweets;  the  little  rogues  also  dote  upon  the 
old  gentleman  so  much,  that  they  prefer  him  to  their  own 
parents.     I  imagine,  that  he  is  very  rich." 

8.  This  last  remark  of  the  good  lady  must  be  very  true; 
and  we  may  infer  it  from  this  circumstance  alone  that  he 
has  published  his  manifold  writings  in  England  and  in  this 
country  entirely  at  his  own  expense;  and  has  never  gained  a 
farthing  from  their  sale.  All  these  writings  are  printed  on 
large  and  expensive  paper;  and  yet  he  gives  them  all  away. 
The  booksellers  to  whom  he  gives  them  for  sale  charge  as 
much  for  them  as  they  can  get.  Indeed,  they  sell  them  dear 
enough,  as  I  found  out  by  my  own  experience;  for  I  had  to 
pay  four  florins  and  a  half  to  the  bookseller  Schreuder  in  this 
town  for  a  copy  of  his  Apocalyims  Revelata.  The  bookseller 
himself,  however,  mentioned  to  me  that  the  author  never  de- 
mands an  account  either  from  himself,  or  any  other  dealer. 
I  have  been  told  that  Mr.  Swedenborg  has  a  draught  for 
2000  ducats,  at  three  days'  sight,  on  the  large  firm  of  Messrs. 
Hope  &  Co.,  at  whose  house  he  often  dines;  and  that  he  has 
not   touched  this    sum    for  many  months,    although  he  daily 


Doc.  256.]  C UNO'S  EXPERIENCE.  447 

spends  large  sums  of  money  on  account  of  his  latest  work 
[Coiijugial  Love],  which  fills  upwards  ot  forty  sheets  in  large 
quarto-  I  have  heen  assured  that  his  annual  income  amounts 
to  10,000  florins.*  His  capital  must  he  considerable  to  yield 
such  interest.  He  told  me  himself  that  his  father  was  Bishop 
of  Sweden  [of  Skara],  but  he  himself  superintendent  [assessor] 
of  mines;  and  it  is  quite  possible  that  under  such  circum- 
stances he  was  able  to  save  a  good  fortune;  for  he  himself 
has  never  expended  much  on  his  own  body,  and  he  has  never 
been  married.  How  snugly  he  might  live  on  such  a  fortune 
in  Stockholm,  where  he  has  a  splendid  palace  |!]  and  garden. 
Bat  as  it  is,  he  has  been  travelling  about  for  many  years, 
and  lias  lived  mostly  in  London,  and  recently  for  nearly  three 
quarters  of  a  year  in  Amsterdam ;  and  in  this  place  at  least 
he  has  lived  in  a  most  simple  style. 

9.  The  cause  of  his  journeys,  I  believe,  has  been  exclusively, 
because  here  and  in  London  he  had  full  liberty  accorded  to 
him  to  print  Avhatever  he  liked;  which  liberty  would  never 
have  been  granted  to  him  in  his  native  town,  and  probably 
nowhere  else  in  Christendom. 

10.  He  has  himself  lived  very  frugally.  Chocolate  and  bis- 
cuits served  in  his  own  room  usually  constituted  his  dinner; 
and  of  this  his  landlord,  his  landlady,  and  the  children  gener- 
ally received  the  greater  part.  If  he  had  a  better  appetite 
he  went  into  a  neighbouring  restaurant  in  the  so  called  "holy 
way;"  and  this  after  much  inquiry  1  learned  from  himself 
only  a  short  time  before  his  departure.  He  was  far  from 
l)eing  misanthropical  and  obstinate.  Whoever  invited  him  to 
his  house  was  sure  to  have  him.  In  addition  to  Messrs. 
Hope  &  Co.,  who  were  his  bankers,  he  sometimes  dined  with 
his  countrymen,  the  Messrs.  Grill,"-  and  others.  With  Mr. 
Wretman^'*  he  dined  almost  every  Sunday;  he  also  was  his 
most  intimate  companion. 

11.  AVhen  I  first  invited  Swedenborg  to  my  house,  I  ex- 
tended the  invitation  also  to  Mr.  Wretman.  I  might  have 
invited   many   more;     for   many    were    anxious    to   make    the 

*  Swedenborg's    annual    income    in   1766    amounted   to   5196   dalers  in 
coiJiicr;  see  Dueument  13-^'. 


4'18  TESTIMONY  OF  GONTEMF  OB  ARIES.      [Doc.  256. 

acquaintance  of  so  singular  a  guest;  but,  as  I  was  not  yet 
suificiently  acquainted  with  him  myself,  I  did  not  venture  to 
invite  more ;  for  I  was  continually  afraid  that  some  one  W' ould 
make  sport  of  him.  He  was  in  very  good  spirits  at  my  house, 
and  uncommonly  frank  and  open-hearted,  as  I  have  always 
found  him  since. 

12.  It  was  exactly  on  the  16th  of  November,  1768,  when 
he  told  me  that  then  for  the  first  time  he  had  met  in  the 
spiritual  world  with  King  Stanislaus.^^^  He  had  appeared 
there  a  considerable  time  before,*  but  no  one  knew  who  he 
was,  although  all  the  spirits  were  very  anxious  to  find  out. 
Swedenborg  himself,  therefore,  was  requested  to  accost  the 
unknown  person,  and  inquire  after  his  name.  He  did  so,  and 
as  no  one  in  the  spiritual  world  is  able  to  dissemble  or  to 
keep  back  the  truth,  the  King  not  only  told  him  his  own 
name,  but  led  him  also  at  once  to  his  daughter,  the  late 
Queen  of  France.  Should  my  readers  be  surprised  at  this 
statement,  they  will  become  still  more  surprised  on  reading 
his  own  writings,  and  the  memorable  relations  contained 
therein,  where  he  speaks  of  his  oral  communications  Avith  the 
Popes,  Dr.  Luther,  Calvin,  Melancthon ;  yea,  with  the  old 
pagan  philosophers,  and  those  of  modern  times,  and  who 
knows  with  how  many  other  celebrated  men. 

13.  It  soon  become  known  in  town  that  I  associated  with 
this  remarkable  man;  and  everybody  troubled  me  to  give 
them  an  opportunity  of  making  his  acquaintance.  I  advised 
the  people  to  do  as  I  had  done,  and  to  call  upon  him,  because 
he  willingly  conversed  with  every  honest  man.  Mr.  Sweden- 
borg moves  in  the  world  with  great  tact,  and  knows  how  to 
address  the  high,  as  well  as  the  low.  I  should  have  liked 
very  much  to  introduce  him  into  our  club,  because  he  told 
me  that  he  was  fond  occasionally  of  playing  a  game  of  Thoinbre ; 
but  as  I  knew  that  he  did  not  stop  anywhere  after  seven, 
and  as  no  High  German  and  only  very  little  French  is  spoken 
in  our  circle,  I  had  to  give  it  up.  For  the  same  reason  I 
could  not  gratify  the  wishes  of  some  curious  ladies. 

14.  Once,  however,  at  the  ui-gent  request  of  the  wife  of 

*  King:  Stanislaus  Tjcczinskv  dii'd  in  17H(i. 


Doc.  25G.]  C UNO'S  EXPERIENCE.  449 

my  friend  Mr.  Nicolam  Kouauw,  I  agreed  to  bring  him  to 
dinner.  The  old  gentleman  consented  and  was  prepared  at 
once  to  go.  Mr.  Konauw  sent  his  carnage  for  us.  On 
presenting  ourselves  to  Madame  we  found  among  other  guests 
the  two  Misses  Hoog,  who  had  been  highly  educated,  and 
had  been  introduced,  beyond  the  common  sphere  of  woman, 
into  the  higher,  especially  the  philosophical,  sciences.  Mr. 
Swedenborg's  deportment  was  exquisitely  refined  and  gallant. 
When  dinner  was  announced,  I  offered  my  hand  to  the 
hostess,  and  quickly  our  young  man  of  eighty-one  years  had 
put  on  his  gloves,  and  presented  his  hand  to  Mademoiselle 
Hoog,  in  doing  which  he  looked  uncommonly  well.  "Whenever 
he  was  invited  out,  he  dressed  properly  and  becomingly 
in  black  velvet;  but  ordinarily  he  wore  a  brown  coat  and 
black  trousers.  I  never  saw  him  dressed  otherwise  than  in 
one  of  these  two  suits  of  clothes.  Our  old  gentleman  was 
seated  between  Madame  Konauw  and  the  elder  Demoiselle 
Hoog,  both  of  whom  understood  thoroughly  well  how  to  talk; 
but  they  had  to  promise  me  beforehand,  that,  at  least  during 
dinner,  they  would  allow  the  old  gentleman  to  eat  in  peace. 
This  promise  they  kept  faithfully,  and  he  seemed  to  enjoy  very 
much  to  be  so  attentively  served  by  the  ladies.  This  time  he 
displayed  such  a  good  appetite,  that  I  was  quite  surprised. 
They  could  not  prevail  on  him  to  take  more  than  three  glasses 
of  wine,  which  were  besides  half  filled  with  sugar,  of  which 
he  was  more  than  ordinarily  fond.  During  the  dessert  the 
talking  went  on  very  freely,  and  it  continued  afterwards  Avhile 
we  took  tea  and  coffee,  and  thus  uninterruptedly  until  seven 
o'clock,  when  I  had  taken  care  that  the  carriage  should  be 
ready  to  take  us  home.  It  is  astonishing  what  a  number  of 
questions  the  ladies  addressed  to  him;  all  of  which  he  answered. 
I  should  have  to  write  a  great  deal,  were  I  inchned  to  write 
down  all  these  questions  and  answers.  But  one  thing  I  shall 
have  to  mention. 

15.  The  conversation  turned  upon  a  certain  distinguished 
personage,  I  think  an  ambassador,  who  had  died  some  time 
ago  at  the  Hague.  "I  know  him"  exclaimed  Mr.  Sweden])org, 
"although  I  never  saw  him  in  his  lite-time.  As  you  mention 
here    his    name   d'Abricourt,    1    know  him  and   that   he    left 

29 


450  TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMP  OB  ABIES.      [Doc.  256. 

a  widow.  But  lie  has  already  married  again  in  the  spiritual 
world,  and  he  has  now  a  wife  for  all  eternity,  Avho  is  more 
perfectly  in  harmony  with  his  disposition,  than  the  one  he 
left  behind  in  this  world."  It  may  easily  be  imagined  how 
many  new  questions  this  singular  story  caused;  all  of  which 
he  answered.  The  ladies  also  were  so  well-bred  and  discreet, 
as   to  content  themselves   with  his  answers  as  he  gave  them. 

16. 1  dined  with  him  several  times  afterwards  at  Mr.Konauw's, 
and  also  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Odon,  one  of  his  partners;  and 
each  time  we  there  met  different  ladies.  To  speak  of  all  this, 
hoAvever,  would  be  too  prolix;  for  I  shall  have  presently  to 
give  my  readers  some  ideas  of  his  writings. 

17.  In  respect  to  Mr.  Swedenborg's    external  appearance, 
he   is    for    his    years    a   perfect  wonder   of  health.     He  is  of 
middle   stature,  and  although  he   is   more  than  twenty   years 
older  than  I  am,  I  should  be  afraid  to  run  a  race  with  him; 
for  he  is  as  quick  on  his   legs  as  the   youngest  man.     When 
I    dined    with    him    the    last    time    at    Mr.   Odon's,    he  told 
me   that  a  new  set  of  teeth  was  growing  in  his  mouth;   and 
who   has   ever  heard  this  of  a  man  eighty-one  years  old?    In 
respect  to  his  features,  I  would  certainly  have  had  his  portrait   , 
taken  in  order  to   preserve   them,   if  an  artist  like  Abel  had   I 
been  at  hand;   but  I  would  not  risk  half  a  dozen  ducats  with   , 
another  artist,  of  whom  I  could  not  be  so  sure  that  he  would   i 
produce  a  likeness.     Still  I  heard  from  Mr.  Christian  Paulus    j 
Meyer,   who   is   a   great    scientist  and   an  intimate  fi'iend   of  | 
Mr.  Konauw,  that  a  copper  engraving  of  Swedenborg  is  con-    i 
tained  in  his  mineralogical  work,*  which  is  far-famed  in  the    j 
world;  and  this   engraving   is   said  to  be  very  much  like  him.    j 

18.-J-  Having  procured  access  to  Swedenborg  for  my  young  \ 
friend,  Mr.  Jolm  Lublink,  he  fell  in  with  the  old  gentleman's  I 
ideas,  and  acted  as  if  he  believed  everything.  Among  other 
things  he  mentioned  that  witliin  the  last  twelve  years  extra-  , 
ordinary  changes  had  taken  place  in  the  Romish  Church,  \ 
especially  in  respect  to  the  Jesuits.  It  was  a  matter  of  sur-  i 
prise,  that  the  King  of  Portugal  had  caused  even  the  Bishop 

I 

*  See  also  no.  20.  j 

•{-  See  "Aufzeichnungen,"  &c.,  p.  59. 


Doc.  25G.]  CUNO'S  EXPERIENCE.  461 

of  Coimbra  to  be  hung.'"  "It  is  not  true,"  said  the  old 
gentleman,  "the  Bishop  has  not  been  hung,  or  else  I  should 
have  known  it;  only  recently  I  spoke  concerning  him  with 
the  one  lately  deceased,  and  I  rallied  the  pope  on  that  case." 
The  young  Mr.  Lublink  hastened  at  once  with  what  he  had 
heard  into  the  bookshop  of  Pieter  Meyer,  and  related  it 
in  the  presence  of  many  of  us,  who  had  congregated  there 
before  change.  Most  exclaimed,  "It  is  only  too  true,  for 
it  is  written  in  all  our  public  papers  with  all  the  attendant 
circumstances."  Mr.  Pieter  Meyer  replied,  "I  will  take  a 
note  of  this;  for  it  will  soon  appear  whether  it  is  true  or 
not."  "Yes,"  said  one  of  those  present,  "the  old  gentleman 
is  crazed  in  his  head.  Besides,  he  no  longer  visits  the  Hague, 
where  formerly  they  made  so  much  ado  about  him,  especially 
Baron  de  Breteuil,^^^  the  ambassador  of  France,  who  had 
formerly  been  ambassador  to  the  Swedish  court,  and  who 
tells  everywhere  such  great  things  about  this  eccentric  man, 
because  he  is  simple  enough  to  believe  them  himself.  But 
now  Breteuil  has  to  be  so  much  the  more  ashamed  of  him: 
for  it  is  known  that  some  time  ago  many  current  rumours 
related  that  Voltaire  was  dead;  wherefore  also  everybody 
IjeHeved  him  to  be  dead.  On  a  certain  day,  while  Sweden- 
borg  was  dining  at  the  French  Ambassador's,  the  old  gentle- 
man appeared  quite  melancholy;  so  much  so  that  Baron  de 
Breteuil  asked  him  to  tell  him  the  reason,  when  he  replied, 
that  he  was  frightened  at  the  terrible  state  in  which  he  had 
met  the  late  Voltaire  in  the  spiritual  world.  A  few  days 
afterwards  the  papers  retracted  the  false  news  which  they 
had    spread   about  the   decease   of  the  French  poet;   where- 

*  During  the  reign  of  Joseph  II,  from  1750  to  1777,  Pombul,  his  minister, 
introduced  many  wholesome  reforms  into  Portugal,  by  which  the  power 
of  the  nobility  and  the  clergy  was  curtailed.  In  1758  an  attempt  was 
made  on  the  life  of  the  King,  and  this  resulted  in  the  abolition  of  the 
order  of  the  Jesuits,  and  an  expulsion  of  its  members  for  all  time  from 
the  country.  In  1760  even  the  Papal  nuncio  was  taken  across  the  border; 
and  iu  1761  one  of  the  leading  Jesuits,  Father  IMalagrida,  was  executed. 
The  energj'  with  which  Pombal  carried  out  his  reforms  in  Portugal  drew 
the  attention  of  the  whole  of  Europe  to  that  country;  and  hence  the 
interest  which  was  universally  felt  in  the  fate  of  the  Bishop  of  Coimbra, 
Coimbra  being  the  university  town  of  Portugal. 

29* 


452  TESTIMONY  OF  COXTEMPOBABIES.      [Doc.  25G. 

upon  Sweclenborg  quietly  left  the  Hague,  and  probably  will 
never  go  there  again  in  his  life,  for  he  would  be  stigmatized 
there  as  a  false  prophet,  an  arch-dreamer,  and  a  liar." 

This  arrant  falsehood  was  most  cunningly  invented,  and 
on  that  account  very  probable,  and  not  at  all  incredible;  but 
it  was  easy  for  me  to  demonstrate  its  falsity.  "He  who  has 
related  this  for  the  first  time,"  I  replied,  "understood  the  art 
of  telling  a  likely  falsehood  better  than  I.  It  was  last  year 
that  the  papers  represented  Voltaire  as  dead,  and  again 
as  living.  But  I  can  easily  prove,  that  during  the  time  it 
was  reported  that  Voltaire  was  dead,  and  again  as  having 
revived,  Mr.  Swedenborg  did  not  stir  a  foot  towards  the 
Hague,  but  during  the  whole  winter  remained  constantly  in 
Amsterdam.  If  any  one,  therefore,  knows  it  to  be  true,  as 
he  may  easily  know  if  he  chooses,  that  during  that  time  the 
old  gentleman  was  nowhere  but  in  Amsterdam,  he  can  never 
believe  that  at  that  very  same  time  he  committed  at  the 
Hague  a  foolish  action,  for  which  he  himself  and  his  friends 
would  have  to  blush.  I  can  add  to  this,  that  I  have  seen 
letters  at  the  old  gentleman's  from  the  French  and  the 
Swedish  ambassadors  inviting  him  to  the  Hague.  His  first 
journey  from  here  will,  therefore,  be  to  the  Hague.  He  is 
almost  on  the  point  of  departing,  and  is  waiting  only  for  the 
confinement  of  the  Princess  of  Orange,  when  he  will  start  on 
his  voyage,  so  that  upon  his  return  to  Sweden  he  may  tell 
the  Queen  that  he  has  seen  the  new-born  Prince  or  Princess 
of  Orange.  I  am  not  at  all  willing  to  go  security  for  the  old 
gentleman  to  the  extent  that  everything  he  tells  in  his  writings 
should  be  believed;  but  I  am  willing  to  remain  responsible  for 
this  statement,  that  what  I  have  just  heard  concerning  him 
is  an  arrant  and  manifest  falsehood." 

I  do  not  believe  that  the  narrator,  nor  perhaps  the 
inventor  of  this  story,  has  told  it  any  further.  It  was  interest- 
ing, however,  that  in  a  few  days  the  papers  really  retracted 
the  statement  of  the  Bishop  of  Coimbra  having  been  hung. 
The  old  gentleman,  therefore,  was  at  once  regarded  again  as 
a  prophet. 

I  generally  repeated  to  him  what  I  had  heard  concerning 
him.     He   smiled  when   I  told  him  the  story  about  Voltaire, 


Doc.  256.]  CUNO'S  EXPERIENCE.  453 

and  merely  said,  "I  have  not,  indeed,  been  at  the  Hague  for 
six  months,  and  for  many  years,  have  not  thought  of  anything 
in  connection  with  Voltaire,  How  people  will  lie!  In  respect 
to  the  Bishop  of  Coimbra,  other  rational  people  besides  myself 
probably  doubted  the  story.  A  bishop  is  not  so  easily  hung; 
it  is,  nevertheless,  true,  that  he  is  a  prisoner,  and  that  I  have 
spoken  respecting  him  with  the  late  pope."  I  should  have 
spoiled  everything  with  him,  had  I  chosen  to  contradict  hini 
here ;  and  I  had  to  treat  him  then,  as  always,  like  a  hypochondriac. 
May  he  relate  whatever  he  believes  to  be  true;  for,  in  truth, 
I  know  that  he  is  too  honest  a  man  deliberately  to  lie;  and 
may  he  declare  himself  to  be  an  extraordinary  and  entirely 
new  teacher;  if  he  only  would  not  teach  things  contradictory 
to  old  truths,  which,  however,  to  my  great  sorroAV  he  fre- 
quently does.* 

19.-{-  I  asked  Mr.  Swedenborg  about  the  dogma  concerning 
the  restoration  of  all  things;  but  this  he  denies  in  toto.  The 
damned  remain  damned,  and  the  wicked  disposition  which 
they  bring  into  the  spiritual  world  from  the  natural  world, 
not  only  remains  as  it  has  been,  but  as  opportunity  is  afforded 
in  the  societies  to  which  they  belong,  and  with  which  their 
affections  agree,  they  grow  continually  worse.  They  do  not 
even  desire  to  become  blessed,  because  the  privilege  is  still 
accorded  to  them  of  following  their  own  inclinations,  and  of 
heaping  sins  upon  sins. 

20.^  If  any  one  desire  to  have  an  idea  of  Swedenborg's 
looks,  he  -will  find  his  portrait  in  his  work  entitled,  Emanuelis 
Swedeiiborgii  Opera  philosophica  et  Mineralia.  Tres  tomi  in 
folio,  Dresdce  et  Lipske  Sumptihus  Frederici  Hekelii,  Bihlio- 
polce  rerjii.  MDCCXXXIV;  which  portrait,  although  finished 
forty  years  ago  by  the  skilful  engraver  Bernigroth,  is  still 
perfectly  like  him,  especially  in  respect  to  the  eyes,  which 
have  retained  their  beauty,  even  in  his  old  age. 

214  On  the  24th  of  April  of  this  year  [1769]  he  departed 
for  Paris  with  the  intention  of  remaining  there  for  some  time, 

*  See  Cuno's  ideas   about  Swedonborg's  writings  in  section  B  of  bis 
testimony. 

■j-  See  "Aufzeichnungen,"  etc.,  p.  81. 
J  See  "Aufzeichnungen,"  etc.,  p.  153. 


454  TESTIMONY  OF  C0NTE3IP0BARIES.      [Doc.  256. 

and    afterwards    of  going    to   London,    whence  he  intends  to 
embark  for  Sweden. 

I  shall  never  forget,  as  long  as  I  live,  the  leave  which  he 
took  of  me  in  my  own  house.  It  seemed  to  me  as  if  this 
truly  venerable  old  man  (it  is  perhaps  an  inherent  fault  of 
mine,  but  as  long  as  I  can  remember,  I  have  felt  immoderately 
drawn  to  little,  as  well  as  to  old,  children),  was  much  more 
eloquent  this  last  time,  and  spoke  differently  from  what  I  ever 
heard  him  speak  before.  He  admonished  me  to  continue  in 
goodness,  and  to  acknowledge  the  Lord  for  my  God.  "If  it 
pleases  God,  I  shall  once  more  come  to  you  in  Amsterdam;* 
for  I  love  you."  "0  my  worthy  Mr.  Swedenborg,"  I  interrupted 
him,  "this  will  probably  not  take  place  in  this  world,  for  I, 
at  least,  do  not  attribute  to  myself  a  long  life."  "This  you 
cannot  know,"  he  continued,  "we  are  obliged  to  remain  as 
long  in  the  world,  as  the  Divine  Providence  and  Wisdom  see 
fit.  If  any  one  is  conjoined  with  the  Lord,  he  has  a  foretaste 
of  the  eternal  life  in  this  world;  and  if  he  has  this,  he  no 
longer  cares  so  much  about  this  transitory  life.  Believe  me, 
if  I  knew  that  the  Lord  would  call  me  to  Himself  to-morrow, 
I  would  summon  the  musicians  to-day,  in  order  to  be  once 
more  really  gay  in  this  world."  In  order  to  feel  what  I  felt 
then,  you  would  have  had  to  hear  the  old  man  say  this  in 
his  second  childhood.  This  time  also  he  looked  so  innocent 
and  so  joyful  out  of  his  eyes,  as  I  had  never  seen  him  look 
before.  I  did  not  interrupt  him,  and  w^as,  as  it  were,  dumb 
with  astonishment.  He  then  saw  a  Bible  lying  on  my  desk, 
and  while  I  was  thus  gazing  quietly  before  me,  and  he  could 
easily  see  the  state  of  my  mind,  he  took  the  book,  and  opened 
it  at  this  passage:  1  John  v,  20,  21.  "Head  these  words," 
he  said,  and  then  closed  the  book  again,  "But  that  you  may 
not  forget  them,  I  will  rather  put  them  do"wn  for  you;"  and 
in  saying  these  words  he  dipped  the  pen  into  the  ink  in  order 
to  write  them  on  the  leaf  which  is  preserved  here;  his  hand, 
however,  trembled,  as  may  be  seen  from  the  figure  1.  This, 
however,  I  could  not  bear,  wherefore  I  asked  him  in  a  friendly 

*  Dr.  Scheler  adds  here  in  a  footnote:  "Cuno  added  here  a  marginal 
note  to  this  effect,  'He  was  true  to  his  word,  for  I  have  conversed  with 
him  on  change  here,  on  September  10,  1770.'" 

# 


Doc.  256.]     CUNO  ON  SWEDENBORG'S  DOCTRINES.         455 

maimer,  to  mention  the  passage  to  me.  I,  therefore,  put  clown 
the  passage  myself.  As  soon  as  I  had  done  so,  he  arose. 
"The  time  now  approaches,  [he  said]  when  I  must  take  leave 
of  my  other  friends."  He  then  embraced  and  kissed  me  most 
heartily. 

As  soon  as  he  had  left,  I  read  the  passage  which  he  had 
recommended  to  me;  it  sounded  thus:  "But  we  know  that  the 
Son  of  God  has  come,  and  hath  given  us  an  understanding, 
that  we  may  know  Him  that  is  true,  and  we  are  in  Him  that 
is  true,  even  in  His  Son,  Jesus  Christ.  This  is  the  true  God, 
and  eternal  life.  Little  children,  keep  yourselves  from  idols. 
Amen." 


B. 


CUXO  ox  SIVEDEXBOEG'S  TJOCTEIXES. 

Cuno's  testimony  respecting  Swedenborg  is  perhaps  more 
valuable  because  he  cannot  be  accounted  one  of  his  followers. 
He  loved  and  respected  Swedenborg  personally;  he  did  not 
dispute  his  doctrine  of  the  unity  of  God,  and  distinctly  agreed 
with  him  that  faith  and  charity  must  ever  be  united;  but  in 
all  other  respects  he  had  confirmed  himself  in  favour  of  the 
Lutheran  doctrines,  and  regarded  these,  and  the  Word  as  it 
appears  in  the  light  of  these  doctrines,  as  his  criterion  of  the 
truth.  Besides,  he  was  thoroughly  satisfied  with  the  Lutheran 
church,  and  did  not  think  that  it  stood  in  need  of  any  reno- 
vation or  improvement;  wherefore  he  did  not  see  the  necessity 
of  Swedenborg's  mission,  and  hence  was  unwilling  to  acknow- 
ledge it.  As  he  was  withal  a  conscientious,  straiglitforward 
man,  we  must  not  be  surprised  at  his  showing  strong  dis- 
approbation of  some  of  Swedenborg's  doctrines,  and  becoming, 
according  to  Count  Hopken,  "the  most  powerful  adversary  of 
his  system"  (see  Document  252,  C).  Such  being  the  character 
of  Cuno,  it  is  worth  while  to  examine  what  he  has  to  say 
respecting  Swedenborg's  writings  in  the  "Aufzeichnungen,"  &c., 
and  also  in  other  places;  especially,  as  he  submitted  all  his 
objections  to  Swedenborg  himself  both  orally  and  in  a  written 
form.     He  says: 


456   •  TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMFOBABIES.     [Doc.  256. 

1.*  "In  respect  to  his  'Revelation  Revealed'  or  Apocalyims 
Bevelata,  Amsterdam,  1764,  I  am  astonished  that  the  theo- 
logians of  every  denomination  keep  silence  about  it,  and  allow 
this  man  to  write  everything  he  chooses,  as  long  as  the  day 
lasts.  We  can  easily  comprehend  why  the  Protestants  should 
not  object  to  his  saying  anything  he  pleases  about  the  de- 
struction of  Babel  and  the  Babylonian  whore,  because  all  that 
is  set  forth  on  this  subject  is  also  applied  by  others  to  Rome 
and  popery;  but  the  Protestants  themselves  are  not  treated 
better  by  him:  for  the  apocalyptic  dragon  is  with  him  an  emblem 
of  the  Protestants.-j-  Man  being  saved  by  faith  alone  without 
the  v^orks  of  the  Law  he  calls  unhesitatingly  a  draconic  doctrine; 
and  against  this  he  declaims  as  much  as  against  the  Baby- 
lonian whore.  Faith  and  love,  according  to  him,  must  be 
married,  else  faith  is  a  mere  matter  of  the  imagination  and  a 
nonentity.  Herein  he  is  perfectly  right.''''  He  continues,  "If 
we  understand  by  faith  the  idea,  that,  because  the  one  Man, 
the  only  and  perfect  Mediator  between  the  most  holy  God  and 
the  poor  sinner,  has  from  grace  done  everything  for  us,  we  are 
not  obliged  to  co-operate  in  our  salvation,  we  not  only  act 
foolishly,  but  even  wickedly."  We  see  therefore  that  in  respect 
to  the  importance  of  conjoining  faith  with  charity,  Cuno  tho- 
roughly agreed  with  Swedenborg,  and  thus  was  willing  to  em- 
brace one  of  the  fundamental  doctrines  of  the  New  Church. 

On  the  other  hand  he  declares  in  the  same  place,  "If 
man  was  able  of  himself  and  by  his  own  power  to  fulfil  the 
Law  and  to  do  good  works,  and,  indeed,  such  good  works  as 
find  grace  before  the  most  holy  eye  of  a  just  God,  he  would 
be  justified  in  expecting  a  reward  for  them;  but  as  the  bare 
reason  of  a  man  who  examines  himself,  and  who  is  not 
blinded  by  a  foolishly  arrogant  self-love,  must  convince  him, 
that  all  the  good  he  does  is  fragmentary  and  imperfect,  and 
that  it  would  be  irrational  to  expect  a  reward  for  such  im- 
perfect and   frail   works,   it  follows  hence  of  its  own  accord, 


*  See  "Aufzeichnungen,"  &c.,  p.  51  et  seq. 

•f  Swedenborg's  own  definition  of  the  dragon  is  as  follows:  "By  the 
dragon  are  here  understood  those  who  are  in  faith  alone,  and  reject  the 
works  of  the  Law  as  contributing  nothing  to  salvation"  (A.  R.  537). 


Doc.  25G.J     CUXO  ONSWEDENBORG'SDOCTEIXES.         457 

that  we  can  liave  recourse  to  no  other  doctrine  but  faith 
alone."  This  course  of  reasoning,  that  all  good  which  man  does 
in  obedience  to  God's  truth  is  tarnished  with  the  idea  of  merit 
and  reward,  Cuno  borrowed  from  the  Lutheran  church,  while 
his  former  sentiment  that  "it  is  foolish  and  wicked  to  think 
that  we  are  not  obliged  to  co-operate  with  the  Lord  in  our 
salvation,"  he  derived  from  his  own  independent  study  of  God's 
Word. 

In  order  to  reconcile  these  two  contradictory  positions,  he 
says  on  p.  53,  that  all  depends  on  the  definition  of  faith;  and 
he  claims  that  the  faith  of  the  Lutheran  church  is  a  faith 
conjoined  with  love.  Yet  he  is  not  so  very  sure  that 
faith  in  that  church  is  conjoined  with  love;  for  in  dis- 
cussing on  p.  133,  Swedenborg's  work  entitled  "The  Doctrine 
of  the  New  Jerusalem  respecting  Faith"  he  says:  "Here  the 
author  asserts  that  a  blind  faith  prevails  among  the  Evange- 
lical, who  have  separated  charity,  and,  if  it  is  true  that  the  true 
Evangelical  church  has  separated  charity  from  faith,  he  is 
right."  But  immediately  afterwards,  in  discussing  Swedenborg's 
statement  that  those  who  live  in, faith  separate  from  love  are 
understood  in  Daniel  and  Matthew  by  the  he-goats,  he  says  at 
p.  138,  "This  may  be  so;  but,  nevertheless,  the  Evangelical 
acknowledge  no  other  faith  except  one  which  is  active  by  love." 

It  is  evident,  therefore,  that  while  Cuno  individually  be- 
lieves only  in  a  faith  conjoined  with  love,  he  would  fain  be- 
lieve that  the  faith  taught  in  the  Lutheran  church,  to  which 
he  belonged,  is  likewise  a  faith  conjoined  with  love.  But  as 
that  church  evidently  teaches  that  man  is  saved  by  faith  alone 
without  the  works  of  the  Law,  in  order  to  preserve  his  alle- 
giance to  that  church  he  is  driven  to  make  such  manifestly 
contradictory  statements  as  these: 

"The  late  Luther  has  beautifully  compared  sanctification 
by  works  to  Saul,  and  faith  without  works  (untJuUif/er  Glauhe) 
to  David,  concerning  whom  Israel  shouted  of  yore,  'Saul  has 
slain  his  thousands,  but  David  his  tens  of  thousands;' "  while  on 
the  very  next  page  he  declares  faith  operating  without  love  to 
be  a  nonentity,  "a  sounding  brass  or  a  tinkling  cymbal;"  and 
in  support  of  this  doctrine  he  says,  "Our  Saviour  has  most  un- 
doubtedly directed  us  to  have  faith  in  Him,   but  He  has  also 


458  TESTIMONY  OF  COXTEMPORABIES.      [Doc.  25G. 

commanded  us  to  deny  ourselves,  to  follow  Him,  and  to  strive 
to  enter  in  at  the  strait  gate;  yea,  to  conquer  the  kingdom  of 
heaven.  'Not  every  one  that  saith  unto  Me,  Lord,  Lord,  shall 
enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven;  but  he  that  doeth  the  will 
of  My  Father  which  is  in  heaven.'  Fire  without  light  and 
heat  is  a  nonentity,  and  does  not  exist  in  nature,  but  is  an 
insipid  thing  of  the  imagination,  and  so  it  is  with  faith 
without  love  and  good  works." 

How  well  Cuno"  appreciated  the  result  of  a  marriage  of 
goodness  and  truth,  and  how  much,  therefore,  he  was  in  favour 
of  one  of  the  essential  doctrines  of  the  New  Church,  we  can 
see  from  the  following  description  which  he  gives  of  a  regenerate 
Christian.  "A  regenerate  Christian,"  he  says,  "who  has  once 
pressed  on  to  the  life  which  is  from  God,  and  who  walks  in 
His  strength,  whose  grace  is  mighty  even  in  the  weak,  does 
not  trouble  himself  much  a.bout  the  disputes  of  the  learned. 
Without  compulsion  he  is  diligent  in  the  performance  of  good 
works;  humility  which  is  so  very  necessary,  and  inseparable 
from  all  genuine  Christianity,  preserves  him  from  that  danger- 
ous fallacy  of  claiming  reward  on  account  of  his  own  merit. 
After  having  done  all  those  things  which  it  was  his  duty  to 
do,  he  regards  himself  as  nothing  more  than  'an  unprofitable 
servant.'  He  still  prostrates  himself  before  God  as  a  poor 
sinner,  not  relying  on  his  own  righteousness,  but  solely  on 
God's  great  mercy,  and  on  the  grace  which  has  place  through 
Jesus  Christ." 

The  establishment  of  humility  in  the  heart,  and  the  acknow- 
ledgment of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  as  the  source  of  all  good 
and  truth  is,  according  to  Swedenborg,  the  effect  which  is 
wrought  in  the  human  heart  by  regeneration.  And  Cuno  says 
that  "such  an  honest  man  only,"  as  is  humble  in  heart,  and 
prostrates  himself  before  God  as  a  poor  sinner,  "is  deserving 
of  the  name  of  an  'Evangelical  Christian.'  This  also,  and  no 
other,"  he  says,  "is  the  fundamental  doctrine  of  the  Evange- 
lical church,  and  if  this  is  perverted,  it  is  not  the  fault  of  the 
church,  but  of  our  own  foolish  and  indolent  hearts."  By  the 
Evangelical  church,  however,  he  understands  the  Lutheran. 

Swedenborg  and  Cuno,  therefore,  have  the  same  end  in 
view.      But    Swedenborg    says    that,  for   the   regeneration    of 


Doc.  25G.]      CUNO  OXSVrEDEXBOEG'S  DOCTRIXES.        459 

mankind  to  be  realized,  it  had  become  necessary  that  the 
Lord  should  effect  His  Second  Coming,  and,  at  that  Coming, 
by  means  of  the  doctrines  of  the  internal  sense  of  the  Word 
which  He  would  then  reveal  to  mankind,  establish  a  New 
Church  upon  earth,  which  is  meant  by  the  New  Jerusalem  in 
the  Book  of  Revelation.  This  Cuno  denies,  maintaining  that 
this  same  end  is  now  being  attained  by  the  Evangelical  or 
Lutheran  church. 

Cuno,  therefore,  while  acknowledging  one  of  the  fundamental 
doctrines  of  the  New  Church,  which  he  claims  to  be  a  doctrine 
of  the  Evangelical  church,  denies  the  Lord's  Second  Coming; 
he  denies  the  mission  of  Swedenborg,  which  consisted  "in  re- 
ceiving the  doctrines  of  the  internal  sense  in  his  understanding, 
and  i^ublishing  them  by  the  press"  (T.  C.  R.  779);  and  he 
denies  the  church  of  the  New  Jerusalem,  which,  by  means  of 
these  doctrines,  is  to  be  established  upon  earth.  Yet  with 
all  this  he  evinces  a  friendly  disposition  towards  Swedenborg 
personally,  and  declares  (p.  114),  "For  my  own  part  I  cannot 
regard  our  seer  otherwise  than  as  a  pious,  honest  man,  of  whom 
1  cannot  believe  that  he  could  possibly  tell  a  deliberate  false- 
hood;" but  still  he  is  unwilling  to  accept  him  as  a  witness  in 
his  own  case,  and  refuses  to  accept  the  testimony  which  he 
adduces  in  proof  of  the  opening  of  liis  spiritual  sight. 

Such  is  the  contradictory  standpoint  which  Cuno  occupies 
in  respect  to  Swedenborg,  and  which  induces  him  alternately 
to  accept  and  to  condemn  his  views. 

2.  Regarding  the  Apocal/jjisis  Revelata  he  says  further 
(p.  56),  "In  this  very  same  work  Mr.  Swedenborg  displays 
very  great  learning,  and  it  is  difficult  to  reconcile  how  a 
man  who  at  best  may  be  called  a  spiritual  hypochondriac, 
is  able  to  utter  such  profound  things  as  nobody  has  ever  be- 
fore thought  of  ....  It  cannot  be  denied  that  innumerable  ex- 
planations and  interpretations  of  the  Apocalypse  have  been 
printed,  which  are  all  contradictory  to  one  another.  Mr.  Sweden- 
borg states  as  the  reason  of  this,  that  the  spiritual  sense  of 
that  work  has  been  heretofore  unknown.  This  is  certainly 
worth  hearing.  But  if  I  should  admit,  that  he  is  the  first 
mortal  to  whom  this  sense  has  been  discovered,  and  that  it  is 
his    immediate   mission  to  communicate  these  new  discoveries 


460  TESTIMONY  OF  COXTEMFORAEIES.      [Doc.  256. 

to  the  world,  I  can  the  less  believe  it,  as  his  discoveries 
contain  so  much  that  is  manifestly  contradictory.  Of  this  I 
will  give  only  one  instance:  He  asserts  in  the  driest  manner, 
that  the  last  judgment  must  no  longer  be  expected,  but 
that  it  has  already  taken  place  in  the  world  of  spirits  in 
1757.  [Tliis  is  contradictory  to  a  merely  literal  interpretation 
of  the  Word  of  God,  based  on  a  wrong  translation  of  the 
words:  x^?  auvteXeia?  xou  aiuivo?,  which  are  commonly  trans- 
lated *the  end  of  the  world,'  when  yet  their  real  meaning  is 
'the  consummation  of  the  age.']  This  I  found  assured  in  clear 
and  distinct  words  in  the  above  work,  where  he  referred  to  a 
separate  treatise  entitled:  'The  Last  Judgment  and  the  De- 
struction of  Babylon.'  It  can  be  readily  supposed  that  I  be- 
came curious  to  read  that;  wherefore  I  applied  to  Swedenborg 
for  the  loan  of  the  book,  which  I  obtained  from  him.  It  bears 
the  title:  De  Ultimo  Jiidicio  et  de  Babylonia  destnida.  lia 
quod  omnia,  quae  in  Apocaly2)si  prcBdicta  sunt,  liodie  impleta 
sunt.  Ex  auditis  et  visis.  Londini,  1758.  From  the  mere  title 
it  appears,  that  this  book  contains  unheard  of  news,  and  who 
would  not  believe  them,  as  the  author  has  been  present,  and 
has  seen  and  heard  every  thing!?  Really,  not  often  a  worldly 
event  of  any  importance  has  been  described  with  more  con- 
fidence and  assurance,  than  our  Swedenborg  relates  that  the 
Last  Judgment  has  taken  place  in  heaven.  [He  does  not  say 
that  it  has  taken  place  in  heaven,  but  in  the  world  of  spirits.] 

3.*  "His  Arcana  Cailestia,  to  which  he  constantly  refers,  I 
have  not  read;  they  are  said  to  constitute  eight  thick  quarto 
volumes,  wliich  were  printed  in  London  at  his  own  expense 
between  1747  and  1758.  Who  has  patience  enough  to  read 
such  extensive  works?  Perhaps  I  should  have  had  it,  but  as 
the  author  did  not  have  the  volumes  with  him,  and  I  heard 
from  him  that  they  cost  over  a  hundred  florins  in  England, 
I  did  not  feel  very  strongly  tempted  to  purchase  them. 

4.-}-  "Nothing  is  repeated  more  frequently  in  his  writings, 
than  that  all  angels  and  devils  have  been  human  beings.  I 
often  interrogated  him  orally  on  this  subject,  but  never  could 

*  See  "Aufzeichnungen,"  &c.,  p.  77. 
t  Mil,  p.  8(3. 


Doc.  256.]      Ci'XO  ONSWEDEXBOEG'S  DOCTRTXES.        461 

get  any  satisfactoiy  answer  from  him.  He  obstinately  in- 
sisted on  his  own  opinion,  without  answering  the  doubts  which 
I  raised  against  it,  and  the  absurdities  which  result  thence. 
[The  obstinacy  was  probably  more  on  Cuno's,  than  on  Sweden- 
borg's  side".]  It  is  surprising,  with  what  boldness  this  man 
writes  books  day  after  day,  and  still  more  how  his  books  have 
been  for  years  before  the  public,  without  a  single  theologian 
taking  any  notice  of  them. 

5.*  "Besides,  this  new  teacher,  who  has  no  authority  to  show 
for  his  mission,  denies  most  deliberately  before  the  whole  world 
the  resurrection  of  the  flesh  [!]  and  the  last  judgment;  [he 
does  not  deny  the  last  judgment]  and  the  whole  world  keeps 
silence.  Methinks  it  is  by  no  means  sufficient  to  look  upon 
the  good  and  honest  Swedenborg  simply  in  the  light  of  a  mad- 
man, and  meanwhile  give  him  permission  to  write  and  print 
as  much  as  he  chooses.  If  ever  I  made  the  acquaintance  of 
an  ignorant,  and  so  much  the  more  impudent  man,  it  was  the 
notorious  John  Chr.  Edelmann,^^''  who  has  now  been  dead  for 
many  years.  This  man,  who  was,  in  comparison  with  the  deep- 
ly learned  and  pious  Swedenborg,  a  beastly  blasphemer  of  the 
Word  of  God  and  of  the  church,  raised  against  himself  whole 
armies  of  scholars,  by  whom  he  was  refuted.  A  silly  fellow 
like  him  was  not  worthy  of  such  treatment;  for  he  made  a 
name  for  himself  simply  by  impudence  and  foolish  arrogance. 
And  what  was  the  result  of  all  this  ?  He  was  infuriated  more 
and  more,  so  as  to  spit  out  more  poison  and  gall,  and  utter 
incendiary  language.  I  am  by  no  means  able  to  defend  the 
honest  Swedenborg.  Yet  if,  eleven  years  ago,  a  thorough  theo- 
logian had  taken  up  his  work  on  'Heaven  and  Hell,'  if  he  had 
acknowledged  all  the  good  that  is  contained  in  it,  and  had 
quietly  refuted  the  errors  and  contradictions  contained  therein, 
and  if  thereby  he  had  not  cured  him  of  his  imaginations,  he 
would  at  least  have  compelled  him  to  be  more  cautious,  and 
not  to  flood  the  world  with  his  manifold  writings." 

6.-J-  Concerning  "The  New  Jerusalem  and  its  heavenly  Doc- 
trine,"  Cuno  says,    "In  judging  of  his  neiv  heavenly  doctrine 

*  See  "Aufzeichnungen,"  &.C.,  p.  113. 
t  Rid.,  p.  lU. 


462     ,  TESTIMONY  OF  C0NTE2IP0RABIES.      [Doc.  256. 

[Swedenborg  does  not  speak  of  his  "neif  heavenly  doctrine"] 
in  a  general  way,  the  mere  epithet  veiv  is  enough  to  raise  a 
prejudice  against  it.  A¥e  have  an  old,  prophetic,  and  'more 
sure  Word'  (2  Peter  i,  19)  which  we  must  observe.  The 
apostle  John  says  in  his  first  epistle  (iv,  1),  although  our  new 
teacher  has  the  daring  to  regard  it  not  as  the  Word  of  God, 
'Beloved,  believe  not  every  spirit,  but  try  the  spirits  Avhether 
they  are  of  God.'  And  the  apostle  Paul  reminds  us  (1  Thess.  v, 
19-21),  'Quench  not  the  Spirit.  Despise  not  prophesyings. 
Prove  all  things;  hold  fast  that  which  is  good.'  AVhoever  is 
patient,  and  able  to  prove,  will  still  find  some  good  [in  this 
work].  It  may  in  truth  be  said  concerning  it :  sunt  bona  mixta 
mali  (good  are  mixed  with  evil  things).  I  at  least  am  willing, 
nay  contrained  to  confess,  that  he  has  said  many  things  of  which 
I  had  never  thought.  No  scholar,  at  least  not  one  versed  in 
natural  science,  will  doubt  Mr.  Swedenborg's  science.  It  does 
not  seem  to  me  sufiicient,  that  a  theologian  who,  from  pride 
or  indolence,  is  not  willing  to  examine  his  works,  should  shout 
with  a  loud  voice  with  Festus  (Acts  xxvi,  24),  Swedenborg 
is  beside  himself,  much  learning  has  made  him  mad;  what 
wisdom  can  be  expected  from  a  madman;  or  that  others, 
who  like  to  be  considered  as  faithful  watchmen  on  the  walls 
of  Zion,  should  say  superciliously,  'The  good  that  Sweden- 
borg has  said  is  old,  and  all  the  new  which  he  says  is  good 
for  nothing.'  I  admit  that  a  good  deal  of  this  may  be  true; 
still  if  the  theologians,  whose  vocation  it  is  to  examine  and 
defend  the  truth,  had  acted  conscientiously  and  honestly,  they 
would  not  have  kept  silence  so  long,  and  they  would  not  have 
allowed  this  man  to  write  unchallenged  all  these  things,  which 
may  be  true  or  untrue.  I  have  listened  to  the  judgment  of 
many  men  concerning  Swedenborg.  Some,  especially  such  as 
knew  the  character  of  this  intrinsically  amiable  man,  have 
pitied  him;  others  have  called  him  a  visionary.  A  certain 
young  scholar,  who  had  only  read  his  treatise  De  Amove  con- 
jugiali,  was  inclined  to  consider  him  a  Socinian.  I  could  very 
easily  convince  him  that  he  had  but  turned  over  the  leaves 
of  his  book,  and  had  read  it  without  reflection.  If  ever  there 
has  been  a  zealous  Anti-Arian  and  Anti-Socinian,  that  man 
without  doubt  is  Emanuel  Swedenborg." 


Doc.  256.J      CUXO  02^  SWEDEXBORG'S  DOCTBIXES.        463 

8.  On  p.  128,  Cuno  expresses  himself  as  follows,  -'God  is 
a  spirit,  although  in  the  Sacred  Scripture  He  ascribes  to 
Himself  eyes,  ears,  and  other  human  organs,  yea,  human 
passions  such  as  hatred,  anger,  wrath,  and  the  like.  I  often 
tried,  especially  during  the  last  days  of  his  stay  here,  to  enter 
into  a  conversation  with  the  old  gentleman,  Swedenborg,  on 
this  subject.  But  you  might  as  well  try  to  debate  a  question 
with  a  little  child,  as  with  him ;  for  from  simplicity,  or  rather 
obstinacy,  he  constantly  persisted  in  saying,  that  God  certainly 
is  a  spirit,  that  nothing  is  more  certain  than  this ;  but  that 
in  heaven  all  spirits  become  visible.  That  God  had  created 
man  according  to  His  likeness;  and  he  asked  me  what  idea 
I  derived  from  this  statement?  That  all  spirits  appear  in  heaven 
in  the  human  form,  and  that  whenever  they  have  appeared  in 
this  world,  they  were  likewise  seen  in  that  form.  So  also  the 
triune  God  in  One  person  was  in  the  human  form;  and  as 
body,  soul,  and  spirit  constitute  only  one  man,  so  also  there 
was  only  one  God;  that  the  Son  was  the  body,  the  Father 
the  soul,  and  the  Holy  Spirit  the  Divine  power  proceeding 
from  the  Divine  body  and  the  Divine  soul." 

8.*  "I  asked  him  once,  'Whence  came  the  serpent  by 
whom  Adam  and  Eve  were  seduced?'  'All  evil  comes  from 
hell,'  he  answered.  'But  my  dear,  old,  honest  Mr.  Swedenborg, 
what  are  you  thinking  of?  You  wish  to  inculcate  upon  the 
world  your  new  doctrine,  that  in  heaven  there  is  not  a  single 
angel,  and  in  hell  not  a  single  devil,  who  has  not  been  a 
human  being  in  the  world  before.'  'Yes,  indeed,  that  is  true, 
and  must  remain  true.'  'But  I  beg  you,  at  the  time  when 
the  serpent  was  the  seducer  there  were  no  human  beings. 
Moses  writes  God's  AYord  which  you  yourself  acknowledge; 
Abel  therefore  according  to  him  must  have  been  the  first 
angel,  and  Cain  the  first  devil;  but  perhaps  the  serpent  is 
the  divinity  of  hell  in  distinction  from  the  Divinity  of  heaven.' 
You  can  scarcely  believe,  how  much  our  seer  became  con- 
fused thereby;  he  did  not  wish  to  be  taken  for  a  Manichean, 
and  therefore  preferred  to  assume  Pre-Adamites.  I  had 
previously  heard  him  stutter  at  various  times,   but  never  so 

*  See  -'Aufzeichnungen,"  &c.,  p.  140. 


4G4  TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMPORARIES.      [Doc.  256. 

much  as  then.  I  had  pity  on  him,  and  broke  off  the  con- 
versation." [We  must  not  forget  that  we  have  here  only  one 
side  of  the  story;  Swedenborg  himself  perhaps  would  have 
told  a  different  one.  All  that  Swedenborg  needed  to  tell  Cuno 
on  this  subject  was  to  refer  him  to  Volume  I  of  his  "Arcana 
Ccelestia,"  where  the  whole  of  this  subject  is  abundantly  treated 
from  nos.  190  to  233;  which  also  was  probably  done  by  him.] 
9.*  "In  the  work  which  appeared  last  year  [De  Amove 
Conjugiali,  p.  328]  by  which  he  first  became  known  to  me, 
he  made  the  following  announcement:  'Within  two  years  you 
will  see  in  its  fulness  the  doctrine  of  the  New  Church  which 
was  predicted  by  the  Lord  in  the  Book  of  Revelation,  xxi, 
xxii.'  This  time  appeared  to  him  too  long,  and  already  in 
the  beginning  of  this  year  [1769]  he  appeared  with  a  quarto 
volume  bearing  this  title :  Summaria  Expositio  doctrince  Novce 
Ecdesice,  quce  per  novam  Hierosolymam  in  Apocalypsi  intel- 
ligitur,  ah  Eruanuele  Sivedeiiborg,  Sueco,  Auistelodami,  1769. 
He  had  long  before  told  me  of  this  intended  publication,  but 
notwithstanding  my  entreaties  he  would  not  show  me  a  single 
hne  of  the  j)rojected  work.  I  opposed  its  publication  with 
all  my  might;  and  as  this  proved  unavailing,  and  as  I  did  not 
like  to  see  the  good  and  honest  man  run  any  danger,  I  thought 
my  remonstrance  might  prove  more  effective,  if  I  should 
expostulate  with  him  at  table  in  the  presence  of  a  large 
company,  in  these  words:  'As  your  faithful  friend  I  must 
advise  you  not  to  come  out  with  your  new  doctrine,  or  at 
least  to  allow  the  two  years,  which  you  have  announced,  to 
elapse,  or  you  will  expose  yourself  to  the  danger  of  being 
banished  from  the  city.'  He  could  not  be  moved,  however, 
and  before  the  month  of  January  came  to  a  close,  the  com- 
pendium of  his  new  doctrine  was  printed,  bound,  and  dis- 
patched to  the  preachers  and  priests  of  all  sects,  and  at  the 
same  time  scattered  throughout  all  the  towns  and  universities 
of  Holland.  No  less  than  ten  copies  were  brought  to  me  to 
my  house.  On  examining  it  more  closely,  I  found  that  this 
work  was  not  so  dangerous  as  I  had  expected.  He  investigates 
the    doctrine   of  the  Roman  Catholics   after  the  Council   of 

*  See  "AufzeicLuungen,"  &.c.,  p.  1-15. 


Doc.  256.]     CUNO'S  LETTER  TO  SWEDENBOEG.  465 

Trent,  and  compares  it  Avitli  the  doctrine  of  the  Protestants 
in  respect  to  justification,  as  set  forth  in  the  Formula  Con- 
cordice  of  the  Augshurg  Confession.  His  doctrine  in  general 
insists  most  strongly  on  good  works.  In  his  twenty-fifth  thesis 
he  declares  that  the  Roman  Catholics,  in  respect  to  justific- 
ation, would  be  able  to  enter  into  the  New  Jerusalem  before 
the  Evangelical.  He  tells  both  to  their  face  that  they  are 
wrong  in  worshipping  three  persons  in  the  Godhead;  that 
the  Lord  alone  is  God,  and  that  in  His  person  there  is  a 
threefold  Divine  Essence.  Be  this  as  it  may,  I  fully  expected 
that  one  of  the  many  priests  and  preachers  of  our  large  town 
would  rise  up  against  him.  But  after  waiting  in  vain  for  more 
than  a  month,  I  could  no  longer  regard  the  matter  with  in- 
difference and  coldness,  and  I  therefore  addressed  the  follow- 
ing letter  to  him: 


C. 

CUNO'S  LETTER  TO  EMANUEL  SWEDENBORG* 

"To  the  Most  Learned  and  celebrated  Mr.  Emanuel  Sweden- 
borg. 

"I  have  read  your  works,  and  especially  the 
brief  treatise  lately  published,  where  I  have  carefully  noted 
what  seemed  to  me  novel  and  paradoxical.  As  I  have 
nothing  more  at  heart  than  religion  and  Christian  truth,  I 
deemed  it'  worth  my  while,  not  only  to  read  your  writings 
cursorily,  but  also  to  examine  and  try  them  to  the  best  of 
my  ability.     I  cannot  deny  that  I  have  found  in  them  much 

*  The  original  letter,  of  which  a  copy  is  presented  in  Cuno's  MS.  Auto- 
biography, bears  the  following  address:  Doctissimo  ac  celeberrimo  viro 
Enianucli  Sivedevhorg  S.  P.  D.  Joannes  Christianus  Cimo,  mercator  Amste- 
lodamcnsis,  Socictatibus  Teutonicis  Gottin(/ia%  G rypliswaldice,  Jence,  ct  Ilehn- 
stadice  adsaiptiis.  It  was  printed  in  Hamburg  in  1771,  together  with  a 
German  translation,  and  an  additional  account  of  Swedcnborg  by  Cuno  (see 
Document  256,  E),  under  the  pseudonym  of  David  Paulus  ab  Indagine; 
The  German  translation  was  also  reprinted  by  Prelate  (Etinger  in  his 
"Schwedische  Urkunden,"  &c.,  1771,  pj).  113  to  124,  and  aftci'wards  in 
Hirsching's  Historisch- Litterarisches  Handbitch,  Vol.  XIV,  pp.  18  to  25, 
under  the  head  of  Swedenborg. 

30 


466  TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMPORARIES.     [Doc.  25G. 

that  is  worthy  of  attention.  They  are  refulgent  with  beauties; 
but  I  likewise  became  aware  of  many  blemishes.  I  am  willing 
either  to  keep  silence,  or  to  ask  you  to  indulge  my  freedom 
in  addressing  you.  For  it  is  my  custom  either  to  be  silent, 
or,  when  summoned  to  speak,  to  tell  the  truth;  but  you  are 
accustomed  to  listen  graciously:  for,  according  to  Pliny,  those 
who  are  most  willing  to  hear  of  their  faults,  deserve  most 
to  be  praised. 

"You  have  greatly  recommended  to  me  your  latest  publi- 
cation entitled,  'A  Brief  Exposition  of  the  Doctrine  of  the 
New  Church,  signified  by  the  New  Jerusalem  in  the  Reve- 
lation of  John,'  and  you  have  asked  me  in  all  friendship 
and  without  reserve  to  communicate  to  you  my  judgment.  I 
have  carefully  perused  it,  and  weighed  it  in  the  impartial 
balance  of  reason.  Whether  I  have  done  so  justly  or  not  I 
will  not  decide.  To  give  oracular  decisions  in  theological 
matters  of  such  great  importance  is  beyond  my  capacity, 
nor  does  it  belong  to  my  office.  I  am  an  apprentice  and  not 
a  master;  and  yet  you  desire  that  I  should  give  my  opinion 
freely  and  without  circumlocution.  Well  then,  I  shall  obey 
your  behests.  But  I  wish  you  to  observe  that  you  have  not 
to  do  with  a  theologian,  but  wdth  a  Christian,  not  with  a 
professed  clergyman,  but  with  a  layman,  not  with  a  hostile 
antagonist,  but  with  a  friend,  and  a  man  with  whom  you  may 
communicate  freely  and  intimately. 

"After  having  carefully  read  the  sixteen  works  which  you 
published  at  your  own  expense  in  London  and  Amsterdam,  and 
extracted  all  those  parts  which  seemed  obscure,  I  have  been 
waiting  wistfully  for  the  more  extensive  w^ork  promised  within 
two  years,  concerning  tJte  Doctrine  of  the  Neiv  Churfli  in  its 
fulness,*  an  epitome  of  which  you  have  published,  as  I  entertained 
a  firm  hope,  that  the  doubts  which  arose  while  reading  your 
previous  w^orks,  would  there  be  solved  and  removed.  My  expec- 
tation, however,  has  been  disappointed.  You  have  added  nothing 
to  your  system  in  your  recent  book,  which  was  not  known  to 
me  from  my  previous  reading.    Your  first  principle,  therefore, 

*  Cuno  writes  here  nev-  doctrine,  although  Swedenborg  says  distinctly 
Doctrine  of  the  New  Church. 


Doc.  256.]     CUNO'S  LETTER  TO  SWEDENBORG.  467 

remains  still  to  he  proved;  and  as  long  as  this  is  not  accepted, 
there  is  no  ground  on  which  to  base  a  discussion. 

"I  have  closely  examined  the  basis  of  your  system.  Its 
chief  authority  are  the  things  you  testify  to  have  seen.* 
You  relate  wonderful  things  you  have  seen  and  heard.  You 
desire  to  inform  the  world  that  it  is  granted  to  you  to 
be  at  the  same  time  in  the  spiritual  world  with  angels,  and 
in  the  natural  world  with  men.  You  talk  of  great  things, 
which  the  incredulous  world  is  unwilling  to  beheve.  Such 
of  your  readers  as  are  not  concerned  about  their  eternal 
salvation,  laugh  at  such  a  new  and,  so  to  speuk,  amphibious 
teacher;  the  possibility  of  whose  existence  no  one  who  is 
endowed  with  sound  reason,  can  imagine  to  himself;  and  still 


*  By  no  means.  Swetlenborg  himself  states  the  basis  of  his  system  thus : 
"As  the  Lord  cannot  [now]  manifest  Himself  in  person,  and  yet  foretold 
tliat  He  would  come  again,  and  establish  a  New  Church,  which  is  the  New 
.lerusalera,  it  follows  that  He  would  do  this  by  a  man  who  could  not  only 
receive  the  doctrines  of  that  church  in  his  understanding,  but  also  i)ul)lish 
them  by  the  press.  I  testify  in  truth  that  the  Lord  manifested  Himself  ))efore 
me.  His  servant,  thai  He  commi-^sioned  me  to  do  this  work,  and  after- 
wards opened  the  sight  of  my  spirit,  and  so  let  me  into  the  spiritual  world, 
permitting  me  to  see  the  heavens  and  the  hells,  and  also  to  converse  with 
angels  and  spirits,  and  this  now  continually  for  many  years;  and,  liliewise, 
that  from  the  first  day  of  my  call  to  this  office,  I  have  never  received  any- 
thing relating  to  the  doctrines  of  that  church  from  any  angel,  but  from  the 
Lord  alone  while  I  was  reading  the  Word"  (T.  C.  E,.  779). 

Swedenb'org  himself,  therefore,  declares  that  "nothing  relating  to  the 
doctrines  of  the  New  Church  was  received  by  him  from  any  angel,  but 
from  the  Ijord  alone  irhilc  reading  the  Word;"  whence  it  follows  again 
that  the  whole  of  the  doctrine  of  the  New  Church  is  drawn  from  the 
AVord ;  that  therefore  the  A\'ord  of  God  is  the  basis  of  his  system,  and 
not  "things  heard  and  seen."  The  things  seen  and  heard  by  Swedenborg 
in  the  spiritual  world  are  simply  confirmatory  of  the  New  Church,  but 
are  not  the  basis  on  whicli  it  rests. 

In  order  therefore  to  try  Swedenborg's  system  honestly  and  fairly,  it 
must  be  trieil  in  the  light  of  the  Word  of  God.  And  if  any  one  has  once 
recognized  the  scrijitural  character  of  his  teachings,  he  finds  no  longer  any 
difficulty  in  admitting  his  testimony  in  respect  to  "things  heard  and  seen;" 
because  they  uniformly  confirm  the  doctrines  whicli  "lie  received  from  the 
Lord  alone  while  reading  the  Word." 

See  also  the  Rev.  T.  Hartley  on  this  sul)ject  in  Document  258,  nos.  23, 
33  to  37. 

30* 


468  TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMPOBARIES.    [Doc.  256. 

less  is  he  willing  or  able  to  believe  the  accounts  which  such 
a  teacher  furnishes. 

"Thus  far  the  following  of  your  works  have  reached  the 
light  of  day:  'The  Last  Judgment  and  the  Destruction  of 
Babylon,'  'Heaven  and  Hell,'  'Continuation  concerning  the  Last 
Judgment/  'The  White  Horse,'  'The  Earths  in  the  Universe,' 
'The  "Wisdom  of  the  Angels,'  &c.  Your  'Arcana  Ccelestia,' 
embracing  eight  volumes,  I  have  not  yet  succeeded  in  reading, 
nor  even  in  turning  over  its  leaves.  Several  additional  writings 
like  these  have  been  published  by  you.  You  have  sent  copies 
of  them  to  all  the  bishops  in  England;  yet  not  a  single  one 
has  made  a  reply  to  it.  The  Dutch  have  only  noticed  your 
work,  the  last  but  one,  treating  on  'Conjugial  Love,'  and  they 
reviewed  it  with  great  judgment  and  praiseworthy  moderation. 
The  Amsterdam  critic  suspended  his  judgment  until  the  work 
on  the  new  doctrine  in  its  fulness,^  which  was  promised  within 
two  years,  should  make  its  appearance.  He  says,  'We  expect, 
therefore,  in  time  a  more  ample  explanation.  Meanwhile, 
according  to  my  opinion,  the  theologians  may  without  danger 
be  spared  the  trouble  of  refuting  the  ideas  of  this  extra- 
ordinary man.' 

"Your  last  work  you  have  distributed  among  the  clergy  of 
every  denomination  in  this  city,  not  only  among  the  Reformed, 
but  also  among  the  Roman  Catholics.  You  have  also  made 
it  known  in  other  towns,  and  in  the  universities  of  Holland. 
Almost  a  whole  month  has  since  elapsed,  and  I  do  not  hear 
of  a  single  person  who  is  rising  up  against  you.  It  seems, 
therefore,  as  if  you  were  looking  for  adversaries;  but  to  say. 
it  openly,  I  am  afraid  you  will  find  none.  For  most  people 
despise  your  memorable  relations,  which  are  indeed  wonderful 
but  not  proved,  and  they  ridicule  them  as  the  mere  outbirth 
of  your  imagination.  Others  again  are  delighted  with  them, 
as  vdth  fairy  tales,  but  nevertheless  make  sport  of  them.  Still 
others  from  common  report  speak  of  you  as  a  heretic;  and 
others  regard  you  as  a  madman.    Others,  finally, but  why 


*  Swedeuborg  does  not  entitle  his  work  "On  the  new  doctrine  in  its  ful- 
ness,"' but  says  "within  two  years  you  will  see  in  its  fulness  the  doctrine  of 
the  Neiv  Church  which  was  predicted  by  the  Lord  in  the  Revelation  xxi,  xxii." 


Doc.  256.]     CUNO'S  LETTER  TO  SWEDENBORG.  469 

should  I  mention  still  more?  Our  age  is  either  too  wise,  or 
it  looks  upon  religion  as  a  matter  of  little  account. 

"Meanwhile  sound  reason  declares  that  an  author  is  in 
duty  bound  to  prove  what  he  writes.  In  the  beginning  of  one 
of  your  last  works  you  say,  'I  am  aware  that  many  who  read 
my  memorable  relations  will  believe  that  they  are  fictions  of 
the  imagination.'  But  you  protest  that  they  are  not.  Yet 
no  one  can  be  a  witness  in  his  own  cause,  and  especially 
not  in  one  upon  which  the  welfare  of  the  whole  human  race 
depends. 

•'Far  be  it  from  me  to  put  a  limit  to  the  Divine  Omnipotence. 
And  I  lay  aside  all  my  metaphysics  and  my  psychology  in 
order  not  to  wrong  a  venerable  old  man  of  eighty  years  and 
upwards,  not  to  injure  a  righteous,  just,  and  most  learned 
man,  or  detract  from  his  merits.  I  am  willing  therefore  to 
grant  that  it  has  pleased  the  Lord  to  manifest  Himself  to 
you,  and  to  send  you  to  teach  new  things  which  have  hitherto 
been  concealed  from  the  church  and  the  whole  race  of  man- 
kind. Nay,  I  am  willing  to  admit  that  it  has  been  granted 
to  you  to  be  in  the  spiritual  world  with  angels  and  at  the 
same  time  in  the  natural  world  with  men,  and  indeed  for 
twenty -five  years. 

"Yet,  my  dear  friend,  why  do  you  not  convince  the  in- 
credulous world  of  this  your  legitimate  mission?  It  is  your 
duty  publicly  to  set  forth,  with  all  attendant  circumstances 
which  you  can  truthfully  adduce,  your  mission,  which  is  such 
as  has  never  since  the  time  of  the  first  man  been  entrusted 
to  any  man;  and  totally  to  remove  from  the  minds  of  your 
readers  all  doubts  that  may  occur  to  them.  If  you  refuse  to 
do  so,  you  must  not  take  it  amiss,  if  in  the  whole  world  you 
do  not  find  a  single  reader  willing  to  believe  you. 

"It  is  stated  that  you  verbally  reported  from  the  spiritual 
world  a  conversation,  which  the  Queen  of  Sweden  had  at  one 
time  in  the  natural  world  with  her  brothers,  the  King  and 
the  Prince  of  Prussia,  at  Charlottenburg ;  and  that  the  Queen, 
who  knew  that  no  one  was  secretly  present  who  could  have 
related  the  least  word  of  it,  was  compelled  to  acknowledge 
that  you  became  acquainted  with  the  most  minute  circumstances 
of  this  conversation  by  the  relation  of  her  departed  brother, 


470  TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMPORARIES.     [Doc.  256. 

and,  indeed,  exactly  as  it  had  taken  place.  It  is  well  known 
that  people  are  generally  interested  in  new  and  wonderful 
tilings,  and  listen  to  them  most  eagerly.  Several  of  my  friends 
have  related  to  me  this  occurrence.  Yet  each  time  I  heard 
it,  gossip  had  added  some  new  and  curious  circumstances  to 
youi'  miracle.  You  yourself  have  told  me,  that  this  occurrence 
has  actually  taken  place.  Tell  it  then  to  the  unbelieving 
world.  You  owe  this  to  the  cause  of  truth;  for  you  have  at 
least  a  Queen  and  the  great  King  for  your  witnesses.  Perhaps 
they  will  suf3&ce,* 

"One  eye-witness  is  worth  more  than  ten  who  have  heard 
a  thing  by  report.  You  have  both  heard  and  seen  things. 
Yet  the  Avorld  has  the  right  to  exact  additional  testimony 
to  your  ovra,  that  you  have  actually  seen  and  heard  those 
things. 

"Royal  ambassadors  have  credentials  without  which  they 
are  neither  accepted  nor  listened  to.  You  present  yourself 
before  the  world  without  credentials  as  an  ambassador  from 
heaven;  and,  indeed,  such  a  one  as  was  refused  by  Abraham 
to  Dives  in  hell  (Luke  xvi,  25  et  seq.).  For  Abraham  replied 
to  the  rich  man:  'If  they  hear  not  Moses  and  the  prophets, 
neither  will  they  be  persuaded,  though  one  rose  from  the  dead.' 
But  what  mortal  is  willing  to  believe  another  mortal  who  still 
dwells  among  the  living? 

"We  have  Moses  and  the  prophets,  and  we  have  the 
adorable  Author  of  Christianity :  let  us  hear  them.  'We  have,' 
according  to  the  testimony  of  Peter  (2nd  Epistle  i,  19),  'a 
more  sure  word  of  prophecy;  whereunto  ye  do  well  that  ye 
take  heed,  as  unto  a  light  that  shineth  in  a  dark  place,  until 
the  day-da^vn,  and  the  day-star  arise  in  your  hearts.' 

"If,  therefore,  a  new  ambassador  wishes  to  teach  something 
new  about  heaven  or  hell,  let  him  take  heed,  that  he  advance 
not  things  which  contradict  the  old  truths,  founded  in  such 
a  sure    word.-J-     It  will  be   easy  for  me  to   prove   that  your 

*  On  this  subject  read  the  pertinent  remarks  which  Swedenborg 
addressed  to  Venator,  the  minister  of  the  Landgi'ave  of  Hesse-Darmstadt, 
in  Document  248. 

■j-  All  these  remarks  arise  from  the  wrong  basis  which  Cuno  attributes 
to  the  doctrines  taught  by  Swedenborg,  see  footnote  on  p.  486. 


Doc.  265.]      CUNO'S  LETTER  TO  SWEDEXBORG.  471 

writings  are  contradictory  thereto.  For  instance,  you  accept 
two  fundamental  elements  which  are  ever  opposed  to  each 
another,  hoth  of  which  according  to  your  doctrinal  definitions 
seem  to  me  equally  eternal.*  This  very  same  doctrine  was 
formerly  taught  hy  Manes.  The  orthodox  teachers  will,  there- 
fore, undoubtedly  regard  you  as  a  follower  of  Manicheism. 
Again,  you  deny  the  creation  of  angels  and  the  fall  of 
Lucifer,  the  author  of  pride  and  of  sin.-j-  Concerning  the  fall 
of  our  first  parents  you  keep  silence  altogether.:}:  You  assert 
in  your  usual  manner  that  in  the  whole  heaven  there  is  not 
a  single  angel  who  had  been  created  from  the  beginning;  and 
that  in  hell  also  there  is  no  devil  who  had  been  created  an 
angel  of  light,  and  had  been  cast  doAvn;  but  you  declare  that 
all  in  heaven,  as  well  as  in  hell,  originated  from  the  human 
race.  You  deny  the  resurrection  of  the  flesh,  and  the 
destruction  or  at  least  the  dissolution  of  the  world  at  the 
Last  Judgment,  which,  according  to  things  seen  by  you,  was 
accomplished  in  the  spiritual  world  in  1757,  and  in  respect  to 
the  Dutch  on  January  9. 

"I  postpone  for  a  future  more  convenient  place  and  occasion 
an  expression  of  my  opinion  on  these  and  the  other  remaining 
tilings.  I  am  writing  a  letter  now  and  no  dissertation.  I  will  be 
brief.  As  long  as  you  do  not  prove  your  visions  and  support 
them  by  more   solid  arguments,  neither  a  theologian,   nor  a 


*  This  is  a  mere  assumption  on  the  part  of  Cuno,  which  has  no  basis 
vhatever  in  Swedenborg's  writings.  All  good,  Swedenborg  says,  comes 
fi-om  God;  all  evil,  and  hence  hell,  from  man.  Yet  Swedenborg  teaches 
nowhere,  that  man,  and  hence  evil,  are  from  eternity. 

f  Swedenborg  teaches  that  the  Word  of  God  is  written  not  oidy  for 
men  upon  earth,  but  also  for  angels  in  heaven;  that  therefore  there  is 
an  angelic  or  spiritual  meaning,  within  its  hteral  sense;  and  while  the 
creation  of  angels  cannot  be  i)roved  from  the  letter  of  the  Word  at  all, 
he  holds  that  the  fall  of  Lucifer  has  a  different  spiritual  meaning  from 
what  appears  in  the  letter;  by  Lucifer,  in  fact,  he  says,  are  represented 
those  who  are  from  Babel  or  Babylon,  i.  e.  followers  of  Roman-CatlioHcism, 
and  whose  dominion  extends  even  into  heaven.  And  by  the  fall  of  Lucifer 
is  meant  the  downfall  of  their  dominion  (see  H.  H.  no.  544,  and  D.  P. 
no.  231). 

^  Their  fall  Swedenborg  treats  at  great  length  in  the  Arcana  t'celestia, 
Vol.  2,  in  giving  the  spiritual  explanation  of  Genesis  iii. 


472  TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMPORARIES.     [Doc.  256. 

critic,  will  take  up  liis  pen  against  you.  You  will  then  have 
written  in  vain,  and  your  future  writings  too  will  be  to  no 
purpose.  You  have  published  your  writings  at  a  great  expense 
of  money;  and  as  soon  as  they  have  been  published  you  have 
distributed  them.  Of  what  use  has  all  this  been?  Of  none 
whatever.  As  long  as  you  start  from  unproved  principles,  and 
as  long  as  you  do  not  adduce  a  Divine  testimony  in  Divine 
matters,  and  fall  short  of  your  extraordinary  reputation,  so 
long  every  divine  will  hesitate  to  dispute  with  you  on  theological 
matters,  and  to  contend  with  you  concerning  the  spiritual  sense 
of  the  Word,  which  you  attribute  to  yourself  alone.  No  one 
will  acknowledge  the  angelic  wisdom,  as  you  call  it,  and  vsrill 
so  much  the  less  because  all  your  spirits  are  men,  metamorphosed 
into  angels,  concerning  which  metamorphosis,  or  change  into 
a  new  race  of  beings,  the  Scripture,  which  Christians  consider 
as  divine,  does  not  say  a  single  word. 

"It  is  a  thesis,  or  at  least  a  hypothesis  [it  is  well  that 
Cuno  himself  acknowledges  it  to  be  a  mere  hypothesis],  very 
well  known  in  the  church  and  among  the  learned,  that  the 
angels  were  created  together  with  primeval  light  on  the  lirst  day 
of  creation.  That  the  angels  were  created  in  various  orders,  and 
hence  under  various  names,  such  as  Cherubim,  Seraphim,  thrones, 
dominions,  and  principalities,  appears  very  clearly  from  the 
testimony  of  Paul  in  his  epistle  to  the  Colossians  i,  16  [Paul 
in  that  passage  does  not  apply  these  terms  to  created  angels]; 
and  that  a  part  of  the  angels  sinned  and  were  cast  down 
from  heaven  may  be  read  in  the  Epistle  of  Jude  (verse  6),* 
and  of  Peter  (2  Epistle  ii,  4).  And,  besides,  your  entirely 
new  doctrine  is  disproved  by  the  truth  itself;  for  our  Saviour 
Himself  states  in  clear  words,  in  John  viii,  44,  that  'the  devil 
did  not  abide  in  the  truth.'  [True,  but  it  does  not  foUoAV 
from  this,  that  devils  are  fallen  angels;  they  are  fallen  men 
because  'they  did  not  abide  in  the  truth.']  What  more  do 
you  wish? 

"No  one,  I  think,  will  deny  that  in  the  Hteral  sense  there 
is  a  spiritual  sense;   and  I  willingly  admit  that  you  are  most 

*  Jude  and  Peter  derived  this  idea  fi-om  the  merely  Hteral  meaning  of 
Scripture. 


Doc.  25G.J      CUXO'S  LETTER  TO  SWEDENBORG.  473 

Tersed  in  that  spiritual  sense;  nay,  I  acknowledge  it  with 
admiration.  Your  little  treatise  on  'The  White  Horse'  would 
please  me  above  your  other  works,  if  towards  the  close  you 
did  not  rashly  deny  the  inspiration  and  Divine  authority  of  the 
apostolic  epistles  of  Paul,  Peter,  John,  James,  and  Jude;  because, 
in  your  opinion,  they  have  no  internal  sense.  Yet  I  pass  over 
these  things  with  many  others. 

"I  will  now  say  a  few  words  about  your  conversation  with 
spirits,  which  no  one  w'ill  believe,  or  deem  worthy  of  belief,  so 
long  as  it  rests  on  your  own,  and  no  other,  testimony.  Most 
reverend  man,  by  my  intercourse  with  you  I  have  been  con- 
vinced of  your  probity  and  your  sincere  love  of  the  truth. 
Your  idea  of  the  incarnate  Word,  the  Redeemer  of  mankind, 
who  can  never  sufficiently  be  venerated  and  loved,  has  inspired 
me  with  the  deepest  reverence  for  you.  But  I  will  not  enter 
more  into  details. 

"Permit  me,  my  dearest  friend,  to  value  this  pledge  of  your 
love  most  highly,  viz.  that  I  may  tell  you  freely  and  candidly 
what  your  haughty  and  envious  readers  are  unwilling  to  tell 
you.  Pardon  me,  if  I  do  not  acknowledge  as  sufficient  your 
own  testimony  on  the  things  you  have  'heard  and  seen.' 
Ecclesiastical  history  informs  us,  that  many  distinguished, 
pious,  and  most  learned  men,  by  indulging  too  much  in  their 
meditations  in  religion,  have  fallen  into  Scylla,  while  endeavouring 
to  avoid  Charybdis.  I  will  mention  but  one  instance- — Theo- 
phrastus  Paracelsus.^^*  This  great  investigator  of  nature,  and 
finally  of  the  mysteries  of  religion,  was  a  real  ornament  of 
his  age  and  a  paragon  of  learning.  His  contemporaries  admired 
in  him  the  great  physician  and  chemist;  and  posterity  will 
still  admire  these  qualities  in  him.  Yet  the  church  and 
Christendom  abhor  him  as  a  mystic,  and  as  a  man  who  would 
judge  of  Divine  things  from  natural  things.  Men  in  en- 
deavouring to  avoid  faults  are  apt  to  run  into  extremes. 

"But  let  me  use  your  own  words.  You  say  in  your  work 
on  'Heaven  and  Hell,'  no.  249:*  '[To  speak  with  spirits  is  at 

*  As  Cuno  quotes  liere  the  words  of  SwctlenborjTf,  we  consiiler  it  due 
to  the  reader,  to  quote  the  whole  of  the  paragraph,  of  which  he  cites  a 
portion. 


474  TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMPORARIES.     [Doc.  256. 

this  day  rarely  granted,  because  it  is  dangerous :  for  the  spirits 
then  know  that  they  are  present  with  man  which  they  otherwise 
know  not;  and  e"sil  spirits  are  of  such  a  nature,  that  they  regard 
man  with  deadly  hatred,  and  desire  nothing  more  than  to  destroy 
him  both  soul  and  body.  This  effect  is  actually  experienced 
by  those  who  have  indulged  much  in  fantasies,  going  to  the 
extreme  of  banishing  the  enjoyments  suited  to  the  natural  man. 
Persons,  also,  who  pass  their  life  in  solitude,  sometimes  hear 
spirits  speaking  to  them,  without  its  being  attended  with  danger: 
but  the  spirits  that  are  present  with  them  are  at  intervals 
removed  by  the  Lord,  lest  they  should  know  that  they  are 
present  with  a  man:  for  most  spirits  do  not  know  that  there 
is  any  other  world  than  the  one  inhabited  l)y  them,  nor,  con- 
sequently, that  there  are  men  elsewhere;  wherefore  it  is  not 
allowable  for  the  man  to  speak  to  them  in  return,  for  if  he 
did,  they  would  know  this.]  Persons  who  think  much  on 
religious  subjects,  and  dwell  upon  them  so  incessantly  as  at 
length  to  see  them  inwardly,  as  it  were,  in  themselves,  also 
begin  to  hear  spirits  speaking  to  them:  for  religions  subjects 
of  whatever  kind,  when  a  man,  of  his  own  accord,  dwells  upon 
them  incessantly,  and  does  not  occasionally  vary  his  meditations 
by  attending  to  things  which  are  of  use  in  the  world,  penetrate 
to  the  interior,  and  there  fix  themselves,  taking  possession  of 
the  whole  of  man's  spirit;  when  they  enter  into  the  spiritual 
world,  and  act  upon  the  spirits  who  are  there.  These,  however, 
are  visionaries  and  enthusiasts,  who  believe  any  spirit  whom 
they  hear  speaking  to  be  the  Holy  Spirit,  although  he  is  only 
an  enthusiastic  spirit.  Those  spirits  who  are  of  this  description 
see  falsities  as  truths,  and  because  they  see  them,  they  persuade 
themselves  and  also  others  with  whom  they  communicate  by 
influx.  As  these  spirits  also  began  to  persuade  men  to  evils, 
and  led  them  to  commit  them,  they  were  gradually  removed. 
Enthusiastic  spirits  are  distinguished  from  others  by  this 
peculiarity,  that  they  believe  themselves  to  be  the  Holy  Spirit, 
and  what  they  say  to  be  Divine  oracles.  These  spirits  do  not 
offer  injury  to  a  man,  if  he  pays  them  Divine  worship  and  honour. 
I,  also,  have  sometimes  conversed  with  these  spirits,  and  then 
their  nefarious  practices  were  discovered.' 

