His

upon vulgár credulity, must not pass without censure. occult philosophy is rather a sketch of the Alexandrian, mixed with the Cabbalistic theology, than a treatise on magic. It explains the harmony of nature, and the connection of the elementary, celestial, and intellectual worlds, on the principles of the emanative system. His treatise on the Vanity of the Sciences is not so much intended to traduce science itself, as to ridicule the follies of the learned, and expose the numerous absurdities of the established modes of education.

His attention to magical studies began early, according to Meiners; in youth he joined a secret society at Paris which was defended against the profane by peculiar rites of admission. The separation of this cabbalistical brotherhood did not occasion the dissolution of their lodge; on the contrary, each of the members endeavoured to found in his own neighbourhood corresponding societies for similar purposes. In 1510 Agrippa was sent to England on some commission, relative, probably, to the treaty between Henry VIII. and the French king; and on this occasion, as appears by his published letters, he founded in London one of these secret societies for magical pursuits. The same biographer remarks, that a strange mixture of active and passive dupery characterises Agrippa; an alternation of sceptical contempt, and of superstitious credulity respecting the occult arts. If his assertions may be credited, he had attained that intercourse with demoniacal natures, which was the boast of Plotinus and Jamblicus; and his magical pretensions found so much credit. with his contemporaries, that they describe him as carrying about with him a devil in the form of a black dog.

The two principal works of Agrippa, already mentioned, were printed under the following titles: 1. "De incertitudine et vanitate Scientiarum, declamatio invectiva," withbut date, 8vo; Cologn, 1527, 12mo; Paris, 1531, 8vo; 1531, 8vo; 1532, 8vo; 1537, 8vo; and 1539, 8vo. These seven editions are complete, but what were published afterwards were castrated. The French translation by Louis de Mayenne Turquet, 1582, 8vo, is complete; but that by Gueudeville, Leyden, 1726, 3 vols. 12mo, with the essay on Women, is mutilated. This work has also been published in Italian, English, (by James Sandford, 1569) German, and Dutch. Mr. Granger thinks it has been greatly improved upon by Mr. Thomas Baker, in his ad

mirable "Reflections upon Learning." 2. "De Occulta philosophia, libri tres," Antwerp and Paris, 1531; Mechlin, Basle, Lyons, and an edition without place, 1533, fol. Lyons, 8vo, translated into French by Le Vasseur; Hague, 1727, 2 vols. 8vo. 3. " De nobilitate et præcellentia fœminei sexus, declamatio," Antwerp, 1529, 8vo. 4. "Commentaria in artem brevem Raymundi Lulli," Cologne, 1533, Selingstadt, 1538, 8vo. 5. "Orationes decem: de duplici coronatione Caroli V. apud Bononiam; Ejusd. Epigram, &c." Cologne, 1535, 8vo. His entire works have been often published. The edition of Lyons by the Berings, Leyden, 1550, 8vo, 2 vols. contains a fourth book of the Occult philosophy, on magical ceremonies, which is not by Agrippa, and has perhaps contributed most to the opinion of his being a magician.

AGUADO (FRANCIS), a Spanish Jesuit, and voluminous writer, was born 1566, at Torrejon, a village near Ma drid, and entered the society of Jesuits at Alcale, in 1588, being then M. A. He was governor of several houses of the order in Spain, twice presided over the province of Toledo, and was twice sent as deputy to the congregations at Rome. The king, Philip IV. chose him for his preacher, and the count Olivarez, Philip's prime minister, appointed him his confessor. He died at Madrid, Jan. 15, 1654. His works consist of six folios, in Spanish, printed at Madrid in 1629, 1638, 1640, 1641, 1643, 1646, 1653, on various religious topics; and a life of father Goudin, the Jesuit, 8vo, 1643. He left also many treatises which have not been published.

FAGUCCHIO (JOHN BAPTISTA), archbishop of Amasia in Natolia, was born at Bologna, Nov. 20, 1570. He had the advantage of being educated under the care of Philip Sega, his uncle, who was raised on account of his distinguished merits to the rank of cardinal, by pope Innocent IX; and of Jerom Agucchio, his brother, who was made cardinal by pope Clement VIII. in 1604. His application to study was early, rapid, and assiduous, but particularly in the study of polite literature. This recommended him so much to cardinal Sega, that he carried him with him to France, when he went thither as legate from the pope.

1 Gen. Dict.-Moreri.-Biographie Universelle.-Fopper Bibl. Bal.-Brucker. -Martin's Biog. Philosophica.-Meiner's Biographies, in Month. Rev. vol. XXIV.-Saxii Onomasticon,-Dibdin's Bibliomania, vol, I. p. 23-24,-Granger' Biographical History. 2 Moreri,

