Travels again—Publishes five Scientific Pamphlets and “Miscellaneous Observations”—Returns Home and enters on the duty of his Assessorship—Writes his “Opera Philosophica et Mineralia,” and goes abroad to publish it.
In the spring of 1721, Swedenborg visited Holland a second time, and chose Amsterdam as a place of publication for the following five little works:—“Some Specimens of a Work on the Principles of Natural Philosophy, comprising New Attempts to Explain the Phenomena of Chemistry and Physics by Geometry;” “New Observations and Discoveries respecting Iron and Fire, and particularly respecting the Elemental Nature of Fire, together with a new construction of Stoves;” “A New Method of finding the Longitude of Places, on Land or at Sea, by Lunar Observations;” “A New Mechanical Plan of constructing Docks and Dykes;” and “A Mode of Discovering the Powers of Vessels by the application of Mechanical Principles.”
The titles of these pamphlets prove that their author was no ordinary man. But the publication of them was not his only object in this visit to the continent. It was his desire to improve his practical knowledge of mining, to enable him the better to fulfill his duties as Assessor. For this purpose he left Amsterdam for Leipsic, passing through Aix-la-Chapelle, Liege, and Cologne, and visiting the different mines and smelting works which lay in his route. At Leipsic he published, in 1722, “Miscellaneous Observations connected with the Physical Sciences,” Parts I. to III.; and at Hamburg, in the same year, Part IV., principally on minerals, iron, and the stalactites in Beaumann’s cavern. The reigning Duke of Brunswick, Louis Rudolph, most hospitably received Swedenborg, defrayed his traveling expenses, and on his departure, testified his admiration of the young savant by presenting him with a gold medallion, and a weighty silver goblet. In return for these favors, Swedenborg dedicated Part IV. of his “Miscellaneous Observations” to him.
In speaking of the foregoing works, it is difficult, in the few words to which we must limit ourselves, to do them the justice which their originality and daring speculation deserve. As Wilkinson remarks, “the fortress of mineral truth was the first which he approached, and with the most guarded preparation. His method was furnished by geometry and mechanics; the laws of the pure sciences were to be the interpreters of the facts of chemistry and physics. The beginning of nature, says he, is identical with the beginning of geometry; the origin of natural particles is due to mathematical points, just as is the origin of lines, forms, and the whole of geometry: because everything in nature is geometrical, everything in geometry is natural. Carrying out this theory, he seeks to define the laws of chemical essence and combination, by the truths of mathematics.” Mr. Strutt, the translator of these works into English, says: “This extraordinary attempt to bring invisible things to light, has been thoroughly justified by the success which has attended Dalton’s hypothesis, in an age better prepared for its application; and by the equally remarkable fact that the definitions given of solids, acids, and alkalies, have gradually approximated very near indeed to those which result from Swedenborg’s hypothesis. We say nothing here of a latent connection between the principle on which it is founded, and some of the results obtained by Berzelius, whose fame, as a chemist, is as wide as the civilized world.” It need only be added that M. Dumas, the French chemist, ascribes to these works by Swedenborg, the origin of the modern science of crystallography. He says, “It is to him we are indebted for the first idea of making cubes, tetrahedrons, pyramids, and the different crystalline forms, by the grouping of spherical particles; and it is an idea which has been renewed by several distinguished men, Wollaston in particular.”
After an absence of fifteen months, Swedenborg returned to his home in Stockholm, at midsummer, 1722. He now for the first time entered fully upon the duties of his Assessorship; having deferred doing so until his knowledge of metallurgy had become sufficiently practical and extensive. At this time he published an anonymous pamphlet “On the Depreciation and Rise of the Swedish Currency.” The currency seems to have been a favorite subject with Swedenborg; and in his senatorial capacity, it engaged much of his attention. The pamphlet seems to have been much thought of, for we find that it was republished at Upsal in 1771. There are few productions of this kind that will endure a revival forty-nine years after their first publication.
The tenor of Swedenborg’s life for eleven years after this, seems to have flowed quietly on in the regular fulfilment of the duties of his office. It may be supposed that he had become tired of writing and publishing scientific works, and that for a time he wished to rest from this kind of labor. His abilities were appreciated by his countrymen, for we find that he was solicited to accept the Professorship of mathematics in the University of Upsal, in 1724. He declined the honor. It appears that he had a distaste for the unpractical and merely speculative character of the pure mathematician. We find him writing to his brother-in-law in this strain:—“I wonder at Messieurs the mathematicians having lost all heart and spirit to realize that fine design of yours for an astronomical observatory. It is the fatality of mathematicians to remain chiefly in theory. I have often thought it would be a capital thing, if, to each ten mathematicians, one good practical man were added, to lead the rest to market: he would be of more use and mark than all the ten.” In 1729, Swedenborg became a member of the Royal Academy of Science at Stockholm.
Discontinuing the pamphlet style of publication, Swedenborg now centered his thoughts upon the production of a much larger and more laborious work than he had hitherto attempted. It was entitled “Opera Philosophica et Mineralia.” In order to secure its proper publication, he went abroad, for the third time, in May, 1733. After spending five months in Germany, seeing everything note-worthy, he commenced the printing of his work at Leipsic, in the month of October. In the course of the year 1734, the whole was finished in three handsome folio volumes, enriched with numerous copper-plates, and an engraved likeness of the author. At this time he was again a visitor at the court of the Duke of Brunswick, who munificently defrayed the cost of his expensive publication. The volumes were published at Leipsic and Dresden.
At the same time he issued a little work called “A Philosophical Argument on the Infinite, and the Final Cause of Creation; and on the Mechanism of the Intercourse between the Soul and the Body.” It may be regarded as a supplement to the foregoing.
His work being finished, he left Leipsic for Cassel, and passing homewards through Gotha, Brunswick, and Hamburg, arrived at Stockholm in July, 1734. It is to be remembered that in this journey he had still the duties of his office in view. He visited mines everywhere, studied their modes of working, and sought continually to make himself useful to his country.
It now becomes necessary to speak of his great volumes of philosophical and mineral works.