"So  excellently  you  judge  of  visionaries,  enthusiasts,  and 


Doc.  256.]      C UX(yS  LETTER  TO  S  WEDEXB ORG.  47 5 

fanatics  of  this  sort.  But  where  is  that  specific  difference, 
which  distinguishes  you  from  th*3m?*  I  have  never  doubted 
your  honesty  and  sincerity.  But  your  sjjirits  appear  too 
suspicious  to  me,  and  the  wisdom  whicli  you  attribute  to  them 
sometimes  verges  into  insanity,  e.  g.  when  they  desire  that  you 
should  assert  from  their  mouth,  that  in  the  whole  of  heaven 
there  is  not  a  single  angel  who  was  created  such  in  the 
beginning. 

"I  am  afraid  that  sucli  nefarious  spirits  sometimes  were 
not  sufficiently  explored  by  you,  and  that  they  have  imposed 
upon  you.  For  'Satan  himself,'  according  to  the  weighty 
testimony  of  Paul  (2  Cor.  xi,  14)  'is  transformed  into  an  angel 
of  hglif. 

"If  I  have  succeeded  in  expressing  to  you  my  first  doubts,  and 
have  pointed  out  to  you  where  your  system  requires  additional 
proofs,  I  am  satisfied.  You  yourself  can,  if  you  choose,  discover 
other  reasons  by  which  you  may  remove  the  remaining  doubts 
in  incredulous  readers.-|-  You  will  please  look  upon  this  letter 
as  a  mere  precursor.  The  remainder  of  wliat  I  have  to  say 
cannot  be  treated  lightly  and  cursorily.     Farewell. 

[John  Chkistian  Cuxo.] 

"Amsterdam,  March  8,  1769." 

"Just  as  my  letter  is  written  here,  I  sent  it  to  him  sealed, 
and  waited  a  few  days  to  see  whether  he  would  answer  me. 
As  he  did  not  do  so,  I  went  to  see  him.  I  found  him  quite 
cold;  nay,  to  say  the  truth,  he  appeared  to  me  even  a  httie 
angry.  Nothing  seemed  to  surprise  him  more  than  that  I  had 
suspected  his  honest  angels,  and  regarded  him  as  simple  enough 
to  be  their  dupe.  He  told  me  dryly,  'If  you  are  not  willing 
to  believe  me,  you  have  expended  far  too  much  trouble  in 
studying  my  writings  so  attentively  as  you  have.'  When  he 
said  these  words  it  seemed  to  me,  as  if  the  smiling  and  in- 
nocent expression,  which  I  was  accustomed  to  see  in  his  face, 
had  totally   vanished.     As  I   was  thus   deprived   of  all  hope 

*  See  Swedenborg's  statement  to  Count  Bondc  in  ]_)ocument  217,  j).  2o2. 

f  All  objections  brougbt  Ibnvard  here  by  Cuno  are  abundantly  answi.Tcd 
by  the  Rev.  Thomas  Hartley  in  Document  258,  the  careful  i)erusal  of  which 
we  recommend  to  the  reader,  especially  of  nos.  14,  16,  and  24. 


476  TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMPORARIES.     [Doc.  256. 

that  he  would,  according  to  my  wishes  and  expectations,  enter 
more  deeply  with  me  into  some  parts  of  liis  new  doctrine,  I 
nevertheless  had  an  opportunity  thereby  of  defending  myself 
from  the  charge  of  being  infected  by  him  and  of  being  one 
of  his  proselytes.  I  had  been  frequently  seen  with  him;  and 
in  all  companies  where  I  was  asked  about  him,  I  had  com- 
monly expressed  myself  as  much  in  his  favour  as  I  could  with 
truth  and  by  conviction;  nay  I  had  defended  and  sheltered 
him  against  all  sorts  of  gossip  which  I  knew  consisted  of 
falsehoods.  On  this  account  scoffers  might  have  circulated 
reports  about  me  which  might  have  been  anything  but  pleasant; 
even  as  it  has  happened  to  me  more  than  once,  that  silly 
talkers,  who  the  less  they  know  about  religion  are  inclined  to 
ridicule  it  the  more,  repeatedly  gave  me  to  understand  that 
I  had  already  become  a  heretic.  I  therefore  could  not  refrain 
from  communicating  my  letter  to  others,  and,  for  the  sake  of 
those  who  did  not  understand  Latin,  from  translating  it  into 
the  Dutch  language.  I  was  asked  to  publish  the  letter;  but 
I  refused  to  do  so  for  several  reasons.  I  did  not  consider  it 
as  part  of  my  office.  There  are  public  teachers  enough,  who 
declare  themselves  to  be  ordained  ministers  of  the  Divine 
Word,  whose  duty  and  office  it  is.  I  cannot  comprehend  how 
they  could  allow  the  old  gentleman  for  such  a  long  time  to 
write  whatever  he  pleased;  for  on  all  ordinary  occasions, 
whenever  the  least  deviations  and  peculiar  ideas  on  matters 
of  religion  are  expressed,  and  sometimes  such  as  are  quite 
harmless,  they  at  once  put  on  their  armour,  and  make  a  great 
ado.  When  all  kept  silence,  I  considered  it  a  matter  of  con- 
science to  keep  silence  too.  If  any  one  reads  my  letter  he 
will  at  least  not  regard  me  as  a  flatterer.  Perhaps  the  old 
gentleman  also  did  not  expect  that  I  would  give  him  such  a 
piece  of  my  mind,  or  else  he  would  not  have  become  angry. 
At  all  events  the  anger  which  he  seemed  to  entertain  against 
me  did  not  last  very  long;  and  he  soon  became  reconciled 
again.  A  short  time  afterwards  he  came  to  me,  and  put 
the  adjoined  paper  into  my  hand.  It  is,  indeed,  not  an 
answer  to  my   letter,*    but   at  all  events  it  is  an  autograph 

*  It  is  certainly  an  answer  to  Cuno's  letter;  for  in  that  letter  he  denied 
the  reality  of  Swedenborg's  mission;  wherefore  Swedenborg  in  the  above 


Doc.  256.]  CUNO'S  ESTIMA TE  OF  S  WEDENBORG.  4 7 7 

of  one  of  the  most  singular  men  that  have  ever  lived,  and  on 
account  of  its  strange  contents  also  is  worthy  of  preservation." 

Tlie  paper  in  question  is  a  copy  of  the  concluding  paragraph 
of  Swedenborg's  little  treatise  entitled,  "The  Intercourse  between 
the  Soul  and  the  Body"  (no.  20),  which  we  have  already  quoted 
in  the  Introduction  to  Document  208,  p.  138.*  This  little 
work  Swedenborg  soon  after  published  in  London. 

After  adding  two  more  paragraphs  (nos.  20  and  21  on  p.  453), 
Cano  sums  up  his  estimate  of  Swedenborg  in  the  following 
words: 


D. 

CUNO'S  ESTIMATE  OF  SWEDENBORG. \ 

1.  "Dear  reader,  in  all  that  precedes  methinks  I  have 
given  you  some  information  deserving  to  be  known.  Judge 
of  it  yourself:  for  to  teU  you  the  truth,  I  do  not  know  at 
the  present  moment  what  I  ought  to  think  of  him.  I  am 
quite  willing  to  grant  that  the  honest  man  is  in  his  second 
childhood;  but  I  still  believe  that  whoever  desires  to  make  out 
that  he  is  insane,  commits  a  sin  against  him.:):  Let  him  give 
an  account  of  his  errors  before  God.  I  am  not  willing  to 
judge  him,  so  that  I  may  not  be  judged.  My  intention  in 
writing  to  him  was  sincere,  both  in  respect  to  him  and  in 
respect  to  others  who  knew  him,  or  who,  impelled  by  sheer 
curiosity,  may  become  acquainted  with  him,  in  order  to  see  some- 
thing rare  or  extraordinary.  I,  therefore,  cannot  feel  any  regret 
for  having  written  against  him  or  for  having  allowed  others  to 
make  copies  of  my  letter.  As  for  the  rest  time  must  teach  what 
will  be  the  fate  of  his  manifold  writings  in  the  world.  I  remember 
here  the  words  of  Gamaliel,  in  Acts  v,  38,  39,  'If  this  counsel 

extract  submitted  to  him  some  rational  considerations,  which  might  enable 
him  to  understand  why  the  Lord  had  chosen  him  for  this  particular  work. 

*  Dr.  Scheler,  the  Editor  of  the  "Aufzeichnungcn,"  &c.,  adds  here  in  a 
footnote,  "Swedonborg's  autogi^aj^h  which  is  here  inserted  in  the  MS.  imparts 
a  pecuhar  value  to  the  four  volumes  which  have  cost  only  six  thalers,  and 
it  made  ine  not  a  little  jealous  of  my  friend's  discovery. 

-}■  See  "Aufzeichnungcn,"  &c.,  pp.  156  to  168. 

\  See  on  this  subject  the  Rev.  T.  Hartley  in  Document  258,  no.  29. 


478  TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMPORARIES.     [Doc.  25G. 

or  this  work  be  of  men,  it  Avill  come  to  nought.  But  if  it  be 
of  God,  ye  cannot  overthrow  it.'  Far  be  it  from  me  to  pronounce 
a  final  opinion  as  to  how  much  there  is  here  of  God,  and  how 
much  of  man;  this  I  leave  for  those  to  decide  who  are  pro- 
fessional theologians.  Every  Christian  who  cares  for  his 
salvation  and  for  the  truth  is  enjoined  'to  try  the  spirits 
whether  they  are  of  God'  (1  John  iv,  1),  and  I  follow  the 
advice  given  in  the  first  Epistle  to  the  Thessalonians  (v,  19-21), 
'Quench  not  the  spirit;  despise  not  prophesyings;  but  prove 
all  things,  and  hold  fast  that  which  is  good.' 

2.  "No  one  will  be  able  to  deny  that  Swedenborg  is  a 
philosopher,  and  indeed  one  of  the  first  magnitude ;  and  if  no 
other  proof  existed  of  this  than  the  three  volumes  in  folio 
quoted  above:  Bti)icii)ia  renini  naturalmm  sive  novorum  teiita- 
minum  plKenoniena  mundi  elementaris  j)hilosopluce  explkandi. 
Cumfiguris  ceneis.  In  the  whole  history  of  the  world  therefore 
I  have  found  no  other  scholar  with  whom  I  could  compare 
him  except  the  great  physician  and  chemist  Theophrastus 
Paracelsus.^^*  I  have  perused  Swedenborg's  philosophical 
works  somewhat,  and  do  not  wish  to  enter  here  upon  the  dis- 
cussion of  them,  in  order  not  to  become  too  diffuse.  I  will  leave 
his  philosophy  where  I  found  it;  only,  neither  in  his  philosophy 
must  he  offend  against  the  Sacred  Scripture.  He  concludes 
his  first  part  with  the  following  words  of  the  great  philosopher 
Wolf,^^  'Full  liberty  must  be  granted  to  all  who  philosophize 
in  a  philosophical  manner,  nor  have  we  any  reason  to  apprehend 
from  such  a  liberty  any  danger  either  to  religion,  to  virtue, 
or  to  the  state.' 

3.  "I  accept  this  sentiment  of  the  late  Christopher  von  Wolf 
without  hesitation;  yet  I  should  like  to  submit  this  point  for 
consideration,  whether  it  is  not  a  great  offence  that  the 
description  of  the  creation  should  be  quite  different  with  the 
pliilosophers  from  what  it  is  in  Moses  .  .  .  What  Sweden- 
borg in  his  chapter  xii  says  about  the  earthly  paradise  and 
the  first  man,  methinks  is  out  of  place  in  a  work  on  philosophy, 
just  as  much  as  where  he  supports  this  saying  of  Wolf,  that 
no  danger  accrues  thence  to  religion, 

4.  "What  I  desire  to  state  here,  however,  is  that  Mr.  Sweden- 
borg as  a  philosopher  is  quite  modest  and  unassuming,  but  as 


Dor.  256.]    C UNO'S  ESTIMA  TE  OF  S  WEDESBORG.  479 

a  theologian  more  than  arrogant.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  his 
language  as  a  theologian  sounds  thus:  As  a  divine  I  have 
received  a  calling  immediately  from  the  Lord;  I  have  been 
sent  from  heaven  in  order  to  disabuse  the  whole  world  of  its 
prejudices,  and  to  discover  arcana  which  no  man  has  ever 
before  knoA\Ti.  This  is  the  reason  why  I  am  writing  so  many 
books ;  but  if  any  one  does  not  choose  to  believe  the  testimony 
I  bear  concerning  myself,  he  must  not  read  my  books.*  How 
modestly,  on  the  other  hand,  he  writes  as  a  philosopher  (p.  451, 
Latin  edition;  Vol.  ii,  p.  366,  English  edition),  'Should  any 
one  undertake  to  impugn  my  sentiments,  I  have  no  wish  to 
oppose  him;  but  in  case  he  desire  it,  I  shall  be  happy  to 
explain  my  principles  and  reasons  more  at  large.  What  need 
however  is  there  of  words?  Let  the  thing  speak  for  itself. 
If  what  I  have  said  be  true,  Avhy  should  I  be  eager  to  defend 
it? — surely  truth  can  defend  itself.  If  what  I  have  said  be 
false,  it  would  be  a  degrading  and  silly  task  to  defend  it. 
AV'hy  therefore  should  I  make  myself  an  enemy  to  any  one, 
or  place  myself  in  opposition  to  him.' 

5.  "While  writing  the  above  a  little  work  was  brought  to 
my  notice  which  had  been  printed  at  Konigsberg  in  1766,  thus 
three  years  ago,  bearing  the  following  title :  'Dreams  of  a  spirit- 
seer  explained  by  dreams  of  metaphysics.'  The  author  does 
not  give  his  namc.-j-  He  uses  a  fiery  and  satirical  pen. 
Mr.  Swedenborg  is  his  spirit-seer,  and  he  seeks  to  make  him 
ridiculous;  and  yet  he  has  no  proper  knowledge  of  him,  and 
constantly  calls  him  'Schwedenborg;'   perhaps  because  he  has 

*  Swedeuborg's  own  language  is  inTliaps  still  stronger:  for  he  declares 
in  so  many  words  that  the  Lord  eii'ected  His  Second  Coming  thnjugh  his 
instrumentaUty.  See  footnote  to  p.  4t)7.  It  is  &ingulai-  that  Cuno  throughout 
his  whole  lengthy  account  of  Swedenborg  and  his  writings,  never  mentions 
the  Lord's  Second  Coming  and  its  connection  with  Swedenborg's  mission; 
although  this  had  l)een  very  clearly  explained  by  Swedenborg,  in  sundry 
places  e!<]  cciully  in  the  Aj)Ocalypsis  Revelata,  no.  320;  see  also  footnote 
to  p.  467. 

-J-  "The  'Allgemeine  Deutsche  KibHothek,'  Vol.  IV,  p.  281,  calls  him 
I.  Kant  and  says:  The  jocular  and  at  the  same  time  profound  spii-it  in 
which  this  little  work  is  written,  sometimes  leaves  the  reader  in  doubt 
whether  ^Ir.  Kant  desired  to  ridicule  metaphysics,  or  to  make  si)irit-seeing 
credible." 


480  TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMPORARIES.    [Doc.  256. 

hitherto  published  his  works  anonymously,  and  has  put  his  name 
only  before  his  recent  works,  published  last  year  and  during  the 
present  one;  yet  his  name  and  official  character  are  given  in 
full  in  his  philosophical  and  mineralogical  works  printed  in 
1734;  besides,  his  name  is  sufficiently  well-known  in  the  learned 
world,  so  that  to  be  ignorant  of  it  is  not  particularly  flattering 
to  a  critic  of  philosophy  and  metaphysics.  You  may  read, 
however,  two-thirds  of  the  work  before  you  find  Swedenborg's 
name  mentioned,  and  meanwhile  the  author  makes  sport  of 
metaphysics  and  the  learned  generally.  His  style  is  hvely  and 
readable. 

6.  "From  the  way  the  writer  introduces  the  three  stories  re- 
specting Mr.  Swedenborg,  you  might,  imless  you  had  read  the 
whole  treatise,  suppose  that  he  is  more  in  favour  of  than  in  op- 
position to  the  seer.  At  all  events  he  surpasses  the  seer  in 
this  respect,  that  he  tells  the  stories,  while  the  seer  himself 
keeps  silence.  I  am  sorry  that  I  did  not  know  anything  about 
the  Gottenburg  story,  or  else  I  should  have  asked  Mr.  Sweden- 
borg about  it,  as  I  did  concerning  the  story  about  the  Prince 
of  Prussia  which  I  have  mentioned  above,  and  concerning  that 
respecting  the  lost  receipt.  The  truth  of  both  of  these  stories 
he  affirmed;  but  he  did  not  dwell  long  upon  them,  remarking 
that  there  were  hundreds  of  similar  stories;  but  he  did  not 
think  it  worth  while  to  waste  many  words  upon  them.  He 
said  that  they  were  trifles,  which  made  people  forget  the  great 
object  of  his  mission  . . . 

7.  "The  author  of  the  above  treatise  is  certainly  right  in 
'refraining  from  meddling  with  the  fantastic  explanation  of 
the  first  two  books  of  Moses,'  but  I  am  truly  obliged  to  him 
for  having  informed  me  that  Dr.  Ernesti's^^  'Theologische 
Bibliothek'  does  take  notice  of  those  treatises  [Swedenborg's 
Arcana  Coelestia].  I  recollect  having  heard  Mr.  Swedenborg 
say  as  much;  though  as  far  as  I  can  recollect  of  his  con- 
versation, he  did  not  know  in  what  manner  he  had  been  judged 
there;  neither  does  he  seem  to  trouble  himself  very  much  about 
it.  He  goes  on  writing  and  writing;  and  if  any  one  is  not 
willing  to  believe  him,  he  may  leave  his  writings  aside,  although 
he  sends  them  everywhere  with  the  expectation,  no  doubt,  of 
having  them  read  . . . 


Doc.  256.]    CVNO 'S  EXPERIENCE  OF  S WEDENBOEG.      4S1 

8.  "I  Avill  leave  the  old  gentleman  Swedenborg  alone.  God 
knows  him  better  than  I  do.  I  must  consider  him  a  scholar 
and  a  learned  man ;  but  is  it  a  proof  of  true  humility  for  him 
to  say  of  the  Evangelical  Christians,  'They  place  the  under- 
standing under  obedience  to  faith,  and  call  that  faith  which 
is  not  understood  ? ' " 


E. 

CVXO'S  EXPERIENCE  OF   SWEDEXBOEG  IN  1770.* 

Cuno's  Memoirs,  according  to  Dr.  Scheler,  refer  once  more 
to  Swedenborg,  in  the  year  1770  (p.  803),  where  we  read: 

"Last  year  I  gave  my  readers  many  sheets  to  read  respect- 
ing my  dear  old  Swedenborg;  but  I  am  by  no  means  done 
yet  with  this  singular  man,  and  as  long  as  my  eyes  remain 
open,  I  shall  not  so  easily  turn  them  away  from  him. 

"I  still  hear  news  concerning  him  from  Sweden,  nay,  a  short 
time  ago  he  desired  to  be  remembered  to  me,  and  sent  me 
word  that  he  hoped  to  embrace  me  this  summer.  The  clergy  have 
made  an  assault  upon  him  with  all  their  power,-]-  but  they 
could  not  do  him  any  harm,  because  those  liigh  in  authority, 
yea,  it  is  said,  the  King  and  the  Queen,  love  him. 

"I  received  a  letter  from  a  friend  now  studying  in  Leipzig 
enclosing  Number  6,  Vol.  I,  of  the  'Theologische  Bibliothek' 
(Theological  Library)  of  Dr.  Ernesti.  As  I  have  read  the 
whole  of  Swedenborg's  writings  with  great  patience,  and  as  the 
only  work  which  I  have  not  read,  and  which  was  offered  to 
me  about  a  year  ago  for  120  Dutch  ilorins,  but  now  can  no 
more  be  had  for  money,  I  shall  content  myself  with  the  epi- 
tome made  by  so  learned  a  man  as  Dr.  Ernesti;  it  will  cost 
me  but  little  trouble  to  copy  it. 

"Time  alone  will  show  what  will  in  the  end  become  of 
this  good  man.  When  I  saw  him  on  September  10th  this 
year  on  change  with  his  friend,  Mr.  Wretman,  he  looked  much 
more  cheerful  than  when  he  took  leave  of  me  last  year.     Up 


*  See  "Aufzeichnungen,"  &c.  pp.  169,  170. 
■}-  See  Document  245. 

31 


482  TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMPOBARIES.      [Doc.  250. 

to  the  time  I  am  now  writing  this  (October  15)  I  have  not 
yet  had  a  call  from  him,  and  my  time  has  not  permitted  me 
to  visit  him.  He  certainly  has  not  come  here  for  any  other 
object  than  to  get  something  printed  again." 


CTIXO'S  EXPKHIEXCE  OF  STt'EDENBOBG  I.V  1771* 

1.  Cuno    in   a    letter,   addressed  to   an  intimate  friend  in 
Hamburg,  which  is  dated  January  26,  1771,  says, 

"You  ask  me  what  this  old  man  is  now  do- 
ing? I  will  tell  you.  He  eats  and  drinks  very  moderately, 
but  sleeps  pretty  long,  and  thirteen  hours  are  not  too  much 
for  him.  When  I  informed  him  that  his  work  'The  Earths  in 
the  Universe'  had  appeared  in  a  [German]  translation,  his 
eyes,  always  smiling,  became  twice  as  bright.  He  is  now  in- 
defatigably  at  work;  yea,  I  must  say  that  he  labours  in  a  most 
astonishing  and  superhuman  manner  at  his  new  work.  Six- 
teen sheets,  in  type  twice  as  small  as  those  used  in  his 
former  works,  are  already  printed.  Only  think !  for  every 
printed  sheet  he  has  to  fill  four  sheets  in  manuscript.  He  now 
has  two  sheets  printed  every  week.  These  he  corrects  him- 
self; and  consequently  he  has  to  write  eight  sheets  every  week. 
And  what  appears  altogether  incomprehensible,  he  has  never 
a  single  line  in  reserve.  His  work  is  to  consist,  as  he  says 
himself,  of  eighty  printed  sheets  ;f  he  has  thus  calculated  al- 


*  The  following  two  letters  were  addressed  by  Cuno  to  two  of  liis 
friends  in  Hamburg.  They  were  first  printed  in  Hamburg  in  1771  in  a 
pamphlet  bearing  the  following  title:  '■'■Sammlung  einiger  Nachrichten 
Herrn  Emanuel  Swecletihorg  nnd  desselben  vorgegebenen  Umgang  mit  clem 
Geisterreich  hetreffencV  (Collection  of  some  news  respecting  Mr.  Emanuel 
Swedenborg  and  his  alleged  intercourse  with  the  Spiritual  World).  The 
whole  of  this  pamphlet  was  inserted  by  Prelate  ffitinger  in  his  "Schwedische 
Urkunden,"  &c.,  pp.  101  to  121;  whence  it  was  introduced  mto  Dr.  Im. 
Tafel's  German  edition  of  the  "Swedenborg  Documents."  An  EngUsh  trans- 
lation is  likewise  contained  in  the  EngUsh  and  American  editions  of  these 
documents. 

f  The  editor  of  the  "New  Jerusalem  Magazine"  for  1790,  who  quotes 
(pp.  223  and  224)  a  short  extract  from  this  letter,  says  in  a  footnote,  "This 


Doc.  256.]    C UNO'S  EXPERIENCE  OF  S  WEDENB ORG.      483 

ready  that  it  cannot  be  finished  before  Michaelmas.  I  will 
also  tell  you  the  title  of  the  work  he  has  in  hand:  it  is  as 
follows :  'True  Christian  Religion,  containing  the  Universal 
Theology  of  the  New  Church,  predicted  by  the  Lord  in 
Daniel  viii,  1,  3,  14,  and  in  the  Apocalypse  xxii,  1,  2,'  by 
Emanuel  Swedcuborg,  servant  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  I 
could  not,  in  my  open  manner,  conceal  my  astonishment  that 
he  should  declare  himself  on  the  title-page  the  servant  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ.  But  he  replied,  'I  have  asked,  and  have 
received  not  only  permission,  but  also  an  express  command.' 
You  can  scarcely  believe  with  what  confidence  the  old  gentle- 
man speaks  of  his  spiritual  world,  his  angels,  and  of  God  Him- 
self. If  I  were  to  give  you  only  a  summary  of  our  last  con- 
versation, I  should  fill  many  pages.  He  spoke  of  naturalists 
[who  ascribe  all  tilings  to  nature],  with  whom  he  conversed 
recently  after  their  death ;  most  of  these  had  even  been  theo- 
logians, or  such  as  during  their  life  in  the  body  had  made 
theology  their  profession.  Things  were  then  said  which  caused 
my  ears  to  ring,  but  which  I  pass  over,  in  order  not  to  be 
too  precipitous  in  my  judgment.  I  am  quite  willing  to  confess 
that  I  do  not  know  what  to  make  of  him.  He  remains  to 
me  a  riddle  which  I  cannot  solve.  In  1766  a  little  work 
was  published  in  Konigsberg  by  John  James  Kanter  \sic\ 
bearing  the  title:  'Dreams  of  a  spirit-seer  explained  by  dreams 
of  metaphysics.'  The  author  is  anonymous.  In  Volume  IV 
of  the  'AUgemeine  Deutsche  Bibliothek,'  which  is  published  in 
Berlin  (p.  281),  he  is  called  I.  Kant.*  But  this  is  a  satire 
which  is  directed  more   against  the   learned  in  general  than 

work  was,  indeed,  comprized  in  sixty-eight  sheets,  but  had  Swedenborg 
been  able  at  that  lime  to  have  completed  and  subjoined  to  it  the  whole  of 
his  appendix,  it  is  more  than  probable,  it  would  have  exactly  answered  to 
the  above  number.  Speaking  of  this  Appendix  [knowii  as  the  Coronis  to 
the  T.  C.  R.]  we  beg  leave  to  observe,  that  what  was  printed  in  London 
after  his  decease,  is  but  an  incomplete  part  of  it;  the  truth  is,  (as  we  were 
informed  by  Doctor  Messiter,2  in  whose  hands  his  valuable  manuscript 
was  left,)  that  nearly  one  half  of  the  copy  had  been  mislaid  and  finally  lost 
at  the  Doctor's  house." 

*  The  editor  of  "Sammlung  einiger  Nachrichtcn,"  &c,,  adds  hero, 
"Tliis  is  quite  right.  His  name  is  Immanuel  Kant,  and  last  year,  viz.  1770, 
he  became  professor  of  logic  and  metaphysics  in  Konigsberg.  In  the  third 
volume  of  the  'Greifswalde  Neue   ki'itische  Nachrichten'  (p.  257)  we  read 

31* 


4S4  TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMP  OB  ABIES.     [Doc.  256. 

against  the  spirit-seers  in  particular.  I  wish  very  much  that 
upright  men,  whom  God  has  placed  as  watchmen  upon  the 
walls  of  Zion,  had  occupied  themselves  with  this  man  some 
time  ago.  I  have  read  his  writings,  and  proved  them  impar- 
tially; but  in  my  opinion  dogmas  are  taught  there  which 
deserve  to  be  examined  more  thoroughly  by  upright  theologians, 
and  there  are  others  which  ought  to  have  been  refuted  at  the 
very  beginning." 

2.  Cuno  in  a  second  letter  addressed  to  a  prominent  mer- 
chant of  Hamburg,  dated  March  5,  1771,  says  as  follows: 

"I  cannot  forbear  to  tell  you  something  quite  new  about 
Swedenborg.  Last  Thursday  I  paid  him  a  visit,  and  as  usual 
found  him  writing. 

"He  told  me  that  the  same  morning  he  had  been  in  con- 
versation with  the  late  King  of  Sweden,*  for  three  hours  in 
the  spiritual  world.  He  had  met  him  there  already  on  Wed- 
nesday, thus  the  day  before;  but  as  he  had  seen  that  he  was 
deeply  engaged  in  conversation  with  the  Queen,  who  is  still 
living,  I  would  not  disturb  him  then.  I  let  him  talk  on,  but 
at  last  asked  him,  how  it  was  possible  to  meet  in  the  spiri- 
tual world  with  a  person  who  is  still  in  the  land  of  the  living? 
He  answered  me,  'It  was  not  the  Queen  herself,  but  her  fami- 
liar spirit'  (spiritus  familiaris).  'What  sort  of  a  thing  is  that?' 
I  continued ;  for  of  this  new  kind  of  appearances  I  had  never 
heard  from  him  before,  nor  had  I  read  about  them.  He  then 
informed  me  that  every  man  has  his  good  or  bad  spirit,  who 
is   not    only    constantly  near   him,  but   sometimes   also   with- 

as  follows :  'The  author  of  this  Avork  who  is  said  to  be  a  Mr.  Kant,  M.  A. 
of  Konigsberg,  had  his  attention  directed  to  the  writings  of  Swedenborg 
and  his  phenomena,  and  he  was  induced  to  institute  investigations,  the 
results  of  which  he  now  communicates  to  the  world.  His  work  consists  of 
two  parts,  a  dogmatic  and  an  historical.  In  the  latter  he  relates  the  prin- 
cipal phenomena  of  Mr.  Swedenborg,  most  of  which  are  known  to  our 
readers,  and  which  perhaps  might  be  augmented  by  them  with  additional 
ones ;  and  afterwards  he  gives  extracts  of  the  particular  sentiments  of  the 
author.  In  reality,  however,  he  considers  simply  'the  tilings  heard  and 
seen,'  without  taldng  into  considei'ation  the  Arcana  Coelestia,  a  work  fiUing 
eight  quarto  volumes,  and  in  which  is  contained  an  entire  hermeneutical 
and  theological  system.  We  leave  it  to  Mr.  Kant,  to  answer  for  liis  judg- 
ment wliich  sometimes  is  very  severe  and  bitter,"  &c. 

*  Adolphus  Trederic  (see  Note  11),  who  had  died  on  February  11,  1771. 


Doc.  256.]     C UNO'S  EXPERIENCE  OF  S  WEDENB ORG.      485 

draws  from  him,  and  appears  in  the  spiritual  workl.  But  of 
this  the  man  still  living  knows  nothing;  the  spirit,  however, 
knows  everything.  Such  a  familiar  spirit  has  everything  per- 
fectly in  common  with  his  human  companion;  he  has  in  the 
spiritual  world  visibly  the  same  tigure,  the  same  countenance, 
the  same  tone  of  voice;  wears  also  the  same  garments  as  tlie 
man  on  earth;  in  short,  Swedenborg  said,  the  familiar  spirit 
of  the  Queen  appeared  exactly  as  he  had  so  often  seen  the 
Queen  herself  in  Stockholm  and  had  heard  her  speak. 

"In  order  to  lessen  my  astonishment,  he  added,  that  Dr.  Er- 
nesti^^  of  Leipzig  had  appeared  to  him  in  a  simihir  manner  in 
the  spiritual  world,  and  that  he  had  had  a  regular  disputation 
with  him.  I  wonder  what  this  learned  professor  will  say  when 
he  hears  of  this.  Perhaps,  'The  old  gentleman  is  crazy,  and 
in  his  second  childhood.'  He  will  laugh  at  it,  and  who  can 
blame  him  for  it?  It  is  inconceivable  to  me  how  I  myself 
can  refrain  from  laughing,  when  I  hear  such  extraordinary 
things  of  him.  And  what  is  more;  I  have  often  heard  him 
relate  similar  things  in  large  parties  consisting  of  ladies  and 
gentlemen,  among  whom  1  knew  very  well  were  persons 
given  to  mockery;  but  to  my  great  astonishment  no  one 
thought  of  laughing.  As  long  as  he  speaks,  it  is  as  if 
every  person  who  hears  him  was  charmed,  and  compelled  to 
believe  him.  He  is  reserved  to  no  one.  Whoever  invites  him, 
is  sure  to  have  him.  Last  week  a  certain  young  gentleman 
invited  him  to  his  house;  and  although  he  was  not  acquainted 
with  him,  he  appeared  at  his  table,  where  he  met  with  Jews 
and  Portuguese,  and  conversed  with  them  freely  without  dis- 
tinction. If  any  one  is  curious  to  see  him,  he  has  no  great 
difficulty;  all  that  is  necessary  for  him  to  do  is  to  go  to  his 
house,  where  he  admits  every  one.  It  can  easily  be  seen,  that 
the  numerous  calls  which  he  thus  receives  draw  largely 
upon  his  time;  and  so  much  the  less  can  I  understand,  how 
he,  nevertheless,  accomplishes  his  design,  of  having  printed 
every  week  two  closely  set  up  sheets,  and  to  compose  ten 
sheets  of  manuscript,  without  having  a  single  line  in  reserve. 
He  says,  that  his  angel  dictates  to  him,  and  that  he  can  write 
fast  enough.  I  have  no  more  space  to  tell  you  more  about  him."* 

*  See  on  this  subject  the  footnote  on  p.  62.  Vol.  I. 


DOCUMENT  257. 

JUNG-STILLING'S'^'  TESTBiOI^Y* 

A. 

In  a  work  entitled,  "Theorie  der  Geisterkunde,  von  Dr. 
J.  H.  Jung,  surnamed  Stilling,"  Nuremberg,  1808  (of  which 
an  English  translation  by  Samuel  Jackson  was  published  in 
London  in  1834,  under  the  title,  "Theory  of  Pneumato- 
logy,"  &c.),  we  read  as  follows  (pages  90 — 96) : 

"As  so  very  much  has  been  written  both  for  and  against 
this  extraordmary  man  [Swedenborg] ,  I  consider  it  my  duty 
to  make  known  the  2:nire  tndh  respecting  him,  since  I  have 
had  an   opportunity  of  knowing  it  pure  and  uncontaminated." 

After  making  some  general  statements  concerning  Sweden- 
borg's  life,  his  writings,  and  his  learning,  he  continues  on 
p.  91 :  "Unexpectedly  to  everybody  this  intelligent,  learned, 
and  pious  man  began  to  have  intercourse  with  spirits.  He 
made  no  secret  of  this,  but  frequently  at  table,  even  in  large 
companies,  and  in  the  midst  of  the  most  rational  and  scienti- 
fic conversations,  would  say,  'On  this  point  I  conversed  not 
long  ago  with  the  apostle  Paul,  with  Luther,  or  some  other 
deceased  person.'  It  can  easily  be  imagined  that  the  persons 
present  opened  their  mouths  and  eyes,  and  wondered  whether 
he  was  in   his   sound   senses.     Still  occasionally   he  has  fur- 

*  Stillmg's  testimony  respecting  Swedenborg  was  first  published  in 
English  in  the  "Intellectual  Rej)ository"  for  1820,  p.  116 ;  for  which  it  was 
translated  by  Mr.  D.  Thun.  The  English  editor  of  the  "Swedenborg 
Documents"  used  Samuel  Jackson's  translation,  which  was  pubhshed  in 
London  in  1834,  upon  which  we  liave  also  drawn  for  the  greater  part  of 
our  translation. 


Doc.  257.]         JUXG-STILLING'S  TESTIMONY.  4S7 

nished  proofs,  against  -which  no  objection  can  be  raised.  Tho 
veracity  of  these  rehxtions  has  been  impugned,  and  the  good 
gentleman  has  even  been  charged  with  imposture ;  but  this 
charge  I  deny  emphatically.  Swedenborg  was  no  impostor, 
but  a  pious  Christian  man.  Three  proofs  that  he  had  actual- 
ly intercourse  with  spirits  are  generally  known  concerning  him." 

Stilling  gives  here  an  account  of  the  occurrence  with  the 
Queen  of  Sweden,  of  Swedenborg's  second  sight  in  dcscribnig 
at  Gottenburg  a  conflagration  that  took  place  in  Stockholm, 
and  the  story  of  the  mislaid  receipt.  In  respect  to  the  truth 
of  these  relations  Stilhng  gives  some  independent  testimony, 
which  we  shall  examine  in  subdivision  E  of  the  present  Section. 
He  then  continues: 

"But  I  must  add  here  a  fourth  experimental  proof  which 
has  not  been  made  public  before,  and  which  is  fully  as  im- 
portant as  any  of  the  foregoing.  I  can  vouch  for  the  truth  of 
it  with  the  greatest  certainty:* 

"About  the  year  1770,  there  was  a  merchant  in  Elberfeld, 
with  whom,  during  seven  years  of  my  residence  there,  I  lived 
in  close  intimacy.-j-  He  was  a  strict  mystic  in  the  purest 
sense.  He  spoke  little  ;  but  what  he  said,  was  like  golden 
fruit  on  a  salver  of  silver.  He  would  not  have  dared,  for  all 
the  world,  knowingly  to  have  told  a  falsehood.  This  friend  of 
mine,  who  has  long  ago  left  this  world  for  a  better,  related 
to  me  the  follow^ing  anecdote: 

"His  business  required  him  to  take  a  journey  to  Amster- 
dam, where  Swedenborg  at  that  time  resided;  and  having  heard 
and  read  much  of  this  singular  man,  he  formed  the  intention 
of  visiting  him,  and  becoming  better  acquainted  with  him.  He 
therefore  called  upon  him,  and  found  a  very  venerable-looking 
friendly  old  man,  who  received  him  politely,  and  requested  him 
to  be  seated;  on  which  the  following  conversation  began: 

Merchant.  Having  been  called  hither  by  busmess,  I  could 
not  deny  myself  the  honour.  Sir,  of  paying  my  respects  to  you: 
your  writings  have  caused  me  to  regard  you  as  a  very  re- 
markable man. 

Swedenborg.     May  I  ask  you  where  you  are  from? 

*  See  English  translation,  p.  90.         f  Stilling  left  Elberfeld  iu  1778. 


488  TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMPORARIES.     [Doc.  257. 

M.  I  am  from  Elberfeld,  in  the  ducliy  of  Berg.  Your 
writings  contain  so  much  that  is  beautiful  and  edifying,  that 
they  have  made  a  deep  impression  upon  me:  but  the  source 
from  whence  you  derive  them  is  so  extraordinary,  so  strange 
and  uncommon,  that  you  will  perhaps  not  take  it  amiss  of  a 
sincere  friend  of  truth,  if  he  desire  incontestable  proofs  that 
you  really  have  intercourse  with  the  spiritual  world. 

8.  It  would  be  very  unreasonable  if  I  took  it  amiss;  but 
I  think  I  have  given  sufficient  proofs,  which  cannot  be  contra- 
dicted. 

M.  Are  these  the  well  knowTi  ones,  respecting  the  Queen, 
the  fire  in  Stockholm,  and  the  receipt? 

S.     Yes,  those  are  they,  and  they  are  true. 

M.  And  yet  many  objections  are  brought  against  them. 
Might  I  venture  to  propose,  that  you  give  me  a  similar  proof  ? 

S.    Why  not?    Most  willingly! 

M.  I  had  formerly  a  friend,  who  studied  divinity  at  Duis- 
burg,  where  he  fell  into  consumption,  of  which  he  died.  I 
visited  this  friend,  a  short  time  before  his  decease  ;  we  con- 
versed together  on  an  important  topic :  could  you  learn  from 
him  what  was  the  subject  of  our  discourse? 

S.    We  will  see.     What  was  the  name  of  your  friend  ? 

The  merchant  told  him  his  name. 

S.    How  long  do  you  remain  here? 

M.    About  eight  or  ten  days. 

S.  Call  upon  me  again  in  a  few  days.  I  will  see  if  I  can  find 
your  friend. 

"The  merchant  took  his  leave  and  dispatched  his  business. 
Some  days  afterwards,  he  went  again  to  Swedenborg,  full  of 
expectation.  The  old  gentleman  met  him  with  a  smile,  and 
said,  'I  have  spoken  with  your  friend  ;  the  subject  of  your 
discourse  was  the  restitution  of  all  tilings.'  He  then  related 
to  the  merchant,  with  the  greatest  precision,  what  he,  and 
what  his  deceased  friend  had  maintained.  My  friend  turned 
pale;  for  this  proof  was  powerful  and  invincible.  He  in- 
quired further,  'How  fares  it  with  my  friend?  Is  he  in  a 
state  of  blessedness?'  Swedenborg  answered,  'No,  he  is  not 
yet  in  heaven ;  he  is  still  in  Hades,  and  torments  liimself  con- 
tinually with  the  idea    of  the  restitution  of  all  things.'     This 


Doc.  257.]  JUNG-STILLING' S  TESTIMONY.  489 

answer  caused  my  friend  the  greatest  astonishment.  He  ex- 
claimed, 'My  God!  what,  in  the  other  world?'  Swedenborg 
replied,  'Certainly;  a  man  takes  with  him  his  favourite  incli- 
nations and  opinions;  and  it  is  very  dithcult  to  be  divested  of 
them.  We  ought,  therefore,  to  lay  them  aside  here.'  My  friend 
took  his  leave  of  this  remarkable  man,  perfectly  convinced, 
and  returned  back  to  Elberfeld. 

"  What  says  highly  enlightened  infidelity  to  this  ?  It  says, 
'Swedenborg  was  a  cunning  fellow,  and  employed  a  secret 
spy  to  get  the  matter  out  of  my  friend.'  To  this  I  reply  in 
kindness,  that  Swedenborg  was  of  too  noble  a  mind,  and  had 
too  much  of  the  fear  of  God;  and  my  friend  was  too  discreet 
[for  the  matter  to  admit  of  such  an  explanation].  Such  like 
evasions  may  be  classed  in  the  same  category  as  the  'trans- 
figuration of  the  Redeemer  by  means  of  moonshine!'* 

"That  Swedenborg  for  many  years  had  frequent  intercourse 
with  the  inhabitants  of  the  spiritual  world,  is  not  subject  to 
any  doubt,  but  is  a  settled  fact." 


B. 

In  liis  memorandum -book  for  1809,  Jung  reports  as 
follows  :-{- 

"A  certain  beloved  friend  for  many  years,  who  is  far  ad- 
vanced in  Christianity,  communicated  to  me  from  Holland,  in 
a  letter  written  last  summer,  the  following  authentic  and  inter- 
esting story  about  Swedenborg: 

'I  am  acquainted  with  many  things  about  Swedenborg,  of 


K'l 


*  The  Editor  of  the  Enghsh  "Swedenborg  Documents"  adds  here  in  a 
footnote,  "As  is  taught  in  the  rationahstic  Schools  of  Theology  in  Ger- 
many, where  they  endeavour  to  account  for  all  the  miracles  mentioned  in 
the  Scripture  on  merely  natural  princijjies.  These  rationalists,  as  they  are 
called,  are  the  confirmed  Sadducees  of  the  present  day."  This  rationalistic 
school,  however,  is  no  longer  so  prevalent  in  Germany  as  it  was. 

-{-  See  "Zerstreate  AufsUtze  aus  Jung's  (Stilling's)  Taschonbuch  1805  to 
1816,"  in  his  "Sammtliehe  Schriften,"  ethtion  of  1835  to  1839,  Vol.  XIII, 
jip.  395  et  seq.  "We  translate  the  above  from  Vol.  IV  of  Dr.  Im.  Tafel's 
German  edition  of  the  "Swedenborg  Documents,"  p.  93  et  seq. 


490  TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMP  OB  ABIES.     [Doc.  257. 

which  I  have  been  informed  by  old  Sch *  (K 's  son- 
in-law).     His   brother-in-law    P.   d.   Sch ,  whose  first  wife 

was    a    sister    of  Sch 's    wife,    married   a  second   time  a 

certain  Miss  G .  During  the  wedding  celebration  the  con- 
versation turned    upon    spiritual    apparitions.     All    the   three 

clergyman   B ,  E ,  and  S— —  were   present,  and  took 

opposite  grounds  to  Sch ,  who  maintamed  their  possibility. 

At  last  Swedenborg's  name  was  mentioned,  and  he  was  at 
once  condemned  by  the  preachers  as  a  fanatic  and  heretic, 
and  his  relations  were  stigmatized  as  falsehoods  and  re- 
veries. "Gentlemen,"  said  the  bride's  brother  who  resided 
in  Amsterdam,  "are  you  willing  to  believe  me,  if  I  tell  you 
something   concerning    Swedenborg    which   I   have    seen    and 

heard."   Everybody  knew  Mr.  G to  be  a  man  who  feared 

God  and  loved  the  truth,  and  therefore  all  acknoAvledged  that 
they  would  feel  compelled  to  believe  his  testimony.  He  con- 
tinued, "In  the  year  1762,  on  the  very  day  when  the  Emperor 
Peter  III  of  Eussia-^"  died,  Swedenborg  was  present  with  me 
at  a  party  in  Amsterdam.  In  the  middle  of  the  conversation, 
his  physiognomy  became  changed,  and  it  was  evident  that  his 
soul  was  no  longer  present  in  him,  and  that  something  was 
taking  place  with  him.  As  soon  as  he  recovered,  he  was 
asked  what  had  happened?  At  first  he  would  not  speak  out, 
but  after  being  repeatedly  urged,  he  said,  'Now,  at  this  very 
hour  the  Emperor  Peter  III  has  died  in  prison,  explaining 
the  nature  of  his  death.  Gentlemen,  will  you  please  to  make 
a  note  of  this  day,  in  order  that  you  may  compare  it  with 
the  announcement  of  his  death,  which  will  appear  in  the  news- 
papers.' The  papers  soon  after  announced  the  death  of  the 
Emperor,  which  had  taken  place  on  the  very  same  day." 

"Such  is  the  account  of  my  friend.  If  any  one  doubts  this 
statement,  it  is  a  proof  that  he  has  no  sense  of  what  is  called 
historical  faith  and  its  grounds ;  and  that  he  believes  only  what 
he  himself  sees  and  hears." 

Concerning  Jung-Stilhng's  explanation  of  Swedenborg's 
mental  state,  see  Note  215. 

*  Jung-Stilling  adds  here,  "I  am  personally  acquainted  with  all  the 
persons  whose  names  occur  in  this  narrative;  and  the  bride  who  is  men- 
tioned here  has  since  been  a  patient  of  mine." 


Doc.  257.]          JC'XG-STILLiyG'S  TESTUIOXY.  491 

In  the  same  volume  ("Sammtliclie  Werke,"  Vol.  XIII, 
p.  399),  Jung  gives  some  additional  testimony  respecting  the 
story  of  the  lost  receipt,  which  was  communicated  to  him  by 
a  distinguished  Russian  gentleman,  who  was  intimately  ac- 
quainted with  the  Russian  Ambassador  accredited  for  many 
years,  during  Swedenborg's  life-time,  to  the  Court  of  Sweden. 
"This  ambassador,"  he  states,  "had  often  met  Swedenborg; 
he  had  seen  him  in  his  trances,  and  heard  wonderful  things 
from  him."  The  testimony  of  this  Russian  ambassador  will 
be  critically  examined  in  subdivision  E  of  the  present  Section. 


0. 
TESTIMONY  COLLECTED  IN  ENGLAND. 

DOCUMENT  2^^.    ■ 

TESTIMONY    OF    JOHN  LEWIS,  PKINTER  AND 
PUBLISHER. 

A. 

FIRST  ANNOVNCEltlENT  OF  SWEDENBORG'S  THEOLOGICAL  WRiriXGS* 

Paternoster-Boiv }  February  5,  1750. 

Adveetiseivient,  hy  John  Lewis,  Printer  and  PMisher,  in 
Paternoster-Row,  near  CJieapside,  London.  Be  it  known  unto 
all  the  learned  and  curious,  that  this  day  is  ijuhlished,  the  first 
nimiber  of  Arcana  Coelestia,  or  Heavenly  Secrets,  ivhich  are 
in  the  Sacred  Scriptures,  or  ivord  of  the  Lord,  laid  open;  as 
they  are  found  in  the  Sixteenth  Chapter  of  Genesis:  together 
ivith  the  ivonderful  things  that  have  been  seen  in  the  tvorld  of 
spirits,  and  in  the  heaven  of  angels. 

This  work  is  intended  to  be  such  an  exposition  of  the  whole 
Bible  as  was  never  attempted  in  any  language  before.  The 
author  is  a  learned  foreigner,  who  wrote  and  printed  the  first 
volume  of  the  same  work  but  last  year,  all  in  Latin,  Avhich 
may  be  seen  at  my  shop  in  Paternoster-Row,  as  above- 
mentioned. 

And  now  the  second  volume  is  printing,  both  in  Latin  and 

*  From  the  "Magazine  of  Knowledge"  for  1790,  Vol.  I,  p.  395  et  seq.; 
whence  it  was  reprinted  in  the  "Intellectual  Repository"  for  1829, 
p.  537  et  seq. 


Doc.  258.]  JOHN  LEWIS'S  TESTUrONY.  493 

English;  to  be  published  in  cheap  numbers,  that  the  public 
may  have  it  in  an  easier  manner,  in  either  tongue,  than  in 
whole  volumes. 

It  must  be  confessed  that  this  nation  abounds  with  a  variety 
of  commentaries  and  expositions  on  the  Holy  Bible ;  yet  when 
we  consider  what  an  inexhaustible  fund  of  knowledge  the 
Sacred  Scripture  contains,  the  importance  of  the  subjects  it 
treats  of,  and  the  vast  concern  every  man  has  in  those  things 
they  relate  and  recommend,  we  may  cease  to  wonder  that  so 
many  ingenious  pens  have  been  employed  in  sounding  the  depths 
of  this  vast  ocean;  and  he  must  be  a  very  dull  writer  indeed, 
who  does  not  find  a  pretty  large  number  of  readers  of  any 
work  he  may  publish  of  this  kind.  I  would  be  far  from  de- 
preciating the  merit  of  any  man's  performance,  nay,  I  will 
allow,  that  it  is  owing  to  the  labours  of  learned  and  pious 
men,  in  their  disquisitions  after  truth  in  the  Bible,  that  we  of 
this  kingdom  have  been  enabled  to  discern  truth  from  error, 
and  to  know  more  of  the  mind  and  will  of  God  in  His  Word, 
than  the  priests  of  Rome  were  willing  we  should.  Yet  give 
me  leave  to  add,  that  these  sacred  Avritings  are  capable  of 
speaking  to  the  heart  and  understanding  of  man,  by  more 
ways  than  have  been  thought  of,  or  put  into  practice ;  and  he 
who  can  discover  new  treasures  in  these  sacred  mines,  and 
produce  from  them  such  rich  jewels  as  were  never  yet  seen 
by  the  eye  of  man,  will  undoubtedly  challenge  our  strictest 
attention,  and  deserve  encouragement  in  his  pious  labours. 
This,  then,  may  be  said  of  our  author.  He  has  struck  out  a 
new  path  through  this  deep  abyss,  which  no  man  ever  trod 
before ;  he  has  left  all  the  commentators  and  expositors  to 
stand  on  their  own  footing;  he  neither  meddles  nor  interferes 
with  any  of  them;  liis  thoughts  are  all  his  own;  and  the  in- 
genious and  sublime  turn  he  has  given  to  eveiy  thing  in  the 
Scriptures,  he  has  copied  from  no  man;  and  therefore,  even 
in  this  respect,  he  has  some  title  to  the  regard  of  the  ingeni- 
ous and  learned  world. 

It  is  true,  when  a  reader  comes  to  penisc  his  work,  if  he 
expects  to  understand  him  Avith  a  slight  and  cursory  reading, 
he  will  find  himself  greatly  mistaken ;  his  thoughts  are  too 
sublime   and  lofty   to  be  surveyed  with  a  weak  or  a  wanton 


494  TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMFOEARIES.     [Doc.  258. 

eye;' his  language  is  quite  difFerent  from  tlie  comuion  modes  of 
speech;  and  his  sense  is  sometimes  so  deep  and  profound,  as  not 
to  be  readily  apprehended  by  a  common  understanding.  Who- 
ever, therefore,  takes  this  book  in  hand,  and  finds  passages  in 
it  not  easily  intelligible,  let  him  not  throw  it  by  as  a  thing 
of  no  value,  nor  content  himself  with  a  bare  perusal;  but  let 
him  read  it  over  and  over  again;  let  him  study  the  drift  and 
design  of  the  author;  and  1  will  answer  for  it,  that  the  more 
and  oftener  he  reads  it,  the  more  instruction  and  delight  he 
will  receive  from  it.  The  author  has  a,  depth,  which,  if  once 
fathomed,  (and  it  is  not  unfathomable,)  will  yield  the  noblest 
repast  to  a  pious  mind.  But  if  any  one  imagines  that  I  say 
this  to  puff  a  book,  in  tlie  sale  of  which  my  interest  is  so 
nearly  concerned,  any  gentleman  is  welcome  to  peruse  it  at 
my  shop,  and  to  purchase  it  or  not,  as  his  own  judgment  shall 
direct  him. 

Nothing  recommends  a  book  more  effectually  to  the  public 
than  the  eminence  and  credit  of  its  author;  nothing  is  more 
notorious,  than  that  a  weak  performance,  if  it  appears  under 
a  great  name,  shall  be  better  received  in  the  world  than  the 
most  sublime  and  ingenious  productions  of  an  obscure  person: 
so  that  it  is  not  merit  but  prejudice  that  generally  governs 
the  judgment  of  men. 

Though  the  author  of  Arcana  Cadestia  is  undoubtedly  a 
very  learned  and  great  man,  and  his  works  highly  esteemed 
by  the  litoxiti,  yet  he  is  no  less  distinguished  for  his  modesty 
than  his  great  talents,  so  that  he  will  not  suffer  his  name  to 
be  made  public.  But  though  I  am  positively  forbid  to  dis- 
cover that,  yet  I  hope  he  will  excuse  me  if  I  venture  to  mention 
his  benign  and  generous  qualities.  How  he  bestowed  his  time 
and  labours  in  former  years,  I  am  not  certainly  informed 
(though  I  have  heard  by  those  who  have  been  long  acquainted 
with  him,  that  they  were  employed  in  the  same  manner  as  I 
am  going  to  relate) ;  but  what  I  have  been  an  eye-witness  to, 
I  can  declare  with  certain  truth  ;  and  therefore  I  do  aver, 
that  this  gentleman,  with  indefatigable  pains  and  labour,  spent 
one  whole  year  in  studying  and  writing  the  first  volume  of 
Arca)ia  Coolestia,  was  at  the  expense  of  two  hundred  pounds 
to  print  it,  and  also  advanced   two  hundred  pounds  more  for 


Doc.  258.]  JOHN  LEWIS'S  TESTIMONY.  495 

the  printing  of  thi.s  second  volume;  and  when  he  had  done 
this,  he  gave  express  orders,  that  all  the  money  tliat  should 
arise  in  the  sale  of  tliis  large  work  should  be  given  towards 
the  charge  of  the  propagation  of  the  gospel.  He  is  so  far 
from  desiring  to  make  a  gain  of  his  labours,  that  he  will  not 
receive  one  farthing  back  of  the  four  hundred  pounds  he  has 
expended ;  and  for  that  reason  his  works  will  come  exceedingly 
cheap  to  the  public. 

I  further  declare,  I  have  not  the  least  reason  in  the  world 
to  believe  him  a  bigot  to  any  mode  or  method  of  religion;  1 
know  not  what  community  he  belongs  to,  or  whether  he  be- 
longs to  any;  if  any  one  can  guess  by  his  wTitings,  he  knows 
where  to  find  them.  But  it  matters  not  what  or  who  the  person 
is  that  writes,  if  his  writings  are  founded  on  truth,  and  agree- 
able to  such  learned  men  as  are  competent  judges  of  them. 
The  deepest  and  most  learned,  as  well  as  the  most  valuable 
pieces,  are  sometimes  misunderstood  and  rejected  for  many 
years,  even  by  learned  men  themselves;  to  instance  only  three 
performances  out  of  the  many  that  miglit  be  produced,  viz., 
Locke  on  the  Human  Understanding,  Milton's  Paradise  Lost, 
and  Pri^eaux's  Connexion  of  the  Old  and,  Nev)  Testaments. 
Those  who  have  been  conversant  with  books,  especially  in  the 
trading  way,  cannot  be  ignorant  of  the  difficulties  these  valu- 
able pieces  have  met  with  in  making  their  way  into  the  world: 
and  it  is  as  remarkable  now  to  observe,  how  they  have  been 
called  for  and  admired  for  many  years  past. 

How  this  great  work  of  Arcana  Co^lestia  will  succeed  in 
the  world,  is  impossible,  at  present,  to  determine.  If  all  men 
of  learning  were  of  the  same  mind  with  the  ingenious  and 
pious  Mr.  Penny,^^^  of  Dartmouth,  we  need  not  fear  success; 
for  in  his  letter  to  me,*  on  the  publication  of  the  first  volume, 
are  these  following  words  :  "I  have  long  ardently  wished  to 
see  the  historical  part  of  the  Old  Testament,  which  seems 
only  to  regard  the  Jewish  dispensation,  (and  upon  that  account 
is  too  lightly  regarded  by  the  major  part  of  the  present 
Christian  world,)  proved  to  be  as  delightful,  instructive,  and 
as   necessary    for   the    knowledge    of   Christians   as  the  Xew. 

*  This  letter  is  contained  in  subdivision  B  of  the  present  Document. 


496  TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMF  OB  ABIES.      [Doc.  258. 

This  Arcana  Coelestia  gives  me  fullest  satisfaction  of,"  &c.  A 
copy  of  this  letter  was  printed  at  large  in  the  Daily  Advertiser 
of  Christmas-day,  1749.  Now  this  delightful,  instructive,  and 
necessary  knowledge  cannot  be  expected  from  this  part  of 
Holy  "Writ,  unless  the  historical  part  of  the  Old  Testament 
be  allegorized  in  some  such  manner  as  our  Latin  author  has 
here  done  it.  And  the  great  and  learned,  as  well  as  the  in- 
spired Apostle  Paul,  clearly  give  encouragement  to  this  way 
of  writing  (Gal.  iv,  24).  And  our  author  neither  rejects, 
nor  disturbs  the  literal  sense  by  his  allegorical  exposition. 

Soon  after  the  publication  of  Mr.  Penny's  letter  before- 
mentioned,  a  grave,  judicious,  and  learned  gentleman  was 
pleased  to  call  at  one  of  the  bookseller's  where  this  famous 
Latin  book  was  appointed  to  be  sold:  and  when  he  had  cast 
his  eye  over  part  of  the  work,  he  inquired  who  the  author 
was;  but  being  told  that  the  author  would  not  be  known, 
"Well,"  said  the  gentleman,  "I  confess  that  at  these  years  I 
am  not  fond  of  new  acquaintance,  but  should  be  extremely 
glad  to  have  some  conversation  with  him;  for,"  continued  he, 
with  great  earnestness,  "I  never  saw,  nor  heard,  nor  read  of 
so  surprising  a  man  in  all  my  days !'" 

Any  one  of  small  judgment  may  guess  at  the  cheapness  of 
the  work,  when  he  finds  that  six  hundred  and  forty  quarto 
pages,  in  Latin,  of  the  first  volume,  are  sold  for  no  more  than 
six  shillings  unbound.  But  this  second  volume,  which  is  now 
publishing  in  Latin  and  English,  will  be  unaccountably  cheap, 
as  any  one  may  conclude,  even  by  the  postage  of  the  Latin 
copy  from  abroad:  for  the  bare  postage  of  this  first  number 
cost  no  less  than  twelve  shillmgs,  and  now  it  is  printed,  does 
make  fifty-two  quarto  pages  in  the  Enghsh  tongue ;  and  all  to 
be  sold  for  no  more  than  eight-pence,  which  is  not  half  the 
price  that  such  a  quantity  of  paper  and  print  is  generally  sold 
for.  The  postage  of  the  second  number  came  to  eighteen 
shillings;  and  that  of  the  third  amounted  to  one  pound  two 
shillings;*   and  yet  these  two  numbers  are  to  be  sold  for  no 


*  Swedenborg,  while  preparing  tlie  MS.  for  the  second  volume  of  the 
A7-cana  Coslestia,  was  at  Aix-La-Chapelle,  as  appears  from  Documents  210 
to  213. 


Doc.  258.]  JOHN  LEWIS'S  TESTIMONY.  497 

more  than  nine-pence  each;  so  that  from  hence  it  is  easy  to 
imagine  how  cheap  the  whole  will  be,  especially  when  printed 
in  such  a  grand  and  pompous  manner  at  so  low  a  price.  But 
it  is  the  generous  author's  absolute  command  that  it  should 
be  so,  who,  it  is  plain,  wants  neither  purse  nor  spirit  to  carry 
on  his  laudable  undertaking. 

As  the  copy  comes  from  a  foreign  country,  and  as  one 
number  may  contain  nearly  double  the  quantity  of  another,  it 
is  utterly  impossible  to  fix  a  certain  regular  time  for  the 
publication  of  each.  But  this  the  public  may  be  assured  of,  that 
when  a  fresh  number  is  published,  it  shall  be  advertised  in 
the  newspapers.  Those  who  are  pleased  to  give  their  orders 
to  the  news-carriers,  will  have  every  number  as  certainly  as 
though  they  were  apprised  of  the  certain  time  of  its  coming 
out.  And  the  price  will  be  printed  on  the  title  of  each  Eng- 
lish number,  (and  every  Latin  number  will  be  of  the  same 
price  with  the  English,)  so  that  the  readers  may  be  sure  that 
they  will  not  be  imposed  upon;  for  sometimes  the  bulk  of  the 
book  will  plainly  appear  to  be  worth  five  times  as  much  as 
will  be  required  for  it. 

Those  who  are  so  happy  as  to  be  well  acquainted  with 
the  Latin  tongue,  will  be  highly  delighted  with  the  author's 
elegant  and  sublime  language. 


B. 

MR.  JOHN  LEWIS  TO  THE  EDITOR  OF  THE  DAILY  ADVERTISER* 

Sir, 

If  you  ^vill  insert  the  follovsing  letter  in  your 
paper,  it  may  induce  the  curious  in  the  learned  world  to  per- 
use a  work  very  entertaining  and  pleasant,  and  oblige,  Sir, 
Yours,  &c., 

John  Lewis. 

*  From  the  "Intellectual  Repository"  for  1826,  p.  179. 


498  TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMPORARIES.    [Doc.  258. 

^'TO  2IE.  JOHN  LEWIS,  IN  PATERNOSTER-ROW,  CHEAPSIDE,  LONDON. 

"Dartmouth,  October  15,  1749. 
"Mr.  John  Lewis, 

"Sir, — Accidentally  reading  the  advertisement 
of  the  Arcana  Ccelestia,  excited  by  the  oddness  of  the  title,  I 
presently  ordered  my  friend  in  London  to  send  me  one.  The 
extraordinary  degree  of  pleasure  the  reading  of  it  has  given 
me,  and  the  yet  more  expected  from  what  more  is  to  be 
published,  induces  me  to  request  advice  as  often  as  any  new 
publication  happens,  which  I  apprehend  to  be  designed  annually. 
My  reason  for  troubling  you,  is,  because  I  very  rarely  see  any 
of  the  public  papers,  and,  consequently,  future  advertisements 
may  escape  my  knowledge;  which,  I  hope  will  excuse  me. 

"I  have  long  ardently  wished  to  see  the  historical  part  of 
the  Old  Testament,  which  seems  only  to  regard  the  Jewish 
dispensation,  (and  upon  that  account  is  too  Hghtly  regarded 
by  the  major  part  of  the  present  Christian  world,)  proved  to 
be  as  delightful,  instructive,  and  as  necessary  for  the  knowledge 
of  Christians  as  the  Xew.  This  Arcana  Ccelestia  gives  me  the 
fullest  satisfaction  of.  But  the  illumined  author,  whoever  he 
is,   (is  it  Mr.  Law?)*    must  expect  a  considerable   army    of 


*  William  Law,  the  author  of  many  works  of  popularity,  was  born  in 
1686,  and  died  1761.  As  a  theologian,  Law  held  tenets  pecuhar  to  himself, 
which,  either  from  being  misundei-stood,  or  misrepresented,  subjected  him 
at  different  times  to  two  very  opposite  imputations,  that  of  being  a  Socinian, 
and  that  of  being  a  Methodist.  It  was  in  his  latter  days  that  Mr.  Law 
became  most  confused,  according  to  one  of  his  biographers,  from  haxing 
bewildered  his  imagination  with  the  reveries  of  Jacob  Boehme,  for  whose 
sake  he  learned  German  that  he  might  read  his  works,  and  whom  he 
pronounces  "the  strongest,  the  plainest,  the  most  open,  intelligible,  awaken- 
ing, com-incing  writer  that  ever  was."  Walton  in  his  "Notes  and  Materials 
for  an  adequate  Biography  of  Law"  pubHshes  the  following  letter,  from 
which  it  appears  that  Law  was  acquainted  with  Swedenborg's  writings: 

"King's  Chfit',  Northamptonshire,  April  9,  1758. 

"Pray  tell  INIr.  Wood  that  I  desire  him  to  buy  me  the  8th  volume  of 
the  Arcana  Coelestia:  he  bought  the  first  seven  volumes  for  me,  and  so 
knows  the  volume  that  I  have  not.  I  shall  never  go  through  them,  but 
as  I  have  gone  so  far  in  the  expense  I  shall  take  his  last  volume," 


Doc.  258.]  JOHX  LEWIS'S  TESrnWNY.  499 

gown-men   to    draw   their  pens   against   him:    it  is  a  blessing 
their  power  is  prescribed  within  impassable  bounds. 

■'The  favour  of  a  line  in  answer,  to  know  what  dependance 
I  may  make  upon  you,  will  very  much  oblige,  Sir, 
"Your  most  humble  servant, 

"Stephen  Penny.^^' 

"P.  S.  Perhaps  the  author  was  concerned  in  the  publication 
of  j\Ir.  Hutchinson's  w'orks?*  Has  he  published  any  other 
work,  and  at  what  price?" 

To  this  the  bookseller  appends  the  following  notice: — 

"This  large  Latin  book  is  nearly  printed  in  4to;  and  sold 
by  Mr,  Nourse,  at  the  Lamb,  opposite  Katharine-street,  in 
the  Strand;  Mr.  AVarc,  at  the  Bible  on  Ludgatehill;  and  by 
John  Lewis,  printer  of  the  same,  as  above-mentioned:  price  6s. 
unbound." 


In  Lis  early  days  he  had  been  tutor  in  the  house  of  l\fr.  Gibbon,  the 
Historian,  who  says  respecting  him,  "]Mr.  Law's  master-work,  the  'Serious 
Call'  is  still  read  as  a  popular  and  powerful  book  of  devotion.  His  precepts 
are  rigid,  but  they  are  founded  on  the  gospel." 

*  .lohi\  Hutchinson  was  bom  in  1624,  In  1724  he  published  in  Latin 
the  first  part  of  a  work  entitled,  "Moses'  principia"  in  which  he  defended 
the  i\Iosaic  cosmogony,  and  attacked  Newton's  theory  of  gravitation.  He 
died  in  1737.  His  collected  works  were  published  in  thirteen  octavo 
volumes  from  1749  to  1765.  His  followers  are  called  the  "Hutchinsonians," 
The  (Gentleman's  Magazine  for  1796,  Vol.  I,  p,  23,  says  concerning  him, 
"The  opinions  of  Hutchinson  are  for  the  most  part  worthy  of  attention; 
those  which  are  the  least  tenable  are  innocent.  Instead  of  having  the 
mastery  of  his  system,  he,  like  othei'  theorists,  sometimes  lets  his  system 
get  the  better  of  its  author,  and  carry  him  into  devious  paths;  and  in  his 
conti-oversial  writings,  he  did  not  always  remember  that  brotherly  kindness 
is  the  test  of  true  Christianity;  and  that  while  knowledge  puffeth  up, 
charity  alone  really  editieth."  The  substance  of  his  philosophy,  so  far  as 
it  concerns  the  creation  of  the  world,  was  pubUshed  in  1738  l)y  Mr.  Calcott 
in  the  Latin  language,  A  ti-anslation  of  tliis  treatise,  with  a  preliminary 
dissertation,  was  published  in  1822  by  Alexander  INIaxwell,  Esq,,  author  of 
"Plurahty  of  AVorlds,"  under  the  title,  "The  Ancient  Principles  of  the  True 
and  Sacred  Philosophy,  as  lately  explained  by  John  Hutchinson,  Esq," 


32* 


DOCUMENT  259. 

TESTBIONY  OF  THE  REV.  THOMAS  HARTLEY, 

M.  A.^ 

A. 

From  the  Preface  to  his  English  Translation  of  the  work  "  On 
the  Intercourse  between  the  Soul  and  the  Body.''''* 
1.  "It  is  said  in  the  prophet  Amos,  'Surely  the  Lord  will 
do  nothing,  but  He  revealeth  His  secrets  unto  His  servants 
the  prophets.'  He  has  done  this  in  olden  times,  and  is  He 
a  variable  God,  that  He  will  not  do  the  same  in  the  last 
times?  Is  He  less  communicative,  or  His  servants  now  less 
dear  to  Him?  This  cannot  with  truth  be  said.  The  deluge, 
the  destruction  of  Sodom,  the  liberation  of  the  Hebrews  from 
Egyptian  bondage,  the  revolutions  in  the  kingdom  of  Israel, 
their  victories,  captivities,  and  dispersion;  the  great  Restorer 
of  the  true  Israel,  the  states  of  the  Christian  church,  its 
apostacy,  and  its  restoration  in  the  New  Jerusalem  Church, 
with  numberless  other  particulars,  have  all  been  revealed  by 
the  Lord  to  certain  of  His  chosen  ones  before  these  great  events 
came  to  pass;  and  can  we  suppose  that  the  last  of  these, 
tvhich  is  the  most  concerning  of  all,  will  want  its  previous 
messenger  to  prepare  the  church  for  its  approach?  It  has 
long  been  a  time  of  trouble  and  of  treading  down,  and  shall 
there  not  be  a  time  of  refreshing  and  raising  up,  when  the 
children  of  Zion  shall  be  made  joyful  with  the  glad  tidings 
of  The    Coming   of  their   King?    Shall    the   profane   insults, 

*  A  Theosophical  Lucubration  on  the  Nature  of  Influx,  as  it  respects 
the  Communication  and  Operations  of  Soul  and  Body.  By  the  Honourable 
and  Learned  Em.  Swedenborg.  Xow  first  translated  from  the  oiiginal 
Latin.    London,  1770. 


Doc.  259.]        EEV.  T.  HARTLEY'S  TESTIMONY.  501 

rebuke,  and  blasphemy  of  the  enemies  of  our  faith  continue 
to  mock  the  patient  hope  of  the  Christian;  and  will  not  the 
Lord  send  some  enlightened  Seer  with  a  message  of  peace 
and  comfort  to  His  people,  some  Caleb  to  testify  unto  them 
of  the  good  land  which  he  hath  seen,  and  also  bearing  with 
him  a  cluster  of  the  fruit  of  it,  for  their  encouragement  to 
go  up  to  possess  it? 

2.  "He  has  done  this  in  the  person  and  writings  of  tho 
Honourable  Emanuel  Swedenborg,  who  for  these  five-and- 
twenty  years  past  has  been  favoured  with  an  open  vision  of 
the  spiritual  worlds,  and  still  continues  to  enjoy  the  same,  and 
to  communicate  to  his  brethren  many  curious,  wonderful,  and 
instructive  discoveries,  relating  to  his  converse  with  angels  and 
the  things  of  their  kingdom,  as  may  be  seen  in  his  other 
writings:  so  that  infidels  can  now  no  longer  plead  that  challenge 
in  excuse  of  their  unbelief:  'Shew  us  one  who  can  testify  of 
these  tilings  from  his  own  knowledge,  and  we  will  believe;' 
for  such  a  witness,  and  a  credible  one  too,  is  alive  at  this  day. 

3.  "I  have  conversed  with  him  at  different  times,  and  in 
company  with  a  gentleman  of  a  learned  profession  and  of 
extensive  intellectual  abilities  [Dr.  Messiter^];  w^e  have  had  a 
confirmation  of  these  tilings  from  his  own  mouth,  and  have 
received  his  testimony,  and  do  both  of  us  consider  this  our 
acquaintance  with  the  Author  and  his  writings  among  the 
greatest  blessings  of  our  lives.  We  cannot  doubt  but  that 
the  same  evidence,  which  has  appeared  credible  to  us,  must 
appear  the  same  to  many  others:  and  where  men  of  liberal 
minds  and  education  think  otherwise,  this  single  line  will  ami- 
cably settle  the  difference  betwixt  us,  Veniam  loetimusque  damuS' 
que  vicissim  [Freedom  we  ask  from  you,  and  are  willing  to 
grant  to  you].  But  where  any  w^rong  bias,  bigotry  to  a 
system,  worldly  interest,  or  a  confirmed  habit  of  unbelief, 
lead  any  to  a  determined  opposition,  there  argument  must 
lose  its  force  on  any  subject,  for  noii  persuadebis  etiani  si 
jjersuaderis.  [Convince  a  man  against  his  will,  he's  of  the 
same  opinion  still.] 

4.  "As  the  Author,  when  in  England  last  summer,  was 
called  upon  in  a  letter  from  a  friend  (to  the  truth  of  which 
I  can  fully  testify)  to   give  some  account  of  himself  for  the 


502  TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMPORARIES.    [Doc.  259. 

reasons  therein  suggested,  (his  ansAver  to  which  letter  I  have 
translated  and  annexed  to  this  work,*  there  is  the  less  occasion 
to  enlarge  on  what  relates  to  his  personal  circumstances. 
However,  we  cannot  but  take  notice  here  of  the  kind  and 
honourable  treatment  he  continues  to  meet  with  in  his  own 
country,-]-  as  a  circumstance  which  does  honour  to  the  Royal 
Family,  the  Grandees,  the  Senators,  and  the  Bishops  of  the 
Swedish  nation;  for  every  one  that  comes  to  us  in  the  name 
of  a  Prophet,  a  Messenger  of  the  Lord,  or  a  Seer,  with 
credible  marks  of  his  Mission,  is  certainly  entitled  to  high 
respect  from  such  distmction  of  character. 

5.  "That  Mr.  Swedenborg's  life,  qualifications,  and  high 
pretensions,  have  passed  through  a  strict  scrutiny  in  his  own 
country,  as  to  every  part  of  his  character,  moral,  civil,  and 
divine,  is  not  to  be  doubted;  and  that  he  maintains  dignity, 
esteem,  and  friendship  there  with  the  great,  the  wise,  the 
good,  I  am  well  informed  by  a  gentleman  of  that  nation,  now 
residing  in  London  [Christopher  Springer^^^] ;  and  from  whose 
mouth  I  could  relate  an  instance  of  the  Author's  supernatural 
knowledge,  as  well  known  in  the  Court  of  Sweden,  and  not 
to  be  evaded  or  called  in  question,  if  the  fact  be  as  related: 
but  as  I  have  not  the  Author's  leave  for  this,  I  think  myself 
not  at  liberty  to  mention  it. 

6.  -'Thus  far  I  think  that  the  credibility  of  Mr.  Swedenborg, 
as  a  witness  to  the  truth  of  what  he  relates,  stands  unimpeached: 
the  extensive  learning  displayed  in  his  writings,  evinces  him 
to  be  the  Scholar,  and  the  Philosopher;  and  his  polite  behaviour 
and  address  bespeak  the  Gentleman:  he  affects  no  honour, 
but  decKnes  it;  pursues  no  worldly  interest,  but  spends  his 
substance  in  travelling  and  printing,  in  order  to  communicate 
instruction  and  benefit  to  mankind ;  and  he  is  so  far  from  the 
ambition  of  heading  a  sect,  that  wherever  he  resides  on  his 

*  See  Documents  1  and  2,  Vol.  I. 

f  Swedenborg  continued  to  meet  with  this  kind  and  honourable  treat- 
ment until  liis  return  to  Sweden,  after  writing  to  Mr.  Hartley  the  letter 
to  which  he  refers  above;  but  from  the  beginning  of  1770  he  no  longer 
led  an  unchequered  existence,  as  appears  from  the  various  accounts  introduced 
in  Document  245.  See  also  what  Mr  Hartley  wrote  in  1778,  in  no.  20 
of  the  present  Document. 


Doc.  259.]       BEV.  T.  HARTLEY'S  TESTIMONY.  503 

travels,  he  is  a  mere  solitary,  and  almost  inaccessible,*  though 
in  his  own  country  of  a  free  and  open  behaviour;  nor  does  he 
persuade  any  to  leave  that  established  church  to  Avhich  they 
belong,  f 

7.  "Till  very  lately  he  has  not  set  his  name  to  any  of  his 
theological  "works:  he  has  nothing  of  the  precisian  in  his 
manner,  nothing  of  melancholy  in  his  temper,  and  nothing  in 
the  least  bordering  upon  the  enthusiast  in  his  conversation 
or  writings,  in  the  latter  of  which  he  delivers  facts  in  tlie 
plain  style  of  narrative,  speaks  of  his  converse  with  spirits 
and  angels  with  the  same  coolness  that  he  treats  of  earthly 
things,  as  being  alike  common  to  him;  he  proves  all  points  of 
doctrine  from  Scriptui-e  testimony;  always  connects  charity  and 
good  life  with  true  faith,  and  is  upon  the  whole  as  rational  a 
divine  as  I  have  ever  read. 

8.  "If  these  parts  of  character  may  be  allowed  to  gain 
credit  to  his  testimony,  I  think  it  may  be  pronounced  concern- 
ing him,  that  he  is  the  most  extraordinary  Messenger  from 
God  to  man,  that  has  appeared  on  earth  since  the  Apostolic 
age,  and  that  he  may  properly  be  called  the  Living  Apostle 
of  thes5  days. 

9.  "As  to  his  writings,  the  subjects  of  them  are  confessedly 
not  only  new,  but  greatly  interesting ;  such  as  the  Spiritual 
Sense  of  the  Scriptures,  many  of  the  most  difficult  and  hitherto 
unknown  passages  of  which  he  explains  by  the  rule  of  Cor- 
respondences, shewing  how  things  spiritual  are  represented  or 
signified  by  things  natural.  He  lays  open  to  view  the  errors 
which  have  been  introduced  into  the  church,  and  still  subsist 
in  it,  and  establishes  the  fundamental  articles  of  faith  on  the 
Divine  Authority  of  the  Sacred  Writings,  without  quoting  the 
authority  of  any  man,  or  offering  any  thing  in  the  uncertainty 
of  opinion. 

*  Compare  in  this  respect  Cuno's  testimony,  Document  256,  F,  2,  p.  485. 

-}■  Swedenborg's  own  words  on  this  subject  are  as  follows :  "Before  the 
chui'ch  is  fully  devastated,  the  interior  Word  is  revealed,  i.  e.  according 
to  the  spiritual  sense;  because  then  a  New  Church  will  he  instituted  into 
tchich  arc  invited  those  of  the  former  church,  and  for  the  New  Cliurch 
interior  Divine  Truth  is  revealed  ....  This  New  Church  will  be  called  the 
New  Jerusalem"  (Apocalypse  Explained,  no.  948). 


504  TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMPORARIES.    [Doc.  259. 

10.  "In  his  character  of  Seer  (which  some  in  derision 
perhaps  will  call  visionary,  though  both  the  office  and  name 
have  been  honourable  in  the  church  of  God  in  old  times),  he 
draws  aside  the  curtain  which  divides  between  mortality  and 
immortality,  and  opens  a  prospect  into  the  world  of  spirits, 
presenting  to  us  the  different  states  of  souls  after  death,  their 
communications  with  angels  and  one  another,  their  preparation 
in  the  middle  state  (not  according  to  the  figment  of  a  Romish 
purgatory)  for  final  bliss  or  misery;  and  numberless  other 
wonderful  discoveries  relating  to  their  condition,  the  different 
classes  in  the  different  communities  of  angels  in  their  respective 
heavens,  and  likewise  to  the  infernal  kingdom.  Of  these  he 
treats  professedly  in  his  book  entitled,  'Heaven  and  Hell,  from 
things  heard  and  seen,'  which  is  but  a  small  part  of  his  works: 
it  would  require  a  volume  to  give  even  a  general  character 
of  them  all,  and  therefore  I  shall  forbear  to  particularize 
here,  observing  only  that  the  amazing  treasure  both  of  curious 
and  useful  hioiuledge  exliibited  in  his  writings,  concerning 
things  natural  and  revealed,  moral,  philosophical,  and  Divine, 
does  not  only  excel  whatever  has  come  down  to  us  of  Hermes, 
Pythagoras,  and  Plato,  but  even  surpasses,  in  importance  of 
matter  and  extent  of  discovery,  all  that  the  Fathers  have 
written  or  divines  have  taught. 

11.  "On  the  first  view  of  things  so  strange,  many  will  be 
apt  as  it  were  to  start  back,  and  to  pause  with  a  kind  of 
surprise;  and  upon  finding  them  so  different  from  their  present 
ideas,  or  having  oio  ideas  at  all  about  them,  they  will  be 
inclined  to  reject  them  as  fable  or  delusion.  This  may  be 
the  case  not  only  of  such  as  are  chained  down  to  their  present 
belief  or  unbelief,  but  even  of  some  less  contracted  and  fixed 
in  preconceived  opinions;  but  men  of  enlarged  minds,  improved 
by  a  liberal  education,  are  not  so  hasty  to  condemn  what 
they  cannot  immediately  close  with,  but  will  give  a  fair  trial 
to  what  is  offered,  and  admit  of  so  much  as  the  nature  of 
its  evidence  demands;  and  to  such  I  address  myself  with 
respectful  deference,  recommending  to  their  perusal  the  Author's 
works  as  worthy  of  their  attention  and  remarks. 

11.  "In  this  great  variety  of  materials,  many  things  will 
be  found  better  suited  to  some  than  to  others ;  and  there  are 


Doc.  259.]        BEV.  T.  HARTLEY'S  TESTIMONY.  505 

also  many  wliich  may  be  passed  over  as  matters  of  indifference; 
but  let  us  not  quarrel  with  variety,  but  take  that  which  is 
suited  to  our  own  appreliension  and  use,  and  leave  the  rest 
to  others,  remembering  that  the  Ijord  is  good  to  all,  and  not 
only  provides  for  us  things  necessary,  but  also  for  change, 
entertainment,  and  delight,  as  well  in  our  spiritual  as  iu  our 
natural  state. 

13.  "Let  it  likewise  be  observed,  that  in  things  relating 
to  the  condition  and  laws  of  the  spiritual  Avorld,  we  are  not 
to  set  up  our  customary  ideas,  or  the  philosophical  notions 
we  may  have  imbibed  in  this,  as  an  adequate  measure  of 
truth;  for  things  spiritual  and  things  natural  are  dissimilar 
and  heterogeneous,  and  yet,  when  compared  in  the  light  of 
true  philosophy,  they  are  analogous  and  corresponding:  but 
then  the  mind  must  familiarize  itself  by  degrees,  and  acquire 
a  habit  of  abstraction,  to  the  contemplation  of  spiritual  sub- 
jects, before  it  be  able  to  form  proper  and  satisfactory  ideas 
of  them,  and  then  it  may;  for  the  capacities  and  faculties  of 
the  human  mind  are  immense,  and  by  suitable  discipline  and 
exercise  may  even  in  this  life  be  accommodated  to  the  re- 
ception of  celestial  science." 

