The Press Junior THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 1938. A Swedenborg Anniversary

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22359, 24 March 1938, Page 4 (Supplement)

The Press Junior THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 1938. A Swedenborg Anniversary

On January 29 this year, philosophers in many parts of the world, and particularly in Sweden. celebrated the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the birth of one of the most famous of Swedish philosophers and teachers, Emanuel Swedenborg, who was bom on January 29, 1689. In Stockholm. At the time of the celebrations the story of Swedenborg’s life was written by Eric A. Sutton in a book called "Hie Happy Isles.” This is illustrated by Reginald Knowles and is published by Dent for 3s 6d. In its 177 pages it contains much of interest for readers of all ages. It begins with the story of Jesper Swedenborg who .grew up to be a good scholar and .churchman, coming at last to be a bishop of the church and the father of Emanuel Swedenborg: When his son was born, Jesper Swedenborg named him Emanuel, meaning “God-with-us.” and prayed that the child might grow in grace and usefulness. As time went on it became dear that the young- Emanuel had a mind of remarkable quality; his friends and his teachers alike recognised the powers he had of working fruitfolly upon scientific problems. In 1710, when he had taken his degrees in the university, this eager young man set out on his long* series of voyages. First he went to England, only just escaping with his. life On his first landing-there; for as his ship lay In the. river. Jhe rumour flew about that in Sweden there was the plague and in a panic the English ordered the travellers to remain on their ship for six weeks till the danger of infection should be past. But some friends of Emanuel’s, his countrymen living in London, came alongside in a small boat and invited him to sail with them to the quay. He went with them and was -Immediately arrested and threatened with hanging and only . after the most anxiousthours was set free,. In London Swedenborg found himself with insufficient money to buy the expensive telescopes that he needed for the work he wished to do with the great astronomer, Flamsteed. So he moved often from lodging to lodging, always finding a watchmaker to live with so that be might learn that craft, or a cabinet-maker or a maker of scientific Instruments. And before king he could grind his own lenses and make his own delicate- instruments - for his re- j searches. After learning all he could - In England, Swedenborg went to Holland; and from there] he wrote to his . professor friends in foe university at home that he had a scheme for building a ship that would go with all its crew under the sea and attack the enemy fleet from beneath the safooe; another for making a dock that would tell not the time

of day but the positions- of the sun, moon, and planets; and a third for making a .flying-car-riage which would be able to move through the air. Throughout, his life he was writing his books—-of which “The True Christian Religion” is one of the best known —and travelling in many countries. First he travelled’ as an engineer, making a survey of the mines of Sweden and other places, and then he travelled for years making a survey of "the churches of Eur ope. At last he .went again to London where he died as he had prophesied he would, on March >29, 1772. . For this was. the most strange thing about this great scholar: he had. a power: of foretelling events and he claimed he had the power to see beyond this life. His work tor science and for the Christian religion has been 'recognised in all the years since his death; ,to read of his life and his work is to learn of a man who had adopted -for .one of his rules of . conduct the following formula: “To obey that which is commanded, to be faithful in the discharge of niy employment, and to do everything in my power to make .myself useful to society.’* — _—_ 1