Most Noble Duke and Landgrave,* I have received your gracious letter, most noble Duke, written at Pirmassens on 6th August. I note that you are still awaiting an answer concerning the state of life of the four persons whose names you previously gave on a sheet enclosed in your letter, namely Marshal Belle-Isle, de Bombelles, de Kameke, and Madame de Beck. What I have been led to know concerning King Stanislaus and Pope Benedict,** I have related already, but with regard to the other four I have not yet had the opportunity to see them. This is because they are so far away from me, and perhaps in societies from which they cannot be summoned. The main reason why I have not met them is that I have no idea of what they are like, and all who come into the spiritual world never retain their own baptismal name which they had in the world, but receive another name which denotes the character of their mind. Therefore, if I were to call anyone merely by his name, he would not recognise that name, for this has fallen into oblivion. As to all those with whom I have spoken in the spiritual world from knowing them, I have had some idea of what kind of people they are, in the case of relatives or friends from intimate acquaintance and association, in the case of the learned from their writings, and in the case of kings and princes from their deeds and their fame. For this reason when I wish to speak to any one, I must think of and put forth some idea of his character, and then, if he is not altogether too distant from me, he either becomes present, or I speak with him from afar, yet never by merely naming the person. Pardon me therefore, most noble Duke, for being unable to satisfy your command and desires with regard to the four persons, as I would do most willingly if it were possible. Nevertheless I speak daily with a great many persons, also with such as held positions of great dignity, without my knowing who they were or what kind of persons they had been in the world. Possibly some one of the four mentioned by you was among them, but, as already mentioned, I could not know this, since they would not recall their natural name; nor did I know them from their spiritual name, which denotes the character of their life.

I am now preparing to depart for England, where the Lord willing I intend to bring to light, that is, publish, four small works, namely:

1. The Consummation of the Age and the Abomination of Desolation at that time, foretold by the Lord in Daniel and in Matthew.

2. An Invitation to the whole Christian world to come to the New Church; and in it many things concerning the Lord's advent, and an Exhortation that they receive Him worthily.

3. The Human Mind.

4. Egyptian Hieroglyphics disclosed by Correspondences.

When these works have been printed I will forward copies from England to Legation Councillor de Treuer, so that through him they may come into your hands, and also into the hands of Councillor of the Consistory Herr Venator. Furthermore, I commend to your favour the faithful services of Legation Councillor de Treuer. I wish for you happiness from the Lord our Saviour and Redeemer, and remain, respectfully,

Most noble Duke

your most humble servant,

Eman. Swedenborg

Amsterdam 24 August 1771

* On 24 August 1771 Swedenborg replied to yet another letter sent from the Landgrave eighteen days previously, in which the latter seems to have pressed for information concerning the four deceased persons the seer had not met in the spiritual world. Swedenborg's reply clearly failed to satisfy him, for on 3 September the Landgrave supplied biographical details of the four people in question, but as Swedenborg had by this time left Amsterdam for London it is unlikely that he ever received this information. ** Benedict XIV died in 1758. Swedenborg means Clement XIII. See Letters and Memorials 752