Agricola, RUDOLPHUS

Agricola, RUDOLPHUS, the foremost scholar of the 'New Learning' in Germany, was born (1443) near Groningen, in Friesland. His real name, Roelof Huysmann ('husbandman'), he Latinised into Agricola; and from his native place he was also called Frisius, or Rudolf of Groningen. From Groningen he passed to Louvain, then to Paris, and thence to Italy, where, during the years 1473-80, he attended the lectures of the most celebrated men of his age, and where he entered into a close friendship with Dalberg, afterwards Bishop of Worms. On his return home, he endeavoured, in connection with several of his former co-disciples and friends, to promote a taste for literature and eloquence. Several cities of Holland vainly strove with each other to obtain his presence; but not even the brilliant overtures made to him by the Emperor Maximilian, to whose court he had repaired in connection with affairs of the town of Groningen, could induce him to renounce his independence. At length yielding (1483) to the solicitations of Dalberg, he established himself in the Palatinate, where he sojourned alternately at Heidelberg and Worms, dividing his time between private studies and public lectures, and enjoying high popularity. He distinguished himself also as a musician and painter. With Dalberg he revisited Italy (1484), and shortly after his return died at Heidelberg, 28th October 1485. Most of his works were collected by Alard of Amsterdam (2 vols. Cologne, 1539). See Tresling's Vita Agricolæ (Gron. 1830), and Bezold's German monograph (Mun. 1884).