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974 [Doc. 313.
SWEDENBORG’S WRITINGS.
second volume, which is now publishing in Latin and English, will
be unaccountably cheap, as any one may conclude, even by the
postage of the Latin copy from abroad: for the bare postage of
this first number cost no less than twelve shillings, and now it is
printed, does make fifty-two quarto pages in the English tongue;
and all to be sold for no more than eight-pence, which is not half
the price that such a quantity of paper and print is generally sold
for. The postage of the second number came to eighteen shillings,
and that of the third amounted to one pound two shillings ; and yet
these two numbers are to be sold for no more than nine-pence each ;
so that from hence it is easy to imagine how cheap the whole will
be, especially when printed in such a grand and pompous manner
at so low a price."
Volume II appeared in this manner in 6 numbers, both in English
and Latin.* Numbers 1 and 3 have special prefaces, and each
number is paged independently of the others. The English portion
of this volume is exceedingly scarce. The Swedish "Biografiskt
Lexicon" (Vol. XVI, p. 347) says in respect to it, "An English
edition of this work [only of Vol. II] was published by Swedenborg
himself, and printed in London in 4to numbers ; the number of
pages corresponds with that of the original. One single copy of it is
known to exist. It belonged to Swedenborg himself; afterwards to
one of his heirs, Bishop L. Benzelstjerna,10 and after him to Dean
C. J. Knös256 in Skara ; and it is now owned by his son, Prof.
A. E. Knös of Upsal." This copy has since come into the possession
of the Royal Library in Stockholm. Another copy of this extremely
rare book is owned by the publisher of these Documents, Mr. James
Speirs, of 36 Bloomsbury Street, London.
In the spring of 1750 Swedenborg returned to Stockholm, whither
his agent, Joachim Wretman of Amsterdam forwarded to him some
rare flower-seeds and bulbs (see Document 213, p. 226). That he
actually spent that year in Stockholm is proved by Document 288,
* The Rev. R. Hindmarsh says in his " Rise and Progress of the New
Jerusalem Church," p. 6, "The translation of the Sixteenth Chapter of
Genesis, [of the whole of Vol. II,] which was advertised by Mr. Lewis, was
made (as I have been informed) by Mr. John Merchant, a literary gentleman
ofgood character, at the express desire of the Author himself, who remunerated
him for his trouble." The editor, the Rev. E. Madeley, adds in a footnote,
"A copy of this (imperfect), and one part of the Latin, is in the possession
of the Rev. E. Madeley of Birmingham ; in the inside of the cover of the
first is written, in the handwriting of John Augustus Tulk, Esq., the fact
here stated, that it was translated by Mr. John Merchant. W. T. bought
this copy in 1783."
+
A
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