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58 DOCUMENTS CONCERNING SWEDENBORG.
1
spectable friend, who was a witness of it, viz. : That himself, together with the
other officers of the custom-house at Oresound, 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. Being
all seated at table, and none of them taking the liberty of addressing Sweden-
borg, who was likewise silent, the Swedish consul thought it incumbent on him
to break silence, for which purpose he took occasion, from the death of the
Danish king Christian VI., which happened the preceding year, to inquire of
Swedenborg, as he could see and speak with the dead, whether he had also
seen Christian VI. after his decease. To this Swedenborg replied in the affirma-
tive ; 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 ta.ble ; the consul, Mr. Kryger,
therefore fearing that Swedenborg might say something further to the disadvan-
tage of the father, interrupted him, saying, Sir, this is his son ! Swedenborg re-
phed, It may be, but what I am saying is true. This and other relations induced
me a few years afterwards to solicit the Swedish consul, Mr. Rahling, to ac-
quaint me the next time Swedenborg came to Elsineur ; he soon afterwards in-
formed 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 favorable, 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 intimate friend of the consul’s, and came
on purpose to have the honor 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 shall answer
all in truth. My first question was, Whether the relation, reported as having
passed between himself and the queen at 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 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 : That the
senator Count SchefTer, 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 hunself 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 men-
tioned a censure or criticism she had read in the gazette of Gottingen, on a man
at 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 sub-
ject. 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 SchefTer an-
swered. That he was far from insane, but a sensible and learned man. Upon
this, the queen expressed her wishes of seeing him ; when Count Scheffer said
that he was intimately acquainted with him, and would propose it to him. The
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