The Mortal Remains of Swedenboe« 7 



less, relying upon the clerk's statement, the casket was opened, and 

 behold! there within was another, upon which Swedenborg's name, 

 and the years of his birth and death, were inscribed. The scep- 

 tical American now appeared not a little surprised. However, his 

 curiosity was not yet sufficiently satisfied with the sight of the bare 

 name of the spiritual hero, and after having risked his valuable life on 

 tlie faithless ocean in order to come to the holy grave, he thought him- 

 self justified in satisfying himself with his own eyes as to everything. 

 He therefore persuaded the accompanying New Jerusalemites. to the 

 number of 10 or 12, to still further investigate with him, as to whether 

 this coffin was not actually empty, and as to whether an ordinary de- 

 cease was mighty enough to master this apostle of the spirits. This 

 was now, with general consent, put into execution. But what a decep- 

 tion! Here again a massive coffin of lead was found, and so well 

 soldered together that a spirit with ever so little materiality could hardly 

 have come in or out of it, which the consequences also proved. The 

 sight of this third coffin contributed not a little to increasing the im- 

 patience of the investigators, for, so well preserved, the head of the 

 New Jerusalem would certainly have defied corruption. A neighbouring 

 solderer was brought to the place. With a fine saw an incision was 

 made in one end of the lid, so deep that it could be bent up suffici- 

 ently. But now there issued forth effluvia in such abundance and of 

 such a sort that the candles went out, and all the observers were ob- 

 liged to rush head 0A"er heels out of the burial ^'ault in order not to 

 be smothered. What kind of philosophical considerations as to the 

 materialism and correspondence of Swedenborgian spirits were now 

 awakened in the American no one knows. But the candles wei^e relight- 

 ed — the church was fumigated with vinegar — the windows opened — 

 and once more a descent was made to continue the investigation. It 

 was found that Swedenboeg's remains really still lay in the coffin, 

 without any special ravages of time, which, deprived of the assistance 

 of the air, had not greatly changed the features of the face. It was 

 observed as a peculiar fact, and perhaps not without reason, that the 

 half of the face nearest the wall of the vault preserved its almost na- 

 tural roundness. But as to whether this examination, for the rest, strength- 

 ened or weakened the Doctor s faith, of that Tradition does not say 

 a single word.» 



Other versions of this story are found in the accounts of the 

 subsequent theft of Swedenboeg's cranium, which are furnished partly 



