4 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF 
so judiciously directed the current of his kindness and 
bestowed the fruits of his industry. 
Standing in this relation to the object of the follow¬ 
ing brief memoir, the members of the Academy of Na¬ 
tural Sciences are probably prepared to expect from 
their organ on the present occasion, but an imperfect re¬ 
presentation of the emotions which were felt on learning 
the demise of our late valued associate, and perhaps to 
excuse a still more imperfect display of his various at¬ 
tainments and excellencies of character. 
Lewis David Von Schweinitz was born at Bethlehem 
Northampton County, Pennsylvania, on the thirteenth 
of February, 1780. Ris father Hans Christian Alexan¬ 
der Von Schweinitz was of an ancient and distinguished 
family in Silesia in Germany, and exercised here, the 
functions of superintendent of the fiscal and secular con¬ 
cerns of the 66 Unitas Fratrum” or Moravian Brethren in 
North America. His mother was Dorothea Elizabeth de 
Watteville, daughter of Baron, afterwards Bishop, John 
de Watteville and of Benija who was a daughter of Count 
Zinzendorf. Of the last mentioned ancestor, it may not, 
for reasons which will appear in the sequel, be inappro¬ 
priate to make a passing reminiscence. 
Nicholas Lewis Count Zinzendorf was born at Dresden 
in 1700, and was celebrated in his youth for forming re¬ 
ligious societies, six or seven of which, are said to have 
originated from his own efforts, and one at least to have 
been planned at the early age of ten years. 
He was associated with Watteville in founding the 
great missionary system of the u Unitas Fratrum.” At 
