Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - Sidor ...
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
48 DOCUMENTS CONCERNING SWEDENBORG.
To the Professor of Divinity in the University of Aberdeen.
"Rev. 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 Honorable 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 orna-
ment to human nature. Credulity, prejudice, or partiality seem to have no
s^re in his compositions or character, nor is he in the least influenced by any
avaricious or interested view. A proof of this last assertion was afforded me by
his refusing an offer of any money he might have occasion for while in Eng-
land, 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 sort, which they think only designed ad cap-
tandos denarios : but this suspicion seems also pretty well removed in the printed
letter entitled Ad Amicum Responsum. 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 Answer.
« Aberdeen, November 7, 1769.
"Sir,
**
It is about a week since I received the favor 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 honor to offer him my
best respects. The necessary busmess 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
very ready to communicate it to you.—In the mean time, I am Sir, your obliged
humble servant,
"Alex. Gerard."
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
