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Doc. 11.) 157
SWEDBERG TO ROSENADLER .
morever, objected to what I had written about the unnecessary
h, and the doubling of the vowels, but all agreed with me in
this particular. On the following day I had to make a full
report of it to His Majesty (for on the day when the dispu
tation took place, it was bitterly cold, so that the King
could not come up, although he had intended to do so, as
he himself told me), and for two hours there was a regular
disputation on the subject between the King and myself, in the
presence of many high gentlemen. Every thing was done
graciously, earnestly, and decorously, so that there was no
occasion for them to rejoice at my expense : on the contrary,
they were obliged to listen to some wholesome truths, of which
they had been afraid, knowing my habit of not keeping anything
in the background. But enough of this. The Vice-president’s53
publication the King lent me for a week. I read with
astonishment his abusive language, and how inconsistent and
incorrect he himself was in his orthography. I sat down and
answered the whole of it, in a reply amounting to about thirty
sheets. I am letting it rest for the present, until I see the
whole work ; but at some future time I will show up his ill
breeding. I spoke to His Royal Majesty of Hjärne’s53 peculi
arity, in not sparing any one, no matter how high his position ;
I also put a short essay at the beginning of the book, when I
returned it. His Majesty is very much interested in our
language, and he will probably appoint in the universities and
other principal places men whose business it will be to teach
it; not, however, in the violent and irrational manner of Hjärne,
but properly and decorously.
With respect to the sermon , most of the high gentlemen
were displeased with my having said, among other things, that
we have received in the past, are now receiving, and shall
receive in the future, the severe punishment of sinners, on
account of the ungodly life led by us, which is indeed more
ungodly than before the commencement of the war ;
when we come now to our King, as the people of Israel came
to their Rehoboam, saying ; “ Thy father made our yoke
grievous: now , therefore, make thou the grievous service of thy
father, and his heavy yoke, lighter ;" we deserve the same
answer which they received : " My little finger shall be thicker
so that
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