Encyclopædia americana. A popular dictionary of arts, sciences, literature, history, politics and biography, a new ed.; including a copious collection of original articles in American biography; on the basis of the 7th ed. of the German Conversations-lexicon. Ed. by Francis Lieber, assisted by E. Wigglesworth ...

BRUCE. 2F )
the Red sea, and, arriving at Jidda, pass- parture of some guests whom he had
ed some months in Arabia Felix, and, been entertaining. His death took place
after various detentions, reached Gondar, in April, 1794.
the capital of Abyssinia, in February, 1770. BRUCE, Michael, a British poet of
In that country, he ingratiated himself the last century, distinguished for the
with the sovereign, and other influential plaintive elegance of his compositions.
persons, of both sexes, in the several ca- HI-e was born at Kinnasswood, in Scotland,
pacities of physician, courtier and soldier. in 1746; and, his friends being persons
On November 14, 1770, he obtained the in low circumstances, he had to struggle
great object of his wishes-a sight of the with poverty, which, together with consources of the Nile. Claiming to be the stitutional disease, gave a melancholy turn
first European who had accomplished to his mind, and influenced the character
this interesting discovery, his exultation of his writings. For a short time, he was
was proportionate, and he records it with engaged in the occupation of a villagesingular strength of expression. The schoolmaster, the fatigues of which probright of the fountains which he visited to ably shortened his life. He became conthe title of the principal sources of the sumptive, and died in 1767. His poems,
Nile is rationally controverted; but, wheth- which are few in numlber, were published
er they be so or not, they had been previ- by the reverend John Logan,together with
ously visited by the missionary Jesuits of some of his own, at Edinburgh, in 1770.
Portugal, a fact of which he could scarce- One, composed on the anticipation of his
ly have been ignorant. On his return to own death, is peculiarly affecting..Gondar, he found the country engaged BRucE, Robert; the competitor of John
in a civil war, and was detained two Baliol for the throne of Scotland. On
years before he could obtain permission the death of Alexander III, without any
to leave the country. Thirteen months lineal descendant, the right to the crowmore were occupied in. travelling back to devolved on the descendants of David
Cairo, in which journey he endured ex- earl of HIuntington, who were John Baliol
cessive privations. He returned to his descended fionom his oldest daughter, and
native country in 1773, and retired to his Bruce, descended, though one generation
paternal seat. He married again, and nearer, from his second daughter. Baliol,
maintained the character of an elegant therefore, claimed as issue of the elder
and hospitable host, and an amiable man branch; Bruce as one degree nearer the
in private life, but capricious in his friend- common stock. If the principle of repships, and haughty and arrogant to stran- resentation were regarded, the former had
gers. His long-expected Travels did not the better claim; if propinquity were conappear until 1796, in four large quarto sidered, the latter was entitled to the prefvolumes, decorated with plates. These erence. The dispute was referred to the
volumes are replete with curious infor- decision of Edward I of England, who
ination concerning a part of the world decided in favor of Baliol; and the new
but little known to Europeans, and con- king took the oath of fealty as vassal of
tain much interesting personal adven- England. The oppressions of the English
ture, and fine description. It is to be induced Baliol and his countrymen to
lamented that the authority of the work, have recourse to arms, and Bruce served
in regard to facts of natural history and in the army of Edward. Scotland was
human manners, is not altogether satis- subjected, her king imprisoned, her defactory; and, the pride of the author not fenders reduced, slain, or made captive,
allowing him to remove objections, it is, when an obscure individual arose to reperhaps, entitled to more credit than it venge her wrongs. William Wallace
has received. Whatever its portion of (q. v.), having succeeded in delivering his
accuracy and merit, the nature of its re- country, was accused by Bruce of aspirception may serve to guard all future ing to the throne, and, in the dreadful
travellers against the indulgence of too battle of Falkirk, B. was in the English
much egotism and personal vanity in their ranks. In the pursuit, Wallace had the
narrations; for, with little direct evidence celebrated interview with him on the
against either his facts or his veracity, banks of the Carron. Hume (ch. 13)
those faults have greatly obscured the relates that the interview was between
fame of B., who, after escaping the most Wallace and the younger Bruce; but the
momentous danger in a long peregrina- Scottish historians Drummond, Lesly,
tion through barbarous countries, lost his Buchanan, &c., give the account as here
life in consequence of an accidental fall stated. Wallace displayed such elevadown stairs. as he was attending the de- tion of sentiment, such disinterestedness
VOL. II. 25