Page:The Life and Mission of Emanuel Swedenborg.djvu/38

 already begun to show the same confidence in Swedberg that his father had shown, and never resented his frank petitions for whatever seemed to him good.

In 1698 a second tenth-tax on the clergy had been proposed, to raise money for war purposes. An effort was made in the chapter at Upsal to send a remonstrance to the King. Swedberg alone dared undertake the commission. He arrived where Charles was, on the eve of the Sabbath, and of a masquerade to be held on that day. "Cannot your Honor," said he to the clergyman of the place, "preach the masquerade out of the heads of the King and his lords?" To the negative reply he said, "Well, then, let me preach." He preached, and no masquerade was held that day, nor afterwards. He then drew up a short petition to the King, and wrote after his name, "Genesis xlvii. 22." The King asked his attendants what it meant. They looked up the passage and read: "Only the land of the priests bought he not; for the priests had a portion assigned them by Pharaoh, that they should eat it." "Let the clergy alone," said his Majesty, "and let them have what they are accustomed to have."

A few years later, while Charles XII. was in Poland, preparing to invade Russia, heavy pressure being brought on the people to furnish men and material for war, Swedberg wrote a vigorous protest to the King against the poor priests' being compelled to furnish a dragoon apiece, by which "some have had to borrow money at usury, and even to sell their Bibles, in order to rig out a soldier." With difficulty he persuaded the chapter at Skara to sign the paper; but the King received it kindly and referred it to the Defence Commission, with orders to take the complaint into due consideration, and to make it as easy for the clergy as possible. As, however, no other chapter had been bold enough to ask relief, the Commission decided against Swedberg, and even compelled him to furnish two dragoons in place of one. Still later, after Charles's return to Sweden, we find the Bishop boldly asking similar favors, seldom granted; though the King always