SWEDENBORG, EMANUEL. This eminent and most remarkable man was born at Stockholm, in Sweden, Jan. 29, 1689, and died in the city of London, March 29, 1772. His father, Jesper Swedberg was Bishop of Skara, in West Gothland, and superintendent of the Swedish mission in England and America, a man of extensive learn ing and great piety. In the year Emanuel Swedberg, on account of his learning and useful ness, was elevated to the order of nobles, and his name was then changed to that of Swedenborg. Ile was educated at the University of Upsal, and was even in his youth remarkable for his application and assiduity in the study of philosophy, mathema tics, natural history, chemistry and anatomy, to gether with the ancient and modern languages. Although even in youth he was seriously disposed, and thought much on religious subjects, yet he says he was by Divine Providence kept from reading dogmatic and systematic theology ; and it was not until the latter part of his life that he learned the Hebrew language, in order to study the scriptures. He was thus, he says, prevented from imbibing the unfounded opinions and inventions of men. In 1716, at the age of 28, Swedenborg was appointed by Charles XII. Assessor Extraordinary of his Board of Alines. The diploma appointing him to the office states "that the king had a particular re gard to the knowledge of mechanics possessed by Swedenborg :" and in Dr. Norberg's history of that monarch, many interesting conversations are re lated between Swedenborg and Charles.
From 1716 to 1720, Swedenborg's time was prin cipally spent in travellipg. He visited the Univer sities of England, Holland, France and Germany. In 1721 he undertook a scientific journey for the pur pose of visiting the mines and smelting works of Europe. During this journey he became acquainted with the Duke of Brunswick, who published, at his own expense, Swedenborg's Opera Philosophica et Mineralia, in three volumes. The first volume is entitled '° Principles of Natural Things, or New Attempts at a Philosophical Explanation of the Phenomena of the Elementary World." This vol
ume is divided into three parts : the first treats of creation in general ; the second treats on magne tism and the variations of the magnetic needle ; the third treats of the sun and its vortex, of the crea tion of the planetary earths from the sun, of Para dise and the first man. He here mentions seven pri mary planets ; this discovery being more than 40 years before Dr. Herschel. The 2d volume of this work is entitled, " The Subterranean or Mineral Kingdom, or a Treatise on Iron, and the methods which are adopted in various parts of Europe for the liquefaction of iron and converting it into steel, &c." The 3d is entitled " The Subterranean or Mineral Kingdom, or a treatise on copper, and brass, &c." In 1740 he published "CEconomia Regni Ani malis ; the Economy of the Animal Kingdom." The first part treats of the Blood, the Arteries, the Veins, and the Heart ; with an Introduction to Ra tional Psychology. The 2d part treats of the mo tion of the brain, of the cortical substance, and of the human soul.
In he published "Regnum Animale." The first part of this work treats of the viscera of the abdomen, or the organs of the lower regions. The 2d part, of the viscera of the breast, or of the or gans of the superior region. The 3d part treats of the skin, the touch, and the taste, and of organ ical forms in general. In these works, CEconomia and Regnum Animate, he made many important discoveries in anatomy and in the circulation of the blood, and which have been attributed to more modern authors. It was Swedenborg who first dis covered the existence of a passage of communication between the two lateral ventricles of the cerebrum. The above works are the principal philosophical writings of Swedenborg. There are minor ones, of which it is not necessary to take notice.
In the year 1743, at the age of 54 years, Sweden borg declared that he was gifted with spiritual illu mination, and was called by the Lord to open to men the spiritual sense of the Holy Word; and thus be the means of instituting a New Church, signified by the New Jerusalem in Revelation.