Swedenborg: Harbinger of the New Age of the Christian Church. Benjamin Worcester

remember me kindly to sister Anna, my dear sister Hedvig, and also to brother Ericus Benzel, the little one, about whose state of health I always desire to hear."

The next letter that has come down to us was dated Paris, August, 1713. Meanwhile Swedenborg had left London and made a considerable stay in Holland. "I left Holland," he says, "intending to make greater progress in mathematics, and also to finish all I had designed in that science. Since my arrival here I have been hindered in my work by an illness which lasted six weeks, and which interfered with my studies and other useful employments; but I have at last recovered, and am beginning to make the acquaintance of ​the most learned men in this place. I have called upon and made the acquaintance of De La Hire, who is now a great astronomer and who was formerly a well-known geometrician. I have also been frequently with Warrignon, who is the greatest geometrician and algebraist in this city, and perhaps the greatest in Europe. About eight days ago I called upon Abbé Bignon, and presented your compliments, on the strength of which I was very favorably received by him. I submitted to him for examination, and for introduction into the Society, three discoveries, two of which were in algebra. [The third was his new method of finding longitude.] . . . Here in town I avoid conversation with Swedes, and shun all those by whom I might be in the least interrupted in my studies. What I hear from the learned, I note down at once in my journal; it would be too long to copy it out and to communicate it to you. . . . During my stay in Holland I was most of the time in Utrecht, where the Diet^[2] met, and where I was in great favor with Ambassador Palmquist, who had me every day at his house; every day ​also I had discussions on algebra with him. He is a good mathematician and a great algebraist. ... In Leyden I learned glass-grinding [for telescopes], and I have now all the instruments and utensils belonging to it. . . . You may rest assured that I entertain the greatest friendship and veneration for you; I hope therefore that you will not be displeased with me on account of my silence and my delay in writing letters, if you hear that I am always intent on my studies, so that sometimes I omit more important matters."

      Swedenborg's stay in Paris seems to have been less than a year, and here seems to end his aspiration for eminence in pure mathematics. For whatever reason, from this time he began to devote his attention to mechanical and practical investigations. Going from Paris by way of Hamburg to Rostock, in the north of Mecklenburg, he writes from there to Benzelius, Sept. 8, 1714—

      "I am very glad that I have come to a place where I have time and leisure to gather up all my works and thoughts, which have hitherto been without any order and are scattered here and there upon scraps of paper. I have always ​been in want of a place and time to collect them. I have now commenced this labor and shall soon get it done. I promised my dear father to publish an academical thesis, for which I shall select some inventions in mechanics which I have at hand. Further, I have the following mechanical inventions either in hand or fully written out, namely—

      "1. The plan of a certain ship which with its men can go under the surface of the sea wherever it chooses, and do great damage to the fleet of the enemy.

      "2. A new plan for a siphon, by which a large quantity of water may be raised from any river to a higher locality in a short time.

      "3. For lifting weights by the aid of water and this portable siphon, with greater facility than by mechanical powers.

      "4. For constructing sluices in places where there is no fall of water, by means of which entire ships with their cargoes may be raised to any required height within an hour or two.

      "5. A machine driven by fire, for throwing out water; and a method of constructing it near forges where the water has no fall, but is tranquil.

      ​"6. A draw-bridge which may be closed and opened within the gates and walls.

      "7. New machines for condensing and exhausting air by means of water. Also a new pump acting by water and mercury, without any siphon; which presents more advantages and works more easily than the common pumps. I have also, besides these, other new plans for pumps.

      "8. A new construction of air-guns, thousands of which may be discharged in a moment by means of one siphon.

      "9. A universal musical instrument, by means of which one who is quite unacquainted with music may execute all kinds of airs that are marked on paper by notes.

      "10. Sciagraphia universalis. The universal art of delineating shades, or a mechanical method of delineating engravings of any kind upon any surface by means of fire.

      "11. A water-clock in which water serves the purpose of an index, and in which by the flow of water all the moveable bodies in the heavens are demonstrated, with other curious effects.

      "12. A mechanical carriage containing all ​sorts of works which arc set in motion by the movement of the horses. Also a flying carriage, or the possibility of remaining suspended in the air, and of being conveyed through it.

      "13. A method of ascertaining the desires and the affections of the minds of men by analysis.

      "14. New methods of constructing cords and springs, with their properties.

      "These are my mechanical inventions which were heretofore lying scattered on pieces of paper, but nearly all of which are now brought into order so that when opportunity offers they may be published. To all these there is added an algebraic and a numeric calculation from which the proportions, motion, times, and all the properties which they ought to possess are deduced. Moreover, all those things which I have in analysis and astronomy require each its own place and its own time. O how I wish, my beloved friend and brother, that I could submit all these to your own eyes and to those of Professor Elfvius! But as I cannot show you the actual machines, I will at least in a short time forward you the drawings, with which I am daily occupied. I have now time also ​to bring my poetical efforts into order. They are only a kind of fables, like those of Ovid, under cover of which those events are treated which have happened in Europe within the last fourteen or fifteen years; so that in this manner I am allowed to sport with serious things, and to play with the heroes and the great men of our country. But meanwhile I am affected with a certain sense of shame when I reflect that I have said so much about my plans and ideas, and have not yet exhibited anything: my journey and its inconveniences have been the cause of this. I have now a great desire to return home to Sweden and to take in hand all Polheimer's inventions, make drawings, and furnish descriptions of them; and also to test them by physics, mechanics, hydrostatics, and hydraulics, and likewise by algebraic calculus. I should prefer to publish them in Sweden rather than in any other place, and in this manner to make a beginning among us of a Society for Learning and Science, for which we have such an excellent foundation in Polheimer's inventions. I wish mine could serve the same purpose. . . . A thousand remembrances to my sister Anna. I hope she is not alarmed at the ​approach of the Russians. I have a great longing to see little brother [nephew] Eric again; perhaps he will be able to make a triangle, or to draw one for me, when I give him a little ruler."

      1 ↑ An early recreation of his, as shown in some verses written in his twelfth year.

      2 ↑ The famous Congress of Ambassadors, by which the Spanish Succession was ended and peace secured for a generation.