14.  In  another  part  of  his  preface  Mr.  Hartley  makes  the 
following  useful  remarks  on  the  cry  after  wonders  and  miracles: 
"As  to  that  common  custom  of  calling  out  for  miracles,  as 
the  only  proof  of  the  commission  of  those  who.  make  fresh 
discoveries  of  truth  to  us;  it  is  to  be  observed,  that  the 
appeal  to  this  test  generally  proceeds  from  much  ignorance, 
both  as  to  the  nature  of  miracles  and  the  nature  of  truth. 
That  miracles  have  frequently  been  used  in  condescension  to 
the  infirmities  of  human  nature,  and  to  stop  the  mouths  of 
gainsayers,  as  also  upon  other  accounts,  we  are  to  acknowledge 
with  thankfulness,  and  adore  therein  the  mighty  power  of 
God:  nay,  that  they  have  all  along  subsisted  in  the  church, 
and  do  subsist,  I  make  no  doubt,  nor  yet  condemn  the  dis- 
belief of  others  as  to  this  article ;  but  that  they  are  necessary, 
or  promised  to  be  the  only  evidence  to  the  authority  of  every 
extraordinary  messenger,  or  new  discovery  of  the  truth,  does 
not  appear;  and  should  the  heathens  of  the  East  or  West 
Indies  put  our  missionaries  to  this  proof'  of  their  authority,  it 


506  TESTIMONY  OF  CON  TEMP  OB  ABIES.    [Doc.  259. 

might  go  near  to  hazard  the  success  of  their  benevolent 
labours.  Miracles  have  no  necessary  connection  with  truth, 
nor  do  they  enlighten  the  mind  with  any  knowledge  of  it;  the 
reality  of  them  may  be  questioned,  or  they  may  be  ascribed 
to  other  causes  than  the  true  one  (for  false  prophets  and 
seducing  spirits  may  work  wonders) ;  the  evidence  of  them  may 
be  resisted,  or  the  force  of  that  evidence  may  be  overpowered 
by  worldly  considerations  and  influence;  of  all  which  we  have 
examples  in  Scripture.  Now  where  miracles  fail  of  their 
proper  effect,  by  not  proving  the  means  of  our  conviction, 
they  add  condemnation  to  the  sin  of  unbelief,  and  therefore 
they  are  often  witheld  in  mercy  to  the  incredulous :  accordingly 
it  is  recorded  of  our  Lord,  that  He  did  not  many  mighty 
works  in  Nazareth  because  of  their  unbelief.  But  are  there 
no  other  ways  of  admitting  the  force  even  of  any  kind  of 
truths,  than  by  miracles,  and  those  better  suited  to  the  nature 
of  the  human  understanding,  viz.  by  the  testimony  of  credible 
witnesses,  by  moral  evidence  and  solid  reasoning,  and  above 
all,  by  purity  of  intellect  in  certain  defcecate  minds,  between 
which  and  truth  there  is  a  certain  affinity  or  sympathy  which 
unites  them  without  the  intervention  of  argument?" 


B. 

FnOM  HIR  PREFACE  TO  THE  WORK  ON  "HEAVEN  AND  HELL." 

15.  "The  honourable  and  learned  author  of  tliis  treatise, 
Emanuel  Swedenborg,  was  a  native  of  Sweden,*  of  eminence 
and  distinction  in  his  own  country,  having  had  an  honourable 
employment  under  the  crown,  and  being  a  member  of  the 
House  of  Nobles;  of  respected  estimation  in  the  royal  family 
during  the  late  reigns;  of  extensive  learning,  as  his  voluminous 
writings  demonstrate;  and,  as  to  private  life  and  character, 
irreproachable.  Something  more  particular,  as  to  his  personal 
character,  has  been  spoken  in  the  Preface  to  the  Treatise  on 
the  Intercourse  hetiueen  the  Soul  and  the  Body;  and  Mr.  Sweden- 


*  The  first  English  translation  of  "Heaven  and  Hell"  was  published  in 
1778;  thus  six  years  after  Swedenbox'g's  death. 


Doc.  259.]        BEV.  T.  HARTLEY'S  TESTIMONY.  507 

borg's  Letter   to  a  friend   [Document  2],   giving   a  particular 
account  of  himself  and  family,   annexed  to  that  work,  is  sub- 
joined to   this  Preface,  the  original  of  which  is  in  my  hands. 
16.  "The  same  question  that  Avill  be  asked  here,  has  been 
briefly  noticed  already,  viz.    If  a  testimony  to  so  extraordinary 
a   dispensation    does    not    require    the    extraordinary    seal    of 
miracles  to  render  it  credible  ?  To  which  be  it  further  answered, 
that  many  of  the  i)rophets  worked  no  miracles,  and  yet  were 
beheved    upon    their    own    private    testimony;     and    that    we 
believe  many  things   of  the  highest   consequence    in    religion 
upon  human   authority,   where   the    persons    transmitting    and 
delivering  them   appear  properly  qualified  ami  circumstanced 
to  give   credibility   to  what  they   relate.     But  this   argument 
has   been   considered  in  the  Preface  to    the   Treatise  on   the 
Litercoitrse  between  the  Soul  and  the  Body  [see  no.  14],  before 
mentioned;    and  from  the  reasons   adduced,   and  sucli  as  are 
ready  to  be  further  produced  if  called  for,  we  look  upon  our 
author's  testimony  as  worthy  of  our  acceptation  in  this  matter, 
and  venture   to  rely   on  his   own  integrity  and  piety,  and  his 
disinterested  and  indefatigable  labours   to   instruct  the  world 
in    the  most  important   truths    relating    to    salvation,    at    the 
expense    of    his    fortune,    and    the    sacritice    of    all    worldly 
enjoyments,   during  the  last  thirty  years  of  his  life.     And  if 
we  further  reflect,   that  tiie  whole   scope   and  tendency  of  his 
writings  is  to  promote  the  love  of  God  and  of  our  neighbour; 
to  inculcate  the  highest  reverence  for  the  Holy  Scriptures ;  to 
urge  the  necessity  of  practical  holiness;    and    to  confirm  our 
faith  in  the  Divinity   of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ: 
these  considerations,  I  think,  may  be  allowed  to  be  sufficient 
credentials  (as  far   as  human  testimony   can  go)  of  his  extra- 
ordinary mission  and  character,   and   as  convincing  marks  of 
his  sincerity  and  truth;    especially   as   we  have  to  add,  upon 
the  credit  of  two    worthy   persons,    (one    of  them    a  learned 
physician  [Dr.  Messiter-]  who  attended  him  in  his  last  sickness), 
that  he   confirmed    the    truth    of  all   that  he  had   published 
relating  to  his  communications   with  the  world  of  spirits,  by 
his  ^lemn  testimony,   a  very  short   time  before  he  departed 
this  life,  in  London,  anno  Dom.  1772. 

17.  "Header,  might  it   not  seem  a  wonder,  if  a  person  of 


508  TESTIMONY  OF  CON  TEMP  OB  ABIES.    [Doc.  259. 

so  extraordinary  and  so  apostolical  a  character,  should  better 
escape  the  imputation  of  madness,  than  the  prophets  of  old? 
And  accordingly  some  have  given  out,  that  he  was  beside 
himself,  and,  in  particular,  that  it  was  occasioned  by  a  fever 
which  he  had  about  twenty  years  before  his  death.  Now  it  is 
well  known  by  all  his  acquaintance,  that  our  author  recovered 
of  that  fever  after  the  manner  of  other  men;  that  his  extra- 
ordinary communications  commenced  many  years  before  that 
time,  and  that  his  writings,  both  prior  and  subsequent  to  it, 
entirely  harmonize  and  proceed  upon  the  same  principles  with 
an  exact  correspondence;  and  that  in  the  whole  of  his  con- 
versation, transactions,  and  conduct  of  life,  he  continued  to 
the  end  of  it  the  same  uniform,  excellent  man.  Now,  if  to 
write  many  large  volumes  on  the  most  important  of  all  subjects 
with  unvaried  consistency,  to  reason  accurately,  and  to  give 
proofs  of  an  astonishing  memory  all  the  way ;  and  if  hereto  be 
joined  propriety  and  dignity  of  character  in  all  the  relative 
duties  of  the  christian  life;  if  all  this  can  be  reconciled  with 
the  definition  of  madness,  why  there  is  an  end  of  all  distinction 
between  sane  and  insane,  between  wisdom  and  folly.  Fie 
upon  those  uncharitable  prejudices,  which  have  led  so  many 
in  all  ages  to  credit  and  propagate  slanderous  reports  of  the 
best  of  men,  even  whilst  they  have  been  employed  in  the  heavenly 
work  of  turning  many  from  darkness  to  light,  and  from  the 
power  of  Satan  unto  God! 

"Were  an  angel  from  heaven  to  come  and  dwell  incarnate 
amongst  us,  may  we  not  suppose  that  his  conversation,  dis- 
coveries, and  conduct  of  .life,  would  in  many  things  be  so 
contrary  to  the  errors  and  prejudices,  the  ways  and  fashions 
of  this  world,  that  many  would  say  with  one  consent,  he  is 
beside  himself?  And  where  any  one  of  our  brethren,  through 
the  Divine  favour,  attains  to  any  high  degree  of  angelical 
illumination  and  communications,  may  he  not  expect  the  like 
treatment?  I  forget  the  name  of  the  philosopher,  whose 
precepts  and  lectures  were  so  repugnant  to  the  dissolute 
manners  of  the  Athenians,  that  they  sent  to  Hippocrates  to 
come  and  cure  him  of  his  madness;  to  which  message  that 
great  physician  returned  this   answer.     That  it  was,  not  the 


Doc.  259.1        MEV.  T.  HARTLEY'S  TESTIMONY.  .509 

philosopher,  but  the  Athenians  that  were  mad.*  In  like 
manner,  the  wise  in  every  city  and  country  are  the  smaller 
part,  and  therefore  must  be  content  to  suffer  the  reproachful 
name  that  in  truth  belongs  to  the  majority.  This  has  been 
the  case  of  all  extraordinary  messengers  for  good  to  mankind, 
and  the  world  is  not  altered  in  this  respect. 

18.  "But  it  may  be  said,  that  though  it  be  thus  with  the 
ignorant  and  profane,  yet  men  of  education  and  learning  will 
form  a  more  righteous  judgment  of  the  matter,  and  be  determined 
impartially  according  to  the  nature  of  the  evidence:  and  it 
would  be  well  if  it  were  so ;  and  therefore  we  hnd,  that  in  all 
ages  such  among  the  learned  as  devoted  themselves  to  siii)port 
the  credit  and  interest  of  their  particidar  professions,  were 
always  the  most  violent  persecutors  of  the  truth:  for  though 
truth  has  its  conveyance  through  the  intellectual  part  in  man, 
yet  it  never  gains  its  effect,  or  operates  as  a  principle,  till  it 
be  received  into  the  affection  and  will;  and  so  man  is  said 
in  Scripture  to  be  of  an  understanding  heart.  So  that  know- 
ledge is  productive  of  the  greatest  good,  or  the  greatest  evil, 
according  to  the  ground  or  disposition  in  which  it  resides; 
when  joined  with  piety  and  humility,  it  adds  both  lustre  and 
force  to  truth;  when  joined  with  the  corrupt  i)assions  of  our 
nature,  it  is  the  most  violent  persecutor  of  it:  this  Avas  the 
case  with  the  scribes  and  Pharisees  and  doctors  of  the  law; 
no  greater  enemies  to  Christ  than  they;  the  pride  of  reputation 
for  learning,  and  the  authority  of  public  teachers,  unfitted 
them  for  becoming  learners  at  the  feet  of  the  lowly  Jesus; 
and  therefore  to  them  were  directed  those  words  of  our  Lord : 
*How  can  ye  believe,  who  receive  honour  one  of  another,  and 
seek  not  the  honour  that  cometh  of  God  only'  (John  v,  44); 
giving  us  hereby  to  understand,  that  the  dominion  of  any 
wrong  passion  over  the  mind,  will  prove  a  certain  hindrance 
in  our  way  to  Divine  Truth. 

19.  "We  are  not  unprepared  for  the  opposition  that  may 
be  expected  to  any  fresh  discoveries  of  truth,  especially,  as 
has  been  observed  before  [no.  18],  where  the  credit  or  interest 


*   One    of   the    editors    of    "Heaven    and    Hell"    says,    "The    story    of 
Democritus  and  the  citizens  of  Abdera  seems  to  be  that   here  alluded  to." 


510  TESTIMONY  OF  COXTEMPOEARIES.    [Doc.  25f>. 

of  any  considerable  profession  or  body  of  men  is  concerned. 
Established  doctrines  and  opinions  are  considered  as  sacred, 
and  the  sanction  of  custom  gives  them,  with  many,  the  firmness 
of  a  rock;  as  is  known  to  have  been  the  case  in  physics, 
astronomy,  and  natural  philosophy,  in  which  truth,  though 
supported  by  the  e^-idence  of  demonstration,  has  scarcely  been 
able  to  make  its  way  in  a  century.  Besides,  the  pride  of 
learning  is  strong  on  the  side  of  estabhshed  institutions,  and 
for  men  to  part  with  what  they  have  been  building  up  with 
much  study  and  pains  for  a  great  part  of  their  Hves,  is  a 
mortifying  consideration;  they  are  startled  at  the  thoughts  of 
becoming  thus  poor,  and  some  would  be  as  wiUing  to  part 
with  their  Hves  as  with  their  acquisitions  of  this  kind;  and 
hence  it  is,  that  we  read  of  so  many  martyrs  to  error  and 
foUy  in  all  ages. 

20.  "'These  things  considered,  we  are  not  to  wonder  that 
our  author's  pubhcations  have  met  with  no  better  encouragement 
hitherto  in  his  own  country,  (as  is  usually  the  case  with  prophets,) 
we  being  informed  some  time  ago  by  a  worthy  merchant  at 
Gottenburg,  that  but  few  of  the  clergy  (as  far  as  had  come 
to  his  knowledge)  had  there  received  them;  and  that  the 
Reverend  Dr.  Beyer,--  a  learned  man,  and  lector  in  the 
gymnasium  of  that  town,  had  suffered  much  persecution  for 
adopting  and  propagating  the  truths  contained  in  his  writings, 
and  was  not  suffered  to  print  Ms  explication  and  defence  of 
them  in  Sweden.*  But,  to  the  honour  of  our  constitution,  we 
can  as  yet  call  the  liberty  of  the  press  (and  a  liberty  with- 
in the  bounds  of  decency  may  it  always  be)  the  prinlege  of 
Englishmen,  and  therefore  may  reasonably  hope  for  better 
success  to  our  author's  ^\Titings  in  this  land  of  freedom;  not 
that  we  expect  any  encouragement  on  their  behalf  from  our 
Pharisees  and  bigots  of  any  denomination,  for  they  are  the 
same  everywhere;  but  our  hopes  are  from  men  of  unprejudiced 
minds,  dead  to  self  and  the  world,  of  a  simpHfied  understand- 
ing, and  such  as  are  friends  to  w-isdom  wherever  they  find 
her;  in  a  word,  whose  spirit  harmonizes  with  truth,  and  whose 
hearts  are  in  unison  with  heavenly  things." 

'•'  For  further  particulara  see  Document  245. 


Doc.  259.]       HARTLEY'S  LETTER  TO  CL  0  WES.  511 

C. 

FROM  A  LETTER  OF  THE  REV.  T.  HARTLEY  TO  THE  REV.  J.  CLOWES.-'^* 

'21.  "The  great  Swedenborg  was  a  man  of  uncommou 
humility,  and  so  far  from  affecting  to  be  the  head  of  a  sect,-{- 
that  his  vokiminous  ^vritings  in  divinity  continued  almost  to 
the  end  of  his  life  to  be  anonymous  publications;  and  I  have 
some  reason  to  think  that  it  was  owing  to  my  remonstrance 
to  him  on  this  subject,  that  he  was  induced  to  prefix  his  name 
to  this  his  last  work. 

22.  "He  was  of  a  catholic  spirit,  and  loved  all  good  men 
in  every  church,  making  at  the  same  time  all  candid  allowance 
for  the  innocency  of  involuntary  error;  but  as  he  found  himself 
obhged  to  point  out  the  false  doctrines  in  the  several  churches 
with  an  impartial  freedom,  it  must  be  expected  that  his  writ- 
ings will  meet  with  opposition  from  bigots  in  all  churches: 

"The  zealous  Roman  Catholic  will  be  against  him,  as  he 
censures  that  church  for  arrogating  to  itself  the  power  of 
Christ,  of  dispensing  with  the  Divine  laws,  and  of  exercising 
spiritual  jurisdiction  over  the  consciences  of  its  members. 

"The  Solijidian,  who  separates  faith  from  practice  in  religion, 
and  makes  belief  to  constitute  the  whole  of  it,  will  also  be 
against  him,  as  our  author  fundamentally  lays  down  the  insepar- 
able union  of  both  as  necessary  to  salvation,  shewing  that 
neither  without  the  other  can  be  called  faith  or  good  works, 
in  a  Christian  sense,  nor  can  subsist  as  divided  any  more 
than  heat  and  light  in  the  sun. 

"The  rigid  Calvinist,  who  confines  the  mercy  of  God  to  a 
small  part  of  mankind  by  a  partial  decree,  will  reject  a  writer 
who  asserts  the  goodness  of  God,  in  its  utmost  possible  extent 
towards  all,  on  the  clearest  proofs  both  of  Scriptural  and  moral 
evidence,  and  explains  the  consistency  betwixt  the  freedom  of 
the  human  will  and  the  operations  of  Divine  grace  to  the 
conviction  of  the  rational  mind,  showing  that  if  positive  decrees 


*  This  letter  was   inserted  by  Mr.  Clowes  in  the  preface  to  his  trans- 
lalitju  uf  the  "True  Chiistian  Rehgion,"  published  in  1781. 
-j-  See  footnote  to  no.  7  of  the  present  L)ocument. 


512  TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMPORARIES.    [Doc.  259. 

in  respect  to  our  salvation  were  compatible  with  human  liberty, 
not  a  single  soul  would  be  lost. 

"To  the  foregoing  adversaries  of  our  author  may  be  added 
the  narroiv  Sectarian,  whether  it  be  a  leader  that  seeketh  the 
honour  that  cometh  of  man,  or  others  under  him  who  have 
shut  up  their  minds  against  all  further  light,  as  determined 
to  maintain  the  interest  and  credit  of  their  party  on  its 
present  foundation. 

"The  Deist  and  Naturalist,  who  are  nearly  the  same,  and 
from  the  depth  of  a  metaphysical  darkness,  talk  of  an  unknown 
God  without  the  least  idea  of  Him,  and  confound  the  Divine 
Essence  with  what  they  call  Nature,  still  more  unintelligible, 
will  professedly  oppose  the  writings  of  our  illustrious  author, 
who  so  frequently  and  sedulously  inculcates  the  Divinity  of 
Jesus  Christ,  by  His  personal  union  with  the  Father,  from 
whence  arises  this  distinguishing  grace  and  privilege  of  the 
Christian,  that  whereas  the  eternal,  invisible  Jehovah  mani- 
fested Himself  before  and  under  the  Law  to  mankind  by  the 
ministration  of  angels,  He  now  communicates  Himself  to  us 
through  the  adorable  Jesus,  in  our  own  nature,  glorified  as 
God  and  Man  in  a  Divine  personality. 

"Lastly,  the  mere  Formalist  in  religion,  the  self-righteous 
Pharisee,  and  all  such  as  live  according  to  the  course  of  this 
world,  with  minds  and  hearts  directed  thereto,  however  decent 
they  may  appear  externally,  will  all  join  in  opposition  to  so 
spiritual  a  messenger,  who  strenuously  insists  on  the  inward 
principle  of  good,  Avithout  which  all  externals  are  unavailing 
to  salvation,  and  that  it  is  only  through  the  energy  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  proceeding  from  the  Father  through  the  Divine 
Humanity  of  the  Son  in  hearts  duly  prepared  for,  and  receptive 
of,  such  influence,  that  we  are  made  meet  to  be  the  par- 
takers of  the  inheritance  of  the  saints  in  light. 

"Now  that  any  extraordinary  messenger  to  the  world, 
faithful  to  his  commission  in  the  delivery  of  Di\dne  Truths, 
without  respect  of  persons,  should  meet  with  opposition,  is  so 
far  from  being  any  just  cause  of  offence  to  us,  that  it  should 
serve  to  confirm  us  in  the  belief  of  his  legation,  inasmuch 
as  Divine  Truth  must  ever  be  contrary  to  the  inclinations, 
maxims,   and  pursuits  of  a  degenerate   world,  the  reasonings 


Doc.  259.]       HARTLEY'S  LETTER  TO  CLOWES.  513 

of  wliicli  will  ever  be  according  to  its  governing  principles, 
and  therefore  it  was  that  the  essential  Truth  of  God  in  the 
person  of  Christ  was  to  suffer  persecution;  but  wisdom  is 
justified  of  her  children,  even  such  as  have  their  hearts  turned 
towards  God;  and  in  respect  to  such,  Truth  carries  in  it 
native  evidence  and  conviction,  so  as  to  supersede  the  necessity 
of  argument,  according  to  those  words  of  our  Lord,  'If  any 
man  will  do  His  will,  he  shall  know  of  the  doctrine  whether 
it  be  of  God.' 

23.  "Our  author  ever  kept  the  Holy  Scriptures  in  view; 
they  were  his  light  and  guide,  his  shield  and  buckler  on  all 
occasions;  his  reasonings  are  grounded  on  their  authority, 
and  he  is  abundantly  copious  in  the  proofs  he  draws  from 
them  in  support  of  whatever  doctrine  he  advances.  On  this 
foundation  he  builds,  and  a  surer  can  no  one  lay;  he  ex- 
pounds the  lively  oracles  by  their  harmonizing  sense  in  different 
parts  of  them,  and  opens  their  spiritual  meaning,  like  the 
scribe  instructed  unto  the  kingdom  of  heaven;  and  of  tliis  he 
has  in  particular  given  us  satisfying  evidence  in  his  exposition 
of  the  Apocalypse. 

"And  yet  let  it  be  remarked  here,  that  however  high  he 
stands  in  the  character  of  the  enlightened  divine,  however 
zealous  he  appeared  for  Truth  and  the  instruction  of  liis 
brethren ;  and  lastly,  however  self-denying  in  his  own  particular 
case  as  to  gratifications  and  indulgences,  even  within  the  bounds 
of  moderation,  yet  nothing  severe,  nothing  of  the  precisian  ap- 
peared in  him;  but,  on  the  contrary,  an  inward  serenity  and 
complacency  of  mind  were  manifest  in  the  sweetness  of  his 
looks  and  outward  demeanour ;  and  in  his  writings  so  far  is  he 
from  affecting  any  stoical  stiffness  or  severity,  that  in  several 
parts  of  them  he  allows  to  Christian  liberty  its  full  scope,  and 
nowhere  censures  social  entertainments  and  amusements  pro- 
perly conducted. 

24.  "This  highly  gifted  man's  visions  and  communications 
wdth  the  spiritual  world,  in  a  frequent  visible  intercourse 
wath  angels  and  other  spirits,  will  be  looked  upon  by  many 
as  an  exceptionable  part  of  his  writings,  owing  to  a  general 
disbelief  of  these  things,  helped  on  by  the  w^ak  arguments 
of   some,    who   have   a   reputation    for  learning,    in   order  to 

o3 


514  TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMPORARIES.     [Doc.  259. 

discredit  the  reality  of  such  supernatural  discoveries,  urging, 
that  since  the  publication  of  the  gospel,  they  have  ceased  as 
useless.  Yet  it  is  most  certain  that  after  the  publication 
of  the  Law  they  were  frequent,  and,  if  any  credit  is  to  be 
given  to  the  best  human  testimonies,  have  been  vouchsafed 
to  some  in  every  age  of  the  Christian  church;  and  I  verily 
believe,  with  our  author,  that  we  have  all  of  us  communications 
with  the  spiritual  world,  by  our  connections  with  good  or 
evil  spirits,  according  to  the  fitness  of  disposition  and  choice 
that  lead  to  such  associations  respectively,  and  that  we  receive 
influx  from  them.  But  few  understand  this,  through  want  of 
visible  natural  representations,  though  the  truth  of  the  matter 
is  provable  from  the  Sacred  Writings ;  and  as  to  that  portion 
of  Scripture,  on  which  they  mistakenly  lay  so  much  stress,  viz. 
'If  they  hear  not  Moses  and  the  Prophets,  neither  will  they 
be  persuaded  though  one  rose  from  the  dead,'  it  is  spoken  of 
such  as  have  hardened  themselves  in  unbelief  with  respect  to 
a  future  state,  who  therefore  would  bring  themselves  into  still 
greater  condemnation  should  they  have  the  offer  of  such 
additional  evidence  as  they  would  be  sure  to  reject;  whereas 
the  same  extraordinary  vouchsafements  to  certain  believers 
may  be  considered  as  their  privilege,  and  of  benefit  to  them- 
selves or  others ;  or  if  dispensed  to  such  as  are  weak  in  the 
faith,  may  serve  for  their  confirmation  in  it.  But  of  these 
matters  we  are  seldom  competent  judges,  as  they  are  among 
the  secrets  of  Divine  Wisdom. 

25.  "I  forbear  to  enlarge  on  this  subject  here,  as  I  have 
spoken  more  fully  of  it  in  my  Preface  to  the  translation  of 
the  author's  book,  De  Ccelo  et  Inferno,  'Concerning  Heaven 
and  Hell ;'  in  respect  to  which  translation  I  find  myself  called 
upon,  in  order  to  rectify  and  obviate  some  mistakes,  to  observe 
as  follows:  Mr.  William  Cookworthy,^^^  of  Plymouth,  began 
and  carried  on  a  considerable  part  of  that  translation.  I 
translated  and  finished  the  remainder.  He  submitted  his  part 
of  the  translation  to  my  revisal  and  corrections:  but  I  found 
it  needful  to  form  his  part  from  the  original  Latin  into  a 
similarity  of  language  with  my  own,  and  accordingly  completed 
it;  to  which  I  added  the  preface,  and  the  whole  of  the  notes. 
I  think  myself  obliged  to  mention  this,   that  whatever  degree 


Doc.  259.]       HARTLEY'S  LETTER  TO  CLOWES.  515 

of  credit  may  be  allowed  to  that  work,  the  share  whicli  that 
estimable  man  had  in  it  may  be  ascribed  to  him;  and  this 
also  is  said  for  the  satisfaction  of  his  surviving  friends.  I  am 
to  observe,  that  Mr.  Cookworthy  was  at  the  whole  expense  of 
the  publication. 

26.  "As  the  credibility  of  Swedenborg's  extraordinary  dis- 
pensation, in  respect  to  his  commerce  with  the  invisible  world, 
would  receive  addition  from  his  private  good  character,  I  was 
accordingly  led  to  call  upon  him  by  letter  to  publish  some 
particulars  of  himself,  for  the  satisfaction  of  the  pubhc,  which 
he  answered,  giving  me  some  account  of  himself  and  family, 
which  was  contirmed  to  me  by  some  who  well  knew  him  in 
his  own  country,  together  with  the  honours  with  which  he  was 
dignified  there  as  a  member  of  the  House  of  Nobles,  by  the 
high  esteem  in  which  he  was  held  by  the  Royal  Family  in 
Sweden,  and  also  by  the  most  pious  and  excellent  men  of 
that  kingdom,  as  also  with  some  other  memorable  particulars, 
not  here  to  be  mentioned.  The  above-mentioned  letter  to  me* 
I  have  given  in  my  translation  of  a  small  treatise  written  by 
our  author,  'On  the  Nature  of  Influx/  under  the  prefixed  title 
of  a  'Theosophic  Lucubration.'  I  am  to  observe  here,  that  I 
am  indebted  to  Christopher  Springer,  Esq.,^^'  formerly  member 
of  the  Diet  in  Sweden,  who  has  resided  in  London  many 
years,  for  many  satisfactory  circumstances  relating  to  his  Hfe 
and  character. 

27.  "And  yet  the  great  Swedenborg,  who  employed  his 
peculiar  talents  and  the  greater  part  of  a  long  life  for  the 
benefit  of  his  brethren,  high  in  honour  and  esteem  as  he  was, 
lived  several  years  in  an  obscure  lodging  in  London  in  which 
he  ended  his  days.  0  Lord,  liow  wonderful  are  Thy  dealings 
with  Thy  most  favoured  servants,  to  bring  them  into  a  con- 
Jbrmity  to  Thy  low  and  abject  state  on  earth,  in  order  to 
exalt  them  to  that  glory  which  thou  hast  prepared  for  them! 

28.  "I  saw  him  in  the  beginning  of  his  last  illness,  and 
asked  him  if  he  was  comforted  with  the  society  of  angels  as 
before,  and  he  answered  that  he  was.  I  returned  home,  about 
a    day's  journey  from  London,  and  heard  soon  after  that  he 

*  It  constitutes  Documo.it  2  in  Vol.  I. 

33* 


516  TESTIMONY  OF  GONTEMP  OB  ABIES.     [Doc.  259. 

was  near  his  departure,  and  expressed  his  desire  to  see  me, 
but  as  some  hindrances  to  the  visit  happening  at  that  time, 
I  did  not  embrace  the  opportunity,  wliich  I  should  have  done, 
for  those  hindrances  might  have  been  surmounted.  My  neglect 
on  this  occasion  appears  to  me  without  excuse,  and  lies  very 
heavy  on  my  mind  to  this  day. 

29.  "That  so  highly  gifted  a  messenger  from  the  Lord  (as 
I  verily  believe  he  was)  should  meet  with  the  reproach  of  being 
beside  himself,  will  be  so  far  from  appearing  strange  to  such 
as  are  acquainted  with  the  Scriptures,  that  they  would  expect 
it:  and  it  is  credible,  that  an  Angel  from  heaven  in  a  human 
form,  with  a  like  message  to  an  apostate  world,  would  find 
no  better  treatment  from  it.  But  let  the  authors  of  such 
a  calumny  look  well  to  the  danger  they  incur  by  it;  for  where 
a  person  is  advanced  to  any  good  degree  of  usefulness  in  the 
cause  of  virtue  and  religion,  and  more  particularly  if  led  to 
consecrate  very  exalted  talents  to  the  honour  of  God,  and 
the  spiritual  benefit  of  his  brethren,  such  a  character  is  sacred, 
and  to  go  about  to  defeat  the  success  of  such  labours  is 
nothing  less  than  a  degree  of  profanation;  and  the  like  con- 
duct in  any  of  the  clergy,  whether  proceeding  from  eny}> 
jealousy,  or  any  partial  regard  to  their  own  particular  credit 
or  interest,  is  still  more  blamable.  And  as  to  such  as  are 
led  by  a  mistake,  or  a  zeal  for  some  particular  opinions,  to 
oppose  the  usefulness  of  eminently  good  men,  because  they 
think  and  walk  not  in  all  things  according  to  their  rule,  they 
would  do  well  to  remember  that  there  are  diversities  of  gifts, 
and  differences  of  administrations  of  the  same  Spirit,  and  all 
for  the  edification  of  the  body  of  Chi'ist.  Thus  some  are  more 
in  the  literal,  whilst  others  excel  in  opening  the  spiritual, 
sense  of  the  Scriptures;  some  are  eminent  for  their  active 
usefulness  in  public  exhortation,  teaching,  and  preaching, 
whilst  others  are  more  fitted  for  writing  in  defence  of  the 
Truth,  or  find  themselves  called  to  perfect  their  states  re- 
spectively in  the  various  exercises  of  a  retired  piety.  Some 
Christians  have  little  more  of  grace  than  is  sufiicient  for 
themselves,  others  have  a  larger  portion  of  it  for  the  benefit 
of  their  brethren  also,  whilst  all  are  graciously  provided  with 
instruments  and  means  suited  to  their  recipiency  and  several 


Doc.  259.]       HARTLEY'S  LETTER  TO  CLOWES.  517 

occasions.  Tims  the  church,  like  the  natural  body,  has  its 
different  members,  all  which  may  contribute  to  the  welfare  of 
the  whole,  by  the  concurrence  of  their  several  functions  uniting 
in  love,  whilst  no  one  can  say  to  another,  'I  have  no  need 
of  thee.'  Why  then  do  men,  called  religious,  go  about  to 
reproach  and  vilify  one  another  on  account  of  their  several 
distinguishing  gifts,  which,  like  as  one  star  differs  from  another 
star  in  glory,  may  and  should  all  attune  in  one  Divine  harmony 
to  the  praise  and  glory  of  God? 

30.  "The  unchristian  spirit  of  calumny  and  detraction  here 
mentioned,  leads  me  to  observe  in  this  place,  that  some  have 
taken  pains  to  represent  our  author  as  mad,  in  order  to  dis- 
credit his  character  and  writings,  grounding  their  charge  on 
the  following  circumstance.  He  was  seized  with  a  fever,  at- 
tended with  a  delirium,  common  in  that  case,  about  twenty  years 
before  he  died,  and  was  under  the  care  of  a  physician;  and 
they  have  gone  about  to  pick  up  what  he  said  and  did,  and 
how  he  looked  at  that  time,  and  have  propagated  this  both 
in  private  and  in  print,  a  proceeding  so  contrary  to  common 
humanity,  that  one  cannot  think  of  it  without  offence,  nay 
even  horror;  but  there  is  not  the  least  occasion  for  a  par- 
ticular answer  to  so  malignant  a  charge,  as  it  receives  its  full 
confutation  from  the  consistency  and  wisdom  of  his  numerous 
publications  since  that  time,  insomuch  that  we  can  here  apply 
to  him  the  apostle's  answer  to  Festus'  imputation  of  madness, 
that  he  speaks  the  'words  of  truth  and  soberness;'  and  if  this 
be  not  allowed  as  a  proof  in  point,  where  is  the  test  whereby 
we  are  to  distinguish  between  sane  and  insane? 

31.  "It  may  reasonably  be  supposed,  that  I  have  weighed 
the  character  of  our  illustrious  author  in  the  scale  of  my  best 
judgment,  from  the  personal  knowledge  I  had  of  him,  from 
the  best  information  I  could  procure  concerning  him,  and 
from  a  diligent  perusal  of  his  writings;  and  according  thereto 
I  have  found  him  to  be  the  sound  divine,  the  good  man,  the 
deep  philosopher,  the  universal  scholar,  and  the  polite  gentle- 
man; and  I  further  believe  that  he  had  a  high  degree  of 
illumination  from  the  Spirit  of  God,  was  commissioned  by 
Him  as  an  extraordinary  messenger  to  the  world,  and  had 
communication   with  angels,    and  the    spiritual  world,   beyond 


518  TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMPOBARIES.      [Doc.  259. 

any  since  the  time  of  the  apostles.  As  such  I  offer  his 
character  to  the  public,  solemnly  declaring  that,  to  the  best 
of  my  knowledge,  I  am  not  herein  led  by  any  partiality,  or 
private  views  whatever,  being  much  dead  to  every  worldly 
interest,  and  accounting  myself  as  unworthy  of  any  higher 
character  than  that  of  a  penitent  sinner.  I  pretend  to  no 
authority  over  the  mind  of  the  reader;  and  if  I  have  erred 
in  any  thing  here  delivered,  I  trust  that  it  is  in  the  innocency 
of  error,  and  it  shall  be  retracted  on  conviction. 

32.  "I  have  further  to  declare  it  as  my  belief,  that  we 
draw  nigh  to  the  last  of  the  latter  days  spoken  of  in  Scripture, 
and  that  the  woes  are  already  begun,  which  are  to  prepare 
the  way  for  the  New  Jerusalem  from  above,  to  the  truth  of 
which  our  honoured  author  appears  to  have  been  called  to 
bear  a  particular  testimony,  in  which  vocation  I  believe  he 
will  soon  be  succeeded  by  others.  The  doctrine  of  judgment- 
work  approaching,  will  meet  with  no  favourable  reception 
from  those  that  are  of  this  world,  and  are  satisfied  with  the 
present  condition  of  it;  but  the  children  and  heirs  of  that 
kingdom,  which  shall  have  its  sure  foundations  in  Christian 
love,  righteousness,  and  peace,  will,  through  the  power  of  faith, 
be  enlightened  to  see  the  foregoing  scourges  as  preparatory 
to  the  manifestation  of  Christ's  glorious  kingdom  on  earth, 
and  together  with  all  the  present  mourners  in  Sion  be  enabled 
to  rejoice  in  hope,  mth  the  Divine  witness  in  the  revelations, 
saying,  and  earnestly  praying,  'Come,  Lord  Jesus,  come 
quickly.'" 

In  an  earlier  part  of  this  letter,  Mr.  Hartley  expressed 
himself  on  the  writings  of  Swedenborg  as  follows. 

33.  "The  writings  of  this  honourable  man  recommend  them- 
selves, at  first  sight,  to  the  discerning  reader,  by  their  genuine 
simplicity,  by  the  profound  veneration  of  the  author  for  the 
Sacred  Scripture,  and  also  by  his  deep  penetration  into,  and 
his  clear  elucidation  of,  their  spiritual  sense,  and  of  the 
mysteries  contained  therein,  carrying  with  them  a  comincing 
evidence  to  the  judgment  of  simplified  impartial  minds,  between 
which  and  the  Truth  there  is  a  certain  congruity  that  disposes 
the  former  for  an  immediate  reception  of  the  latter;  and  this 
simplicity  is  termed  in  Scripture  'the  single  eye,'  according  to 


Doc.  259.]      HARTLEY'S  LETTER  TO  CLOWES.  519 

those    words    of   the    Lord   (Matt,    vi,   22),    'If  thine  eye    be 
single,  thy  whole  body  shall  be  full  of  light.'" 

The  relation  of  the  doctrines  taught  by  Swedcnborg  to 
the  Sacred  Scriptiu'e,  Mr.  Hartley  defines  in  the  following 
paragraphs. 

34.  "The  establishment  of  a  Divine  Revelation,  even  by 
God  Himself,  does  not  appear  to  have  been  designed,  in  any 
age  of  the  church,  to  supersede  the  vouchsafement  of  particular 
revelations  to  particular  persons,  at  difterent  times,  and  on 
certain  occasions;  and  credible  it  is,  that  seers  of  visions,  and 
extraordinary  messengers,  variously  gifted,  will  be  occasionally 
commissioned,  for  the  benefit  and  comfort  of  the  church  in 
the  future  times  of  it;  and  if  in  reply  to  this  it  should  be 
asked,  To  what  purpose  then  is  the  establishment  of  a  Divine 
Revelation,  if  it  answer  not  all  human  requirements  in  religion 
on  every  occasion?  be  it  answered,  That  though  an  established 
system  of  Divine  institutes  be  of  the  highest  importance  and 
benefit  to  mankind,  as  it  serves  for  a  common  and  safe 
directory,  both  for  faith  and  practice,  and  so  to  all  the  pur- 
poses of  life  and  godliness,  yet  through  a  deplorable  propensity 
in  our  nature  to  degenerate,  it  has  so  happened,  that  every 
church  has  by  degrees  departed  from  its  primitive  purity, 
and  either  through  the  ease  and  temptations  of  civil  establish- 
ments, or  other  manifold  causes,  sadly  apostatised  from  virtue 
and  piety,  to  the  love  of  the  Avorld,  infidelity,  and  impiety. 
In  this  case  a  people  stands  in  a  different  and  degraded 
relation  to  their  God,  who,  of  His  infinite  compassion,  is 
graciously  pleased  to  grant  them  extraordinary  means  for 
their  warning  and  conversion  where,  through  their  own  fault, 
the  ordinary  ones  have  failed  of  their  due  influence. 

3.5.  "x\nother  important  use  of  the  established  institutes 
of  a  revealed  religion,  in  connection  with  the  vouchsafement 
of  extraordinary  dispensations  to  particular  persons,  is  that 
of  their  serving  as  a  criterion  or  test,  whereby  to  'try  the 
spirits  whether  they  are  of  God;'  for  in  our  present  state  of 
probation  we  stand  betwixt  the  two  worlds  of  light  and  dark- 
ness, truth  and  error,  and  as  we  have  good  spirits  to  befriend 
us,  so  there  are  evil  spirits  to  mislead  and  delude  us.  The 
prophet  Isaiah  has   laid  down   the   following  rule   for  distin- 


520  TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMPOBABIES.     [Doc.  259. 

guishing  in  such  doubtful  cases,  where  any  were  liable  to  be 
deceived  by  wizards,  and  such  as  had  familiar  spirits  (viii,  20), 
'To  the  Law  and  the  Testimony:  If  they  speak  not  ac- 
cording to  this  Word,  it  is  because  there  is  no  light  in 
them.'  Our  application  of  this  rule  is  to  bring  every  doctrine 
to  the  test  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  and  whatever  agrees 
not  with  this  Divine  standard  is  to  be  rejected  as  false; 
for  'He  is  the  Way,  the  Truth,  and  the  Life.' 

"36.  'To  this  test,  viz.  the  authority  of  the  Sacred  Scriptures, 
we  offer  the  writings  of  the  inspired  Swedenborg,  for  examina- 
tion and  decision  in  every  point  of  doctrine,  and  may  challenge 
the  most  able  opposer  to  shew  wherein  he  has  falsified,  or 
even  misapplied  any  part  of  them  in  what  he  has  advanced; 
nay,  I  think  it  may  be  affirmed  with  truth,  that  no  one  ever 
more  highly  exalted  their  honour  and  dignity,  or  exhibited 
more  demonstrative  proofs  of  a  clear  and  comprehensive  under- 
standing of  them;  and  even  where  he  enters  upon  the  alle- 
gorical interpretation  of  the  Scriptures  of  the  Old  Testament  ('for 
these  things,'  according  to  Paul  (Gal.  iv,  24),  'are  an  allegory'), 
he  executes  this  part  of  his  office  with  so  much  religious  reverence 
for  the  letter,  that  they  who  have  not  as  yet  attained  to  the 
spiritual  sense  of  them,  (if  they  are  serious  and  unprejudiced,) 
will  be  so  far  from  having  any  reason  to  be  offended,  that 
they  will  rejoice  to  find  that  those  portions  of  Scripture, 
which  at  first  sight  seem  to  contain  so  little  of  Divine  instruc- 
tion, are  significant  of  the  most  important  truths,  even  'the 
wisdom  of  God  in  a  mystery.'  Thus  the  pious  mystical,  and 
the  pious  literal  Christian  may  unite  in  the  spirit  of  love, 
and  have,  as  different  parts  of  the  same  temple,  their  respective 
degrees  of  sanctity. 

37.  "It  is  particularly  observable,  that  no  writer,  the  know- 
ledge of  whom  has  come  down  to  us,  has  opened  the  relation 
which  things  bear  to  each  other  in  the  natural  and  spiritual 
worlds,  in  the  way  of  corresxwnclence,  in  any  degree  equal  to 
what  our  learned  author  has  given  us  on  this  subject,  shewing 
how  the  invisible  things  of  God  in  the  latter  may  be  clearly 
seen  and  understood  by  the  things  that  do  appear  in  this 
visible  creation.  His  exposition  of  Genesis  and  Exodus,  entitled 
Arcana  Ccelestia,  in  eight  volumes,  quarto,  abound  with  instances 


Doc.  259.J       HARTLEY'S  LETTER  TO  CLOWES.  521 

of  this  kind,  and  are  a  rich  treasure  of  heavenly  secrets.  In 
the  same  work  we  are  given  to  see  how  the  Spirit  of  God 
shadowed  forth,  and  delineated  the  great  mysteries  of  Gospel 
redemption,  through  regeneration,  before  and  under  the  Law, 
and  so  forming  them  into  one  consistent  plan  of  the  Divine 
Wisdom  and  Goodness  for  the  recovery  of  poor  lost  man,  by 
the  great  Jehovah's  assuming  our  human  nature  in  the  person 
of  Jesus  Christ. 

"But  our  enlightened  author  proceeds  still  further  in  the 
following  work  (the  'True  Christian  Religion'),  and  goes  on 
to  comfort  us,  under  the  present  sad  degeneracy  of  the  Christian 
church,  with  a  prospect  of  the  New  Jerusalem  from  above, 
whereby  Jesus  Christ  will  bless  the  earth,  under  the  administra- 
tion of  the  spirit  of  peace  and  love,  and  by  which,  as  he 
proves  from  Scripture,  is  to  be  understood  tlte  Second  Coming 
of  our  Lord;  not  for  the  destruction  of  the  earth  and  visible 
heavens,  but  for  the  renovation  of  the  Gospel  spirit  in  the 
church,  now  so  sadly  corrupted  and  fallen,  as  to  render  such 
a  new  dispensation  necessary  to  the  existence  of  a  True  Christian 
Church  on  earth." 

38.  In  conclusion  Mr.  Hartley  addresses  the  following  letter 
privately  to  the  translator  of  the   "True  Christian  Religion:" 

"Dear  Sir, 

"I  have  here  given  my  most  serious  thoughts 
on  the  writings  and  character  of  the  great  Swedenborg,  and 
if  you  approve  of  this  performance,  so  far  as  to  tliink  it  may 
be  prefixed  to  your  translation,  with  any  degree  of  usefulness, 
I  freely  offer  it  to  your  service.  I  thank  you,  Sir,  for  the 
favourable  opinion  of  me,  expressed  in  your  last  letter,  and 
must  own  that  I  esteem  it  a  comfort  to  have  been  instrumental 
in  some  degree  in  promoting  the  knowledge  of  our  author's 
writings,  and  wish  you  more  successful  in  your  able  endeavours 
to  forward  the  same.  It  is  matter  of  great  satisfaction  to 
find  that  the  small  part  of  his  works  which  has  already  been 
translated  into  English,  has  met  with  more  success  than  might 
be  expected  in  so  short  a  time ;  and  by  the  accounts  received 
of  the  favourable  reception  of  them  in  foreign  countries,  we 
have    good   reason   to  hope,   that  this  highly  gifted   ministry 


522  TESTIMONY  OF  CON  TEMP  OB  ABIES.     [Doc.  260. 

will  in  due  time  more  fully  appear,  as  a  light  shining  in  a 
dark  world,  to  check  the  progress  of  infidelity,  to  diffuse  the 
right  understanding  of  the  Sacred  Scriptures,  and  to  turn 
many  to  the  knowledge  of  the  Lord.  I  am  sure  that  you  join 
with  me  and  many  more  in  this  good  wish,  and  remain, 
Dear  Sir, 

"Your  affectionate  humble  servant, 

"T.  Haetley." 


DOCUMENT  260. 
TESTIMONY  OF  DR.  H.  MESSITER.'^"* 

A. 

DR.  MESSITER  TO  THE  PROFESSOR  OF  DIVINITY  AT  EDINBURGH. 

"October  23,  1769. 
"Rev.  Sir, 

"As  I  have  not  the  honour  of  knowing  your 
name,  I  hope  you  will  not  attribute  that  deficiency  in  the 
superscription  to  a  want  of  respect  towards  the  professor  of 
a  science  which  I  have  ever  held  in  the  greatest  veneration. 
The  Hon.  Mr.  Swedenborg  has  desired  me  to  send  you,  as  a 
present,  some  of  his  late  Tracts,  which,  should  you  think 
proper  to  peruse  them,  I  doubt  not  but  you  will  consider 
them  as  very  extraordinary,  and  certainly  more  proper  to  be 
submitted  to  the  scrutiny  of  gentlemen  of  your  dignity  and 
profession,  than  to  that  of  those  whose  want  of  a  proper  scale 
of  literature  but  ill  qualifies  them  to  judge  of  their  sublimity. 
As  I  have  had  the  honour  of  being  frequently  admitted  to 
the  author's  company  when  he  was  in  London,  and  to  con- 
verse with  him  on  various  points  of  learning,  I  will  venture 


*  The  above  correspondence  was  first  printed  in  the  "Intellectual  Re- 
pository," Vol.  Ill  (first  series),  p.  449  et  seq.;  and  was  introduced  thence 
into  the  several  editions  of  the  "Swedenborg  Documents." 


Doc.  2G0.1  3fESSITEE'S  TESTIMONY.  523 

to  affirm,  that  there  are  no  parts  of  mathematical,  philosophical, 
or  medical  knowledge,  nay,  I  believe  I  might  justly  say,  of 
human  literature,  to  which  he  is  in  the  least  a  stranger;  yet 
so  totally  insensible  is  he  of  his  own  merit,  that  I  am  con- 
fident he  does  not  know  that  he  has  any;  and,  as  himself 
somewhere  says  of  the  angels,  he  always  turns  his  head  away 
on  the  slightest  encomium.  "What  he  knows  of  the  most 
interesting  and  noble  science  of  all,  I  most  humbly  submit, 
Sir,  to  your  better  judgment:  yet  I  must  say,  that  though  I 
have  read  much  of  the  historical  and  mystical  proofs  of  the 
truth  of  Scripture,  I  have  never  yet  met  with  any  assertions 
so  wonderfully  affecting  the  mind  of  man;  and  wherever  I 
have  read  of  anything  of  this  nature  approaching  in  some 
measure  to  the  gift  of  our  author,  it  has  generally  been 
delivered  by  persons  whose  education  would  scarcely  secure 
them  from  the  censure  of  enthusiasm  or  imposture.  I  should 
be  glad,  Sir,  to  be  honoured  with  a  line  from  you  when  you 
get  the  books,  and  happy  to  receive  your  opinion  when  it  may 
be  suitable  to  you  to  confer  that  favour  on  me. 
"I  am,  Sir,  with  the  greatest  respect, 

"Your  most  obedient  and  most  humble  servant, 

"H.  Messitee." 
"At  Broom  House,  Fulham,  Middlesex." 


TUB  PROFESSOR'S  ANSWER. 

"Edinburgh,  Nov.  6,  1769. 
"Sir, 

"I  have  received  the  books  concerning  which 
you  were  pleased  to  advise  me  in  your  favour  of  the  23rd  of 
October,  for  which  1  return  you  cordial  thanks.  I  have  at 
present,  and  shall  have  during  the  winter  season,  but  little 
respite  from  the  duties  of  my  office  of  Divinity  Professor  here ; 
so  that  it  will  be  seven  or  eight  months  ere  I  can  purpose 
to  peruse  them  deliberately,  and  with  that  care  and  attention 
which  the  serious  and  important  nature  of  the  subjects  therein 
treated  plainly  requires.  I  have,  however,  seen  enough  to 
convince  me  that  the  honourable  author  is  a  very  learned 
and  pious  man, — qualities  that  shall  ever  command  my  respect. 


524  TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMPORARIES.     [Doc.  260. 

His  sentiments,  in  several  theological  points  of  importance, 
differ  not  a  little  from  those  that  are  entertained  in  our  North 
Biitish  Church,  and  he  supports  them  not  wholly  by  argumen- 
tation from  Scripture,  but  rests  a  good  deal  on  visions  of 
angels  and  intercourse  with  the  spiritual  world:  as  I  cannot 
boast  of  any  experience  of  that  kind,  I  am  the  less  qualified 
to  judge  of  the  weight  that  ought  to  be  laid  on  that  means 
of  proof.  This  is  all  I  can  presume  to  say  at  present,  and 
on  the  footing  of  a  very  slight  and  cursory  inspection  of  the 
books.  Meanwhile,  as  you  have  sent  a  copy  of  the  Ai^ocalypsis 
Revelata,  and  another  quarto,  in  which  Amor  Conjugialis  et 
Scortatorius ,  or  Fornicatio  Vaga  et  L/ibidinosa,  are  explained 
and  contrasted  in  respect  of  their  spiritual  and  mystical 
meaning,  I  shall  deposit  these  in  the  theological  library  here, 
as  also  a  single  copy  of  each  of  the  other  papers  and  pamphlets, 
reserving  to  my  own  proper  use  only  a  single  copy  of  each 
of  those  publications  of  which  you  have  transmitted  several 
copies;  the  residue  I  shall  give  away,  as  from  you,  to  such 
of  the  ministers  of  this  city  as,  to  the  best  of  my  judgment, 
will  most  thankfully  receive  them. 

"I  am,  with  sincere  respect  and  gratitude,  Sir, 

"Your  most  obedient  and  most  obliged  servant, 

"E-OBEKT  Hamilton." --° 


B. 

DR.  MESSITER  TO  THE  PROFESSOR   OF  DIVINITY  IN  THE  VNIVEUSITY  OF 

GLASGOW. 

"Rev.  Sir, 

"Had  I  the  honour  of  your  acquaintance  I 
should  not  have  addressed  you  in  the  general  term  of  Pro- 
fessor of  Divinity,  and  therefore  hope  your  candour  will  not 
suffer  you  to  construe  my  ignorance  into  a  disrespect  I  would 
not  willingly  be  thought  guilty  of.  The  Hon.  Mr.  Sweden- 
borg  has  desired  me  to  send  you,  as  a  present  from  him, 
some  late  Tracts  of  his  writing,  I  hope  not  more  extraordinary 
than  true.  As  I  have  had  often  the  honour  of  conversing 
with   him,    I   can   with    great   truth   assert,   that  he  is   truly 


Doc.  2nn.]  MESSITER'S  TESTIMONY.  525 

amiable  in  his  morals,  most  learned  and  humble  in  his  discourse, 
and  superlatively  affable,  humane,  and  courteous  in  his  behaviour; 
and  this  joined  ^vith  a  solidity  of  understanding  and  penetra- 
tion far  above  the  level  of  an  ordinary  genius.  Thus  much 
I  know  of  him,  and  therefore  sacredly  affirm,  though  not 
without  a  humble  deference  to  your  opinion  of  his  writings. 
If  this  character  be  allowed  him,  as  I  am  confident  it  will  in 
time,  it  will  remove  the  most  general  objections  offered  by 
the  most  violent  and  daring  Deists  to  revealed  religion,  viz., 
that  the  authors  [who  profess  to  have  received  revelations] 
are  obscure  illiterate  enthusiasts.  The  two  last  charges,  his 
writings  (if  not  what  is  above  said)  will  soon  refute,  and  the 
first  will  be  removed  by  the  account  given  of  himself  in 
the  letter  to  his  friend,  which  you  have  at  the  end  of  the 
S2H)nnaria  Expositio.  Though  I  must  beg  pardon  for  having 
taken  up  thus  much  of  your  time,  I  must  yet  take  the  liberty 
to  remark,  that  the  translation  of  the  above-mentioned  Treatise 
is  designed  as  a  present  for  any  English  reader  you  might 
think  proper  to  present  it  to,  but  as  it  is  very  indifferently 
executed,  I  am  confident  it  will  do  the  author  no  honour, 
and  therefore  wish  he  had  omitted  it.  I  shall  be  glad  to  be 
honoured  with  a  line  on  receipt  of  the  books,  and  on  any 
future  convenient  occasion  shall  be  happy  to  receive  your 
opinion  of  them. 

"I  am.  Sir,  with  the  greatest  respect, 

"Your  most  humble  and  most  obedient  servant, 

"H.  Messitee."2 


TBE  PROFESSOR'S  REPLY. 

"Sir, 

"I  am  favoured  with  yours  of  the  23rd  October, 
signifying  that  you  had  sent  me  as  a  present,  from  the  Hon. 
Mr.  Swedenborg,  some  of  his  late  Tracts.  The  box  with  the 
books  came  to  my  hand  some  days  before  I  received  your 
letter,  and  you  may  judge  of  my  surprise  when  I  could  not 
conjecture  how  or  by  whom  they  were  sent.  I  beg  you  will 
be  so  good  as  to  return  my  thanks  to  the  honourable  gentle- 
man for  his  present.    I  dare  not  presume  in  a  hasty  manner 


526  TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMPORARIES.      [Doc.  2G0. 

to  pass  any  judgment  upon  performances  which  seem  to  contain 
several  things  not  a  little  extraordinary.  Considering  the 
excellent  character  you  give  the  author,  I  am  persuaded  he 
has  the  interest  of  religion  at  heart,  and  every  friend  of  that 
interest  cannot  but  wish  success  to  intentions  so  pious  and 
so  disinterested.  I  am  sorry  you  think  the  translation  of  the 
Summaria  Expositio  so  ill  executed,  because  it  is  natural  to 
apply  to  the  translation  for  a  general  notion  of  the  author's 
principles  and  views;  and,  if  I  mistake  not,  the  original  is 
not  to  be  found  in  the  parcel  which  I  have  received. 
"I  have  the  honour  to  be,  with  great  respect,  Sir, 
''Your  most  obedient  humble  servant, 

"E.  Teaill.^^' 
"College,  Glasgow,  Nov.  3,  1769." 


C. 

DE.  MESSITER  TO  THE  PROFESSOR  OF  DIVINITY  IN  THE  UNIVERSITY  OF 

ABERDEEN. 

«Eev.  Sir, 

"I  hope  the  want  of  knowledge  of  your  name 
will  apologize  for  the  direction  on  the  superscription  of  this 
letter,  which  I  address  to  you  in  obedience  to  the  desire  of 
my  learned  friend  the  Honourable  Mr.  Swedenborg,  who  has 
desired  me  to  present  you  with  some  late  pieces  of  his  writing. 
I  wish,  good  Sir,  you  may  think  them  worthy  of  your  perusal, 
as  they  are  the  productions  of  a  man  whose  good  qualities, 
resulting  from  his  natural,  acquired,  and  blessed  abilities,  I 
can  with  much  truth,  from  my  frequent  converse  with  him, 
assert,  are  a  high  ornament  to  human  nature.  Credulity, 
prejudice,  or  partiality  seem  to  have  no  share  in  his  com- 
positions or  character,  nor  is  he  in  the  least  influenced  by 
any  avaricious  or  interested  view.  A  proof  of  this  last  asser- 
tion was  afforded  me  by  his  refusing  an  offer  of  any  money 
he  might  have  occasion  for  while  in  England,  which  was  made 
him  on  a  supposal  that  his  want  of  connexions  in  a  place 
where  he  was  a  stranger  might  prove  an  obstacle  to  his  Divine 
pursuits.  I  am  inclined  to  mention  this  circumstance  to  obviate 
the  jealousies  most  men  are  apt  to  entertain  of  works  of  this 


Doc.  2G0.]  IIESSITER'S  TESTIMONY.  527 

sort,  ^vllicll  they  think  only  designed  ad  cajptandos  denarios: 
but  this  suspicion  seems  also  pretty  well  removed  in  the  printed 
letter  entitled  Ad  Amiciim  Bespotisum.  His  learning,  like  his 
charity,  is  universal:  but  what  his  merit  in  these  performances 
may  be,  I  humbly  submit  to  your  superior  judgment. 

"Excuse  this  liberty,  and  believe  me  to  be,  with  the  most 
profound  respect,  Sir, 

"Your  most  humble  and  obedient  servant, 

"H.  Messiter." 


THE  PROFESSOR'S  ANfiWER. 

"Aberdeen,  November  7,  17G9. 
"Sir, 

"It    is    about   a    week   since    I   received   the 

favour  of  yours  of  October  23,  but  the  books  to  which  it 
refers  came  to  hand  only  last  night.  I  have  had  scarce  time 
at  all  to  look  into  them,  and  therefore  can  pretend  to  give 
no  opinion  of  them;  but,  as  you  desired  to  hear  from  me  on 
my  receiving  them,  I  could  not  think  of  delaying  to  return 
my  thanks  to  you  and  Mr.  Swedenborg  for  the  present  to 
which  I  have  no  sort  of  title.  I  hope  you  will  do  me  the 
honour  to  offer  him  my  best  respects.  The  necessary  business 
of  my  profession  at  this  season  will  probably  make  it  some 
time  before  I  can  read  the  pieces  sent  me  with  such  care  as 
to  form  an  opinion  of  them:  as  soon  as  I  am  able  to  form  it, 
I  shall  be  veiy  ready  to  communicate  it  to  you. 
"In  the  meantime,  I  am,  Sir, 

"Your  obliged  humble  servant, 

"Alex.  Geraed."-*' 


DOCUMENT  261. 
CHEISTOPHER  SPRINGER'S^'^  TESTEVIONY.* 

a  SPRINGER  TO  ABBE  PERNETY.^* 

Sir, 

1.  By  the  letter  with  which  you  have  honoured 
me,  dated  BerHn  the  6th  of  December  last,  which  came  very 
late  to  hand,  I  perceive  that  you  desire  to  have  some  of  the 
works  published  by  the  late  Assessor  Emanuel  Swedenborg, 
and  likewise  a  narrative  of  the  conversations,  which  I  had 
with  him  during  his  life-time ;  and  that  my  friends,  the  Norden- 
skolds  [Charles  Frederic-"  and  Augustus^^]  have  directed  you 
to  me  for  such  information.  I  shall  endeavour  to  comply  with 
your  wishes,  so  far  as  my  strength  and  sight  will  permit  me, 
which  during  the  last  two  years  have  failed  me  considerably, 
and  which  is  the  less  to  be  wondered  at,  as  I  shall  very  soon 
have  attained  my  seventy-ninth  year. 

*  This  letter  was  originally  written  in  the  German  language.  It  was 
translated  by  Pemety  into  French,  and  introduced  in  the  Preface  to  his 
French  translation  of  "Heaven  and  Hell,"  which  appeared  in  Berhn  in  1782 
(pp.  91  to  98).  An  English  translation  of  this  French  version  was  published 
in  1784  in  the  Appendix  to  the  second  edition  of  the  "Intercourse  between 
the  Soul  and  the  Body,"  together  with  the  remaining  documents  which 
had  been  collected  by  Pemety,  viz.  "Sandel's  Eulogium"  (Document  4),  and 
"Pemety's  Account"  (Document  6).  This  pubHcation  bears  the  title:  "A 
Theosophic  treatise  on  the  Nature  of  Influx,  together  with  an  Eulogium,"  etc. 
We  were  not  aware  of  the  existence  of  this  collection  of  documents  on 
writing  the  Introduction  to  Document  6  (Vol.  I,  pp.  52  to  55),  or  we 
would  not  have  made  a  declaration  to  this  effect,  that  "our  translation  of 
'Pemety's  Accoimt'  is  really  the  first  complete  one  that  had  been  pubhshed 
in  the  English  language."  The  translation  of  Springer's  letter  contained 
in  that  volume,  which  was  partly  reproduced  in  the  "New  Jerusalem 
Magazine"  for  1790  (pp.  191  to  193),  seems  to  have  been  the  one  intro- 
duced with  some  slight  verbal  alterations  into  the  English  editions  of 
Dr.  Im.  Tafel's  "Swedenborg  Documents"  published  in  England  and  America. 


Doc.  2G1.]  STRINGER'S  TESTIMONY.  529 

2.  It  is  to  be  observed  that  Assessor  Swedenborg  was  not 
a  count  but  only  a  simple  nobleman  from  the  year  1719.  His 
father,  Jesper  Swedberg,  was  Bishop  of  Skara,  a  man  of 
great  learning;  but  this  Emanuel  Swedenborg  received  richer 
endowments  from  God.  His  knowledge,  as  well  as  his  sincerity, 
was  great.  He  was  constant  in  friendship,  extremely  frugal 
in  his  diet,  and  plain  in  his  dress.  His  usual  food  was  coffee 
with  milk,  and  bread  and  butter;  sometimes,  however,  he  partook 
of  a  little  fish,  and  only  at  rare  intervals  he  ate  meat;  and 
he  never  drank  above  two  glasses  of  wine.  He  was  indifferent 
to  places  of  honour,  wherefore  about  1746  he  determined  to 
apply  for  a  discharge  from  his  official  duties  [see  Document 
166,  B];  but  the  King  granted  to  him  as  a  pension  half  the 
salary  of  his  office,  which  he  enjoyed  until  the  time  of  his  decease. 

3.  I  am  delighted  from  my  whole  heart  to  learn  that  you 
intend  to  translate  some  of  his  works,  that  they  may  become 
more  generally  known;  and  that  you  have  chosen  the  one 
which  is  entitled  Arcana  Ccelestia.  It  consists  of  eight  volumes, 
and  costs  at  present  eight  guineas,  or  eight  pounds,  eight 
shillings  sterling.  His  work  entitled,  Coronis  seu  Appendix  ad 
Veram  Christkmam  Eeligioiiem,  sells  for  two  shillings.  The 
expenses  for  carriage  may  amount  to  tlu'ee  shillings;  so  that 
the  total  sum  for  these  works  will  be  eight  pounds,  thirteen 
shillings.  An  opportunity  of  sending  them  via  Hamburg  will 
occur  every  mouth. 

In  accordance  with  your  wishes  I  presented  myself  before 
the  Count  de  Luzi  and  informed  him  of  the  commission  with 
which  you  had  charged  me.  He  replied  that  he  had  not  yet 
received  any  advice,  but  as  he  was  very  well  acquainted  with 
you,  this  would  suffice,  and  that  he  would  take  upon  himself 
to  advance  the  money  for  the  books;  he,  however,  added 
afterwards  that  he  considered  it  advisable  to  inform  you  of 
the  price,  before  making  the  shipment.  It  will,  therefore, 
entirely  depend  upon  you  to  inform  me  whether  you  wish  to 
have  them  sent. 

4.  I  suppose  you  possess  another  Latin  work  of  the  late 
Swedenborg  entitled,  De  Coelo  et  Inferno.  I  could  wish, 
nevertheless,  that  you  were  in  possession  of  the  English  trans- 
lation prepared  by  the  learned  Rev.   Thomas  Hartley.    It  is 

34 


530  TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMP  OB  ABIES.     [Doc.  261. 

furnished   with   notes   and   remarks    by  the  translator.     This 
work  costs  ten  shilUngs. 

5.  This  same  Mr.  Hartley  has  likewise  translated  into 
English,  with  notes  and  learned  observations,  a  work  of  the 
late  Swedenborg,  entitled,  "A  Theosophic  Lucubration  on  the 
Nature  of  Influx,  as  it  respects  the  Communication  and  Opera- 
tion of  the  Soul  and  Body,"  in  quarto.  The  price  of  this 
translation  is  two  shillings  and  sixpence.  It  concludes  with  a 
letter  from  the  late  Swedenborg  to  Mr.  Hartley. 

6.  There  is  still  another  small  volume  in  8vo,  the  Latin 
title  of  which  is  Nova  Hierosolyma;  this  has  also  been  trans- 
lated into  Enghsh,  but  very  badly.  The  Latin  copy  is  there- 
fore more  worthy  of  perusal  on  that  account.  It  may  interest 
you  to  know,  that  although  this  translation  is  very  defective,* 
not  a  single  copy  of  it  remains  on  sale.  As  to  the  Arcana 
Coelestia  only  two  copies  of  it  remain  unsold.  Of  these  I  have 
bespoken  one,  in  case  you  desire  to  have  it. 

7.  I  will  now  satisfy  the  desire  which  you  have  expressed 
of  being  informed  of  the  conversations  I  had  with  the  above- 
mentioned  Swedenborg,  both  when  alone  with  him,  and  also 
in  company  with  others;  but  I  must  observe  that  it  would  be 
too  much  and  too  difficult  to  relate  them  all  here. 

8.  It  is  certain  that  two  or  three  weeks,  and  not  two  or 
three  days  before  his  decease,  as  his  adversaries  insinuate,  I 
asked  him,  when  he  believed  that  the  New  Jerusalem,  or  the 
New  Church  of  God,  would  manifest  itself,  and  whether  this 
manifestation  would  take  place  in  the  four  quarters  of  the 
world.  His  answer  was  that  no  mortal  and  not  even  the 
celestial  angels  could  predict  the  time;  that  it  was  solely  in 
the  will  of  God.  "Eead,"  said  he,  "the  Book  of  Revelation 
xxi,  2,  and  Zechariah  xiv,  19,  and  you  will  see  there  that 
the  New  Jerusalem  will  undoubtedly  manifest  itself  to  the 
whole  earth." 

9.  I  asked  him  in  like  manner  concerning  the  letter 
written  by  the  Queen  of  Sweden  to  the  late  Margrave,  her 
brother.    He  replied,  "Much  of  this  is  true,  and  much  is  not 

*  The  English  Editor  remarks  here,  that  "The  extracts  from  the  Arcana 
Coelestia  were  omitted  in  that  edition." 


Doc.  261.]  SPRINGER'S  TESTIMONY.  531 

true;     and    perhaps    the   whole   matter    is    better    known    in 
Berlin."* 

10.  I  then  asked  him  whether  it  was  true,  as  I  had  been 
informed,  that  when  he  was  at  Gottenbiirg  (a  town  about 
sixty  Swedish  miles  from  Stockholm)  he  had  foretold  to  his 
friends,  three  days  before  the  arrival  of  the  post,  the  precise 
hour  of  the  great  fire  that  had  happened  in  Stockholm,  to 
which  he  replied  that  it  was  entirely  true. 

11.  I  put  also  many  questions  to  him  concerning  Charles 
XII,  King  of  Sweden,  and  received  surprising  answers  from  him. 

12.  I  will  now  relate  to  you  some  things  which  I  have 
both  seen  and  heard.  Fifteen  years  ago,-]-  Swedenborg  set 
out  for  Sweden,  and  asked  me  to  procure  a  good  captain  for 
him,  which  I  did.  I  contracted  with  one  whose  name  was 
Dixon.  Swedenborg's  luggage  was  taken  on  board  the  vessel; 
and  as  his  apartments  were  at  some  distance  from  the  docks, 
we  engaged  lodgings  for  the  night  in  an  inn  near  the  har- 
bour, as  the  captain  above-named  was  to  call  for  him  in  the 
morning.  He  went  to  bed,  and  I  sat  in  another  room  with 
the  landlord,  with  whom  I  conversed.  We  heard  a  noise; 
and  not  being  able  to  tell  the  cause,  we  approached  a 
door,  which  had  a  little  window  looking  into  the  room  where 
Swedenborg  was  sleeping.  "We  saw  him  with  his  hands  raised 
towards  heaven,  and  his  body  apparently  very  much  agitated. 


*  The  English  Editor  of  "An  Eulogium,"  etc.,  London,  1784,  adds  here 
in  a  footnote  (p.  33),  "A  friend  of  Mr.  Swedenborg's  writings  pMr.  Peckitt, 
see  Document  263,  B,  13,]  was  informed  of  the  following  particulai'S  respecting 
this  transaction,  by  the  writer  of  the  above  letter,  which,  containing  some 
things  not  found  in  the  account  related  in  the  Anecdotes  [Document  6, 
no.  25],  is  inserted  for  the  reader's  perusal:  'The  Queen  had  sent  some 
letters  of  a  secret  nature  to  her  brother,  the  Prince  of  Prussia,  and  being 
desirous  to  know  whether  he  had  received  them,  she  consulted  Mr.  Sweden- 
borg concerning  it,  who  told  her  he  would  inform  her  whether  he  had  or 
not  in  a  few  days.  On  his  going  to  the  Queen  at  the  time  appointed,  he 
told  her  that  her  brother  had  received  them,  and  was  going  to  answer 
them,  and  that  in  the  escritoire  of  the  prince  was  an  unfinished  letter, 
that  was  intended  to  have  been  sent  to  her,  before  his  decease.  On  this 
she  sent  to  the  King  of  Prussia,  and  the  letter  was  found  as  Mr.  Sweden- 
borg had  predicted,  which  the  Bang  sent  to  her.'" 

f  On  September  1,  1766;   see  Document  227,  p.  244. 

34* 


532  TESTIMONY  OF  CON  TEMP  OB  ABIES.     [Doc.  261. 

He  spoke  much  for  half-an-hour,  but  we  could  not  understand 
what  he  was  saying,  except  when  he  dropped  his  hands,  when 
we  heard  him  say  with  a  loud  voice,  "My  God!"  but  could 
not  hear  more.  He  remained  afterwards  very  quietly  in  his 
bed.  1  stepped  into  his  room  with  the  landlord,  and  asked 
whether  he  was  ill.  "No,"  said  he,  "but  I  have  had  a  long 
discourse  with  the  angels  and  the  heavenly  friends,  and  am  at 
this  time  in  a  great  perspiration."  As  his  things  had  been 
taken  on  board,  he  asked  the  landlord  for  a  fresh  shirt  and 
a  fresh  sheet.  Afterwards  he  went  to  bed  again,  and  slept 
till  morning.  When  the  captain  of  the  vessel  called  for  Sweden- 
borg,  I  took  leave  of  him,  and  wished  him  a  happy  journey: 
having  then  asked  the  captain,  if  he  had  a  good  supply  of 
provisions  on  board,  he  answered  me  that  he  had  as  much  as 
Avould  be  required.  Swedenborg  then  observed,  "My  friend,  we 
have  not  need  of  a  great  quantity;  for  this  day  week  we 
shall,  by  the  aid  of  God,  enter  into  the  port  of  Stockholm  at 
two  o'clock."  On  Captain  Dixon's  return,  he  related  to  me 
that  this  happened  exactly  as  Swedenborg  had  foretold.* 

13.  Two  years  afterwards  Swedenborg  returned  to  London, 
where  we  continued  our  former  friendship.  He  told  me,  that 
he  had  sent  his  works  to  the  bishops  of  Sweden,  but  without 
result,  and  that  they  had  received  him  with  the  same  indiffe-, 
rence  that  he  had  experienced  from  the  bishops  of  England. 
What  a  remarkable  change  I  noticed  among  the  bishops  in 
London.  I  had  witnessed  myself  with  what  coldness  he  was 
received  by  them  before  his  departure  for  Sweden,  and  I  saw 
that  on  his  return  he  was  received  by  them  with  the  greatest 
civility.  I  asked  him  how  this  change  could  have  come,  when 
he  answered,  "God  knows  the  time  when  His  church  ought 
to  commence." 

14.  His  intimate  friends  were  the  Rev.  Thomas  Hartley;^ 
the  late  doctor  in  Philosophy  Hampe,  a  learned  man,  who 
had  been  preceptor  to  George  II,  and  also  Messiter,^  a  doctor 
of  medicine;   but  Mr.   Hartley,  a  man   of  profound  learning, 


*  See  Document  230,  p.  250,  where  Swedenborg  states,  that  "the  trip 
from  England  was  made  in  eight  days;  a  favourable  wind  increasing  to  a 
perfect  storm  carrying  the  ship  along  in  this  style." 


Doc.  261.]  SPEINGEB'S  TESTIMONY.  533 

and  a  true  servant  of  God,  was  his  most  intimate  friend.  It 
•was  lie  who  translated  into  English,  as  was  observed  above, 
the  work  of  Swedenborg  entitled,  Be  Ca;lo  et  Inferno,  with 
excellent  notes;  as  also  that  which  is  entitled,  "A  Theosophic 
Lucubration,"  etc.,  likewise  with  excellent  notes.  This  gentle- 
man, who  is  very  old,  is  still  alive. 

15.  As  to  what  relates  to  myself,  I  cannot  give  you  a 
reason  for  the  great  friendship  Swedenborg  entertained  for 
me,  who  am  not  a  learned  man.  It  is  true,  we  were  good 
friends  in  Sweden,  but  that  this  friendship  between  us  should 
have  become  as  constant  as  it  has  been,  I  never  expected. 

16.  All  that  he  has  told  me  of  my  deceased  friends  and 
enemies,  and  of  the  secrets  I  had  with  them,  is  almost  past 
belief.  He  even  explained  to  me  in  what  manner  peace  was 
concluded  between  Sweden  and  the  King  of  Prussia;  and  he 
praised  my  conduct  on  that  occasion.  He  even  specified  the 
three  high  personages  whose  services  I  made  use  of  at  that 
time ;  which  was,  nevertheless,  a  profound  secret  between  us.* 
On  asking  him  how  it  was  possible  for  him  to  obtain  such 
information  and  who  had  discovered  it  to  him,  he  replied, 
"Who  informed  me  about  your  affair  with  Count  Claes  Eke- 
blad?^""  You  cannot  deny  that  what  I  have  told  you  is  true.f 
Continue,"  he  added,  "to  merit  his  reproaches;  depart  not 
from  the  good  way  either  for  honours  or  money;  but,  on  the 
contrary,  continue  as  constant  therein  as  you  have  hitherto, 
and  you  will  prosper." 

I  should  like.  Sir,  to  be  able  to  repeat  all  that  he  has  told 
me;  but  I  must  finish  my  letter,  in  assuring  you  of  the  esteem 
with  which  I  am. 

Yours,  &c. 

Cheistopher  Speinger.^2^ 

London,  January  18,  1782. 


*  For  further  particulars  respecting  this  affair,  see  Note  121,  Vol.  I,  p.  708, 
•J-  Respecting  the  affair  with  Count  Ekeblad,  see  Document  262. 


DOCUMENT  262. 
TESTIMONY  OF  WILLIAM  SPENCE,  M.  D.^^^* 

1.  The  late  Christopher  Springer,^-^  Esq.  was  my  patient 
the  two  or  three  last  years  of  his  life.  Having  read  a  letter  of 
his  to  the  Abbe  Pernety,  wherein  he  mentions  that,  "All  that 
he  has  told  me  of  my  deceased  friends  and  enemies,  and  of  the 
secrets  I  had  with  them,  is  almost  past  belief,"  and  wishing 
to  hear  the  circumstances  from  himself  concerning  Count 
Ekeblad,2oo  Mr.  Springer  told  me  before  Mr.  F.  Nordensk6ld,2o 
Mr.  B.  Chastanier,-^^  and  others,  that  the  Count  had  provoked 
him  to  draw  his  sword  upon  him,  differing  about  politics,  but 
that  they  had  made  it  up,  and  promised  not  to  mention  it  to 
any  while  in  life;  that  afterwards  the  Count  had  attempted  to 
bribe  him  with  10,000  rix-dalers,  which  sum  and  circumstances 
Mr.  Swedenborg  particularly  mentioned  to  him  as  having  from 
conversing  with  the  Count  just  then  deceased.  Mr.  Springer 
each  time,  for  he  told  it  more  than  once,  threw  down  his 
handkerchief  on  the  floor,  while  relating  that  part  by  my  fire- 
side, to  shew  with  what  abhorrence  he  refused  the  purse.  He 
also  said,  Swedenborg  had  told  him,  their  once  adversary  in 
politics  was  not  so  bad  a  man  as  they  had  thought  him,  for 
that  he  was  then  preparing  for  heaven.  He  likewise  confirmed 
how  Swedenborg  had  related  to  him,  what  particular  share  he 
had  in  settling  the  peace,  which  was  a  profound  secret,  as  may 
be  seen  in  the  above-mentioned  printed  letter. 

2.  Another  anecdote  from  Dr.  Messiter,^  who  attended 
Swedenborg  in  his  last  illness,   I   shall  wilhngly   publish,    as 

*  This  document  was  published  by  the  Doctor  himself  in  1792,  in  a 
work  bearing  the  following  title:  "Essays  in  Divinity  and  Physic,"  &c.,  by 
William  Spence,  M.  D.,  nos.  47  and  48. 


Doc.  262.]  TESTIMONY  OF  SPENCE.  535 

it  may  rectify  a  false  aspersion  on  Mr.  Swedenborg's  character, 
lately  put  in  print  by  Mr.  Petit  Andrew's,  who  I  wish  had  in- 
quired better  into  it.  Having  had  the  favour  of  the  doctor's 
company  to  dine  wdth  me  and  a  few  friends,  a  few  weeks  be- 
fore his  decease,  somet  of  the  company  having  heard  that  the 
doctor  had  asked  the  question,  wished  to  know  whether  Sweden- 
borg  had  mentioned  when  this  New  Jerusalem  Doctrine  might 
be  established,  as  at  that  time  the  regular  clergy  seemed  almost 
all  to  refuse  it;  to  which  the  Dr.  said; — The  Baron's  answer 
to  me  was,  "that  times  and  seasons  were  in  God's  hands, 
therefore  he  could  not  positively  say  when ;  yet  thus  much  he 
was  allowed  to  tell  him,  that  he  would  probably  live  thirteen 
years,  just  to  see  it  in  its  bud."  "Now  (says  the  Dr.)  it  is  just 
thirteen  years  that  I  have  lived,  as  he  foretold,  to  see  it  in  its 
bud,  through  your  little  society's  encouraging  the  printing  of 
his  works."  The  Dr.  also  confirmed  what  Mr.  Shearsmith  and 
his  wife,  in  whose  house  he  died,  have  declared  upon  oath, 
that  Swedenborg  knew  and  foretold  the  Sunday  evening  he 
was  to  leave  them,  and  that,  to  the  last,  he  asserted  that 
the  "doctrine  w^ould  be  received  in  God's  good  time,  because 
the  Lord  has  promised  it  in  His  "Word."  Mr.  Andrew's  tale 
from  his  acquaintance,  that  Swedenborg  had  affirmed  he  could 
not  die  till  his  return  to  Sweden,  needs  no  other  refutation. 
"I  had  promised,"  says  Dr.  Spence,  "to  return  the  doctor's  visit 
with  my  spouse,  the  first  good  weather;  but  a  few  weeks  after, 
hearing  that  Dr.  Messiter  had  died  suddenly,  I  told  my  wife 
that  she  was  now  too  late  in  returning  the  doctor's  visit,  as 
his  thirteen  years  were  now  quite  out;  yet  luckily  the  Dr.  did 
not  seem  to  suspect  it  in  the  limited  sense." 

3.  Several  more  remarkable,  and  some  publicly  authenti- 
cated proofs  of  his  supernatural  communications  are  on  record, 
particulary  that  grand  testification  given  to  the  Queen  of 
Sweden;  I  allude  to  the  secret  he  revealed  to  that  Princess, 
which  she  proved  no  mortal  besides  himself  and  her  deceased 
brother  the  Prince  of  Prussia  could  know  anything  of.  The 
fact  is  still  well  known  at  the  Courts  of  Brunswick  and  Sweden, 
and  is  of  itself  a  sufficient  proof  of  Swedenborg's  most  extra- 
ordinary spiritual  communications. 


DOCUMENT  263. 
TESTIMONY  COLLECTED  BY  PETER  PROVO.^'^*  i 

A. 

TESTIMONY  COLLECTED  FROM  MR.  ESIC  BERGSTROM.''--'^ 

On  May  2,  1787,  Mr.  Provo  called  on  Mr.  Bergstrom,  j 
who  keeps  the  King's  Arms  Tavern,  in  Wellclose-square;  j 
who,  in  a  conversation  ot  an  hour's  length,  related  to  him  as  i 
follows : — 

1.  I  was  personally  acquainted  with  Assessor  Swedenhorg:  ' 
he  frequently  called  on  me,  and  once  lived  ten  weeks  together  ; 
with  me  in  this  house;  during  which  time  I  observed  nothing  j 
in  liim  but  what  was  very  reasonable  and  bespoke  the  gentle-  j 


*  This  Document  was  inserted  in  the  "Intellectual  Repository"  for  1836, 
by  the  Rev.  S.  Noble,  who,  in  a  letter  to  the  Editors  of  that  work,  gives 
the  following  account  of  its  contents: — 
"Gentlemen, 

"In  my  'Appeal  in  Behalf  of  the  Doctrines  of  the  New 
Church'  &c.,  I  have  made  some  use  of  the  follo'w'ing  Anecdotes.  Except 
as  to  the  extracts  given  there,  they  have  never  been  printed.  Every 
authentic  testimony,  however,  respecting  the  gifted  individual  to  whom  they 
relate,  ought,  I  think,  to  be  put  on  record  in  some  permanent  Repository. 
I  therefore  transmit  them  for  your  work.  The  paper  sent  was  transcribed 
by  me  from  a  copy  in  the  handwriting  of  the  late  Mr.  Servante,227  lent  by 
that  gentleman  to  me  for  the  purpose.  He  informed  me  that  his  was 
transcribed  from  a  copy  in  the  possession  of  IVIr.  J.  A.  Tulk;22s  who, 
I\Ir.  Servante  understood,  had  it  from  Mr.  Provo  himself.  Mr.  Peter  Provo 
was  a  respectable  gentleman  of  the  medical  profession,  who  pubHshed  the 
work  called  ' Wisdom's  Dictates' 
"I  am,  &c. 

