seraphita-第12章

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opened；　and　he　was　forced　to　look　into　the　heavens；　into　the　world　of

spirits；　and　into　hell；three　separate　spheres；　where　he　encountered

persons　of　his　acquaintance　who　had　departed　from　their　human　form；

some　long　since；　others　lately。　Thenceforth　Swedenborg　lived　wholly　in

the　spiritual　life；　remaining　in　this　world　only　as　the　messenger　of

God。　His　mission　was　ridiculed　by　the　incredulous；　but　his　conduct　was

plainly　that　of　a　being　superior　to　humanity。　In　the　first　place；

though　limited　in　means　to　the　bare　necessaries　of　life；　he　gave　away

enormous　sums；　and　publicly；　in　several　cities；　restored　the　fortunes

of　great　commercial　houses　when　they　were　on　the　brink　of　failure。　No

one　ever　appealed　to　his　generosity　who　was　not　immediately　satisfied。

A　sceptical　Englishman；　determined　to　know　the　truth；　followed　him　to

Paris；　and　relates　that　there　his　doors　stood　always　open。　One　day　a

servant　complained　of　this　apparent　negligence；　which　laid　him　open　to

suspicion　of　thefts　that　might　be　committed　by　others。　'He　need　feel

no　anxiety；'　said　Swedenborg；　smiling。　'But　I　do　not　wonder　at　his

fear；　he　cannot　see　the　guardian　who　protects　my　door。'　In　fact；　no

matter　in　what　country　he　made　his　abode　he　never　closed　his　doors；

and　nothing　was　ever　stolen　from　him。　At　Gottenburga　town　situated

some　sixty　miles　from　Stockholmhe　announced；　eight　days　before　the

news　arrived　by　courier；　the　conflagration　which　ravaged　Stockholm；

and　the　exact　time　at　which　it　took　place。　The　Queen　of　Sweden　wrote

to　her　brother；　the　King；　at　Berlin；　that　one　of　her　ladies…in…

waiting；　who　was　ordered　by　the　courts　to　pay　a　sum　of　money　which　she

was　certain　her　husband　had　paid　before　his　death；　went　to　Swedenborg

and　begged　him　to　ask　her　husband　where　she　could　find　proof　of　the

payment。　The　following　day　Swedenborg；　having　done　as　the　lady

requested；　pointed　out　the　place　where　the　receipt　would　be　found。　He

also　begged　the　deceased　to　appear　to　his　wife；　and　the　latter　saw　her

husband　in　a　dream；　wrapped　in　a　dressing…gown　which　he　wore　just

before　his　death；　and　he　showed　her　the　paper　in　the　place　indicated

by　Swedenborg；　where　it　had　been　securely　put　away。　At　another　time；

embarking　from　London　in　a　vessel　commanded　by　Captain　Dixon；　he

overheard　a　lady　asking　if　there　were　plenty　of　provisions　on　board。

'We　do　not　want　a　great　quantity；'　he　said；　'in　eight　days　and　two

hours　we　shall　reach　Stockholm；'which　actually　happened。　This

peculiar　state　of　vision　as　to　the　things　of　the　earthinto　which

Swedenborg　could　put　himself　at　will；　and　which　astonished　those　about

himwas；　nevertheless；　but　a　feeble　representative　of　his　faculty　of

looking　into　heaven。



〃Not　the　least　remarkable　of　his　published　visions　is　that　in　which　he

relates　his　journeys　through　the　Astral　Regions；　his　descriptions

cannot　fail　to　astonish　the　reader；　partly　through　the　crudity　of

their　details。　A　man　whose　scientific　eminence　is　incontestable；　and

who　united　in　his　own　person　powers　of　conception；　will；　and

imagination；　would　surely　have　invented　better　if　he　had　invented　at

all。　The　fantastic　literature　of　the　East　offers　nothing　that　can　give

an　idea　of　this　astounding　work；　full　of　the　essence　of　poetry；　if　it

is　permissible　to　compare　a　work　of　faith　with　one　of　oriental　fancy。

The　transportation　of　Swedenborg　by　the　Angel　who　served　as　guide　to

this　first　journey　is　told　with　a　sublimity　which　exceeds；　by　the

distance　which　God　has　placed　betwixt　the　earth　and　the　sun；　the　great

epics　of　Klopstock；　Milton；　Tasso；　and　Dante。　This　description；　which

serves　in　fact　as　an　introduction　to　his　work　on　the　Astral　Regions；

has　never　been　published；　it　is　among　the　oral　traditions　left　by

Swedenborg　to　the　three　disciples　who　were　nearest　to　his　heart。

Monsieur　Silverichm　has　written　them　down。　Monsieur　Seraphitus

endeavored　more　than　once　to　talk　to　me　about　them；　but　the

