 That did not stop Fabricius in the same letter from calling Agricola "that distinguished ornament of our Fatherland," whose "religious views...were compatible with reason, it is true, and were dazzling," though not "compatible with truth"; in 1551 Fabricius had already written the introductory poem to "De re metallica" in praise of Agricola.According to traditional urban customs, as a former lord mayor he was entitled to a burial in the local mother church.His religious affiliation, however, outweighed his secular prerogatives and monumental services for the city.