In following Agrippa through the different stages of his eventful life, we cannot fail to be struck with that wonderful variety of talents which fitted him for the numerous duties which he discharged. As a soldier and a physician, a lawyer and a lecturer, a metaphysician and a theologian, the versatility of his genius enabled him to attain the highest distinction. But with all his accomplishments, and with all the attention that he re ceived from the most illustrious princes of the age, Agrippa was not destined to enjoy a life of comfortable independence. No sooner was he settled in some ho nourable situation, than his restless and capricious spirit began to disturb his repose ; while the rashness and im prudence of his conduct excited around him a crowd of enemies. With a mind far exalted above the superstitious prejudices of the age, and armed with the most dauntless and obstinate fortitude, he nobly dared to think for him self, and fearlessly to speak and write the sentiments which he cherished. Though attached to the Catholic faith, he boldly attacked the igoorance and folly of the times, and exposed the intrigues and errors of a cor rupted priesthood. At a time when Luther was propa gating the principles of the reformation, and had in some measure unsettled the foundation of the Romish hierarchy, the Catholic priests were particularly jealous of new opinions, and ready to detect and punish every attempt even against the outworks of their faith. Hence Agrippa was assailed with all the malignity of an exas perated clergy : He was represented to his royal patrons as the friend of heresy and reform ; and, driven from city to city, he experienced all the embarrassments of a dependent and unsettled life, and all the unsteadiness of princely favour. But though the exertions of Agrip pa were not rewarded by his contemporaries, posterity will do justice to his memory, and will rank him with those intrepid sages who have opposed the progress of vice and error, and sacrificed the tranquillity of their lives to the interests of truth and science.
The pretensions of Agrippa as an alchemist and an astrologer, are not easily reconciled with that candour and love of truth which seemed to adorn his character. If he had not calculated the nativity of the constable Bourbon, nor written a commentary upon the works of Ray mond Lully, that notorious impostor, we might have aegarded his attention to these studies as the submission of a great mind to the harmless prejudices of the age ; but he who can seriously employ the cool moments of •-etirement, to compose a process for converting iron Into silver, and brass into gold, and who can publish it *o the world with all the confidence of truth, must, we :ear, be animated by some less honourable motive than a spirit of accommodation, or a love of fame. Before censuring Agrippa, however, we ought to remember, that our celebrated countryman, Roger Bacon, was also an alchemist ; that in the seventeenth century, several distinguished characters were in quest of the philoso pher's stone ; and that, even in the present enlightened age, there are not a few who spend their days and their nights in search of the perpetual motion.
Besides the works which have been already mentioned, Agrippa wrote a " Dissertation upon original sin," in which he maintains, that the fall was occasioned by the immodesty and lust of our first parents. He also com posed a work on the crimes and heresies of the Domi nicans, who were the chief directors of the Inquisition, but this treatise was never published. An imperfect edition of his works in 8vo, was printed at Lyons in 1586, and at Paris in 1726. His Vanity of the Sciences was published at Antwerp in 1530, 1532, and 1539 ; at Paris. in 8vo, in 1531 ; and has been translated into French and Italian. (11)