in Latin, and who may therefore be aware that it is a mere faith of the memory that is meant; but it is evident that with such a rendering the ordinary reader is bound to go far and ludicrously astray.
Another such example is to be found in Swedenborg's rather common expression Scientia cognitionum, used in connection with the Philistines, and usually rendered "science of knowledges," and in the Rotch edition "learning of knowledges;" both of which renderings utterly fail to convey the author's meaning, which is simply the "memory-knowledge of knowledges;" that is to say, the people who are represented by the Philistines are those who store up knowledges from the Word in the memory, but have no other knowledge of them than a mere memory-knowledge; thus have not the knowledge of them that comes from a life in accordance with them. A most important point; and it is terrible that it should be so completely lost from view as has been the case.
The same remark applies to the signification in the Word of "Egypt." Swedenborg's definition of the signification of "Egypt" is Scientia, or Scientifica. To render these terms "science," and "scientifics," is attended with the disastrous result that the ordinary reader supposes (and even preachers have habitually manifested the same lamentable ignorance) that "Egypt," as mentioned in the Word, has something to do with science as generally understood; and thus the whole point of the Divine instruction given in the Word in connection with Egypt and the Egyptians is completely lost.
In the present Revision of the "Arcana" an effort has been made to translate this group of words on a systematic plan, so as to indicate to the English reader the terminology and the meaning that exist in the original wherever these words occur. To this end the following renderings have been adopted:—
Cognitio, Cognitiones = "knowledge," "knowledges."
Scientia (except when it really means "science") = "memory-knowledge."
Scientiae, Scientifica = "memory-knowledges."
The Latin words have also been given in parenthesis wherever for any reason this seemed to be called for.