After the death of Sega, Agucchio was appointed secre tary to cardinal Aldobrandini, nephew to pope Clement VIII. and attended him when he went legate to Henry IV. of France, of which journey he wrote a very elegant account. The cardinal, after his return, committed the management of his house to Agucchio, which province he executed till the death of pope Clement VIII. and of his brother the cardinal Agucchio, when want of health obliged him to retire from the court. But after he had recovered, and had passed some time at Rome in learned retirement, cardinal-Aldobrandini brought him again into his former employment, in which he continued till the cardinal's death. He then became secretary to Gregory XV. which place he held until the death of that pontiff. In 1624, Urban VIII. sent him as nuncio to Venice, where he became generally esteemed, although he maintained the rights of the see of Rome with the utmost rigour. The contagious distemper which ravaged Italy in 1630, obliged him to retire to Friuli, where he died in 1632. He was a man of very extensive learning, but appears in his private character to have been somewhat austere and narrow. His works are: "A treatise upon Comets and Meteors," "The Life of Cardinal Sega, and that of Jerom Agucchio his brother," and a letter to the canon Barthelemi Dolcini on the origin of the city of Bologna, "L'Antica fondazione e dominio della citta di Bologna," Bologna, 1638, 4to. He left also various letters and moral treatises, not published. '

1

AGUESSEAU (HENRY FRANCIS D'), a French statesman of great worth and talents, was born at Limoges, Nov. 7, 1668, the son of Henry d'Aguesseau, then intendant of the Limoisin, and afterwards counsellor of state. The family was distinguished for having produced many able magistrates, among whom was Anthony, the grandfather of the chancellor, who was first president of the parliament of Bourdeaux. Henry-Francis, the subject of the present article, was educated under his father in every species of knowledge which promised to qualify him for the office of magistrate. After being admitted, in 1690, an advocatę, he became, a few months after, advocate-general of the parliament of Paris, at the age of only twenty-two years.

Gen. Dict.-Eryth. Pinacotheca.-Morcri.-Biog. Universelle-Saxii Onoq masticon.

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The king, in appointing one so young to an office of very great consequence, was guided solely by the recommendation of his father. I know him," said his majesty, be incapable of deceiving me, even in the case of his own son;" and the young advocate completely justified the con fidence reposed in him. The celebrated Denis Talon, who had obtained great reputation in the same office, declared that he should have been willing to conclude his career as that young man had begun his. After having performed the functions of his office with reputation equal to his commencement, he became procurator-general; and the nature of his new office furnished him with occasion to display new talents in the public service. In particular, he introduced a complete system of reformation in the management of the hospitals, by which abuses were prevented or corrected; and he restored order and discipline in the tribunals, by which the criminal code was greatly improved. In questions respecting estates, he discovered much acuteness and knowledge of antiquities.

In 1709, the war and famine, and public distress rendered his place of much importance, and called forth the qualities of the heart as well as the head. At this critical period, Desmarets, the comptroller-general, appointed a committee of the principal magistrates, among whom was D'Aguesseau, whose zeal and knowledge animated the whole. He contrived to discover the forestallers of provisions; punished the most guilty; and re-established credit and confidence; and from this time, a sense of the value of his public services made him be often consulted on the most difficult points of administration, and employed to draw up memorials for the king. Towards the end of the reign, however, of Louis XIV. he was threatened with disgrace for having refused to register the famous bull Unigenitus. On this occasion it was that madame D'Agues seau, when her husband was about to set out for Versailles, said, "Go, and before the king, forget your wife and children, and lose every thing but your honour." D'Aguesseau, without perhaps understanding the whole of the doctrines condemned by that bull, thought he perceived, in part of its regulations, something that threatened the rights of monarchy, which he therefore had the courage to defend against the monarch himself. It was this sense of the matter which produced the spirited answer he gave to Quirini, the pope's nuncio: "Is it thus," said

Quirini, "that you manufacture arms against Rome?" "No, Monsieur," replied D'Aguesseau, "these are not arms, but shields."

Louis XIV. however, died, and for some time during the regency, D'Aguesseau enjoyed all the credit which his character and virtues merited. In 1717, he succeeded Voisin as chancellor ; but before a year expired, the regent took the seals from him, and ordered him into exile for having opposed the establishment of the royal bank, and the other projects contrived by Mr. Law. It was in vain that he endeavoured to expose the danger of issuing a quantity of notes, the value of which was merely imaginary; but the public were struck with the novelty of the scheme, and charmed with its delusive plausibility, and D'Aguesseau was ordered to retire to his estate at Fresnes, while the seals were given to D'Argenson.

The issue of Law's project is well known. For two years, it amused the French public, and then the bubble burst. Government was now so embarrassed, and the people so dissatisfied, that in 1720, the regent thought proper to recall the discarded chancellor, and restore the seals to him. Mr. Law himself, and the chevalier de Conflans, first gentleman of the chamber to the regent, were dispatched to D'Aguesseau at Fresnes, while Dubois was ordered to demand the seals from D'Argenson. D'Aguesseau's return was blamed by a party composed of members of the parliament, and of some men of letters. They did not relish his accepting a favour conveyed through the hands of Mr. Law; but, says his biographer, he would have been more to blame, had he refused what had less the appearance of a favour, than of amends for injury tendered by the chief minister of state.

Aguesseau himself considered it as an honour to be recalled in a time of danger, and immediately began to repair the mischief done in his absence, by ordering the payment of the notes issued by the bank, as far as was possible; and although the loss to individuals was great, this measure was less odious than a total bankruptcy, which had been proposed. But a new storm burst forth in this corrupt court, which he was unable to oppose with his usual firmness. The regent, who had cajoled the parliament to nullify the will of Louis XIV. now solicited him to register the declaration of the king in favour of the bull Unigenitus. This was done in compliance with Dubois, now become