Important and useful extracts from the manuscripts of Emanuel Swedenborg, in a letter from B. C. to his friend C. B. W.

I had always in my mind plenty of reafons not to wish my ftyle to be altered, (indifferent as it may be fuppofed to be in an author who does not write in his mother-tongue) but I never had (till lately) found what might fupport luch a thought in our dear Swedenborg.

Now that I have found in him the compendium or fummary of all thofe reafons for difference of style, be pleafed to accept of them, as given by himself in his manufcripts at No. 2993 of his Spiritual Diary, where he thus writes.

રં

Of the Efficary arifing from the Diversity of Style.

T was hewn me in a fharp and lively manner, how it is with certain writers who ftudy nothing but the neatness "of Style, that they have their minds continually fixed on the elegance of their diction, to conciliate applaufe, without mind"ing the fubje&t itself, except it be to procure a celebrated "name to the writer, on account of his fublime treatment of "the subject; fo that fuch perfons are ever aiming at praife, "which they endeavour to gain by fublimity of Style. It was "plainly given me to perceive, that fuch a ftyle has no power "with those who are interior men, and that those despise all "other ftyles, but fuch by which the fubject matter treated of "is plainly fet within the reach of the reader's capacity: In "these the goodness of the heart, which aims but at the a"mendment or information of their neighbour, is made manifeft "in the style and words; for then the fubject itself forms the "ftyle of every writer, according to his peculiar gifts or at"tainments. But with those writers whofe ftyle, forms the fubject, fo that they refer you from the style to the thing treated "of, I was fhewn, that it has no manner of efficacy, and that "their fubject never regulates their ftyle. August 30, 1748.”

As I with my dear friend, to be of the good-hearted clafs of writers, fo it is my earnest defire, that in whatever I may give you from time to time for further publications, my ftyle may never be filed off nor polished any more than where Lapfus Calami or inadvertant faults of Grammar may render it indif penfably neceffary.

It may not be improper to communicate here alfo what Emanuel Swedenborg himfelf declares to us, in his Spiritual Diary, No. 2955. Dated 27th of August, 1748.

How

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I

How his Writings appear to be received by Mankind.

Have converfed with fpirits, and on their enquiry, explained to them how the particulars I have written in regard to them, fcem to be received by men, when I am about to publish them; becaufe bad fpirits infinuated into me a be"lief that no one would receive them, but that every one on the contrary would reject them. 1 entertain myfelf at prefent with this fubject in company with fpirits when walking "in the street, and it has been granted me to perceive that "there are five kinds of reception of my writings, or rather, "if you please, five forts of readers. The first is formed of thofe "who reject them entirely, because they are in another perfuafion, and alfo thofe that at the fame time receive no faith. "Thefe reject them as fuch things cannot be received by them, inafmuch as they do not enter into their mind. The fecond "kind of reception is of thefe, who receive them as scientifics,

and as objects of mere curiofity.The third fort are those "that receive them intellectually, fo that they like the subject "agreeably enough, but whenever it requires an application to regulate the conduct of their lives, they remain where

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they were before.-The fourth kind contains those who receive "the matter in a perfuafive manner, fo that the subject pene“trates even in a degree to the amendment of their lives, which leads them fometimes towards ufes.-The fifth kind contain's all thofe who receive it with delight, and confirm it in a life agreeable thereto."

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It is of the last kind that your friend wishes to remain to all etcrnity affectionate for the truth. London, March, 1791.

B. C.

From the collection of Mr. C. B. W. of matters concerning Africa, the two following letters may be extracted as worthy of prefervation. The author of them was one of the most Icarned men in England. He was no lets diftinguifhed for his extraordinary zeal in the caufe of humanity, being the first in this country that proposed a very rational plan for an establishment at Sierra Leona on the Coaft of Guinea, in order to abolish the Slave Trade by this effectual means only; but his indefatigable zeal caufed his death in 1787.. The year 1786, he publifhed his Plan for an Etablishment, zobich may "enfily be formed on the Grain Coaft, near the River biarra Leega, in Africa.

*Aneaor of the Treatiíe upon the Anis, &c.

Copy of two Letters addreffed to Dr. Knowles, on the Rice Trade

I

Sir,

T may perhaps hereafter appear as one of the most extraordi nary facts in the annals of mankind, that the European nations fhould for near the greatest part of the two laft centuries, have carried on a brifk trade with the Africans for little elie but flaves. A fhort reflection on the fituation of Africa muft certainly countenance this opinion. It lays under climates, which in the other continents produce the richef materials of commerce and its productions are actually fimilar. Of thefe indeed but few fpecimens are brought home. The principal are gold, ivory, dying wood, gums, honey, wax, ambergreafe, &c. But as the ginfeng is found both in North America and the northern parts of Afia, the alpine plants on the mountains of South America, and as we approach the polar regions on either fide of the tropics, we find a strong refemblance in the face of nature, fo in all probability there are few of the riches of the eastern or western hemifpheres, which may not be found in this middle region, or at leaft commodities of equal value and importance.

