Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-10-26
ROCKS ON OUR TABLE.

SwrpEyBoRG HERMErIc PHiLo'orHER-
By THE AUTHOR OF REMARKS ON ALCHEMY And
THE ALcHENIsrs. Nav York, d. Appleton & Go
Every work relating TO the singular Philosophy OF
Emanua Swedenborg, is interesting 10 svery reader
whose mind fancies the specuatons OF mystic. phil.
osophy The school of religious mysticism, of which
Swedenborg was the acknowledged head, srose du
ring the eighteenth century, and from it's inception
has been gradually increasing, moi from any syetem
of fanatcal propsganism, but from tha calm
and reflective study Of the multitudinous works
of this remarkable The me:hodology OF
Swedenborg was vivid, a analytic induc'ive or Ba-
CONAN process founded upon the widest collection Of
facta. His numerous works seem TO have exhausted,
If possible the very profound OF speculative phoso.
ply. Wrspt says Morre, in his own desp reveries,
Swedenoorg could not resist the idea that God, by
special act of His providence had brought the scenery
of the spiritual world, and the relations of spr-
itusl truth, before his mental vision. and with
in the sphere Of his inteection. With mud
fraueht with long study upon nature and her
works with o soul, hsbituated TO deep meditation
upon spiritual things; with vivid imagination that
could trace the anslog-s OF higher truth III the dark
vindngs Of material formsi with moral nature
the whole system, he lost himself in visions Of bis
own inmost souI. Sometimes he seems transported
out Of the body; then, anon he would wake up to
the world around him. sometimes he pursued bis high
maginngs unconscious OF the lapse Of time. and then
he wrote down that he had Vision Of angels; and
thus the high truth that man. when bis nature is ele
vn,ed, con converge with the spiritual world through
the medium OF religious faith, became transformed
into special revelation that was to usher In the pu-
rified church. and the latter day glory. Swedenborg
WAS sssuredIy great intellectual phenomenon. Sell
dom, perhaps never, have 80 many SYSTEMS cOncen.
trsted in single mind. He began a simple observ-
er a Bsconiau snslogi.t-from that hs raised him
self TO the region rational and ideal truth and ended
amystic-the favored channel of new dispensation
to mankind. 10 him sensstonssm. deasm, mys.
ticism were uni.ed-the ouly phase through
which he never passed WAS that Of scepticism. Had
ha been fortunate enough 20 complete the cycle, lad
tngs OF wholesome scepticism curbed his creduty,
we might have had grea. philosopher, and an &C
tive Christian reformer. unmarried by the enthusiasm
that dared 70 claim ths lille aud the honors OF divine
and apostolic messenger.
The work now before us endesvors TO prove Swe.
denborg to have been mers Hsrmstio philosopher,
and is very interesting 10 the curious in such matters
1, is very neatly and handsomely gotten up, by the
Messre Appleton, of New York. For sale by Jas.
Woodbouse & Co.
THE CouRrsBIP OF Mills STArDIsH, AND oTHER
PoEMs, by HEsRY WAD,woRrH LoserELLov-
Boston. TicKSoR & FIELDS. 1858.
Longfellow has affected the triumph Of heIametio
versa in English poetry, In this little poem but this
s not half the value OF this work; it is one Of the
beat of late English poems that We have seen, end
we predict for this little volume, very wide circus
ton and admiration.