BURGER, GODFREY a popular German poet, and well known in this country as the author of the celebrated ballad of Leonora, was born at Wolmerswendc, in the principality of Halberstadt, on the 1st of January, 1748. In his infancy, as he himself informs us, he dis played no uncommon indications of superior genius ; but was, on the contrary, considered by his parents as re markable only for stupidity and indolence. The first ten years of his life W CAT. employed in learning to read and write his native language ; the Bible and book of church hymns were his principal and faN ourite study ; and his memory being naturally retentive, he easily remembered what he read from these volumes. From the prophetic books of the Old Testament, and the volume of already mentioned, he caught the first glow of poetical inspiration ; and to the latest period of his life, lie recol lected, and DICIlti011ed with emotion, the enthusiasm to which they had elevated his youthful mind.
Even so early as the expiration of his first deo nnium, Burger exhibited that symptom of a poetical disposition— the love of solitude ; and without any external encourage ment, or other learning, than that with which his hitherto very limited range of reading had supplied him, he began to write verses before lie had been taught so much as the first principles of grammar and composition. Ilk stu dies, in the mean time, proceeded but slowly ; and the difficulty with which he was made to acquire a knowledge of the rules or I.;Ltin grammar appears extraordinary in a youth certainly or no uncap talents. His lather, a plain, sensible man, of some learning and great indolence, ha% ing in vain attempted to make his son comprehend the elements of that language, at length resolved to staid him, in his 121h year, to his grandfather at Aschersleben, in order that he might have the advantage of attending the grammar school in that town. Here young Burger made sonic progress in Latin; hut having, unfornmately, in curred the displeasure of the rector, in consequence of sonic satirical verses which he had composed in ridicule of one of his fellow pupils, his grandfather hound it ne cessary to remove him to the p redagogium at I f al le, in the year 1762. In 1764, he entered into the university of
Italie, and became, at his grandfather's desire, although contrary to his own inclination, a student of divinity. Ile is even said to have preached once in a country church in the neighbourhood of Halle. Theological studies, how ever, were not congenial with the lively disposition of Burger ; and his grandfather having got information, that the young man did not conduct himself in a manner suitable to his future vocation, recalled him from I lalle. But Burger, it would seem, contrived to appease the anger of his offended relative ; for he obtained his per mission, not only to repair to Gottingen, at Easter, 1768, hut to change his studies from theology to jurisprudence. At Gottingen, accordingly, he applied himself, for some time, ith assiduity to his new course of study, and made considerable progress in acquiring' a knowledge of the principles of the civil law ; but the influence of his for mer dissipated habits became again apparent ; and his grandfather ha% ing been informed of his manner of liv ing, gradually withdrew from him his countenance and support, and appears to have regarded him as a depraved youth, whose case was entirely hopeless.
Meanwhile, however, Burger became associated with several men of genius at Gottingen, by whose generous assistance he was enabled to continue his studies, which were now principally directed to ancient and modern literature, and especially to poetry. During this period, he composed several of his songs and smaller pieces. In the year 1770, he contributed, along with his friends, Gotten' and Bole, to the contents of the first poetical al manack w hick appeared in Germany ; a species of pub lication, the idea of which was borrowed from the French. About this time, too, he composed his Ode to Hope, and his translation of the Ptrvigilium l'eneris, an undertak ing which he appears to have long meditated, and upon the execution of which he seems to have dwelt with feel ings of peculiar gratificatio,i.