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Doc. 10.] 117
BISHOP JESPER SWEDBERG .
was shipwrecked, partly from scruples with regard to its utili
ty, and partly from jealousy. Objections were brought for
ward by the chairman of the committee, E. Benzelius [the
elder], who opposed the changes that were suggested, on
the ground of their being too sweeping, declaring that in
the Swedish Bible “nothing whatever required to be changed."
The jealousy of other members of the committee no doubt
came to the support of their chairman’s opinion. Other
revisions, and the King’s representations to bring the matter
to a close, were alike fruitless, and the King died leaving the
work unaccomplished. When the Carolinian Bible appeared
under his successor, its emendations were almost entirely
limited to orthographical changes. Swedberg was very
much pained that the work, on which he had laboured with
so much industry and self-sacrifice, did not lead to any
better result.
Swedberg was little more successful in his attempt to im
prove the Swedish hymn and psalm book, which constitutes
one of the brightest pages in his life. In respect to this
work, a different result might have been expected, from the
co -operation of two such men as Swedberg and Spegel.
Spegel had previously, on his own account, made some im
provements in the old psalm book. Hjärne, a learned man,
and, according to Swedberg’s judgment, skilled in Swedish
poetry, thought of making some contributions, to supply some
of the defects with which the psalm book was charged.
Swedberg and Hjärne, who was a friend of his, drew up a
plan for its improvement. They elaborated their plan in a
private dwelling, unobserved by others; "for if it had become
known what they were engaged upon, envy and jealousy would
at once have opposed the work.” They selected for their
co -labourer, a common friend, Boethius, Dean of Mora, a
judicious and pious man, who had to suffer evil for good.
Every week he sent them his remarks on the psalms on which
they were engaged. They also asked J. Kolmodin, the acting
Bishop of Gothland, to associate himself with them, and
towards the close he contributed to the work. The most
important contributions, however, they expected from Spegel.
He joined in their work, and lent to his brethren his own
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