seraphita-第13章

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　　came　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…honor　and　other　ladies　attached　to　the　court。　Swedenborg

　　did　not　wait　until　she　came　forth；　but　entered　the　said　room　and

　　whispered　something　in　her　ear。　The　queen；　overcome　with

　　amazement；　was　taken　ill；　and　it　was　some　time　before　she

　　recovered　herself。　When　she　did　so　she　said　to　those　about　her：

　　〃Only　God　and　my　brother　knew　the　thing　that　he　has　just　spoken

　　of。〃　She　admitted　that　it　related　to　her　last　correspondence　with

　　the　prince　on　a　subject　which　was　known　to　them　alone。　I　cannot

　　explain　how　Swedenborg　came　to　know　the　contents　of　that　letter；

　　but　I　can　affirm　on　my　honor；　that　neither　Count　H　（as　the

　　writer　of　the　article　states）　nor　any　other　person　intercepted；　or

　　read；　the　queen's　letters。　The　senate　allowed　her　to　write　to　her

　　brother　in　perfect　security；　considering　the　correspondence　as　of

　　no　interest　to　the　State。　It　is　evident　that　the　author　of　the

　　said　article　is　ignorant　of　the　character　of　Count　H。　This

　　honored　gentleman；　who　has　done　many　important　services　to　his

　　country；　unites　the　qualities　of　a　noble　heart　to　gifts　of　mind；

　　and　his　great　age　has　not　yet　weakened　these　precious　possessions。

　　During　his　whole　administration　he　added　the　weight　of　scrupulous

　　integrity　to　his　enlightened　policy　and　openly　declared　himself

　　the　enemy　of　all　secret　intrigues　and　underhand　dealings；　which　he

　　regarded　as　unworthy　means　to　attain　an　end。　Neither　did　the

　　writer　of　that　article　understand　the　Assessor　Swedenborg。　The

　　only　weakness　of　that　essentially　honest　man　was　a　belief　in　the

　　apparition　of　spirits；　but　I　knew　him　for　many　years；　and　I　can

　　affirm　that　he　was　as　fully　convinced　that　he　met　and　talked　with

　　spirits　as　I　am　that　I　am　writing　at　this　moment。　As　a　citizen　and

　　as　a　friend　his　integrity　was　absolute；　he　abhorred　deception　and

　　led　the　most　exemplary　of　lives。　The　version　which　the　Chevalier

　　Baylon　gave　of　these　facts　is；　therefore；　entirely　without

　　justification；　the　visit　stated　to　have　been　made　to　Swedenborg　in

　　the　night…time　by　Count　H　and　Count　T　is　hereby

　　contradicted。　In　conclusion；　the　writer　of　the　letter　may　rest

　　assured　that　I　am　not　a　follower　of　Swedenborg。　The　love　of　truth

　　alone　impels　me　to　give　this　faithful　account　of　a　fact　which　has

　　been　so　often　stated　with　details　that　are　entirely　false。　I

　　certify　to　the　truth　of　what　I　have　written　by　adding　my

　　signature。





Charles…Leonhard　de　Stahlhammer。

〃The　proofs　which　Swedenborg　gave　of　his　mission　to　the　royal　families

of　Sweden　and　Prussia　were　no　doubt　the　foundation　of　the　belief　in

his　doctrines　which　is　prevalent　at　the　two　courts；〃　said　Monsieur

Becker；　putting　the　gazette　into　the　drawer。　〃However；〃　he　continued；

〃I　shall　not　tell　you　all　the　facts　of　his　visible　and　material　life；

indeed　his　habits　prevented　them　from　being　fully　known。　He　lived　a

hidden　life；　not　seeking　either　riches　or　fame。　He　was　even　noted　for

a　sort　of　repugnance　to　making　proselytes；　he　opened　his　mind　to　few

persons；　and　never　showed　his　external　powers　of　second…sight　to　any

who　were　not　eminent　in　faith；　wisdom；　and　love。　He　could　recognize　at

a　glance　the　state　of　the　soul　of　every　person　who　approached　him；　and

those　whom　he　desired　to　reach　with　his　inward　language　he　converted

into　Seers。　After　the　year　1745；　his　disciples　never　saw　him　do　a

single　thing　from　any　human　motive。　One　man　alone；　a　Swedish　priest；

named　Mathesius；　set　afloat　a　story　that　he　went　mad　in　London　in

1744。　But　a　eulogium　on　Swedenborg　prepared　with　minute　care　as　to　all

the　known　events　of　his　life；　was　pronounced　after　his　death　in　1772

on　behalf　of　the　Royal　Academy　of　Sciences　in　the　Hall　of　the　Nobles

at　Stockholm；　by　Monsieur　Sandels；　counsellor　of　the　Board　of　Mines。　A

declaration　made　before　the　Lord　Mayor　of　London　gives　the　details　of