»S.  Noble. 
"Dec.  15,  1835." 


Doc.  2G3.]    TESTIMONY  COLLECTED  BY  PBO VO.  537 

man.  He  at  that  time  breakfasted  on  coffee,  ate  moderately 
at  dinner,  and  drank  one  or  two  glasses  of  wine  after  it,  but 
never  more.  In  the  afternoon  he  drank  tea,  but  never  ate  any 
supper.  He  usually  walked  out  after  breakfast,  generally 
dressed  neatly  in  velvet,  and  made  a  good  appearance.  He  was 
mostly  reserved,  but  complaisant,  to  others. 

2.  He  has  told  me  that  very  few  were  given  to  see  the 
things  that  he  did,  and  that  he  often  saw  many  extraordinary 
things.  Mr.  Springer'-^  once  asked  him,  when  at  dinner  here, 
about  the  state  of  a  person  who  was  the  occasion  of  Mr.  Springer's 
being  obliged  to  leave  Sweden,  and  who  was  deceased;  to 
which  he  answered  that  it  was  very  bad,  and  that  he  hoped 
his  would  be  better.  A  secretary  of  Baron  Nolcken,*  who 
was  present,  put  an  impertinent  question  to  him  of  a  similar 
kind,  which  he  refused  to  answer,  observing,  that  he  never 
answered  such  questions  as  originated  in  ill-will  or  malice. 

3.  He  commonly  retired  to  his  chamber  in  the  evening, 
and  once  I  heard  some  noise  from  that  part,  and  went  to  speak 
to  him  about  it;  and  as  he  seemed  rejoiced,  I  asked  him  the 
occasion;  when  he  told  me  that  he  had  seen  some  extraordinary 
things  whicli  pleased  him. 

4.  He  told  me  the  story  about  the  Queen  of  Sweden's 
[Ulrica's]  brother  if  she  had  secretly  burnt  a  letter  of  his  to 
her,  sent  a  short  time  before  a  battle  in  which  he  was  killed, 
and  she  wanted  to  know  some  other  particulars  relative  to 
the  contents:  Swedenborg,  some  days  after  her  application  to 
him,  returned,  and  told  her  that  her  brother  Avas  offended  that 
she  had  burnt  his  letter;  and  as  this  was  known  to  none  but 
herself,  she  nearly  fainted  at  hearing  it;  and  was  always  very 
courteous  to  him  afterwards. 

5.  He  also  related  the  affair  of  the  Countess  de  Marteville,* 
from  whose  husband's  information,  after  his  decease,  he  told 
her  where  a  receipt  for  a  sum  of  money  lay;  where  she  found 
it;  for  which  she  wished  to  make  Swedenborg  a  handsome 
present,  but  he  refused  it. 

*  Baron  Gustavus  Adam  von  Nolken  was  the  Swedish  Ambassador  at 
the  Court  of  St.  James'  from  1763  to  1794.    He  died  in  1812. 
7  See  Document  274,  (-^  and  R. 


538  TESTIMONY  OF  COXTEMPOBARIES     [Doc.  263. 

G.  Also  the  story  of  the  fire  in  Stockholm:  that  after  he 
had  gone  out  from  the  company  into  the  garden  of  the  house 
at  Gottenburg,  he  returned,  and  told  the  company  soon  after, 
that  his  house  and  garden  were  safe,  and  described  how  near 
the  flames  had  come  to  it,  though  no  account  from  thence  had 
then  arrived.* 

7.  The  remarkably  speedy  voyage  that  Captain  Hodsonj- 
had  when  he  carried  him  to  Stockholm,  he  related  to  me, 
being  but  seven  days  on  the  voyage,  and  that  the  captain 
never  once  dropped  anchor  all  the  time,  a  thing  he  was  greatly 
surprised  at  himself,  and  said  that  he  found  Swedenborg's 
company  so  agreeable,  that  he  was  much  delighted  and  taken 
with  him. 

8.  He  once  lived  in  the  Minories;  and  after  that  in  Cold- 
bath  Fields,  where  I  often  went  to  see  him;  and  he  told  me, 
some  short  time  before  he  died,  that  as  it  had  pleased  God  to 
take  away  the  use  of  his  arm  by  a  palsy,  his  body  was  now 
good  for  nothing  but  to  be  put  into  the  ground.  I  asked  him 
whether  he  would  take  the  sacrament,  and  whether  I  should 
bring  Mr.  Ferelius,  the  Swedish  minister?  He  said.  Do:  and 
we  both  returned  soon  after.  He  told  the  priest  to  pronounce 
or  read  the  blessing  on  it  (or  the  consecration),  and  leave  the 
rest  of  the  form  to  him,  as  he  knew  very  well  what  it  meant 
and  was:  this  he  did:  and  after  Swedenborg  had  taken  it,  he 
perceived  a  strong  degree  of  heat  in  his  face.  He  was  quite 
clear  in  his  mind  at  the  time,  and  said  all  was  then  properly 
done,  and  thanked  the  clergyman  for  attending.  This  was  on 
the  Friday;  and  he  died  on  the  AVednesday  following. 
Mr.  Charles  Lindegren^^'^  sent  his  effects  to  Sweden. 

9.  Mr.  Mathesius^^^  was  an  opponent  of  Swedenborg,  and 
said  that  he  was  lunatic,  &c.;  but  it  is  remarkable  that  he 
went  lunatic  himself,  which  happened  publicly  one  day  when 
he  was  in  the  Swedish  Church,  and  about  to  preach:  I  was 
there,  and  saw  it:  he  has  been  so  ever  since,  and  sent  back 
to  Sw^eden,  where  he  now  is:  this  was  about  four  years  ago. 

10.  In  general,   Swedenborg  kept  retired,   and   sought   to 

*  See  subdivision  E  of  the  present  Section. 

•{-  This  name  should  probably  have  been  Dixon ;  see  Document  260,  no.  12. 


Doc.  263.]    TESTBION  Y  COLLECTED  BY  PRO  VO.  539 

avoid  company,  and  making  known  the  knowledge  of  where  he 
was.  Some  of  his  friends  here  spoke  against  liim,  and  some 
were  for  him:  for  my  own  part,  I  tliink  he  was  a  reasonable, 
sensible,  and  good  man:  he  was  very  land  to  all,  and 
generous  to  me.  As  for  his  peculiar  sentiments,  I  do  not 
meddle  with  them. 

11.  I  do  not  know  of  any  of  his  manuscripts  being  left 
here;  and  as  for  his  books,  I  think  Mr.  Lindegrcn,"^  who  is  at 
present  in  the  Royal  Exchange  Assurance  Office,  can  best  tell 
what  was  done  with  them.  Swedenborg  received  his  remittances 
from  him.  He  always  appeared  to  have  money  sufficient  for 
liim.  A  Mr.  Grill,"-  in  Dunster-court,  Mincing-lane,  also  knows 
something  of  him.  I  do  not  remember  seeing  any  books  in 
his  chamber,  and,  not  understanding  Latin,  I  never  read  any 
of  his  works. 

B. 

TESTIMONY  COLLECTED  FROM  ME.  COOKWORTHYr-^'i 

12.  Mr.  Cookworthy  related  to  Mr.  Provo,  in  1778,  that 
he  had  been  with  Mr.  Hartley^  to  see  Swedenborg  in  Cold- 
hath  Fields,  a  few  years  before  he  died,  and  that  he  was 
near  two  hours  with  him,  and  well  satisfied  with  his  company. 
A  person  was  there  who  objected  to  some  things  that  Sweden- 
borg said,  and  argued  the  point  in  his  way;  to  which  Sweden- 
borg said,  "I  converse  with  angels,  or  received  information  from 
them,  about  such  things:"  which  offended  that  person;  though 
Mr.  Cookworthy  saw  that  it  was  the  most  forcible  argument 
that  could  have  been  used;  and  as  a  proof  of  his  approbation 
of  the  testimony,  he  afterwards  published  the  first  edition  of 
the  treatise  on  Heaven  and  Hell,  which  cost  £lOO. 


C. 

TESTIMONY  COLLECTED  FROM  THE  REV.  THOMAS  HARTLEY.* 

13.  In  1781,  Mr.  Hartley^  related  to  Mr.  Provo,  that  he 
had  been  with  Swedenborg  in  Coldbath  Fields  several  times; 
that  he  was  a  kind  and  sensible  man,  and  had  something  so 


540  TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMPORARIES,    poc.  263. 

loving  and  taking  in  his  manner  as  highly  delighted  those 
he  spoke  with:  but  what  his  sentiments  of  him  were,  may  be 
seen  in  the  prefaces  to  the  works  on  Influx,  Heaven  and 
Hell,  and  Universal  Theology;  and  by  his  executing  the 
translation  of  the  Heaven  and  Hell,  when  near  seventy  years 
of  age,  and  subject  to  many  bodily  infirmities,  solely  from 
a  desire  to  render  the  work  public  for  the  general  good  of 
the  world. 


D. 

TESTIMONY  COLLECTED  FROM  31ES.  JOHN  LEWIS  AND  MR.  HART. 

14.  Mrs.  Lewis  [an  advertisement  at  the  end  of  the  Delitice 
Saxjientue,  &c,  states  that  the  works  are  sold  by  Mr.  Lewis, 
Paternoster  Row,  and  Mr.  Hart,  in  Poppin's-court,  Fleet-street,] 
told  Mr.  Provo,  about  the  year  1778,  that  she  thought  Sweden- 
borg  a  good  and  sensible  man,  but  that  it  appeared  to  her  that 
he  was  too  apt  to  spiritualize  things  (when  speaking  of  their 
correspondence).  She  said  he  was  very  abstemious,  and  hved 
chiefly  on  almonds  and  raisins. 

15.  Mr.  Hart  related  to  Mr.  Provo,  about  the  year  1779, 
that  he  thought  Swedenborg  a  remarkable  man,  for  whilst  he 
was  abroad,  old  Mr.  Hart,  his  father,  died  in  London.  On 
Swedenborg's  return  he  went  to  spend  an  evening  at  Mr.  Hart's 
house,  in  Poppin's-court.  After  being  let  in  at  the  street  door, 
he  was  told  that  his  old  friend,  Mr.  Hart,  was  dead;  to  which 
he  replied,  "I  know  that  very  well,  for  I  saw  him  in  the 
spiritual  world  whilst  I  was  in  Holland,  at  such  a  time  [near 
the  time  he  died,  or  soon  after];  also  whilst  coming  over  in 
the  packet  to  England:  he  is  not  now  in  heaven,"  continued 
he,  "but  is  coming  round,  and  in  a  good  way  to  do  well."  This 
much  surprised  the  widow  and  son,  for  they  knew  that  he  was 
just  come  over,  and  they  said  that  he  was  of  such  a  nature 
that  he  could  impose  on  no  one,  that  he  always  spoke  the 
truth  concerning  every  little  matter,  and  would  not  have  made 
any  evasion  though  his  life  had  been  at  stake.  Mr.  Hart,  the 
father,  printed  all  the  Arcana  Ccelestia,  in  Latin;  Swedenborg 
was  fond  of  his  company,  and  often  went  to  spend  an  evening 


Doc.  263.]    TESTIMONY  COLLECTED  BY  PRO  VO.  54 1 

there:  he  used  to  take  paiiicular  notice  of  Mr.  Hart's 
little  girl,  whom  Mr.  Prove  saw  at  the  time,  then  about  ten 
years  old. 


B. 

TESTIMONY  COLLECTED  FSOM  ME.  BVUKHARDT. 

16.  ]\Ir  Burkhardt,  a  Swede,  and  formerly  clerk  to  the 
Swedish  Chapel  here,  told  Mr.  Provo,  in  1783,  that  he  knew 
Swedenborg,  and  was  present  once  when  he  dined  in  London 
with  some  of  the  Swedish  clergy;  he  said  that  some  argument 
passed  between  Swedenborg  and  one  of  them  concerning  the 
Lord,  and  the  nature  of  man's  duty  of  life  to  him,  and  that 
Swedenborg  overthrew  the  tenets  of  his  opponent,  who  appeared 
but  a  child  to  him  in  knowledge.  Mr.  Burkhardt  added,  that 
Swedenborg  was  a  holy,  good  man,  much  given  to  abstraction 
of  mind;  that  even  when  walking  out  he  sometimes  seemed 
as  if  in  private  prayer,  and  latterly  took  but  little  notice  of 
things  and  people  in  the  streets.  After  his  decease  he  was 
carried  to  this  person's  house,  and  buried  from  thence.* 

17.  In  17b5,  Mr.  Keene  went  down  into  the  vault  of  the 
Swedish  Chapel,  and  saw  his  coffin,  which  lies  next  to 
Dr.  Solander's. 


*  Consult  footnote  to  Document  263,  no.  1. 


DOCUMENT  264. 

TESTIMONY  COLLECTED  BY 
HENRY  PECKITT,  ESQ.'-'* 


TESTIMONY  COLLECTED  FROM  MR.  AND  3/B.9.  SHEARSMITH^-^ 

1.  London.  January  24,  1778.  I,  Henry  Peckitt,  went  to 
Bath  Street,  Coldbath  Fields,  to  one  Mr.  Shearsmith's,  a 
Barber,  at  whose  house  the  learned  and  Honourable  Emanuel 
Swedenborg  lodged,  and  died  March  29,  1772;  and  was  then, 
as  I  since  found,  eighty-four  years  old.    He,  by  the  order  of 


*  Of  this  document  there  exist  two  copies.-  "With  respect  to  the  first 
J.  J.  Garth  Wilkinson,  Esq.,  M.  D.,  wrote  to  Dr.  Im,  Tafel  under  date  of 
March  26,  1842  (See  German  edition  of  "Swedenljorg  Documents,"  Vol.  IV, 
p.  198) :  "Among  the  papers  left  by  Mr.  Peckitt  there  is  one  of  considerable 
interest,  and  I  am  emi^owered  to  make  it  public.  I  expect  to  see  it  in  the 
April  number  of  the  'Intellectual  RejDOsitory;'  and  if  it  does  not  I  shall 
send  you  a  copy  of  it.  It  ought  to  have  a  place  in  your  documents." 
Dr.  Tafel  continues,  "On  June  30,  1842,  he  accordingly  sent  me  a  copy  of 
the  document,  informing  me  that  this  same  copy  had  been  sent  to  the 
'Intellectual  Repository,'  and  had  been  printed  there  in  the  July  number 
of  1842;  this  copy  had  been  taken  by  Mr.  Wilkinson  himself  from  the 
original;  it  bore  the  following  title.  Memoranda  respecting  Sivedenhorg  by 
the  late  Mr.  Peckitt.'''' 

The  second  copy  of  these  documents  had  been  in  the  hands  of  Mr.  Eobert 
Hindmarsh,225  and  was  introduced  by  him  into  his  manuscript  history  of  the 
"Rise  and  Progress  of  the  New  Jerusalem  Church,"  which  was  printed  in 
1861  under  the  editorship  of  the  Rev.  Edward  Madeley  of  Birmingham. 
Mr.Hindmarsh225  says  in  connection  with  the  year  1783,  on  p.  18,  "Mr.  Henry 
Peckitt229  also  now  joined  us,  and  brought  with  him  a  rich  harvest  of  in- 
formation concerning  the  personal  character,  circumstances,  and  habits  of 
the   great  Swedenborg.    This  infonnation  he  had  carefully  taken  down  in 


Doc.  264.]  TESTIMON  Y  COLLECTED  B  Y  PECKITT.  543 

one  Mr.  Charles  Lindegren,  *  a  Swedish  Merchant,  who  lives 
in  Mincing  Lane,  Fenchurch  Street,  was  laid  in  state  at  an 
Undertaker's,-}-  and  deposited  in  three  coffins  in  the  vault  of 
the  Swedish  Church,  in  Prince's  Square,  Ratcliffe  Highway, 
with  all  the  ceremonies  of  that  Church. 

2.  It  seems   by  the  account   of  Mr.  Shearsmith,   that  the 
Baron:|:  had  visited  England  three  or  four  different  times.    He 


writing  with  a  view  to  its  being  preserved  for  the  gratification  of  those, 
who,  hke  him,  might  hereafter  regard  every  httle  anecdote  of  Ms  Hfe,  that 
could  be  depended  on  for  its  truth  and  accuracy,  as  a  most  precious  relic. 
Being  myself  in  possession  of  all  the  particulars  alluded  to,  I  take  this 
opportunity  of  giving  them  to  the  public,  in  Mr.  Peckitt's  own  words,  from 
the  original  manuscript  deposited  in  my  hands  upwards  of  forty  years  ago." 
To  Mr.  Peckitt's  Memoranda,  Mr.  Hindmarsh,  and  also  the  editor,  the  Rev. 
E.  Madeley,  added  an  abundant  store  of  notes.  Some  of  Mr.  Hindmarsh's 
notes  constituted  an  independent  testimony  respecting  Swredenborg,  and  they 
wiU  be  found  in  Document  264,  B.  The  other  notes  of  a  mere  explanatory 
character  we  have  retained  as  footnotes  to  the  present  documents. 

The  text  of  the'  following  document  has  been  taken  from  the  "Intel- 
lectual Repository,"  and  thus  from  that  copy  which  had  fallen  into  the 
hands  of  Dr.  Wilkinson;  the  words  in  brackets  []  have  been  added  from 
Mr.  Hindmarsh's  copy. 

*  Respecting  Mr.  Lindegi-en  see  Note  117,  and  respecting  the  disposition 
which  he  made  of  Swedenborg's  property,  see  Document  141,  and  also 
Document  263,  nos.  8  and  11. 

■{-  i\ir.  Hindmarsh  adds  here  in  a  note,  "This  undertaker's  name  was 
Robinson;  and  he  kept  a  shop  in  Ratchffe  Highway,  to  which  place  the 
remains  of  Swedenborg  wei'e  conveyed  in  a  hearse  after  his  decease.  I  once 
saw  this  Mr.  Robinson,  but  had  not  an' opportunity  of  conversing  with  him." 
From  Document  262,  no.  15,  it  aj^pears  that  "after  his  decease,  Swedenborg's 
body  was  carried  to  the  house  of  Mr.  Burkhardt,  the  clerk  of  the  Swedish 
church,  and  was  buried  from  thence."  This  seems  more  probable ;  although 
Robinson  may  have  taken  charge  of  the  remains  at  Shearsmith's  house. 

\  The  Rev.  E.  Madeley'  adds  here  in  a  note:  "Swedenborg  is  generally 
designated  'Baron'  by  the  earlier  readers  of  his  writings.  In  all  the  documents 
that  are  reprinted  in  this  work  ['Rise  and  Progress,'  &c.],  that  designation 
is  retained;  but  in  other  cases  it  is  altered.  His  rank  of  nobility  in  his 
own  country  was  that  of  the  Equestrian  Order  [that  is,  he  was  simply  a 
nobleman,  or  belonged  to  the  lowest  order  of  nobihty].  It  did  not  confer 
upon  him  any  title,  it  consisted  only  in  the  change  of  his  name.  But  it 
has  been  customaiy  to  call  him  'Baron,'  because  that  is  the  lowest  order 
of  nobility  in  England.  On  the  continent  he  was  sometimes  called  'Count.' 
When  he  was  ennobled  by  the  Queen  of  Sweden,  Ulrica  Eleanora,  his  name 
was  changed  from  Swcdicr^  to  Sweden^or^." 


544  TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMPOEAEIES.      [Doc.  264. 

had  [before]  lodged  in  Coldbatli  Fields;  and  upon  his  return 
to  England,  came  to  the  same  place:  but  the  people  had 
removed  and  he  was  recommended  to  Mr.  Shearsmith's,  where 
he  lodged  about  two  years.  Then  he  left  England,  and  went 
to  Amsterdam  in  Holland,  at  which  place  he  had  published 
many  of  his  Latin  works.  He  stayed  there  some  time,  and 
then  returned  to  England,  and  came  to  the  same  place  to 
lodge  with  Mr.  Shearsmith,  and  remained  at  his  house  till  his 
death,  which  might  be  about  two  years.  [Compare  Docu- 
ment 2G9,  B;  where  this  portion  of  Peckitt's  testimony  is 
analyzed.] 

3.  The  dress  that  he  generally  wore,  when  he  went  out  to 
visit,  was  a  suit  of  black  velvet,  made  after  an  old  fashion;  a 
pair  of  long  ruffles;  a  curious  hilted  sword;  and  a  gold-headed 
cane.*  He  ate  little  or  no  animal  food,  only  a  few  eels 
sometimes.  His  chief  sustenance  was  cakes,  tea,  and  coffee 
made  generally  exceedingly  sweeet.  His  drink  was  water.  He 
took  a  great  deal  of  snuff. -j- 

4.  Mr.  Shearsmith  was  affiighted  when  he  first  lodged 
with  him,  by  reason  of  his  talking  in  the  night  and  day.  He 
said,  he  would  sometimes  be  writing,  and  sometimes  would 
stand  talking  in  the  door-stead  of  his  room,:^  as  if  he  was  holding 
a   conversation   with   some   person:    but   as    he   spoke   in    a 


*  Concerning  this  cane,  see  Document  265,  no.  12. 

f  IVIi'.  Hindmarsh  says  here,  "One  advantage  of  the  Author's  profuse 
snuff-taking  appears  to  have  been  the  preservation  of  the  Manuscripts;  for 
when  printing  his  posthumous  work,  entitled,  Apocalypsis  Explicata,  I  found 
everywhere  between  the  leaves  a  sufficient  quantity  of  snuff  to  prevent 
their  being  perforated  and  injured  by  those  httle  active  mites  or  insects 
which  are  so  destructive  to  old  books  and  papers."  The  editor  of  these 
documents  can  likewise  attest  that  when  he  took  some  of  Swedenborg's  MSS. 
out  of  their  original  binding,  with  a  view  of  having  them  photo-lithographed, 
a  large  quantity  of  snuff  was  found  in  the  back  of  the  volumes;  especially 
of  that  volume  which  contains  one  of  Swedenborg's  Indexes  to  the  "Apo- 
calypsis  Revelata,"  Codex  7. 

The  Rev.  INIr.  Madeley,  adds  here,  "Swedenborg's  visits  to  the  European 
mines,  his  chemical  and  anatomical  researches,  and  his  voyages  in  ill-ventilated 
vessels,  wiU  go  far  to  account  for  this  habit." 

^  See  in  this  connection  the  anecdote  told  by  Mr.  Hindmarsh  in  Do- 
cument 265,  no.  8. 


Doc.  2(;i.]    TESTIMONY  COLLECTED  BY  PECKITT.  545 

language  Mr.  Shearsmith  did  not  understand,  he  could  not  make 
anything  of  it. 

5.  During  the  time  he  was  at  Mr.  Shearsmith's,  some 
learned  men  came  to  converse  with  him,  especially  a  Rev. 
Mr.  Hartley,^  of  East  Mailing,  in  Kent,  and  a  physician  called 
Messiter.^ 

6.  He  did  not  know  the  English  language  so  as  to  hold  a 
running  conversation  in  it.  He  had  an  impediment  in  his  speech. 

7.  He  lay  some  weeks  in  a  trance,  without  any  sustenance ; 
and  came  to  himself  again.  This  was  not  long  before  his 
death.  He  seldom  or  never  complained  of  any  bodily  pain; 
but  was  attacked,  before  his  death,  with  a  kind  of  paralytic 
stroke. 

8.  He  hud  no  books,  no,  not  so  much  as  a  Directory. 
He  was  far  from  being  verbose  [or  addicted  to  many  words]. 
It  was  said,  he  had  conversation  in  spirit  with  Luther  and 
Calvin.  During  his  last  visit  to  England,  he  chose  to  be 
mostly  retired. 

9.  It  seems  he  had  no  particular  regard  for  times  or 
seasons,  or  days  or  nights;  only  taking  rest  when  nature 
required  it.  He  did  not  indulge  in  needless  gratifications. 
He  went  not  to  any  place  of  worship  during  his  abode  with 
Mr.  Shearsmith  [see  Document  267,  no.  12].  He  did  not  want 
money.  Dr.  Messiter^  had  some  manuscripts  of  his  [wliich] 
he  had  by  him  at  his  death.*  The  grand  quantity  were  sent 
into  Sweden,  and  are  in  one  of  the  libraries. 

The  above  is  what  I  gathered  from  Mr.  Shearsmith. 

10.  December  A,  1783,  I  went  again  to  Mr.  Shearsmith's, 
to  read  over  to  him  the  above  account,  to  know  if  it  was  just 
ill  every  particular;  and  he  told  me  it  was.  Mr.  Shearsmith 
not  being  at  home  when  I  called,  I  stayed  till  he  came  in,  and 
had  some  conversation  with  the  maid  who  attended  the  Baron.-J* 

*  Mr.  Hindmarsh  adds  here  the  following  note,  "This  manuscript  though 
incomplete,  was  afterwai'ds  printed  at  London,  in  the  year  1780,  at  the 
expense  of  Mr.  Frederic  [?]  Nordensk61d,2o  under  the  title  of  Coronis,  fieu 
Appendix  ad  Vcram  Christianam  Rdigionem.  The  work  was  aiterwards 
translated  by  me,  and  pubhshed  in  the  year  1811,  being  the  'Coronis';  or, 
Appendix  to  the  True  Christian  Rehgion,"  &c. 

f  "This  senant-maid,"  says  Mr.  Hindmarsh,  "wlio  attended  upon 
Svvcdenborg,    afterwards    became  Mr.  .Shearsmith's  second  wife,   and   was 

35 


546  TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMPORARIES.      [Doc.  264, 

She  said,  that  he  was  a  good-natured  man;  and  that  he  was 
a  blessing  to  the  house,  for  that  they  had  harmony  and  good 
business,  while  he  was  with  them.  She  said,  that  before  he 
came  to  their  house  [the  first  time,]  he  was  offered  another 
lodging  in  the  neighbourhood,  but  he  told  the  mistress  there 
was  no  harmony  in  the  house ;  w^hich  she  acknowledged,  and 
recommended  him  to  Mr.  Shearsmith's. 

11.  Upon  asking  the  maid  if  he  ever  ate  any  animal  food 
she  said,  he  once  had  some  pigeon  pie.  She  said  that  he  , 
told  them  a  few  days  before  his  death,  when  it  would  happen;  j 
and,  said  she,  "he  was  pleased,"  and  she  made  a  comparison  \ 
that  the  pleasure  was  such,  "as  if  he  was  going  to  liave  a  | 
holiday,  to  go  to  some  merry-making."  j 


B.  ' 

I 

TESTIMONY  COLLECTED  FROM  ME.  SPEINGEJ}.'"-^  . 

12.  London,  March  16,  1778,   I,  Henry  Peckitt,   called  on  I 
Mr.  Springer,  no.   12,   Craven  Buildings,   near  Wych  Street,  j 
who  is  Counsellor  of  Commerce   for  Sweden.     He   had  been  | 
acquainted   with  the  Baron  Swedenborg  for  many  years.     It  • 
seems  that  the  Baron  had  visited  England  many  times  during 
his  life.     Mr.  Springer   told  me,  the  Baron  had  a  fine  house 
and  garden  at  Stockholm ;  and,  [that  on  one  occasion]  he  was  , 
sitting  with  company  at  Gottenburg,  which  is  188  miles[?]  from  ] 
Stockholm;     when    he    told    them,     that    that    part    of    the  ; 
town   was   then   on   fire,    where   his   house   and   garden   were 
[situated];    but    he     hoped    his     house     would     escape    the 
flames,    1759.     He    shortly    after   told   them,    liis    house    was 
safe,  but  the  garden  ivas  destroyed,*  and  when  the  post  arrived 
a  few  days  after,  it  was  as  he  had  predicted. 

13.  Mr.  Springer  also  told  me,  that  the  Queen  of  Sweden  I 
had  written  letters  to  her  brother,   a  Prince   of  Prussia;  and 
that,  having  no  answers,  she  doubted  whether  he  had  received 

employed  by  the  Society  in  Cross  Street,  Hatton  Garden,  to  clean  the 
church,  and  open  the  pew-doors,  when  the  Temple  was  first  opened  for 
pubhc  worship  in  1797." 

*  This  statement  is  not  quite  correct,  see  Document  272,  E,  no.  2. 


Dor.  2G5.]  TESTIMONY  COLLECTED  B  Y  HINDMARSH.     547 

tliem  or  not.  The  Bavon  at  tJiat  time  had  converse  with  the 
Queen,  aiul  her  brotlier  died  in  Prussia.  »She  was  very  desirous 
to  know  if  he  had  received  the  letters.  She  consulted  the 
Baron  who  said  he  would  inform  her  in  a  feAv  days.  He  did 
so,  and  told  her,  he  had  received  them,  and  was  going  to 
answer  them,  and  that  in  an  escritoire  of  the  Prince  was  a  letter 
unfinished  intended  for  her;  but  he  was  taken  ill,  and  died. 
She  sent  to  the  King  of  Prussia,  and  it  was  as  the  Baron  had 
foretold — the  King  sent  her  the  unfinished  letter, 

14.  It  seems  the  Baron  was  always  subject  to  an  impediment 
in  his  speech.  He  wrote  none  of  his  theological  works  for 
gain.     So  much  from  Mr.  Springer. 


DOCUMENT  265. 

TESTIMONY  COLLECTED  BY 
ROBERT  HINDMARSH.'-' 


FROM  lilf}  WOKK  KNTITLED,  "A   VINDICATION  OF  THE  CHARACTETl  AND 

WRITINQS  OF  THE  HONOURABLE  EMANUEL  SWEDENBORO,"  PUBLISHED  IN 

MANCHESTER,  1821. 

].*  I  well  knew  Mr.  Richard  Sliearsmith,^-*'  who  lived  in 
Coldbath  Fields,  Clerkenwell,  and  at  whose  house  Swedenborg 
lodged  and  died;  and  I  have  often  had  occasion  to  speak  to 
him  of  the  character,  habits,  and  manners  of  the  Baron:  and 
he  uniformly  gave  the  most  unequivocal  and  honourable 
testimony  concerning  him,  both  witli  respect  to  the  goodness 
of  his  heart,  and  the  soundness  of  his  understanding.  He 
declared  liimself  ready  to  attest  (upon  oath,  if  required)  that 
"from  the  first  day  of  his  coming  to  reside  at  his  house,  to 
the  last  day  of  his  hfe,  he  always  conducted  himself  in  tlic 
most  rational,  prudent,  pious,  and  Christianlikc  manner:  and 
he  was  lirmly  of  opinion,  that  every  report  injurious  to  his 
character  had  been  raised  merely  from  malice,  or  disaffection 

*  See  p.  21. 

36* 


548  TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMPORARIES.      [Doc.  2G5. 

to  his  writings,  by  persons  of  a  bigoted  and  contracted  spirit." 
Mr.  Shearsmith  has  been  dead  now  for  some  years.  I  saw 
him  not  long  before  his  death;  and  he  continued  to  bear  the 
same  testimony  which  he  had  so  often  repeated  in  my  liearing 
during  the  thirty  years  that  I  had  known  him. 


B. 

FROM  HIS  POSTHVMOVS  WORK  ENTITLED,  "RISE  AND  PROGRESS  OF  THE 
NEW  JERUSALEM  OHURCH,"  PUBLISHED  IN  LONDON,  1861.* 

2.f  I  have  frequently  heard  Mr.  Shearsmith-''  say,  that 
every  thing  went  on  prosperously  with  him,  while  Swedenborg 
lodged  at  his  house.  When  I  resided  at  32  Clerkenwell  Close, 
from  1783  to  1793,  I  employed  him  in  the  way  of  his  profession, 
and  consequently  had  many  opportunities  of  gaining  information 
from  him  concerning  Swedenborg  and  his  habits  of  life.  As 
Mr.  Shearsmith  advanced  in  years,  his  business  declined;  and 
I  have  heard  him,  with  much  feeling,  regret  the  loss  of  one, 
whom  he  always  considered  as  his  best  friend.  "If  I  have  not 
a  friend  in  this  world,"  said  he,  "I  know  I  have  one  in  the 
other"  (meaning  Swedenborg). 

3.  On  the  arrival  in  London  of  the  vessel  [in  which 
Swedenborg  sailed  from  Holland  in  1771],  he  took  a  hackney 
coach,  and  directed  the  coachman,  as  well  as  he  could,  to 
Mr.  Shearsmith's  in  Great  Bath  Street,  Clerkenwell,  where  he 
had  before  lodged.  Mr.  Shearsmith  was  going  out  on  business, 
wlien  he  heard  behind  him  a  voice  calling  out  of  the  coach- 
window,  in  broken  English,  '^Dat  he  he!  Dat  he  he!"  The  coach 
stopped,  and  Mr.  Shearsmith,  coming  to  the  door,  immediately 
recognised  his  former  noble  lodger,  Emanuel  Swedenborg,  whom 
he  assisted  to  alight  from  the  coach,  and  conducted  into  his 
house.  On  Swedenborg's  telling  him  that  he  was  come  to 
lodge  with  him  again,  Mr.  Shearsmith  informed  him,  that  his 
apartments  were  at  that  time  occupied  by  a  family:  "but,"  says 
he,    "I  will  go    upstairs  to  them,   and  ask  them  if  they  will 

*  This  work  was  published   under  the  editorship  of  the  Kev.  Edward 
Madeley,  who  added  valuable  notes  to  it. 
t  See  p.  21. 


Doc.  205.]   TESTIMONY  COLLECTED  BY  HINDMAESH.  549 

quit  the  lodgings  to  make  room  for  you."  On  his  return,  he 
told  him,  that  they  were  willing  to  accommodate  hinv^.and 
what  is  very  singular,  they  immediately  removed  without  further 
notice,  and  gave  up  their  apartments  to  Swedenhorg  that  very 
day,  though  a  perfect  stranger  to  them.  This  information  I 
had  from  Shearsmith's  owii  mouth. 

4.  On  one  occasion  Swedenhorg  desired  the  people  of  the 
house  where  he  resided  to  shake  his  carpet,  which  usually 
had  a  surcharge  of  snuff  upon  it,  and  in  the  operation  of 
cleansing  excited  considerable  sneezing.  It  happened  to  be 
Sunday,  of  which  he  did  not  seem  to  be  aware.  Mr.  Shear- 
smith  observed  to  him,  that  it  was  the  Sabbath,  and  he  would 
prefer  having  it  done  the  next  day.  '^Dat  he  good!  Dat  he  good!" 
immediately  replied  Swedenhorg,  and  most  readily  assented  to 
the  proposed  delay. 

5.  A  certain  professor  of  religion,  hearing  that  Swedenhorg 
did  not  pay  that  formal  attention  to  particular  days,  which 
others  are  in  the  habit  of  doing,  observed  to  Mr.  Shearsmith, 
that  on  that  account  he  could  not  be  considered  a  good 
Christian.  To  which  Mr.  Shearsmith  replied,  that  "to  a  good 
man,  like  Swedenhorg,  every  day  of  his  life  is  a  Sabbath." 

6.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shearsmith  both  informed  me,  that  when 
the  day  of  his  departure  [into  the  other  life]  arrived  (which 
he  had  foretold  a  month  before  it  took  place),  he  asked  them 
what  time  of  day  it  was:  and  when  he  was  told  that  it  was 
nearly  five  in  the  afternoon,  he  replied,  "Dat  he  good!  Me 
tank  you,  God  bless  you."  He  then  bade  them  farewell,  saying 
his  time  was  come;  and  in  a  few  minutes  after  he  calmly 
resigned  his  breath. 

7.  Mr.  Shearsmith  informed  me,  that  after  the  decease  of 
Swedenhorg,  Mr.  Lindegren^^' *  came  to  his  house  and  claimed 
the  property  left  by  Swedenhorg,  for  the  purpose,  as  he  said, 
of  transmitting  the  amount  to  his  surviving  relations  in  Sweden. 
There  was  in  Swedenborg's  pocket-book  a  bill  for  £400  sterling, 
drawn  upon  the  house  of  Mr.  Hope,  a  banker  in  Amsterdam. 
This  bill  was  delivered  into  the  hands  of  ]\Ir.  Lindegrcn  by 
Mr.  Shearsmith,  who  yet  doubted  in  his  own  mind  whether 
Mr.  Lindegren  had  a  right  to  demand  it.     But  as  he  had  no 

*  See  footnote  to  Document  264,  no.  1. 


5o0  TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMPORARIES.      [Doc.  205. 

means  of  ascertaining  who  was  the  proper  heir  to  the  property, 
and  Mr.  Lindegren  at  that  time  had  the  reputation  of  being 
a  respectable  and  substantial  merchant,  well  acquainted  with 
Swedenborg's  family  in  Sweden,  and  in  the  habit  of  corres- 
ponding with  some  of  them,  he  thought  himself  justified  in 
giving  up  the  property  to  him,  that  it  might  eventually  reach 
the  legal  owner  or  owners. 

8.  The  following  anecdote  was  communicated  to  me  by 
Mr.  Shearsmith.  Among  the  many  gentlemen  and  others,  who, 
from  time  to  time,  came  to  his  house,  to  make  inqiiiries  con- 
cerning Swedenborg,  after  his  decease,  one  gentleman  from 
St.  Croix  called  to  see  the  apartments,  which  so  great  and 
extraordinary  a  man  had  occupied;  and  being  led  up  to  the 
one  pair,  he  was  shown  the  front  and  back  rooms,  in  which 
the  Author  was  wont  to  write  and  sleep.  The  stranger  quickly 
passed  his  eye  over  the  two  rooms,  and  then  cast  them  to 
heaven,  as  if  in  the  greatest  astonishment,  that  so  humble  a 
dwelling  should  have  been  chosen  for  the  abode  of  such  an 
exalted  genius  as  he  considered  Swedenborg  to  be.  After 
putting  some  questions  to  Mr.  Shearsmith,  and  receiving  his 
answers,  he  then  said,  "Place  me,  as  near  as  you  possibly 
can,  on  the  same  spot  in  the  room,  as  that  on  which  he 
formerly  stood:  that  is  all  I  request."  Mr.  Shearsmith  accord- 
ingly took  him  to  the  door-way  between  the  two  rooms,  where 
he  had  often  observed  Swedenborg  to  stand,  while  he  was 
conversing  with  his  invisible  friends.  "Here,"  says  Mr.  Shear- 
smith,  "place  your  feet  on  these  boards,  and  you  will  be  on 
the  very  spot  you  desire."  The  gentleman,  then,  standing  as 
he  was  directed,  said,  "Am  I  now  exactly  in  the  position,  and 
on  the  very  spot  of  ground,  on  which  you  have  observed 
Swedenborg  to  stand?"  "You  are.  Sir,"  replied  Mr.  Shear- 
smith.  "Then  here  is  half-a-guinea  for  you,"  said  the  gentle- 
man, "I  am  abundantly  satisfied  with  the  honour  of  having 
for  once  trod  in  the  footsteps  of  so  great  a  man." 

9.  In  the  printed  Anecdotes  of  Swedenborg  [Pernety's 
Account,"  Document  6],  annexed  to  Sandel's  Eulofjmm,  p.  17, 
of  the  first  edition  in  1784,  it  is  said,  "that  he  usually  spoke 
very  distinctly,  but  stammered  a  little  when  he  spoke  too 
fast."     It  may  be   regarded  as    a   singular  coincidence    that 


f 


Doc.  265.]  TESTIMONY  COLLECTED  BY  HINDMARSH.  551 

Moses,  who  was  the  chief  instrument,  in  the  Lord's  hands, 
of  raising  up  the  Jewish  and  Israelitish  Church,  was  of  ">«o 
eloquence,  hut  slow  of  speecJi,  and  o(  sloiv  tongue,'*''  (Exod.  iv,  10;) 
and  that  Swedenborg,  the  chief  instrument  in  founding  the 
New  Jerusalem  Church,  was  also  a  man  of  no  eloquence,  but 
on  the  contrary  defective  in  the  'powers  of  elocution,  and  apt 
to  stammer  in  his  speed i.  But  as  the  external  imperfection  of 
Moses  was  amply  made  up  by  the  superior  oratorical  talents 
of  his  brother  Aaron,  of  whom  it  is  written,  "I  know  that  he 
can  spealc  tcell,''  (verse  14;)  so  it  appears,  that  the  defect  of 
Swedenborg  as  a  public  speaker,  which  was  a  character  he 
probably  never  attempted  to  assume,  was  more  than  com- 
pensated by  the  uncommon  facility,  order,  and  correctness, 
with  which  he  penned  his  voluminous  writings.  In  the  former 
instance,  two  distinct  persons,  Moses  and  Aaron,  were  necessary 
to  the  conveyance  of  heavenly  instruction  to  the  Israelites; 
the  one  as  an  organ  for  the  immediate  reception  of  the  Divine 
law  from  Jehovah,  and  the  other  as  a  medium  for  its  further 
external  and  audible  propagation  among  that  people :  whereas 
in  the  latter  instance  a  single  person  only,  Emanuel  Sweden- 
borg, was,  by  his  extraordinary  mental  endowments  and  due 
preparation  of  the  Lord,  perfectly  qualified  to  receive  him- 
self immediately,  and  by  his  superior  capacity  as  a  writer 
to  communicate  mediately,  through  the  Latin  language  and 
the  press,  the  interior  things  of  the  same  Divine  law  to  all 
the  nations  of  the  earth. 

10.  I  may  here  add,  that  a  picture  of  Swedenborg,  painted 
by  my  late  brother  John  Hindmarsh,  about  the  year  1785, 
IVom  Swedish  and  English  engraved  prints,  corrected  by 
Mr.  Shearsmith's  description  of  his  person  and  dress,  so  as 
to  form,  in  his  estimation,  a  most  perfect  likeness,  is  also  in 
my  possession.  Of  the  striking  resemblance  which  this  picture 
bears  to  the  original,  the  reader  may  judge  from  the  following 
anecdote,  related  in  the  "Intellectual  Repository,"  Vol.  Ill, 
for  1816  and  1817,  p.  515.  "The  reader  may  feel  an  interest 
in  Ijeing  informed  that  he   (the  late*  Mr.  Henry  Servante,^^' 

*  "Mr.  Servante  died  August  23,  1817,  in  his  seventy-sixth  year." — 
E.  Madeley. 


652  TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMPORARIES.     [Doc.  265. 

of,  London,)  was  one  of  the  last  remaining  individuals  who 
remembered  the  person  of  Swedenborg,  though  at  the  time 
he  saw  him  he  did  not  know  him.  He  was  once  passing  along 
St.  John's  Street,  London,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  which 
Swedenborg  lodged,  when  he  met  an  old  gentleman  of  a 
dignified  and  most  venerable  appearance,  whose  deeply  thought- 
ful yet  mildly  expressive  countenance,  added  to  something  very 
unusual  in  his  general  air,  attracted  his  attention  very  forcibly. 
He  turned  round,  therefore,  to  take  another  view  of  the  stranger, 
who  also  turned  round,  and  looked  again  at  him.  Some  years 
afterwards,  when  Mr.  Servante  had  received  the  writings,  he 
called  on  Mr.  Hindmarsh  for  some  of  them;  when  seeing  in 
that  gentleman's  parlour  a  portrait  of  the  Author,  he  instantly 
recognised  in  it  the  venerable  stranger  whose  appearance  had 
so  much  interested  him.  The  portiait,  which  he  saw,  was 
copied  from  the  print  engraved  by  Martin,  representing  Sweden- 
borg in  advanced  age,  the  fidelity  of  which  is  thus  singularly 
proved." 

11.  The  strong  resemblance  which  this  picture  bears  to 
the  original,  was  further  confirmed  by  Dr.  Messiter,^  an 
intimate  acquaintance  of  Swedenborg.  Being  informed  that 
the  Doctor  was  paying  a  visit,  on  a  certain  day,  to  his  friend 
Dr  Spence,^^^  of  Marylebone,  I  sent  the  picture  to  him,  with 
a  view  to  obtain  his  opinion  of  its  accuracy  and  fidelity; 
when  he  immediately  pronounced   it  a  very  striking  likeness.* 

12.  The  gold-headed  cane,  as  it  is  called,  of  Swedenborg, 
is  now  in  my  possession,  having  been  purchased  of  Mr.  Shear- 
smith  by  the  Rev.  S.  Dean,*j-  late  of  Manchester,  when  in 
London,  who  left  it  to  his  widow;  and  she,  before  her  death, 


*  "This  painting,"  says  IVIr.  Madeley,  "is  now  in  the  jaossession  of 
Mr.  J.  S.  Hodson,  who  purchased  it  of  the  author's  grandson."  It  has 
smce  been  acquired  liy  the  Swedenborg  Society,  and  hangs  in  their  Com- 
mittee Room,  36  Bloomsbury  Street,  London.  Respecting  the  history  of 
the  various  portraits  of  Swedenborg  in  existence,  see  Note  231. 

■J-  "The  Rev.  S.  Dean  was  at  one  time  Head-Master  of  the  Free  Grannnar 
School  of  Queen  EHzabeth  and  minister  of  St.  Paul's  church,  Blackburn; 
and  afterwards  for  a  short  term  minister  of  the  New  Jerusalem  Temple, 
Hatton  Garden,  and  author  of  a  series  of  letters  'On  the  Nature,  Evidence, 
and  Tendency  of  the  Theological  Writings  of  Swedenborg." — E.  Madeley. 


DOC.2G5.]    TESTIMONY  COLLECTED  BY  HINDMARSH.  553 

gave  it  to  Mrs.  Marsclen,*  who  presented  it  to  me  a  few  years 
ago.  It  has  the  cipher  E.  S.  engraved  upon  it  in  a  foreign 
style:  but  on  examination  it  does  not  appear  to  be  gold,  but 
copper,  which  was  prolmbly  gilt  so  as  to  have  the  appearance 
of  gold.    The  stick  itself  is  a  painted  tliorn,  and  not  a  cane.-f 

13.  It  cannot  be  said  that  the  members  of  the  New  Church 
are  particularly  fond  of  being  possessed  of  relics,  like  the 
members  of  the  Old  Romish-Christian  Church,  whether  they 
be  old  bones,  old  sticks,  or  old  boards.  But  I  must  acknow- 
ledge, that  a  little  spice  of  that  taste  adheres  to  myself,  as 
well  as  to  some  others  of  my  friends  of  the  New  Church.  And 
first  of  all,  it  shews  itself  in  my  attachment  to  the  walking 
stick  before  mentioned  [in  no.  12],  which  I  prize,  not  for  its 
real  value,  but  merely  because  it  was  once  a  kind  of  support 
to  the  hand  of  that  great  Man,  whose  works  I  can  never 
think  of  without  the  most  intense  admiration,  and  gratitude 
for  the  benefits  they  confer. 

14.  In  the  next  place,  I  must  suppose,  that  my  friend, 
Mr.  John  Barge,  of  Manchester,  has  a  similar  feeling  of 
admiration  for  the  works  of  tlie  same  great  Man,  because  he 
purchased,  at  more  than  treble  its  value,  an  old  table,  formerly 

*  "The  widow  of  JVIr.  G.  B.  Marsden,  a  member  of  Mr.  Hindmarsh's 
Society,  Bolton  Street,  Salford."— E.  Madeley. 

■{•  This  cane  is  now  in  the  possession  of  Mr.  H.  Bateman,  F.  R.  C.  S. 
14  Canonbury  Lane,  Ishngton. 

"Besides  the  walking  stick  here  mentioned,"  say8  Mr.  Madeley,  "of  the 
genuineness  of  which  there  cannot  be  any  doubt,  the  Rev.  S.  Noble  had 
a  cane  presented  to  Iiim,  by  the  late  Mr.  Holder,  of  Highbury,  also  said 
to  be  that  of  Swedcnborg's, — which  he  left,  with  his  other  property,  to 
the  Cross  Street  [now  Camden  Road]  Society,  and  is  now  in  its  library. 
Upon  investigation  and  incjuiry,  as  well  as  from  a  recollection  of  Mr.  Noble's 
opinion  respecting  it,  this  also  may  have  belonged  to  Swedenborg.  It  has 
the  hiitials  J.  L.  engraved  on  the  head.  The  conjecture  is,  that  it  was 
presented  to  Swedenborg  by  John  Ijcwis,  the  Bookseller,  who  appeal's  to 
have  had  a  great  veneration  for  him,  and  who  may  have  taken  this  as  one 
way  of  manifesting  it.  It  is  not  altogether  unusual  for  the  donor's  name  to 
be  eugiavcd  on  such  ])rescnts.  This  cane  is  a  genuine  Malacca,  and  has  a 
metal  head,  called  ffold,  but  is  most  likely  a  metal  then  known  as  }mich- 
beck,  which  was  much  in  use  at  one  time  as  a  substitute  for  gold.  Malacca 
canes,  at  the  jieriod  in  question,  were  comparatively  rare,  and  this  would 
have  been  of  the  value  of  twenty  shillings,  without  the  mountings,  so  that 
it  would  not  have  been  a  very  unsuitable  present." 


554  TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMPOBABIES.      [Doc.  266. 

the  property  of  Mr.  Shearsmith,  and  the  very  same  on  which 
Swedenborg  wrote  several  of  his  latest  productions.  This 
table  Mr.  Barge  keeps  in  his  parlour,  and  justly  regards  it 
rather  as  a  memento,  than  a  relic,  calling  his  attention,  when- 
ever he  sees  it,  to  those  great  truths,  which  were  first  spread 
upon  it  in  the  shape  of  written  papers,  before  they  were  sent 
to  the  press,  and  thence  propagated  in  all  directions  through- 
out the  world  at  large.*  How  different  a  feeling  of  sentiment 
this  from  the  idle  superstitions,  and  idolatrous  reverence  paid 
to  old  bones,  rags,  chips,  nails,  and  crosses,  by  the  ignorant 
and  deluded  sons  and  daughters  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church ! 


DOCUMENT  266. 

TESTIMONY  COLLECTED  BY  J.  J.  GARTH 
WILKINSON,  M.  D:~''-f 

MB.  SHEAESUITII,  TESTE  MRS.  SHAW. 

1.  Swedenborg  left  Fetter  Lane,  because  the  persons  he 
lodged  with  used  to  meddle  with  his  papers.  Shearsmith  was 
a  peruke-maker. 

2.  Mrs.  Cartwright,  a  lady  of  property,  knew  Swedenborg, 
and  he  complained  to  her.  She  recommended  the  Shearsmith 
lodging.    Shearsmith  used  to  dress  her  hair.    The  other  people 

*  "Into  this  table,"  says  Mr.  Madeley,  "now  supposed  to  be  in  the 
possession  of  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Tyrrell,  IVIr.  Barge  had  a  brass  plate  in- 
serted recording  to  whom  it  belonged."  This  table,  at  the  present  time, 
is  owned  by  Thomas  "Watson,  Esq.  19  Highbury  Crescent,  London. 

t  In  a  letter  addressed  to  Dr.  Im.  Tafel  on  March  26,  1842,  Dr.  Wil- 
kinson observes,  "I  have  in  my  own  possession  a  document  of  this  kind, 
which  I  obtained  through  the  kind  offices  of  a  relative,  Mrs.  Shaw,  and 
which  contains  some  particulars  which  she  heard  from  Mr.  Shearsmith 
himself,  and  which  I  have  not  seen  anywhere  else.  I  shall  communicate 
them  to  you  some  time.  Still  this  document  is  not  of  the  same  authority 
as  that  of  IMr.  Peckitt  [Document  264],  since  Mrs.  Shaw  did  not  pen  it 
at  the  time  when  she  had  her  conversation  with  Shearsmith,  but  dictated 
it  to  me  only  last  year."  Dr.  Im.  Tafel  publishes  this  testimony  in  the 
German  edition  of  his  "Swedenborg  Documents,"  Vol.  IV,  pp.  306  to  308. 


Doc.  2GC>:\  TESTIMONY  COLLECTED  BY  WILKINSON.    555 

were  so  angry  at  his  leaving  them,  that  they  spread  a  report 
that  he  was  mad. 

3.  Swedenborg  said  that  his  doctrine  would  not  be  preached 
for  twenty  years  after  his  death:  and  Mr.  8hearsmith  wont  to 
hear  the  first  sermon  by  Mr.  [James]  Hindmarsh  at  that  time. 

4.  Swedenborg  desired  Mr.  Shearsmith  never  to  disturb 
him,  when  in  his  spiritual  state.  Sometimes  he  was  two  or 
three  days  in  it.  Shearsmith  remarked  a  very  peculiar  look 
about  his  face  at  such  times,  and  sometimes  feared  Sweden- 
borg was  dead.  He,  however,  told  him  never  to  be  troubled ; 
all  would  be  well. 

5.  Swedenborg  took  a  great  deal  of  snujBf. 

These  things  were  told  to  me  by  Mrs.  Shaw,  who  had 
them  from  Mr.  Shearsmith  personally.  Mrs.  Shearsmith  was 
then  dead. 

Written  down  by  J.  J.  G.  Wilkinson, 
This  is  all  true. 

E.  0.  Shaw,  13  Store  Street,  Bedford  Square. 
July  17,  1841. 

[The  following  memoranda  were  written  on  the  reverse 
page:] 

6.  Swedenborg's  hair  was  not  dark,  but  approaching  to  a 
\);\lii  auburn.  His  eyes  were  gray,  approaching  to  brown.  He 
wore  a  wig,  as  was  the  custom  of  his  time. 

7.  Flaxman'-'^^  examined  the  skull  of  Swedenborg  at 
Mr.  Charles  A.  Tulk's'-^^  in  the  presence  of  Mr.  Clowes-^'^ 
and  Mr.  Clover,*  and  he  said:  "How  beautiful  the  form — how 
undulating  the  line  here;  here's  no  deficiency,  Mr.  Clowes." 
Smiling  he  said,  "Why  I  should  almost  take  it  for  a  female 
head,  were  it  not  for  the  peculiar  character  of  the  forehead." 
On  the  (luestiou  of  whether  a  cast  should  he  taken,  Mr.  Flaxman 

*  Probably  Mr.  Joseph  Clover  of  whom  Mr.  Madeley  {jives  us  in 
Hiiidmarsh's  "Rise  and  Progress,"  &c.  (p.  317)  the  following  account: 
"Mr.  Clover  was  Barrack-Master  at  Norwich,  and  was  extensively  known 
and  respected:  he  departed  this  life  on  June  10,  1824,  in  the  sixty-eighth 
year  of  his  age.  He  may  be  said  to  have  been  tlic  founder  of  the  Norwich 
Society,  and  he  was  also  one  of  the  trustees  of  Mrs.  Mary  Beriy,  and,  with 
his  colleagues,  gave  to  the  Conference  the  first  donation  on  its  list,  amount- 
ing to  £300,  and  which  is  now  called  the  Berry  Cift." 


556  TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMPORARIES.      rOoc.  267. 

observed,    that    "the    skull    was    worthy    of   it   for  its   mere 
beauty."  * 

8.  Swedenborg  was  a  very  temperate  man.  He  had  wine 
only  on  two  occasions;  once  during  sickness,  to  make  whey; 
and  once,  when  he  took  the  sacrament  from  Mr.  Hartley. 

9.  Swedenborg  used  to  receive  numerous  letters  of  thanks 
from  the  different  universities  and  persons  to  whom  he  had 
presented  his  works,  but  he  merely  opened  them,  and  threw 
them  away. 

10.  When  his  landlord  wanted  money,  he  used  to  send  him 
to  his  drawer. 

11.  On  one  Sunday  he  desired  Shearsmith  to  shake  his 
carpet,  but  on  being  reminded  of  the  day,  he  remarked,  "Oh 
that  be  good."-|- 

12.  Mrs.  Cartwright  told  the  Shearsmiths,  that  they  would 
be  pleased  to  have  such  a  lodger  with  them.  Mr.  Shearsmith 
spoke  of  Swedenborg  with  great  affection. 

Written  down  by  J.  J.  G.  Wilkinson, 
These  things  are  true. 

E.  O.  Shaw,  13  Store  Street,  Bedford  Square. 
July  17,  1841. 


DOCUMENT  267. 

TESTIMONY  OF  THE  REV.  ARVID  FERELIUS."' 

A. 

FERELIUS  TO  PROFESSOR  TRATGARD  IN  OREIFSWALDE.^ 

Honourable  and  widely  celebrated  Professor, 

As  you  probably  are  not  aware  that  I  have 
been  ill  the  whole  time,  without  mentioning  the  heavy  work  in 
my  parish  and  the  deanery  to  which  I  have  been  promoted, 

*  Concerning  the  fate  of  Swedcnborg's  skull,  see  Note  234. 
■f  Compare  Document  264,  no.  4. 

\  A  Swedish  copy  of  this  letter  was  sent  by  Dr.  A.  Kahl  of  Lund  to 
Dr.  Im.  Tafel.  and   printed  by  the  latter  in  his  German  edition  of  the 


Doc.  2G7.]  TESTIMONY  OF  FERELIUS.  5.07 

especially  in  the  beginning  of  the  year,  I  should  not  be  at  all 
surprised  if  you  include  me  in  the  number  of  those  ^Yho  are 
ungrateful.  Yet  I  assure  you  tliat  the  favour  that  was  shown 
to  me  during  my  stay  in  Greifswalde,*  as  well  as  during  my 
residence  in  London,  shall  never  be  forgotten  by  me;  and  I 
herewith  render  to  you  my  best  thanks  for  it.  I  thank  you 
likewise  for  your  favour  dated  the  7tli  of  last  December,  and 
according  to  your  request  will  communicate  to  you  as  much 
as  I  can  remember  about  our  late  celebrated  countryman. 

1.  Assessor  Emanuel  Swedenborg  died  in  the  month  of 
March,  1772,  and  was  buried  by  me  on  April  5  in  the  bury- 
ing vault  of  the  Swedish  Ulrica  Eleonora  church;  which  was 
the  last  clerical  duty  I  performed  in  that  country.  Towards 
the  close  of  the  year  he  was  touched  by  paralysis  on  one  side, 
wliicli  rendered  his  speech  indistinct,  especially  when  the 
atmosphere  was  oppressive. 

2.  I  visited  him  several  times,  and  asked  him  each  time, 
whether  he  had  an  idea  that  he  was  to  die  this  time.  Upon 
which  he  answered,  "Yes." 

3.  Upon  this  I  observed  to  him,  that,  as  quite  a  number 
of  people  thought  that  his  sole  purpose  in  promulgating  his 
new  theological  system  had  been  to  make  himself  a  name,  or 
to  acquire  celebrity,  which  object,  indeed,  he  had  thereby 
attained,  if  such  had  been  the  case,  he  ought  now  to  do  the 
world  the  justice  to  retract  it  either  in  whole  or  part,  especially 
as  he  could  not  expect  to  derive  any  additional  advantage 
from  this  world,  which  he  would  soon  leave.  He  thereupon 
half  rose  in  his  bed,  and  laying  his  sound  hand  upon  his 
breast  said  with  some  manifestation  of  zeal:  "As  true  as  you 
see  me  before  your  eyes,  so  true  is   everything  that  I  have 


"Swedenliorg  Documents,"  Vol.  Ill,  pages  40—46.  An  English  translation 
of  this  letter  appeared  in  the  "Intellectual  Repository"  for  December,  1842, 
and  was  afterwards  introduced  into  the  Appendix  to  the  EngUsh  edition 
of  the  "Swedenljorg  Documents,"  pubhshed  in  1855. 

The  editor  of  these  Documents  succeeded  in  obtaining  in  Sweden,  in 
1870,  a  certified  copy  of  the  original  letter  which  contains  some  pai-ticulars 
omitted  in  the  copy  printed  by  Dr.  Taicl.  From  this  certilied  copy  the 
present  translation  is  made. 

*  Ferelius  took  his  degree  of  A.  M.  in  Greifswalde  in  1757. 


558  TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMPORARIES.     [Doc.  267. 

written;  and  I  could  have  said  more,  had  it  been  permitted. 
AVhen  you  enter  eternity,  you  will  see  every  thing,  and  then 
you  and  I  shall  have  much  to  talk  about." 

4.  When  I  asked  him  whether  he  was  willing  to  receive 
the  Lord's  supper?  he  replied,  "With  thankfulness;"  and  then 
he  added,  that  my  question  was  very  opportune  (at  det  var 
veil  2)di)iint);  and  although,  being  a  member  of  the  other 
world,  he  did  not  need  this  sacrament,  he  would  still  take  it, 
in  order  to  show  the  close  relation  which  exists  between  the 
church  above  and  the  church  here  below;  and  he  then  asked 
me  whether  I  had  read  his  views  about  the  sacrament  of  the 
altar  (the  communion)?  I  then  asked,  whether  he  acknow- 
ledged himself  to  be  a  sinner?  He  replied,  "Certainly,  as  long 
as  I  carry  about  this  sinful  body."  With  much  devotion,  fold- 
ing his  hands  and  uncovering  his  head,  he  read  the  confession 
of  sins,  and  received  the  holy  sacrament.  Afterwards,  from 
gratitude,  he  presented  me  with  a  copy  of  his  larger  work, 
the  Arcana  Coelestia;  of  which  only  nine  copies  remained 
unsold,  which  were  to  be  sent  to  Holland. 

5.  AVhen  I  visited  him  another  time,  while  I  was  in  the 
hall  and  going  up  stairs,  I  heard  him  speaking  with  the 
greatest  energy,  as  though  he  were  addressing  a  large  company ; 
but  as  I  came  into  the  ante-chamber,  where  his  female  attendant 
was  sitting,  and  asked  her  who  was  with  Assessor  Swedenborg, 
she  replied,  "No  one;"  adding  that  he  had  been  speaking  in 
this  manner  for  three  days  and  nights.  Upon  entering  his 
sleeping  room,  he  bade  me  welcome  with  great  calmness,  and 
asked  me  to  take  a  seat;  he  then  told  me  that  for  ten  days 
and  nights  he  had  been  tormented  by  evil  spirits  whom  the 
Lord  had  sent  up  to  him;  and  that  never  before  had  he  been 
infested  by  such  wicked  spirits;  but  that  now  he  was  again 
in  the  company  of  good  spirits. 

6.  While  he  was  still  in  health,  I  came  to  him  once  with 
the  Danish  pastor;  when  he  was  sitting  and  writing  at  a 
round  table  in  the  middle  of  the  room,  with  the  Hebrew 
Bible  before  him,  which  constituted  his  whole  library.  After 
greeting  us,  he  pointed  to  a  place  opposite  and  said,  "Just 
now  the  apostle  Peter  was  here  and  stood  there;  and  not 
very  long  ago  all  the   apostles   were  with  me;    indeed,   they 


Doc.  2G7. 1  TESTIMONY  OF  FEEELIUS.  559 

often  visit  me."     In  tins  manner  he  always  expressed  himself 
without  reserve;  but  lie  never  sought  to  make  proselytes. 

7.  That  upon  which  he  was  engaged  at  the  time,  he  said, 
was  to  be  a  demonstration  from  the  writings  of  the  apostles, 
that  the  Lord  was  the  only  and  true  God,  and  that  there  is 
no  other  besides  Him. 

8.  Upon  being  asked  several  times  why  no  one  besides 
himself  enjoyed  such  revelations  and  intercourse  with  spirits, 
he  answered,  that  every  person  might  enjoy  it  now  as  in  the 
[times  of  the]  Old  Testament,  but  the  real  hindrance  is  that 
men  at  the  present  time  are  so  carnally  minded. 

9.  Among  other  news  which  on  one  occasion  I  received 
from  Sweden  by  the  post,  was  the  announcement  of  the  death 
of  Swedenborg's  sister,  the  widow  Lundstedt  [see  Note  5,  D]. 
1  communicated  this  at  once  to  a  Swedish  traveller  whose 
name  was  Meyer,  who  was  at  my  house  at  the  time.  He 
immediately  went  to  the  Assessor,  and  on  his  return  said, 
that  there  was  no  truth  in  Swedenborg's  allegation  that  he 
had  intercourse  with  the  dead,  since  he  knew  nothing  of  the 
death  of  his  sister.  I  told  this  to  the  old  gentleman  when 
he  said,  "The  man  ought  to  know  that  I  have  no  knowledge 
of  such  cases,  except  so  far  as  I  desire  to  know  about  them." 

lU.  The  celebrated  Springer,^^^  who  is  still  living  in  London, 
informed  Swedenborg  that  a  distinguished  Swedish  gentleman, 
whose  name  I  believe  was  Hupken,*  had  died.  Some  days 
afterwards,  when  they  met  again,  the  Assessor  said  to  him, 
"It  is  true  that  the  gentleman  in  question  is  dead;  I  have 
conversed  with  him,  and  have  learned  that  you  and  he  were 
comrades  in  Upsal,  and  that  afterwards  you  had  partly  similar, 
and  partly  dissimilar  views  on  matters  of  the  Diet;"  he  also 
related  several  anecdotes  about  him  which  Springer  found  to 
be  true,  and  with  which  he  believed  he  could  have  become 
acquainted  only  from  above  j  on  tliis  account  he  became  a 
Swedenborgian. 

IL  When  Assessor  Swedenborg,  on  one  occasion,  was  about 
to  depart  from  London  to  Sweden,   and  hiid  agreed    with  a 

*  Tliis  gentleman  was  prol)a))ly  a  younger  lirotlua-  of  Coinit  A.  J.  von 
Hopken,  named  Ulric  Frederic,  who  was  a  I'oyal  eliuiuljcrlain,  and  died 
in  1768. 


560  TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMPORARIES.      [Doc.  267. 

captain  about  his  passage,  he  removed  into  the  neighbourhood 
of  the  river  and  stayed  with  a  Swedish  innkeeper,  of  the  name 
of  Bergstrom,--*  who  is  still  living,  and  resides  at  present  at 
the  King's  Arms  in  Well  Close  Square,  and  who  was  com- 
missioned to  lay  in  provisions  for  him.  As  Swedenborg  among 
other  things  took  daily  a  certain  portion  of  coffee,  Berg- 
strom  asked  him  for  how  many  days  he  should  lay  in  ground 
coffee,  he  answered,  "For  six  days."  Bergstrom  said  that  this 
was  too  little,  as  it  was  impossible  that  he,  the  Assessor, 
could  be  in  Stockholm  in  so  short  a  time,  when  Swedenborg 
replied,  "Yes,  lay  in  enough  for  seven  days."  What  happened? 
In  the  course  of  six  days  the  ship  was  at  Dalaro,  and  on  the 
seventh  in  Stockholm.  The  captain  w^ho  Avas  an  Englishman, 
and  whose  name  I  think  was  Mason  [Dixon?  see  Docu- 
ment 261,  no.  12],  on  his  return  to  London  is  said  to  have 
remarked,  that  never  in  all  his  life  had  he  experienced  such 
a  favourable  wind  as  on  that  occasion,  and  that  it  followed 
him  at  every  turn  he  made. 

12.  Although  Swedenborg  was  several  times  in  the  Swedish 
church,  and  afterwards  dined  with  me,  or  some  other  Swede, 
he  said  that  he  had  no  peace  in  the  church  on  account  of 
the  spirits,  who  contradicted  what  the  minister  said,  especially 
when  he  treated  of  three  persons  in  the  Godhead,  which  is 
the  same  as  three  gods. 

13.  On  my  return  from  England  in  1772  I  was  requested 
by  the  House  of  the  Clergy  at  the  Diet,  through  their  speaker 
Bishop  Forssenius,^^^  to  give  an  account  of  Swedenborg,  similar 
to  the  one  I  am  now  giving,  which  I  did  on  three  sheets; 
but  I  regret  not  having  taken  a  copy  of  it,  as  I  am  doing 
this  time. 

14.  Some  one  might  think  that  Assessor  Swedenborg  was 
eccentric  and  whimsical;  but  the  very  reverse  was  the  case. 
He  was  very  easy  and  pleasant  in  company,  talked  on  every 
subject  that  came  up,  accommodating  himself  to  the  ideas  of 
the  company;  and  he  never  spoke  on  his  oAvn  views,  unless 
he  was  asked  about  them.  But  if  he  noticed  that  any  one 
asked  him  impertinent  questions,  intended  to  make  sport  of 
him,  he  immediately  gave  such  an  answer,  that  the  questioner 
was  obhged  to  keep  silence,  without  being  the  wiser  for  it 


Doc.  2G7.]  TESTIMONY  OF  FERELIUS.  HGl 

[15.  it  was  among  liis  peculiarities  that  he  never  washed 
his  face  and  hands,  nor  brushed  his  clothes,  saying  that  no 
dust  or  impurity  clung  to  him.*] 

IG.  He  could  not  bear  linen  sheets,  but  lay  between 
English  blankets. 

But  I  have  to  close  here  after  retailing  some  anecdotes, 
which  were  not  known  before.  I  beg,  however,  expressly  that 
you  will  not  mention  my  name  in  connection  therewith,  during 
my  life-time. 

Commending  myself  to  your  customary  I'avour,  I  am,  with 
great  esteem, 

Your  obedient  servant, 
Arvid  Fekelius. 
Skofdc,  INIarch  17,  17S0. 

P.  S.  A  violent  anti-Swedenborgian,  Bishop  Laraberg,"^ 
of  Gottenburg  died  recently. 

That  the  above  co])y  of  Dean  Ferelius'  letter  to  Professor 
Triigard  of  Greifswalde,  agrees  in   every  particular  with  the 

*  This  statement  seems  exceedingly  improbable  to  us,  and  we  agree 
with  Dr.  Im.  Tafel,  that  it  was  one  of  those  falsehoods  which  were  circulated 
about  Swedenborg,  and  which  Ferelius  reported  on  mere  hearsay.  Dr.  Im. 
Tafel  says,  "In  respect  to  the  wonderful  quahty  attributed  liei'e  to  Svvcden- 
borg's  face,  hands,  and  clothes,  Ferelius  does  not  say  that  he  was  informed 
concerning  it  by  Swedenborg  himself,  nor  does  he  say  that  Swedenborg's 
words  on  this  subject  were  addressed  to  himself.  Besides,  there  is  no 
internal  probabihty  at  all  that  Swedenborg  of  himself  should  have  talked 
on  this  subject  with  Ferelius  or  any  one  else.  And  how  else  should  it 
have  been  known?"  Besides,  we  add,  Shearsmith  is  silent  about  this,  and 
Rolisahm,  and  in  fact  e\  ery  one  who  gi\  es  his  testimony  respecting  Sweden- 
lidrg's  exterior.  And  should  the  reverse  have  been  true,  i.  e.  should  Swcden- 
Ijurg  have  had  an  unwashed  appearance,  and  should  his  clothes  have  appeared 
dusty,  not  only  Ferelius,  but  others  also  would  have  commented  on  this 
circumstance.  Moreover,  Robsahm  informs  us  (Document  5,  no.  3)  that 
Swedenborg  required  of  his  gardener's  wife  that  she  should  daily  place 
"a  large  jug  of  water  in  his  ante-ro6m,"  and  C.  F.  Nordenskold  learnt 
from  lier  besides  (see  Vol.  I,  p.  53),  that  "Swedenborg  gave  orders  that 
tlicy  were  not  to  awake  him,  nor  to  touch  him  when  he  lay  in  bed,  but  to 
lilace  a  basin  of  water  before  his  bed."  Surely  this  "large  jug  of  water" 
in  Swedenborg's  ante-room,  and  the  "basin  of  water"  which  was  placed 
Ijefore   his  bed,   could  only  have  been  for  the  purpose  of  washing.     AVe 


562  TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMPORARIES.      [Doc.  267. 

original  wliich  the  said  professor  sent  in  1796  to  a  correspondent, 
B[ilberg]  in  Stockholm  [see  Note  119],  I  certify  herewith. 

H.  Brunstedt. 


B. 

A  VISIT  UF  CARL  JOHAN  KNUS^'<'  TO  FERELIUS* 

On  the  twelfth  of  August,  1784,  I  went  with  my  brother 
Olof-j-  to  Skofde,  where  we  stayed  over  night  with  the  vicar 
of  the  place,  Dean  Ferelius,  a  very  genial  and  honourable 
man,  who  had  travelled  much,  and  had  been  pastor  of  the 
Swedish  church  in  London.  He  was  well  acquainted  with  the 
famous  and  admired  Assessor  Emanuel  Swedenborg.  About 
this  countryman  of  ours  he  related  to  us  all  sorts  of  anecdotes, 
especially  about  his  last  hours,  when  Dean  Ferelius  was  present 
wiUi  him,  and  administered  to  him  the  Lord's  Supper,  which 
was  received  by  the  Assessor  with  much  devotion. 

Dea)i  Ferelius'  arcoimt  of  Sn-edeiiborffs  last  hour,  gathered 
and  turitten  doicn  hij  myself  from  his  ouii  oral  communications, 
OH  August  12,  1784: 

1.  As  soon  as  the  Dean  had  heard  of  Swedenborg's 
illness,  he  paid  him  a  visit,  and  desired  to  speak  with  him. 
After  he  had  entered  the  house,  he  heard  a  kind  of  noise 
from  the  interior  of  the  room;    wherefore   he   asked   whether 

therefore  quite  agree  with  Dr.  Im.  Tafel,  that  there  in  no  ground  at  all 
for  considering  this  statement  as  historically  true.  He  continues,  "It  is  not 
improbable  that  Ferelius  states  here  a  mere  rumour,  and  that  this  is  one 
of  those  falsehoods  which  were  divulged  about  Swedenborg  by  Ferelius' 
colleague,  Mathesius,  who  was  at  the  time  in  London  and  who  became  his 
successor;"  whose  propensity  for  doing  such  things  will  be  proved  in 
Division  D  of  the  present  Section.  "Or  else,"  says  Dr.  Im.  Tafel,  "this 
rumour  may  have  been  originated  by  some  other  thoughtless  individual, 
who  was  given  to  say  uncommon  things  about  uncommon  men." 

*  This  visit,  during  wliich  Ferelius  gave  to  Knos  an  account  of  Sweden- 
borg's last  hours,  is  described  in  Knos's  Diary,  which  was  kindly  communicated 
to  the  Editor  of  these  Documents,  during  his  stay  in  Sweden  in  1870,  by 
some  of  Knos's  descendants. 

f  Olof  Andersson  Knos,  the  elder  brother  of  Carl  Johan  Knos,  was 
bom  in  1756;  he  became  lector  of  the  Greek  language  at  the  gymnasium 
of  Skara  in  1796;  and  died  in  1804. 


Doc.  2G7.]  I'ESTJMONY  OF  FERELIUS.  503 

tliere  were  any  strangers  with  the  Assessor,  upon  which  liis 
hidy  attendant  said,  "JSlo,  this  noise  has  continued  during  the 
last  few  days.''  The  Dean  entered.  The  Assessor  received 
liira  with  a  ghad  and  clieerful  countenance,  saying,  "Be  welcome, 
reverend  Sir!  God  has  now  delivered  me  from  the  evil  spirits, 
with  whom  I  have  had  to  struggle  for  several  days.  Now 
the  good  spirits  have  come  back  again."  Dean  Ferelius  said, 
"Mr.  Assessor,  I  heard  that  you  were  sick,  and  as  pastor  of 
the  Swedish  church  in  this  place,  I  considered  it  my  duty  to 
visit  you."  Whereupon  he  proposed  to  the  Assessor  to  receive 
the  Holy  Communion.  The  Assessor  thanked  him  for  the 
offer  three  or  four  times  and  said,  "I  acknowledge  that  I  have 
not  received  it  for  several  years;  but  I  did  not  need  it;  for 
I  have  been  a  member  of  the  heavenly  church.  But  now  I 
am  willing  to  receive  it,  in  order  to  show  what  a  close  union 
there  is  between  the  visible  and  the  invisible  church."  Dean 
Ferelius  then  asked  him,  "Mr.  Assessor,  is  it  to  acquire  a 
name,  or  for  some  other  reason  that  you  have  written  your 
various  writings?  If  so,  retract  them.  You  are  celebrated 
enough,  and  if  you  have  spoken  lies,  and  remain  in  them,  you 
cannot  be  saved."  The  Assessor  answered,  "Mr.  Pastor,  as 
true  as  you  see  me  here,  and  as  true  as  I  live,  I  have  not 
written  any  thing  from  myself,  but  the  truth  from  God;  and 
if  you  will  pay  attention  to  the  truth,  we  shall  some  time  in 
eternity  have  important  things  to  talk  over  together,,"  The 
Dean  answered,  "Do  you,  Mr.  Assessor,  acknowledge  yourself 
to  be  a  sinner,  then  raise  your  hands,  and  read  the  confession 
of  shis."  "I  am,"  said  the  Assessor,  "most  undouljtedly,  a  sinner; 
ibr  what  other  reason  should  I  have  to  carry  about  with  mo 
this  sinful  body?"  Whereupon  he  read  the  confession  of  sins, 
and  received  the  Holy  Communion. 

2.  •  The  last  official  act  which  the  Dean  performed  in 
England,  was  the  Assessor's  l)urial.  As  a  burial  fee  he 
received  the  copy  of  the  Hebrew  Bible,  in  two  volumes,  quarto, 
which  constituted  the  Assessor's  travelling  library,  and  which 
he  had  most  frequently  made  use  of,  and  underscored  every- 
where. 

3.  The  Ass&ssor  was  a  most  cheerful  and  genial  man.  Far 
from   desiring   to   force   his   discoveries   on    any  one,  he  never 

3G* 


564  TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMPORARIES.     [Doc.  268.  ; 

spoke  of  them,  except  when  he  was  asked,  in  which  case  he  : 
gaA^e  precise  answers.  When  he  was  contradicted,  he  kept  \ 
silence.  i 

4.  Ferelius  asked  him  about  the  well-known  story  concern-  I 
ing  the  unexpected  answer,  which  he  gave  to  Queen  Louisa  : 
Ulrica;"  whereupon  he  answered,  "She  asked  me  about  a  I 
circumstance,  which  no  one  in  the  whole  world  knew  except  i 
herself  and  her  brother,  who  was  already  dead;  and  when  I  \ 
conveyed  to  her  an  answer,  she  was  so  much  overcome,  that  i 
she  almost  fainted.     This  is  the  truth  about  it,"  I 

5.  When  Ferelius  at  one  time  visited  Swedenborg,  he  said, 
"Just  now  the  apostle  Peter  has  been  with  me;  there  he  stood."  ' 

6.  Ferelius  saw  Swedenborg's  manuscripts ;  they  were  all  I 
written  out  in  a  clear  hand,  without  his  having  hrst  made  a  ! 
rough  draught.  Nowhere  could  a  single  word  be  found  ; 
crossed  out;  but  all  that  was  once  written,  remained  written,  : 
just  as  if  it  had  been  dictated." 


DOCUMENT  268. 

JOHN    WESLEY'S^^'    TESTIMONY   CONCERNING 
SWEDENBORG  IN  1772,  AND  1773.* 

* 
"Among   Mr.  Wesley'-s  preachers,   in  the  year   1772,  was 

the  late  Mr.  Samuel  Smith,  a  man  of  great  piety  and  integ- 
rity, who  afterwards  became  one  of  the  first  ministers  in  our 
church.  Having  heard  a  curious  anecdote,  said  to  rest  on 
his  authority,  I  wrote  (says  Mr.  Noble,)  to  Mr.  J.  I,  Hawkins,^^^ 
the  well-known  engineer,  who  had  been  intimately  acquainted 
with  Mr.  Smith,  to  request  an  exact  account  of  it.  The 
following  (a  little  abbreviated)  is  his  answer;  it  is  dated 
February  6th,  1826:— 

*  The  whole  of  this  Docaiment  is  taken  from  the  Rev.  S.  Noble's^s? 
"Appeal  in  behalf  of  the  Doctrines  of  the  New  Church,"  (Sterotype 
edition,  pp.  243  to  249;)  whence  it  was  introduced  into  the  English  and 
American  editions  of  the  -'Swedenborg  Documents." 


Doc.  268.]  JOHN  WESLEY'S  TESTIMONY.  565 

"Dear  Sir, 

"In  answer  to  your  inquiries,  I  am  able  to  state, 
that  I  have  a  clear  recollection  of  having  repeatedly  heard  the 
Rev.  Samuel  Smith  say,  about  the  year  1787  or  1788,  that  in  the 
latter  end  of  February,  1772,  he,  with  some  other  preachers, 
was  in  attendance  upon  the  Rev.  John  Wesley,  taking  instructions 
and  assisting  him  in  the  preparations  for  his  great  circuit,  which 
Mr.  Wesley  was  about  to  commence;  that  while  thus  in  atten- 
dance, a  letter  came  to  Mr.  Wesley,  which  he  perused  with 
evident  astonishment;  that,  after  a  pause,  he  read  the  letter  to 
the  company;  and  that  it  was  couched  in  nearly  the  following 
words: — 

'Great  Bath-street,  Coldbath  Fields,  Feb.—,  1772. 
'Sir, — I  have  been  informed  in  the   world  of  spirits  that 
you  have  a  strong  desire  to  converse  with  me;  I  shall  be  happy 
to  see  you  if  you  will  favour  me  with  a  visit. 
'I  am,  Sir, 

'Your  humble  Servant, 

'Eman.  Swedenboeg-. 

"Mr.  Wesley  frankly  acknowledged  to  the  company,  that 
he  had  been  very  strongly  impressed  with  a  desire  to  see  and 
converse  with  Swedenborg,  and  that  he  had  never  mentioned 
that  desire  to  any  one. 

"Mr.  Wesley  wrote  for  answer,  that  he  was  then  closely 
occupied  in  preparing  for  a  six  months'  journey,  but  would  do 
himself  the  pleasure  of  waiting  upon  Mr.  Swedenborg  soon  after 
his  return  to  London. 

"Mr.  Smith  further  informed  me,  that  he  afterwards  learned 
that  Swedenborg  wrote  in  reply,  that  the  visit  proposed  by 
Mr.  Wesley  would  be  too  late,  as  he,  Swedenborg,  should  go 
into  the  world  of  spiritis  on  the  29th  day  of  the  next  month, 
never  more  to  return. 

"Mr.  Wesley  went  the  circuit,  and  on  his  return  to  London, 
[if  not,  as  is  most  probable,  before,]  was  informed  of  the  fact, 
that  Swedenborg  had  departed  this  hfe  on  the  29th  of  March 
preceding. 

"Tliis  extraordinary  correspondence  induced  Mr.  Smith  to 
examine  the  writings  of  Swedenborg;  and  the   result  was,    a 


568  TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMPORARIES.     [Doc.  268. 

firm  couviction  of  the  rationality  and  truth  ot"  the  heavenly 
doctrines  promulgated  in  those  invaluable  writings,  -which 
doctrines  he  zealously  laboured  to  disseminate  during  the 
remainder  of  his  natural  life. 

