Robert Burns (1759-1796) is often considered to be Scotland's finest poet. The Centre for Robert Burns Studies is named after him in the University's Department of Scottish Literature. Burns did not attend university due of his family's financial difficulties. However, he learned to write and read English, Latin, and Greek at a very early age. He also owned several books on philosophy, politics, and literature that would have been unavailable to the general public at the time. Burns worked as a farm hand and then as a tax collector before becoming an excise officer. In 1791, he became secretary to a justice of the peace who lived in Dumfries. Two years later, this post was made permanent and he was given a salary of £150 a year. In 1795, he went to London for medical advice about a disease he had been suffering from for some time now. While there, he met many people who influenced his work including Sir Walter Scott, James Hogg, and Samuel Johnson. Burns died at the young age of 36 in Edinburgh after being hit by a horse-drawn carriage. Even though he didn't attend university, Burns is still regarded as one of the founders of modern literature in Europe. His works include poems, essays, and songs. They are popular all over the world today especially in Scotland where his birthday is used as a national holiday.