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.
DOCUMENT 77.
SWEDENBORG TO BENZELIUS. *
Most honoured and dear brother,
By the last post I had the honour to re
ceive your letter, with the intelligence of the death of Prof.
Elfvius. God grant him peace and rest ; I think it was his
own wish. In the advice which you so kindly gave me about
becoming his successor, I recognize most gratefully your kind
ness and good -will; and as I know that no one of my rela
tives has ever entertained such kind wishes towards me as
you, I recognize the same good -will in the present matter.
The arguments you adduce are very good, yet on the other
side I can also muster some very strong arguments; as for
instance, 1. I already have a honourable post; 2. In this
post I can be of use to my country, and indeed of more
practical use than in the other position; 3. I thus decline
a faculty which does not agree with my tastes and my turn
of mind, by both of which I am led to mechanics, and
will be in future to chemistry; and our College is noted for
having assessors who know very little on these subjects; for
this reason I will endeavour to supply this deficiency, and I
hope that my labours in this direction will be as profitable to
them , as their own may be in another; I trust also that no one
will judge me unworthy of my office. With regard to envy, this
is more a matter of laughter to me than of apprehension; for
I have always striven to cause myself to be envied, and in
the future I shall perhaps become a still greater object of
envy. The only argument which would induce me to follow your
* Benzelius’ Collection, Vol. XL, No. 133. Letter 23 in Mr. White’s
“New Churchman," Vol. 2, p. 125.
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