"That  Mr.  Smith  was  a  man  of  undoubted  veracity,  can 
be  testified  by  several  persons  now  living,  besides  myself;  the 
fact,  therefore,  that  such  a  correspondence  did  take  place  between 
the  Honourable  Emanuel  Swedenborg  and  the  Rev.  John  "Wesley, 
is  established  upon  the  best  authority. 

"On  referring  to  Mr.  Wesley's  printed  journal,  it  may  be 
seen,  that  he  left  London  on  the  1st  of  March  in  the  year  1772; 
reached  Bristol  on  the  3rd,  Worcester  on  the  14th,  and  Chester 
on  the  29th,  which  was  the  day  of  Swedenborg's  final  departure 
from  this  world.  Mr.  Wesley,  in  continuing  liis  circuit,  visited 
Liverpool,  and  various  towns  in  the  north  of  England,  and  in 
Scotland,  returning  through  Northumberland  and  Durham  to 
Yorkshire,  and  thence  through  Derbyshire,  Staffordshire,  and 
Shropshire,  to  Wales;  thence  to  Bristol,  Salisbury,  Winchester, 
and  Portsmouth,  to  London,  where  he  arrived  on  the  10th  of 
October  in  the  same  year,  having  been  absent  rather  more  than 
six  months. 

"I  feel  it  my  duty  to  accede  to  your  request,  and  allow  my 
name  to  appear  as  your  immediate  voucher. 

"I  remain,  dear  Sir, 

"Yours  very  sincerly, 

"John  Isaac  Hawkins."  ^^^ 

"To  this  I  can  add,  that  the  Rev.  M.  Sibly^'"  has  assured 
me,  that  he  has  heard  Mr.  Smith  relate  the  above  anecdote; 
and  that  he  could  mention,  if  necessary,  several  other  persons 
still  living  who  must  have  heard  it  too.  He  fully,  also,  supports 
Mr.  Hawkins'  statement  in  regard  to  Mr.  Smith's  veracity. 
Thus  it  is  impossible  to  doubt  that  Mr  Smith  affirmed  it;  and 
it  is  difficult  to  suppose  that  he  could  either  Avilfully  or  unin- 
tentionally misrepresent  an  incident  w^hich  must  have  impressed 
him  so  strongly,  and  of  which  his  consequent  adoption  of 
Swedenborg's  sentiments  formed  a  collateral  evidence.* 

*  Mr.  Hawkins'  letter  to  Mr.  Noble  was  inserted  by  Robert  Hiiidmarsh 
in  his  -'History  of  the  Rise    and  Progress  of  the  New  Jerusalem  Church" 


Doc.  268.]  JOHN  WESLEY'S  TESTIMONY,  5G7 

"It  may  here  be  proper  to  observe,  tliat  the  translation 
of  Swedenborg's  little  work  on  the  'Intercotirse  hetweeii  the 
Suiil  (Old  the  Boihf  had  been  published  not  long  previously 
(in  1770),  with  a  preface  by  the  translator,  addressed  to  the  Uni- 
versities, urging  the  author's  claims  to  attention.  This  Mr.  Wesley 
had  probably  seen,  and  had  thence  conceived  the  desire  ho 
acknowledges  to  see  the  author.  The  discovery  that  this  desire, 
though  it  had  remained  a  secret  in  his  own  breast,  was  known 
to  Swedenborg,  must  have  affected  him  very  strongly:  it  must 
have  convinced  him  that  Swedenborg's  assertion,  that  he 
possessed  the  privilege  of  conversing  with  angels  and  spirits, 
was  true:  and  it  is  natural  to  suppose  that  he  would  conclude 
from  it  that  the  cause  assigned  by  Swedenborg  of  his  having 


(pp.  62,  63);  but  lie  adds  there  the  following  additional  account  which  he 
received  from  another  gentleman  present,  wJien  Mr.  Smith  made  his  statement 
about  Weslej-  and  Swedenborg:  "Another  gentleman,  Mr.  Benedict  Harford, 
now  of  Liverpool,  who  was  also  present  when  Mr.  Smith  stated  the  above 
particulars  to  the  Society  [which  worshipped  in  the  Eastcheap  chapel],  gives 
a  similar  account  from  his  recollection,  which  was  minuted  by  him  in 
writing,  and  delivered  to  me,  on  the  5th  of  August,  1822.    It  is  as  follows: 

'An  anecdote  of  the  late  Rev.  John  "Wesley  and  the  late  Hon.  Emanuel 
Swedenborg.  as  related  by  Mr.  Samuel  Smith,  a  IMethodist  Preacher,  who 
had  it  i'rom  Mr.  Wesley's  owti  mouth.— Swedenborg,  a  little  previously  to 
his  decease,  sent  a  note  to  Mr.  "Wesley  to  the  follow'ing  effect:  "I  perceive 
in  the  spiritual  world;  that  you  have  a  desire  to  see  me.  If  you  would  see 
me,  you  must  call  before  such  a  day;  for  after  that  I  must  go  to  the  angels, 
with  whom  I  have  been  associated  these  twenty  seven  years."  "It  is  certain," 
said  Mr.  "\^^esley,  "that  I  had  a  strong  desire  to  see  the  Baron;  but  how 
he  came  to  know  it,  I  have  not  an  idea,  as  I  never  told  any  creature  that  I 
had  such  a  desire" 

(Signed)  'Benedict  Harford.'" 

Mr.  Hindmarsh  adds  to  this  account,  "I  was  myself  also  present,  with 
several  others  now  living,  but  not  mentioned,  when  Mr.  Smith  related  these 
particulars;  and  though  I  do  not  charge  my  memory  with  the  exact  words 
of  Mr.  Smith,  yet  I  well  remember,  that  the  account  given  above  is  sub- 
stantially correct,  having  frequently  heard  him  repeat  it." 

The  following  is  a  short  account  given  by  Mr.  Hindmarsh  respecting 
Mr.  Smith:  "Soon  after  the  oiiening  of  the  chapel,  Mr.  Samuel  Smith,  an 
itinerant  jireacher  among  the  Methodists,  joined  the  Society,  and  gave  proof 
of  his  aViility  to  serve  the  cause  by  his  valuable  assistance  in  the  work  of 
the  ^linistry."  Mr.  Samuel  Smith  was  ordained  into  the  New  Church 
Ministry  on  June  1,  1788. 


r>68  TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMPORARIES.     [Doc.  268. 

received  tliis  privilege,  namely,  that  lie  might  be  qualified  for 
a  holy  office  to  which  he  had  been  called,  was  true  also. 
There  is,  further,  the  strongest  evidence  that  Mr.  Wesley's 
conviction  Avent  as  far  as  this.  I  had  heard  an  anecdote 
demonstrating  it  related  in  conversation  by  the  reverend  and 
venerable  Mr.  Clowes,^^^  Rector  of  St.  John's,  Manchester,  whose 
high  character  for  every  quality  that  can  adorn  a  minister  of 
the  gospel  and  of  course  for  veracity  among  the  rest,  is  acknow- 
ledged by  all  who  knew  him  (and  few  were  known  through  a 
wider  circle) — by  those  who  differed  from  him  as  well  as  by 
those  who  agreed  with  him  in  theological  sentiment;  I  there- 
fore wrote  to  him,  to  request  a  written  statement  of  the  par- 
ticulars, with  leave  to  publish  it  with  his  name;  with  which 
request  he  kindly  complied.  The  part  of  his  letter  (dated 
January  19,  1826),  which  relates  immediately  to  this  subject, 
is  as  follows: — 

'"My  very  dear  Sir, — In  full  and  free  compliance  with  your 
wishes,  as  expressed  in  your  kind  favour  of  the  16th,  I  send 
you  the  following  memoir  of  the  late  Mr.  Wesley,  as  com- 
municated to  me  by  ray  late  pious  and  learned  friend,  Richard 
Houghton,  Esq.,  of  Liverpool,  who  was  also  intimately  acquainted 
with  Mr.  Wesley,  insomuch  that  the  latter  gentleman  never 
visited  Liverpool  without  passing  some  time  with  Mr.  Houghton. 
As  near  as  I  can  recollect,  it  was  in  the  spring  of  the  year  1773 
that  I  received  the  communication,  one  morning,  when  I  called 
on  Mr.  Hougliton  at  his  house,  and  at  a  time,  too,  when  the 
writings  of  the  Hon.  E.  Swedenborg  began  to  excite  public 
attention.  These  writings  were  at  that  time  unknown  to 
myself,  but  not  so  to  my  friend  Mr.  Hougliton,  who  was  in 
the  habit  of  correspondence  with  the  Rev.  T.  Hartley^  on  the 
subject,  and  was  very  eager  to  make  me  acquainted  with  them. 
Accordingly,  in  the  course  of  our  conversation,  my  friend  took 
occasion  to  mention  the  name  of  Mr.  Wesley,  and  the  manner 
in  which  he,  on  a  late  visit  to  Liverpool,  had  expressed  his 
sentiments  on  those  writings.  ^  We  may  noiv/  said  Mr.  AVesley, 
'hum  all  our  hooJis  of  Tlieology.  God  has  sent  tis  a  teacher 
from  heaven;  and  in  the  doctrines  of  Sivedenhorg  tve  may  learn 
all  that  it  is  necessary  for  us  to  Jaioiv.' 

"The  manner  in  which  Mr.  Wesley  here  expressed  himself 


Doc.  268.]  JOHN  WESLEY'S  TESTIMONY.  .569 

was  strong  indeed;  so  much  so,  that  were  it  not  certain  that 
his  mind  must  have  heen  at  that  time  under  a  very  powerful 
influence  in  Swedenborg's  favour,  he  might  be  suspected  to  have 
spoken  ironically.  This  I  observed  in  my  letter  to  Mr.  Clowes; 
to  which  he  replies,  'I  can  hardly  conceive,  from  the  manner 
in  which  it  was  expressed  by  Mr.  Houghton,  that  irony  had 
any  thing  to  do  with  it:'  and  Mr.  Houghton  must  have  known 
with  certainty  whether  it  had  or  not.  His  repeating  Mr.  Wesley's 
observation  to  Mr.  Clowes,  as  an  inducement  to  him  to  peruse  the 
writings  of  Swedeid)org,  is  a  complete  proof  that  Mr.  Houghton 
believed  it  to  mean  what  it  expresses.  But  an  examination  of 
dates  will  shew,  that  Mr.  Wesley's  statement  to  that  gentleman 
was  made  while  the  impression  from  Swedenborg's  supernatural 
communication  was  acting  in  all  its  force.  Mr.  Clowes'  interview 
with  INIr.  Houghton  was  in  the  spring  of  177.j.  Mr.  Wesley 
does  nut  appear  to  have  been  at  Liverpool  between  that  time 
and  the  lOth  of  the  preceding  October,  when  he  returned  from 
his  last  great  circuit.  In  that  circuit  he  did  visit  Liverpool, 
and  was  there  early  in  April,  1772.  This,  then,  must  be  the 
"late  visit"  mentioned  by  Mr.  Houghton;  and  tJiiy  was  ivitliin 
six  weeks  after  lie  had  received  the  extraordinavij  coiumunication 
from  Sicedodjorg.  This  is  certain:  and  it  is  also  highly  pro- 
bable, tliat,  at  the  time  of  his  visiting  Liverpool,  the  effect  of 
that  communication  was  greatly  strengthened,  by  the  verification 
of  the  announcement,  which,  we  have  seen,  Swedenborg  had  made 
to  him,  of  the  day  of  his  own  death.  He  died,  as  he  had 
announced,  on  the  29th  of  March:  there  can  be  httle  doubt 
that  a  notice  of  it  appeared  in  the  papers;  it  would  thence, 
it  is  highly  probable,  be  known  to  Mr.  Wesley  when  he  was 
at  Liverpool,  about  a  fortnight  afterwards:  and  the  words  he 
then  uttered  to  Mr.  Houghton  will  not  appear  stronger  than 
he  might  be  expected  to  use,  when  two  such  recent  and  com- 
pletely incontrovertible  proofs  of  the  truth  of  Swedenborg's 
claims  were  operathig  on  his  mind. 

"Yet  Mr.  Wesley,  thus  miraculously  convinced  of  the  truth 
of  Swedenborg's  claims,  (as  far,  at  least,  as  relates  to  his 
intercourse  with  the  spiritual  world,)  afterwards  exerted  himself 
to  check  the  extension  of  the  same  conviction  to  others!  in 
which,    however,    he   only   afl'orded    a   proof   of  Swedenborg's 


570  TESTIMONY  OF  CONTEMP  OB  ABIES.      [Doc.  268. 

constant  assertion,  that  miraculous  evidence  is  inefficacious  for 
producing  any  real  or  permanent  change  in  a  man's  confirmed 
religious  sentiments.  AVhen  Mr.  Wesley  uttered  the  strong 
declaration  respecting  Swedenborg  and  his  writings,  he  spoke 
of  the  latter,  rather  from  what  he  expected  to  find  them,  than 
from  what  he  actually  knew  them  to  be.  The  probability  is, 
that  he  at  this  time  knew  little  more  of  them  than  he  had 
learned  from  the  tract  'On  the  Intercourse:'  which  contains 
probably  nothing  that  he  would  except  against;  especially  as 
it  is  certain,  as  will  be  seen  presently,  that  even  the  treatise 
On  Heaven  and  Hell,  which  gives  the  main  results- of  Sweden- 
borg's  spiritual  experience,  was  not  condemned  by  him.  But 
when  he  came  to  find  that  Swedenborg's  writings  militated 
against  some  of  the  sentiments  that  he  had  strongly  confirmed 
in  his  own  mind;  these,  which  were  his  interior  convictions, 
gradually  threw  off  the  exterior  conviction  arising  from  merely 
outward  though  miraculous  evidence:  hence  he  afterwards 
accepted  the  false  report  of  Mathesius,"^  [See  Document  270,  A] 
and  promoted  its  circulation.  Indeed,  there  can  be  no  doubt 
that,  then,  such  a  statement  as  that  of  Mathesius  would  operate 
as  a  relief  to  him;  for  though  he  could  not  receive  the  whole 
of  SAvedenborg's  doctrines,  the  positive  proof  he  possessed  of 
the  author's  supernatural  knowledge  must  often  have  disturbed 
him  in  his  rejection  of  them:  he  must  therefore  have  been 
glad  to  meet  with  anything  which  could  make  him,  in  regard 
to  that  rejection,  better  satisfied  with  himself.  Finally,  perhaps, 
other  causes  assisted  to  strengthen  his  opposition.  When  first 
he  published  the  slanderous  report  (in  1781),  he  still  seems 
to  have  had  some  misgivings;  hence  he  prefaced  it  with  the 
acknowledgment,  that  Swedenborg  was  'a  very  great  man,'  and 
that  in  his  writings  'there  are  many  excellent  things:'  when  he 
afterwards  seemed  less  inclined  to  admit  so  much,  although, 
no  doubt,  he  still  spoke  sincerely,  a  little  human  frailty, 
perhaps,  influenced  his  judgment.  It  is  well  known  that 
Mr.  Wesley  was  always  prompt  in  taking  measures  to  put 
down  any  thing  like  rebellion  among  his  disciples, — any  thing 
that  tended  to  the  diminution  of  his  authority  over  their  minds. 
Now  it  is  a  certain  fact,  that  Mr.  Smith  was  not  the  only  one 
of  his  pupils  who  began  to  think  the  doctrines  of  the  New  Church 


Doc.  268.]  JOHN  WESLEY'S  TESTIMONY.  571 

superior  to  tliose  of  Methodism:  among  his  other  preachers 
who  came  to  the  same  conckision,  were  Mr.  James  Hindmarsh, 
Mr.  Isaac  Hawkins,  and  Mr.  R.  Jackson,  deceased,  with 
Mr.  J.  "W.  Salmon  and  Mr.  T.  Parker,  still  living;*  all  of  whom 
became  active  promoters  of  these  doctrines:  it  therefore  is 
not  to  be  wondered  at,  if  INIr.  AVesley  at  last  took  the  most 
decisive  steps  to  check  their  further  extension  among  his  flock. 
"The  above,"  concludes  Mr.  Noble,  "appears  to  me  to  be 
a  fair  ar-d  liighly  probable  account  of  the  progress,  on  this 
subject,  of  Mr.  Wesley's  mind." 

*  "When   the  first  editiou  of  the  "AppcaV  was  piiblishcil. 


D. 
REFUTATION  OF  FALSE  REPORTS. 

DOCUMENT  269. 

THE  CHAEGIE  OF  SWEDENBORG  HAVING 

RETRACTED  HIS  WRITINGS  IN  HIS  LAST 

MOMENTS  CRITICALLY  EXAMINED. 

The  history  of  this  charge  and  of  its  refutation  is  given  in 
full  by  Mr.  R.  Hindmarsh^^s  -^^^  j^jg  "History  of  the  Rise  and 
Progress  of  the  New  Jerusalem  Church."  We  thence  extract 
the  following  (pp.  35  to  39): 

"Among  the  various  persons,  in  different  parts  of  the  world, 
with  whom  I  corresponded,  in  consequence  of  its  being  pretty 
generally  known,  that  I  was  the  printer  of  Swedenhorg's 
writings,  was  an  English  gentleman  at  the  Hague,  William 
Gomm,  Esq.,^*^  Secretary  to  the  British  Ambassador  at  that 
place,  and  brother-in-law  to  the  late  Lord  Malmesbury.  He 
was  a  most  zealous  and  cordial  approver  of  the  New  Jerusalem 
doctrines,  and  took  an  active  part  in  disseminating  them  in 
the  higher  circles  of  society.  He  translated  into  the  Prencli 
language  such  of  the  proceedings  of  our  Society,*  as  he  thought 
were  likely  to  interest  foreigners  in  favour  of  the  New  Church; 
and  wherever  he  met  with  opposition  to   the  truth,   or  heard 


*  "The  Theosophical  Society,  instituted  [in  1784]  for  the  purpose  of 
promoting  the  Heavenly  Doctrines  of  the  New  Jerusalem,  by  translating 
printing,  and  pubhshing  the  Theological  Writings  of  the  Honourable 
Emanuel  Swedenborg." 


Doc.  209.1  GOMMTO  HINDMARSH  573 

of  reports  injurious  to  the  character  and  writings  of  Sweden- 
borg,  he  exerted  himself  most  strenuously  in  their  defence,  as 
will  in  part  appear  from  tlie  following  letter  which  he  addressed 
to  me  on  a  particular  occasion: 


A. 

WILLIAM  GOMM,  ESQ.-"'  TO  ROBEIiT  UINDMAR^IV'^''* 

'My  dear  Sir, 

'I  am  now   to  trouble   you  upon  an  im- 


portant and  interesting  subject  to  us  both,  and  indeed  to  all 
real  admirers  of  Baron  Swedenborg. 

*A  Mr.  Vosnian  (Keeper  of  the  Prince  of  Orange's  Museum, 
or  Chaml)er  of  Natural  Curiosities,)  who  was  personally  ac- 
quainted with  the  Baron,  and  who  received  a  volume  of  his 
Avritings,  in  which  I  have  read  these  words  in  tlie  Baron's 
own  liandwriting,  "Dono  miss,  ah  Audore,"  asserts  in  the  most 
positive  manner,  that  a  Swedish  Nobleman,  (I  think  a  Baron 
or  Count  llosenberg,-]-  whom  he  had  desired,  upon  his  leaving 
him  here  in  his  way  to  London,  to  give  him  the  most  circum- 
stantial and  authentic  account  of  what  he  could  collect  of 
Baron  Swedenborg's  behaviour  in  his  last  hours,)  had  informed 
him,  (and  he  declares  it  in  the  most  unreserved  manner,)  that 
he  had  been  assured,  "that  a  few  hours  before  his  death, 
Baron  Swedenborg  had  retracted  all  he  had  written." 

'I  need  not  tell  you  how  truly  afflicting  such  a  report  is  to 
all  true  recipients;  nor  (however  improbable  it  seems  to  most 
of  us)  how  very  prejudicial  it  is  to  Baron  Swedenborg's  re- 
putation. I  therefore  know  you  will  think  no  pains  a  task, 
which  you  can  possil^ly  take  to  enable  me  to  destroy  what  I 
take  to  be  so  palpal)le,  as  well  as  disingenuous  and  illiberal, 
a  falsehood. 

'Consult  every  body  you  can  think  of,  my  dear  friend,  wlio 

*  This  letter  was  first  printocl  in  the  "J\raga/.ine  of  Knowlcdf^o,"  1791, 
Vol.  II,  pp.  296  to  298. 

•}•  There  is  no  such  name  on  the  roll  of  the  Swedish  nobles,  as  con- 
tained in  Anrep's  "Attar-Taflor."  His  name  may  have  been  Rosenborg; 
but  tlie  bearers  of  that  name  liave  never  been  Barons  or  Counts. 


5  74  REF  LIT  A 1  lOX  OF  FALSE  REP  OR  TS.     [Doc.  269. 

is  likely  to  be  assistant  in  clearing  it  up.  I  shall  use  every 
endeavour  in  my  power,  in  consequence  of  yours,  to  destroy 
this  prejudice,  if  it  be  in  our  power;  and  therefore  wish  the 
lines  you  may  favour  me  with,  in  answer  to  these,  may  be 
written  apart  from  any  other  matter  whatever,  as  I  shall  be 
able  to  make  the  better  use  of  them  in  that  shape. 

'I  need  not  say,  I  am  sure,  how  anxious  I  shall  be  to 
receive  them.  Your  zeal  in  so  good  a  cause  makes  all  further 
apology,  I  well  know,  entirely  superfluous. ' 

'I  beg  you  will  continue  to  believe  me, 

'Dear  Sir,  affectionately  yours, 
'William  Gomm. 

'Hague,  October  14,  1785.' 

'P.  S. — A  part  of  the  Swedish  Nobleman's  information  is 
said  to  have  come  from  the  ]}eoiile  of  tlie  house,  ivlicre  Baron 
Sivederihorg  lived  and  died.  This  being  so  near  at  hand,  may 
possibly  be  cleared  up  by  yourself,  dear  Sir,  (at  least  to  the 
satisfaction  of  candid  people,)  by  Avhat  you  may  be  able  to 
collect  from  these  living  witnesses,  upon  proper  queries;  as, 
AVho  visited  the  Baron  in  his  last  hours?  What  language  did 
they  speak  with  him  in?  What  questions  did  they  ask  him? 
and,  AVhat  do  they  recollect  to  have  heard,  at  the  time,  of  his 
answer?  &c.,  &c.' 

Mr.  Hindmarsh  continues,  "As  soon  as  I  received  this  letter 
from  Mr.  Gomm,  I  called  on  my  friend  Mr.  Thomas  Wright,  of 
the  Poultry,  Watchmaker  to  the  King,  and  consulted  with 
him  on  the  measures  most  proper  to  be  taken  to  meet  the 
occasion;  and  we  came  to  the  resolution,  in  the  first  instance, 
of  waiting  upon  Mr.  Shearsmith,  at  his  house  in  Great  Bath 
Street,  Cold  Bath  Fields,  Clerkenwell,  to  ascertain  from  his 
own  mouth  the  truth  or  falsehood  of  the  report  alluded  to. 
Accordingly  we  immediately  proceeded  to  Mr.  Shearsmith's 
house,  and,  after  stating  to  him  the  cause  of  our  visit,  requested 
that  he  would  openly  and  candidly  declare,  whether  to  his 
knowledge  or  belief,  there  was  any  foundation  in  truth  for  the 
report  in  question.  His  answer  was  prompt  and  satisfactory: 
he  assured  us,  in  the  most  positive  terms,  and  in  a  manner 
which  bespoke  the  sincerity  of  his  heart,  that  the  report  was 


Doc.  269.1  HiynMARSH  TO  aOMM.  575 

altogc'tlier  destitute  of  truth,  and  tliat  it  must  liavo  originated 
witli,  and  proceeded  from,  some  malicious  person,  wliose  enmity 
to  Swedenborg's  writings  had  suggested  such  a  falsehood.  His 
wife,  wlio  was  present,  and  who  had  constantly  attended  Sweden- 
])org  until  the  time  of  his  decease,  corroborated  her  husband's 
testimony;  and  they  both  freely  offered  to  make  an  affidavit 
before  a  Magistrate,  that  the  report,  which  had  been  raised 
and  circulated  to  the  prejudice  of  Swedenborg,  was  altogether 
false  and  groundless. 

"Satisfied  with  this  information,  anxious  to  give  it  publicity 
in  an  authentic  shape,  Mr.  AVright  and  I  proceeded  to  the 
house  of  Mr.  Pritchard,  a  proctor,  in  Doctor's  Commons,  who, 
on  hearing  the  particulars,  prepared  an  affidavit  in  legal  form, 
the  contents  of  which  were  sworn  and  signed  by  Mr.  Shearsmith 
and  his  wife,  on  tlie  24th  of  November,  1785,  before  the  Lord 
Mayor  of  London,  whose  name  also  was  Thomas  AVright,  though 
no  relation  of  my  friend  the  watchmaker.  A  copy  of  this 
atfidavit,  together  with  a  letter  enclosing  the  same,  was  then 
forwarded  to  Mr.  Gomm,  at  the  Hague;  which  were  as  follows: 


B. 

nOBr.TlT  HINDMARSm"-'^  TO   WILLTAM  GOVM,  K.'?*?."'"* 

'Dear  Sir, 

'I  am  in  possession  of  the  most  authentic 
]-)i'oof  of  the  falsity  of  the  report  you  mention  to  have  gained 
credit  in  Holland,  regarding  Baron  Swedenborg's  having  dis- 
owned, or  retracted,  his  doctrines  and  communications  when 
he  was  drawing  near  his  eiul.  The  persons  in  whose  house 
he  lived,  and  where  he  died,  upon  being  told  this  cii'cumstance, 
freely  olfered,  of  their  own  accord,  to  take  their  oaths  before 
a  magistrate,  that  the  whole  of  the  said  report  is  totally  void 

*  This  letter  was  first  iDrinted  in  the  English  language  in  the  "Magazine 
of  Knowledge,"'  1791,  Vol.  II,  pp.  298,  299;  from  which  it  was  introduced 
into  tlie  English  and  American  editions  of  the  "SwedenLorg  Documents." 
It  had  previously  been  printed  in  a  French  translation  in  a  work  published 
in  1785  by  B.  Chastanier  under  the  title:  "Tableau  analytique  et  raisonne 
de  la  Doctrine  Celeste,"  &c.,  pp.  2-13,  244. 


576  REFUTATION  OF  FALSE  REPORTS.      [Doc.  269. 

of  foundation,  to  the  best  of  their  knowledge.  You  will  see 
this  accordingly  confirmed  by  the  inclosed  document,  sworn  to 
in  the  presence  of  the  Lord  Mayor  of  this  city,  and  of  which 
you  are  at  full  liberty  to  make  whatever  use  you  may  think 
proper,  in  order  to  destroy  the  influence  of  so  malevolent  an 
insinuation.  Allow  me  to  add  here,  what  I  have  further  learnt 
from  Mr.  Springer,  a  Swedish  gentleman  residing  here,  and  a 
very  intimate  friend,  as  you  may  have  heard,  of  Swedenborg's: — 
"  When  the  deceased  found  his  end  approaching,  and  expressed 
a  wish  to  have  the  communion  administered  to  him,  someliody 
present  at  the  time  proposed  sending  for  Mr.  Mathesius,  the 
ofiiciating  minister  of  the  Swedish  church.  This  person  was 
known  to  be  a  professed  enemy  of  Swedenborg,  and  had  set 
his  face  against  his  writings:  it  was  he  that  raised  and  spread 
the  false  account  of  Swedenborg's  having  been  deprived  of  his 
senses.  The  Baron  therefore  declined  taking  the  sacrament 
from  him,  and  actually  received  it  from  the  hands  of  another 
ecclesiastic  of  his  own  country,  named  Ferelius,  who  at  that 
time  was  a  reader  of  Baron  Swedenborg's  writings,  and  is 
said  to  have  continued  to  do  so  ever  since,  in  Stockholm, 
where  he  is  now  living;  and  I  have  been  assured  that,  on  this 
occasion,  Swedenborg  expressly  exhorted  him  to  continue 
steadfast  in  the  truth." 

'Mr.  Mathesius  is  said  to  have  become  insane  himself,  a 
short  time  after  this;  and  becoming  thereby  incapable  of  his 
function,  has  existed  ever  since,  in  that  melancholy  state,  upon 
the  bounty  of  the  King  of  Sweden. 

'Mr.  Springer  further  says,  "That  a  short  time  before  his 
death,  Baron  Swedenborg  had  his  spiritual  or  internal  sight 
withdrawn  from  him,  after  having  been  favoured  with  it  during 
so  long  a  course  of  years:  that  he  was  under  the  greatest 
tribulation  of  mind  on  that  account,  calling  out,  'O  my  God ! 
hast  thou  then  at  last  abandoned  thy  servant?'  This  seems 
to  have  been  the  last  of  Swedenborg's  trials.  He  continued 
several  days  in  that  deplorable  condition;  but  at  length  re- 
covered his  spiritual  or  internal  sight.  He  was  then  comforted 
again,  and  became  happy  as  before." 

'Mr.   Springer   received   this   assurance   from  Swedenborg's 


Doc.  269.]  SHEARSMITH'S  AFFIDA  VIT.  bll 

own  mouth;   and  what  I  write  now  is  from  an  exact  copy  of 
part  of  a  letter  written  by  Mr.  Springer  himself 
'I  remain,  dear  Sir, 

'Yours,  &c. 

'ROBEET    HiNDMAESII. 

'London,  Nov.  28,  1786.' 

C. 

AFFIDAVIT  OF  MR.  AND  MRS.  SHEARSMITH.'^-'''* 

"Richard  Shearsmith,  of  Coldbath  Fields,  London,  peruke- 
maker,  and  Elizabeth  Shearsmith,  formerly  Reynolds,  his 
present  wife,  jointly  and  severally  make  oath,  and  say.  That 
the  late  Honourable  Emanuel  Swedenborg  came  to  lodge  a 
second  time  at  his,  this  deponent's,  house,  No.  26,  Coldbath 
Fields  aforesaid,  in  the  month  of  July  or  August,  one  thousand 
seven  hundred  and  seventy-one,  and  continued  to  lodge  there 
until  his  death,  which  happened  the  twenty-ninth  of  March 
following.  That  a  short  time  before  Christmas,  one  thousand 
seven  hundred  and  seventy-one,  he  had  a  paralytic  stroke, 
which  deprived  him  of  his  speech,  and  occasioned  his  lying 
in  a  lethargic  state  for  three  weeks  and  upwards,  during  the 
whole  of  which  time  he  took  no  sustenance  whatever,  except 
a  little  tea  without  milk,  and  cold  water  occasionally;  and 
once,  about  two  tea-spoonfuls  of  red  currant  jelly.  That  about 
the  expiration  of  three  weeks  from  the  time  he  was  so  struck,  he 
recovered  his  speech  and  health  a  little,  and  eat  and  drank 
toast,  tea,  and  coffee,  as  usual.  That  from  that  time  to  the  time  of 
his  death  he  was  visited  but  by  a  very  few  friends  only,  and  always 
seemed  unwilling  to  see  company.    That  about  a  month  before 

*  Mr.  Hindmarsh  adds  here  in  a  note:  "This  affidavit  has  been  strangely- 
mutilated  and  misrepresented,  first  by  the  Editors  of  the  'New  Jerusalem 
Magazine'  for  1790,  p.  225,  and  since  that  time  by  almost  all  the  writers 
who  have  had  occasion  to  quote  it;  although  it  was  correctly  printed 
in  the  'IMagazine  of  Knowledge'  for  1791,  p.  300,  from  the  original  document 
which  is  still  in  my  possession."  It  had  previously  been  printed  in  a  French 
translation  in  a  work  pul)lished  in  1785  by  B.  Chastanier  under  the  title: 
"Tableau  analytique  et  raisonne  de  la  Doctrine  Celeste,"  &c.  pp.  240  to  242. 

37 


578  REFUTATION  OF  FALSE  REPORTS.      [Doc.  269. 

he  died,  lie  told  this  deponent,  then  Elizabeth  Reynolds,  spinster, 
who  was  then  a  servant  to  her  fellow-deponent,  and  Mrs.  Shear- 
smith,  her  then  mistress,  that  he  should  die  on  a  particular 
day,  which,  to  the  best  of  her  recollection  and  behef,  happened 
on  the  day  he  had  foretold.  That  about  a  fortnight  or  three 
weeks  before  he  died,  he  received  the  sacrament  in  bed  from 
the  hands  of  a  foreign  clergyman,*  and  enjoyed  a  sound  mind, 
memory,  and  understanding  to  the  last  hour  of  his  life.  That 
about  five  o'clock  on  Sunday  the  twenty-ninth  day  of  March, 
he  asked  her,  this  deponent,  and  her  then  mistress,  who  were 
sitting  by  his  bed-side,  what  o'clock  it  was?  and  upon  their 
answering  him  that  it  was  about  five  o'clock,  he  replied,  'Dat 
be  good,  me  tank  you,  God  bless  you,'  or  to  that  effect;  and 
in  about  ten  minutes  after,  he  heaved  a  gentle  sigh,  and  expired 
in  the  most  tranquil  manner.  And  these  deponents  jointly 
and  severally  on  their  oath  declare,  that,  to  the  best  of  their 
recollection  and  belief,  no  person  whatever  visited  him,  either 
the  day  before,  or  the  day  on  which  he  died.  And  these 
deponents  positively  declare  that  they  never  did,  either  directly 
or  indirectly,  say  or  assert  to  any  person  or  persons  whatsoever, 
that  the  said  Emanuel  Swedenborg  had,  a  few  hours  before 
his  death,  retracted  or  contradicted  any  part  of  his  writings, 
as  has  been  falsely  reported;  nor  did  they  ever  hear  him,  nor 
do  they  believe  he  ever  did,  say  a  word  that  expressed  or 
implied  such  an  idea;  nor  were  these  deponents  ever  asked 
a  question  relative  to  that  circumstance,  by  any  person  or 
persons  whatsoever,  until  the  twenty-second  day  of  October  last, 
when  Mr.  Thomas  Wright,  of  the  Poultry,  London,  watchmaker, 
and  Mr.  Robert  Hindmarsh,  of  Clerkenwell  Close,  printer, 
called  upon  them  to  inquire  into  the  truth  or  falsehood  of  such 
report,  which  these  deponents  then  declared  to  them,  and  now 
again  on  their  oaths  declare,  to  be  a  false  and  groundless  report. 

"RiCHAED    ShEAESMITH, 

"The  Mark  of  x  Elizabeth  Sheaesmith. 
"Sworn  at  the  Guildhall,  London,  the  24th  day  of  November, 

1775,  before  me, 

"T.  Weight,  Mayor." 

*  Pastor  Ferelius,  see  Document  267,  A,  no.  4,  and  B,  no.  1. 


Doc.  269.]  CHASTANIEB'S  TESTIMONY.  .579 

Mr.  Hindmarsh  says,  "Mr,  Gomm,  on  receipt  of  this  affidavit 
translated  it  into  French,  and  caused  it  to  be  printed  at  the 
Hague;  by  which  means  the  false  report,  that  had  gained 
credit  there,  was  completely  refuted,  and  the  enemies  of  truth 
on  this  occasion  were  effectually  silenced." 

He  afterwards  continues,  "Besides  the  proof,  above  adduced, 
of  the  falsehood  of  the  report  of  Swedenborg's  having  recanted 
his  writings,  another  arises  from  the  evidence  of  Count  Hopkcn, 
who  in  a  letter  to  General  Tuxen,  dated  Skenninge,  May  21, 
1773,  expressly  says,  'The  late  Swedenborg  did  not,  on  his 
death-bed,  recant  what  he  has  written:  of  which  I  have 
particularly  informed  myself.'"     [See  Document  252,   p.  411.] 


D. 

BENEDICT  CHASTAyiER'S^'^'^  TESTIMON?. 

The  substance  of  Shearsmith's  affidavit  was  published  in 
the  prehminary  discourse  to  a  work  entitled:  "Abrf^ye  des 
Ouvrages  d'Em.  Sivedenhorg"  (Abridgment  of  the  Works  of 
Em.  Swedenborg),  published  in  Strasburg  and  Stockholm  in 
1788,  and  the  editor  added  to  this  the  following  statement: 
"To  this  affidavit  we  will  add,  having  received  it  fi'om  credit- 
able persons,  that  a  few  days  before  Swedenborg's  death  his 
intimate  friend  addressed  him  in  the  following  manner;  'In 
the  name  of  God,  in  whose  presence  you  are  soon  going  to 
appear,  and  in  the  name  of  sacred  friendship,  declare  to  me, 
I  beseech  you,  whether  that  which  you  have  written  is  the 
truth.'  Swedenborg  answered  him,  'My  doctrine  is  true,  it 
has  been  revealed  to  me;  and  after  1780  it  will  spread  very 
much,'"  (p.  Ixxi.) 

An  English  translation  of  this  statement  appeared  in  tlio 
"New  Jerusalem  Magazine"  for  1790,  p.  226;  and  to  this 
Benedict  Chastanier'--^  added  the  following  declaration:  "As 
a  strong  confirmation  of  the  above  testimony,  I,  Benedict 
Chastanier,  A.  M.,  surgeon  of  No.  62,  Tottenham  Court  lload, 
am  happy  in  being  able  to  declare,  that  I  had  it  from  the 
mouth  of  the  late  Rev.  Mr.  Hartley,  that  he  was  the  very 
friend  alluded   to  in  the   above  article;    for  this    respectable 


580  REFUTATION  OF  FALSE  REPORTS.      [Doc.  269. 

clergyman  of  the  Church  of  England  declared  to  me,  on  the 
very  first  visit  he  paid  me  in  1778,  at  my  house,  then  in 
Grafton  Street,  Soho,  that  three  or  four  days  before  Sweden- 
borg's  death,  he  waited  on  him  with  Dr.  Messiter,^  and  in 
the  doctor's  presence  earnestly  pressed  him  openly  to  declare 
whether  all  he  had  written  was  strictly  true,  or  whether  any 
part  or  parts  thereof  were  to  be  excepted?  'I  have  written,' 
answered  Swedenborg  with  a  degree  of  warmth,  'nothing  but 
the  truth,  as  you  will  have  it  more  and  more  confirmed  here- 
after all  the  days  of  your  life,  provided  you  always  keep  close 
to  the  Lord,  and  faithfully  serve  Him  alone,  in  shunning  evils 
of  all  kinds  as  sins  against  Him,  and  dihgently  searching  His 
Sacred  Word,  which  from  beginning  to  end  bears  incontest- 
able testimony  to  the  truth  of  the  doctrines  I  have  delivered 
to  the  world.'*  Dr.  Messiter,^  lately  deceased,  has  also  more 
than  once  affirmed  to  me  this  plain  declaration  of  his  intimate 
friend,  the  Rev.  Thomas  Hartley,  as  witness  my  hand  on  the 
Lord's  day,  May  9,  1790. 

"Benedict  Chastaniee." 

In  the  preface  to  a  work  published  by  him  in  1786  under 
the  title:  '•^Tableau  Analytique  et  Baisonne  de  la  Doctrine 
Celeste  de  VEglise  de  la  Nouvelle  Jerusalem,"  he  makes  the 
following  additional  statement  respecting  the  charge  which  had 
been  brought  forward  against  Swedenborg,  and  which  has  been 
refuted  in  the  preceding  pages: 

"As  we  were  engaged  in  preparing  the  present  compilation, 
a  report  reached  us,  that  a  certain  Swedish  Count  whose 
name  we  have  forgotten,  is  circulating  in  Holland  a  fictitious 
account  respecting  our  author,  which,  he  says,  he  has  learned 
from  a  very  good  quarter,  viz.  'that  Emanuel  Swedenborg  in 
the  hour  of  his  death  resolved  to  make  a  general  recantation 
of  everything  he  has  written  since  1743;  that  he  has  done  so 
in  the  presence  of  the  Swedish  clergyman  who  administered 
to  him  the  last  sacrament  of  the  holy  eucharist;  and  that  he 
declared  to  that  minister  that  it  was  all  false,  and  that  nothing 
of  what  he  had  communicated  to  the  world  in  his  theological 

*  Compare  Mr.  Hartley's  own  statement  of  this  occurrence  in  Docu- 
ment 259,  no.  16. 


Doc.  270.]  CHARGE  OF  INSANITY.  581 

writings  had  been  communicated  to  him  by  the  Lord  or  His 
angels,'  &c. 

"We  know  from  a  still  better  source,  than  this  pretended 
count  whose  name  is  not  even  known  to  his  countrymen,  that 
this  assertion  is  absolutely  false  and  fictitious :  for  Mr.  Springer,^^^ 
a  respectable  Swedish  merchant  who  retired  to  London  twenty 
years  ago  and  a  pious  man  with  whom  we  frequently  meet, 
and  who  was  intimately  befriended  with  Swedenborg,  has  given 
us  all  possible  information  on  this  subject  in  the  presence  of 
a  large  and  respectable  company.  The  substance  of  what  he 
has  told  us  is  this,  that  when  he  felt  his  last  hour  approach- 
ing, the  coming  of  which  he  had  some  time  before  foretold, 
and  being  at  the  time  in  the  enjoyment  of  all  his  senses,  he 
desired  to  receive,  and  accordingly  did  receive  the  sacrament 
of  the  eucharist  from  a  Swedish  clergyman,  by  the  name  of 
Ferelius;  and  in  the  conversation  which  ensued  afterwards, 
he  advised  him  very  strongly  to  attach  himself  to  the  doctrine 
of  the  New  Jerusalem,  without  minding  the  opposition  which 
he  would  meet  with  from  men  in  general,  and  particularly 
from  his  colleague  Mathesius,"^  another  Swedish  minister,  who 
had  already  expressed  himself  strongly  against  these  doctrines." 

Mr.  Chastanier's  testimony  is  fully  borne  out  by  that  of 
Ferelius  himself  in  Document  267,  A,  no.  3,  and  B,  no.  1; 
and  it  is  also  confirmed  by  the  information  which  Mr.  Hindmarsh 
collected  on  this  subject  from  Mr.  Springer,  and  stated  to 
Mr.  Gomm  in  Document  269,  B  (p.  576). 


DOCmiENl  270. 

CRITICAL  EXAMINATION  OF  THE  CHARGE  OF 
INSANITY  BROUGHT  AGAINST  SWEDENBORG. 

The  charge  of  insanity  was  first  raised  against  Swedenborg 
during  his  life-time,  when,  as  Robsahm  tells  us  (Vol.  I,  p.  47), 
"a  cunning  stratagem  was  planned  by  some  members  of  the 
House   of  the  Clergy,  by  which  'he   was  to  be  summoned  be- 


582  REFUTATION  OF  FALSE  REPORTS.      [Doc.  270. 

fore  a  court  of  justice,  and  after  the  first  examination  to  be 
declared  a  man  who  had  lost  his  senses  by  his  speculations 
in  religion,  whom  it  was  most  dangerous  to  leave  in  freedom, 
and  who  therefore  ought  to  be  confined  in  a  lunatic  asylum." 
This  plot,  however,  miscarried,  because  his  enemies  were  un- 
able to  establish  their  charges,  and  because,  as  Eobsahm 
further  tells  us,  "they  did  not  dare  to  carry  out  their  per- 
secution, vdien  they  considered  that  he  was  the  head  of  a 
family,  and  related  to  other  influential  families,  both  in  the 
House  of  Nobles  and  in  the  House  of  the  Clergy." 

It  would  seem  that,  if  a  charge  of  insanity  cannot  be 
proved  against  a  man  during  his  fife-time,  and  if  his  con- 
temporaries see  in  such  a  charge  a  mere  "persecution,"  it  is 
more  than  preposterous,  nay  it  is  downright  malevolent  and 
wicked,  to  attempt  to  raise  this  charge  against  him  after  his 
death.  But  such  has  been  the  fate  of  Swedenborg.  The 
charge  of  insanity  which  was  made  against  him  during  his 
life-time,  and  which  utterly  broke  down  on  account  of  the 
lack  of  evidence,  was  revived  after  his  death  by  John  Wesley 
in  the  "Arminian  Magazine"  for  1781  and  1783,  on  the  state- 
ment of  Mathesius,"^  a  personal  enemy  of  Swedenborg;  and  the 
doubtful  testimony  of  this  man  has  more  recently  been  propagated 
by  Mr.  Wm.  White,^*^  in  his  work:  "Emanuel  Swedenborg: 
his  Life  and  Writings,"  London,  1867;  where  he  speaks  of 
it  as  being  "plainly  a  straightforward  and  well-authenticated 
story." 

This  charge,  it  is  true,  has  been  made  also  by  others,  and, 
indeed,  not  only  against  Swedenborg,  (see  Note  242)  but  also 
against  his  followers ;  and  in  fact  it  is  not  unfrequently  brought 
by  materialists  and  sensualists  against  all  those  who  believe 
in  a  Divine  revelation ;  and  even  by  professed  church  members- 
against  those  who  believe  in  a  future  life  and  in  a  spiritual 
world  not  only  in  a  general  way,  but  who  hold  that  under 
exceptional  circumstances  a  man  may  have  a  glimpse  into  the 
spiritual  world,  while  as  to  his  body  he  still  remains  in  this 
world. 

It  is  not  in  this  general  way,  however,  that  Mathesius, 
and  after  him  John  Wesley^^^  sought  to  establish  the  truth  of 
their  charge  against   Sweden't)org,   but  they  brought  forward 


Doc.  270.]  CHARGE  OF  IXSAXITY.  583 

specific  grounds  on  which  they  declared  him  to  have  been 
insane. 

But  before  investigating  these  specific  charges,  let  us 
advance  some  general  common-sense  arguments,  showing  the 
utter  unreasonableness  of  their  attempt. 

In  the  Jirst  place,  supposing  Swedenborg  to  have  been 
insane,  his  insanity  must  be  dated  from  the  time,  when,  accord- 
ing to  his  own  testimony,  his  spiritual  eyes  were  opened,  which 
event  took  place  about  the  year  1743;  if  a  later  date  is  accepted 
for  the  beginning  of  his  insanity,  there  is  an  utter  want  of 
logic  in  the  charge.  Suppose  then  Swedenborg  to  have  be- 
come really  insane  at  the  time  from  which  he  dates  the  opening 
of  his  spiritual  sight;  yet  what  are  we  to  think  of  an  insane 
man  who  for  nearly  eighteen  years  carefully  conceals  his  insanity 
from  the  gaze  of  every  body,  so  that  not  even  the  slightest 
suspicion  is  raised  against  him?  Such  is  the  case  with  Sweden- 
borg; for  suppose  him  to  have  become  insane  in  1743,  when, 
as  he  declares,  his  intercourse  with  the  spiritual  world  commenced ; 
yet  as  we  have  documentary  proof  (see  Tilas's  Letter,  Docu- 
ment 249,  p.  395),  that  until  1759  no  one  in  Stockholm  had  the 
slightest  idea  of  his  intercourse  with  the  spiritual  world,  he 
must  actually  have  been  insane  for  upwards  of  seventeen  years 
without  any  one  being  aware  of  it. 

Again  says  Mr.  Hartley  (Document  259,  no.  17),  "If  to 
write  many  large  volumes  on  the  most  important  of  all  subjects 
with  unvaried  consistency,  to  reason  accurately,  and  to  give 
proofs  of  an  astonishing  memory  all  the  way;  and  if  hereto  be 
joined  propriety  and  dignity  of  character  in  all  the  relative 
duties  of  Cliristian  life;  if  all  this  can  be  reconciled  with  the 
definition  of  madness,  why  here  is  an  end  of  all  distinction 
between  sane  and  insane,  between  wisdom  and  folly." 

But  let  us  proceed  to  an  examination  of  the  specific 
charges  made  against  Swedenborg  by  John  Wesley.-^^ 


584  REFUTATION  OF  FALSE  REPORTS.      [Doc.  270.    ^ 

I 

A.  I 

I 

JOHN  WESLEY"«  ON  EMAXUEL  SWEDENBORG  IN  1733.  ' 

In  the  "Arminian  Magazine"  for  1783  (Vol.  VI,  p.  437  et  seq.)  \ 
John  Wesley  writes  in  a  lengthy  .article  entitled,  "Thoughts  on  ' 
the  Writings  of  Baron  Swedenborg,"  as  follows:  | 

In  paragraph  1  he  first  gives  some  extracts  from  Sweden-    | 
borg's   "Autobiography"    (Document  2),   and   then   concludes:    , 
"This  account  is  dated,  London,  1769;  I  believe  Swedenborg 
lived  nine  or  ten  years  longer."* 

In  paragraph  2  he  continues :  "Many  years  ago  the  Baron 
came  over  to  England,  and  lodged  at  one  Mr.  Brockmer's: 
who  informed  me  (and  the  same  information  was  given  me  by 
Mr.  Mathesius,"^  a  very  serious  Swedish  clergyman,  both  of 
whom  were  alive  when  I  left  London,  and,  I  suppose,  are  so 
still,)  that  while  he  was  in  his  house  he  had  a  violent  fever; 
in  the  height  of  which,  being  totally  delirious,  he  broke  from 
Mr.  Brockmer,  ran  into  the  street  stark  naked,  proclaimed 
himself  the  Messiah,  and  rolled  himself  in  the  mire.  I  suppose 
he  dates  from  this  time  his  admission  into  the  Society  of 
Angels.  From  this  time  we  are  undoubtedly  to  date  that 
peculiar  species  of  insanity  which  attended  him,  with  scarce 
any  intermission,  to  the  day  of  his  death.'|- 

3.  "In  all  History   I   find  but  one  instance  of  an  insanity 
parallel  to  this:    I  .mean  that  related  by  the  Roman  poet,  of 
the  gentleman  at  Argos,  in  other  respects  a  sensible  man, 
Qui  se  credehat  miros  audire  tragcedos 
In  vacuo  Icetus  sessor  iilausorque  theatro. 

Who  imagined  himself  to  hear  admirable  tragedies,  and 
undoubtedly  saw  as  well  as  heard  the  actors,  while  he  was 
sitting  alone,  and  clapping  them  in  the  empty  theatre.  This 
seems  to   have  been  a  purely    natural  disorder,  although  not 

*  Compare  therewith  Wesley's  testimony  concerning  Swedenborg  in 
1771  and  1773;  from  which  it  appears  that  he  was  then  very  well  acquainted 
with  the  real  time  when  Swedenborg  died.    See  Document  268. 

■j-  The  whole  of  this  paragi'aph,  so  far  as  it  rests  on  the  testimony  of 
Brockmer,  is  declared  by  that  gentleman  to  be  "entirely  false;"  see  Docu- 
ment 270,  p.  601. 


Doc.  270.J  WESLE Y  ON  S  WEDENB ORG.  585 

easy  to  account  for.  Whether  any  thing  preternatural  was 
added  in  the  case  of  tlie  JBaron,  I  do  not  undertake  to 
determine.* 

4.  "'The  accounts  of  those  'admirable  tragedies'  which  he 
has  published,  take  up  many  quarto  volumes.  I  have  read 
little  more  of  them  than  what  we  have  in  English,  except  his 
inimitable  piece  (De  uuptua  ca^leatlhu^,)  of  marriages  in  heaven. 
To  the  reading  of  this  I  acknowledge  I  was  invited  by  the 
newness  of  the  subject.  And  I  cannot  doubt,  but  the  same 
circumstance  (though  they  were  not  sensible  of  it)  contributed 
much  to  the  pleasure  which  those  pious  men,  Mr.  Cl[over?],-J- 
Mr.  Ha[rtley],^  and  Mr.  Cl[owe]s,^^'^  have  received  from  his 
writings.  The  same  pleasure  they  naturally  desired  to  impart 
to  their  countrymen  by  translating,  publishing,  recommending, 
and  propagating  them  with  their  might.  They  doubtless  found 
an  additional  pleasure  from  the  huge  admiration  wherewith 
many  received  them.  And  I  should  not  wonder  if  some  of 
these  should  be  adopted  into  the  Society  of  Angels,  just  as 
the  Baron  himself  was :  nay,  I  cannot  but  apprehend,  that  they 
have  already  attained  to  a  degree  of  the  same   ilhinu)iation.\ 

5.  "Desiring  to  be  thoroughly  master  of  the  subject,  I 
procured  the  translation  of  the  hrst  volume  of  his  last  and 
largest  theological    work,    entitled   'True    Christian  Religion.' 

"  Mr.  Beatson  in  liis  reply  to  Mr.  Wesley  (see  "Magazine  of  Knowledge," 
Vol.  II,  p.  97)  says,  "You  say,  you  find  but  one  instance  jjarallel  to  Swederi- 
borg's  in  all  historj',  viz.  the  gentleman  at  Argos.  Sure  you  forgot  St.  John, 
Ezekiel,  and  many  other  patriarchs,  and  apostles:  for  I  will  undertake  to 
find  as  unintelligible  and  inconipi'ehensible  matter  iu  their  writings,  as  any 
Mr.  Wesley  can  in  the  relations  and  spiritual  comnmnications  of  Sweden- 
borg;  but  with  this  difference,  that  he  has  brought  a  key  along  with  him, 
not  only  for  the  oijeniug  of  his  own  visions,  but  hkewise  of  the  patriarchs, 
prophets,  and  apostles.*' 

f  See  Document  2()6,  no.  7,  p.  55.5. 

^  On  this  paragraph  of  Mr.  Wesley's  article  Mr.  Beatson  expresses 
himself  thus  {Ibid.,  p.  97),  "Your  fourth  subject  seems  to  be  calculated 
only  to  convey  the  ridicule  you  think  you  have  raised  against  Swedenborg, 
to  those  friends  of  mankind,  who  have  taken  the  trouble  of  translating  his 
works.  Now  I  think  their  judgments  were  too  mature  to  be  imposed  upon, 
merely  by  the  novelty  of  the  subject;  as  you  doubt  not  but  they  were, 
though  you  at  the  same  time  very  charitably  suppose  they  were  not 
conscious  of  it  themselves." 


586  BEFUTATION  OF  FALSE  REPORTS.      [Doc.  270. 

(Tlie  original  the  Baron  himself  presented  me  with,  a  little 
he/ore  he  died.*)  I  took  an  extract  thereof  from  the  beginning 
to  the  end,  that  I  might  be  able  to  form  a  more  accurate 
judgment.  And  one  may  trace  through  the  whole,  remains 
of  a  fine  genius,  'Majestic,  though  in  ruins!'  From  the  whole 
I  remark,  that  what  Mr.  Law  oddly  imputes  to  Sir  Isaac 
Newton,  is  truly  imputable  to  the  Baron.  He  'ploughed  with 
Jacob  Behmen's  heifer,'-|-  and  that  both  in  Philosophy  and 
Divinity.  But  he  far  exceeded  his  master:  his  dreams  are 
more  extraordinary  than  those  of  Jacob  himself,"  &c.^ 

In  an  earlier  part  of  his  "Arminian  Magazine,"  January, 
1781,  he  had  previously  published  the  following  account  by 
Mathesius,  to  which  he  evidently  refers  in  no.  2  of  the  above 
article. 

B. 

3IATIIESIUt^"^^^  ACCOUNT  OF  SWEDENBORG^ 

Mr.  Wesley  introduces  this  account  with  the  following 
words:  "The  following  authentic  account  of  a  very  great  man 

*  Compare  this  statement  with  what  Weslej'  says  in  no.  1  of  his  account. 

•|-  Swedenborg  never  read  Jacob  Boehme;  see  Note  41. 

^  Mr.  Beatson  continues  (Ibid.,  p.  204),  "Your  fifth  paragraph  begins 
very  curiously.  'To  become  thoroughly  master  of  Swedenborg's  com- 
prehensive and  vohiminous  works,  you  procure  the  first  volume  of  his  last 
and  you  say  'his  largest  work,'  which  is  contrary  to  the  truth;  the  last  it 
was,  but  his  largest  theological  work  is  the  'Arcana  Ccelestia,'  in  which  his 
system  of  correspondences  of  natural  with  sj)iritual  things  is  most  wonder- 
fully demonstrated.  This  is  the  key  before  alluded  to,  which  explains  not 
only  his  own  memorable  relations,  &c.,  but  likewise  the  whole  Word.  But 
however,  to  become  thoroughly  master  of  the  subject,  you  make  extracts 
from  beginning  to  end — of  what? — of  the  first  volume  of  his  last  work. 
Admirably  well  prepared  you  must  be,  to  pass  so  peremptory  and  decided 
a  judgment  upon  his  truly  systematic  WTitmgs  ....  So  might,  in  all  prob- 
ability would,  a  person  of  good  capacity  pronounce  upon  astronomy,  or 
any  other  of  the  sciences,  supposing  only  the  results  were  proposed  to 
liim,  independent  of  the  mode  of  acquirement  ....  Probably,  on  his  first 
cursory  view  of  many  of  Sir  Isaac  Newton's  works,  he  would,  like  you, 
have  pronounced  him  mad,  and  exclaimed,  'Though  tliis  man  is  e\^dently 
mad,  yet  one  may  trace  through  the  whole,  remains  of  a  fine  genius. 
Majestic,  though  in  ruins!'" 

§  Mr.  "\yiiite  in  his  "Life  of  Swedenborg,"  instead  of  publishing  the 
account  furnished  by  Mathesius  to  Mr.  Wesley  in  1781,  prints  what  purports 


Doc.  270.]   MATHESIUS'  ACCOUNT  OF  SWEDENBORG.    587 

■was  given  me  by  one  of  his  own  countrymen  [Matliesius].  He 
is  now  in  London,  as  is  Mr.  Brockraer  also,  and  ready  to 
attest  every  .part  of  it.  In  the  Baron's  Avritings  are  many 
excellent  things;  but  there  are  many  likewise  that  are  whim- 
sical to  the  last  degree.  And  some  of  these  may  do  hurt 
to  serious  persons  whose  imagination  is  stronger  than  their 
judgment. 

1.  ''Some  time  in  the  year  1743,*  a  JMoravian  Brother,  by 
name  Seniff,  in  liis  return  to  London  from  Holland,  where 
he  had  been  visiting  his  children,  became  acquainted  in  a 
packet-boat  with  Baron  Emanuel  de  Swedenborg;  who  desired 
to  be  recommended  to  a  family  in  London,  where  he  could 
live  retired.-]-  Mr.  Seniff  brought  him  to  Mr.  Brockmcr.:|: 
This  gentleman  was  very  easily  prevailed  upon  to  take  him 
under  his  roof. 

2.  "The  Baron  behaved  very  decently  in  his  house:  he 
went  every  Sunday  to  the  chapel  of  the  Moravians  in  Fetter 
Lane.§  Though  he  lived  very  recluse,  he  nevertheless  would 
often  converse  with  Mr.  Brockmer,  and  was  pleased  with 
hearing  the  Gospel  in  London.  So  he  went  on  for  several 
months,  continually  approving  of  what  he  heard.  At  last  he 
came  to  Mr.  Brockmer,  and  told  him,  that  he  rejoiced  that 
the  Gospel  was  preached  to  the  poor;  but  lamented  over  the 
learned  and  the  rich,  who  he  said  must  all  go  to  hell. 

3.  "Some   months   after,    he  told  Mr.   Brockmer   he   was 

to  be  a  translation  from  the  Swedish  of  Mathesius,  under  the  date  of 
August  27,  1796.  Instead  of  taking  the  evidence  of  a  man  given  soon 
after  a  supposed  Qccurrence,  he  prefers  to  accept  his  testimony  on  the 
same  subject  as  written  down  sixteen  years  later,  and  after  he  had  an 
attack  of  insanity.  There  is  a  consideraljle  discrej)ancy  between  these  two 
accounts,  as  we  shall  have  occasion  to  show. 

*  Swedenborg  was  not  in  London  in  tjiat  year;  he  arrived  there  in 
INIay,  1744;  see  p.  193. 

•j-  INIr.  Seniff  may  have  been  "the  pious  shoemaker,"  in  whose  company 
Swedenborg  travelled  from  Holland  to  London  in  1744 ;  see  Document  209, 
no.  137,  p.  194. 

\  Swedenborg  mentions  under  the  date  of  July  9,  1744  his  having 
"selected  for  himself  other  lodgings;"    see  Document  209,  no.  151,  p.  200. 

§  That  Swedenborg  on  arriving  in  London  in  1744,  "by  various  cir- 
cumstances was  led  into  the  church  1>elongiiig  to  the  Moravian  Brethren," 
appears  ftom  Document  209,  no.  142,  p.  196. 


588  REFUTATION  OF  FALSE  REPORTS.      [Doc.  270. 

writing  a  pamphlet  in  the  Latin  language,   which   he  would 
send  gratis  to  all  learned  men  in  the  universities.* 

4.  "After  that  he  did  not  open  his  chamber-door  for  two 
days,  neither  would  permit  the  maid  to  come  in  to  make  the 
bed  and  sweep  the  room. 

5.  "One  evening  Mr.  Brockmer  was  at  a  coffee-house,  and 
the  maid  came  to  fetch  him  home,  informing  him,  that  some- 
thing extraordinary  had  happened  to  Mr.  Swedenborg:  that 
she  knocked  several  times  at  liis  door,  but  he  had  not  opened 
it :  upon  this  Mr.  Brockmer  came  himself  and  knocked ;  calling 
him  by  his  name,  he  jumped  up  from  bed.  Mr.  Brockmer 
asked,  whether  he  would  not  let  the  maid  make  the  bed? 
He  answered,  No:  and  desired  to  be  left  alone,  for  he  was 
about  a  great  and  solemn  work. 

6.  "When  Mr.  Brockmer  retired  to  his  room,  which  was 
about  nine  o'clock,  he  ran  after  him,  looked  very  frightful: 
his  hair  stood  upright,  and  he  foamed  a  little  at  his  mouth. 
He  wanted  to  talk  with  Mr.  Brockmer,  but  as  he  had  an 
impediment  in  his  speech,  it  was  long  before  he  could  bring 
forth  a  single  word.  At  last  he  said,  he  had  something  very 
particular  to  communicate :  namely,  that  he  was  the  Messiah : 
that  he  was  come  to  be  crucified  for  the  Jews;  and  that  as 
he  had  a  great  impediment  in  his  speech,  Mr.  Brockmer  was 
chosen  to  be  his  mouth,  to  go  with  him  the  next  day  to  the 
synagogue,  and  there  to  preach  his  words.  He  continued,  *I 
know  you  are  a  good  man,  but  I  suspect  you  will  not  believe 
me.  Therefore  an  angel  will  appear  at  your  bedside  early  in 
the  morning,  then  you  will  believe  me.'  Mr.  Brockmer  now 
began  to  be  frightened.  He  hesitated  before  He  could  answer, 
and  at  length  he  said,  'Mr.  Swedenborg,  I  am  much  inclined 
to  think,  that  a  little  medicine  would  be  of  service  to  you. 
There  is  our  dear  Dr.  Smith,  with  whom  you  are  intimate; 
he  will  give  you  something,  which  I  am  certain  will  be  of 
immediate  use.  Now  I  will  make  this  agreement  with  you; 
if  the  angel  appear  to  me,  as  you  have  mentioned,  I  will  be 
obedient  to   the  angel;   but  if  he  do  not,   then  you  shall  go 

*  On   October  27,  1744,  Swedenborg  began  writing   his  work  entitled 
"The  Worship  and  Love  of  God;"  see  Document  209,  no.  202,  p.  217. 


Doc.  270.]  MATHESIUS'  ACCOUNT  OF  SWEDENBOBG.    589 

along  with  me  to-morrow  morning  to  Dr.  Siiiith.'  He  repeated 
it  over  and  over  again,  that  the  angel  would  appear;  upon 
which  they  took  leave  of  each  other,  and  went  to  bed. 

"Mr.  Brockmer  lay  the  whole  night  restless:  however,  he 
got  up  at  five  o'clock.  As  soon  as  the  Baron  heard  him 
over-head,  he  jumped  out  of  bed,  threw  his  night  gown  over 
him,  and  with  a  night  cap  half  on  half  off,  came  running  up 
to  Mr.  Brockmer  in  a  great  hurry,  to  know  if  the  angel  had 
appeared. 

"Mr.  Brockmer  did  all  he  could  to  divert  him  before  he 
would  give  him  a  du-ect  answer:  but  he  foaming  continually 
cried  out,  'But  how,  how,  did  the  angel  come  ?'  He  answered, 
*No:  and  now  I  expect  you  will  go  with  me  to  Dr.  Smith.'  He 
replied,  'I  will  not  go  to  any  doctor.'  Then  he  talked  a  long 
time  to  himself,  and  said,  'I  am  now  conversing  with  spirits, 
one  on  the  right  hand,  and  the  other  on  the  left;  the  one 
bids  me  follow  you,  because  you  are  a  good  man,  and  the 
other  saitli,  I  shall  have  nothing  to  do  with  you;  you  are 
good-for-nothing.'  Quickly  he  [Swedenborg]  went  down  stairs, 
as  he  had  no  business  in  his  room. 

"Then  the  Baron  sitting  down  in  a  chair  cried  like  a  child, 
and  said,  'Do  you  think  I  should  hurt  you  ? '  Mr.  Brockmer 
likewise  began  to  cry,  and  the  Baron  went  down  stairs. 

7.  "Mr.  Brockmer  dressed  himself,  and  when  he  came  down, 
he  found  the  Baron  sitting  dressed  likewise,  in  an  easy  chair, 
and  his  door  being  open,  he  cried  out,  'Come  in,  come  in!' 
Mr.  Brockmer  ordered  a  coach,  but  as  he  refused  going  with 
him,  he  went  himself  to  Dr.  Smith,  informing  him  what  had 
passed,  and  likewise  begged  of  him  to  receive  the  Baron,  but 
the  Doctor  having  no  room  in  his  own  house,  took  a  lodging 
for  him  at  a  Peruke-maker's  in  Cold  Bath  fields,  three  or 
four  doors  from  his  own  house. 

8.  "During  the  time  that  Mr.  Brockmer  was  gone  to 
Dr.  Smith's,  the  Baron  went  to  the  Swedish  Ambassador,  but 
on  account  of  that  day  being  post  day,  the  Ambassador  could 
not  see  him.  He  then  went  to  a  place  called  the  Gully-hole, 
undressed  himself,  rolled  in  very  deep  mud,  and  threw  the 
money  out  of  his  pockets  among  the  crowd. 

"Some   of  the   Swedish  Ambassador's   servants  happening 


590  EEFUTATION  OF  FALSE  REPORTS.      [Doc.  270. 

to  come  by,  and  seeing  him  in  that  condition,  brought  him 
home  to  Mr.  Brockmer  covered  over  Avith  mud.  Mr.  Brockmer 
tokl  him,  he  had  got  a  lodging  for  him  near  Dr.  Smith,  and 
asked  him  if  he  would  go  there?  He  replied,  Yes.  When  he 
arrived  he  desired  that  a  tub  with  water  and  six  towels  might 
be  l)rought  to  him.  Then  he  went  into  the  back  room  and 
locked  liimself  in.  Mr.  Brockmer  being  apprehensive  that  he 
might  hurt  himself,  had  the  lock  taken  off.  They  found  him 
washing  his  feet :  he  had  wetted  the  six  towels,  and  asked 
for  six  more.  Mr.  Brockmer  then  left  him  with  two  men. 
Dr.  Smith  visited  him  every  day,  and  gave  him  medicines 
which  did  him  much  good.  Mr.  Brockmer  went  to  the  Swedish 
Envoy,  and  told  him  what  had  happened,  who  thanked  him 
much  for  all  his  trouble. 

9.  "After  that  Mr.  Brockmer  continued  to  visit  him:  he 
had  often  expressed  his  thanks  to  him  for  his  great  care,  but 
would  never  give  up  the  point  that  he  was  the  Messiah;  on 
which  Mr.  Brockmer  always  declined  to  dispute. 

10.  "One  day  when  Dr.  Smith  had  given  him  a  purging 
powder,  he  went  out  into  the  field,  running  as  quick  as  possible. 
The  man  who  then  attended  him,  could  not  overtake  him: 
the  Baron  sat  down  on  a  stile,  and  laughed  heartily: — when 
the  man  came  near  him,  he  ran  to  another  stile,  and  so  on. 
This  was  in  the  dog-days,  and  from  that  time  he  grew  worse. 

"Mr.  Brockmer  had  very  little  conversation  with  him  after- 
wards, except  that  he  now  and  then  met  him  in  the  streets, 
and  found  that  he  still  held  to  his  point." 

A  part  of  this  account,  from  nos.  1  to  5,  we  have  reason 
to  regard  as  genuine ;  since  it  is  confirmed  by  collateral 
testimony.  But  the  rest  of  the  account  from  paragraphs  6  to 
10  is   an  unmitigated  falsehood,    as  we   shall  presently  prove. 

Any  one  who  is  at  all  acquainted  with  Swedenborg's 
writings,  or  who  is  only  superficially  acquainted  with  his  life 
as  a  scholar,  must  know,  as  Mr.  Noble  observes  (Preface  to 
the  second  edition  of  his  translation  of  "Heaven  and  Hell," 
p.  xxviii,)  that  Swedenborg,  in  the  interval  between  1743  and 
1745,  "not  only  showed  no  symptoms  of  delirium,  or  derange- 
ment, but  continued  his  wonted  course  of  philosophical  study 
and  publication;  for  the  first  two  parts  of  his  Eerjnwn  An  male 


Doc.  270.]    MATHESIVS'  ACCOUNT  OF  SWEDEXBORG.    591 

were  i^rinted  at  the  Hague  in  the  year  1744,  and  the  third 
part,  at  London,  in  1745;  as  was  also  in  the  same  year  his 
De  Cidtu  et  Amove  Dei.  If,  then,  it  even  were  true  that  he 
iiad  a  fever  with  delirium  in  1743,  it  is  oljvious  that  he  had 
completely  recovered  from  it,  when  he  appeared  again  as  a 
laborious  writer  on  profound  philosophical  subjects,  in  the 
years  1744  and  1745,  composed  in  precisely  the  same  style 
and  spirit  as  his  Q'}ono))iia  Beyni  Animali^^  printed  in  Holland, 
in  two  parts,  in  1740  and  1741." 

Again  from  August,  1745,  to  July,  1747,  we  find  him  engaged 
in  his  official    duties    at  home,   as  is  proved  from  Documents 
1G5  to  167.     It  is  true  he  is  no   longer  at  the  College  every 
day,  because  a  substitute  had  been  appointed  for  him  during 
his  absence  from  the  College  from  1736  to  1740,  and  he  had 
ever    since    been    only   on  half-pay;    wherefore   we    frequently 
notice  his  absence  from  the   College   after  August,  1745;  yet 
we  find  him  but  rarely  absent  on  account  of  illness,  and  never 
on  account    of   a   prolonged    illness.     In  the  Minutes  of  the 
College   of  Mines  for  1745  he  is  marked  "unwell"  five  times, 
and   in    1746   four    times;    and    in   1747  he   is   never  marked 
absent  on  account  of  illness.    So  little,  indeed,  was  he  suspected 
Ijy   his    colleagues    at    the   College  of  Mines  of  being  in  the 
least    mentally   non    compos   in    1747,    that   they    unanimously 
recommended  him  to  the  King  for  the  councillorship  of  mines 
which  had  become  vacant  by  the  retirement  of  Bergenstierna 
(see  Document  166,  A);  and  when  in  June,  1747,  he  applied 
to  the  King  for  a  release  from  his  office,  that  "he  might  finish 
the   work   on   which  he  was  then  engaged,"  the  King  on  ac- 
cepting his  resignation  used  the  following  language:  "Although 
we  would  gladly  see  him  [Swedenborg]  continue  at  home  the 
faithful  services  he  has  hitherto  rendered  to  us  and  his  coun- 
try, still  we  can  so  much  the  less  oppose  his  wish,  as  we  feel 
sufficiently  assured  that  the  above-named  work,  on  which  he 
is   engaged,   will   in   time    contribute  to   the   general  use  and 
benefit,   no  less   than  the   other  valuable    works    written   and 
published  by  him  have  contributed  to  the  use  and  honour  of 
his  country,  as  well  as  of  himself.     We  therefore  decree,  and 
by   this    open   letter,  release   Emanuel   Swedenborg  from  the 
office  of  Assessor  in  our  and  our  country's  College  of  Mines, 


592  BEFUTATION  OF  FALSE  BEPORTS.      [Doc.  270. 

which  he  has  hitherto  filled  with  renown;  and  as  a  token  of 
the  satisfaction  with  which  we  look  upon  his  long  and  faithful 
services,  we  also  most  graciously  permit  him  to  retain  for  the 
rest  of  his  life  the  half  of  his  salary  as  an  Assessor." 

It  is  difficult  to  understand  how,  in  the  face  of  this  testi- 
mony received  from   the  King  of  Sweden  in  1747,  and  from     , 
his    colleagues    at   the    College    of  Mines,    who  had   daily  an     j 
opportunity  of  watching  and  observing  him,  a  Swedish  minister 
of  the  Gospel  could  dare  to  publish  a  report  that  Swedenborg,     1 
ever  since  1743  had  been  insane;  and  indeed  on  the  strength     i 
of  an  occurrence  which  happened  thirty  or  forty  years  before 
he  circulated  this  report;  and  still  more  difficult  is  it  to  under- 
stand   how    his   biographer  who   must    have  been  acquainted     j 
with  the  real  state  of  the  case  could   conscientiously  endorse,     j 
and  publish  as  true,  such  testimony.    Yet  more  surprising  still     ] 
it  seems  that  a  professed  historian,  who  ought  to  be  accustomed 
to  weigh  impartially  contradictory  evidence,  can  totally  ignore 
historical  facts  that  happened  in  his   own  country,  and  prefer 
to  put  faith  in  doubtful  stories  which  originated  abroad. 

As  Mr.  "White,  however,  in  his  "Life  of  Emanuel  Sweden-     j 
borg,"  and  Mr.  And.  Fryxell  in  his  biography  of  Swedenborg 
printed  in  Vol.  XLIII  of  his  "Berattelser  ur  Svenska  Historien,"     \ 
(Stockholm,  1875,)   in  which   he   repeatedly  quotes   from  the     i 
first  volume  of  the  "Documents  respecting  Swedenborg,"  fully     I 
endorsed  Mathesius'  account  of  Swedenborg,  the  former  calling     | 
it    "plainly    a    straightforward    and    well-authenticated   story" 
(p.  132),    and    as   this    story   has    been  accepted   as   such  by 
Dr.  H.Maudsley  in  the  "Journal  of  Mental  Science,"  July,  1870, 
no.  70 ;  we  feel  ourselves  called  upon  to  expose  thoroughly  its     | 
untruthful  character;  and  first  of  all  we  propose  to  institute  a     ! 
comparison  between  Mathesius'  statement  in  1781,  as  published 
by  Mr.  Wesley  in  the  "Arminian  Magazine,"  and  the  version     i 
of  his  statement  in  1796,  of  which  a  translation  is  printed  in     , 
Mr.  White's  "Life  of  Swedenborg"  (pp.  129  to  132).  \ 

MATHESIUS  IN  1781.  MATHESIUS  IN  1796.  | 

§    1.     Swedenborg    desired         Mr.  Swedenborg  ivho  was  a     ' 
to     be    recommended     to     a      Godfearing  man,*    wished   to 

*  The  words  in  italics  have  been  omitted  or  altered  in  either  of  the 
two  accounts.  I 


Doc.  270.1    MATHESIUS'  ACCOUNT  OF  SWEDENBORG.    .593 


SfATHKSIUf!  IN  1781. 

family,    where    he    could   live 
retired. 

§  2.  At  last  he  came  to 
Mr.  Brockraer,  and  told  him 
that  he  rejoiced  that  the  Gospel 
Avas  preached  to  the  poor; 
but  lai^iented  over  the  learned 
and  rich,  who  he  said  must 
all  go  to  hell. 

§  6.  WJieu  Mr.  Brockmer 
retired  to  his  room,  which  was 
about  nine  o'clock. 

His  hair  stood  upright,  and 
he  foamed  a  little  at  his  mouth. 

He  wanted  to  talk  with  Mr. 
Brockmer,  but  as  he  had  an 
impediment  in  his  speech,  it 
was  long  before  he  could  bring 
forth  a  single  word. 

He  continued,  "I  know  you 
are  a  good  man,  but  I  suspect 
you  will  not  believe  me.  There- 
fore an  angel  ivill  appear  at 
gour  bedside  earlg  in  the 
morning,  then  goii  ivill  believe 
me." 

He  said,  "Mr.  Swedenborg, 
I  am  much  inclined  to  think 
that  a  little  medicine  would 
be  of  service  to  you. 


There  is  our  dear  Dr.  Smith, 
wuth  whom  you  are  intimate; 
he  will  give  you  something, 
which  1  am  certain  will  be  of 
immediate  use. 


MATnKSIUS  IX  170C. 

be  directed  to  some  house  in 
L6ndon  where  he  might  live 
quietly  and  economically. 

One  day  he  said  he  was  glad 
the  Gospel  was  preached  to 
the  poor;  but  complained  of 
the  learned  and  rich,  who, 
he  thought,  must  go  to  Hell. 
Under  this  idea  he  continued 
several  months. 

This  was  about  nine  in  the 
evening. 

His  hair  stood  upright,  and 
he  foamed  round   the  mouth. 

He  tried  to  speak,  hid  he 
coidd  not  utter  his  thoughts, 
stammering  long  before  he 
could  get  out  a  word. 

He  continued,  I  know  you 
are  an  Itonest  man,  for  I  am 
siire  you  love  the  Lord,  but  I 
fear  you   do   not  believe   me. 


I  said,  You  are  Mr.  Sweden- 
borg, a  souiewhat  aged  man, 
a)id,  as  you  tell  me,  have  never 
taken  medicine;  wherefore  I 
think  some  of  a  right  sort  would 
do  you  good. 

Dr.  Smith  is  near,  he  is 
your  friend  and  mine,  let  us 
go  to  him,  and  he  will  give 
you  something  fitted  to  your 
state. 

38 


594 


BEF  UTA  TION  OF  FALSE  REP  OR  TS.      [Doc.  270. 


MATIIEf^IUS  IN  1781. 

Mr.  Brockmer  lay  the  whole 
night  restless ;  however,  he  got 
up  at  five  o'clock. 


He  foaming  continually  cried 
out,  "But  lioiv,  how,  did  the 
angel  come?"  He  answered 
"No:  and  now  I  expect  you 
will  go  with  me  to  Dr.  Smith." 


....  'The  one  bids  me  to 
follow  you,  because  you  are  a 
good  man,  and  the  other  saith, 
I  shall  have  nothing  to  do 
with  you;  you  are  good  for 
nothine;.' 


Quickly  he  [Swedenborg] 
went  down  stairs,  as  he  had 
no  business  in  his  [Brockmer's] 
room. 


§  7.  "When  Brockmer  came 


MATHESIUS  IN  1796. 

In  expectation  of  the  angel 
I  could  not  sleep,  but  lay 
awake  the  whole  might.  Mg 
wife  and  children  tvere  at  the 
same  time  very  ill,  which  in- 
creased my  anxiety.  I  rose  about 
five  o'clock  in  the  morning. 

He  foamed  and  cried  again 
and  again,  But  how — hoiv — 
hoiv?  Then  I  reminded  him 
of  our  agreement  to  go  to 
Dr.  Smith.  At  this  he  asked 
me  straight  doivn.  Came  not 
the  vision?  I  answered,  No; 
and  now  I  suppose  you  will 
go  with  me  to  Dr.  Smith. 

One  asks  me  to  follow  you, 
for  you  are  a  good  fellow; 
the  other  says  I  ought  to  have 
nothing  to  do  with  you  because 
you  are  good  for  nothing.  I 
ansivered,  Believe  neither  of 
them,  hut  let  us  thank  Ood, 
ivho  has  given  us  power  to 
helieve  in  His   Word. 

He  then  went  down  stairs 
to  his  room,  hut  returned  im- 
mediately, and  spoke,  hut  so 
confusedly  that  he  could  not 
he  understood.  I  hegan  to  he 
frightened,  suspecting  that  he 
might  have  a  penknife  or  other 
instrument  to  hiirt  me.  In  my 
fear  I  addressed  him  seriously, 
requesting  him  to  walk  down 
stairs,  as  he  had  no  business 
in  my  room. 

When  I  came  down  I  found 


Doc.  270.]    MATHESIUS'  ACCOUNT  OF  SWEDENBOEG.    595 


MATHESIUS  IN  1781. 

down,  he  found  the  Baron 
sitting  dressed  likewise,  in  an 
easy  chair,  and  his  door  being 
open,  he  cried  out,  'Come  in, 
come  in!' 

The  Doctor  having  no  room 
in  his  own  house,  took  a  lodg- 
ing for  him  at  a  Peruke 
makers  in  Cold  Bath  Fields, 
three  or  four  doors  from  his 
own  house ..... 


MATHESIUS  IN  170(!. 


Then  he  went  into  the 

hackroom  and  locked  himself  in. 
Mr.  Brochner  being  apprehen- 
sive that  he  might  hurt  him- 
self, had  the  lock  taken  off. 

Mr.  Brockmer  then  left  him 
with  tico  men. 

Mr.  Brockmer  went  to 
the  Swedish  Envoy,  and  told 
him  what  had  happened,  who 
thanked  him  much  for  all  his 
trouble. 


Mr.  Swedenborg  also  dressed, 
sitting  in  an  armchair  ivitli  a 
great  stick  m  his  hand  and 
the  door  open.  He  called, 
Come  in,  come  in,  and  waved 
tJie  sticl: 

He  had  however  no  room 
for  him,  but  engaged  apart- 
ments for  him  with  Mr.  Michael 
Caer,  wig  maker,  in  Warner 
Street,  Cold  Bath  Fields,  three 
or  four  houses  from  his  own. 
I  sent  for  a  coach,  lid  Mr. 
Sivedenhorg  would  walh,  and 
ivith  the  help  of  tiuo  men  he 
reached  his  new  lodgings. 

Entering  one  of  the  inner 

rooms  he  locked  the  door,  and 
spite  of  all  entreaties  tvoidd  not 
open  it.  In  fear  lest  he  should 
hurt  himself  the  door  was 
forced. 

I  then  went  honie^  and  left 
six  men   as   guards   over  him. 

I  then  went  to  the  Swedish 
Envoy,  told  him  what  had 
happened,  a)id  required  that 
Mr.  Sivedenhorg' s  rooms  in  my 
house  might  he  sealed.  The 
Envoy  was  infinitelg  pleased 
witli  mg  kindness  to  Mr.  Siveden- 
horg, thanked  me  very  much 
for  all  my  trouble,  and  assured 
me  that  the  sealing  of  Mr. 
Sivedenhorg' s  chamhers  ivas  un- 
necessarg,  as  he  had  heard  well 
of  me,  and  had  in  me  perfect 
confidence. 

38* 


596  REFUTATION  OF  FALSE  BEPOR TS.      [Doc.  270. 

MATHESIUS  IN  1781.  MATHESIUS  IN  1798. 