I do not however found my opinions merely on conjecture: I have by the obfervations made during a refidence of four years, a moral certainty, that on a proper plan; a mor lucrative, and at the fame time a moft fafe and honourable traffic may be carried on to that quarter from any part of Europe. The Grain Coast so called, I apprehend, from its fertility in RICE, would. if a proper vent was opened for it, in a few years produce of that commodity alone, and of the fineft in the world, an immenfe quantity. And nothing is wanted but a like encouragement, to procure great quantities of cotton, as fine as that from the Eaft Indies, and tobacco as that of the Brazils. Alfo fugar and its concommitant articles, a fpecies of indigo in-. nitely fuperior to that of the Weft, and various other drugs, fome peculiar to the country, others to the ufual refult of in duftry in thofe climates. Among the former we may reckew various aromatic gums, fpices, and curious woods; and of the latter the spirit or brandy of fweet potatoes and various fruits, the wild grapes, from which I have made moft excellent brandy, arrack, and various kinds of flax and hemp, &c. To thefe may be added palm oil, not inferior to olive oil, for food as well as other purposes; and of which an infinite quantity may be got, without any other trouble, than collecting the fruits or nurs and boiling them. It is not a fhort bufinels to enumerate the

various

various articles which might be procured; I fhall conclude there fore with obferving, that this feems an excellent fituation for carrying on the Whale Fishery, that the coafts abound in the season with a small kind of pilchard or sprat, which would load many fhips, and that there is great plenty of turtles, which afford at the fame time the most wholesome food, and the finest tortoife fhell. My plan would inevitably tend to emancipate and to civilize every year, fome thousands of flaves, to dry up one great fource of that diabolical commerce; and if not to produce liberty to the unfortunate flaves in the Weft Indies, at leaft to mitigate the hardships of their fituation. The ftopping fome fource would not only encrease the price of flaves, and probably make them too dear to be employed, but alarm the Weft India planters, left they should foon have no frein fupply. This would make them more tender of those they already poffeffed. And of this you may be affured, the planters will always purchase flaves as long as they can calculate, that each will in the course of seven or ten years repay his purchase. If a plan of this kind would be agreeable to the fociety of FRIENDS, Ifhould have pleasure in laying it before them, and to difclofe under an engagement of fecrefy, the latent hinge, upon which fuch a plan will moft affuredly fucceed. If they fhould find my proposals rational and expedient, I will gladly dedicate the chief part of my future life to the carrying them into execution.

I conceived this project in Africa, where an induftrious cultivation of the foil, with various excurfions to different parts of the country, made me well acquainted with the genius, customs, and jurifprudence of the inhabitants, and the ftate of their agriculture, trade and arts. My ftay in the Weft Indies was in the first inftance intirely with a view of informing my felf of the methods of cultivating tropical produce, &c. previous to my return to Africa. I accomplished my intention, and have fince, by a conftant attention to various branches of philofophy and ufeful arts, qualified myfelf ftill further.

By the enclofed letter you will fee, I had previous to your fpeaking to me on the Slave Trade, begun to feek out a method of executing my plan. Mr. Wilding is my particular friend, and though engaged in the Slave Trade, in other rerefpects a man of great fenfe, honor and candor. I fhould be glad however to have no fort of connection with any concerned in the Slave Trade, and therefore, if no gentleman in your truly refpectable fociety, will take it up, I have been advifed to make overtures to a foreign power.

I am with esteem, Sir,
Your faithful fervant.

H. SMEATHMAN.

P. S. Pleafe to excufe me for defiring of you to keep this letter private to any, but fuch refpectable perfons, as thofe I had the honor of meeting at your houfe; and alfo requiring of them due caution in fpeaking of my intention.

Sir,

NOT

TOT to take up much of your time in forefeeing and anfwering objections, of very little moment when oppofed to a plan of fuch magnitude, as that which I have the honor to propofe; I fhall only obferve, that folicitations for employment at the COAST OF AFRICA are INDEED extraordinary, fince thofe who have concerns there, find it moft difficult to prevail on perfons of abilities to undertake, at any rate, to refidence in that country. And yet I am defirous to go out and refide there, on a plan in which I muft of neceffity meet more difficulties, encounter greater hardships, and receive less private emolument, than upon one to which I am strongly recommended, wherein I fhould have a variety of fuccour, every kind of fupport, and handsome commiffions.

If upon enquiry this could be made evident, my views will not appear fordid.

The part of the Coaft which I would recommend for this plan, poffeffes every advantage which an induftrious and commercial people can defire. Large, fertile and unoccupied tracts of land, adapted to the production of all the commodities of warm climates, but now covered with endless forefts of timber, of the finest and most beautiful woods, abounding with aromatic gums, feeds, and fpices, and an endless variety of plants, infects, birds and animals of known and unknown value. Among the former are gum copal, malaguetta pepper, cotton, capficum, tobacco, fugar canes, an aromatic feed called by the traders, from the shape of the pod, monkey pepper, oftriches, elephants, buffaloes, à vaft variety of antelopes and monkies, fome few Ethiopian hogs, leopards and other wild beafts. Some of thofe lands are mountainous, but the greater part are flat and fandy within ten or fifteen miles of the fea, but the foil, from the frequent fucceffions of vegetables upon it is very rich and feems to improve the farther we go in the land. They are all watered with prolific rivers and refreshing brooks, having numerous fine creeks and ports, profufedly ftored with turtle and a great variety of fish.