Agricola, Georgius, De re metallica, 1912/1950

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              until the fourth day was he borne away to Zeitz and interred in the Cathedral.
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              . . . . I have always admired the genius of this man, so distinguished
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              in our sciences and in the whole realm of Philosophy—yet I wonder at his
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              religious views, which were compatible with reason, it is true, and were
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              dazzling, but were by no means compatible with truth. . . . He
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              would not tolerate with patience that anyone should discuss ecclesiastical
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              matters with him.” This action of the authorities in denying burial to one
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              of their most honored citizens, who had been ever assiduous in furthering
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              the welfare of the community, seems strangely out of joint. </s>
              <s>Further, the
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              Elector Augustus, although a Protestant Prince, was Agricola's warm friend,
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              as evidenced by his letter of but a few months before (see p. </s>
              <s>xv). However,
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              Catholics were then few in number at Chemnitz, and the feeling ran high at the
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              time, so possibly the Prince was afraid of public disturbances. </s>
              <s>Hofmann
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              14
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              explains this occurrence in the following words:—“The feelings of Chemnitz
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              citizens, who were almost exclusively Protestant, must certainly be taken
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              into account. </s>
              <s>They may have raised objections to the solemn interment of
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              a Catholic in the Protestant Cathedral Church of St. </s>
              <s>Jacob, which had,
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              perhaps, been demanded by his relatives, and to which, according to the
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              custom of the time, he would have been entitled as Burgomaster. </s>
              <s>The
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              refusal to sanction the interment aroused, more especially in the Catholic
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              world, a painful sensation.”</s>
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              <s>A brass memorial plate hung in the Cathedral at Zeitz had already
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              disappeared in 1686, nor have the cities of his birth or residence ever shown
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              any appreciation of this man, whose work more deserves their gratitude
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              than does that of the multitude of soldiers whose monuments decorate every
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              village and city square. </s>
              <s>It is true that in 1822 a marble tablet was
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              placed behind the altar in the Church of St. </s>
              <s>Jacob in Chemnitz, but even
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              this was removed to the Historical Museum later on.</s>
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              <s>He left a modest estate, which was the subject of considerable litigation by
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              his descendants, due to the mismanagement of the guardian. </s>
              <s>Hofmann has
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              succeeded in tracing the descendants for two generations, down to 1609, but
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              the line is finally lost among the multitude of other Agricolas.</s>
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              <s>To deduce Georgius Agricola's character we need not search beyond the
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              discovery of his steadfast adherence to the religion of his fathers amid the
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              bitter storm of Protestantism around him, and need but to remember at the
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              same time that for twenty-five years he was entrusted with elective positions
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              of an increasingly important character in this same community. </s>
              <s>No man
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              could have thus held the respect of his countrymen unless he were devoid of
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              bigotry and possessed of the highest sense of integrity, justice, humanity,
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              and patriotism.</s>
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