§  9.   After  that  Mr.  Brock-         After    this   I  continued   to 
mer  continued  to  visit  him.         visit  Mr.  Swedenborg,  ivho  at 

last  had  only  one  keeijer. 

§  10.    The    man   who  then         His  heei^er  could  not  follow 
attended  him,  could  not  over-     him. 
take  him. 

The  two  accounts  from  nos.  1  to  5,  vary  but  little,  and  so 
far  we  are  inclined  to  regard  as  genuine  Brockmer's  account 
as  given  by  Mathesius.  But  it  is  remarkable  how  much  these 
two  accounts  differ  from  no.  6  to  the  end;  and  how  much  more 
explicit  and  extensive  Mathesius  is  in  his  account  in  1796 
from  what  he  was  in  1781;  in  fact  quite  a  number  of  particulars 
which  had  escaped  his  memory  in  1781,  emerge  from  it  as 
fresh  as  ever  in  1796,  so  that  we  are  almost  involuntarily  led 
to  the  belief,  that  they  were  got  up  as  the  occasion  seemed 
to  require;  and  this  belief  acquires  additional  strength  when 
we  notice  the  nature  of  these  additions. 

In  1781  Mathesius  says,  "Swedenborg  foamed  a  little  at 
his  mouth,"  in  1796  the  words  "a  little"  are  left  out. 

In  1781  he  makes  Swedenborg  say,  "But  how,  how,  did 
the  angel  come?"  But  in  1796  he  puts  these  nonsensical  words 
into  his  mouth,  "But  how — Iwiu — liow?" 

In  1781  he  makes  this  simple  statement,  "Mr.  Brockmer 
found  the  Baron  sitting  dressed  in  an  easy  chair;  but  in  1796 
he  declares,  "that  he  found  him  sitting  there  tvith  a  great 
stick  in  his  hand;"  and  -while  in  1781  he  reports  that  Sweden- 
borg simply  said  the  words,  "Come  in,  come  in;"  in  1796  he 
said,  that  Swedenborg  not  only  spoke  these  words,  but,  also 
^tvaved  his  stick." 

In  1781  he  states  that  "Brockmer  left  him  with  tivo  men;" 
while  in  1796  these  two  men  have  increased  to  six. 

In  1781  we  read  that  "Brockmer  continued  to  visit  him;" 
but  in  the  account  of  1796  Ave  read  not  only  that  "he  con- 
tinued to  visit  Mr.  Swedenborg,"  but  also  that  "at  last  he 
Jtad  only  one  keei^er." 

It  is  very  plain  from  these  instances  that  while  Mathesius 
in  1781   did  not  feel  prepared  to  push  the  charge  of  insanity 


Doc.  270.]    MATHESIUS'  ACCOUNT  OF  SWEDENBORG.    597 

very  strongly,   in   1796  he  was   more  reckless  in  this  respect, 
and  laid  on  his  colours  much  more  thickly. 

Yet  this  is  not  the  only  difference;  the  two  accounts  are 
also  contradictory  in  some  respects:  In  1781  Matliesius  states 
that  Swedenborg  from  his  visit  to  the  Swedish  Ambassador, 
Avliich  is  recorded  in  no.  8,  returned  to  Brockmer's  house,  and 
that  "Mr.  Brockmer  being  apprehensive  that  he  might  hurt 
himself,  had  the  lock  taken  off."  In  the  account  of  1796  all 
this  happened  in  another  house  to  which  Brockmer  had  removed 
Swedenborg. 

Again,  according  to  the  account  of  1781,  Dr.  Smith  "took 
a  lodging  for  Swedenborg  at  a  peruke-maker's  in  Cold  Bath 
Fields;"  and  this  peruke-maker,  as  Mr.  Hindmarsh  no  doubt 
was  informed  by  Mr.  Brockmer  himself,  was  Shearsmith;  for 
he  says  in  Document  270,  D,  p.  605:  "Mr.  Brockmer  died  a 
few  months  after  he  made  the  declaration  above  recited:  but 
the  peruke-maker  alluded  to  by  Mr.  "Welsey,  namely,  Mr.  Richard 
Shearsmith,  who  lived  in  Cold  Bath  Fields,  Clerkenwell,  and 
at  whose  house  Swedenborg  afterwards  lodged  and  died,  sur- 
vived Mr.  Brockmer  many  years."  Besides,  the  Rev.  S.  Xoble 
declares  (Preface  to  the  second  edition  of  his  translation  of 
"Heaven  and  Hell,"  p.  xxviii)  that  "it  is  actually  said  in  a 
manuscript  copy  of  the  statement  in  the  'Arminian  Magazine,' 
irlikli  was  seen  hy  himself,  that  Swedenborg  did  reside  Avith 
Shearsmith  in  1743."  As  to  the  mode,  however,  in  which 
Swedenborg  came  from  Mr.  Brockmer's  house  in  Fetter  Lane 
to  Shearsmith,  this  latter  gentleman  made  the  following  explicit 
statement  to  Mrs.  Shaw  (Document  266,  nos.  1,  2),  "Sweden- 
borg left  Fetter  Lane,  because  the  persons  he  lodged  with 
used  to  meddle  with  his  papers.  Shearsmith  was  a  peruke- 
maker.  Mrs.  Cartwright,  a  lady  of  property,  knew  Sweden- 
borg, and  he  complained  to  her.  She  recommended  Shear- 
smitlrs  lodging.  Shearsmith  used  to  dress  her  hair.  The 
other  people  were  so  angry  at  his  leaving  them,  that  they 
spread  a  report  that  he  was  mad."  From  all  this  it  seems 
very  plain  that  when  Swedenborg  left  Brockmer  in  Fetter 
Lane,  he  removed  to  Mr.  Shearmith  in  Cold  Bath  Fields. 

There  is  but  one  statement  conflicting  with  this,  viz.  that 
made    by  Henry  Peckitt  in  Document  263,    where  we   read, 


598  REFUTATION  OF  FALSE  BEPORTS.     [Doc.  270. 

"It  seems  by  the  account  of  Mr.  Shearsmith,  that  the  Baron 
had  visited  England  three  or  four  different  times.  He  had 
lodged  in  Cold  Bath  Fields ;  and  upon  his  return  to  England 
came  to  the  same  place:  but  the  people  had  removed,  and 
he  was  recommended  to  Mr.  Shearsmith's,  ivhere  he  lodged 
about  two  years.    Then  he  left  England,  and  went  to  Amste?'- 

dam  in  Holland,  at  which  place he  staid  some  time,  and 

then  returned  to  England,  and  came  to  the  same  place  to  lodge 
with  Mr.  Shearsmith,  and  remained  at  his  house  till  his  death." 

According  to  Mr.  Peckitt's  statement,  Swedenborg  removed 
to  Shearsmith  not  from  Fetter  Lane,  but  from  Cold  Bath 
Fields.  As  Peckitt  took  his  testimony  from  Shearsmith  before 
Hindmarsh  and  Mrs.  Shaw,  the  probabihty  lies  in  favour  of 
his  account;  yet  as  several  statements  which  Mr.  Peckitt  in 
no.  2,  of  Document  264  attributes  to  Mr.  Shearsmith  are 
erroneous,  viz.  that  when  he  first  removed  to  his  house,  he 
stayed  there  for  two  years,  when  yet  he  stopped  there  at  the 
utmost  but  two  months;  and  that  when  he  left  England  in 
1769,  he  went  to  Holland,  when  the  fact  is  that  he  returned 
then  to  Sweden;  it  is  quite  possible  that  there  is  an  error  also 
in  his  other  statement,  namely,  where  he  states  that  Sweden- 
borg removed  to  Shearsmith's  house  from  Cold  Bath  Fields. 
In  this  particular,  therefore,  we  oppose  to  Mr.  Peckitt's  testi- 
mony that  of  Messrs.  Hindmarsh  and  Noble,  and  of  Mrs.  Shaw, 
and  on  the  authority  of  these  witnesses  we  believe  that  when 
Swedenborg  left  Mr.  Brockmer's  house  in  Fetter  Lane,  he 
removed  to  Mr.  Shearsmith's  in  Great  Bath  Street,  Cold 
Bath  Fields. 

In  accepting  this  statement  we  are,  however,  obliged  to 
assume  that  Swedenborg  lodged  twice  at  the  house  of  Mr. 
Brockmer,  once  in  1744,  and  again  in  1769,  when  he  removed 
thence  to  Mr.  Shearsmith's.  Excepting  Mr.  Peckitt's  state- 
ment, which  we  have  analyzed  above,  there  is  no  other  testi- 
mony which  conflicts  with  this  assumption,  or  renders  it 
impossible.  The  fact,  hov/ever,  being  assumed  that  Sweden- 
borg removed  from  Brockmer's  house  to  Shearsmith's,  that 
removal  could  have  taken  place  only  in  1769  and  not  in  1744, 
as  is  clearly  proved  by  Mr.  Noble  in  what  follows  (Preface 
to  "Heaven  and  Hell,"  p.  xxviii): 


Doc.  270.]    MATHESIUS'  ACCOUNT  OF  SWEDENBORG.    599 

"Another  mark  of  falsehood  in  Mr.  AVesley's  statement,  and 
which  he  derived  from  the  Swedish  clergyman  Matnesms,  is, 
that  it  represents  Swedenborg,  while  under  the  influence  of 
the  fever  and  delirium,  and  attended  by  a  physician,  as  being 
removed  to  a  lodging  near  Cold  Bath  Fields;  whereas  there 
is  no  reason  for  believing  that  he  ever  resided  in  that  vicinity, 
before  he  went  to  Shearsmith's  in  the  year  1769,  in  whose 
house,  during  a  second  visit,  he  died,  in  1772.  Out  of  these 
facts,  that  he  did  reside  at  Shearsmith's,  in  Great  Bath  Street, 
Cold  Bath  Fields,  in  17G9,  and  again  in  1772,  appears  to 
have  been  formed  the  notion  that  he  also  resided  there  in 
1743  [1744],  and  it  is  actually  said  so  in  a  manuscript  copy 
of  the  statement  in  the  'Arminian  JNIagazine'  for  1781,  which 
has  been  seen  by  the  present  writer.  But  this  is  impossible, 
for  Shearsmith  was  conversed  with  by  the  Writer  of  this  note 
in  the  year  1812,  and  died  a  few  years  afterwards,  at  about 
the  age  of  eighty-four:  although,  therefore,  he  did  reside  in 
Cold  Bath  Fields  for  several  years,  he  could  not  have  had 
Swedenborg  for  his  lodger  in  the  year  1743  [1744],  being 
himself  at  that  time  not  fifteen  years  of  age.  Whether,  there- 
fore, the  date  preferred  for  the  imputed  fever,  be  that  of  JMr. 
Hartley  [Document  259,  no.  30],  who  fixes  it  at  about  the 
year  1752  [see  Document  270,  p.  608],  or  that  of  Mr.  Wesley, 
who  declares  absolutely  that  it  occurred  in  1743,  Mr.  Hartley's 
conclusion  respecting  it  is  equally  applicable,  namely,  that  he 
'recovered  from  it  after  the  manner  of  other  men;'  and  'that 
his  writings  both  prior  and  subsequently  to  it  entirely  har- 
monize, and  proceed  upon  the  same  principles  with  an  exact 
correspondence.'  These  particulars  appear  highly  worthy  of 
attention,  and  have  never  been  noticed  before." 

The  dilemma  pointed  out  here  by  Mr.  Noble,  Mathesius 
sought  to  avoid  in  his  account  of  1796,  by  stating  that  the 
peruke-maker's  name  into  whose  house  Swedenborg  removed 
on  leaving  Brockmer's  house  in  1743  was  not  Shearsmith,  but 
Caer;  for  he  says  that  "Dr.  Smith  engaged  apartments  for 
him  with  Mr.  Michael  Caer,  wig  maker,  in  Warner  Street, 
Cold  Bath  Fields." 

There  are  several  exceptions  to  be  taken  to  this  explanation; 
for  in  i\iQ  first  place  Swedenborg  was  not  in  London  in  1743, 


600  REFUTATION  OF  FALSE  BEPOBTS.      [Doc.  270. 

as  the  account  states.  Secondly  none  of  Swedenborg's  friends 
has  ever  stated  that  he  lived  at  the  houses  of  two  peruke- 
makers,  both  in  Cold  Bath  Fields;  which  singular  circumstance 
they  would  not  have  failed  to  record,  had  it  been  true.  TMrdly, 
Mr.  Hindmarsh,  who  interrogated  Mr.  Brockmer,  after  Wesley's 
second  attack  on  Swedenborg  had  been  made  in  1783,  states 
distinctly  that  the  peruke-maker  alluded  to  by  Mr.  Wesley 
was  Mr.  Richard  Shearsmith."  Fourthly,  no  one,  besides 
Mathesius,  has  ever  stated  that  Swedenborg  lived  in  Warner 
Street.  According  to  Bergstrom's  testimony  (Document  263, 
no.  8),  Swedenborg  lived  in  the  Minories,  in  the  Cold  Bath 
Fields  [with  Mr.  Shearsmith],  and  once  he  lived  for  ten  weeks 
with  Bergstrom  in  the  King's  Arms  Tavern  in  Wellclose 
Square;  and,  besides,  Mrs.  Shaw  states  on  the  authority  of 
Mr.  Shearsmith,  that  Swedenborg  removed  to  his  house  from 
Fetter  Lane;  yet  nowhere  is  mention  made  that  he  had  lived 
at  a  second  peruke-maker's  in  Cold  Bath  Fields.  Fifthly^ 
granted  that  Mr.  Peckitt's  statement  is  correct,  and  that 
Swedenborg  had  lodged  in  Cold  Bath  Fields  before  removing 
to  Shearsmith's,  even  in  this  case  it  must  have  been  as  late 
as  176G  (see  Introduction  to  Doc.  272),  and  not  in  1743,  as 
is  alleged  by  Mathesius. 

We  see,  therefore,  that  Mathesius'  testimony  when  examined 
exclusively  in  its  ow^n  light,  breaks  down  completely;  for  it 
is  shown  to  be  full  of  inconsistencies,  and  downright  con- 
tradictions. We  shall  now  hear  what  Mr.  Brockmer  has  to 
say  in  respect  to  it,  whose  words  Mathesius  pretended  to  quote. 

Soon  after  the  publication  of  John  Wesley's  attack  on 
Swedenborg  in  the  "Arminian  Magazine"  for  1783,  Mr.  Robert 
Beatson,*  of  Rotherham  in  Yorkshire,  undertook  a  vindication 
of  Swedenborg's  Avritings  which  had  been  "so  grossly  mis- 
represented, misquoted,  and  falsified  by  Mr.  Wesley."     After 

*  The  Editors  of  the  "Magazine  of  Knowledge"  say  concerning  this 
gentleman  in  1791,  "Mr.  Robert  Beatson,  late  of  Eotherham,  in  Yorkshire, 
but  now  an  inhabitant  of  the  spiritual  world  (to  whose  uncommon  virtues 
and  eminent  piety  we  can,  from  personal  knowledge,  bear  pubHc  testimony), 
a  short  time  before  his  death  employed  himself  in  vindicating  the  writings 
of  Baron  Swedenborg,  which  have  been  so  grossly  misrepresented,  mis- 
quoted, and  falsified,  by  Mr.  Wesley." 


Doc.  270.]  BROCEMER'S  ACCOUNT.  601 

finishing  his  vindication,  a  portion  of  ^vhich  was  subsequently 
printed  in  the  "Magazine  of  Knowledge,"'  Vol.  II,  1791,  he 
came  to  London,  and  in  company  with  Mr.  Eobert  Hindmarsh 
and  two  other  friends  called  on  Mr.  Brockmer  in  order  to 
interrogate  him  with  respect  to  the  truth  of  the  statement 
which  Mr.  Wesley  attributed  to  him.  The  result  of  their 
interview  with  Mr.  Brockmer  was  published  in  the  "Magazine 
of  Knowledge''  for  1791  (Vol.  II,  pp.  92  to  9G),  and  is  as 
follows : 

c. 

SROCKMER'S!  ACCOVXT  OF  S;^VEDEXBOEG. 

1.  "After  communicating  to  Mr.  Brockmer  the  purport  of 
their  visit,  Mr.  Beatson  and  his  friends  requested  to  know 
Avhether  he  had  ever  given  any  account  of  Baron  Swedenborg 
to  Mr.  Wesley;  for  that  he  (^Mr.  Wesley)  had  publicly  asserted 
this  in  his  'Arminian  Magazine.'  Mr.  Brockmer  immediately 
denied  the  fact,  positively  declaring  'that  he  had  never  opened 
his  mouth  on  the  subject  to  Mr.  Wesley;'  and  seemed  much 
displeased  that  Mr.  Wesley  should  have  taken  the  liberty  to 
make  use  of  his  name  in  public  print,  without  his  knowledge 
or  consent. 

2.  "The  following  paragraph  was  then  read  to  Mr.  Brockmer, 
from  the  'Arminian  Magazine'  for  August,  1783,  page  438: 
[See  Document  270,  A,  no.  2,  p.  584.] 

"As  soon  as  the  above  paragraph  was  read,  Mr.  Brockmer 
said,  'That  it  was  entirely  false;  that  he  never  gave  any 
information  of  the  kind  to  Mr.  Wesley,  but  supposed  that 
some  other  person  might  have  made  such  a  report  to  Mr. 
Wesley,  who  he  said  was  very  credulous,  and  easy  to  be 
imposed  upon  by  any  idle  tale,  from  whatever  quarter  it  came.' 
Mr.  Brockmer  further  added,  'That  Baron  Swedenborg  was 
never  afflicted  with  any  illness,  much  less  with  a  violent  fever, 
while  at  his  house;  nor  did  he  ever  break  from  him  in  a 
delirious  state,  and  run  into  the  street  stark  naked,  and  there 
proclaim  himself  the  Messiah.'  Mr.  Brockmer  acknowledged, 
"that  he  had  lieard  a  report,  that  Baron  Swedenborg  had 
rolled    himself  in  the  mire;    but  he   could   not  be  certain  of 


602  REFUTATION  OF  FALSE  EEPORTS.      [Doc.  270. 

the  fact,   because   he   did  not  see    it   himself,  hut   ivas  only 
told  so.' 

3.  "Mr.  Brockmer  was  then  asked,  whether  another  ac- 
count of  Baron  Swedenborg,  given  by  Mr.  Wesley  in  his 
'Arniinian  Magazine'  for  January,  1781,  was  true  or  not.  [See 
Document  270,  B,  p.  586.J  After  reading  it,  he  replied,  'That 
to  the  best  of  his  knowledge  and  recollection,  some  things  in 
that  account  were  true;  that  other  things  were  absolutely  false; 
and  that  the  whole  was  exaggerated  and  unfairly  stated.'  He 
said  it  was  true,  that  Swedenborg  once  called  himself  the 
Messiah ;  but  not  true  that  he  always  persisted  in  it,  whenever 
he  saw  him  afterwards,  as  Mr.  Wesley  insinuates.  It  was 
true  that  his  hair  stood  upright,  for  as  he  wore  a  wig,  it 
was  necessary  to  keep  his  hair  cut  short,  in  which  case  any 
person's  hair  will  stand  upright;  but  it  was  not  true  that  he 
looked  frightful  or  wild,  for  he  was  of  a  most  placid  and 
serene  disposition.  It  was  true  that  he  had  an  impediment 
in  his  speech,  and  spoke  with  earnestness;  but  not  true,  that 
he  foamed  at  the  mouth,  as  Mr.  Wesley  had  represented  him. 

4.  "The  following  question  was  then  put  to  Mr.  Brockmer, 
'Supposing  it  to  be  true,  that  Baron  Swedenborg  did  actually 
see  and  converse  with  angels  and  spirits,  did  you  ever  observe 
any  thing  in  his  behaviour,  that  might  not  naturally  be  ex- 
pected on  such  an  extraordinary  occasion?'  He  replied  in 
words  to  the  following  effect:  'If  I  believed  that  to  be  true, 
I  should  not  Avonder  at  anything  he  said  or  did;  but  should 
rather  wonder  that  the  surprise  and  astonishment  which  he 
must  have  felt  on  such  an  occasion,  did  not  betray  him  into 
more  unguarded  expressions  than  were  ever  known  to  escape 
him;  for  he  did  and  said  nothing  but  what  I  could  easily  ac- 
count for  in  my  own  mind,  if  I  really  believed  what  he 
declares  in  his  writings  to  be  true.'" 

Mr.  Brockmer,  therefore,  denied  the  truth  of  the  following 
points  which  had  been  raised  against  Swedenborg  by  J.  Wesley 
or  Mathesius: 

1.  That  he  ever  gave  information  respecting  Swedenborg 
to  Mr.  Wesley. 

2.  That  Swedenborg  ever  was  afflicted  with  a  fever  at  his 
house. 


Doc.  270]  BROCKMER'S  ACCO UNT.  603 

3.  That  he  ever  broke  from  him  in  a  delirious  state,  and 
ran  into  the   street,  prodaiming  himself  the  Messiah. 

4.  That  Swedenborg  ever  looked  fiightful  or  wild. 

5.  That  he  ever  foamed  at  his  mouth. 

6.  He  acknoAvledged,  that  he  had  heard  a  report^  that 
Baron  Swedenborg  had  rolled  himself  in  the  mire;  but  he 
did  not  see  it  himself,  and  was  only  told  so. 

"We  see  therefore  that  I\Ir.  Brockmer,  the  authority  to 
whom  both  Mathesius  and  Wesley  appeal  for  the  truth  of 
their  charges  against  Swedenborg,  gives  them  both  the  direct 
lie  in  respect  to  the  leading  points  which  Mathesius  raises 
against  Swedenborg  in  nos.  G  to  10  of  his  relation  ("Arminian 
Magazine"  for  1781),  and  in  respect  to  those  which  were 
advanced  against  him  by  Mr.  Wesley  in  no.  2  of  his  account 
("Arminian  Magazine"  for  1783). 

The  editors  of  the  "Magazine  of  Knowledge"  add  to  this 
(Vol.  II,  p.  95),  "In  addition  to  the  above  it  may  be  observed, 
that  Mr.  Brockmer  was  one  of  the  people  called  Moravians; 
and  it  has  been  judged  by  many,  not  without  some  reason, 
that  he  had  conceived  a  prejudice  against  Swedenborg,  because 
in  certain  parts  of  his  writings  he  cautions  his  readers  against 
the  dangerous  errors  of  the  Moravians,  and  particularly  speaks 
of  Count  Zinzendorf,  their  head,  whom  he  had  seen  in  the 
spiritual  world,  as  one  who  denies  the  Divinity  of  the 
Lord."* 

According  to  Chastanier  (Document  270,  F,  no.  3)  Sweden- 
borg himself  declared,  "that  the  whole  of  this  fiilse  rumour 
had  been  spread  by  that  good  Moravian,  Mr.  Brockmer,  who 
could  not  forgive  him  for  what  he  had  written  about  the 
Moravians  at  the  end  of  his  tract,  called  the  'Continuation 
concerning  the  Spiritual  world,'  and  who  had  sworn  that  he 
>vould  avenge  his  sect  for  the  injury  that  had  been  inflicted 
upon  them  by  Swedenborg." 

Besides  we  read  in  Document  266,  no.  1,  that  according 
to  the  testimony  of  Shearsmith,^^^  "Swedenborg  left  Fetter 
Lane,  because  the  persons  he  lodged  with  [Brockmer]  used 
to  meddle  with  his  papers,"  and  also  that  "these  people  w^ere 

*  See  "Continuation  of  the  Last  .Tiulfjnnont,"  nos.  86  to  90. 


604  REFUTATION  OF  FALSE  REPORTS.      [Doc.  270. 

so  angry  at  his  leaving  them,  that  they  spread  a  report  that 
he  was  mad." 

From  all  this  it  appears  that  not  only  Mathesius,  but  also 
Brockmer  had  some  share  in  the  production  of  the  account 
published  by  Mr.  Wesley  in  the  "Arminian  Magazine;"  and 
although  it  seems  as  if  the  resentment  which  the  latter  origin- 
ally bore  against  Swedenborg  had  in  a  great  measure  subsided, 
when  he  was  interrogated  by  Messrs.  Beatson,  Hindmarsh, 
and  others;  indeed,  so  much  so  that  he  was  able  to  acknowledge 
the  falsity  of  several  of  the  statements  that  appeared  in  the 
published  account,  he  still  cannot  be  accepted  as  a  perfectly 
fair  and  impartial  witness  in  re  Swedenborg  v.  Mathesius 
and  Wesley.  We  consider  ourselves  therefore  fully  justified 
in  refusing  to  receive  as  historically  true  the  following  state- 
ment which  Brockmer  persisted  in  making  when  interrogated 
by  the  above  gentleman,  viz.  that  "Swedenborg  once  called 
himself  Messiah;"  in  which  statement  Brockmer  stands  entirely 
alone  among  those  who  have  borne  testimony  respecting  Sweden- 
borg from  their  own  personal  knowledge;  or  in  which  he  is 
at  best  supported  by  Mathesius. 

Although  the  falsity  of  Mathesius'  account  of  Swedenborg, 
as  published  by  J.  Wesley  in  the  "Arminian  Magazine,"  had 
been  thoroughly  demonstrated  in  the  "Magazine  of  Knowledge" 
for  1791,  this  account  was  nevertheless  afterwards  reprinted 
and  circulated  very  extensively  among  the  Methodists,  and  in 
1819  was  pointedly  referred  to  by  the  Rev.  J.  G.  Pike  of 
Derby  in  a  pamphlet  entitled,  "Swedenborgianism  depicted  in 
its  true  Colours."  The  attacks  of  the  Eev.  Mr.  Pike  were 
met  by  Robert  Hindmarsh  in  a  work  entitled,  "Vindication 
of  the  Character  and  Writings  of  the  Honourable  Emanuel 
Swedenborg,"  Manchester,  1821.  In  the  first  Section  of  that 
work  he  devoted  a  chapter  to  the  "Refutation  of  the  false 
reports  propagated  by  Mr.  Wesley;"  and  after  repeating 
some  of  the  statements  which  Mr.  Brockmer  had  made  in  his 
presence,  and  which  we  have  given  above  from  the  "Magazine 
of  Knowledge,"  he  summed  up  the  whole  case,  as  follows: 


Doc.  270.]  HIND^IABSH  OX  WESLEY.  605 

D. 

E.  niyDMAnsH"'  ox  j.  ^yESLEr-"'  and  .vathesil'^'."' 

1.  "It  appears,  then,  that  the  report  of  Baron  Sweden- 
borg's  ha\ing  been  seized  with  a  fever,  in  the  height  of  whicli 
he  broke  from  Mr.  Brockmer,  ran  into  the  street  naked,  and 
proclaimed  himself  the  Messiah,  is  totally  false.  But  even 
supposing  it  to  be  true,  that  he  once  had  a  fever  accompanied 
with  delirium,  an  affliction  to  which  the  wisest  and  best  of 
men  are  subject,  what  has  this  to  do  Avith  the  general  tenor 
of  his  writings,  composed  while  he  was  in  perfect  health?  Is 
the  character  of  a  man  to  be  estimated  by  what  he  says  or 
does  in  such  a  state  ?  Would  Mr.  Wesley,  or  any  other  person, 
wish  to  be  judged  in  this  way? 

2.  "Mr.  Brockmer  died  a  few  months  after  he  made  the 
declaration  above  recited:  but  the  peruke-maker  alluded  to 
by  Mr.  Wesley,  namely,  Mr.  Richard  Shearsmith,  who  lived 
in  Cold  Bath  Fields,  Clerkenwell,  and  at  whose  house  Sweden- 
borg  afterwards  lodged  and  died,  survived  Mr.  Brockmer  many 
years.  Him  also  I  well  knew,  and  have  often  had  occasion 
to  speak  to  him  of  the  character,  habits,  and  manners  of 
Swedenborg:  and  he  uniformly  gave  the  most  unequivocal  and 
honourable  testimony  concerning  him,  both  with  respect  to 
the  goodness  of  his  heart,  and  the  soundness  of  his  under- 
standing. He  declared  himself  ready  to  attest,  (upon  oath^  if 
required,)  that,  'from  the  first  day  of  his  coming  to  reside  at 
his  house,  to  the  last  day  of  his  life,  he  always  conducted 
himself  in  the  most  rational,  prudent,  pious,  and  Christian-like 
manner:  and  he  was  Ihmly  of  opinion,  that  every  report 
injurious  to  his  character  had  been  raised  merely  from  malice 
or  disaffection  to  his  writings,  by  persons  of  a  bigoted  and 
contracted  spirit.'  Mr.  Shearsmith  has  been  dead  now  for 
some  years.  I  saw  him  not  long  before  his  death;  and  he 
continued  to  bear  the  same  testimony,  which  he  had  so  often 
repeated  in  my  hearing  during  the  course  of  the  thirty  years 
that  I  had  known  him. 

3.  "The  other  person,  whom  Mr.  Wesley  names  as  having 
given   him  the  same  information  as  Mr.  Brockmer  had  done, 


606  BEFUTATION  OF  FALSE  BEPOETS.     [Doc.  270. 

was  Mr.  Mathesius,  a  Swedish  clergyman.     Of  the  credit  duo 
to    this    Mathesius,    the    following    extract    from   a   letter   by 
Christopher  Springer,  Esq.,  a  Swedish  gentleman  of  distinction 
then    resident  in   London,   and  the  intimate  friend  of  Baron 
Swedenborg,  will  enable  the  reader  to  form  a  just  and  correct 
estimate.    Speaking  of  Swedenborg's  death,  he  observes,  'When 
the  deceased  found  his  end  approaching,  and  expressed  a  wish 
to  have  the  communion  administered  to  him,  somebody  present 
at  the  time  proposed  sending  for  Mr.  Mathesius,  the  officiating 
minister  of  the  Swedish  Church.     This  person  was  known  to 
be  a  i^rofessecl  enemy  of  Baron  Swedenborg,   and  had  set  his 
face   against  his  writings.     It  was  he  that  raised  and  spread 
the    false    account   of  Swedenborg's  having  been  deprived  of 
his  senses.    Swedenborg  therefore  declined  taking  the  sacrament 
from  him,  and  actually  received  it  from  the  hands  of  another 
ecclesiastic  of  his  own  country,  named  Ferelius,  who  at  that 
time    was    a  reader  of  Baron   Swedenborg's  writings,   and  is 
said    to    have   continued   to   do  so  ever  since,  at  Stockholm, 
where   he  is  now  living  (in  1786);  and  I  have  been  assured, 
that,  on  this  occasion,  Swedenborg  expressly  exhorted  him  to 
coutimie  steadfast  in  the  truth.    Mr.  Mathesius  is  said  to  have 
become  insane  himself,  a  short  time  after  this;  and  becoming 
thereby  incapable  of  his  function,   has   existed  ever  since,  in 
that  melancholy  state,  upon  the  bounty  of  the  King  of  Sweden.' 
4.   "What  now  are  we  to  say  of  the  report  first  invented 
by  Mr.  Mathesius  the  Lutheran  divine,  afterwards  propagated 
by  Mr.  Wesley  the  Arminian  divine,  and  lastly  by  Mr.  Pike 
the  Baptist    divine,    but  that   they   each  found  it  the  easiest 
and  most  convenient  argument  to  be  drawn  against  the  heavenly 
doctrines  contained  in  the  writings  of  Emanuel  Swedenborg? 
When  the  theologians  of  former  days  found  themselves  unable 
to  withstand  the  new,  but  powerful,  doctrines  of  Divine  Truth 
delivered   by   the   Saviour   of  the  world,  some  said,  'He  is  a 
good  man:  others  said^  Nay;  but  he  deceiveili  the  imople'  (John 
vii,  12).    'He  is  beside  himself'  (Mark  iii,  21).    'And  many  of 
them- said.  He  hath  a  devil,  and  is  mad;   why  hear  ye  him? 
But  others  said,  these  are  not  the  words  of  him  that  hath  a 
devil:  can  a  devil  open  the  eyes  of  the  bhnd?'    (John  x,  20, 
21).     Now  we  know  the  truth  of  our  Lord's  words,  when  Ho 


Doc.  270.]  HIXD^^ARSH  OX  WESLEY.  6U7 

saith,  'The  disciple  is  not  ahore  Jiis  niasttv,  nor  tlie  servant 
above  his  lord.  It  is  enough  for  the  disciple  to  be  as  liis 
master^  and  the  servant  as  his  lord:  if  they  have  called  the 
master  of  the  house  Beelzelmb,  how  much  more  shall  tluy 
call  them  of  his  household'  (Matt,  x,  24,  25).  And  again, 
'The  servant  is  7iot  greater  than  his  lord.  If  they  have  per- 
secuted me,  they  will  also  persecute  i/oii'  (John  xv,  20).  In 
all  ages  of  the  church.  Divine  Truth  has  been  persecuted  in 
the  persons  of  those  who  have  been  its  most  strenuous  asserters 
and  advocates;  and  in  general  according  to  the  degree  in 
which  they  have  manifested  their  sincerity,  integrity,  and 
faithfulness  in  the  discharge  of -their  duty,  in  the  same  degree 
have  they  been  subjected  to  the  derision  and  scorn  of  the 
world.  It  was  not  therefore  to  be  expected,  that  Swedenborg, 
the  distinguished  and  devoted  servant  of  his  Lord,  would 
escape  the  malevolent  and  bitter  attacks  of  his  enemies,  who, 
either  through  ignorance  of  the  doctrines  he  taught,  or  through 
envy  at  their  success,  are  disposed  to  treat  the  disciple  in 
the  same  ungenerous  manner  as  their  predecessors  of  old 
treated  his  Divine  Master.  But  as  Michael  the  archangel, 
in  disputing  with  the  devil  about  the  body  of  Moses,  (the 
historical  sense  of  the  Word,)  durst  not  bring  against  him 
a  railing  accusation,  so  it  is  the  duty  of  those  who  are 
engaged  in  the  defence  of  a  good  cause,  to  imitate  so 
illustrious  an  example,  and  to  leave  all  judgment  to  Hira 
who  cannot  err." 

Before  the  interview  had  been  arranged  between  Messrs. 
Beatson,  Hindmarsh,  and  the  others,  and  Mr.  Brockmer,  and 
thus  before  it  was  known  that  that  gentleman  denied  point- 
blank  the  specific  grounds  on  which  Mr.  "Wesley,  abetted  by 
Mathesius,  sought  to  establish  the  charge  of  insanity  against 
Swedenborg  (see  p.  58G),  Mr.  Hartley,  Chastanier,  and  others 
had  endeavoured  to  establish  the  real  facts  out  of  which 
the  slanderous  account  of  Mathesius  had  been  manufactured, 
Mr.  Hartley,  it  seems,  found  by  his  investigations  that  Sweden- 
borg really  had  been  ill  at  one  time  during  his  stay  in  London. 
The  result  of  his  investigations  is  contained  in  his  letter  to 
Mr.  Clowes  published  in  1781  as  an  Introduction  to  the  English 


608  REFUTATION  OF  FALSE  REPORTS.      [Doc.  270. 

translation  of  the  "True  Christian  Religion,"  (see  Document 
259,  no.  30).  For  the  convenience  of  our  readers  we  shall 
reproduce  this  paragraph  here: 


E. 

REV.  T.  HARTLEY  ON  MATHESIVS'  CHARGE  AGAINST  SWEDENBORO  IN  1781, 

"The  unchristian  spirit  of  calumny  and  detraction  here 
mentioned,  leads  me  to  observe  in  this  place,  that  some  have 
taken  pains  to  represent  our  author  as  mad,  in  order  to  dis- 
credit liis  character  and  writings,  grounding  their  charge  on 
the  following  circumstance :  He  was  seized  with  a  fever,  attended 
with  a  delirium,  common  in  that  case,  about  tiventy  years  he- 
fore  lie  died  and  was  under  the  care  of  a  physician,  and  they 
have  gone  about  to  pick  up  what  he  said  and  did,  and  how 
he  looked  at  that  time,  and  have  propagated  this  both  in  pri- 
vate and  in  print,  a  proceeding  so  contrary  to  common  humanity, 
that  one  cannot  think  of  it  without  offence,  nay  even  horror." 

This  probably  happened  in  1749,  thus  tiventy -three  years 
before  Swedenborg  died;  for  he  arrived  in  London  in  No- 
vember 1748,*  and  left  it  again  in  1749  for  Aix  la  Chapelle, 
a  celebrated  watering  place  in  Germany  where  he  spent  the 
winter.-|-  It  is  quite  possible  that  he  was  advised  to  go  there 
by  his  London  physician.  The  next  time  he  visited  London 
must  have  been  in  1756,  or  in  1757,  when  he  published  there 
five  works  which  he  had  brought  with  him  from  Sweden. 

The  slander  of  Mathesius  consists  in  his  antedating  this 
occurrence  seven  years,  in  order  to  connect  it  with  the  open- 
ing of  Swedenborg's  spiritual  sight.  That  he  altered  dates  to 
suit  his  own  purposes  appears  also  from  this  consideration, 
that  he  placed  his  whole  account  in  the  year  1743,  when  yet 
Swedenborg  did  not  arrive  in  England  until  May,  1744 
(see  p.  193). 

The  results  of  B.  Chastanier's  ^-^  investigations  are  con- 
tained in  the  Preface  to  his  '•''Tableau  analytique  et  raisonne 


*  See  Document  136,  and  also  "Spiritual  Diary,"  nos.  3422  to  3427. 
t  See  Documents  210  to  213. 


Doc.  270.]  CHASTANIER  ON MATHESIUS.  609 

de  la  Dodnne  Celeste  de  V iJgUse  dc  la  Nouvelle  Jerusalem" 
where  (pp.  21  to  24)  he  furnishes  the  following  interesting 
account: 


F. 

B.  CHASTANIER---  OX  3IATHESIUS<^^»  AND  J.  WEflLEY,""  IN  1785. 

1.  "Mr.  Spriuger^^Mnfornied  us  yesterday,  November  15, 1785, 
in  the  presence  of  a  numerous  and  respectable  company,  tliat 
Swedenborg  had  presented  his  Arcana  Codestia  to  Mathesius, 
who  was  never  willing  to  read  the  work,  and  who,  from  hos- 
tility he  had  conceived  against  the  doctrines  contained  there- 
in, had  been  constantly  one  of  the  greatest  antagonists  of 
Swedenborg;  and  who  had  contributed  not  a  little  to  circulate 
and  athrm  the  egregious  falsehood  which  John  Wesley,  a 
ministei-  of  the  Anglican  Church  and  one  of  the  chiefs  of  the 
sect  called  Methodists,  was  inconsiderate  enough  to  insert  in 
the  January  number  of  the  'Arminian  Magazine,*  I  believe  for 
1781  or  1782.  AVesley  himself,  however,  is  by  no  means  the 
author  of  that  falsehood,  Avhich  he  endeavoured  to  make  as 
plausible  as  possilde;  the  leading  features  of  wliich  are  as 
follows:  [Chastanier  gives  here  an  abstract  of  Mathesius'  ac- 
count of  Swedenborg,  as  contained  in  Document  270,  B]. 

2.  "Mr.  Springer^^^  confirmed  yesterday  what  we  had  pre- 
viously lea)Tjed  concerning  this  afiair,  viz.  that  it  owes  its 
origin  to  two  circumstances :  The  Jirst  is  due  to  the  advantage 
which  two  Jews  took  of  a  swoon,  or  a  kind  of  ecstasis  or 
trance  into  which  Swedenborg  lell  ni  their  presence  in  his  own 
house;  when  they  protited  of  this  ecstasis,  to  steal  from  him 
his  gold  watch.  As  soon  as  Swedenborg  recovered  his  con- 
sciousness after  his  trance,  he  noticed  that  his  watch  had  been 
taken  from  his  pillow,  and  he  asked  the  two  Jews  wlio  were 
with  him  to  restore  it.  They  said  to  him,  'Do  you  not  know 
that  in  your  ecstasis  you  seized  your  watch  yourself;  that  you 
went  out  into  the  street,  and  threw  it  into  the  gutter.'  Sweden- 
borg contented  himself  Avith  replying,  'My  friends,  you  know 
that  this  statement  is  false.'  Being  afterwards  advibed  to  pro- 
secute tliese  two  rogues  in  a  court  of  justice,  he  said,  'It  is  not 

39 


610  REFUTATION  OF  FALSE  REPORTS.      [Doc.  270. 

worth  while;  these  good  Israelites  by  this  action  have  injured 
themselves  more  than  me.     May  the  Lord  have  pity  on  them.' 

3,  "The  other  circumstance  which  helped  to  originate  this 
false  story,  was  communicated  to  me  by  another  person,  who 
died  several  years  ago.  This  person,  whose  name  was  Brooks- 
bank  (Brocksbank),  was  very  well  acquainted  with  Swedenborg, 
and  was  informed  by  him,  that  the  whole  of  this  false  rumour 
had  been  spread  by  that  good  Moravian,  Mr.  Brockmer,  who 
could  not  forgive  Swedenborg  for  what  he  had  written  about 
the  Moravians  at  the  end  of  his  tract,  called  'Continuation 
concerning  the  Spiritual  world,'  and  who  had  sworn  that  he 
would  avenge  his  sect  for  the  injury  which  had  been  inflicted 
upon  it  by  Swedenborg.  It  is  certain  that  Swedenborg  un- 
masked this  heretical  sect,  and  sectarians  do  not  hke  to  be 
unmasked. 

4.  "Mr.  Springer  informed  us  yesterday  that  Mathesius, 
who  had  succeeded  in  supplanting  the  good  Pastor  Ferelius, 
and  who  is  now  in  Sweden,  had  become  mad,  and  had  in  con- 
sequence of  this  been  suspended  from  his  ministry,  and  recalled 
to  Stockholm,  where  he  is  now  living  on  a  pension  granted  by 
the  King.  Brockmer  has  not  shared  the  same  fate,  but  he  is 
living  at  present  in  London  upon  the  poor  rate." 

We  close  our  present  document  with  the  following  remarks 
by  the  Rev.  S.  Noble  extracted  from  his  "Appeal,"  (p.  243) 
on  the  subject  of  Mathesius'  insanity; 


a. 

EEV.  S.  KOBLE-^'  ON  MATHESIUS.^^^ 

"We  are  by  no  means  prone  to  assume  the 
distribution  of  Divine  judgments;  but  it  really  is  difficult  to 
avoid  thinking  that  we  behold  one  here.  All  must  allow  it 
to  be  a  remarkable  coincidence,  that  the  man  who  first  im- 
puted insanity  to  Swedenborg,  and  was  the  chief  cause  of  its 
being  beheved  by  others,  should  himself  have  experienced  the 
deplorable  visitation;  which  happened,  also,  soon  after  he  gave 
the  information  to  Mr.  Wesley.  The  Ahrege  des  Ouvrages 
cVEm.  Sii-edenborg,  which  was  pubKshed  at  Stocliholm  in  1788, 


Doc.  270.]  REV.  S.  NOBLE  ON MATHESIUS.  0 i  1 

states  in  the  preface,*  that  Mathesius  had  become  insane,  and 
was  then  living  in  that  state  in  that  city.  The  same  is  alhrnied 
in  the  New  Jerusalem  Magazine  ;f  one  of  the  editors  of  which 
was  Mr.  C.  B.  Wadstrom,^''  a  Swedish  gentleman  of  great  re- 
specta])ility,  well  known  for  his  efibrts  in  the  cause  of  the 
abolition  of  the  slave-trade,  and  who  must  have  had  ample 
means  of  knowing  the  fact.  In  a  MS.  minute,  also,  in  my 
possession,  of  a  conversation  held  by  Mr.  Prove,  May  2,  1787, 
with  Mr.  Bergstrom,^-*  master  of  the  King's  Arms  (Swedish) 
Hotel,  in  Wellclose-square ;  the  latter  says  as  follows  ::j:  'Mr. 
Mathesius  was  an  opponent  of  Swedenborg,  and  said  that  he 
was  lunatic,  &c.;  but  it  is  remarkable  that  he  went  lunatic 
liimself ;  which  happened  one  day  when  he  was  in  the  Swedish 
church  and  about  to  preach:  I  teas  there  and  saiv  it:  he  has 
been  so  ever  since,  and  sent  back  to  Sweden,  where  he  now 
is:  this  was  about  four  years  ago.'  All  the  accounts  agree: 
and  thus  evident  it  is,  that  into  the  pit  which  this  unhappy 
man  digged  for  another,  did  he  fall  himself." 

Additional  testimony  to  the  effect  that  Mathesius  actually 
became  insane  is  furnished  by  Mr.  Springer  (see  Document  270, 
D,  no.  3,  and  F,  no.  4),  and  likewise  in  the  published  "Re- 
cords of  the  Swedish  Church  in  London"  (Ajitechimtfjar  roramJe 
Scemlca  Kyrlmn  i  Londoti)  where  we  read  (p.  89):  "In  the 
summer  of  1783  Pastor  Mathesius  was  overtaken  by  a  severe 
illness,  whereby  he  was  disabled  from  continuing  his  office.  At 
the  quarterly  meeting  which  was  held  on  August  18  of  tlie 
same  year,  it  was  announced  that  Ambassador  Baron  von 
Nolcken  had  made  arrangements  Avith  the  Danish  minister  to 
hold  services  in  the  Swedish  Church  every  alternate  Sunday. 
On  May  16,  1784,  in  the  presence  of  Mathesius,  Magister 
Andreas  Leufenius  was  installed  as  his  successor.  Mathesius 
had  been  so  far  restored  that,  after  being  relieved  from  the 
ministerial  office,  he  was  able  to  return  to  his  native  country, 
where  he  remained  until  his  death." 

It  is  true,  the  nature  of  Mathesius'  illness  is  not  stated 
here,  but  this  information  has  been  supplied  by  two  of  his 
parishioners,  who  were  at  the  same  time  members  of  the  church 

*  Uii  ijagv  Ixx.  t  See  p.  224.  |  .See  DociniHMit  263,  no.  8. 


612  EEFUTATION  OF  FALSE  EEFOBTS.      [Doc.  270. 

committee,     viz.     Christopher     Springer/^^     and    Eric    Berg- 
strom.^^* 

Of  Mathesius^^^  himself  we  learn  further  in  the  " Anteckniyi- 
gar"  &c.  that  he  returned  to  Sweden  in  1784,  and  at  his  own 
request,  and  by  the  recommendation  of  the  Archbishop,  was 
formally  released  from  his  duties  in  London  by  a  Royal  Decree, 
dated  May,  1785,  receiving  at  the  same  time  a  yearly  pension 
of  66  rix-dalers,  32  shillings,  until  he  should  be  preferred  to  a 
pastorate  in  Sweden.  In  1805  in  the  sixty-ninth  year  of  his 
life,  he  was  at  last  declared  so  far  recovered  that  he  was  put 
in  charge  of  another  pastorate.  He  died,  however,  in  1808. 
For  further  particulars  respecting  the  character  of  the  man 
who  had  raised  the  infamous  slander  of  Swedeuborg's  insanity, 
6ee  Note  118. 


E. 

EXTRAORDINARY  FACTS  PROVING 

SWEDEKBORG'S    INTERCOURSE    WITH    THE 

OTHER  WORLD. 

JNTRODVCTION. 

Before  entering  upon  the  discussion  of  the  three  extraor- 
dinary facts  which  are  generally  quoted  in  proof  of  Sweden- 
borg's  intercourse  with  the  spiritual  world,  viz.  1.  The  confla- 
gration in  Stockholm,  2.  The  lost  receipt,  and  3.  The  afiair  with 
the  Queen  of  Sweden,  we  desire  first  of  all  to  call  attention 
to  the  light  in  which  Swedenborg  himself  desired  that  these 
facts  should  be  regarcled. 

In  his  letter  to  Louis  IX,  Landgrave  of  Hesse-Darmstadt 
(Document  247),  he  says:  "As  to  that  which  is  related  of  the 
brother  of  the  Queen  of  Sweden,  it  is  true;  but  it  should  not 
be  regarded  as  a  miracle;  it  is  simply  one  of  those  memorable 
relations,  which  in  the  work  mentioned  ['The  True  Christian 
Religion"]  have  been  told  respccthig  Luther,  Melancthon,  Calvin, 
and  the  rest.  Yet  both  the  former  and  the  latter  are  simply 
testimonies,  that  I  have  been  introduced  by  the  Lord  into  the 
spiritual  world,  as  to  my  spirit,  and  that  I  speak  with  angels 
and  spirits." 

To  Venator,  the  ducal  minister,  he  repeats  the  same  thing, 
only  in  stronger  language;  he  says:  "In  my  letter  to  His  High- 
ness, the  Duke,  I  speak  of  conversations  [I  had  in  the  spiritual 
world],  and  also  of  that  which  I  had  with  the  Queen  of  Sweden 
and  her  brother;  yet  these  ought  by  no  means  to  be  regarded 
as  miracles;  they  are  only  testimonies  that  I  have  been  intro- 
duced by  the  Lord  into  the  spiritual  world;  and  that  there  I 
am  enjoying  the  intercourse  and   conversation  of   angels  and 


614  THREE  EXTRAORDINARY  FACTS.        [Doc.  270. 

spirits  for  this  purpose,  that  the  church  wliich  lias  hitherto  re- 
mained  111    ignorance   concerning   that  world,    may  know  that 
heaven  and  hell  exist  in  reality,  and  that  man  lives  after  death, 
a  man,  as  before;  and  that  thus  there  may  be  no  mure  doubt 
as  to  his  immortality.     I  beseech  you,  therefore,  to  try  to  con- 
vmce  the    Duke,  your  sovereign,   that  these  are  not  miracles 
but  only  testimonies  that  I  speak  with  angels  and  spirits     In 
the  above-mentioned  work  ['The  True  Christian  Rehgion'l  you 
may  see  that  there   are  no  more  miracles,   at  this  time-  and 
the   reason   why.     It  is,    that  they  who  do  not  believe  unless 
they  see  miracles,  are  easily  led  into  fanaticism."     And  in  his 
letter  to  Prelate  CEtinger  (Document  232),  he  adds,  "Signs  and 
wonders   do  not  take  place  at  the  present  day,   because  they 
compel  externally,  and  internally  do  not  convince. . .    The  si^n 
given  at  this  day,  will  be  illustration,   and  thence  an  ackno'v.' 
ledgment  and  a  reception  of  the  truths  of  the  New  Church." 
The  Rev.  S.  Noble  in  adverting  to  the  extraordinary  facts 
discussed  m  the  present  division  of  our  work,  makes  the  follow- 
mg  pertinent  remarks   ("Appeal,"   p.  199):    "It  may  perhaps 
be  thought,  that  if,  in  consequence  of  having  been  called  by 
the  Lord  to  a  holy  office,  Swedenborg  really  had  the  privilege 
of  conversing  with  angels  and  spirits,  some  plain  proofs  of  it, 
beyond   his   own   assertions,   might   occasionally  occur.      Now 
that  such  proofs  did  occur,  is  a  certain  (act.   He  indeed  never 
appeals  to  them  in  support  of  his  mission:  he  shows,  in  various 
parts  of  his  writings,  that  where  the  mind  is  not  receptive  of 
truth  by  its  own  evidence,  no  external  testimony  will  force  it 
m:  he  thei-efore  affirms,  that  it  would  have  been  incompatible 
with  the  nature  of  the  truly  spiritual  dispensation  to  be  opened 
by  the  Second  Coming  of  the  Lord,   to   prove  it  by  miracles. 
To  the  performance  of  miracles,  therefore,  he  made  no  claim: 
yet  as  Providence  permitted  him,    on  some  occasions,  to  give 
full  demonstration  of  his  supernatural  knowledge,  we  must  con- 
clude that  it  was  granted  for  some  useful  end.     That  end  may 
be,  to  afford  satisfaction  to  those  who,   though  favourably  in- 
clined   towards  the   doctrines  of  the  New  Church  in  general, 
would  yet  feel   more  assured  by  some  external  tokens.     On 
those    who    are    decidedly    opposed    to    the   truths   contained 
in  our  author's  writings,  no  external  tokens  whatever,  we  aie 


Doc.  270.]  INTERCOURSE  WITH  THE  OTHER  WOULD   G15 

quite  certain,  would  induce  reception:  hut  to  others,  thoso 
which  follow  may  he  useful  as  contirmations:  in  which  light, 
only,  they  are  oft'ered."  ► 

With  these  sentiments  of  Mr.  Nohle  we  heartily  concur; 
and  for  this  reason  we  think  it  of  importance  that  the  histo- 
rical truth  in  respect  to  these  facts  he  carefully  established. 
For  these  facts  or  stories,  by  having  passed  from  mouth  to 
mouth,  have  to  some  extent  shared  the  fate  of  most  stories, 
i.  e.  heterogeneous  and  sometimes  entirely  fictitious  additions 
have  been  made  to  them.  It  is  our  object  to  reconcile  these 
various  accounts,  and  to  establish,  if  possible,  their  original 
form.  Besides,  the  historical  truth  of  these  facts  has  been 
denied,  and  attempts  have  been  made  to  explain  away  their 
force.  The  futile  nature  of  these  explanations  will  have  to 
be  exposed,  and  their  illogical  and  fictitious  character  demon- 
strated. In  this  delicate  undertaking  we  shall  have  the  in- 
valual)le  aid  of  the  truly  meritorious  work  done  by  the  late 
Dr.  Ini.  Tufel  in  Vol.  IV  of  the  German  edition  of  his  "Sweden- 
borg  Documents,"  which  has  only  in  part  been  brought  to 
the  notice  of  Swedenborg's  admirers  in  Great  Britain  and 
America.  In  some  part  of  our  work,  however,  we  shall  have 
the  advantage  of  some  additional  documentary  evidence,  which 
had  not  come  to  the  knowledge  of  our  predecessor,  and  which 
will  render  our  task  a  little  easier. 


DOCUMENT  271. 
A  PRELIMINARY  INVESTIGATION   OF  DATES. 

Our  first  object  will  be  to  establish  the  precise  dates  when 
these  extraordinary  facts,  viz.  1.  The  conflagration  in  Stock- 
holm which  was  foretold  by  Swedenborg;  2.  The  fact  of  the 
lost  receipt,  and  3.  The  occurrence  with  the  Queen  of  Sweden, 
occurred. 

They  took  place  during  the  time  intervening  between  Sweden- 
borg"s  return  to  Sweden  from  Amsterdam  in  1759.  and  the 
beginning  of  1762,  when  he  departed  again  for  the  same  place. 

A. 

The  date  of  the  conflagration  in  Stockholm  is  July  19, 
1759,  as  is  proved  by  Dr.  Im.  Tafel  (Vol.  IV,  pp.  232,  233) 
by  the  following  contemporaneous  sources: 

1.  In  Biisching's  "Neue  Erdbeschreibung,"  Part  I,  fourth 
edition,  Hamburg,  1770,  p.  451,  we  read:  "In  1751,  three 
hundred  and  ten  houses  were  burned  down  together  with  the 
Church  of  St.  Clara.  In  1759  the  Sodermalm  (southern  suburb) 
was  almost  entirely  devastated  by  a  conflagration."  See  also  the 
Schaffhausen  edition  of  the  same  work,  published  in  17G6,  p.  374. 

2.  The  "Neue  Europaische  Staats-  und  Reisegeographie," 
Vol.  14,  Dresden  and  Leipzig,  1767,  page  800,  declares,  "In 
the  year  1759  almost  the  entire  Sodermalm  was  laid  in  ashes." 

3.  J.  Hiibner's  "Reales  Staats-,  Zeitungs-  und  Conver- 
sations-Lexicon," Leipzig,  1789,  observes  (p.  24G6):  "Stock- 
holm was  visited  in  1710  by  a  pestilence,  and  in  1723,  1751, 
1759,  1768,  and  1769  by  great  conflagrations." 

4.  A  minute  description  of  the  fire  was  given  in  the  "Frank- 
furter Mess-Relation,  das  ist,  Halbjahrliche  Erzahlungea  der 
neuesten  Staats-  und  Weltgeschichte,  wie  solche  zwisclien  der 


Doc.  271.]  IXVESTIGATIOX  OF  DATES.  617 

Fraukfuiter  Osterniesse  iind  becagter  Her])stmesse  1759  durch 
zuverliissige  Xuclirichteu  zu  unserer  Wissenschaft  gekommen" 
(Chronicle  of  the  Frankfort  Fair,  or  Semi-annual  record  of 
historical  events  that  came  to  our  notice  through  reliable 
sources  lietween  the  Easter  and  autumn  fairs),  where  we  read 
(p.  74)  under  the  head:  "Great Fire  in  Stock] lolm.  — Considering 
the  state  of  the  internal  and  external  afiairs  of  the  crown  of 
Sweden  it  is  a  matter  of  great  regret,  that  in  addition  to  all 
its  other  misfortunes,  its  capital  Stockholm  has  been  visited 
by  a  g)-eat  contiagration.  On  the  19th  of  July  last,  at  three 
o'clock  in  the  atternoon,  it  broke  out  in  three  places  at  the 
same  time,  viz.,  in  the  Sbdermalm,  Norrmalm,  and  Holland 
Street.  The  iire  was  quickly  subdued  in  the  two  latter  places; 
but  in  the  tirst  it  seized  the  whole  north-western  part  of  the 
Sodermalm  together  with  St.  Mary's  Church;  and  a  strong 
north-east  wind  drove  the  flames  towards  the  Miliar,  the 
Market,  the  iron  depot,  the  Russian  depot,  and  other  buldings 
situated  along  the  Gvtgatan,  and  near  the  southern  bridge  of 
boats,  and  consumed  them  all  together  with  a  large  number 
of  smaller  houses  constructed  of  wood;  so  that  altogether 
seventy  houses  of  stone  and  one  hundred  and  eighty  of  wood 
were  destroyed.  The  damage  is  calculated  to  amount  to  nine 
million  dalers." 

5.  That  this  fire  took  place  m  the  summer  of  1759  is  also 
proved  by  Document  214,  where  J.  Wretman,  on  September  1, 
1759,  wrote  to  Swedenborg,  "I  was  very  glad  to  hear  that  your, 
garden  and  residence  have  escaped  the  last  terrible  fire  in 
Stockholm.''  See  also  Document  5,  no.  16,  where  reference 
is  made  to  the  fire  of  1759. 

B. 

The  date  of  the  story  of  the  lost  receipt  is  determined 
proximately  by  that  of  the  death  of  M.  de  Marteville  which 
took  place  on  April  25,  1760,  as  is  proved  by  Dr.  Im.  Tafel 
by  the  following  reference: 

1.  In  the  "Neue  Generalogisch-Historische  Nachrichten  von 
den  vornehmsten  Begebenheiten,  welche  sich  an  den  Europai- 
schen  Hofen  zutragen,  worin  zugleich  vieler  Standes-Personen 
Lebensbeschreibungen   vorkommen,"    Part  136,  Leipzig,  1761, 


618  TREEE  EXTRAORDINARY  FACTS.       [Doc.  271. 

we  read  (pp.  244,  247)  as  follows:  "Some  recent  memorable 
deaths.  In  April,  1760. 7.  Louis  de  Marteville,  extra- 
ordinary ambassador  of  the  General  States  of  the  United 
Netherlands  in  Sweden,  died  April  25  in  Stockholm,  aged 
fifty-eight  years  and  eight  months.  He  had  been  in  that 
country  since  1752." 

2.  The  same  date  is  furnished  by  the  Countess  Schwerin, 
the  sister  of  Madame  de  Marteville,  who  states  that  "M.  de 
Marteville  died  in  the  month  of  April,  1760." 

How  soon  after  the  death  of  M,  de  Marteville  the  story 
of  the  lost  receipt  happened,  cannot  be  determined  with  cer- 
tainty. Most  authorities  simply  say  "some  time  afterwards;" 
while  the  second  husband  of  Madame  de  Marteville  says  "a  year 
afterwards,"  which  would  fix  the  date  in  April  or  May,  1761. 

C. 

With  regard  to  the  third  fact  it  must  have  happened  after 
the  second,  since  the  Queen  of  Sweden  told  the  Academicians 
Thiebault  and  Merian  (see  Document  275),  that  "she  had  been 
previously  acquainted  with  the  anecdote  of  the  lost  receipt." 

The  precise  date  of  this  occurrence,  however.  Dr.  Im.  Tafel 
derives  from  the  following  statement  of  Kant  the  philosopher 
made  during  his  investigation  of  these  extraordinary  facts 
(Document  272),  viz.  that  he  had  obtained  his  account  from 
"a  Danish  officer,  his  friend  and  former  student,  who  was 
present  at  the  table  of  the  Austrian  Ambassador  Dietrich- 
stein  at  Copenhagen,  when  he  received  a  letter  from  Baron 
von  Liitzow,  the  Mecklenburg  minister  in  Stockholm,  in  which 
this  gentleman  gave  him  an  account  of  the  story  of  the  Queen 
which  had  happened  just  then."  Kant  wrote  to  his  friend, 
and  asked  him  for  further  particulars,  when  he  advised  him 
"to  write  to  Swedenborg,  as  he  himself  was  then  about  to 
depart  for  the  army  under  General  St.  Germain." 

"This  particular,"  says  Dr.  Tafel  (p.  234  et  seq.),  ''furnishes 
an  additional  landmark  by  which  to  determine  the  date  of 
this  occurrence.  The  aforesaid  Count  de  St.  Germain  entered 
into  the  service  of  Denmark  in  1761;  but  only  after  the 
Emperor  Peter  III  had  ascended  the  Russian  throne  on 
January   5,    1762,  was   Denmark   compelled  to   make  warlike 


Doc.  27 1  .J  IX  VKS  TIG  A  TIOX  0  F  DA  TES.  G 1 9 

preparations;  and  on  March  2,  1762,  the  Count  collected  an 
army  of  13,000  men  near  Segeberg.  After  Peter  III,  on 
July  9,  1762,  was  deprived  of  his  throne  and  his  freedom, 
and,  on  July  17,  of  his  life,  and  when  in  consequence  there- 
of the  Empress  Catharine  recalled  her  troops,  the  Danish 
army  also,  on  August  9^  returned  to  its  former  quarters.'' 

This  liistorical  statement,  the  truth  of  which  Dr.  Im.  Tafel 
proves  (pp.  235,  236)  by  references  to  four  historical  and 
biographical  works,*  furnishes  us  with  two  dates.  In  the  first 
place  it  shows  that  Swedenborg  on  July  17,  1762,  had  left 
Stockholm  and  was  in  Amsterdam;  for  on  that  day  he  an- 
nounced in  a  company  in  that  city  that  "Peter  III  had  died 
in  prison,  explaining  the  nature  of  his  death"  (see  Document 
257,  B).  And,  on  the  other  hand,  it  shows  that  either  towards 
the  close  of  February,  or  the  beginning  of  March,  1762,  the 
Danish  officer,  Kant's  friend,  received  the  professor's  letter 
asking  for  further  particulars,  so  that,  allowing  a  month  for 
the  letters  to  pass  to  and  from  Copenhagen  and  Konigsberg, 
the  letter  of  the  Mecklenburg  Ambassador,  Baron  von  Liitzow, 
probably  reached  Copenhagen  some  time  in  January,  1762. 
This  places  the  memoral)le  meeting  of  Swedenborg  and  the 
Queen  of  Sweden  somewhere  in  the  latter  part  of  1761;  tlius 
agreeing  with  Kant's  statement  made  in  1766,  that  "Sweden- 
borg towards  the  close  of  1761  was  called  to  a  princess" 
[Louisa  Ulrica].  As  Fryxell,  however,  reports  ("Berattelser 
ur  Svenska  Historien,"  Vol.  XLIII,  p.  184)  that  an  ambassador 
of  Saxony,  in  a  letter  dated  December  8,  1761,  alludes  to 
this  occurrence,  its  true  date  must  be  placed  towards  the 
close  of  November,  1761. 

The  result  of  our  preliminary  investigation  into  the  dates 
of  the  extraordinary  facts  in  question  is  therefore   as  follows: 

1.  The  contlagration  in  Stockholm  took  place  on  July  19, 1759. 

*  1.  "Allgemeine  "Weltgeschichte"  after  W.  Guthrie,  J.  Gray,  and  otlicrs, 
by  D.  F.  AVagiier,  Vol.  16,  1.     Leipzig,  1785,  p.  216. 

2.  "Die  Neuen  Genealogiscli-Historisclicn  Nachrichten,"  etc.,  Part  152, 
Leipzig,  1762,  p.  301. 

3.  "FortgesetzteNeueGcnealogiscbeNacliiicliteu"'  etc.,  PartV,  A'l,  Leipzig, 
1762,  i)p.  337,  350,  363. 

4.  'Biographic  Universelle,"  Vol.  XXXIX,  1825,  p.  583. 


620  THREE  EXTRA  ORDINAR  Y  FACTS.       [Doc.  272. 

2.  Madame   de  Marteville  found   the  lost  receipt  in  April 
or  May,  1761. 

3.  Swedenborg  made  the  remarkable  announcement  to  the 
Queen  of  Sweden  towards  the  close  of  November,  1761. 

The  necessity   for   our  instituting  this  preliminary  investi- 
gation will  appear  in  the  succeeding  documents. 


DOCUMENT  272. 

THE  RESULT  OF  PROE.  KANT'S'*' 
INVESTIGATION. 

In  1766  Prof.  I.  Kant  published  anonymously  a  work 
entitled:  "Traume  eines  Geistersehers,  erlautert  durch  Traume 
der  Metaphysic"  (Dreams  of  a  spirit-seer,  explained  by  dreams 
of  metaphysics),  which  has  been  adverted  to  above  (Documents 
233  and  256,  F,).  In  this  work  he  satirises  on  the  one  hand 
metaphysics  and  the  metaphysicians,  as  the  representatives  of 
reason,  and  on  the  other  hand  the  spirit-seer  Schwedenberg 
(sic!),  as  the  representative  of  credulity;  and  after  relating  to 
his  readers  the  three  extraordinary  facts  discussed  in  the 
present  division  of  our  work,  he  writes,  "Madness  and  intelligence 
have  not  clearly  defined  bounds,  wherefore  I  leave  it  to  the 
good  pleasure  of  my  readers,  after  perusing  the  wonderful 
account  to  which  I  treat  them  here,  to  resolve  into  its  elements 
for  my  benefit  the  ambiguous  mixture  of  reason  and  credulity 
which  I  offer  them  in  my  book." 

Soon  after  the  appearance  of  this  volume  Charlotte  von 
Knobloch  (afterwards  the  wife  of  Lieutenant- Colonel  von 
Klingsporn),  a  lady  full  of  an  enthusiastic  love  for  knowledge, 
who  was  highly  esteemed  by  Kant,  asked  him  for  further 
particulars  respecting  Swedenborg;  her  interest  in  him  having 
been  awakened  by  a  perusal  of  Kant's  book. 

Kant  in  reply  sent  her  a  letter  containing  the  result  of 
his  further  investigations  into  the  truth  of  the  extraordinary 
facts  related  in  his  book  respecting  Swedenborg.     This  letter 


Doc.  272.]  KANT'S  INVESTIGATION.  621 

was  printed  in  a  work  prepared  by  L.  E.  Borowski,  (after- 
wards the  only  evangelical  archbishop  ever  appointed  in  Prussia,) 
which  was  entitled:  "Darstellung  des  Lebens  und  Chaiakters 
Immanuel  Kant's"  (Sketch  of  the  Life  and  Character  of 
Immanuel  Kant),  revised  and  corrected  by  Kant  himself, 
Konigsberg,  1804.  It  is  a  most  remarkable  fact,  however, 
that  all  the  dates  given  in  that  letter  have  been  falsified,  so 
as  to  cause  the  appearance  of  its  having  been  written  before, 
and  not  after,  the  above  volume. 

The  letter  itself  purports  to  have  been  dated  Konigsberg, 
August  10,  1758;  but  as  it  discusses  facts,  all  of  which,  as 
we  have  proved  in  Document  270,  took  place  between  1759 
and  1762,  the  letter  itself  must  have  been  written  not  in  1758, 
but  after  the  beginning  of  1762.  Dr.  Im.  Tafel,  however,  by 
the  following  course  of  procedure  has  proved  incontestably 
that  it  was  written  not  only  after  1762,  but  even  after  1766. 

He  first  calls  attention  to  this  passage  in  Kant's  lette]-, 
"In  the  meantime  I  made  the  acquaintance  of  an  Englisii 
gentleman  who  spent  the  last  summer  at  this  place,  and  whom, 
relj'ing  on  the  friendship  we  had  formed,  I  commissioned,  as 
he  was  going  to  Stockholm,  to  make  particular  inquiries 
respecting  the  miraculous  gift  which  M.  de  Swedenborg  is 
said  to  possess." 

Dr.  Im.  Tafel  remarks  here  (p.  237),  "In  respect  to  Kant's 
friendship  with  an  Englishman  it  may  be  reasonably  expected 
that  it  would  be  noticed  by  his  biographers;  wherefore  the 
Englishman  mentioned  in  the  letter  could  not  have  been  other 
than  the  Englishman  Green,^*^  with  whom  Kant  had  a  close 
friendship.  Concerning  this  gentleman  we  find  further  parti- 
culars in  Kant's  Biography,  Vol.  II,  which  was  begun  by 
Borowsky,  and  finished  by  Jachmaim,  the  councillor  of  edu- 
cation. It  is  there  stated  that  this  friendship  commenced  in 
the  beginning  of  the  war  of  independence  in  America  (see 
Note  243).  F.  W.  Schubert,  however,  has  already  shown  in 
his  life  of  Kant  (p.  53),  that  the  origin  of  Kant's  friendship 
with  Green  must  be  dated  earlier,  since  Kant  and  Green 
were  intimate  friends  long  before  the  beginning  of  the  American 
war,  as  appears  fi'om  many  passages  in  Hamann's  letters. 
The   beginning    of  this    friendship    must    therefore   really   be 


622  THREE  EXTRA ORDINAR  Y  FACTS.       [Doc.  272. 

placed  between  1768  [1767]  and  1770;  because  Hamann  makes 
mention  of  the  Englisliman  Green  as  Kant's  friend  not  only  as 
early  as  1770,  but  also  on"  Whit-Monday,  1768,  speaks  of  Kant 
as  having  been  present  with  himself  at  Green's  house."  *  From 
all  this  Dr.  Im.  Tafel  concludes  that  the  beginning  ofKaufs 
friendship  with  Green  must  be  dated  to  the  year  1767  or  1768. 

Again  Kant  writes  in  his  letter,  that  Swedenborg  told  his 
friend,  that  "he  would  proceed  to  London  in  the  month  of 
May,  this  year,  where  he  would  publish  a  book  in  which  an 
answer  to  his  letter  in  every  point  might  be  met  with." 

The  question  now  arises  in  what  year,  after  1762,  did  Sweden- 
borg go  to  London  in  the  month  of  May,  in  order  to  publish 
there  a  work  which  would  answer  all  the  points  raised  in 
a  letter  written  by  a  professional  metaphysician  like  Kant? 

The  occurrence  with  the  Queen  happened  towards  the 
close  of  November,  1761.  Li  the  beginning  of  March  of  the 
following  year  Kant's  correspondent,  the  Danish  otiicer,  left 
Copenhagen  to  join  the  army  of  St.  Germain,  and  advised 
Kant  to  write  to  Swedenborg.  Kant  wrote  a  letter  to  Svveden- 
borg,  probably  during  March,  which  that  gentleman  promised 
to  answer,  but  never  did.  Soon  afterwards  Swedenborg  left 
Stockholm  for  Amsterdam,  where  he  was  in  a  company  on 
July,  17,  1762,  the  day  on  which  the  Emperor  Peter  III  died 
(see  Document  257,  B);  and  to  be  there  at  that  time,  he 
must  have  left  Sweden  some  time  in  May  or  June. 

As  Swedenborg  omitted  to  answer  Kant's  letter,  that 
gentleman  commissioned  an  English  friend  who  proceeded  to 
Stockholm,  "to  make  particular  inquiries  respecting  Sweden- 
borg." This  could  not  have  been  in  1762;  for  some  time 
must  have  elapsed  before  Kant  could  feel  sure  that  Sweden- 
borg "had  omitted  to  write  to  him." 

Besides,  when  Kant's  friend  came  to  Stockhom,  Sweden- 
borg told  him  that  "he  should  proceed  to  London  in  the 
month  of  May  this  year,"  from  which  it  would  follow  that 
his  friend  saw  him  some  time  in  March  or  April;  yet  Kant 
became   aware  of  the  Queen's  story  only  in  March;  and  his 

*  See  Hamann's  "Schriften,"  (Hamann's  Writings),  edited  by  Fr,  Kotli, 
Part  III,  1822,  p.  381  et  seq.;   and  also  Part  IV,   1823,  p.  367. 


Dor.  272.]  KAXrS  IXVESTIGATION.  623 

friend  could  not  proceed  to  Stockholm  in  March  or  the  begin- 
ning of  April,  as  the  navigation  between  Konigsberg  and  Stock- 
holm does  not  open  before  the  middle,  and  frequently  not 
before  the  end,  of  April. 

Further,  in  1762  Swedenborg  did  not  proceed  to  London 
in  order  to  i)ublish  a  book  there;  but  to  Amsterdam,  where, 
during  1763  and  1764,  he  published  the  following  works:  "The 
Doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusalem  respecting  the  Lord,  the 
Sacred  Scripture,  a  Life  in  agreement  with  the  Decalogue, 
and  Faith,"  and  likewise  "Angelic  Wisdom  respecting  the 
Divine  Love  and  Wisdom,  and  respecting  the  Divine  Providence." 

He  does  not  seem  to  have  spent  the  whole  of  tliese  two 
years  in  Amsterdam,  but  to  have  returned  to  Stockholm  in 
the  latter  part  of  1762,  since  we  have  a  letter  from  him  dated 
Stockholm,  January  6,  1763  (see  Document  220).  In  the 
same  year,  however,  he  proceeded  again  to  Amsterdam  in 
June  (see  Document  282,  A,  1)  to  see  through  the  press 
"The  Divine  Love  and  Wisdom,"  and  "The  Divine  Provi- 
dence," which  bear  the  date  of  1764,  while  the  "Doctrine 
respecting   the  Lord,"    and   the    others,  bear  that  of  17G3. 

Li  August  1764  he  returned  to  Stockholm,  where  he  was 
visited  soon  after  by  the  Librarian  Gjorwell  (see  Document  251 
and  also  282,  A,  3),  to  whom  he  said  that  his  last  works  had 
been  printed  in  Amsterdam,  although  "he  had  been  over  to 
England,  to  deliver  them  to  the  Royal  Society;"  not,  however, 
to  print  a  book  there,  as  he  had  mentioned  to  Kant's  friend. 

In  1765  Swedenborg  proceeded  again  to  Amsterdam  for 
the  purpose  of  printing  there  his  "Apocalypsis  Revelata"  (see 
Document  282,  B,  1);  and  on  the  way  thither  he  became 
ac(]uainted  with  Dr.  Beyer  at  Gottenburg;  his  first  letter  to 
Dr.  Beyer  is  dated  October  1,  1765.  According  to  Document  223 
he  left  Amsterdam  for  London  in  the  latter  part  of  April  1766, 
and  stayed  there  until  the  end  of  August  (see  Document  227), 
yet  neither  then  did  he  publish  there  any  book,  as  he  had 
said   he  would  do  to  Kant's  friend. 

Swedenborg  arrived  in  Stockholm  on  September  8,  1766 
(see  Document  230).  It  seems  probable  that  he  remained  in 
Stockholm  during  the  whole  of  1767,  leaving  there  early  in 
1768,  in  order  to  print  in  Amsterdam  his    "Conjugial  Love," 


624  THBEE  EXTRA  ORDIKAR  Y  FACTS.       [Doc.  272. 

and  his  "Brief  Exposition,"  and  in  London  his  "Intercourse 
between  the  Soul  and  the  Body."  The  work  on  "Conjugial 
Love"  left  the  press  in  Amsterdam  towards  the  close  of 
September,  1768  (see  Document  237),  and  the  "Brief  Ex- 
position" in  the  beginning  of  March,  1769  (see  Document  240). 
On  April  26  he  left  Amsterdam  for  Paris  (see  Document  241), 
and  proceeded  thence  to  London,  where  he  published  his  Little 
treatise  on  the  "Intercourse  between  the  Soul  and  the  Body," 
and  in  the  beginning  of  October,  1769,  he  returned  finally  to 
Stockholm  (see  Document  244,  H). 

Such  is  a  brief  outline  of  Swedenborg's  movements  betw^een 
1762  and  1769,  and  the  question  now  arises,  when,  during  that 
time,  could  he  possibly  have  seen  Kant's  friend  in  Stockholm, 
and  told  him  that  "he  would  proceed  to  London  in  the  month 
of  May  this  year,  where  he  would  publish  a  book,"  &c. 

There  can  be  little  doubt  that  the  book  which  Swedenborg 
said  he  would  publish  in  London,  was  that  on  the  "Inter- 
course between  the  Soul  and  the  Body ;"  for  tliis  is  the  only 
work  which  he  pubhshed  in  London  between  1762  and  1769, 
and,  besides,  it  treats  of  the  three  pliilosopliical  hypotheses 
of  Aristotle,  Descartes,  and  Leibnitz,  and  thus  most  likely 
contains  an  answer  to  those  questions  which  Kant  had  pro- 
pounded to  him. 

From  this  then  it  would  follow  that  Kant  made  the  ac- 
quaintance of  his  friend  Green^*^  during  the  summer  of  1767, 
which  fully  agrees  with  ail  the  dates  on  the  subject;  that 
Green  saw  Swedenborg  early  in  1768,  and  returned  to  Konigs- 
berg  in  time  to  meet  Kant  and  his  friend  at  his  house  on 
Whit-Monday,  1768. 

The  only  difference  in  the  programme,  as  Swedenborg  had 
stated  it  to  Green,  is  this,  that  instead  of  proceeding  from 
Stockholm  first  to  London,  to  print  his  "Intercourse"  there, 
and  thence  to'  Amsterdam,  in  order  to  pubhsh  his  "Conjugial 
Love"  and  liis  "Brief  Exposition,"  he  inverted  his  programme, 
by  going  first  to  Amsterdam,  and  afterwards  to  London. 

Dr.  Im.  Tafel,  besides,  directs  attention  to  the  fact  that 
Kant,  in  his  work  '■'■Traume  eines  Geistersehers,^^  &c.,  called 
Swedenborg  constantly  Scliivedenherg,  while  in  his  letter  to 
Charlotte  von  Knobloch  he  gave  him  his  correct  name.  Moreover, 


Doc.  272.]         KANT'S  LETTER  TO  KXOBLOCH.  625 

in  his  •work  of  1766  Kant  declared  that  the  three  extraor- 
dinary facts  respecting  Swedenborg  had  "no  other  foundation 
than  common  report,  which  is  very  exceptionable"  (p.  86); 
while  in  his  letter  he  gave  two  of  these  facts  on  the  authority  of 
his  English  friend,  who  had  carefully  examined  them  on  the  spot. 

We  therefore  consider  it  established  that  Kant's  letter  to 
Charlotte  von  Knobloch  was  not  written  in  17.")8,  but  in  1768; 
and  from  our  investigations,  as  given  in  Document  271,  we 
likewise  consider  it  satisfactorily  proved  that  the  conflagration 
in  Stockholm  happened,  not  in  1756  as  is  twice  asserted  in 
Kant's  printed  letter,  but  in  1759. 

By  whom  this  falsification  was  perpetrated,  whether  by 
Kant  himself  or  his  biographers,  we  do  not  undertake  to 
determine  here;  we  content  ourselves  with  having  restored 
its  true  dates  to  the  following  letter,  which  contains  some  of 
the  most  important  testimony  preserved  to  us  respecting  two 
of  the  extraordinary  facts  wliich  are  now  engaging  our  attention: 

ITOMANVEL  EANT^*'^  TO  CHAr.LOTTE  VOX  KXOBLOCH.* 

"I  would  not  have  deprived  myself  so  long  of  the  honour 
and  pleasure  of  obeying  the  request  of  a  lady,  who  is  the 
ornament  of  her  sex,  in  communicating  the  desired  information, 
if  I  had  not  deemed  it  necessary  previously  to  inform  myself 
thoroughly  concerning  the  subject  of  your  request. . . .  Permit 
me,  gracious  lady,  to  justify  my  proceedings  in  this  matter, 
inasmuch  as  it  might  appear  that  an  erroneous  opinion  had 
induced  me  to  credit  the  various  relations  concerning  it  without 
careful  examination.  I  am  not  aware  that  anybody  has  ever 
perceived  in  me  an  inclination  to  the  marvellous,  or  a  weakness 
tending  to  credulity.  So  much  is  certain,  that,  notwithstanding 
all  the  narrations  of  apparitions  and  visions  concerning  the 
spiritual  world,  of  which  a  great  number  of  the  most  probable 
are  known  to  me,  I  have  always  considered  it  to  be   most  in 

*  The  German  original  of  tliis  letter  is  contained  in  Borowsky's  "Dar- 
stellung  des  Lebens  und  Charakters  Immanuel  Kant's,"  Kcinigsberg,  1804, 
pp.  211  to  225. 

The  first  English  translation  of  this  letter  was  printed  in  the  "Intellectual 
Repository-"  for  1830,  p.  53,  to  which,  according  to  Mr.  Noble,  it  was 
furnished  by  the  Rov.  J.  H.  Smitlison. 

40 


626  THREE  EXTBAOBDINARY  FACTS.        [Doc.  272. 

agreement  with  the  rule  of  sound  reason  to  incline  to  the 
negative  side;  not  as  if  I  had  imagined  such  a  case  to  be 
impossible,  although  we  know  but  very  little  concerning  the 
nature  of  a  spirit,  but  because  the  instances  are  not  in  general 
suihciently  proved.  There  arise,  moreover,  from  the  incom- 
prehensibility and  inutility  of  this  sort  of  phenomena,  too  many 
difficulties;  and  there  are,  on  the  other  hand,  so  many  proofs 
of  deception,  that  I  have  never  considered  it  necessary  to 
suffer  fear  or  dread  to  come  upon  me,  either  in  the  cemeteries 
of  the  dead  or  in  the  darkness  of  night.  This  is  the  position 
in  which  my  mind  stood  for  a  long  time,  until  the  report 
concerning  Swedenborg  came  to  my  notice. 

