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.
ANECDOTES COLLECTED BY MR. ROBSAHM. 65
X.
ANECDOTES
COLLECTED BY MR. ROBSAHM,
DIRECTOR OF THE BANK OF STOCKHOLM,
CONCERNING THE
LIFE OF SWEDENBORG WHEN AT HOME.
Mr. Robsahm, who was also one of the intimate friends of Swedenborg, collected,
shortly after his decease, a number of anecdotes concerning Swedenborg’s life at home,
which he published in a pamphlet, and which, although not of much importance, may
nevertheless be read with interest by those who desire to know everything that can be
known concerning the life of so extraordinary a man.
Mr. R. commences thus:
" Swedenborg was assessor of the Metallic College, and member of the Acad-
emy of Sciences in Sweden. The little regard he had for titles of honor and hu-
man grandeur, made him determine, after he began to devote himself exclusively
to spiritual studies, to request his dismission from the office of assessor, the du-
ties of which he had punctually fulfilled for about thirty years. He had a house
in the environs of Stockholm. It was built and arranged after his own taste
;
the apartments were rather small, but suitable to himself. Although he was a
man of most profound learning, no other books were seen in his study than the
Hebrew and Greek Bible, together with his own indexes of his works, whereby
he saved himself the trouble, when referring to different passages, of going
through all which he had before written.
"Adjoining to the house was a pretty large garden, in the midst of which he
had a summer-house, or pavilion ; there were four doors to the apartment which
formed a square, which was occasionally turned, in an instant, into an octagon
form, by the means of four other doors which belonged to it. One of these doors
shut with a secret lock, which being opened, there appeared a glass door placed
opposite a fine green hedge, where a bird was seen in a cage. This new spec,
tacle produced an agreeable surprise of a second garden to the person who
opened the door, which Swedenborg related to be more agreeable than the first.
At the entrance of the garden there was a parterre ^^xll covered with flowers,
which he was very fond of. He derived no other advantage from the garden,
for he gave the whole produce of it to the gardener who waited on him ; as also
that of a very handsome green-house, in which he took much pleasure.
" The gardener and his wife were the only servants he had ; of the latter he
never desired other service than that of making his bed, and of bringing water
into his first apartment ; he generally made his own cofi’ee on the fire in his
study, and took much of it well sweetened ; and when at home his dinner con-
sisted of a small loaf put into boiled milk, and at that time he neither drank
wine nor any spirituous liquor, nor did he take any supper : though he was
very sparing in his eating and drinking, yet he would sometimes, when in com-
5
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
