perusal of the work more agreeable to the English reader, by breaking and mo, delling the sentences into a purely English form; so that a euphonious, a simple, yet a not undignified, English style, should be (generally at least) the character of the whole. He hopes that the result will be, that the exact sense of the enlightened Author, without addition or diminution, will, in this translation, be more readily and distinctly apprehended by the reader, than was practicable from either of the former versions. In short, to make the work at once agreeably readable, and clearly intelligible, has been his great desire.

These are the objects at which the present translator has aimed; how far he has succeeded, or has failed, in his attempt, it is for the reader to judge. He is aware of many imperfections; and, were he to go over his work again, could perhaps make it better.

All former editions were accompanied by numerous notes from the pen of Mr. Hartley. Many of these notes, as containing valuable and edifying observations, the present editor has felt reluctant to omit; but there being a general feeling that the translations of the works of Swedenborg ought not now to be accompanied with any notes beyond what may be necessary to prevent misapprehension, none of the old notes, except a few of a purely exegetical character, have been retained. A few of a similar kind, or to supply, from the Author's other works, such explanations as are necessary for the correct apprehension of some of his statements in this, have been added by the present translator. Those of Mr. Hartley are, in this edition, marked at the close, with an H.; those of the present translator with an N. The notes without any mark are the Author's own; they solely consist of references, removed, for convenience, to the foot of the page. The Author's notes, consisting of references to the Arcana Cœlestia, are given as an Appendix.

Both from a sense of the respect due to its Author, and for its intrinsic merits, Mr. Hartley's Preface has not been discarded with his notes. Mr. Hartley was a truly pious divine of the Church of England, and was one of the earliest lovers of genuine truth in this country, who were led to look for it in the writings of Swedenborg. Having there found it, to his inexpressible satisfaction, he was the first who labored successfully to promote its reception, by translating some of those writings, and by bearing a noble testimony, founded on personal knowledge, in behalf of the general elevation of character, and unimpeachable veracity, of their enlightened Author. This testimony is given in his Preface to the work On the Intercourse between the Soul and the Body,in a letter to the translator of the True Christian Religion, prefixed to that work, and in his Preface to the following work. This Preface has always been highly esteemed by persons commencing the perusal of Swedenborg's Writings, as most engagingly, and with great force of argument, preparing the mind for the important discoveries made in the work itself.

An index to the passages of Scripture illustrated in the work, prepared by a friend, has now first been added. The translator would conclude this notice by repeating the "hope," that the present translation, through the Divine blessing, 66 may be useful, still more extensively than the former ones, in diffusing just views respecting that state and life which are to last for ever!"

S. NOBLE.

In order that the reader may, in some measure, judge of the two

the two translations, we will exhibit the first number in parallel columns:

Mr. Clowes's Translation. tial things, and this not only as to the sense of several expressions united, but also as to every particular expression : for the Word is written by mere correspondences, to the intent that, in singular things there may be an internal

sense.

Mr. Noble's Translation. not only with respect to the sense of several words taken together, but even with respect to every single expression; for the Word is written by mere correspondences, in order that an internal sense may be contained in every part of it.

From this extract the reader will observe, that the passages quoted from Scripture are, in Mr. Noble's translation, rendered more in conformity with the common version, which is very desirable, whenever it can possibly be done, since nothing startles a reader and excites his distrust so much in respect to the work he is reading, as changing the letter of the Word from what it is in the common version. Thus, in Mr. Clowes' translation, the reader could see no reason why "from one end of heaven to the other," as it is in the Bible, should be changed to "from the extreme of the heavens, even to their extreme," which he would necessarily consider to be unusual phraseology, and might conclude that it was so rendered to subserve some mystical idea. In the other parts of the extract it will be observed that the expression "singular the things of" occurs three times; now this as a latinism which could not be clearly understood by the common English reader, because no English author ever uses it, nor is it ever used in conversation, therefore his mind in reading it would hesitate, and only conjecture its signification. But, besides these improvements, the sentences are so divided as to express more fully the sense of the original, and to be more in accordance with English composition.