"This  account  I  received  from  a  Danish  officer,  who  was 
formerly  my  friend,  and  attended  my  lectures;  and  who,  at 
the  table  of  the  Austrian  ambassador,  Dietrichstein,  at  Copen- 
hagen, together  with  several  other  guests,  read  a  letter  which 
the  ambassador  about  that  time  had  received  from  Baron  de 
Lutzow,  the  Mecklenburg  ambassador  in  Stockholm;  in  which 
he  says,  that  he,  in  company  with  the  Dutch  ambassador,  was 
present,  at  the  Queen  of  Sweden's  residence,  at  the  extra- 
ordinary transaction  respecting  Swedenborg,  which  your  lady- 
ship will  undoubtedly  have  heard.  The  authenticity  thus  given 
to  the  account  surprised  me.  For  it  can  scarcely  be  believed, 
that  one  ambassador  should  communicate  to  another  for  public 
use  a  piece  of  information,  which  related  to  the  queen  of  the 
court  where  he  resided,  and  which  he  himself,  together  with 
a  distinguished  company,  had  the  opportunity  of  witnessing, 
if  it  were  not  true.  Now  in  order  not  to  reject  blindfold  the 
prejudice  against  apparitions  and  visions  by  a  new  prejudice, 
I  found  it  desirable  to  inform  myself  as  to  the  particulars  of 
this  surprising  transaction.  I  accordingly  wrote  to  the  officer 
I  have  mentioned,  at  Copenhagen,  and  made  various  inquiries 
respecting  it.  He  answered  that  he  had  again  had  an  interview 
concerning  it  with  Count  Dietrichstein;  that  the  affair  had 
really  taken  place  in  the  manner  described ;  and  that  Professor 
Schlegel,  also,  had  declared  to  him,  that  it  could  by  no  means 
be  doubted.  He  advised  me,  as  he  was  then  going  to  the 
army  under  General  St.  Germain,  to  write  to  Swedenborg 
himself,  in  order  to  ascertain  the  particular  circumstances  ol 


Doc.  272.]        KANTS  LETTER  TO  KNOBLOCH.  627 

this  extraordinary  case.  I  then  wrote  to  this  singular  man, 
and  the  letter  was  delivered  to  him,  in  Stockholm,  by  an 
English  merchant.  Information  was  sent  here,  that  Swcden- 
borg  politely  received  the  letter,  and  promised  to  answer  it; 
but  the  answer  was  omitted.  In  the  meantime  I  made  tlie 
acquaintance  of  a  highly  educated  English  gentleman  who 
spent  the  last  summer  at  this  place,  and  whom,  relying  on 
the  friendship  we  had  formed,  I  commissioned,  as  ho  was 
going  to  Stockholm,  to  make  particular  inquiries  respecting 
the  miraculous  gift  which  Swedenborg  is  said  to  possess.  In 
his  first  letter,  he  states,  that  the  most  respectable  people 
in  Stockholm  declare,  that  the  singular  transaction  alluded 
to  happened  in  the  manner  you  have  heard  described  by 
me.  He  had  not  then  had  an  interview  with  Swedenborg,  but 
hoped  soon  to  embrace  the  opportunity ;  although  he  found  it 
ditticult  to  persuade  himself  that  all  could  be  true,  which  the 
most  reasonable  persons  of  the  city  asserted,  respecting  his 
secret  communication  with  the  spiritual  world.  But  his  suc- 
ceeding letters  were  quite  of  a  different  purport.  He  had  not 
only  spoken  with  Swedenborg  himself,  but  had  also  visited 
him  at  his  house ;  and  he  is  now  in  the  greatest  astonishment 
respecting  such  a  remarkable  case.  Swedenborg  is  a  reason- 
able, polite,  and  open-hearted  man:  he  also  is  a  man  of  learn- 
ing; and  my  friend  has  promised  to  send  me  some  of  his 
writings  in  a  short  time.  He  told  this  gentleman,  without 
reserve,  that  God  had  accorded  to  him  the  remarkable  gift 
of  communicating  with  departed  souls  at  his  pleasure.  lu 
proof  of  this,  he  appealed  to  certain  well-known  facts.  As  he 
was  reminded  of  my  letter,  he  said  that  he  was  aware  he  had 
received  it,  and  that  he  would  already  have  answered  it,  had  he 
not  intended  to  make  the  whole  of  this  singular  affair  public  be- 
fore the  eyes  of  the  world.  He  would  proceed  to  London  in 
the  month  of  May  this  year,  where  he  would  publish  a  book,  in 
which  an  answer  to  my  letter  in  every  point  might  be  met  with. 
"In  order,  gracious  lady,  to  give  you  two  proofs,  of  which 
the  present  existing  public  is  a  witness,  and  the  person  who 
related  them  to  me  had  the  opportunity  of  investigating  them 
at  the  very  place  where  they  occurred,  I  will  narrate  to  you 
the  two  following  occurrences." 

40* 


628  THREE  EXTRA  ORDINAR  Y  FACTS.       [Doc.  273 . 

Kant  relates  here  the  story  of  the  lost  receipt,  and  of  the 
conflagration  in  Stockholm,  as  he  himself  had  been  told  it  by 
his  friend  Green,  and  as  it  will  be  found  in  Documents  273 
and  274;  and  concludes  his  letter  thus: 

"What  can  be  brought  forward  against  the  authenticity  of 
this  occurrence  [the  conflagration  in  Stockholm]?  My  friend 
who  wrote  this  to  me  has  examined  all,  not  only  in  Stock- 
holm, but  also,  about  two  months  ago,  in  Gottenburg,  where 
he  is  well  acquainted  with  the  most  respectable  houses, 
and  where  he  could  obtain  the  most  authentic  and  complete 
information,  for,  as  only  a  very  short  time  has  elapsed  since 
1759,*  most  of  the  inhabitants  are  still  alive  who  were  eye- 
witnesses of  this  occurrence." 

"I  am,  with  profound  reverence,  &c.,  &c. 


"Emakuel  Kant. 


"Konigsberg,  August  10,  1768. 


DOCUMENT  273. 
THE  CONFLAGRATION  IN  STOCKHOLM. 

A. 

KANT'S'^'-  ACCOVNT.X 

"The  following  occurrence  appears  to  me  to  have  the 
greatest  weight  of  proof,  and  to  place  the  assertion  respecting 
Swedenborg's  extraordinary  gift  beyond  all  possibility  of  doubt. 

*  The  German  original  has  1756;  see  Document  271,  A. 

•J-  TheGennan  original  has  1758;  see  Introduction  to  the  jiresent Document. 

\  Extracted  from  Kant's  letter  to  Charlotte  von  Knobloch,  first  printed 
in  Borowsky's  "Darstellung  des  Lebens  und  Characters  Immanuel  Kant's," 
revised  and  corrected  bj  Kant  himself,  Konigsberg,  1804,  pp.  211  to  225. 
The  first  English  translation  of  that  letter  was  printed  in  the  "Intellectual 
Repository"  for  1830,  p.  53,  to  which,  according  to  Mr.  Noble,  it  was 
furnished  by  the  Rev.  J.  H.  Smithson. 


Doc.  273.]     THE  CONFLAGRATIONS  IN  STOCKHOLM.        629 

In  the  year  1759,*  towards  the  end  of  September, -|-  on 
Saturday,  at  four  o'clock,  p.m.,  Swedenborg  arrived  at  Gotten- 
burg  from  England,  when  Mr.  AVilliam  Castel  invited  him  to 
his  house,  together  with  a  party  of  fifteen  persons.  About 
six  o'clock,  Swedenborg  went  out,  and  returned  to  the  com- 
pany quite  pale  and  alarmed.  He  said  that  a  dangerous  fire 
had  just  broken  out  in  Stockholm,  at  the  Sodermalm,  (Gotten- 
burg  is  about  50  German  miles  ^  from  Stocldiolm),  and  that 
it  was  spreading  very  fast.  He  was  restless,  and  went  out 
often.  He  said  that  the  house  of  one  of  his  friends,  whom 
he  named,  was  already  in  ashes,  and  that  his  own  was  in 
danger.  At  eight  o'clock,  after  he  had  been  out  again,  he 
joyfully  exclaimed,  'Thank  God!  the  fire  is  extinguished,  the 
third  door  from  my  house.'  This  news  occasioned  great  com- 
motion throughout  the  whole  city,  but  particularly  amongst  the 
company  in  which  he  was.  It  was  announced  to  the  governor 
the  same  evening.  On  Sunday  morning,  Swedenborg  Avas 
summoned  to  the  governor,  who  questioned  him  concerning 
the  disaster.  Swedenborg  described  the  fire  precisely,  how  it 
had  begun,  and  in  what  manner  it  had  ceased,  and  how  long 
it  had  continued.  On  the  same  day  the  news  spread  through 
the  city,  and,  as  the  governor  had  thought  it  worthy  of  attention, 
the  consternation  was  considerably  increased;  because  many 
were  in  trouble  on  account  of  their  friends  and  property,  wliich 
might  have  been  involved  in  the  disaster.  On  Monday  evening 
a  messenger  arrived  at  Gottenburg,  who  was  despatched  by  the 
Board  of  Trade  during  the  time  of  the  fire.  In  the  letters 
brought  by  him,  the  fire  was  described  precisely  in  the  manner 
stated  by  Swedenborg.  On  Tuesday  morning  the  royal  courier 
arrived  at  the  governor's,  with  the  melancholy  intelligence  of 
the  fire,  of  the  loss  wliich  it  had  occasioned,  and  of  the  houses 
it  had  damaged  and  ruined,  not  in  the  least  differing  from  that 
which  Swedenl)org  had  given  at  the  very  time  when  it  happened; 
for  the  fire  was  extinguished  at  eight  o'clock." 


*  The  Gennan  original  bas  1756;    see  Introduotion  to  Document  271. 
f  The  conflagration  did  not  take  place  in  September,  but  on  July  29; 
eee  Document  271.  A. 

J  About  300  Eiighsh  miles. 


630  THREE  EXTRAORDINAEY FACTS.        [Doc.  273. 

Tills  is  the  most  minute  account  which  we  have  of  this 
occurrence;  and  as  Kant's  friend,  the  Enghshman  Green,^*^ 
according  to  Kant,  "examined  all,  not  only  in  Stockholm,  but 
also  in  Gottenburg,  where  he  was  well  acquainted  with  the 
most  respectable  houses,  and  where  he  could  obtain  the  most 
authentic  and  complete  information,"  we  have  full  reason  to 
place  implicit  reliance  upon  it. 

B. 

JUXG-STILLING'S^^^  ACCOUNT. 

In  his  "Theorie  der  Geisterkunde,"*  p.  90,  he  says:  "As 
so  much  has  been  written  and  is  being  said  in  favour  of,  and 
in  opposition  to,  this  extraordinary  man  (Swedenborg),  I 
consider  it  my  duty  to  make  known  the  jj^re  trutli  respecting 
him,  since  I  have  had  an  opportunity  of  knowing  it  pure  and 
uncontaminated." 

He  then  continues,  "Swedenborg  arrived  at  Gottenburg 
from  England  with  a  company  of  travellers.  There  he  stated, 
he  had  been  told  by  the  angels,  that  a  tire  was  raging  in 
Stockholm,  in  such  and  such  a  street.  Stockholm  citizens 
were  among  the  company,  who  were  startled  at  the  news. 
Soon  he  entered,  and  said  that  they  need  no  longer  be 
uneasy,  because  the  fire  was  extinguished.  On  the  following 
day-|-  they  learned  that  all  was  true.  Tliis  story  is  certain 
and  true.'''' 

As  Jung  furnishes  here  some  additional  particulars  of  this 
occurrence,  his  testimony  would  have  been  exceedingly  valuable, 
if  he  had  communicated  to  us  the  source  whence  it  was  derived. 
Still  Dr.  Jung's  confirmation  of  this  account  gives  it  con- 
siderable weight. 

C. 

PERNETY'S"  ACCOUNT.^ 

Pernety's  account  of  this  occurrence  differs  from  that  of 
all  the  rest.    He  says,  ^-'On  arriving  from  London  at  Gotten- 

*  The   title    of  the  EngUsh   translation  of  this  work  is:    "Theory    of 
Pneumatology,"  &c.    Translated  by  Samuel  Jackson,  London    1834 
f  This  should  be,  "two  days  afterwards." 
I  See  Document  6,  no.  18. 


Doc.  273.]  SFJilXGER'S  ACCOUXT.  631 

burg,  Sweclenborg  was  told  that  his  house  had  been  consumed 
by  a  great  conliagration,  in  which  ahnost  the  whole  of  the 
southern  suburb  of  Stockholm  was  destroyed  in  1759.  'No,' 
replied  he,  'my  house  was  not  burnt;  the  tire  did  not  extend 
so  far.'  He  spoke  truly,  and  the  occurrence  had  been  so 
recent,  that  he  could  not  have  received  the  particulars  by 
letter,  or  from  any  other  person," 

This  version  of  the  story  is  not  corroborated  by  any  other 
authority;  while  the  leading  features  of  the  account,  as  furnished 
by  Kant  and  Stilling,  are  confirmed  by  Swedenborg  himself, 
who  told  the  story  to  Bergsti'om  as  follows: 


D. 

SWEDEXBORO'S  ACCOUNT  TO  VEROSTR 6 JT. *''■■'-* 

"Swedenborg  also  related  the  story  of  the  fire  at  Stock- 
holm: that  after  he  had  gone  out  from  the  company  into  the 
garden  of  the  house  at  Gottenburg,  he  returned,  and  told  the 
company  soon  after,  that  his  house  and  garden  were  safe,  and 
described  how  near  the  flame  had  come  to  it,  though  no 
account  from  thence  had  then  arrived." 


E. 

SPniXGER'S>'^^  ACCOUNT. 

1.  The  account  which  Springer  himself  gave  in  his  letter 
to  Pernety  (Document  261,  no.  12),  in  the  form  in  which  he 
had  derived  it  from  Swedenborg  is  as  follows : 

"I  asked  Swedenborg  whether  it  Avas  true,  as  I  had  been 
informed,  that  when  he  was  at  Gottenburg  (a  town  about 
sixty  Swedish  miles  from  Stockholm),  he  had  foretold  to  his 
friends,  three  days  before  the  arrival  of  the  post,  the  precise 
hour  of  the  great  fire  that  had  happened  in  Stockholm,  to 
which  he  replied  that  it  was  exactly  true." 

2.  Peckitt^^"  gives  us  the  story  from  Mr.  Springer's  mouth 


*  See  Document  263,  no.  G. 


632  THREE  EXTRA ORDINAR  Y  FACTS.        [Doc.  273. 

in  the  following  form:*  "The  Baron  was  sitting  with  company 
at  Gottenburg,  which  is  188  miles  [?]  from  Stockholm;  when 
he  told  them,  that  that  part  of  the  town  was  then  on  fire  where 
his  house  and  garden  were  [situated] ;  but  he  hoped  his  house 
would  escape  the  flames,  1759.  He  shortly  after  told  them 
his  house  was  safe,  hut  the  garden  ivas  destroyed,  and  w^hen 
the  post  arrived  a  few  days  after,  it  was  as  he  had  predicted." 
The  statement  that  -'his  garden  was  destroyed,"  is  not 
corroborated  by  any  other  authority;  in  fact  Swedenborg 
himself  stated  to  Bergstrom  that  "his  house  and  garden  were 
safe"  [see  above,  section  D]. 


LETOCAHD'Sj  ACCOUNT.% 

"On  the  19th  of  August  [July],  1759,  when  Swedenborg 
returned  from  London,  wliither  he  went  from  time  to  time  to 
print  new  works,  he  said  on  landing  at  Gottenburg  [?],  that 
on  this  very  day  there  was  a  great  conflagration  in  Stockholm 
in  the  Sodermalm,  and  that  his  house,  which  was  situated 
there,  would  be  preserved.  A  few  days  afterwards  a  confirm- 
ation of  this  statement  was  received  in  Gottenburg." 

Most  of  the  accounts  concur  in  the  statement  that  Sweden- 
borg told  this  news,  not  icliile  he  icas  landing,  but  w'hile  he 
was  assembled  with  many  others  at  the  house  of  a  merchant. 

On  comparing  the  various  accounts,  it  seems  as  if  the 
story,  as  told  by  Immanuel  Kant  in  section  A,  contained  the 
real  facts  of  the  case ;  while  from  Stilling's  account,  section  B, 
the  particular  may  be  added  that  "he  was  told  so  by  the 
angels." 

*  See  Document  264,  no.  12. 
.     f  Letocard  was  the  Secretary  to  the  Dutch  Ambassador  Marteville.*3 
X  See  Document  276,  p.  683. 


DOCUMENT  214:. 
THE  LOST  EECEIPT. 

Many  versions  of  this  story  exist,  which  may  be  traced 
back  to  eleven  different  sources. 

From  the  two  dramatis  personce,  viz.  Swedenborg  and  Madame 
de  Marteville,  no  direct  testimony  is  preserved;  although 
Robsahm  and  Bergstrom  relate  their  narrative  as  they  heard 
it  from  Swedenborg's  own  lips. 

Next  in  importance  is  the  testimony  of  Mr.  Letocard,  the 
Secretary  of  the  Dutch  embassy  in  Stockholm,  who  lived  at 
the  house  of  M.  de  Marteville,  and  was  an  eye-witness  of  the 
whole  affair.  His  testimony  agrees  with  that  of  Mademoiselle 
de  Marteville,  the  ambassador's  daughter.  The  testimony  of 
these  two  persons  was  collected  in  1788  by  the  Countess  de 
Schwerin,^*^  sister  of  Madame  de  Marteville,*  and  was  published 
in  1789  by  L.  L.  von  Erenkenhoff,^^^  in  a  separate  little  work,-|- 
to  which  we  shall  have  occasion  to  refer  more  fully  in 
Document  276.  This  little  work  escaped  the  attention  of 
Dr.  Im.  Tafel,  and  hence  its  contents  have  not  heretofore 
become  known  to  the  admirers  of  Swedenborg, 

We  shall  begin  our  investigation  with  Mr.  Letocard's 
testimony,  which,  according  to  the  Countess  de  Schwerin, 
thoroughly  agrees  with  that  of  her  niece,  Mademoiselle  de 
Marteville.  Concerning  Letocard  himself,  she  says:  "The 
gentleman  who  for  twenty  years  was  Secretary  of  the  Dutch 
Embassy,   under   my  late  brother-in  law,  is  called  Letocard. 


*  See  Notes  43  and  249. 

•f  -'Paradoxa,  zweites  Biindchen,  niclit  militarischen  sondem  die  Pseudo- 
Anl'klarung  betreffenden  Inhalts,"  von  L.  L.  von  Brenkenhoff,  Potsdam, 
17«9. 


634  THBEE EXTBAORDINAEY FACTS.        [Doc.  274. 

This  old  gentleman  has  retired  from  public  life,  and  lives  at 
present  with  his  family  in  Pomerania.  As  he  still  keeps  up 
a  correspondence  with  Sweden,  I  asked  him  to  collect  some 
additional  true  anecdotes  about  the  late  Swedenborff." 


ZETOCARD'S  ACCOUNT* 

"Mr.  de  Matevell  [Marteville],  envoy  extraordinary  of  the 
United  Provinces  at  the  Court  of  Sweden,  died  in  Stock- 
holm in  April  1760.  Some  time  afterwards  his  widow  was 
called  upon  by  a  silversmith  to  pay  for  a  silver  service. 
She  was  astonished  at  this  demand,  in  view  of  her  husband's 
punctuality  in  the  settlement  of  his  accounts,  but  was  unable 
to  find  the  silversmith's  receipt,  nothwithstanding  all  her 
researches.  As  she  was  very  much  importuned  by  that 
man,  she  applied  to  Mr.  Samuel  [Emanuel]  de  Schweden- 
borg,  who  told  her  that  he  would  see  her  again  in  a  few 
days,  and  give  her  the  answer.  He  kept  his  word  and  said 
'Madame,  I  have  asked  the  spirit  of  your  late  husband,  and 
he  has  told  me  that  this  receipt  is  in  the  secret  drawer  of  such 
and  such  a  writing-desk;  where  it  was  really  found." 

Another  account  furnished  by  Letocard  and  where  the 
name  "Marteville"  is  spelt  correctly,  occurs  in  a  Swedish  work 
entitled  "Samtidens  Markvardigaste  Personer,"  Upsal,  1820 
in  which  a  short  biographical  sketch  of  Swedenborg  is  given, 
which  is  in  part  based  on  oral  communications.  We  read 
there  (p.  146),  "  'The  husband  of  Madame  de  Marteville,  who 
had  been  Dutch  minister  in  Stockholm,  died  during  the  month 
of  April  1760;  and  some  time  afterwards  a  goldsmith  pre- 
sented a  bill,  in  which  he  demanded  payment  for  a  silver 
service  which  he  had  furnished.  The  Avidow  Avho  was  not  left 
in  very  good  circumstances,  knew  that  the  bill  had  been  paid, 
although  she  could  not  find  the  receipt  for  it.  As  the  gold- 
smith  threatened   to    go   to  law,  and  she  was  afraid  that  she 

*  Letocard 's  Account  is  contained  in  Letter  2  in  the  "Paradoxa." 


Doc.  274.]  THE  LOST  BECEJFT.  635 

would  have  to  pay  the  sum,  which  was  considerable,  a  second 
time;  she  resolved  as  a  last  resort  to  beg  S^Yedcnborg 
to  ask  her  husband's  spirit  about  this  receipt.  She  related 
to  him  most  faithfully  all  the  circumstances,  and  some  days 
afterwards  Swedenborg  brought  back  the  reply  from  her 
husband,  that  the  receipt,  together  with  some  other  impor- 
tant papers,  was  in  a  secret  compartment  in  the  writing-desk 
which  he  had  formerly  used ;  where  it  was  found.' — The  above 
account  has  been  acknowledged  as  true,  both  orally  and  in  a 
written  form,  by  Letocard,  the  secretary  of  the  legation,  in 
his  capacity  of  executor  of  Marteville's  estate." 

Letocard's  testimony  is  fully  borne  out  by  that  furnished 
by  Kant's  English  friend,  Green,  who  was  in  Stockholm  in 
1767  or  1768,  and  who  made  it  his  particular  business  there 
to  learn  the  truth  of  this  aifair;  of  him  also  we  read  that  he 
became  personally  acquainted  with  Swedenborg,  who,  in  proof 
of  his  own  supernatural  gift,  called  Mr.  Greens  notice  "to 
certain  well-kno^^^l  facts,"  i.  e.  the  three  facts  which  are  now 
engaging  our  attention. 


TESTIMONY  OF  KANT'S  FRTEND,  OREEN.^*'* 

"Madame  Harteville  [Marteville],  the  ^vidow  of  the  Dutch 
ambassador  in  Stockholm,  some  time  after  the  death  of  her 
husband  was  called  upon  by  Croon,  a  goldsmith,  to  pay  for 
a  silver  service  which  her  husband  had  purchased  from  him. 
The  widow  was  convinced  that  her  late  husband  had  been 
much  too  precise  and  orderly  not  to  have  paid  this  debt,  yet 
she  was  unable  to  iind  the  receipt.  In  her  sorrow,  and  be- 
cause the  amount  was  considerable,  she  requested  Mr.  Sweden- 
borg to  call  at  her  house.  After  apologizing  to  him  for 
troubling  him,  she  said,  that  if,  as  all  people  say,  he  possess- 


*  This  account  is  contained  in  Kant's  letter  to  Cliarlotte  von  Knob- 
loch  (Document  271,  p.  027),  where  further  particulars  respecting  its  history- 
may  1)0  found. 


636  THREE  EXTRAORDINARY  FACTS.        [Doc.  274. 

ed  the  extraordinary  gift  of  conversing  with  the  souls  of  the 
departed,  he  would  perhaps  have  the  kindness  to  ask  her 
husband  how  it  was  about  the  silver  service.  Swedenborg 
did  not  at  all  object  to  comply  with  her  request.  Three  days 
afterwards  the  said  lady  had  company  at  her  house  for  coffee. 
Swedenborg  called,  a,nd  in  his  cool  way  informed  her  that  he 
had  conversed  with  her  husband.  The  debt  had  been  paid 
seven  months  before  his  decease,  and  the  receipt  was  in  a 
bureau  in  the  room  upstairs.  The  lady  replied  that  the  bureau 
had  been  quite  cleared  out,  and  that  the  receipt  was  not  found 
among  all  the  papers.  Swedenborg  said  that  her  husband  had 
described  to  him,  how  after  pulling  out  the  left  hand  drawer 
a  board  would  appear,  which  required  to  be  drawn  out,  when 
a  secret  compartment  would  be  disclosed,  containing  his  private 
Dutch  correspondence,  as  well  as  the  receipt.  Upon  hearing 
this  description  the  whole  company  rose  and  accompanied  the 
lady  into  the  room  up-stairs.  The  bureau  was  opened;  they 
did  as  they  were  directed;  the  compartment  was  found,  of 
which  no  one  had  ever  known  before;  and,  to  the  great  astonish- 
ment of  all,  the  papers  were  discovered  there,  in  accordance 
with  his  description." 

The  leading  features  of  this  account  were  confirmed  by 
Swedenborg  to  Bergstrom,^^*  who  gave  the  following  account 
of  it  to  Provo. 


C. 

BERGSTROM 'S  -'  ACCO UNT* 

"Swedenborg  also  related  the  affair  of  the  Countess  de 
Marteville,  from  whose  husband's  information,  after  his  decease, 
he  told  her  where  a  receipt  for  a  sum  of  money  lay;  where 
she  found  it;  for  which  she  wished  to  make  Swedenborg  a 
handsome  present,  but  he  refused  it." 

*  See  Document  263,  no.  5. 


Doc.  274.]  THE  LOST  RECEIPT.  637 


D. 

Z)B.  CLEMM'S  ACCOUNT* 

"In  Stockholm  a  widow  was  hard  pressed  by  a  creditor, 
after  the  death  of  her  husband.  As  she  well  knew  that  her 
husband  had  always  been  accustomed  to  settle  his  accounts 
promptly,  she  took  refuge  with  Mr.  Swedenborg,  requesting 
him  to  interrogate  the  spirit  of  her  late  husband  on  this  sub- 
ject. This  he  did,  and  he  brought  back  the  answer,  that  the 
document  on  which  the  creditor  acknowledged  the  receipt  of 
the  money  would  be  found  in  a  certain  place  in  a  bureau, 
described  by  him.  The  receipt  is  said  to  have  been  discovered 
there." 

This  is  one  of  the  three  facts  related  by  Dr.  Clemm.  The 
editor  of  a  collection  of  documents  concerning  Swedenborg 
published  in  Hamburg  in  1770,  furnishes  the  following  confirma- 
tion of  this  account:  "The  correctness  of  the  facts  related  by 
Dr.  Clemm  has  been  attested  by  a  distinguished  Swedish  gentle- 
man, who  was  in  the  suite  of  the  present  King  of  Sweden, 
when  as  Crown-Prince  he  passed  last  year  tlirough  Hamburg 
on  his  way  to  France.  In  a  large  and  distinguished  com- 
pany, while  they  were  sitting  at  table,  he  declared  that  these 
facts  were  commonly  known  as  such  in  Stockholm,  and  that 
they  were  not  subject  to  any  doubt."  This  distinguislied  gentle- 
man, we  have  reason  to  believe,  was  Count  C.  F.  Scheffer 
(see  Note  136). 

Stilling's  account  in  his  "Theorie  der  Geisterkunde"  scarce- 
ly differs  from  that  of  Dr.  Clemm. 

The  story  of  the  "Lost  Receipt,"  as  told  by  Mr.  Letocard 
and  endorsed  by  Mademoiselle  de  Marteville,  and  further  as 

*  "Einleitung  in  die  Religion  und  gesaramte  Theologie"  (Introduction 
to  Religion  and  universal  Theology),  by  Dr.  Heinrich  Willii^lm  Clemm, 
professor  of  theology  in  Tiihingen,  Vol.  IV.,  p.  205,  &c.,  pu1)lislic(l  in 
Tubingen  in  1767.  As  in  the  same  volume,  and  in  the  same  part  of  the 
volume.  Dr.  Clemm  publishes  the  Latin  oiiginals  of  Swedenborg's  letters 
to  Prelate  (Etinger,  it  seems  probable  that  his  account  of  the  "three  extra- 
ordinaiy  facts,"  including  that  of  the  "lost  receipt,"  was  furnished  to  him 
by  that  gentleman. 


638  THREE  EXTRA  ORDINAR  Y  FA CTS.        [Doc.  274. 

corroborated  by  Kant's  friend,  Mr.  Green,  by  Dr.  Clemm, 
and  Jung-Stilling,  we  hold  to  be  the  genuine  account  of  this 
occurrence;  and  especially  also  because  its  general  features 
are  confirmed  by  Swedenborg  himself  in  the  account  which 
he  gave  of  this  occurrence  to  Bergstrom. 

We  shall  now  have  to  present  those  accounts  which  vary 
in  some  of  their  features  from  the  above;  and  first  of  all  that 
of  Swedenborg's  friend  Robsahm: 

E. 

ROBSAHM'S'^''  ACCOUNT.* 

"The  Dutch  ambassador,  Marteville,  died  in  Stockholm.  His 
widow,  some  time  afterwards,  was  asked  to  pay  a  large  sum 
of  money,  which  she  knew  had  been  paid.  At  last  she  dis- 
covered the  document  among  his  papers;  and  there  was  a 
general  talk  in  town,  that  Swedenborg  had  contributed  towards 
it  by  his  conversation  with  the  deceased  ambassador.  I  asked 
Swedenborg  about  it,  and  he  said  that  the  lady  had  been  to 
see  him,  and  had  told  him  the  circumstance,  and  that  he 
promised  her  that  if  he  should  meet  Marteville  he  would 
mention  it  to  him.  This  was  done;  and  'the  r.mbassador 
answered  me,'  said  Swedenborg,  'that  he  would  go  home  that 
same  evening,  and  look  after  it,  but  I  did  not  receive  any 
other  answer  for  his  widow.  I  have  heard  since,  that  she 
discovered  the  important  document;  but  I  have  had  no  other 
share  in  bringing  this  matter  to  light  thtin  what  I  have  stated.' 
The  general  rumour  was,  that  the  widow  dreamt  that  she  was 
speaking  with  her  husband,  who  told  her  where  the  paper 
would  be  found,  in  the  place  where  he  used  to  put  things  away.'' 

This  account,  on  first  sight,  we  admit,  has  a  very  strong 
probability  in  its  favour;  for  Robsahm,  whom  we  have  recog- 
nized as  a  faithful  witness,  reports  the  identical  Avords  of 
Swedenborg,  by  whom  he  was  assured  that  the  information 
concerning  the  whereabouts  of  the  lost  receipt  was  conveyed 
to  the  widow  not  by  himself,  but  by  the  ambassador,  who 
appeared  to  her  in  a  dream.  If  Robsahm's  testimony  Avas 
confirmed  by  that  of  Bergstrom,   we  should  feel  strongly  in- 

*  See  Document  5,  no.  45. 


Doc.  274  ]  THE  LOST  RECEIPT.  639 

clined  to  adopt  it;  but  Bergstrom  distinctly  learned  from 
Swedenborg  that  "he  himself  told  the  Countess  de  Marteville 
where  the  receipt  for  the  money  lay." 

Besides,  Swedenborg  was  not  the  only  actor  in  this  affair. 
Madame  de  Marteville,  her  daughter,  and  Mr.  Letocard,  the 
secretary  of  the  embassy,  were  likewise  ocular  witnesses  of 
this  occurrence;  and  although  we  have  no  direct  statement 
from  Madame  de  Marteville  herself,  we  have  the  concordant 
testimony  of  her  daughter  and  Mr.  Letocard,  both  of  whom 
declare  that  Swedenborg  himself  came  to  the  embassy,  and 
dehvered  his  message.  Moreover,  this  account  is  corroborated 
by  Mr.  Green,  Kant's  friend,  and  Dr.  Clemm,  whose  state- 
ment is  supported  by  Count  SchefFer  who,  as  we  shall 
presently  see,  was  one  of  the  chief  actors  in  the  affair  with 
the  Queen. 

As  the  account  which  Bergstrom  received  from  Sweden- 
borg is  confirmed  by  the  testimony  of  the  other  eye-witnesses, 
we  are  compelled,  by  the  rules  of  evidence,  to  prefer  his 
testimony  to  that  of  Robsahm;  although  Robsahm's  statement 
that  Madame  de  Marteville  "had  been  to  see  Swedenborg," 
and  not,  as  Mr.  Green  states,  that  "she  had  sent  for  him," 
has  the  greater  probability  in  its  favour. 

The  next  variation  of  this  story  is  that  which  the  brothers 
Nordenskold  sent  in  1781  to  Pernety,  and  which  is  based  on 
the  accounts  they  received  from  Count  Hopken,  and  the  wife 
of  Swedenborg's  gardener.  This  narrative  coml)ines  the  leading 
features  of  Robsahm's  and  Bergstrom's  evidence,  declaring; 
that  the  ambassador  both  appeared  to  the  widow,  and  delivered 
a  message  to  Swedenborg. 

F. 

PERNETY'S  ACCOUNT* 

"Senator  Count  Hopken  and  the  wife  of  Swedenborg's 
gardener  both  informed  me  with  regard  to  the  two  following 
facts.  After  the  death  of  M.  de  Marteville,  a  considerable  sum 
of  money  was  demanded  from  his  widow,  which  it  was  stated 
her  husband  owed.     She   knew  very  well  that  this  pretended 

*  See  Document  6,  no.  24. 


640  THREE  EXTRA  ORDINAR  Y  FACTS.        [Doc.  274. 

debt  liad  been  paid,  but  she  did  not  know  where  he  had  placed 
the  receipt.  In  her  trouble  she  applied  to  Swedenborg.  He 
informed  her  next  morning,  that  he  had  spoken  wdth  her 
deceased  husband,  and  that  he  had  declared  to  him  where  he 
had  placed  the  receipt,  and  that  it  would  be  found  in  the 
place  described.  The  deceased  lierson  appeared  also  to  his 
ividoio,  in  the  same  dressing  gown  ivhich  he  ivore  hefore  his 
death,  and  having  given  Iter  the  same  indications,  departed. 
She  ivas  so  much  frightened  hy  this,  that  she  wakened  the  lady 
attending  her,  who  was  sleeping  in  the  same  room,  and  related 
this  occurrence  to  her.  The  receipt  was  found  in  the  place 
Swedenborg  had  named.  This  occurrence  made  a  great  deal 
of  noise  at  the  court  and  in  town,  and  every  one  related  it 
in  his  own  fashion." 

The  portions  of  the  narrative  in  italics  we  challenge  as  to 
their  accuracy;  for  both  Letocard  and  Mr.  Green  state  that 
Swedenborg  called  on  Madame  de  Marteville  not  "next  morn- 
ing," but  after  a  few  days.  Besides,  if  there  had  been  any 
truth  in  the  statement,  that  "the  deceased  person  had  appeared 
to  his  widow  in  the  same  dressing  gown  ivhich  he  wore  hefore 
his  death"  Letocard  and  the  daughter  of  Madame  de  Marteville 
would  certainly  have  mentioned  this  circumstance  in  the 
account  which  they  gave  of  the  affair. 

Pernety's  version  of  this  story  was  introduced  in  1788  into 
a  work  entitled:  Ahrege  des  ouvrages  d'Em.  Sivedenhorg.  Stock- 
holm et  Strasbourg  (Preface,  p.  XVIII),  and  likewise  into  the 
German  translation  of  that  work  published  in  Leipzig,  1789, 
under  the  title:  Emamiel  Sivedenhorg' s  theologische  Werke  oder 
....  Auszug  aus  seinen  sdmmtlichen  Schriften  (p.  19). 

We  noticed  above  that  Madame  de  Marteville  did  not 
leave  any  direct  testimony  in  respect  to  this  affair;  but  she 
has  left  indirect  testimony  through  her  second  husband,,  the 
Danish  General  v.  E.  (von  Eiben,  as  is  suggested  by  Dr.  Im. 
Tafel  in  Part  III  of  his  German  edition  of  the  "Swedenborg 
Documents,"  p.  28).  Mr.  v.  E.'s  account  agrees  in  its  main 
feature  with  that  furnished  by  Pernety  (Section  F);  but  it 
contains  some  particulars  which  the  narrator  could  have 
derived  only  from  Madame  de  Marteville  herself  These  par- 
ticulars,   however,   are   blended   with    some    evidently  fanciful 


Doc.  274.]  THE  LOST  RECEIPT.  641 

embellisliments,    printed  by   us  in  italics,  Avliich  impair  some- 
what the  documentary  character  of  tlie  account. 

Mr.  V.  E.'s  testimony  is  contained  in  a  letter  addressed 
to  a  clergyman  in  1775,  and  published  by  Baron  von  Bibra, 
Canon  at  Fulda,  and  editor  of  the  "Journal  von  und  jur 
Deutschland,"  in  the  volume  for  1790  (nos.  1  to  6,  pp.  33,  &c.). 


G. 

TESTIMONY  OF  MADAME  DE  MAHTEVILLE'S  f^ECOXD  HUSBAXD. 

"Most  Reverend,  most  learned,  and  most  respected  Sir, 

"An  indisposition  deprives  my  wife  of  the 
pleasure,  most  reverend  Sir,  of  answering  your  favour,  wherefore 
the  pleasant  duty  devolves  upon  me,  of  furnishing  you  with  a  true 
and  veritable  statement  of  how  the  history  happened,  in  which 
you  seem  to  be  so  deeply  interested.  As  all  true  occurrences 
become  mixed  wdth  false  accounts  so  also  it  has  been  with 
this.     The  facts  of  the  case  are  as  follows: 

"About  a  year  after  the  decease  of  M.  de  Marteville'  ray  wife 
thought  of  visiting  the  notorious  and  celebrated  Mr.  Sweden- 
borg,  who  was  then  her  neighbour  in  Stockholm,  in  order  to 
make  the  acquaintance  of  such  a  strange  wonder  of  humanity. 
She  spoke  of  her  desire  to  see  him  to  several  ladies,  and  they 
agreed  to  form  a  party  on  a  certain  day.  All  the  ladies  were 
admitted.  Mr.  Swedenborg  received  them  in  a  very  fine  garden, 
and  in  a.  magnificent  saloon  ichicli  ivas  vaidted,  and  in  the 
centre  of  the  ceiling  had  a  sky-light,  hy  tvhich,  as  he  said,  he 
frequently  conversed  with  his  friends,  viz.  the  spirits.'*' 

"Among  other  things  my  wife  asked  him,  whether  he  had 
been  acquainted  with  M.  de  Marteville?  which  he  denied,  as 
during  this  gentleman's  stay  at  the  Swedish  court,  he  had 
been  almost  constantly  i)i  London,  f 


*  This  is  evidently  fanciful,  as  Swedenborg  had  no  magnificent  saloon 
with  a  sky-hght,  as  represented  by  the  narrator. 

f  M.  de  INIarteville,  as  we  learn  from  Document  271,  ]).  617.  had 
been  in  Stock liolm  since  the  year  1752.  Swedenborg  was  in  Stockholm 
from  the  middle  of  1750  (see  Document  213,  where  he  ordered  seeds  from 

41 


642  THREE  EXTRA  ORDINA R  Y  FACTS.        [Doc.  274. 

"I  must  mention  here  incidentally  that  the  history  of  the 
25,000  Dutch  gilders  (N.  B.  they  had  not  been  demanded  a 
second  time)  is  correct  so  far,  that  my  wife  was  exercised 
about  it,  as  she  could  not  find  a  receipt.  Nevertheless,  at 
their  visit  to  Swedenborg,  nothing  about  this  circumstance 
was  mentioned. 

"Eight  days  afterwards  the  late  M.  de  Marteville  appeared 
to  my  wife  in  a  dream,  and  pointed  out  in  an  English  case 
(in  einer  englischen  ScJiatiille)  the  place  where  there  was  not 
only  the  receipt,  but  also  a  hair  pin  with  twenty  brilliants, 
which  was  likewise  considered  lost.* 

"This  was  about  two  o'clock  in  the  morning.  She  rose 
full  of  joy,  and  found  everything  in  the  place  pointed  out. 
She  then  retired  again,  and  slept  until  nine  o'clock  in  the 
morning.  Towards  eleven  o'clock  Mr.  von  Swedenborg  begged 
to  be  announced.  Before  he  had  heard  a  word  from  my  wife 
he  related,  that  last  night  he  had  seen  various  spirits,  and 
among  them  M.  de  Marteville.  Swedenborg  desired  to  con- 
verse with  him,  but  he  refused;  because,  as  he  said,  he  had 
to  go  to  his  wife,  and  relate  to  her  something  of  importance; 
•vyhen  he  would  leave  the  colony  [society]  in  which  he  had  been 
for  about  a  year,  and  pass  into  one  which  is  much  more  blessed. 

"These  are  the  real  circumstances  of  the  case  which 
happened  to  my  wife  in  connection  with  the  receipt,  and  also 
in  connection  with  Mr.  von  Swedenborg.  I  do  not  undertake 
to  penetrate  the  mysteries  in  which  this  affair  is  involved, 
neither  is  it  my  vocation.  I  was  simply  requested  to  relate 
the  story.  This  duty  I  have  fulfilled,  and  I  shall  be  very 
much  pleased  if  it  be  deemed  satisfactory  by  you. 

"My  wife  desires  to  be  remembered  to  you.  I  remain 
"with  all  deference,  most  reverend  Sir, 

"Your  obedient  servant 

"von   E[lBEN?]. 

«G ,  April  11,  1775." 

Holland  for  his  garden  in  Stockholm)  probably  to  the  end  of  1756,  when 
the  last  voluniLe  of  the  Arcana  Ccelestia  was  printed  in  London,  and  when 
he  went  thither  to  pubhsh  his  work  on  "Heaven  and  Hell,"  with  four 
smaller  treatises.    He  returned  to  Stockholm  in  the  autumn  of  1759. 

*  This  is  the  only  account  where  it  is  stated  that  the  lost  receipt  was 
found  in  a  case  or  box. 


Doc.  274.]  THE  LOST  RECEIPT.  643 

General  von  E.,  by  applying  to  Swedenborg  the  epithet 
"notorious,"  seems  to  have  regarded  him  in  the  light  of  an 
astrologer,  or  something  similar;  and  throughout  the  whole  of 
his  narrative  appears  to  have  been  trying  to  remove  from  his 
wife  the  suspicion  of  her  having  visited  him  in  a  professional 
capacity. 

Dr.  Im.  Tafel  makes  the  following  remarks  on  his  testi- 
mony (Part  III,  pp.  27,  28),  "1.  It  is  not  very  probable  that 
Madame  de  Marteville  in  visiting  Swedenborg  was  actuated 
entirely  by  curiosity;  this  may  have  been  the  ostensible 
reason  she  assigned  to  the  other  ladies ;  but  it  looks  very 
much  as  if  her  visit  had  been  a  preparatory  step.  She  could 
not  very  well  in  the  presence  of  the  other  ladies  ask  Sweden- 
borg about  the  lost  receipt,  and  it  seemed  to  her  improbable 
that,  in  the  presence  of  such  witnesses,  he  would  tell  her  any- 
thing which  might  have  the  appearance  of  soothsaying.  But 
after  having  made  Swedenborg's  acquaintance  in  tliis  manner, 
she  might  hope  that  he  would  not  deny  her  his  help,  if  after- 
wards she  should  visit  him  alone.  2.  Her  second  husband  does 
not  mention  this  second  visit  for  reasons  that  may  easily  be 
imagined;  yet  his  account  does  not  exclude  such  a  second 
visit;  it  could  easily  have  taken  place  during  the  eight  days 
which  intervened  between  her  first  visit  and  the  appearance 
of  M.  de  Marteville." 

AVe  now  approach  some  versions  of  this  story  where  the 
original  circumstances  of  the  case  have  been  completely  changed 
by  "Dame  Rumour."  Of  this  description  is  the  account  fur- 
nished by  the  Academician  Thiebault,  and  which  he  said  he 
received  from  Chamberlain  von  Ammon,  the  brother  of  Madame 
de  Marteville.2*^ 


41* 


644  THREE  EXTRA ORDINAR  Y  FACTS.       [Doc.  274. 


H. 

TEltBAVLT'S^'^*  ACCOUNT* 

"I  know  not  on  what  occasion  it  was,  that  conversing  one 
day  with  the  Queen-|-  on  the  subject  of  the  celebrated  vision- 
ary, Swedenborg,  we  [the  members  of  the  academy],  particularly 
M.  Merian^*^  and  myself,  expressed  a  desire  to  know  what 
opinion  was  entertained  of  him  in  Sweden.  On  my  part, 
I  related  what  had  been  told  me  respecting  him  by  Chamberlain 
von  Ammon,^*^  who  was  still  aHve,  and  who  had  been  am- 
bassador from  Prussia  both  to  Holland  and  France.  It  was, 
'That  his  brother-in-law  [the  Count  de  Marteville],  ambassador 
from  Holland  to  Stockholm,  having  died  suddenly,  merchants 
came  to  his  wife,  who  was  the  sister  of  Baron  von  Ammon, 
and  demanded  from  her  the  payment  of  a  bill  for  some  pieces 
of  cloth  which  they  had  furnished,  and  which  she  remembered 
had  been  paid  in  her  husband's  life-time:  that  the  widow,  not 
being  able  to  find  the  receipt  of  the  merchants,  in  whose 
books  the  account  had  not  been  entered  as  paid,  had  been 
advised  to  •  consult  Swedenborg,  who,  she  was  told,  could 
converse  with  the  dead  whenever  he  pleased;  that  she  accord- 
ingly adopted  this  advice,  though  she  did  so  less  from  self- 
interest  than  curiosity;  and  at  the  end  of  a  few  days  Sweden- 
borg informed  her,  that  her  deceased  husband  had  received 
the  receipt  for  the  money  on  such  a  day,  at  such  an  hour, 
as  he  was  reading  such  an  article  in  Bayle's  Dictionary  in 
his  cabinet;  and  that  his  attention  being  called  immediately 
afterwards  to  some  other  concern,  he  put  the  receipt  into  the 

*  This  account  is  contained  in  "Souvenir  de  vingt  ans  de  sejoiir  a 
Berlin"  by  Dieudonne  Tbiebault,  Member  of  the  Royal  Academy  of  Berlin, 
Vol.  II,  Paris,  1804  (pp.  254,  et  seq.).  The  first  English  translation  of  this 
narrative  appeared  in  the  "Appeal,"  by  the  Rev.  S.  Noble  (pp.  200  to  202). 
It  was  transferred  thence  to  the  English  and  American  editions  of  the 
"Swedenborg  Documents"  collected  by  Dr.  Im.  Tafel. 

f  Queen  Louisa  Ulrica,  after  the  death  of  her  husband  Adolphua 
Frederic,  went  to  BerUn  in  the  autumn  of  1771,  where  she  was  received 
in  great  state.  She  returned  to  Sweden  in  August,  1772.  (See  Fryxell 
"Berattelser,"  &c.,  Vol.  43,  p.  20.)  Her  inten-iew  with  Thiebault  and 
other  academicians  took  place  dui'iug  that  time. 


Doc.  274.]  THE  LOST  RECEIPT.  645 

book  to  mark  the  place  at  which  ho  left  off;  where  in  fact  it 
was  found,  at  the  page  described.'  The  Queen  replied,  that.... 
she  was  previously  acquainted  with  the  anectode  I  had  related, 
and  it  was  one  of  those  that  had  most  excited  her  astonish- 
ment, though  she  had  never  taken  the  pains  to  ascertain  the 
truth  of  it." 

The  Queen  afterwards  gave  to  the  academicians  an  account 
of  her  own  experience  with  Swedenhorg,  which  will  be  found 
in  Document  275. 

Jung-Stilling  in  Vol.  XIII  of  his  "Sammtliche  Schriften" 
(Collected  Writings),  p.  339,  communicates  the  following  addi- 
tional account  of  this  story,  which  he  had  derived  from  a  Kussian 
gentleman.  It  furnishes  some  particulars,  not  previouly  known, 
of  the  mode  in  which  Madame  de  Marteville  was  led  to  apply 
to  Swedenborg;  but  otherwise  the  original  facts  of  the  case 
are  even  more  disfigured  than  in  Thiebault's  account.  In 
fact  the  following  narrative  in  some  of  its  features  approaches 
very  much  the  usual  ghost-stories. 


I. 

ACCOUNT  OF  THE  RUSSIAN  AMBASSADOR  [OSTERMANN].* 

Jung  says,  "I  am  acquainted  with  a  very  distinguished  Russian 
gentleman,  who  fills  a  high  office  in  his  country,  and  at  the 
same  time  is  a  highly  enlightened  Christian,  and  altogether  a 
most  excellent  man.  He  related  to  me,  that  he  knew  very  weU, 
and  was  intimately  connected  with  the  Russian  ambassador, 
who,  during  Swedenborg's  time,  was  for  many  years  in  Stock- 
holm.* That  ambassador  had  often  been  in  Swedenborg's  com- 
pany; he  had  often  seen  him  in  his  trances,  and  had  heard 
wonderful  things  from  him.  The  universally  known  story,  how 
Swedenborg  hud  helped  a  certain  widow  to  find  a  receipt,  in 
doing  which  he  is  said  to  have  acted  deceitfully,-]-  took  place 
in  the  following  manner,  which  is  strictly  true: 

*  Compare  Document  5,  no.  19;  where  the  name  of  the  Russian  Ambas- 
Bador  in  Stockholm,  during  Swedenljorg's  time,  is  given  as  Count  Ostermaun. 

f  Tliis  charge  ^vas  made  in  the  "Berliner  Monatsschrift"  for  1788,  p.  318; 
and  is  disproved  in  Document  27(5, 


646  THREE  EXTBAOBDINABY FACTS.        [Doc.  274. 

"A  distinguished  gentleman  purchased  in  Stockholm  an  estate 
from  another  gentleman.  He  paid  his  money,  and  received  a 
receipt.  Soon  after  the  purchaser  died;  and  after  a  while  the 
vendor  demanded  from  the  widow  payment  for  the  estate,  threat- 
ening her,  that  otherwise  he  would  again  take  possession 
of  the  estate.  The  widow  was  frightened;  she  knew  that 
her  husband  had  paid  for  the  property,  and  looked  every- 
where for  the  receipt,  but  without  being  able  to  find  it.  Her 
anxiety  increased;  and  as  her  deceased  husband  had  been 
acquainted  with  the  Russian  ambassador,  and  stood  in  friendly 
relations  with  him,  she  had  recourse  to  him. 

The  ambassador  knew  from  his  own  experience  what  Sweden- 
borg  in  similar  cases  had  done  before;  and  as  the  widow  was 
not  acquainted  with  him,  the  ambassador  undertook  the  manage- 
ment of  the  affair.  As  soon  as  he  found  an  opportunity,  he 
spoke  with  Swedenborg  on  the  subject,  and  recommended  to  him 
the  cause  of  the  widow.  After  a  few  days  Swedenborg  came 
to  the  ambassador  and  commissioned  him  to  tell  the  widow, 
that  on  such  and  such  a  night  her  husband  ivuuld  ai)ijear  to  her 
at  12  o'clock,  and  tell  her  ivhere  the  receipt  was.  However  terrible 
this  was  for  the  widow,  she  had  to  make  up  her  mind  to 
the  interview,  because  the  second  payment  of  the  estate  would 
have  plunged  her  into  poverty,  or  perhaps  she  would  not  have 
been  able  to  raise  the  money  at  all.  She  therefore  resolved  to 
meet  her  fate,  and  sat  up  during  the  appointed  night;  but  she 
kept  a  maid  with  her,  who  very  soon  fell  asleep,  and  could 
not  be  kept  awake.  At  12  o'clock  the  deceased  appeared; 
he  looked  serious,  and  seemed  displeased,  and  then  pointed 
out  to  the  widow  the  place  where  the  receipt  was,  viz.  in  a 
certain  house,  in  a  little  closet  in  the  wall,  which  it  was  very 
dilficult  to  notice.  He  then  disappeared.  Next  morning  the 
widow  went  to  the  appointed  place,  and  found  the  receipt." 

This  narrative  is  an  instance  of  the  extent  to  which  a  simple 
story  is  sometimes  disfigured  and  changed  by  rumour  and  gossip. 
The  only  real  fact  of  the  case  seems  to  be,  that  Madame  de 
Marteville  was  advised  by  the  Russian  ambassador,  who  had 
been  a  friend  of  her  husband,  the  Dutch  ambassador,  to  apply 
in  her  need  to  Swedenborg. 


DOCUMENT  275. 
SAYEDEXBORG  AND  THE  QUEEN  OF  SWEDEN." 

The  first  point  to  be  established  in  regard  to  this  document 
is,  that  the  extraordinary  incidents,  which  are  recorded  to  have 
taken  place  between  Swedenborg  and  the  Queen  of  Sweden,  are 
historically  true.  Before  specifying  the  particulars  of  that 
occurrence  we  are  therefore  called  upon  to  furnish  some  general 
proofs  of  its  reality. 

For  this  purpose  we  shall  first  of  all  adduce  Swedenborg's 
own  direct  testimony,  contained  in  a  letter  which  he  addressed 
to  Louis  IX,  Landgrave  of  Hesse  Darmstadt  (Document  247): 

A. 

SWEDENBOIIG'S  OTI'A'  TESTIMONY. 

....  "As  to  what  is  related  of  the  daughter  of  the  Prince 
Margrave,  it  is  a  fiction  invented  by  some  idle  newsmonger, 
and  I  never  even  heard  of  it  before;  but  what  is  reported 
of  the  brother-*"  of  the  Queen  of  Sweden  is  true ;  yet  it  should 
not  be  regarded  as  a  miracle,  but  only  as  a  memorable  occur- 
rence of  the  kind  related  in  the  work  entitled,  'Tlie  True  Christian 
Beligion '  concerning  Luther,  Melancthon,  Calvin,  and  the  rest. 
For  all  these  are  simply  testimonies,  that  I  have  been  intro- 
duced by  the  Lord  as  to  my  spirit  into  the  spiritual  world, 
that  I  converse  with  angels  and  spirits." 

Swedenborg  was  besides  interrogated  on  this  affair  by  some 
of  liis  friends.     To  Springer  he  said  as  follows: 


648  THREE  EXTRA  OBDINAR  Y  FACTS.       [Doc.  275. 

B. 

SPRINGER'S i'^i   TESTUIONY* 

"I  asked  him  [Swedenborg]  concerning  the  letter  written 
by  the  Queen  of  Sweden  to  the  late  Margrave,  her  brother.^*^ 
He  replied,  Much  of  this  is  true,  and  much  is  not  true;  and 
perhaps  the  whole  matter  is  better  known  in  Berlin." 

Cuno,  who  likewise  interrogated  Swedenborg  on  the  same 
subject,  says  (Document  256,  p.  480,)  as  follows: 

C. 

J.  C.  CUNO'S^'^^  TESTniONT. 

"I  am  sorry  that  I  did  not  know  anything  about  the  Gotten- 
burg  story  or  else  I  should  have  asked  Mr.  Swedenborg  about 
it ;  as  I  did  concerning  the  story  about  the  late  Prince  of  Prussia,^*® 
and  the  lost  receipt.  The  truth  of  both  these  stories  he 
affirmed,  but  he  did  not  dwell  long  upon  them,  observing  that 
there  were  hundreds  of  similar  stories;  but  he  did  not  think 
it  worth  while  to  waste  many  words  upon  them ;  saying  that 
all  these  things  were  trifles  placing  in  the  shade  the  great 
object  of  his  mission." 

The  Queen  of  Sweden,  the  other  actor  in  this  drama,  is 
no  less  explicit  in  her  asseveration  of  the  truth  of  this  occur- 
rence. A  sceptical  correspondent  of  the  "Berliner  Monats- 
schrift"  for  1788,  who  writes  anonymously,  but  whom  the  edi- 
tors of  that  journal  characterize  as  "a  distinguished  nobleman," 
had  occasion  to  visit  Stockholm,  where  he  asked  the  Queen 
respecting  this  occurrence.     His  account  is  as  follows: 

D. 

TESTIMONY  OF  THE  "BERLINER  MONATSSCHRIFT."  f 

"In  the  meantime,  I  found  an  opportunity  of  speaking 
with  the  late   Queen  Dowager  about  Swedenborg,  when  she 

*  See  Document  261,  no.  9. 

•}-  The  German  original  of  this  testimony  is  contained  in  the  "Berliner 
Monatsschrift"  for  1788,  p.  306.    An  English  translation  of  it  was  printed 


Doc.  275.]  SWEDENBOEG  AND  THE  QUEEN.  649 

herself  told  me  tlie  anecdote  respecting  herself  and  her 
brother,  with  a  conviction  which  appeared  to  me  extraordinary. 
Every  one  Avho  was  ac(|uaintcd  with  this  really  enlightened 
sister  of  the  great  Frederick,  Avill  agree  with  me  that  she  was 
the  very  reverse  of  fanatical  {schiccbinerit^cli),  and  that  the 
whole  tenor  of  her  mind  was  free  from  all  such  weaknesses. 
Nevertheless,  she  appeared  to  me  to  be  so  convinced  of 
Swedenborg's  supernatural  intercourse  with  spirits,  that  I 
scarcely  durst  venture  to  intimate  any  doubts,  and  to  express 
my  suspicion  of  secret  intrigues;  and  a  royal  air — 'Je  ne  suis 
pas  facilement  dupe'  (I  am  not  easily  duped),  put  an  end  to 
all  my  attempts  at  refutation.' " 

Jung-Stilling  in  his  account  of  this  occurrence  (see  Docu- 
ment 275,  p.  659),  appeals  to  a  "distinguished  theologian  of 
AViirtemberg"  (most  undoubtedly  Prelate  GKtinger^^^)  in  the 
following  words: 


E. 


PRELATE  (ETINOlCR'S^K'i  TESTIMONY. 

"A  distinguished  theologian  of  Wiirtemberg  wrote  to  the 
Queen,  and  asked  her  respecting  this  affair.  In  her  reply  she 
acknowledged  it  to  be  true." 

Dr.  Im.  Tafel  adds  to  this  the  following  particulars  (see 
Part  I  of  the  German  edition  of  the  "Swedenborg  Documents," 
p.  128),  "Tliis  'distinguished  theologian  of  "Wiirtemberg'  was 
without  any  doubt  Prelate  Qitinger,  who  in  his  'Instruction  in 
the  Sacerdotal  Office  of  Christ'  {Unterricht  voni  Hohenpriester- 
thum  Christi),  1772,  p. 45,  says,  that  'Swedenborg  had  visions 
since  1743,'  and  that  'he  is  still  conversing  with  spirits,  lias 
heen  confirmed  hy  the  Queen  of  Siveden.^'' 

in  the  "Intellectual  Repository"  for  May,  1845;  and  in  1855  it  was  re- 
printed in  the  Sujiplement  to  the  enlarged  English  edition  of  the  "Sweden- 
borg Documents,"  p.  57. 

The  testimony  of  the  "distinguished  chevalier"  whose  letter  was  in- 
sei-ted  in  the  "Berhner  Monatsschrift"  is  examined  more  in  detail  in  Docu- 
ment 276. 


650  THREE  EXTRA  ORDIISAR  Y  FACTS.       [Doc.  275. 

Before  entering  on  a  discussion  of  the  particulars  of  this 
occurrence,  we  have  to  observe,  that  for  a  whole  year  before 
the  Queen's  brother,  the  Prince  of  Prussia,^*^  died,  which  took 
place  in  June,  1758,  and  also  at  the  time  when  the  Queen 
interrogated  Swedenborg  concerning  her  brother,  Sweden  was 
involved  in  war  with  Prussia;  that  therefore  the  message  which 
Swedenborg  conveyed  to  her  from  her  deceased  brother,  con- 
cerned her  intercourse  with  parties  in  the  enemy's  country; 
which  circumstance  not  only  made  the  Queen  herself  unwill- 
ing to  communicate  to  others  the  contents  of  that  message, 
but  also  imposed  upon  Swedenborg  the  propriety  of  keeping 
silence  on  this  affair,  at  least  in  Sweden,  and  up  to  a  certain 
time. 

The  most  reliable  witness  concerning  the  imrticulars  of  this 
affair  is  Swedenborg  himself,  who,  in  a  conversation  witJi  Gen. 
Tuxen,^°^  told  him  as  follows: 

P. 

SWEDENBORG'S  ACCOUNT  TO  GENERAL  TVXEN.* 

Gen.  Tuxen  after  making  several  preliminary  remarks  says: 
"This  and  other  relations  induced  me  a  few  years  afterwards 
to  soHcit  the  Swedish  consul,  Mr.  Rahling,  to  acquaint  me  the 
next  time  Swedenborg  came  to  Elsinore.  He  soon  afterwards 
informed  me,  by  means  of  his  nephew,  Mr.  Beyer,  that  Swe- 
denborg was  then  at  his  house  at  dinner,  together  with  the 
captain  who  brought  him  over,  and  desired  I  should  make  great 
haste  as  the  wind  proved  favourable,  and  they  were  on  the 
point  of  embarking.  I  made  all  possible  haste,  and  on  enter- 
ing the  house,  I  addressed  the  Assessor  as  being  an  intimate 
friend  of  the  consul's,  who  had  come  on  purpose  to  have  the 
honour  of  the  aquaiutance  of  so  celebrated  and  learned  a  man 
as  himself;  and  I  requested  his  permission  to  ask  him  a  few 
questions.  To  this  he  civilly  and  mildly  answered,  'Ask  what 
you  please;  I  shall  answer  all  in  truth.'  My  first  question 
was.  Whether  the  relation,  reported  as  having  passed  between 
himself  and  the  Queen  in  Stockholm,  was  true  ?  He  answered, 

*  For  further  particulars  of  this  account,  see  Document  255. 


Doc. 275.]         SWEDEKBORG  AND  THE  QUEEN.  651 

Tell  me  in  Nvhat  manner  you  have  heard  it  related,  and  I  will 
tell  you  what  part  of  it  is  true  or  otherwise.  I  replied,  that 
as  I  saw  he  was  on  the  point  of  going  on  board  the  vessel, 
I  supposed  there  was  no  time  to  lose,  and  therefore  desired 
he  would  have  the  kindness  to  relate  the  affair  to  me.  He 
consented,  and  told  it  me  in  the  same  manner  as  I  had  been 
informed  of  it  before  by  means  of  letters  from  people  of  credit; 
adding,  however,  the  following  circumstances: 

"The  Senator,  Count  Scheffer,^^*^  came  one  day  to  see  him, 
and  asked  him  whether  he  would  accompany  him  to  the  court 
next  day;  Swedenborg  inquired  why  he  proposed  it,  as  he 
very  well  knew  he  occupied  himself  with  other  concerns  than 
going  to  court.  Count  Scheffer  replied,  that  the  Queen,  a 
few  days  before,  had  received  a  letter  from  her  sister  the 
Duchess  of  Brunswick,  in  which  she  mentioned  a  censure  or 
criticism  she  had  reud  in  the  gazette  of  Gottingen,  on  a  man 
in  Stockholm,  who  pretended  to  speak  with  the  dead ;  and  she 
wondered  much  that  the  Queen,  in  her  letters  to  her,  had 
never  mentioned  a  word  on  that  subject.  The  Queen  then 
inquired  of  those  present,  Whether  it  was  true  that  there  was 
such  a  man,  and  whether  he  was  not  insane?  To  this  Count 
Scheffer  answered,  tliat  he  was  far  from  being  insane,  but  was  a 
sensible  and  learned  man.  Upon  this,  the  Queen  expressed  a 
wish  to  see  him;  when  Count  Scheffer  said  that  he  was  inti- 
mately acquainted  with  him,  and  would  propose  it  to  him.  The 
Count  accordingly  made  Swedenborg  promise  to  accompany  him 
to  court,  which  he  did.  The  King"  and  Queen  having  arrived, 
they  entered  into  conversation  with  the  foreign  ambassadors  and 
other  principal  characters  at  court,  and  then  approached  Count 
Scheffer,  who  presented  Swedenborg.  The  Queen  expressed 
her  satisfaction  at  seeing  him,  and  asked  him,  -Whether  it 
was  true,  that  he  could  converse  with  the  deceased?'  He  an- 
swered, 'Yes.'  She  inquired  further,  ' Whether  it  was  a  science 
that  could  be  commmiicated  to  and  by  others?'  'No.'  'What 
is  it  then?"  'A  gift  of  the  Lord.'  'Can  you,  then,  speak  with 
every  one  deceased,  or  only  with  certain  persons?'  He  an- 
swered, 'I  cannot  converse  with  all,  but  with  such  as  I  have 
known  in  this  world;  Avitli  all  royal  and  i)rincely  persons,  with 
all  renowned  heroes,  or  great  and  learned  men,  whom  1  have 


652  THBEE  EXTRA  ORDINAR  Y  FACTS.       [Doc.  275. 

known,  either  personally  or  from  their  actions  or  writings; 
consequently,  of  all  of  whom  I  could  form  an  idea;  for  it 
may  be  supposed  that  a  person  whom  I  never  knew,  or  of 
whom  I  could  form  no  idea,  I  neither  could  nor  would  wish 
to  speak  with.'  The  Queen  then  asked  him,  'Whether  he 
would  undertake  a  commission  to  her  lately  deceased  brother  ?'^*^ 
He  answered,  'With  all  my  heart.'  On  this  he  followed  the 
Queen,  with  the  King  and  Count  Scheffer,  to  a  windov/  in 
the  apartment,  where  the  Queen  gave  him  his  commission,  to 
which  he  promised  to  bring  her  an  answer.  After  this  he 
was  invited  to  the  royal  table,  where  they  put  a  thousand 
questions  to  him,  which  he  answered  truly.  Some  time  after- 
wards. Count  Scheffer  paid  him  another  visit,  and  asked  him 
whether  he  w^ould  accompany  him  to  court  again,  to  which  he 
consented.  The  Queen  on  seeing  him,  said,  'Do  not  forget  my 
commission.'  He  answered,  'It  is  already  done.'  And  when 
he  delivered  her  his  message,  she  was  extremely  surprised, 
and  became  suddenly  indisposed ;  and,  upon  recovering  herself, 
she  said,  'This  no  mortal  could  have  told  me!' 

"On  my  inquiring  whether  any  person  had  heard  what  the 
Queen  had  said,  when  she  gave  him  the  commission,  he  an- 
swered, 'I  do  not  know;  yet  she  did  not  speak  so  low  but  that 
the  King  and  Count  Scheffer,  if  they  had  attended,  might 
have  heard  it.'  This  account  is  trustworthy,  as  the  late  venerable 
man  himself  related  it  to  me." 

This  interview  between  Swedenborg  and  Gen.  Tuxen  seems 
to  have  taken  place  in  the  spring  of  1768,  when  Swedenborg 
journeyed  to  Amsterdam  to  print  there  his  "Conjugial  Love" 
and  other  works;  and  whence  he  returned  to  Stockholm  in  the 
beginning  of  October,  1769;  thus  agreeing  with  Gen.  Tuxen's 
statement  (Document  255,  no.  8),  that  some  time  after  he  was 
informed  that  he  had  returned  by  way  of  Gottenburg  to  Stock- 
holm." This  interview  could  not  have  taken  place  in  1765; 
for  from  that  journey  Swedenborg  returned  to  Stockholm,  with- 
out passing  through  Gottenburg   (see   Document  230,  p.  250). 

Concerning  the  truth  of  Swedenborg's  affair  with  the  Queen, 
Gen.  Tuxen  had  been  previously  informed  by  Baron  C.  F.  von 
Hopken,^^*  brother  of  Count  A.  G.  von  Hopken;^^  see  Docu- 
ment 255,  no.  1,  where  Gen.  Tuxen  says  as  follows: 


Doc.  275.J         SWEDEXBOUG  A}^D  THE  QUEEN.  653 

G. 

BJROA'  c.  F.  roy  hOpken'S"*  accouxt  to  oen.  tvxejt. 

"A  report  having  been  circulated,  that  the  Queen  dowager 
of  Sweden,  Louisa  Ulrica,  had  given  Assessor  Swedenborg  a 
commission  to  speak  \sith  her  deceased  brother,  the  Prince 
of  Prussia, ^*^  I  inquired  of  a  certain  minister  [Baron  C.  F. 
von  Hopken;  see  footnote  to  Document  255,  p.  430],  a 
nobleman  of  great  learning,  who  had,  for  several  years  past, 
honoured  me  with  his  intimate  friendsliip,  whether  he  had 
heard  any  thing  of  this  report  ....  He  answered  me,  that  the 
report  was  not  unfounded;  that  it  had  been  communicated 
by  all  the  foreign  ministers  in  Stockholm  to  their  respective 
courts." 

In  the  account  furnished  by  Swedenborg  to  General  Tuxen 
it  will  be  noticed  that  he  spoke  there  simply  of  a  commission 
with  which  he  had  been  charged  by  the  Queen,  without  speci- 
fying the  nature  of  that  commission. 

It  is  to  be  observed  that  in  none  of  the  accounts  of  this 
occurrence  which  had  been  published  previous  to  the  year 
17G8,  was  the  nature  of  this  commission  explained;  as  appears 
from  the  narratives  published  by  Kant  in  17G6,  and  of  Dr.  Clemm 
in  1767. 

That  of  Kant  which  was  printed  in  his  ^'•Traimie  eines 
Geistersehers''''  (p.  85,  etc.),  w^as  derived  from  the  Danish  officer 
mentioned  in  his  letter  to  Charlotte  von  Knobloch  in  Docu- 
ment 272.  This  officer  had  read  it  in  a  letter  addressed  by 
Baron  von  Liitzow,  the  Mecklenburg  ambassador  in  Stock- 
holm, to  Dietrichstein,  the  Austrian  ambassador  in  Copen- 
hagen.    This  account  is  as  follows: 


H. 

KANT'S  TESTIMONY. 

"Towards  the  end  of  the  year  1761  Mr.  Schwedenberg/52f.7 
was  called  to  a  princess,  whose  great  understanding  and  pene- 
tration ought  to  have  made  an  attempt  at  imposition  almost 
impossible.    He  was  summoned  to  her  on  account  of  the  general 


654  THREE  EXTRA ORDINAR  Y  FACTS.        [Doc.  275. 

rumour  which  had  reached  her  of  liis  being  the  subject  of 
visions.  After  asking  him  some  questions,  more  for  the  pur- 
pose of  deriving  sport  from  his  imagination  than  of  obtaining 
information  from  the  other  workl,  the  princess  dismissed  him, 
after  having  charged  him  first  with  a  secret  commission  touch- 
ing his  intercourse  with  spirits.  After  a  few  days  Mr.  Schwe- 
denberg  appeared  again  with  a  reply  of  such  a  nature,  that 
the  princess,  according  to  her  own  confession,  was  greatly 
astonished;  for  his  reply  was  true,  and  yet  no  living  person 
could  have  given  it  to  him.  This  narrative  is  derived  from 
the  report  of  an  ambassador  at  the  Swedish  court,  to  another 
ambassador  in  Copenhagen;  besides  it  agrees  with  what  we 
were  able  to  learn  by  special  investigations." 

Dr.  Clemm  published  a  similar  account  in  his  '■'•  Einleitwig 
in  die  Religion  mid  die  gesanmite  Religion'''  (Yol.  IV,  p.  205  et  seq.), 
Tubingen,  1767;  only  he  speaks  of  the  deceased  husband,  and 
not  of  the  deceased  hrotlier  of  a  great  princess;  wherein  he 
was  certainly  mistaken.  The  truth  of  Dr.  Clemm's  account 
was  attested  in  Hamburg,  in  1770,  by  Count  Scheffer;^^^  see 
Document  274,  p.  637. 


DR.  CLEMM'S  ACCOUNT. 

"A  great  princess  commissioned  Swedenborg  in  1763  [1761] 
to  put  a  question  to  her  deceased  husband  [brother]^*''  on  a 
certain  subject,  concerning  which  nothing  was  known  by  any 
one  except  by  the  deceased;  if  he  shoidd  bring  a  correct 
answer,  she  would  believe  him.  It  is  said  that  the  reply  which 
he  brought  back  was  of  such  a  kind,  that  she  was  extremely 
surprised  at  it." 

How  very  anxious  every  body  in  Stockholm  was  to  know 
the  nature  of  the  commission  with  which  Swedenborg  had  been 
charged  by  the  Queen,  appears  from  the  following  account 
which  C.  F.  Nordenskold^*'  received  from  the  wife  ofSweden- 
borg's  Gardener: 


Doc.  2 75. J         SWEDENBORG  AXD  THE  QUEEN.  655 

J. 

THE  WIFE  OF  SWEDENBORG'S  OARDENER  TO  C.  F.  NORDy,NSKi)LD'^°* 

"The  wife  of  Swedenborg's  gardener  related  to  us  that  for 
days  following  the  occurrence  carriages  stopped  before  the 
door  of  her  master,  from  \Yhich  the  first  gentlemen  of  the 
kingdom  alighted,  who  desired  to  know  the  secret  of  which 
the  Queen  was  so  much  frightened,  but  her  master,  faithful 
to  his  promise,  refused  to  tell  it." 

During  her  stay  in  Berlin  in  1772,  after  her  husband's 
death,  the  Queen  was  more  communicative  to  some  Acade- 
micians, Messrs.  Merian^"  and  Thiebault;^**  the  latter  of  whom 
in  a  work  entitled,  Mes  Souvenirs  de  vingt  cms  de  Sejour  a 
Berlin;  ou  Frederic  le  Grand,  etc.,  Paris,  1804  (Vol.  II, 
pp.  254  to  257),  gives  a  long  account  of  a  conversation  which 
they  had  with  the  Queen  respecting  Swedenborg.  First  Thiebault 
related  the  story  of  the  "lost  receipt,"  as  he  had  heard  it 
from  Chamberlain  von  Ammon,^*^  the  brother  of  Madame  de 
Marteville  (see  Document  274,  p.  644);  and  then  the  Queen 
made  her  statement. 

K. 

QUKEN  LOUIffA  ULRICA  TO  THE  ACADEMICIAN  THI±BAVLT.-^**\ 

M.  Thiebault  says,  Though  the  Queen  was  but  little  dis- 
posed to  beheve  in  such  seeming  miracles,  she  nevertheless 
had  been  willing  to  put  the  power  of  Swedenborg,  with 
whom  she  was  acquainted,  to  the  proof:  she  was  previously 
acquainted  with  the  anecdote  I  had  related,  and  it  was 
one  of  those  that  had  most  excited  her  astonishment, 
though  she  had  never  taken  the  pains  to  ascertain  the 
truth  of  it;  but  Swedenborg  having  come  one  evening 
to  her  court,  she  had  taken  him  aside,  and  begged  him 
to  inform  himself  from  her  deceased  brother,  the  Prince 
Royal  of  Prussia,^*®   what  he  said  to  her  at  the  last  moment 

*  See  footnote  to  p.  65.  Vol.  I. 

f  An  English  translation  of  this  account  ai^iieared  fii'st  in  Noble's  "Ap- 
peal,"' &c.,  pp.  201,  202. 


656  THREE  EXTRAORDINARY  FACTS.        [Doc.  275. 

she  saw  him,  before  departing  for  Stockhohn,  *  She  added, 
that  what  she  had  said  was  of  a  nature  to  render  it  impos- 
sible that  the  prince  could  have  repeated  it  to  any  one,  nor 
had  it  ever  escaped  her  own  lips :  that;  some  days  after, 
Swedenborg  returned,  when  she  was  seated  at  cards,  and  re- 
quested she  would  grant  him  a  private  audience;  to  which  she 
replied,  he  might  communicate  what  he  had  to  say  before 
every  body;  but  Swedenborg  assured  her  he  could  not  disclose 
what  he  had  to  say  in  the  presence  of  witnesses:  that  in  con- 
sequence of  this  intimation  the  Queen  had  already  become 
very  much  agitated,  and  giving  her  cards  to  another  lady, 
she  requested  the  Senator  von  Schwerin-*^  (who  also  was  pre- 
sent when  she  related  the  story  to  us,)  to  accompany  her: 
that  they  accordingly  went  together  into  another  apartment, 
where  she  posted  M.  de  Schwerin  at  the  door,  and  advanced 
towards  the  farthest  extremity  of  it  with  Swedenborg;  who 
said  to  her,  'You  took,  madam,  your  last  leave  of  the  Prince 
of  Prussia,  your  late  august  brother,^*®  at  Charlottenburg,  on 
such  a  day,  and  at  such  an  hour  of  the  afternoon;  as  you 
were  passing  afterwards  through  the  long  gallery,  in  the  castle 
of  Charlottenburg,  you  met  him  again;  and  there  he  took  you 
by  the  hand,  and  led  you  to  such  a  window,  where  you  could 

not  be    overheard,    and  then    said    to  you   these   words ' 

The  Queen  did  not  repeat  the  words,  but  she  protested  to  us 
they  were  the  very  same  her  brother  had  pronounced,  and 
that  she  retained  the  most  perfect  recollection  of  them.  She 
added,  that  she  nearly  fainted  at  the  shock  she  experienced: 
and  she  called  on  M.  de  Schwerin  to  answer  for  the  truth  of 
what  she  had  said;  who,  in  his  laconic  style,  contented  him- 
self with  saying,  'All  you  have  said,  madam,  is  perfectly  true — 
at  least  as  far  as  I  am  concerned.'  I  ought  to  add,  M.  Thie- 
bault  continues,  that  though  the  Queen  laid  great  stress  on 
the  truth  of  her  recital,  she  professed  herself,  at  the  same 
time,  incredulous  as  to  Swedenborg's  supposed  conferences  with 
the  dead.  'A  thousand  events,'  said  she,  'appear  inexplicable 
and  supernatural  to  us,  who  know  only  the  immediate  conse- 
quences of  them;   and  men  of  quick  parts,   who  are  never  so 

*  Louisa  Ulrica  left  Berlin  for  Stockholm  in  1744;  see  Document  275,  N. 


Doc.  275.]         SWEDENBORG  AND  THE  QUEEN.  657 

well  pleased  as  when  they  exhibit  something  wonderful,  take 
an  advantage  of  this  to  gain  au  extraordinary  reputation. 
Swedenborg  was  a  man  of  learning,  and  very  able  in  his  pro- 
fession; he  has  always  had  the  reputation  of  being  an  honest 
man;  and  I  cannot  comprehend  by  what  means  he  obtained 
the  knowledge  of  what  no  one  could  know.  However,  I  have 
no  faith  in  his  hadng  had  a  conference  with  my  late  brother.' " 
The  Queen  must  have  given  special  instructions  to  these 
gentlemen  not  to  communicate  what  they  had  heard  to  any 
one;  for  another  member  of  the  Academy,  M.  Pernety,  who 
was  very  intimate  with  one  of  these  academicians,  could  not. 
extract  the  least  information  from  him;  as  appears  from  what 
follows: 


PERNETY >S'»   ACCOUNT.* 

"The  Queen  having  come  to  spend  a  few  months  in  Berlin 
after  the  death  of  her  husband,  some  academicians,  to  whom 
she  did  the  honour  of  inviting  them  to  her  table,  took  the 
liberty  of  asking  her  whether  that  report  was  true.  She 
avoided  a  reply,  saying,  'Oh,  with  regard  to  the  history  ot 
the  Countess  de  Marteville,  that  is  certain;'  but  she  said 
nothing  respecting  the  matter  that  concerned  herself.  1  was 
told  tliis  by  M.  M[erian],  one  of  these  academicians,  to  whom 
tliis  princess  afterwards  sent  some  works  of  Swedenborg  as  a 
present,  and  who  most  kindly  lent  them  to  me.  I  subse- 
quently procured  them  for  myself,  and  the  satisfaction  I  ex- 
perienced in  reading  them  again,  induced  me  to  translate 
some  of  them  into  French." 

After  the  Queen's  visit  to  Berlin  in  1772,  her  version  of 
her  experience  with  Swedenborg  seems  gradually  to  have 
gained  ground  in  Sweden;  for  from  that  time  we  meet  with 
the  following  accounts  from  Swedish  sources,  all  of  which 
agree  in  the  stateincnt  tliat  Swedenborg  Avas  commissioned  by 


*  See  Document  H,  no.  26. 

42 


658  THREE  EXTRA  ORDINAR  Y  FACTS.        [Doc.  275. 

tlie  Queen  to  obtain  a  report  of  the  substance  of  a  conversation 
which  she  had  had  with  her  brother. 

The  first  of  these  is  K-obsahm's  account,  which  boars  tho 
date  of  the  year  1782. 


M. 

ROBSARM'S'''  ACCOUNT.* 

"Swedenborg  was  once  in  the  presence  of  a  certain  high 
personage  [Queen  Louisa  Ulrica"],  who  asked  him  whether  he 
could  meet  her  late  brother  [the  Prince  of  Prussia^*"],  and 
whether  he  could  find  what  these  high  personages  had  said 
to  one  another  on  a  certain  matter.  Swedenborg  promised; 
and  he  came  back  a  few  days  afterwards  to  give  the  answer, 
which  he  did  in  the  presence  of  a  high  gentleman  [Senator 
von  Schwerin^*^].  The  high  personage  then  took  Swedenborg 
aside  to  ono  part  of  the  room,  where  he  told  her  in  private 
what  she  desired  to  know  from  the  deceased  gentleman.  The 
high  personage  thereupon  became  amazed,  and  said  that  tliis 
was  altogether  incomprehensible,  inasmuch  as  no  one  in  the 
world  knew  anything  about  this,  except  herself  and  her  de- 
ceased brother." 

The  next  testimony  is  from  Letocard,  the  Secretary  of  the 
Dutch  embassy,  who  wrote  his  account  to  the  Countess  von 
Schwerin  in  1788  (see  Document  275,  p.  682). 

N. 

LETOCARD 'S  ACCOUNT. 

"The  late  Queen  of  Sweden  desired  to  test  Swedenborg's 
supernatural  gift  of  conversing  at  his  good  pleasure  with  the 
souls  of  the  departed,  and  charged  him  to  raise  the  spirit  of 
her  late  brother,  the  Crown-Prince  of  Prussia,^**'  and  to  de- 
mand from  him  a  positive  answer  as  to  what  had  been  the 
subject  of  the  conversation  which  the  Queen  had  with  the 
prince  alone  by  himself  in    the    embrasure    of    a    window  of 

*  See  Document  5,  no.  46. 


Doc.  275.]         SWi:i)EXJ:(}i:rr  A^W  THE  QUEEN.  (i59 

the  palace  in  Cliarlotteiiburg,  in  the  month  of  July,  1744.  A 
short  time  aftenvartls  Swcdenborg  l)roiight  back  an  answer 
to  the  Queoii,  Avith  which  Hur  Majesty  seemed  to  be  entirely 
satisfied;  for  she  said,  she  was  perfectly  convinced  that  no 
living  soul,  except  the  prince,  her  brother,  and  herself  could 
know  any  thing  about  this  circumstance." 

The  next  account  is  that  of  Jung-Stilling,  which  he  derived 
from  a  distinguished  Swede.  It  was  published  by  him  in  liis 
''TIavrie  dcr  Gei^^tcrlcumle;'   Nuremberg,  180«  (i)p.  90  to  DO). 


O. 

JUNO-f!TILLIXO'f!'i^'-  ACCOVNT. 

"The  Queen  of  Sweden  tested  Swcdenborg  in  this  manner: 
she  commissioned  him  to  tell  her  what  she  had  conversed 
about,  on  a  certain  memorable  day,  I  believe,  wth  the 
Prince  of'  Prussia^**'  in  Charlottenburg.  After  some  time 
Swedenborg  applied  for  an  audience,  and  told  it  to  her.  The 
(^ueen,  as  njay  easily  be  expected,  was  very  much  frightened 
at  it. 

