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Doc. 80.] 301
SWEDENBORG TO BENZELIUS.
77
without renewing the whole structure. I am trying to prevail
upon the Councillor of Commerce to appoint one or two
persons to superintend the work; and as I think Messrs.
Wassenius 75 and Hasselbom?? would like such an appointment,
I have proposed them ; they may count upon twenty dalers in
silver per month, as long as the work continues. The principal
inducement for them would be to acquire practice in mechanics,
and to stand a better chance of promotion. If you would
please to let them know this, they would perhaps communicate
to me their ideas in writing. I should like to be able to
advance their interests some other way ; this would be the
greatest pleasure to me.
It seems to me there is but little reward for the trouble
of advancing the cause of science ; partly on account of the
lack of funds, which prevents our going as far into it as we
ought, and partly also on account of the jealousy which is
excited against those who busy themselves more than other
persons with a given subject. Whenever a country leans towards
barbarism , it is vain for one or two persons to try to keep it
upright.
Baron Görtz78 has passed twice through this place, and
inspected the work at the locks, over which he is chief.
When he returned, he was met by the French ambassador,
and they had two days’ conversation together. Afterwards
the former went to Åland, and the latter tohis former residence
at Lund. Some persons of his suite gave assurances in the
town that we should have peace in a short time, and that
we had better terms and conditions to expect than is generally
supposed. O! utinam ne sub melle lateant.... (Would, that
under the honey there were not concealed ....!)
His Majesty examined also Trollhätta, and I had the
favour of conversing much with him. I did not offer him my
“Art of the Rules,” and my “Attempt to find the Longitude,"
further than by leaving them upon his table, when he sat and
perused them for a considerable time. Many wonderful tales are
reported about us in the neighbourhood; among other things
they say that we stopped up the Trollhätta Falls at the moment
the King was there. Such unbounded confidence they have
in art.
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