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Doc. 256.] CUNO’S EXPERIENCE. 449
my friend Mr. Nicolam Konauw, I agreed to bring him to
dinner. The old gentleman consented and was prepared at
once to go. Mr. Konauw sent his carriage for us. On
presenting ourselves to Madame we found among other guests
the two Misses Hoog, who had been highly educated, and
had been introduced, beyond the common sphere of woman,
into the higher, especially the philosophical, sciences. Mr.
Swedenborg’s deportment was exquisitely refined and gallant.
When dinner was announced, I offered my hand to the
hostess, and quickly our young man of eighty-one years had
put on his gloves, and presented his hand to Mademoiselle
Hoog, in doing which he looked uncommonly well. Whenever
he was invited out, he dressed properly and becomingly
in black velvet ; but ordinarily he wore a brown coat and
black trousers. I never saw him dressed otherwise than in
one of these two suits of clothes. Our old gentleman was
seated between Madame Konauw and the elder Demoiselle
Hoog, both of whom understood thoroughly well how to talk;
but they had to promise me beforehand, that, at least during
dinner, they would allow the old gentleman to eat in peace.
This promise they kept faithfully, and he seemed to enjoy very
much to be so attentively served by the ladies. This time he
displayed such a good appetite, that I was quite surprised.
They could not prevail on him to take more than three glasses
of wine, which were besides half filled with sugar, of which
he was more than ordinarily fond. During the dessert the
talking went on very freely, and it continued afterwards while
we took tea and coffee, and thus uninterruptedly until seven
o’clock, when I had taken care that the carriage should be
ready to take us home. It is astonishing what a number of
questions the ladies addressed to him ; all ofwhich he answered.
I should have to write a great deal, were I inclined to write
down all these questions and answers. But one thing I shall
have to mention.
15. The conversation turned upon a certain distinguished
personage, I think an ambassador, who had died some time
ago at the Hague. "I know him" exclaimed Mr. Swedenborg,
"although I never saw him in his life-time. As you mention
here his name d’Abricourt, I know him and that he left
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