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662 NOTES TO VOLUME I.
NOTE 52.
JESPER SWEDENBORG .
Jesper Swedenborg, the youngest son of Bishop Swedberg, was
born Aug. 28, 1694. He was his father’s favourite son, and, as
appears from Document 35, was named after him , “because he was
born the same day of the year, and the same hour of the day.” In
that document the Bishop states that the name Jesper means "he
will write,” a name, he says, which his son made good, “ for he is fond
of writing and writes much." Yet only one small work of his is
known, Den sista basun öfver Tyskland ( The last trumpet about
Germany), which was printed at Skara in 1724. This work is dedi
cated to Count Dücker, Councillor of State, and in the dedication
Jesper relates the events of his life. In his youth he went to Eng
land to learn navigation, and afterwards to New Sweden in America,
where he was schoolmaster for five years in the parish of Rathkungs
Kihl. He returned to Sweden in 1724. A letter, written to him
in that year by his father, is preserved (Document 131), in which
he advises him to remain in America. “There would be no
use,” he says, “ in your being here, where you would only waste
the best years of your life. You write well, are good at figures,
and, thank God, are unmarried. Try to find a good wife, with some
dowry. May God lead you in His good ways !" Either this letter
was too late or the advice was disregarded, for in a letter dated
August 20, 1724 (Document 102), Emanuel writes to Ericus Benze
lius that on his return home he there met his brother Jesper. The
letter in which Bishop Swedberg advised his son to remain in
America informed him, that by the decease of Sara Bergia, the
Bishop’s second wife, he had become entitled to a considerable
sum of money. The Bishop congratulated his son on his good
fortune, saying his wife had intended all her property to go to
Emanuel, and only on his earnest representations to her when on
her deathbed, had she consented to the other children being co -heirs
with her favourite step-son. In 1725, Jesper was hesitating about
returning to America, and asked his brother Emanuel’s advice (see
Document 104) ; he decided however to remain at home, and entered
the Swedish army as lieutenant. In 1727, he married Christina
Silversvärd, daughter of Major Gustav Silversvärd and Märta Reuter
svärd. After his marriage he seems to have retired to the country;
for his brother-in -law , Dean Unge , soon after wrote to Emanuel
( Document 111), "Brother Jesper Swedenborg has bought a little
estate, so that he too can take care of himself; the best thing in his
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