"This  occurrence  has  been  questioned  in  the  public  papers, 
but  a  distinguished  Swede,  who  was  by  no  means  an  admirer 
of  Swedenborg,  has  assured  me  that  it  is  the  pure  truth,  and 
cannot  be  called  in  question.  He  furnished  me  with  some  ad- 
ditional proofs,  but  which  I  hesitate  to  make  known,  because, 
as  is  usually  the  case  with  stories  that  deal  with  the  realm 
of  spirits,  some  are  thereby  compromised  who  ought  to  be 
spared. 

"A  distinguished  theologian  of  AViirtcmberg  wrote  to  the 
Queen,  and  asked  her  respecting  this  subject.  In  her  reply 
she  acknowledged  it  to  be  true."* 

Count  Hopken  had  been  reading  Robsahm's  account  of 
this  affair  in  his  Memoirs  of  Swedenborg  (Document  5);  and 
he  caused  to  be  appended  there  to  the  following  account,  which 
he  received  from  the  Queen  herself  in  1774. 

*  See  Document  275,  \>.  649. 

42* 


660  THREE  EXTRAOBDINAEY FACTS.         [Doc.  275. 

P. 

COUNT  BOPKEN'S'^"  STATEMENT.* 

^^  Truthful  Account  made  by  the  late  Queen  Dowager^''  in 
Haga,  in  the  year  1744. 

"Swedenborg  was  one  day  at  a  court  reception.  Her  Majesty 
asked  him  about  different  things  in  the  other  life,  and  lastly 
whether  he  had  seen,  or  had  talked  with  her  brother,  the 
Prince  Royal  of  Prussia.^*^  He  answered.  No.  Her  Majesty 
then  requested  him  to  ask  after  him,  and  to  give  him  her 
greeting,  which  Swedenborg  promised  to  do.  I  doubt  whether 
the  Queen  meant  anything  serious  by  it.  At  the  next  re- 
ception Swedenborg  again  appeared  at  court;  and  while  the 
Queen  was  in  the  so-called  white  room,  surrounded  by  her 
ladies  of  honour,  he  came  boldly  in,  and  approached  Her 
Majesty,  who  no  longer  remembered  the  commission  she  had 
given  him  a  week  before.  Swedenborg  not  only  greeted  her 
from  her  brother,  but  also  gave  her  liis  apologies  for  not  having 
answered  her  last  letter;  he  also  wished  to  do  so  now  through 
Swedenborg;  which  he  accordingly  did.  The  Queen  was  greatly 
overcome,  and  said,  *No  one,  except  God,  knows  this  secret.' 

"The  reason  why  she  never  adverted  to  this  before,  was, 
that  she  did  not  wish  any  one  in  Sweden  to  believe  that  dur- 
ing a  war  with  Prussia  she  had  carried  on  a  correspondence 
in  the  enemy's  country.  The  same  caution  Her  Majesty  exer- 
cised during  her  last  visit  to  Berlin.  When  she  was  asked 
about  this  transaction,  which  had  been  printed  in  a  German 
paper,  she  did  not  answer.  This  circumstance  was  narrated 
in  the  French  translation  of  'Heaven  and  Hell'  [see  Docu- 
ment 275,  K  and  L]. 

"The  above  was  written  with  his  own  hand  by  His  Ex- 
cellency, Count  Hopken,  February  9,  1784,  after  he  had  read 
Robsahm's  'Life  of  Swedenborg'  [Document  5],  and  he  desired 
this  to  be  appended  to  it." 

Here  a  new  face  of  the  story  is  given  from  which  it  ap- 
pears that  the  commission  which  the  Queen  gave  to  Swedenborg 

*  See  Document  5,  no.  53.  The  first  EngKsh  translation  of  tliis  Docu- 
ment was  published  in  the  "New  Jerusalem  Magazine"  for  1790,  p.  153. 


Doc.  275.]         SWEDENB ORG  AND  THE  QUEEN.  661 

had  not  reference  to  a  circumstance  dating  seventeen  years 
Ijuck;  but  one  which  concerned  her  intercourse  with  her  brother 
during  the  last  year  of  his  life,  in  1758;  and,  indeed,  at  a 
time  when  Sweden  was  at  war  with  Prussia.  The  fact  of  her 
carrying  on  a  correspondence  in  the  enemy's  country,  which 
would  have  come  to  light  had  she  divulged  the  character  of 
tlie  commission  she  had  given  to  Swedenborg,  the  Queen  sought 
to  conceal  by  connecting  it  with  a  circumstance  that  occurred 
in  1744.  The  Queen,  indeed,  communicated  the  real  fact  of 
the  case  to  Count  Hopken  in  1774,  but  he  did  not  make  it 
known  until  1784,  thus  ten  years  after  her  death. 

Swedenborg  himself  communicated  the  particulars  of  his 
commission  to  some  of  his  friends  in  London,  no  doubt  after 
he  had  given  his  account  to  Gen.  Tuxen;  and  it  is  remarkable 
tliat  in  none  of  the  accounts  of  this  story  which  date  from 
London,  is  it  said  that  he  had  been  commissioned  by  the 
(^ucen  to  report  the  substance  of  a  conversation  she  had  had 
with  her  brother;  but  they  all  agree  that  it  concerned  her 
correspondence  with  her  brother  in  1758. 

We,  accordingly,  read  in  subdivision  B,  (p.  648,)  that  Springer 
asked  Swedenborg  ''concerning  the  letter  written  by  the  Queen 
of  Sweden  to  the  late  Margrave,  her  brother."  The  particulars 
of  the  account,  however,  Springer  communicated  to  Henry 
Peckitt,  Esq.,  in  1778;  they  are  as  follows: 


Q. 

MB.  SrRINOKR'S^'^'  ACCOUNT  TO  HENRT  PECKITT^'^''* 

"Mr.  Springer  told  me,  that  the  Queen  of  Sweden  had 
written  letters  to  her  brother,  a  Prince  of  Prussia; ^^^  and  that 
having  no  answers,  she  doubted  whether  he  had  received  them 
or  not.  The  Baron  [Swedenborg]  at  that  time  had  converse 
with  the  Queen,  and  her  brother  died  in  Prussia.  She  was 
very  desirous  to  know  if  he  had  received  the  letters.  She 
consulted  the  Baron,  who  said  he  would  inform  her  in  a  few 
days.     He  did  so,  and  told   her  he  had  received  them,  and 

*  See  Document  263,  no.  13. 


662  THREE  EXTRA  ORDINAR  Y  FACTS.        [Doc.  275. 

was  going  to  answer  them,  and  that  in  an  escritoire  of  the 
Prince  was  a  letter  unfinished  intended  for  her;  but  he  was 
taken  ill  and  died.  She  sent  to  the  King  of  Prussia,  and  it 
was  as  the  Baron  had  foretold — the  King  sent  the  unfinished 
letter."  Another  account  of  Peckitt's  story  will  be  found  in 
Document  261,  in  a  footnote  on  p.  531. 

This  version  of  the  Queen's  story  accounts  for  the  answer 
Swedenborg  gave  to  Springer  (see  p.  648),  that  "perhaps  the 
whole  matter  is  better  known  in  Berlin." 

To  Bergstrom^^*  Swedenborg  gave  a  similar  account;  yet 
as  his  story  contains  a  manifest  inaccuracy,  which  we  print 
in  italics,  Springer's  story  as  related  by  Peckitt  must  be  re- 
garded as  more  authentic.  / 

R. 

BEJiGSTROM'S''-''  ACCOUNT  TO  PnOVO.^^^^'■'■' 

"Swedenborg  told  me  the  story  about  the  Queen  of  Swe- 
den's brother.  ^^'^  She  had  secretly  burnt  a  letter  of  his  sod  Iter 
a  short  time  before  the  hattle  in  ivhich  he  ivas  li'dled,-\  and 
she  wanted  to  know  some  other  particulars  relative  to  the 
contents.  Swedenborg,  some  days  after  her  application  to  him, 
returned,  and  told  her  that  her  brother  was  offended  that  she 
had  burnt  his  letter;  and  as  this  was  known  to  none  but  her- 
self, she  nearly  fainted  at  hearing  it;  and  was  always  very  cour- 
teous to  him  afterwards." 

Augustus  Nordenskold,  ^^  during  a  journey  abroad  in  1780, 
became  acquainted  with  the  version  of  the  Queen's  story  which 
Swedenborg  had  given  to  Springer,  and  this  he  embodied  in 
the  account  which  he  and  his  brother  Charles  Frederic  ^'^  sent 
to  Pernety  towards  the  close  of  1781  (see  Volume  I,  p.  52), 
and  which  afterwards  appeared  in  the  preface  to  Pernety's 
French  translation  of  "Heaven  and  Hell."  This  account  is  as 
follows : 

*  See  Document  262,  no.  4. 

■{■  The  Prince  of  Prussia,  August  Wilhelm,  did  not  die  in  battle,  but  at 
Chai-lottenburg.    See  Note  246. 


Doc.  275.]        SWEDENBOEG  AND  THE  QUEEN.  663 

S. 
ACCOUNT  xrnicn  rnr,  unoTnKRs  NOJiDEXf^Kfito  madk  to  pesnety.'** 

"The  Queen  Dowager,  widow  of  Adolphus  Frederic,  and 
sister  of  the  King  of  Prussia,"  having  heard  a  report  of  the  story 
of  the  'lost  receipt,'  and  of  several  others  which  were  related 
of  Swedenborg,  said  to  Senator  Count  Hopken,  that  she  would 
like  to  speak  with  Swedenborg.  The  Count,  as  bearer  of  the 
(Queen's  orders,  met  Swedenborg,  who  was  going  to  the  palace 
for  the  purpose  of  speaking  with  Her  Majesty.  After  convers- 
ing for  some  time  on  various  subjects,  the  Queen  asked  him 
whether  he  could  ascertain  the  contents  of  a  certain  letter  which 
she  had  written  to  her  brother,  the  late  Prince  of  Prussia,  ^*^ 
and  which  slie  said  no  one  in  the  world  except  her  brother  could 
know.  Swedenborg  replied  that  he  would  tell  her  in  a  few 
days.  He  kept  his  word:  for  having  taken  Her  Majesty  aside, 
he  repeated  to  her  word  for  word  the  contents  of  the  letter. 
The  Queen,  who  was  not  the  least  superstitious,  and  possessed 
great  strength  of  mind,  was  filled  with  the  greatest  astonish- 
ment. She  related  the  fact,  which  was  much  talked  of  in 
Stockholm  and  abroad,  and  which  every  one  dressed  up  to 
suit  himself." 

This  version  of  the  Queen's  story  had  perhaps  the  widest 
circulation,  and  it  forms  the  basis  of  the  attack  upon  Swe- 
denborg, which  is  discussed  in  Document  276.  There  are 
some  particulars  contained  in  it,  which  are  evidently  erroneous ; 
for  although  the  brothers  Nordenskold  declare  that  their  ac- 
count was  derived  from  Count  Hopken  and  the  wife  of  Sweden- 
borg's  gardener;  still  upon  consulting  other  equally,  and  per- 
haps more,  reliable  information,  it  appears,  that  not  Count 
Hftpken,  but  Count  Scheffer  was  the  bearer  of  the  Queen's  orders 
to  Swedenborg.  Compare  the  minute  account  of  the  circum- 
stances preliminary  to  his  interview  with  the  Queen  which 
Swedenborg  gave  to  Gen.  Tuxen  in  Document  276,  F.  That  Count 
Scheffer^^*^  was  present  at  Swedenborg's  interview  with  the 
Queen,  was  also  confirmed  Ijy  the  latter  gentleman  to  Senator 
Count  Tessin;^**  as  appears  fi'om  what  follows: 

*  See  Docameut  6,  no.  25. 


664  THREE  EXTRA  ORDINAR  Y  FACTS.       [Doc.  275. 

T. 

SWEDENSORO'S  ACCOUNT  TO  COVNT  TESSIN.*^* 

"I  asked  Swedenborg  myself  about  liis  conversation  with 
the  Queen,  respecting  her  late  brother,  the  Prince  of  Prussia,^*" 
and  was  told  that  Senator  Scheffer^^^  was  present,  and  witnessed 
the  Queen's  fright." 

Besides,  Count  Hopken-in  his  own  account  of  this  affair 
(subdivision  P),  does  not  mention  his  having  had  any  share 
in  bringing  about  Swedenborg's  interview  with  the  Queen;  and 
his  account  seems  especially  written  for  the  purpose  of  recti- 
fying that  of  the  Brothers  Nordenskold,  wliich  had  been  printed 
by  Peruety;  for  he  pointedly  refers  to  that  publication  in  his 
communication. 

Moreover,  the  statement  of  the  Nordenskolds ,  that  the 
Queen  had  commissioned  Swedenborg  to  report  to  her  the 
contents  of  a  letter  she  had  written  to  her  brother,  would 
not  s€em  to  be  an  absolute  test  of  Swedenborg's  power  of 
conversing  with  spirits;  for  the  Queen  could  not  know  what 
had  become  of  her  letter  after  it  had  left  her  hands,  and  still 
less  what  had  been  its  fate  after  the  death  of  her  brother. 

0.  F.  Nordenskold  himself  seems  to  have  recognized  the 
weakness  of  the  account  which  he  and  his  brother  Augustus 
had  communicated  to  Pernety  in  1781 ;  wherefore  in  a  later 
work,  on  which  he  was  engaged  at  the  time  of  his  death,  he 
cancelled  that  part  of  his  story,  and  substituted  for  it  the 
account  which  the  Queen  gave  to  the  Academician  Thiebault 
in  1772,  as  appears  from  what  follows: 

U. 

C.  F.  NORDENSKOLD'S''''  ACCOUNT,  f 

"Queen    Louisa   Ulrica, ^^    sister    of    Frederic  II,   King 
of  Prussia,    having  heard  much   about  Swedenborg,    and   his 

*  See  Document  250,  no.  13. 

f  The  French  oiiginal  of  this  account  is  contained  in  the  work  entitled, 
"Omsidcratmis  Gaierales  sur  le  Christianisme  Actuel  et  la  Lumicre  que 
M.  E.  Swedcnborr/  rcpmul  sur  les  Religions,'"  p.  181.  For  further  par- 
ticulars regarding  this  work,  see  Volume  I,  p.  621. 


H 


Doc.  275.]         SWEDEXBOBG  AND  THE  QUEEN.  665 

intercourse  with  spirits  in  the  other  world,  said  one  day  to 
Count  Anders  von  Hopken,  who  was  then  a  senator  of  the 
realm,  that  she  would  like  to  speak  with  this  extraordinary 
man.  This  senator  arrani^ed  that  Swedenhorg  sliould  have  an 
audience.  The  Queen  asked  him  a  question,  which  her  de- 
ceased hrother  was  to  answer.  Swedenborg  promised  to  con- 
sult the  departed,  hut  he  asked  the  Queen  to  grant  him  a 
few  days,  which  she  did.  AVhcn  he  returned  to  the  castle 
Count  Hr»pken  was  not  there,  but  Count  von  Schwerin,  whom 
the  Queen  left  at  the  door,  while  she  went  with  Swedenborg 
into  an  adjoining  apartment.  There  the  sage  informed  her 
of  some  things,  which  only  she  and.  the  deceased  prince  could 
possibly  know.  The  Queen  was  so  amazed,  that  she  almost 
fainted.  Count  von  Schwerin  entered  brusquely,  and  addressed 
bitter  reproaches  to  Swedenborg,  in  the  hope  of  eliciting  his 
secret  from  him;  which  however  he  carefully  guarded  .  .  . 
M.  Dieudonne  Tliiebault,  member  of  the  Academy  of  Sciences 
in  Berlin,  had  an  opportunity  of  hearing  this  anecdote  con- 
firmed by  the  Queen  herself." 

The  Queen,  in  her  account  to  the  Academician  Thiehault, 
does  not  mention  this  brusque  entrance  of  Count  von  Schwerin 
(see  subdivision  K). 

The  only  other  account  which  we  have  of  this  story,  is  that 
of  Captain  Sta,lharamar,^*^.  which  seems  to  have  been  derived 
from  some  person  at  Court,  present  during  th(^  occurrence.  Wo 
extract  it  from  a  letter  given  in  full  in  Document  276,  p.  677. 


V. 

CAPTAIN  STATjIIAMMAR'S-'I'*  ACCOUNT.* 

"In  1758  [1761],  a  short  time  after  the  death  of  the  Prince 
of  Prussia,  Swedenborg  came  to  court,  wliere  he  was  in  the 

*  The  French  oriffinal  of  this  account  is  contained  in  a  work  pubHsiied 
in  Stockholm  and  Strassbour/?  in  1788,  entitled  Ahrege  des  Ouvragcs  (V Em. 
Swedenborg  (Preface,  pp.  LVIII  to  LXI);  the  first  English  Translation  of 
this  account  appeared  in  an  English  version  of  the  above  work,  entitled, 
"Beauties  of  .Swedenborg."  It  was  reprinted  afterv/ards  in  the  "Litellectual 
Repository"  for  IBliJ,  p.  37U. 


666  THREE  EXTRA  ORDINAR  Y  FACTS.       [Doc.  275. 

haUt  of  attending  rerjulmiy.*  As  soon  as  he  was  perceived 
by  the  Queen,  she  said  to  him,  'Well,  Mr.  Assessor,  have  you 
seen  my  brother?'  Swedenborg  answered,  'No;'  whereupon 
she  replied,  'If  you  should  see  him,  remember  me  to  him.' 
In  saying  this,  she  did  but  jest,  and  had  no  thought  of  asking 
him  any  information  about  her  brother.  Eight  days  after- 
wards Swedenborg  came  again  to  court,  but  so  early  that  the 
Queen  had  not  left  her  apartment  called  the  white  room, 
where  she  was  conversing  with  her  maids  of  honour  and  other 
ladies  of  the  court.  Swedenborg  did  not  wait  for  the  Queen's 
coming  out,  but  enteied  directly  into  her  apartment,  and 
whispered  in  her  ear.  The  Queen,  struck  with  astonishment, 
was  taken  ill,  and  did  not  recover  herself  for  some  time.  After 
she  was  come  to  herself,  she  said  to  those  about  her,  '■TJiere 
is  only  God  and  my  hrother  ivho  can  know  what  he  has  just 
told  me.''  She  owned  that  he  had  spoken  of  her  last  corre- 
spondence with  the  prince,  the  subject  of  which  was  known  to 
themselves  alone." 

If  we  pass  now  in  review  this  long  list  of  authorities,  each 
of  whom  relates  the  story  of  Swedenborg  and  the  Queen  in 
his  own  way,  we  arrive  at  the  conclusion  that  the  real  facts 
of  this  occurrence  are  furnished  by  the  accounts  of  Gen. 
Tuxen  (subdivision  F),  Mr.  Springer  (subdivision  Q),  and  Count 
Hopken  (subdivision  P). 

*  Swedenborg  did  not  attend  regularly  at  court,  as  aj^pears  fi'oui  hie 
remark  to  Count  Schefler  in  subdi\'ision  F. 


DOCUMENT  276. 

EXPLANATION  OF  'V\m  FOREGOING  FACTtS 
ATTEMPTED. 


Miracles  and  occurrences  wliii-li  arc  due  to  spiritual  causes 
arc  inconvenient  to  such  as  believe  in  nature  only,  and  they 
hasten  by  fair  and  unfair  means,  to  prove  their  natural  origin. 
Such  has  been  the  fate  of  the  miracles  recorded  in  the  Sacred 
Scripture,  which  the  rationalistic  school  of  theology  has  in 
vain  sought  to  explain  in  a  natural  manner;  and  similar  at- 
tempts have  been  made  to  prove  the  non-reality  of  those  facts 
which  are  generally  (pioted  as  proofs  of  Swedenborg's  inter- 
course with  the  spiritual  world. 

The  unsatisfactory  character  of  these  explanations,  it  is 
true,  has  been  exposed  by  competent  authorities  on  the  spot. 
But  as  only  very  recently  they  have  been  retailed  afresh 
as  genuine  in  a  professed  historical  work,  viz.  Fryxell's^^* 
"Berattelser  ur  Svenska  Historien"  (Part  XLIII,  p.  164)  it 
becomes  our  duty  fully  to  examine  them  in  our  present  work. 


A. 

THE  "BERLINISCHE  MONATSSCHRIFT"  FOR  1783 
ON  SWEDENBORG. 

I. 

LETTER  OF  A  DISTINGUISHED  CHEVALIER  TO   THE  EDITORS. 

"In  the  year  1771  a  certain  gentleman, 

a  zealous  defender  of  the  opinions  contained  in  the  Avorks  of 
Swedenborg,  lent  me  an  epitome  of  his  works  in  four  volumes 
translated  into  German  ....  In  the  preface  to  this  epitome 
of  Swedenborg's  voluminous  works,  I  found  among  other  things 
the  relation  of  one  of  his  miracles,  which  was  as  follows :  The 
late  Queen  Louisa  Ulrica  commissioned  Swedenborg  once  to 
ask  her  late  brother,  the  Crown-Prince  of  Prussia,  why  he 
did  not  answer  a  certain  letter  of  hers.  After  twenty-four 
hours  Swedenborg  is  said  to  have  told  the  Queen  the  answer 
of  the  Prince  in  such  a  manner  that  she,  who  was  thoroughly 
convinced  that  no  one  except  herself  and  her  late  brother 
knew  the  contents  of  that  letter,  was  in  great  consternation, 
and  acknowledged  the  supernatural  power  of  that  great  man. 

"Facts  if  they  are  based  on  the  testimony  of  Hving  wit- 
nesses, as  in  the  present  case,  cannot  be  gainsaid  without 
proofs  to  the  contrary.  I,  therefore,  read  this  miracle  attri- 
buted to  Swedenborg,  kept  silence,  and  a  short  time  afterwards 
travelled  to  Stockholm. 

"Here  I  heard  very  little  about  that  great  man.  At  least 
what  I  heard  concerning  him  consisted  mostly  of  short  anec- 
dotes and  wonderful  stories,  which  were  quoted  for  sport,  and 


Doc.  276.  ]  A  TTEMFTS  A  T  EX  PLANA  TION.  669 

which  shewed  that  by  his  crotchets  he  had  not  gained  many 
adherents 

"In  the  meantime  I  found  an  opportunity  of  speaking 
with  the  hite  Queen  Dowager  about  Swedenborg,  when  she 
herself  rehited  to  me  the  anecdote,  mentioned  above,  respecting 
herself  and  her  brother,  with  a  conviction  which  appeared 
to  me  extraordinary.  Every  one  who  has  been  acquainted 
with  this  really  enlightened  sister  of  the  great  Frederic,  will 
agree  with  me  that  she  was  the  very  reverse  of  fanatical, 
and  that  the  whole  tenor  of  her  mind  was  free  from  all  such 
weaknesses.  Nevertheless  she  seemed  so  fully  convinced  of 
the  supernatural  and  spiritual  conferences  of  Swedenborg, 
that  I  scarcely  dared  to  express  any  doubts  or  suspicion  of 
secret  intrigues ;  and  a  royal  'Je  nc  suis  ims  facUement  (hcpe' 
(I  am  not  easily  duped),  put  an  end  to  all  refutations. 

"I  was  therefore  compelled  to  keep  silence,  and  to  wait 
for  an  opportunity.  This  occurred  very  soon,  and  indeed  on 
the  very  next  day  when  I  was  on  a  visit  to  the  aged  and 
venerable  Chevalier  Beylon,^^^  now  dead,  who  had  been  reader 
to  the  Queen  Dowager,  and  in  whose  company  \  found  one 
of  the  noblest,  most  enlightened,  and  most  honest  Swedes, 
Count  F  .  .  .  The  conversation  turned  on  Swedenborg,  and 
1  related  what  the  Queen  had  told  me  on  the  previous  day. 
The  old  Chevalier  looked  at  Count  F  .  .  .  .,  and  both  smiled 
significantly,  as  if  they  were  acquainted  with  the  secret  working 
of  the  circumstances.  My  attention  was  now  excited,  and  as 
I  was  very  anxious  to  know  more  about  the  matter,  the 
Chevalier  gave  me  the  following  explanation: 

"The  Queen  had  been  looked  upon  as  one  of  the  cliief 
causes  of  the  revolution,  which  had  been  attempted  in  Sweden 
in  1756,  and  which  resulted  in  the  execution  of  Count  Bralie,'" 
and  of  Baron  Horn,^^®  the  court-marshal;  and  the  party  of 
the  'hats,'  which  proved  victorious,  was  nearly  making  her 
accountable  for  the  blood  which  was  shed.  In  this  critical 
situation  she  wrote  to  her  brother,  the  Crown-Prince  of  Prussia, 
for  help  and  advice.  The  Queen  received  no  answer;  and  as 
the  Prince  died  soon  afterwards,  she  was  unable  to  find  out 
why  he  did  not  answer  her  letter;  wherefore  she  commissioned 


-9 


670  THREE  EXTRA  ORDINAR  Y  FACTS.        [Doc.  276. 

Swede'nborg  to  interrogate  him   on  this  subject.     "When  she 

gave  him  this  commission,  the  Senators  Count  T ^^  and 

Count  H ^^  were  present.    As  the  latter  gentleman,  who 

had  intercepted  the  letter,  and  Count  T  .  .  .  .  were  well  aware 
why  the  Queen  had  not  received  it,  they  resolved  to  make 
use  of  this  strange  circumstance,  to  give  a  piece  of  their  mind 
to  the  Queen  and  in  such  a  manner  that  it  would  make  a  strong 
impression  upon  her.  They  accordingly  went  to  see  the  ghost- 
seer  during  the  night,  and  instructed  him  what  to  say.  Sweden- 
borg,  who  had  failed  to  receive  supernatural  information,  was 
delighted  to  get  their  instructions,  and  on  the  following  day 
he  hastened  to  the  Queen,  and  in  the  secret  of  her  cabinet 
told  her,  that  the  ghost  of  the  Prince  had  appeared  to  him, 
and  commissioned  him  to  tell  her,  that  he  had  not  answered 
her  letter,  because  he  was  too  much  displeased  with  her 
conduct,  since  on  account  of  her  lack  of  political  prudence 
and  her  ambition,  she  had  been  the  cause  of  the  shedding  of 
blood,  for  which  she  would  have  to  atone;  that  therefore  he 
entreated  her  never  more  to  meddle  in  affairs  of  state,  nor 
to  attempt  to  seize  the  reins  of  government,  nor  to  cause  any 
insurrection  which  sooner  or  later  would  result  in  her  own 
destruction. 

"The  Queen  was  very  much  astonished  at  this  explanation, 
and  as  she  was  firmly  convinced  that  no  one  except  her  late 
brother  could  be  acquainted  with  these  private  circumstances 
and  her  letters,  which  she  had  communicated  only  to  him,  she 
became  from  that  very  moment  a  believer  in  Swedenborg,  and 
defended  him  most  zealously,  without,  however,  informing  any 
one  of  the  contents  of  his  account.  Besides,  it  can  be  easily 
imagined  that  the  two  gentlemen  who  had  prescribed  this 
politico-moral  medicine  for  her,  took  very  good  care  not  to 
speak  concerning  it  themselves;  because,  even  after  the  suc- 
cessful revolution  of  1772,  they  felt  sure  that  everything  would 
be  lost  by  a  discovery.  Very  few  Swedes  knew  this  anecdote 
during  the  life-time  of  the  Queen.  The  old  Chevalier  Beylon,^^^ 
who  happened  early  in  the  morning  at  three  o'clock  to  pass 
through  the  Sodermalm,  where  Swedenborg  lived,  saw  the  two 
statesmen  stealthily  leave  his  house;  and  as  he  was  likewise 
present  when  the  Queen  gave  Swedenborg  her  commission,  he 


Doo.  27G.]  A  TTEMFTS  A  T  EXl 'LA  XA  Tl  ON.  < )7 1 

soon  guessed  the  whole  plan ;  but  ho  did  not  divulge  it,  because 
he  did  not  grudge  the  Queen  this  lesson. 

"This  is  the  key  of  the  whole  story  ...  I  vow  for  the  tnilli 
of  this  account,  which  was  afterwards  confirmed  to  me  by  a 
distinguished  personage,  and  which  is  not  subject  to  tiie  least 
doubt.  Chevalier  Beylon,  wlio  was  very  well  acquainted  with 
Swedimborg.  told  me  several  additional  anecdotes  concerning 
him,  part  of  which  I  have  forgotten,  and  part  of  which  I  consider 
cither  as  too  insignificant  or  as  almost  universally  known. 

"If  you  consider  the  anecdotes  contained  in  my  letter 
worth  printing,  you  are  at  liberty  to  insert  my  letter  in  your 
excellent  Journal,  and  if  any  one  should  contradict  my  state- 
ment, you  may  mention  my  name.  Othcsrwise  I  prefer  to 
remain  unknown;  for  in  the  solitude  in  which  I  live,  I  should 
rather  not  break  a  lance  with  the  future  inhabitants  of  the 
New  Jerusalem,  &c. 

"I  remain 

"Yours, 


"February  9,  1788." 

In  a  subsequent  number  of  their  journal  the  editors  of  the 
"Berlinische  Monatsschrift"  furnish  another  and  entirely  dif- 
ferent explanation  of  the  same  occurrence.  They  say,  "In  order 
to  be  perfectly  impartial  we  must  mention  that  some  time  ago 
another  likewise  wholly  reliable  gentleman  told  us  the  same 
story,  also  from  the  mouth  of  the  Queen;  but  his  explanation 
differs  from  that  which  is  given  in  the  letter  printed  above; 
and,  indeed,  according  to  him  tJie  whole  story  is  untrue.  We, 
therefore  consider  it  our  duty,  to  communicate  also  this  second 
account,  as  this  excellent  gentleman  has  been  kind  enough 
to  write  it  down  for  this  purpose." 

II. 

ANOTHER  EXPLANATION  OF  THE  STORY  OF  TIIE  QUEEN. 

"In  Stockholm  itself  I  found  the  following  piece  of  news 
universally  believed:  It  was  said  that  Swedenborg  had  com- 
municated to  the  Queen  Dowager,  Louisa  Ulrica,  special  news 


6 72  THBEE  EXTRA  ORDINAB  Y  FACTS.        [Doc.  276. 

of  her  late  brother,  the  august  Crown-Prince  of  Prussia.  This 
news,  it  was  averred,  concerned  certain  circumstances  which 
were  not  knowTi  to  any  other  human  beings  except  the  Queen 
and  the  Prince.  Some  persons  even  stated,  that  the  Queen, 
who  had  asked  Swedenborg  to  inteiTOgate  her  brother's  spirit 
in  order  to  test  his  supernatural  powers,  manifested  signs  of 
great  terror,  when  the  prophet,  who  had  been  invited  to  the 
royal  table  for  the  purposes  of  conversation,  communicated 
tliis  news  to  her. 

"As  the  Queen  granted  me  free  access  to  her  person,  I 
one  day  seized  the  opportunity  of  asking  her  concerning  the 
trutli  of  these  reports.  She  answered  smilingly,  that  she  was 
fully  acquainted  with  the  story  itself,  as  well  as  with  the 
reasons  of  some  persons,  who  endeavoured  against  her  oivn 
better  conviction  to  maintain  the  reality  of  this  story.  The 
real  state  of  affairs  was  as  follows: 

"She  then  said  that  in  a  conversation  with  Swedenborg 
she  had  made  all  sorts  of  objections  to  the  possibility  of  his 
visions,  when  he  offered  to  iH'Ove  their  reality  by  facts.  She 
then  commissioned  him  to  interrogate  the  spirit  of  her  late 
brother  concerning  the  meaning  of  some  expressions  he  had 
used  in  a  conversation  with  her,  which  had  by  chance  been 
broken  off,  and  which  expressions  had  remained  obscure  to 
her.  To  facihtate  the  commission  she  mentioned  to  him  some 
definite  circumstances  of  this  conversation,  in  respect  to  place 
and  matter.  Swedenborg,  she  said,  left  her  with  the  assurance 
that  sooner  or  later  he  would  inform  her  of  the  success  of 
his  mission;  but  that  lie  had  never  done  so.  She  added  that 
Swedenborg  had  visibly  avoided  all  occasion  for  conversing 
with  her,  and  twice,  when  he  could  not  do  so,  he  told  her, 
that  he  was  unable  to  get  the  gentleman,  i.  e.  the  spirit  of 
her  late  brother,  to  talk  with  him.  He  also  intimated,  that 
it  was  not  in  his  power  at  his  own  pleasure  to  converse 
with  spirits,  at  given  times  and  in  a  given  manner.  Years 
might  elapse,  before-  the  gentleman  might  come  i  nd  see  liim. 
He  was  at  liberty  to  invite,  but  the  selection  of  the  guests 
did  not  depend  upon  himself.  The  spirits  themselves  had  to 
decide  whether  they  would  come  and  see  him,  and  whether  any 
particular  spirit  would  be  willing  to  come,  and  at  what  place 


Doc.  276.]  ATTEMPTS  AT  EXPLANATION.  673 

[was  left  to  the  spirit].  He  begged  her  therefore  to  have  a  little 
more  patience.  The  Queen's  patience,  however,  was  not  crowned 
with  success.  Swedenborg  died  without  getting  the  gentleman 
to  talk  with  him,  and  the  Queen  herself  died  without  having 
faith,  even  as  large  as  a  mustard  seed,  in  Swedenborg's  visions. 

"Whoever  is  but  slightly  acquainted  with  the  qualities  of 
this  princess,  as  to  her  mind  and  heart,  will  believe  all  this 
witiiout  any  further  confirmation.  She  was  too  enlightened 
to  believe  anything  in  the  realm  of  the  supernatural  on  the 
mere  assertion  of  a  man,  without  its  striking  her  own  senses ; 
and  at  the  same  time  she  was  too  little  skilled  in  dissimulation  to 
speak  of  an  affair  in  the  way  she  did,  if  she  had  been  interiorly 
convinced  of  the  contrary. 

"I  am  obliged  to  add  that  the  Queen  expressed  some 
esteem  for  Swedenborg's  remaining  qualities.  She  called  him 
a  fool  and  a  visionary,  it  is  true;  but  slie  added  that  up  to 
the  present  time  he  had  not  failed  in  talents  or  in  honesty; 
and  that  among  other  things  he  was  honest  enough  to  refuse 
to  become  a  tool  in  the  hands  of  some  persons,  who  desired 
to  make  use  of  him  and  his  visions  at  the  time  of  party-strife. 

"]VIy  conversation  with  the  Queen  took  place  in  the  year  1779." 

After  striving  in  vain  to  reconcile  the  coutiicting  nature 
of  the  above  two  accounts,  the  editors  of  the  "Bcrlinische 
Monatsschrift"  comment  on  the  narrative  of  this  affair,  as  given 
by  Pernety  in  the  preface  to  his  French  translation  of  Sweden- 
borg's "Heaven  and  Hell,"  (see  Document  G,  nos.  25  and  26), 
and  then  pass  to  a  discussion  of  the  story  of  "the  Lost  Receipt," 
which  they  likewise,  on  the  authority  of  "a  distinguished  and 
reliable  gentleman,"  explain  in  a  natural  manner. 


III. 

TBE  STORY  OF  THE  LOST  RECEIPT  AS  EXPLAINED  BY  THE  "BERLINISCHE 
MOXATSSCSRIFT." 

"The  widow  of  the  Count  von  Martcfelcl  [sic!]  was  called 
upon  to  })ay  a  considerable  sum  which  she  well  knew  had  been 
paid  by  her  late  husband;  but  she  was  unable  to  find  the 
missing  receipt.     In  her  difficulty  she  applied  to  Swedenborg, 

43 


674  THREE  EXTRA ORDIXAR  Y  FACTS.        [Doc.  27G. 

who  informed  her  on  the  ensuing  day  that  he  had  conversed 
'  with  her  deceased  husband,  who  had  mentioned  to  him  the 
place  where  the  receipt  had  been  put.  They  examined  the 
place,  and  it  was  found. 

"[Such  is  the  usual  account  of  this  affair],  but  again  a 
distinguished  and  reliable  gentleman,  who  had  been  in  Stock- 
holm in  the  employment  of  the  government^  stated  a  con- 
siderable time  ago  that  this  miracle  had  taken  place  in  a 
thoroughly  natural  manner.  It  is  not  unusual  in  Sweden  for 
persons  to  have  a  small  private  locker  for  books,  which  for 
various  reasons  they  keep  secret  from  the  eyes  of  the  pubKc. 
One  of  these  private  books  Swedenborg  one  day  borrowed 
from  the  Count  von  M.,  and  in  it  he  discovered  the  receipt 
which  afterwards  was  missed,  and  which  probably  had  been 
put  in  as  a  book-mark.  Instead  of  informing  the  widow  from 
his  recollection  that  the  slip  of  paper  would  be  found  in  such 
and  such  a  locker,  in  a  certain  book,  he,  at  least  in  his  own 
narrative,  first  troubled  a  spirit  to  give  him  this  news. 

"This  much  is  settled,  that  the  widow  found  the  receipt 
in  accordance  with  Swedenborg's  information." 

The  explanations  of  the  "Berlinische  Monatsschrift"  wero 
inserted  in  the  "Allgemeiner  Anzeiger  der  Deutschen"  for  tho 
year  1809,  and  in  the  "Hesperus"  for  1822 ;  but  before  shewing 
how  these  attempts  at  explanation  were  exploded  at  the  time 
of  their  first  publication,  we  have  to  quote  a  Swedish  source 
which  lends  credence  to  one  of  the  explanations  furnished  by 
the  "Berlinische  Monatsschrift," 


C.  G.  XORDIX^^-  ON  SWEDENBOlia* 

"I  read  in  the  'Berlinische  Monatsschrift'  for  April  1788,  (seo 
'Hamlmrgisclie  Unpartheyische  Correspondent,'  April  4,  1788,) 
a  report  about  Queen  Louisa  Ulrica's  letter  to  her  brother, 
the  contents  of  which  Swedenborg  is  said  to  have  revealed. 
The  facts  of  the  case  are,  that  Hopken  and  Tessin  kept  back 
the  Queen's  letter,  read  it,  informed  Swedenborg  about  its 
contents,  and  he  declared  that  he  received  this  information 
from  the  spirit  of  Prince  Ferdinand [!]  Ferdhiand  died  about 
that  time.-j-  Melcher  Falkcnljorg,  who  was  chamberlain  and 
recording  secretary  {Protokolls  Sekreterare)  at  that  time,^  was 
the  one  who  delivered  the  letter  into  Hopken's  hands.  I  was  in- 
formed so  by  Baron  Bosenhane  Schering  on  May  5, 1788"  (p.  7). 

•'I  asked  Rosenstein,  the  Councillor  of  Chancery,  what 
Senator  Fersen  had  answered  him  in  the  Academy  on  the 
2uth  inst.,  on  what  was  written  in  the  German  paper  ('Ham- 
burgische  Unpartheyische  Correspondent'  for  April  4,  1788, 
no.  55)  about  the  information  which  Swedenborg  gave  to  Queen 
Louisa  Ulrica.  Fersen  said  that  he  could  not  remember  any- 
thing about  it;   that  possibly  it  might  have  been  his  brother, 

*  "Dagl)oks  aiiteckniiigar  for  areu  1786 — 1792"  (Notes  in  my  Diary  lor 
the  years  1786 — 1792j,  by  Carl  (iiistav  Nordin,  published  in  the  -'Historiska 
HantUingar"'  (Historical  Transactions),  Vol.  VII.  1868. 

■j-  Prince  Augustus  Ferdinand,  l)rother  of  (:iueen  Louisa  Ulrica,  died 
in  1813. 

I  According  to  Anrep's  "Attar-tafior,"  Count  Melcher  Falkenberg  at  the 
end  of  1761,  the  date  of  Swedenborg's  experience  with  the  Queen,  was  not 
chamberlain,  nor  ^'protokolls  sekreterare,'^  but  "lagman'*  (supreme  judge) 
of  Westcrbotten,  which  office  he  had  filled  since  1753.  8oe  also  "Biografiskt 
Lexicon,""  Vol.  IV,  p.  305. 

43* 


676  THREE  EXTRA  ORDINAR  Y  FACTS.       [Doc.  276. 

who  at  that  time  passed  as  Count  F  .  .  .  Rosenstein  after- 
wards asked  the  King^^  the  same  day  whether  he  knew  any- 
thmg  about  the  story,  when  he  answered  tha.t  Beylon^^^  had 
told  him  the  same  thing,  and  that  that  gentleman  was  perfectly 
convinced  that  Senator  Hopken  had  taken  the  Queen's  letter 
to  Prince  Ferdinand  [!],  wherefore  he  could  easily  make  a  reply 
through  Swedenborg  concerning  its  contents,  which  Swedenborg 
afterwards  declared  that  he  had  received  from  the  spirit  of 
the  Prince"  (pp.  9,  10). 

Nordin's  account  with  all  its  historical  errors  was  adopted 
by  the  historian  Fryxell,^^*  in  his  biographical  account  of 
Swedenborg  ("Berattelser,"  etc.,  Vol.  XLIII,  p.  184).  He  speaks 
there  at  p.  184,  of  a  letter  written  by  the  Queen  to  her  brother 
"Ferdinand,"  although  at  p.  183  he  correctly  calls  him  "August 
Wilhelm;"  and  again  he  declares  that  the  Senators  Hopken 
and  Tessin  induced  Chamberlain  Falkenberg  to  procure  for 
them  the  Queen's  letter  to  her  brother,  when  yet  Falkenberg 
had  given  up  the  office  of  chamberlain  in  1753,  and  at  the 
time  when  the  Queen  gave  her  commission  to  Sweden- 
borg, was  exercising  his  functions  as  "lagman"  of  Wester- 
botten. 

As  regards  Senator  Tessin  he  resigned  all  his  official  posi- 
tions on  October  1, 1761  (see  "Biografiskt  Lexicon,"  Vol.  XVIII, 
p.  176),  and  Senator  Hopken  on  November  12,  1761  {Ibid., 
vol.  VI,  p.  323).  Both  these  gentlemen,  therefore,  were  no 
longer  connected  with  the  government  of  Sweden,  at  the  time 
when  the  Queen,  towards  the  close  of  November,  commissioned 
Swedenborg  to  consult  the  spirit  of  her  departed  brother;  they 
were  therefore  at  that  time  j)rivate  gentlemen,  and  it  mattered 
little  to  them  what  answer  Swedenborg  might  bring  to  the  Queen. 
Besides,  Count  Tessin,  according  to  his  own  testimony  (see 
Document  250,  no.  13,  p.  400),  was  unacquainted  with  the 
particulars  of  the  Queen's  story,  and  collected  them  from 
Swedenborg  himself;  while  Count  Hopken  obtained  "a  truthful 
account"  of  the  story  from  the  Queen  in  1774  (see  Document  5, 
no.  53,  p.  49). 

After  pointing  out  some  of  the  anachronisms  contained  in 
the  accounts  of  the  Queen's  experience  with  Swedenborg,  as 
furnished  by  the  "Berlinische  Monatsschriff  and  C.  G.  Nordin, 


Doc.  276.]  ATTEMPTS  AT  EXPLANATION.  677 

we  shall  reproduce  some  of  the  contemporary  testimony  by 
which  the  accounts  of  the  "Monatsschrift"  were  exploded  at 
the  time  when  they  were  first  published. 

In  the  preface  to  a  Avork  entitled,  Abrege  des  ouvrages 
d'Em.  ISwedvnhorg,  which  was  published  in  {Stockholm  in  1788, 
the  following  letter  was  printed: 


c. 

CAPTAIN  C.  L.  STALHAMMAR  AND  THE 
"BEKLINISCHE  MONATSSCHRIFT." 

"Stockholm,  May  13,  1788. 
"I  have  read,  with  astonishment,  the  letter 
giving  an  account  of  the  conversation  which  the  famous  Sweden- 
borg  had  with  Queen  Louisa  Ulrica;  the  circumstances  related 
in  that  letter  are  altogether  false :  and  I  hope  the  author  will 
excuse  me  if,  by  a  faithful  account,  which  can  be  attested  by 
many  persons  of  distinction  who  were  present  and  are  still 
alive,  I  convince  him  how  mucli  he  has  been  deceived. 

"In  1756  [1761],  a  short  time  after  the  death  of  the  Prince 
of  Prussia,  Swedenborg  came  to  court,  where  he  was  in  the 
habit  of  attending  regularly.  As  soon  as  he  was  perceived 
by  the  Queen,  she  said  to  him,  'Well,  Mr.  Assessor,  have  you 
seen  my  brother?'  Swedenborg  answered.  No;  whereupon  she 
replied,  'If  you  should  see  him,  remember  me  to  him.'  In 
saying  this,  she  did  but  jest,  and  had  no  thought  of  asking 
him  any  information  about  her  brother.  Eight  days  afterwards, 
and  not  four-and-twenty  hours,  nor  yet  at  a  particular  audience, 
Swedenborg  came  again  to  court,  but  so  early  that  the  Queen 
liad  not  yet  left  her  apartment,  called  the  white  room,  where 
she  was  conversing  with  her  maids  of  honour  and  other  ladies 
of  the  court.  Swedenborg  did  not  wait  for  the  Queen's  coming 
out,  but  entered  directly  into  her  apartment,  and  whispered 
in  her  ear.  The  Queen,  struck  with  astonishment,  was  taken 
ill,  and  did  not  recover  herself  for  some  time.    After  she  had 


678  THREE  EXTRAOBDINAEY  FACTS.       [Doc.  276. 

come  to  herself,  she  said  to  those  about  her,  ^ There  is  only 
God  and  my  hrotlie?'  who  can  hnoiv  what  he,  has  just  told  me.'' 
She  owned  that  he  had  spoken  of  her  last  correspondence  with 
the  Prince,  the  subject  of  which  was  known  to  themselves  alone. 
"I  cannot  explain  how  Swedenborg  came  to  the  knowledge 
of  this  secret;  but  this  I  can  assert  upon  my  honour,  that 
neither  Count  Hopken,  as  the  author  of  the  letter  states,  nor 
any  other  person  had  intercepted  or  read  the  Queen's  letters; 
the  senate  then  permitting  her  to  write  to  her  brother  without 
the  least  difficulty,  regarding  her  correspondence  with  him  as 
a  thing  quite  indifferent  to  the  state. 

"It  is  evident  that  the  author  of  the  above-mentioned  letter 
is  utterly  ignorant  of  the  character  of  Count  Hopken,  This 
respectable  nobleman,  who  has  rendered  the  most  important 
services  to  his  country,  possesses  greatness  of  mind  and  good- 
ness of  heart;  and  his  advanced  age  has  in  no  wise  impaired 
these  valuable  endowments.  During  the  whole  of  his  adminis- 
tration, he  united  the  most  enlightened  policy  with  the  most 
scrupulous  integrity,  and  was  a  declared  enemy  to  secret  in- 
trigue and  underhand  devices,  which  he  looked  upon  as  means 
unworthy  of  accomplishing  his  purposes. 

"The  author  is  no  better  acquainted  with  Assessor  Sweden- 
boi'g.  The  only  weakness  of  this  truly  honest  man  was  his 
belief  in  ghost-seeing;  but  I  knew  him  for  many  years,  and 
I  can  confidently  affirm,  that  he  was  as  fully  persuaded  that 
he  conversed  with  spirits,  as  I  am  that  I  am  writing  at 
this  moment.  As  a  citizen  and  as  a  friend,  he  was  a  man  of 
the  greatest  integrity,  abhorring  imposture,  and  leading  an 
exemplary  life. 

"The  explanation,  therefore,  which  Chevalier  Beylon  gives 
of  this  circumstance,  is  void  of  foundation;  and  the  visit  said 
to  have  been  made  in  the  night  to  Swedenborg,  by  Counts 
H and  T ,  is  pure  invention. 

"As  for  the  rest,  the  author  of  the  letter  may  be  assured 
that  I  am   far   from  being   a  follower*  of  Swedenborg;    the 

*  Although  Captain  Stalhammar  declares  here  that  "he  is  far  from  being 
a  follower  of  Swedenborg,"  the  Historian  Fryxell  nevertheless  insists  on 
styling  him  a  "Swedenborgian"  (swedenborgare)\  see  "Berattelser,"  etc., 
Vol.  Xlilll,  p.  184. 


Doc.  276.]  ATTEMPTS  AT  EXFLAXATIOX.  679 

love  of  truth  alone  lias  induced  me  to  relate,  faithfully,  a 
fact,  which  has  been  so  often  stated  with  details  entirely  false; 
and  I  verify  what  I  have  just  written  with  the  signature  of 
my  name: 

"Charles  Leonard  Stalhammar, 
"Captain,  and  Xni<>:ht  of  the  order  of  the  Sword." 


D. 


L.  L.  VONBRENKENHOFF-^^  AND  THE  ''BERLIX- 
ISCHE  MONATSSCHllIFT." 

In  the  year  1789  appeared  at  Potsdam  a  little  work  en- 
titled "Paradoxa,"  Part  II,  of  which  the  author  says  that  it 
"treats  not  of  military  matters,  but  concerns  the  pseudo- 
enlighteners." 

The  whole  of  this  little  work  is  devoted  to  an  exposure 
of  the  pseudo-explanations  of  the  "Berlinische  Monatsschrift" 
contained  in  Document  276,  A.     M.  von  Brenkenkotf  says: 

"In  the  April  number  of  the  "Berlinische  Monatsschrift"  for 
the  year  1788,  pp.  303  to  319,  are  contained  several  so-called 
explanations  of  the  spiritual  experiences  of  Swedenborg  .... 
1  am  not  one  of  his  adherents,  and  have  read  only  one  of 
his  writings,  which,  I  acknowledge  freely,  I  was  unable  to 
understand;  still  in  order  to  expose  the  nakedness  of  the 
'pseudo-enlighteners,'  who  press  everything  into  their  service, 
no  matter  how  foolish  and  nonsensical  it  may  be,  I  subjoin 
letters  I,  II,  III,  IV,  and  V,  as  well  in  the  original 
French  language,  as  in  a  German  translation.  The  authors 
of  these  letters  are  still  living,  and  those  of  nos.  II,  III, 
and  V,  sign  their  names.  Nos.  II  and  V  are  written  by  the 
Countess  von  Schwerin,  7iee  von  Amnion,  a  sister  of  Madame 
von  Mardefeldt  [de  Marteville],  who  lives  at  present  in  Berlin, 
and  according  to  general  testimony  is  a  lady  possessed  of  a 
vast  extent  of  knowledge,   is  well  versed  in  the  sciences,  and 


680  THREE  EXTBAOBDINAEY  FACTS.        [Doc.  276. 

combines  therewith  great  mental  acumen.  The  author  of 
no.  Ill  is  Mr.  Letocard,  ex-secretary  of  the  Dutch  Embassy 
in  Sweden  at  the  time  of  the  decease  of  M.  von  Mardefeldt 
[de  Marteville],  and  who  still  lives  in  an  advanced  old  age  in 
Pomerania,  and  has  been  an  eye-witness  of  all  these  occur- 
rences. I  regret  very  much  that  special  circumstances  do  not 
permit  me  to  give  the  name  of  the  distinguished  writer  of 
letters  I  and  IV,  but  I  may  assure  my  readers  that  he  is 
deserving  of  the  greatest  esteem,  both  on  account  of  his  rank, 
erudition,  and  intelligence,  and  also  that  his  birth  alono 
entitled  him  to  interrogate  at  table  the  late  Queen  of  Sweden, 
in  respect  to  her  experience  with  Swedenborg. 

"Let  any  unbiassed  man  compare  the  following  important 
documents  with  those  which  have  been  communicated  in  the 
above-mentioned  'Monatsschrift,'  and  he  will  probably  agree 
with  me  that  the  first  explainer  is  but  a  shallow  anecdotist, 
who  will  scarcely  dare  to  contradict  the  universally  revered 
Princess  Sophia  of  Sweden, ^'"'^  and  the  Baron  Zoye  von  Man- 
teuffel,  who  is  doubtless  better  informed  on  this  subject  than 
himself. 

"In  respect  to  the  second  explainer,  I  may  state  that  I 
have  the  honour  of  being  acquainted  with  him,  and  that 
his  words  cannot  be  doubted  in  the  least;  it  is  therefore 
utterly  incomprehensible  to  me,  how  the  late  Queen  of  Sweden 
could  have  related  this  occurrence  in  a  manner  entirely 
different;  for  that  she  has  related  this  story  to  others  in  a 
oontradictory  fashion  is  known  also  to  the  same  worthy 
gentleman"  .... 


I. 

LETTER  ADDRESSED  TO  L.  L.   VON  HRENKEXHOFF."^ 

"Berhn,  June  8,  1788. 
"I  enclose  the  letter  which  I  promised  to  send  to 
you.  Make  a  proper  use  of  it.  It  is  interesting  on 
account  of  the  particulars  it  contains,  which  are  much 
more  truthful  than  those  contained  in  the  verbose  account 
which  the  anonymous  writer  has  inserted  in  the  'Monatsschrift,' 


Doc.  276.]  ATTEMPTS  AT  EXPLANATION.  681 

edited  by  Messrs.  Gedicke  and  Blester.  You  are  well  aware 
that  I  am  neither  a  visionary,  nor  subject  to  prejudices; 
but  I  love  the  ti-uth  too  well  to  subscribe  to  the  falsities 
of  the.  so-called  philosophers.  We  have  a  Supreme  Being 
who  is  undefinable;  how  then  can  we  feeble  mortals  dare 
to  define  the  undefinable?  Is  that  philosophy?  No,  it  is 
silliness.  All  is  possible  to  this  Supreme  Being;  but  His 
undefinable  goodness  also  assures  us  that  everything  that 
happens  is  for  our  real  good,  even  though  we  are  not 
always  able  to  divine  it.  On  this  goodness  I  rest;  it  impels 
us  to  love  one  other  with  brotherly  aftection.  Judge,  my 
dear  Sir,  how  sweet  this  law  is,  when  it  is  ai)plied  to 
yourself,"  Sec,  &c. 


II. 

LETTER  BY  THE  COVXTESS   VON  SCHWERIN.^" 

"You  will  pardon  my  not  having  been  able  to  acquit  my- 
self at  an  earlier  period  of  the  commission  with  which  you 
charged  me  in  respect  to  the  singular  occurrence  between  my 
late  sister  and  the  famous  Swedenborg.  As  my  niece  was 
absent  from  her  home,  she  Avas  delayed  in  sending  her  answer, 
which  contains  her  recollections  of  that  story.  As  slie  was, 
however,  very  young  at  that  time,  I  would  not  trust  her  me- 
mory alone  in  order  to  furnish  to  you  a  truthful  account. 

"By  dint  of  much  inquiry  I  liave  at  last  unearthed  the  secre- 
tary of  the  embassy,  who  was  then  at  the  house  of  my  late 
brother-in-law,  and  who  w-as  an  eye-witness,  since  he  con- 
tinued to  stay  at  my  sister's  house  for  some  time,  in  order 
to  take  charge  of  the  affairs  of  the  United  Provinces.  Besides, 
this  gentleman  liad  been  very  intimate  with  Swedenborg.  He 
sent  me  the  following  account  which  agi-ees  completely  with 
that  communicated  to  me  by  my  niece: 

"M.  de  Matevell  [Marteville],  envoy  extraordinary  of  the 
United  Provinces  at  the  Court  of  Sweden,  died  in  Stockholm 
in  the  month  of  April,  1760.  Some  time  afterwards  his  widow 
was  called  upon  by  a  silversmith  to  pay  for  a  silver  service 
She  was  astonished  at  this  demand,  in  view  of  her  husband's 


682  THEEE  EXTRAORDINARY  FACTS.       [Doc.  276. 

punctuality  in  the  settlement  of  his  accounts,  but  was  unable 
to  tincl  the  silversmith's  receipt,  notwithstanding  all  her  searches. 
As  she  was  very  much  importuned  by  that  man  she  applied  to 
Mr.  Samuel  [Emanuel]  de  Schwedenborg,  who  told  her  that  he 
would  see  her  again  in  a  lew  days,  and  give  her  an  answer. 
He  kept  his  word,  and  said,  'Madame,  I  have  asked  the  spirit 
of  your  late  husband,  and  he  has  told  me  that  this  receipt  is 
in  the  secret  drawer  of  such  and  such  a  writing-desk;  where 
it  was  really  found. 

"The  same  secretary  of  the  embassy  communicated  to  me 
the  following  particulars,  which  perhaps  may  amuse  you  for 
a  few  moments: 

"The  late  Queen  of  Sweden  desired  to  test  Swedenborg's 
supernatural  gift  of  conversing  at  his  pleasure  with  the  souls 
of  the  departed,  and  told  Swedenborg  to  raise  the  spirit  of 
her  late  brother,  the  Crown-Prince  of  Prussia,  in  order  to  ask 
him  for  a  positive  reply  on  the  subject  of  a  conversation  which 
the  Queen  had  suh  rosa  with  him  in  the  embrasure  of  a  win- 
dow in  the  palace  of  Charlottenburg,  in  the  month  of  July, 
1744.  A  short  time  afterwards  Swedenborg  brought  an  an- 
swer to  the  Queen  with  which  she  was  perfectly  satisfied. 
The  Queen  herself  is  said  to  have  stated,  that  she  was 
thoroughly  convinced  that  no  other  living  soul  except  her 
brother  and  herself  knew  anything  about  this  matter. 

"The  late  Mr.  Swedenborg  was  the  son  of  a  bishop,  and 
consequently  a  nobleman.  According  to  the  son's  avowal,  his 
father  was  already  predisposed  for  heavenly  revelations;  the 
son,  however,  had  from  his  earliest  youth  contracted  the  habit 
ot  frequently  concentrating  all  his  faculties,  and  of  abstracting 
completely  all  earthly  ideas,  by,  for  this  purpose,  closing  his 
eyes,  and  remaining  sometimes  for  twenty-four  hours  in  an 
arm-chair,  without  moving  himself.  He  wrought  more  wonder- 
ful things  of  this  kind,  than  he  has  received  credit  for.  After 
Ills  reputation  had  been  thoroughly  established,  he  was  ac- 
costed one  day  by  a  young  Swede,  who,  according  to  his  own 
statement,  felt  himself  called  to  become  introduced  into  fami- 
liar intercourse  with  the  spirits  of  the  departed.  Swedenborg 
advised  him  as  a  preliminary  step  to  prepare  himself  by  fast- 
ing and  rigid  abstinence,  as  well  as  by  frequent  and  fervent 


Doc.  276.]  ATTEMPTS  AT  EXPLANATION.  683 

prayer.  The  young  aspirant  informed  him  after  some  time 
that  he  had  scrupulously  attended  to  everything,  when  the  old 
gentleman  addressed  him  thus:  'Very  well,  my  son,  let  us  see; 
sit  down,  close  your  eyes,  and  ahstract  everything  that  has 
any  connection  with  this  sublunary  world;  I  shall  do  the  same 
thing  myself.'  The  would-be  recipient  was  docile  to  the  end; 
but  nevertheless  became  impatient,  when  nothing  appeared 
to  him,  from  the  corner  of  one  of  his  eyes  he  took  a  peep 
at  the  inspired  man;  there  he  noticed  that  his  chest  was 
agitated,  as  if  he  had  a  difhculty  in  breathing.  After  the 
lapse  of  a  full  hour  the  old  gentleman  opened  his  eyes,  and 
asked  the  young  man  what  he  had  seen.  Alas,  nothing. 
What,  did  you  not  see  this,  and  that?  My  dear  friend,  I 
knew  it  before,  you  are  not  fit  to  be  admitted  into  fjimiliar 
intercourse  with  the  heavenly  spirits. 

"On  the  19th  of  August,  1759,  when  Swedenborg  returned 
from  London,  whither  he  went  from  time  to  time  to  print  new 
books,  he  said,  on  landing  at  Gottenburg,  that  on  this  very 
day  there  was  a  great  conflagration  in  Stockholm  in  the 
Sodermalra,  and  that  his  house,  which  was  situated  there,  would 
be  preserved.  A  few  days  afterwards  a  confirmation  of  this 
statement  A\as  received  in  Gottenburg. 

"So  far  extends  the  narrative  of  my  correspondent.  I  shall 
be  much  gratified,  if  it  amuse  you  for  a  little  while.  I  l)eg 
you  to  allow  me  to  add  some  reflections,  which  I  sometimes 
make  on  this  subject. 

"The  philosophers  of  our  own  century  and  some  of  the  pre- 
ceding centuries,  reject  everything  which  is  beyond  their  com- 
prehension, and  which  they  cannot  demonstrate;  so  that  at 
last  they  arrive  at  a  point  when  they  regard  as  mere  fables 
the  holiest  mysteries,  the  foundations  of  the  Christian  religion, 
which  are  all  infinitely  above  the  sphere  of  man.  But  is 
it  reasonable  to  reject  everything  that  we  cannot  demonstrate 
or  comprehend?  However  enlightened  our  century  may  be 
by  the  discoveries  which  are  daily  made,  by  the  progress  in 
experimental  physics,  and  especially  in  chemistry,  to  which 
may  be  added  that  new  system  of  metaphysics,  the  reading 
of  which  has  been  made  so  very  interesting  by  Voltaire,  and 
which  he  himself  has  illustrated  in  an  infinite  number  of  ways; 


684  THREE  EXTRAORDINARY  FACTS.        [Doc.  276. 

however  great,  I  say,  the  light  which  has  thereby  been  shed 
over  Europe,  it  has  nevertheless  also  done  much  harm,  espe- 
cially to  religion.  I  think  that  St.  Paul  had  such  enlighteners 
in  view,  when  he  said:  'Much  learning  doth  make  them  mad.' '■^' 
AVhy  should  they  persist  in  denying  outright  the  commu- 
nication of  spirits  with  men  here  below?  Our  so-called  esprits 
forts  maintain  that  all  pretended  apparitions  are  mere  tricks 
to  delude  feeble  and  timid  souls.  I  reply  that  the  intercourse 
which  Swedenborg  had  with  the  spirits  of  the  departed,  is 
nothing  new,  however  incomprehensible  it  may  be.  The  Old 
Testament  furnishes  us  an  instance  of  it,  by  the  appearance 
of  the  spirit  of  the  prophet  Samuel,  which  was  evoked  by  a 
woman  of  Endor.  In  the  New  Testament  we  read  of  the 
servant  of  an  innkeeper,  w^ho  was  a  source  of  profit  to  her 
master  by  her  divination  [see  Acts  xvi,  16].  Besides,  the 
Apostle  Paul,  who  declared  that  he  himself  was  inspired  by  the 
Divine  Spirit,  says  expressly  that  God  distributes  his  gifts 
differently;  to  some  He  gives  the  gift  of  prophecy,  to  another 
that  of  communicating  with  spirits,  to  others  the  gift  of  spea- 
king in  divers  tongues  (1  Corinthians  xii,  10). 

"This  seems  to  me  to  be  a  well  authenticated  and  very 
respectable  testimony;  and  I  also  (I  can  swear  to  this  on 
my  conscience)  saw  my  mother-in-law,  the  late  Countess  of 
Schwerin,  appear  at  the  moment  of  her  decease  in  my  room, 
although  I  was  at  a  distance  of'  twenty-four  leagues.  I 
informed  my  husband  of  it,  and  soon  after  a  messenger 
arrived,  who  told  him,  that  his  mother  had  in  reality 
expired  at  the  same  moment  that  she  appeared  in  my  room. 

"But  I  perceive  that  instead  of  making  only  a  few  remarks 
on  a  subject  so  very  mysterious,  I  have  allowed  myself  to  be 
carried  away  into  a  digression,  which,  from  its  length,  must 
certainly  have  tired  you.  I  ask  a  thousand  pardons,  and  have 
the  honour  of  remaining,  &c.,  &c. 

"Just  as  I  was  closing  my  letter  to  you,  I  received  an- 
other letter  from  my  Secretary  of  the  Embassy,  containing 
the    enclosed    remarks    on    the    article    which    Mr.    Gedicke 


*  The  Countess  von  Schwerin  seems  to  have  forgotten  that  this  senti- 
ment was  applied  to  Paul  himself  by  Festus;  see  Acts  xxvi.  24. 


Doc.  27C.]  ATTEMPTS  AT  EXPLANAT] ON.  685 

inserted  in  his  journal.     I  believe   that  you  will  not   be  dis- 
pleased at  being  informed  of  the  true  state  of  the  affairs. 

"Countess  von  Schwerin, 

"«ee  VON  Ammon." 

11. 

LETOCAliD  TO  THE  COUNTESS  VON  SCHWERTN. 

"I  have  just  read  an  extract  from  an  article  inserted  in  the 
April  number  of  the  'Berlinische  Monatsschrift'  of  Messrs. 
Gedicke  and  Biester,  which  treats  of  the  late  Swedenborg. 
Without  desiring  to  enter  the  lists  against  the  anonymous 
author  in  respect  to  the  details  of  the  fact  in  question,  I  may 
be  jiermitted  in  all  simplicity  to  make  the  following  remarks 
on  the  subject: 

"The  late  Senator  Count  Tessin,  whom  the  anonymous 
author  reports  to  have  been  present  when  the  late  Queen 
Louisa  Ulrica  of  Sweden  commissioned  Swedenborg  to  ask 
His  Royal  Highness,  the  late  Crown-Prince  of  Prussia,  and 
father  of  our  gracious  King,  for  the  reason  why  he  did  not 
answer  the  letter  which  Her  Majesty  wrote  to  him  in  June 
1756,  the  date  of  the  unfortunate  plot,  which  afterwards  re- 
sulted in  the  decapitation  of  Count  Brahe  and  the  Baron 
Horn — had  entirely  withdrawn  from  the  court  as  early  as  1754; 
and  since  that  time  had  lived  on  his  estates  in  the  country, 
visiting  Stockholm  only  very  rarely. 

"Chevalier  Beylon,^''^  who,  according  to  the  anonymous  author, 
revealed  the  underhand  game  of  the  affair  in  cpiestion,  arrived 
in  Stockholm  in  the  year  1760.  Now  the  date  of  the  prema- 
ture death  of  the  late  Crown-Prince  of  Prussia,  as  is  well 
known,  was  June  12,  1758;  and  all  these  dates  being  very 
positive,  is  there  any  reason  why  the  late  Queen  of  Sweden 
should  have  waited  two  entire  years  and  more,  before  she 
enquired  the  reason  why  her  august  brother  had  kept  silence 
respecting  the  contents  of  a  letter,  which  the  circumstances  of 
the  times  rendered  so  very  important  to  Her  Majesty?* 

*  Letocard  seems  to  have  taken  it  for  granted  that  tlie  attair  of  the 
(iueen  liai)X)ened  veiy  soon  after  the  decease  of  her  brother  in  1758;  wlien 
yi:t  it  really  ha])pened  towards  the  close  of  1761,  and  thus  a  whole  year 
after  the  Chevahcr  Beylon  had  arrived  at  the  Swedish  court. 


(iSG  THREE  EXTRAORDINARY  FACTS.       [Doc.  27G. 

"Again,  is  it  at  all  probable  tliat  two  gentlemen  of  the 
standing  and  character  of  Count  Tessin  and  Count  Hopken, 
should  at  night,  and  secretly,  have  gone  to  the  vi-ionary 
Swedenborg,  in  order  to  teach  him  his  lesson? 

"Chevalier  Beylon  also,  who  saw  them  leave  his  house 
clandestinely  at  three  o'clock  in  the  morning,  was  by  no 
means  given  to  promenading  the  streets  of  Stockholm  at  such 
an  unusual  and  even  somewhat  suspicious  hour;  and,  more- 
over, as  he  depended  entirely  upon  Her  Majesty,  the  Queen, 
for  his  position  as  reader,  it  seems  scarcely  credible  (sup- 
pose the  anecdote  in  question  to  be  even  literally  true) 
that  he  should  have  liked  to  be  a  party  to  spreading  a  ru- 
mour respecting  her,  and  indeed  from  so  malignant  a  motive, 
as  is  attributed  to  him.  All  this  did  not  at  all  lit  into  the 
character  of  this  refined  and  subtle  courtier,  with  whom  I  was 
very  well  acquainted,  and  who  died  in  the  year  1779,  very 
much  regretted  by  the  whole  court ,  having  had  the  rare 
faculty  of  causing  himself  to  be  loved  and  esteemed  by  both  the 
parties  into  which  Sweden  was  then  divided.* 

"Letocarl*." 


IV. 

LETTER  ADDRESSED  TO  L.  L.    VON  BRENKENHOFFr-'-^ 

"I  enclose  you  another  letter  on  the  subject  of  Sweden- 
borg and  the  'Monatsschrift,'  published  by  Blester  and  Ge- 
dicke.  Letocard's  account  agrees  perfectly  with  what  the 
Queen  of  Sweden  related  here  at  her  own  table  concerning 
her  experience  with  Swedenborg.    The  Princess  of  Sweden^^** 


*  According  to  Nordin  (see  Document  275,  B)  the  Chevaliei-  Beylon 
told  his  story  not  only  to  the  gentleman  who  published  the  same  in  the 
"Berlinische  Monatsschrift,"  but  also  to  Gustavus  III,  the  King  of  Sweden. 
It  is  difficult  to  say  who  was  the  originator  of  the  story,  whether  the 
Chevalier  Beylon,  or  the  "distinguished  chevalier"  of  the  "Monatssclmft;"' 
but  as  Gustavus  III,  according  to  Nordin,  distinctly  told  Rosenstein,  that 
Beylon  had  repeated  to  him  the  sarae  story,  there  is  a  strong  probabiHty 
that  Beylon  was  the  inventor,  notv/ithstanding  the  good  character  which 
Letocard  gives  to  him. 


Doc.  276.]  ATTEMPTS  AT  EXFLAyATloy.  687 

and  Baron  Zoye  von  ManteuiVel  told  the  story  in  the  saine 
fashion  during  their  stay  here  hist  winter.  The  Princess  of 
Sweden  added  that  she  had  been  astonished  at  finding  in 
some  French  journal,  that  a  fact,  the  reality  of  which  was 
acknowledged  by  so  many  persons  who  were  still  living  and 
who  were  present  [when  it  happened],  had  been  called  in 
question,  &c.,  Occ. 


V. 

LETTER  BT  THE  COUNTESS  VON  SCHWERIN.'^*'' 

•'Letocard  is  the  name  of  the  gentleman  who  for  twenty 
years  was  secretary  of  the  embassy  of  the  United  Provinces, 
under  my  late  brother-in-law.  This  old  gentleman  has  retired 
from  his  duties,  and  lives  at  present  Avith  his  family  in 
Pomerania.  As  he  still  keeps  up  an  active  correspondence  with 
Sweden,  I  asked  him  to  try  to  collect  some  additional  genuine 
anecdotes  about  the  late  Swedenl)org.  If  the  testimony  of  a 
sister  of  the  late  Madame  de  Mardefeld  can  be  of  use  in 
verifying  what  took  place  between  Swedenborg  and  my  sister, 
you  are  quite  at  liberty  to  make  use  of  my  name;  since  I 
am  always  ready  to  seize  every  opportunity  of  manifesting  the 
perfect  respect  with  which  I  have  the  honour  to  be,  &c.,  &c. 

"Countess  von  Schwerix, 
"^iee  VON  Ammon. 
"Berlin,  June  9,  1788." 

There  is  one  fact  wliich  seems  pretty  well  established  by 
the  present  investigation,  viz.  that  the  Queen  herself  did  not 
always  relate  her  experience  with  Swedenborg  in  the  same 
fashion;  nay  that  she  actually  denied  to  one  gentleman  that 
Swedenborg  brought  her  any  message  at  all  from  her  de- 
ceased brother.  Her  reasons  for  doing  so  are  stated  by  Count 
Hopken  thus:  "She  did  not  wish  any  one  in  Sweden  to  be- 
lieve that  during  a  war  with  Prussia  she  had  carried  on  a 
correspondence  in  the  enemy's  country"  (see  Document  275, 
p.  660).  "The  same  caution,"  Hopken  continues,  "Her  Ma- 
jesty exercised   during   her    late   visit  to  Berlin.     When  she 


688  THEEE  EXTRAORDIXABY  FACTS.       [Doc.  276. 

was  asked  about  this  transaction,  which  had -been  printed  in 
a  German  paper,  she  did  not  answer.  This  circumstance  was 
narrated  in  the  French  translation  of  'Heaven  and  Hell.'"* 

J.  F.  von  Meyer,-|-  in  commenting  on  the  explanations  fur- 
nished by  the  "Berlinische  Monatsschrift"  which  were  reprinted 
in  1809  by  the  "Allgemeine  Anzeiger  der  Deutschen,"  adverts  in 
a  short  reply  inserted  in  no.  60  of  the  ''Anzeiger''  to  the  caution 
exercised  by  the  Queen  in  the  communication  of  the  details 
of  this  occurrence,  and  says,  "Is  it  at  all  likely  that  the  Queen 
under  these  circumstances  would  have  opened  her  heart  freely 
to  the  explainer,  no.  2,  to  whom  she  refused  to  give  a  correct 
statement?  That  gentleman  would  no  doubt  answer,  Yes;  for 
a  considerable  amount  of  self-denial  is  required  for  any  one 
to  acknowledge  that  he  has  been  the  dupe  of  such  a  person. 
Every  one  flatters  himself  to  be  in  her  confidence.  And  she 
herself  in  order  to  defend  herself  against  such  inopportune 
questioners,  at  last  declares  that  she  knows  nothing  about  it." 
This,  says  Mr.  von  Meyer,  seems  to  have  been  her  object  in 
the  account  she  gave  to  that  gentleman ;  wherefore  he  declares 
further  that  "the  key  furnished  by  him  amounts  to  no  ex- 
planation at  all  in  his  own  eyes." 

In  analyzing  the  account  given  by  Chevalier  Beylon,  as  re- 
ported by  explainer,  no.  1,  Mr.  von  Meyer  says,  "According 
to  that  account  Chevalier  Beylon  never  maintained  that  he 
really  ]{neiv  the  natural  connection  of  this  affair;  that  he  had 
heard  or  learned  it  from  the  Senators  T.  and  H.,  or  from 
some  other  person;  he  simply  guessed  it,  and  the  result  of  his 
guessing  he  was  not  willing  to  make  public.  Shakespeare  says 
somewhere,  'I  believe  indeed  that  you  will  not  betray  what 
you  do  not  know.'  Granted  that  the  old  Chevalier  Beylon 
had  in  reality  taken  a  walk  at  three  o'clock  in  the  morning 


*  Cfr.  Document  6,  no.  26.  Vol.  I,  p.  65. 

•j-  Johan  Fiiedrich  von  Meyer,  says  Dr.  Iramanuel  Tafel  ("Sammlung 
von  Urkunden,  &c.,  Part  I,  p.  138)  was  syndic  and  Ijurgomaster  in  Frank- 
fort on  the  Maine,  and  by  no  means  a  follower  of  Swedenborg,  but  on  the 
contrary  one  of  his  ojiponents.  His  review  of  the  account  furnished  by  the 
"Berlinische  Monatsschrift,"  which  appeared  at  first  in  the  "Anzeiger,"  &c., 
was  inserted  by  him  aftei'wards  in  his  work  entitled  "Hades,"  published 
the  following  year  in  Frankfort. 


Doc.  270.]  ATTEMPTS  AT  EXPLANATION.  689 

through  the  Sodermahu  where  Swedenborg  lived,  and  that  ho 
really  saw  the  two  statesmen  make  their  way  clandestinely 
from  his  house — still  this  admits  of  other  equally  just  expla- 
nations. For  instance,  suppose  they  were  impelled  by  a  secret 
curiosity  to  learn  the  answer  8wedenborg  gave  to  the  Queen, 
they  having  been  present  when  she  charged  him  with  the  com- 
mission. AVe  are  not  acquauited  with  the  private  character  of 
these  gentlemen.  Should  they  have  been  believers  in  the  reality 
of  Swedeuborg's  visions,  they  might  perhaps  have  desired  to 
interrogate  him  on  their  own  account,  but  might  have  been  un- 
wilhng  to  do  so  in  public :  if  they  did  not  beUeve  in  his  visions, 
they  may  have  wished  to  make  use  of  him  for  some  political 
intrigue,  but  untJiout  meeting  ivith  any  success:  for  the  Queen 
herself,  according  to  explainer,  no.  2,  declared  among  other 
things  that  "Swedenborg  was  honest  enough  to  refuse  to  become 
a  tool  in  the  hands  of  some  persons,  who  desired  to  make  use 
of  him   and  his   visions  at  the  time  of  party-strife." 

Such  then  is  the  value  of  Chevalier  Beylon's  testimony, 
when  examined  by  the  rules  of  evidence. 

About  the  time  the  explanations  of  the  "Berlinische  Monats- 
schrift"  were  reprinted  in  the  "Allgemeine  Anzeiger,"  &c., 
the  editors  of  the  "Morgenblatt"  printed,  in  no.  107  of  their 
paper,  issued  in  May,  1809,  an  article  entitled  "Contribution 
to  the  Theory  of  Pneumatology,"  written  by  the  Rev.  C.  E. 
Gambs  of  Bremen,  late  chaplain  to  the  Swedish  Embassy  in 
Paris.  In  that  article  the  reverend  gentleman  reviewed  Jung- 
Stilling's  work  on  Pneumatology,  and  especially  his  account  of 
the  Queen's  experience  with  Swedenborg.*  The  editors  of  the 
"Morgenblatt,"  in  inserting  Gambs'  article,  remarked  that  it 
corrected  authentically  several  points  in  the  explanations  given 
by  the  "Berlinische  Monatsschrift."  Of  this  article  we  shall 
give  our  readers  the  leading  facts. 

*  See  Document  275,  p.  669. 


44 


E. 
THE  REV.  C.  E.  GAMES  ON  SWEDENBORa. 


After  laying  special  emphasis  on  the  fact  that  all  Jung- 
Stilling's  information  was  derived  from  an  anonymous  "dis- 
tinguished Swed6,"  while  he  himself  is  ahle  to  name,  as  the 
sources  of  his  account,  M.  Signeul,  the  former  consul-general 
of  Sweden  in  Paris,  and  Mr.  Nils  von  Jacohsson,  the  bosom- 
friend  of  a  son  of  the  Count  von  Brahe,  who  is  one  of  the 
chief  actors  in  the  following  narrative,  Mr.  Gamhs  says: 

"The  Queen  of  Sweden,  the  wife  of  Adolphus  Frederic, 
the  mother  of  Gustavus  III,  and  the  sister  of  Frederic  the 
Great,  bore  unwillingly  the  restraints  which  the  Swedish 
Diet  had  imposed  upon  the  regal  power  after  the  death  of 
Charles  XII.  She  sought  to  free  herself  from  them,  and  corres- 
ponded with  her  brother  on  the  means  required  to  carry 
out  her  plan.  In  order  to  be  independent  of  the  Swedish 
postal  service,  which  was  entirely  under  the  control  of  the 
Diet,  the  Queen  dispatched  all  her  letters  by  a  man  who, 
under  the  pretext  of  travelling  on  business,  passed  to  and 
fro  between  Sweden  and  Prussia.  The  Queen,  however, 
was  not  aware  that  the  members  of  the  Diet  did  not  trust 
her,  and  that  they,  and  especially  Count  Brahe,  father  of  the 
present  Count,  who  was  president  of  the  Diet,  surrounded  the 
Queen  with  spies,  and  soon  ferreted  out  her  private  letter- 
carrier,  on  whom  they  prevailed,  partly  by  threats  and 
partly  by  bribes,  to  surrender  to  the  marshal-in-chief.  Count 
Brahe,  every  letter  from  the  Queen,  before  taking  it  to  Prussia, 
and  every  letter  from  her  brother,before  delivering  it  to  the 
Queen. 


Doc.  27f).]  A  TTEMPTS  A  T  EXPLA  NA  Tl ON.  691 

"This  gentleman  learned  very  soon  what  had  ha]ii)(!ned 
between  the  Queen  and  the  familiar  friend  of  the  spirits,  and 
also  that  he  had  promised  within  three  days  to  bring  a 
reply  to  the  (^ueen.  On  the  evening  of  the  second  day 
Count  Brahe  in  disguise  went  to  Swedenborg,  and  after  he 
had  made  himself  known  to  him,  he  addressed  him  thus: 
'Dear  Professor,  it  is  no  part  of  my  office  to  investigate 
whether  you  are  really  able  to  communicate  with  heavenly 
spirits,  or  not.  But  I  consider  you  to  be  a  faithful  Swede, 
who  is  interested  in  the  welfare  of  his  country,  and  the 
safety  of  his  king.  I  therefore  consider  it  my  duty  to  in- 
form you,  that  I  am  acquainted  with  the  contents  of  the  last 
letter  which  the  Queen  wrote  to  her  brother.  If  now  you 
are  willing  to  do  a  great  service  to  your  country  and  to  the 
Queen,  tell  her  to-morrow,  that  the  members  of  the  Diet  have 
read  her  entire  correspondence  with  her  brother,  that  they 
know  all  the  steps  she  has  taken  in  order  to  overthrow  the 
constitution  of  the  country,  but  that  out  of  love  for  her  h\i§^ 
band  they  have  hitherto  been  indulgent  and  merciful  towards 
her;  should  she,  however,  take  any  other  additional  step,  it 
will  result  in  the  death  of  her  husband,  and  the  dethrone- 
ment of  her  son. 

"This  answer,  which,  it  is  true,  the  late  Prince  of  Prussia 
could  have  communicated  to  the  ghost-seer  Swedenborg  just 
as  well  as  Count  Brahe,  Swedenborg  delivered  verbally  to 
the  Queen  on  the  following  day,  and  thereby  proved  his  inter- 
course   with   the    heavenly   spirits. 

"C.  E.  Gambs. 
"Formerly  chaplain  of  the  Swedish  legation  in  Paris, 
at  present  preacher  in  the  Church  of  St.  Ansgari  in  Bremen." 


The  fictitious  character  of  this  account  is  easily  esta- 
blished: for  at  the  time  the  Queen  charged  Swedenborg 
with  a  commission  to  her  deceased  brother,  which  was  at 
the  close  of  November,  1761,  Count  Brahe  was  not  presi- 
dent of  the  Swedish  Diet;  in  fact  Count  Eric  Brahe, "^ 
"who  had  been  acting  President  of  the  Swedish  Diet  in 
1752,    was    beheaded    in   1756,    by    order    of    the    Diet,    for 

44* 


692  THREE  EXTRAORDINARY  FACTS.        [Doc.  27G. 

h?"'-'^  abetted  Queen  Louisa  Ulrica  in  her  attempts  to 
subvert  Jie  constitution  of  Sweden  (see  Note  137);  and  his 
sons  were  too  young  in  1761  to  take  any  part  in  the  affairs 
of  the  country.  Count  Magnus  Frederic  Brahe,  whose 
bosom-friend,  accorul'^'^  to  Gambs,  was  Nils  von  Jacobsson, 
being  at  that  time  five  years  old,  and  his  brother  Pehr 
fifteen  (see  Anrep's  "Attar-taflor,"  Vol.  I,  pp.  290  and  291). 


//) 


.  ^,fJim^m^mfm^i:L,,^j.i^ 

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