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78 DOCUMENTS CONCERNING SWEDENBORG.
ed that she had burnt his letter ; and as this was known to none bnt herself, she
nearly fainted at hearing it ; and was always very courteous to him afterwards.
He also related the affair of the Countess de Marteville, from whose husband’s
informacion, after his decease, he told her ^vhere a receipt for a sum of money
lay ; where she found it ; for which she wished to make Swedenborg a hand-
some present, but he refnsed it. Also the story of the fire at Stockholm : and
that after he had gone out from the company into the garden of the house at
Gottenburg, he returned, and told the company soon after, that his house and
garden were safe, and described how near the flame had come to it, though no
account from thence had then arrived. The remarkably speedy voyage that
Captain Hodson had when he carried him to Stockholm, he related to me, being
but seven days on the voyage, and that the captain never once dropped anchor
all the time, a thing he was greatly surprised at himself, and said that he found
Swedenborg’s company so agreeable, that he was much delighted and taken
wich him. He once lived in the Minories ; and after that in Cold Bath Fields,
where I often went to see him; and he told me, some short time before he died,
that as it had pleased God to take away the use of his arm by a palsy, his body
w^as now good for nothing but to be put into the ground. I asked him whether
he would take the sacrament, and whether I should bring Mr. Fernelius, the
Swedish minister? He said. Do : and we both returned soon after. He told the
priest to pronounce or read the blessing on it (or the consecration), and leave
the rest of the form to him, as he knew very well what it meant and was : this
he did: and after Swedenborg had taken it, he perceived a strong degree of
heat in his face. He was quite clear in his mind at the time, and said all was
then properly done, and thanked the clergyman for attending. This was on
the Friday ; and he died on the Wednesday follov/ing. Mr. Charles Lindegren
sent his effects to Sweden.
" Mr. Mathesius was an opponent of Swedenborg, and said that he w^as
Innatic, &c. ; but it is remarkable that he went lunatic himself, which happened
publicly one day when he was in the Swedish Church, and about to preach ; I
was there, and saw it : he has been so ever since, and sent back to Sweden,
where he now is : this was about four years ago. hi general, Swedenborg kept
retired, and sought to avoid company, and a knowledge of where he was.
Some of his friends here spoke against him, and some were for him: for my
own part, I think he was a reasonable, sensible, and good man : he was very
kind to all, and generous to me. As for his peculiar sentiments, I do not meddle
with them. I do not know of any of his manuscripts being left here ; and as
for his books, I think Mr. Lindegren can best tell what was done with them,
who is at present in the Royal Exchange Assurance Office. Swedenborg re-
ceived his remittances from him. He always appeared to have money suffi-
cient for him. A Mr. Grill, in Dunster-court, Mincing-lane, also knows some-
thing of him. I do not remember seeing any books in his chamber, and, not
understanding Latin, I never read any of his works."
"Mr. Cookworthy related to Mr. Provo,in 1778, that he had been with Mr.
Hartley to see Swedenborg hi Cold Bath Fields, a few years before he died, and
that he was near two hours with him, and well satisfied with his company. A
person was there who objected to some things that Swedenborg said, and
argued the point in his way ; to which Swedenborg said, * I converse with an-
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