reference to his flying machine of 1714.6 So the king
ennobled Polhammar to become Polhem, and took his
suggestion to reward young Svedberg. The first offer was
too vague, because it could be turned down by others, so
Svedberg had the audacity to send it back for clarification.
When it was clear enough – rejecting the other
two offers which included a professorship at Uppsala
in Mathematics (“I am not qualified enough,” he said),
Emanuel Svedberg accepted the post of “extraordinary
assessor of the Bergkollegium.” But extraordinary just
meant “without pay,” i.e. sort of like an auditor, probably just a pain in the neck
to the others!
Shortly thereafter Charles died in 1719 attacking Norway. His successor,
daughter Queen Ulrika Elenora, Svedberg’s coeval, ennobled him that same
year, 7 so he now began to attend the House of Nobles. Still, Swedenborg
remained in limbo as far as having a salary. Since Charles XII (typical portrait)
had become so unpopular, Svedberg’s appointment to Extraordinary Assessor
was meeting resistance. But after 1719 with the ennoblement by the queen,
and attending the House of Nobles in his pocket, he was encouraged to pester
the royalty to become a fully active and paid member of the Bergskollegium,
the Board of Mines.
Mining was a federal or crown institution, and there were only four
positions of Assessor – a little like an attorney today. Finally he met with
success. When the next Assessor died in
1724, Swedenborg took his place, at age 36,
and now he had a salary! Down the line, his
step-mother would leave him as part-owner
of a mine; so in his later years, with the
addition of a pension, he was providentially
well enough off to pursue his last and
crowning role as revelator, instrument for
the Second Advent of the Lord.
6 The Daedalus journal does not have the 1714 drawing we all may have seen. 2014 was the 300th
anniversary of his plane!
7 Swedenborg Epic, p.1 Queen Elenora, Charles XII’s daughter, who coincidentally was both born
and baptized exactly on the same dates as Emanuel Svedberg, but at different locations; she ennobled
Emanuel Svedberg who became Swedenborg, after Charles XII death, all in 1719, mostly because of
Bishop Jesper Svedberg’s, his father, extraordinary services to the Crown. Emanuel and all brothers and
sister now became Swedenborg; by then Emanuel was the oldest surviving brother, since older Albert
had died (1696), as well as fifth born Daniel, (1691), and Eliezer (1716). The remaining siblings were Anna,
Emanuel, Hedwig, Catharina, Jesper and Margaretha.
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