762 



BURMAN EMPIRE BURNET. 



nte.l on the east side of the village, a mile distan 

 from lake Clmmplain, on ground elevated :'l.> feei 

 above tlie surface of tlie water, and comnmnds an ex 

 tensive and delightful prospect, embracing n view o; 

 the lake, with the high mountains beyond on the 

 west, and tlie Green mountains on the east. A large 

 college edifice of brick, which was completed in 1801 

 was consumed by fire in 1824 ; since which time three 

 brick edifices have been erected, two of them contain- 

 ing rooms for students, the other containing a chapel, 

 and other public rooms. The university possesses 

 considerable endowments, consisting chiefly of lands ; 

 but the number of students has never been large. Its 

 officers are, a president, a professor of mathematics 

 and natural philosophy, a professor of the learned 

 languages, a tutor, and four medical professors. 

 BURMA* KMINKK. See Birman Empire. 

 Bni.M ANX ; the name of a family of learned men, 

 originally from Cologne Francis B., born in 1632, 

 was professor at Leyden and Utrecht, where he died 

 in 1769, and author of several theological writings. 

 His son Peter, bora at Utrecht, in 1668, studied there 

 and at Leyden. He became doctor of law in 1688. 

 After travelling in Germany and Switzerland, he be- 

 gan the practice of the law, without, however, de- 

 serting the study of the ancients, as is proved by his 

 treatise De ^'ectigalibut Pop. Rom. In 1696 he was 

 made professor of history and rhetoric at the university 

 of Utrecht. At a later period he became professor of 

 the Greek language and politics. From this time, he 

 published, annually, either some classic author, with 

 notes, or masterly Latin verses, or some pamphlet 

 against his adversaries, of whom he had made many by 

 his intolerant vehemence. His editions of the classics 

 are not so much distinguished for taste, as for learning 

 and accuracy. He became professor of eloquence, 

 hislory, and the Greek language, in Leyden, 1715, 

 and died in 1741. His younger brother, Francis, 

 died in 1719, while professor of theology at Utrecht, 

 and was the author of several theological writings. 

 He left four sons, distinguished likewise as scholars. 

 John, born in 1706, died 1780, at Amsterdam, was 

 a physician, and professor of botany. Linnaeus makes 

 honourable mention of his writings. Peter, born in 

 1713, devoted himself, like his uncle, to philological 

 pursuits. In 1734, he was made doctor of law at 

 Utrecht. In the following year, he became professor 

 of eloquence and history at the university of Franeker. 

 In 1742, he went to Amsterdam, as professor of 

 history and ancient languages, where he became, in 

 succession, professor or poetry, librarian, and inspec- 

 tor of the gymnasium. Like his uncle, he has pub- 

 lished many good editions, particularly of the Latin 

 classics ; like him, he was distinguished by learning, 

 by his talent for Latin poetry, and by his hasty dispo- 

 sition. He died in 1778. Nicolaus Laurentius B. 

 succeeded, in 1781, his father, John B., as profes- 

 sor of botany, for which science he did much by his 

 own writings, and by aiding the undertakings of 

 others. In particular, he encouraged Thunberg to 

 visit the cape of Good Hope and Japan. lie died in 

 1793. 



BURMANN, Gottlob William, originally Bormann, 

 lx>rn in 1737, at Lauban, in Upper Lusatia, resided 

 in Berlin in great poverty. He was small of figure, 

 meagre, lame, and deformed, but was endowed with 

 sensibility for every thing sublime and beautiful. -He 

 was highly eccentric. His poems were irregular, 

 and deficient in taste and finish. His merits were 

 obscured by his singularities, and his vigorous mind 

 was forgotten before he died. He had a rare talent 

 of improvisation. Struck with palsy, he passed the 

 last ten years of his life in great misery. His most 

 celebrated works are his fables, songs, and his poems 

 without the letter r. He died :n 1805. 



BORNCT, Gilbert, a celebrated prelate and historian, 

 was born at Edinburgh, in 1G43, and, having studied 

 at Aberdeen, he travelled into Holland in 1G64. On 

 his return, he was made fellow of the royal society, 

 in London, and ordained at Edinburgh in 1665. In 

 1669, he was made professor of divinity at Glasgow, 

 where he published his Conference between a Con- 

 formist and a Nonconformist ; also, Memoirs of tlie 

 duke of Hamilton; and was offered a Scottish 

 bishopric, which he refused. His Vindication of the 

 Church and State of Scotland, in which he maintains 

 the cause of episcopacy, was much approved of at 

 court, and a bishopric was again offered him, and 

 refused. In 1673, he was made chaplain in ordinary 

 to the king; and was in high credit, both with 

 Charles and the duke of York. In consequence of 

 the machinations in favour of popery, he inclined to 

 the opposition party in the Scottish parliament, and 

 afterwards removed to London, where he was coldly 

 received by the king, and struck out of his list of 

 court chaplains. The nation being alarmed on 

 account of the progress of popery, B. undertook a 

 History of the Reformation in England. He gave a 

 first volume to the public in 1679, when the alair of 

 the popish plot was in agitation. It procured for the 

 author the unprecedented honour of thanks from 

 both houses of parliament. The second volume . 

 appeared in 1681 ; the third, which was supple- 

 mentary, in 1714. This is esteemed the most valu- 

 able of his writings. The high character of B. as a 

 divine caused him to be sent for by the witty and 

 profligate earl of Rochester, when, exhausted by a 

 course of libertinism, he was sinking into the grave, 

 at tlie early age of thirty-three. The result of his 

 conferences with the dying nobleman he gave to the 

 world in his celebrated Account of the Life ami 

 Death of the earl of Rochester. About this time, he 

 wrote a letter to the king, censuring his public mis- 

 government and private vices. His connexion with 

 the opposition party was now very intimate, and he 

 attended lord Russel to the scaffold, whose speech 

 there it is thought that he penned. He published, 

 during this period, several works in favour of liberty 

 and protestantism, and wrote the lives of bishop 

 Bedell and Sir Matthew Hale. On the accession of 

 James II., he made a tour in France and Italy, of 

 which he published an account in letters addressed to 

 Mr Boyle. At the close of his travels, he was invited 

 to the Hague by the prince and princess of Orange, 

 and had a great share in the councils relative to 

 Britain. James caused a prosecution for high 

 treason to be commenced against him in England, 

 and demanded his person from the states, who refused 

 to deliver him up. In the revolution, he took an 

 active part, accompanying the prince of Orange to 

 England as chaplain, and was rewarded for his ser- 

 vices with the bishopric of Sarum. On taking his 

 seat in the house or lords, he displayed his usual 

 moderation in regard to the non-juring clergy and 

 dissenters. As a prelate, bishop B. distinguished 

 limself by fervour, assiduity, and charity. In 1399, 

 le published his Exposition of the Thirty-ninb 

 Articles. The scheme for the augmentation ot 

 joor livings out of the first fruits and tenths due to 

 he crown originated with B. He died in March, 

 1715, in the seventy-second year of his age, leaving 

 >ehind him his well known History of his Own Times, 

 with an Account of his Life (2 vols. fol., 17231724) 

 :Ie merits the praise of depth, vigour, and variety or 

 cnowledge ; but was hasty and rough in his composi- 

 ion. He was ardent, active, and open; benevolent, 

 iberal, and disinterested. He was the author of 

 numerous works besides those mentioned. William, 

 lis eldest son, originally bred to the law, became 

 governor, first of New York and New Jersey, and 





