viii. INTRODUCTION. 



is devoted to animals which live underground, at least part of the time, but 

 is not a very effective basis of either geologic or zoologic classi- 

 fication. Despite many pubhc activities, Agricola apparently completed 

 De Re Metallica in 1550, but did not send it to the press until 1553 ; nor 

 did it appear until a year after his death in 1555. But we give further details 

 on the preparation of this work on p. xv. During this period he found time 

 to prepare a small medical work, De Peste, and certain historical studies, 

 details of which appear in the Appendix. There are other works by Agricola re- 

 ferred to by sixteenth century writers, but so far we have not been able to find 

 them although they may exist. Such data as we have, is given in the appendix. 



As a young man, Agricola seems to have had some tendencies toward 

 Uberalism in religious matters, for while at Zwickau he composed some anti- 

 Popish Epigrams ; but after his return to Leipsic he apparently never wavered, 

 and steadily refused to accept the Lutheran Reformation. To many even 

 liberal scholars of the day, Luther's doctrines appeared wild and demagogic. 

 Luther was not a scholarly man ; his addresses were to the masses ; his Latin 

 was execrable. Nor did the bitter dissensions over hair-sphtting theology in 

 the Lutheran Church after Luther's death tend to increase respect for the 

 movement among the learned. Agricola was a scholar of wide attainments, 

 a deep-thinking, religious man, and he remained to the end a staunch Cathohc, 

 despite the general change of sentiment among his countrymen. His leanings 

 were toward such men as his friend the humanist, Erasmus. That he had 

 the courage of his convictions is shown in the dedication of De Natura Eorum, 

 where he addresses to his friend, Duke Maurice, the pious advice that the 

 dissensionsof the Germans should be composed, and that the Duke should return 

 to the bosom of the Church those who had been torn from her, and adds : " Yet 

 " I do not wish to become confused by these turbulent waters, and be led to 

 " offend anyone. It is more advisable to check my utterances." As he 

 became older he may have become less tolerant in religious matters, for he 

 did not seem to show as much patience in the discussion of ecclesiastical topics 

 as he must have possessed earlier, yet he maintained to the end the respect 

 and friendship of such great Protestants as Melanchthon, Camerarius, Fabricius, 

 and many others. 



In 1546, when he was at the age of 52, began Agricola's activity in 

 public life, for in that year he was elected a Burgher of Chemnitz ; and in the 

 same year Duke Maurice appointed him Burgomaster — an office which 

 he held for four terms. Before one can gain an insight into his political 

 services, and incidentally into the character of the man, it is necessary to 

 understand the poUtics of the time and his part therein, and to bear in mind 

 always that he was a staunch Cathohc under a Protestant Sovereign in a 

 State seething with militant Protestantism. 



Saxony had been divided in 1485 between the Princes Ernest and Albert, 

 the former taking the Electoral dignity and the major portion of the Princi- 

 pality. Albert the Brave, the younger brother and Duke of Saxony, obtained 

 the subordinate portion, embracing Meissen, but subject to the Elector. 

 The Elector Ernest was succeeded in i486 by Frederick the Wise, and under 



