Born in 1486 at Cologne, Germany, his real name being Von Nettesheim. Died in 1535 at Grenoble, France. Author of *On the Vanity of the Sciences*, published in 1527 at Cologne, and *Libri Tres de Occulta Philosophia*, published in 1533 at the same place. A scholarly and learned man whose writings led him into many controversies. Lenning and Gädicke say that Agrippa founded a secret literary and mystical society at Paris and during his life was reputed to have been a magician (see Henry Morley's *Life of Cornelius Agrippa*).

Agrippa was, as well as being a writer, a soldier, a physician, and a well-known alchemist. A writer in the *Quarterly Review* of 1798 states that Cornelius Agrippa came to London in 1510 and founded there a secret alchemical society and was practically the founder of Freemasonry.

There does not seem to be any foundation for such a statement. Many of his writings dealt with Rosicrucianism.