New Church Life Jan/Feb 2015 | Page 33

         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. 29