BURMAN. quence and history in the university of Franeker, in the room of Wesseling, who had been removed to Utrecht. The chair of poetry was in 1741 added to his other appointments; but in the course of the following year he accepted of an invitation to the Athenæum of Amsterdam, where he became professor of history, eloquence, the Greek language, and poetry, keeper of the public library, and visitor of the Latin schools. In his literary character he bore a considerable resemblance to his more celebrated uncle, and was evidently a man of extensive learning.1 He published several detached orations, and other tracts, and an ample collection of his Latin poems. "Petri Burmanni Secundi Poematum libri quatuor." Lugd. Bat. 1774, 4to. "Carminum Appendix." Lugd. Bat. 1779, 4to. He edited several of the classics on a plan similar to that commonly adopted by his uncle. We have already mentioned the edition of Virgil, completed by his learned labour, and must now continue the enumeration of his classical publications. "Anthologia veterum Latinorum Epigrammatum et Poematum, sive Catalecta Poetarum Latinorum." Amst. 1759-73, 2 tom. 4to. "Aristophanis Comœdiæ undecim Græcæ et Latine." Lugd. Bat. 1760, 2 tom. 4to. "Claudii Claudiani Opera." Amst. 1760, 4to. "Ciceronis (vel incerti auctoris) Rhetoricorum ad Herennium libri quatuor, et de Inventione libri duo." Lugd. Bat. 1761, 8vo. "Propertii Elegiarum libri IV." Traj. ad Rhæn. 1780, 4to. This last work, which he did not himself bring to a conclusion, was conducted through the press by Van Santen, an elegant and correct scholar, who, under the name of Santenius, is well known to those who are acquainted with the literary history of that age. At an earlier period, Burman had published a modern poet in the same elaborate and splendid manner. "Petri Lotichii Secundi Opera omnia." Amst. 1754, 2 tom. 4to. He likewise undertook the task of editing the works of some modern critics. "Henrici Valesii Emendationum libri V. et de Critica libri duo," &c. Amst. 1740, 4to. "Nicolai Heinsii Adversariorum libri IV." &c. Harlingæ, 1742, 4to. Of his personal history, a few particulars remain to be told. He was thrice married. About a year before his death, he resigned his professorship, and having received a liberal pension from the curators of the Athenæum, he retired to his villa at Santhorst, in the hope of long enjoying literary repose; but having been struck with apoplexy, he expired on the 24th of June 1778. He appears to have been a person of a disposition sufficiently irritable: he was from time to time involved in various strifes and contentions; and his quarrels with a Dutch and a German professor, Saxius and Klotz, gave occasion to many invectives in the Latin, Dutch, and German languages.2 According to the testimony of his adversaries, he was not remarkable for his sobriety. To this alleged failing Klotz alludes in the following ludicrous verses, written in the character of the schoolmaster of Santhorst.
O cœlum! noster dominus,
Petrus Burmannus Secundus,
Est mortuus, ut unus mus.
Quid nos incipiamus?
Cum quo nos nunc bibamus,
Ni Petrum nostrum dominum, ni Petrum habeamus?
Habebat multos cyathos,
Habebat scyphos vitreos,
Et calices argenteos.
Sic est, sic omnia sunt vana.
Sic vita aufugit humana,
Discessit noster dominus, disrumpitur ut vana.
Ille bibebat fortiter,
Et tonans terribilis,
Exhauriebat bis et ter
Unam magnam lagenam,
Quam dicebat Hippocrenam,
Numc dedit noster dominus, numc dedit morti poenam.3
Although it certainly is not safe to take any person's character from his enemies, yet even by his enemies a very sober man will not often be accused of intemperance. (D. I.)