his　last　illness　and　death；　in　which　he　received　the　ministrations　of

Monsieur　Ferelius　a　Swedish　priest　of　the　highest　standing；　and　pastor

of　the　Swedish　Church　in　London；　Mathesius　being　his　assistant。　All

persons　present　attested　that　so　far　from　denying　the　value　of　his

writings　Swedenborg　firmly　asserted　their　truth。　'In　one　hundred

years；'　Monsieur　Ferelius　quotes　him　as　saying；　'my　doctrine　will

guide　the　CHURCH。'　He　predicted　the　day　and　hour　of　his　death。　On　that

day；　Sunday；　March　29；　1772；　hearing　the　clock　strike；　he　asked　what

time　it　was。　'Five　o'clock'　was　the　answer。　'It　is　well；'　he　answered；

'thank　you；　God　bless　you。'　Ten　minutes　later　he　tranquilly　departed；

breathing　a　gentle　sigh。　Simplicity；　moderation；　and　solitude　were　the

features　of　his　life。　When　he　had　finished　writing　any　of　his　books　he

sailed　either　for　London　or　for　Holland；　where　he　published　them；　and

never　spoke　of　them　again。　He　published　in　this　way　twenty…seven

different　treatises；　all　written；　he　said；　from　the　dictation　of

Angels。　Be　it　true　or　false；　few　men　have　been　strong　enough　to　endure

the　flames　of　oral　illumination。



〃There　they　all　are；〃　said　Monsieur　Becker；　pointing　to　a　second　shelf

on　which　were　some　sixty　volumes。　〃The　treatises　on　which　the　Divine

Spirit　casts　its　most　vivid　gleams　are　seven　in　number；　namely：

'Heaven　and　Hell'；　'Angelic　Wisdom　concerning　the　Divine　Love　and　the

Divine　Wisdom'；　'Angelic　Wisdom　concerning　the　Divine　Providence'；

'The　Apocalypse　Revealed'；　'Conjugial　Love　and　its　Chaste　Delights'；

'The　True　Christian　Religion'；　and　'An　Exposition　of　the　Internal

Sense。'　Swedenborg's　explanation　of　the　Apocalypse　begins　with　these

words；〃　said　Monsieur　Becker；　taking　down　and　opening　the　volume

nearest　to　him：　〃'Herein　I　have　written　nothing　of　mine　own；　I　speak

as　I　am　bidden　by　the　Lord；　who　said；　through　the　same　angel；　to　John：

〃Thou　shalt　not　seal　the　sayings　of　this　Prophecy。〃'　（Revelation　xxii。

10。）



〃My　dear　Monsieur　Wilfrid；〃　said　the　old　man；　looking　at　his　guest；　〃I

often　tremble　in　every　limb　as　I　read；　during　the　long　winter　evenings

the　awe…inspiring　works　in　which　this　man　declares　with　perfect

artlessness　the　wonders　that　are　revealed　to　him。　'I　have　seen；'　he

says；　'Heaven　and　the　Angels。　The　spiritual　man　sees　his　spiritual

fellows　far　better　than　the　terrestrial　man　sees　the　men　of　earth。　In

describing　the　wonders　of　heaven　and　beneath　the　heavens　I　obey　the

Lord's　command。　Others　have　the　right　to　believe　me　or　not　as　they

choose。　I　cannot　put　them　into　the　state　in　which　God　has　put　me；　it

is　not　in　my　power　to　enable　them　to　converse　with　Angels；　nor　to　work

miracles　within　their　understanding；　they　alone　can　be　the　instrument

of　their　rise　to　angelic　intercourse。　It　is　now　twenty…eight　years

since　I　have　lived　in　the　Spiritual　world　with　angels；　and　on　earth

with　men；　for　it　pleased　God　to　open　the　eyes　of　my　Spirit　as　he　did

that　of　Paul；　and　of　Daniel　and　Elisha。'



〃And　yet；〃　continued　the　pastor；　thoughtfully；　〃certain　persons　have

had　visions　of　the　spiritual　world　through　the　complete　detachment

which　somnambulism　produces　between　their　external　form　and　their

inner　being。　'In　this　state；'　says　Swedenborg　in　his　treatise　on

Angelic　Wisdom　（No。　257）　'Man　may　rise　into　the　region　of　celestial

light　because；　his　corporeal　senses　being　abolished；　the　influence　of

heaven　acts　without　hindrance　on　his　inner　man。'　Many　persons　who　do

not　doubt　that　Swedenborg　received　celestial　revelations　think　that

his　writings　are　not　all　the　result　of　divine　inspiration。　Others

insist　on　absolute　adherence　to　him；　while　admitting　his　many

obscurities；　they　believe　that　the　imperfection　of　earthly　language

prevented　the　prophet　from　clearly　revealing　those　spiritual　visions

whose　clouds　disperse　to　the　eyes　of　those　whom　faith　regenerates；

for；　to　use　the　words　of　his　greatest　disciple；　'Flesh　is　but　an

external　propagation。'　To　poet