recollection　of　his　cousin's　words　was　so　burning　a　memory　that　he

always　stopped　short　at　the　first　sentence　and　became　lost　in　a　revery

from　which　I　could　not　rouse　him。〃



The　old　pastor　sighed　as　he　continued：　〃The　baron　told　me　that　the

argument　by　which　the　Angel　proved　to　Swedenborg　that　these　bodies　are

not　made　to　wander　through　space　puts　all　human　science　out　of　sight

beneath　the　grandeur　of　a　divine　logic。　According　to　the　Seer；　the

inhabitants　of　Jupiter　will　not　cultivate　the　sciences；　which　they

call　darkness；　those　of　Mercury　abhor　the　expression　of　ideas　by

speech；　which　seems　to　them　too　material；their　language　is　ocular；

those　of　Saturn　are　continually　tempted　by　evil　spirits；　those　of　the

Moon　are　as　small　as　six…year…old　children；　their　voices　issue　from

the　abdomen；　on　which　they　crawl；　those　of　Venus　are　gigantic　in

height；　but　stupid；　and　live　by　robbery；although　a　part　of　this

latter　planet　is　inhabited　by　beings　of　great　sweetness；　who　live　in

the　love　of　Good。　In　short；　he　describes　the　customs　and　morals　of　all

the　peoples　attached　to　the　different　globes；　and　explains　the　general

meaning　of　their　existence　as　related　to　the　universe　in　terms　so

precise；　giving　explanations　which　agree　so　well　with　their　visible

evolutions　in　the　system　of　the　world；　that　some　day；　perhaps；

scientific　men　will　come　to　drink　of　these　living　waters。



〃Here；〃　said　Monsieur　Becker；　taking　down　a　book　and　opening　it　at　a

mark；　〃here　are　the　words　with　which　he　ended　this　work：



〃'If　any　man　doubts　that　I　was　transported　through　a　vast　number　of

Astral　Regions；　let　him　recall　my　observation　of　the　distances　in　that

other　life；　namely；　that　they　exist　only　in　relation　to　the　external

state　of　man；　now；　being　transformed　within　like　unto　the　Angelic

Spirits　of　those　Astral　Spheres；　I　was　able　to　understand　them。'



〃The　circumstances　to　which　we　of　this　canton　owe　the　presence　among

us　of　Baron　Seraphitus；　the　beloved　cousin　of　Swedenborg；　enabled　me

to　know　all　the　events　of　the　extraordinary　life　of　that　prophet。　He

has　lately　been　accused　of　imposture　in　certain　quarters　of　Europe；

and　the　public　prints　reported　the　following　fact　based　on　a　letter

written　by　the　Chevalier　Baylon。　Swedenborg；　they　said；　informed　by

certain　senators　of　a　secret　correspondence　of　the　late　Queen　of

Sweden　with　her　brother；　the　Prince　of　Prussia；　revealed　his　knowledge

of　the　secrets　contained　in　that　correspondence　to　the　Queen；　making

her　believe　he　had　obtained　this　knowledge　by　supernatural　means。　A

man　worthy　of　all　confidence；　Monsieur　Charles…Leonhard　de

Stahlhammer；　captain　in　the　Royal　guard　and　knight　of　the　Sword；

answered　the　calumny　with　a　convincing　letter。〃



The　pastor　opened　a　drawer　of　his　table　and　looked　through　a　number　of

papers　until　he　found　a　gazette　which　he　held　out　to　Wilfrid；　asking

him　to　read　aloud　the　following　letter：



Stockholm；　May　18；　1788。



　　I　have　read　with　amazement　a　letter　which　purports　to　relate　the

　　interview　of　the　famous　Swedenborg　with　Queen　Louisa…Ulrika。　The

　　circumstances　therein　stated　are　wholly　false；　and　I　hope　the

　　writer　will　excuse　me　for　showing　him　by　the　following　faithful

　　narration；　which　can　be　proved　by　the　testimony　of　many

　　distinguished　persons　then　present　and　still　living；　how

　　completely　he　has　been　deceived。



　　In　1758；　shortly　after　the　death　of　the　Prince　of　Prussia

　　Swedenborg　came　to　court；　where　he　was　in　the　habit　of　attending

　　regularly。　He　had　scarcely　entered　the　queen's　presence　before　she

　　said　to　him：　〃Well；　Mr。　Assessor；　have　you　seen　my　brother？〃

　　Swedenborg　answered　no；　and　the　queen　rejoined：　〃If　you　do　see

　　him；　greet　him　for　me。〃　In　saying　this　she　meant　no　more　than　a

　　pleasant　jest；　and　had　no　thought　whatever　of　asking　him　for

　　information　about　her　brother。　Eight　days　later　（not　twenty…four

　　as　stated；　nor　was　the　audience　a　private　one）；　Swedenborg　again

　　came　to　court；　but　so　early　that　the　queen　had　not　left　her

　　apartment　called　the　Whi