In respect, however, to the translation before us, we wish to make the following remarks. The term "divinum" is rendered with four or five different expletive terms, as "divine nature," "divine being," "divine sphere," "divinity," and "divine principle;" in all these cases the original is " divinum," the abstract substantive we have mentioned above. Now, although, these expletive terms are necessary to convey the proper sense, without obscurity, to the English reader, yet, we think, it might have been better to inform the reader, in a note, that these expressions are, in the original, the single term “divinum.” That the term "sphere," is a correct expletive term to convey the idea in English of the "Divine of the Lord constituting heaven," is not only evident to those who are acquainted with the writings of Swedenborg, but is sometimes defined as such by the author himself, see A. C. n. 10,188. A translator, however, is supposed to be guided by the idea, that his reader is totally unacquainted with the language, form which he translates; and, therefore, it is his duty to convey as

accurately and faithfully as possible, without ellipses, or solecisms, the sense of the author. This Mr. Noble has done by adding the terms we have named, which, we believe, fully convey the sense of the author. But for the sake of bringing the reader as near as possible to a knowledge of the original we would recommend, as stated above, that in those cases where expletives are necessary to be added, the reader be apprised of the circumstance in a note. Again, we often meet with the phrase "What is the nature of may be seen," &c., which is a translation of the original "qualis," or "quale est," a form of expression which very frequently occurs, as, "What is the nature of correspondence may be seen from the face of man?" No. 91. It appears to us that the words "what is" may be omitted in most of those numerous cases, without any detriment to the sense, and with decided advantage to the English idiom, and say, "The nature of correspondence," &c., and this, indeed, would be as close to the original as the other. The term "Shape" as applied to God, occurs in two or three places (see 82) "to think of God under a Human Shape;" the term here rendered" Shape" is "species" and not "forma." Now the term species," as used by classic authors in reference to the human form, involves the accessary idea of beauty and majesty*, hence we see how truly appropriate this term is, in connexion with "humana,” to denote the Divine Human Form of God, or to represent him as a Divine Man full of beauty and majesty. But Swedenborg, we think, has rarely used this term in this application and the reason probably is, because its radical meaning is appearance, or that which may be seen, and in order to prevent his reader from entertaining the idea that God is a Divine Man in appearance only, and not in reality, he has almost always employed "forma," instead. But the term “shape" in English by no means involves the idea of beauty and majesty; we are aware, that in the Gospel it is said, "Ye have neither heard his voice nor seen his "shape," which appears to give some sanction to the employment of the term, and Mr. Clowes has also rendered "species" by "shape," but we submit, whether "form" might not be preferable.

66

These remarks, however, are not intended to detract, in the least, from the excellence of the translation before us; on the contrary, we consider it a most valuable acquisition to the New Church: for nothing is more calculated to promote the good cause of the New Dispensation, than faithful translations of Swedenborg's works, expressed in the pure and simple idiom of the English language, which, when

* See Sheller's Latin Lexicon.

we consider America, Australia, and the numerous British settlements in all parts of the world, is destined, ere many centuries shall have elapsed, to be spoken by nearly one half of the human race, it becomes unspeakably important that such an immense engine of instruction should convey the scriptural and heavenly ideas of the New Jerusalem as purely and as perfectly as possible; and we are rejoiced to see that the London Printing Society are endeavouring to bring out editions like the one before us, which, not only as to the excellent manner in which the able translator has performed his task, but also, as to superiority of type and paper, as well as to cheapness of price, can scarcely be surpassed. The remarks we have suggested, as well as some other things that have struck us in the examination of the work, we would submit to the consideration of the Editor, when a new edition is required. Manchester.

EDITOR.

Nature. Boston: James Munro and Co., 1838.

THIS work is, we think, the production of one of our trans-Atlantic brethren, whose name is unknown to us. We hail its appearance with great gratification as affording the assurance that the pure principles of eternal truth are spontaneously, as it were, exhibiting themselves in the world. The truths of the new dispensation are progressing more rapidly than we think of. The seeds of truth are carried on the wings of every wind, and every clime will become receptive of their influence. Religion is a principle inherent in the whole human race, and it becomes daily more manifest, that there is a close relationship between us and the unseen world, and we may confidently hope, that, as the doctrines of the Lord's New Church become more generally known and received into the heart, the human mind will acquire greater powers of perception and thought; daily and hourly it will cast off the shackles and impurities of sin, break away from the seductions of a vain and empty world, and enter more and more fully into association with the kingdom of heaven. Religion, then, will become the fountain of our actions, our hopes, and our desires, and love, the supreme end of our existence. As the humble coral is continually at work rearing up out of the deep, vast continents for the abode of our race, so the eternal principles of truth are ever silently but surely emerging from the great ocean of spiritual life.

In the little work before us, it is plainly to be observed that the beautiful and heart-cheering doctrine of correspondences is the basis on which the writer's peculiar views have been founded. The mode