for thirty-two years, was not long survived by him to whom, under God, this successful result was chiefly due. Robert, whose constitution had been broken by the fatigues and hardships of his early struggle, began to droop soon after; he saw the independence of his country established on a permanent basis, and was attacked by a "heavy malady," which, in these days, was termed a leprosy. He spent the last two years of his life at Cardross, near Dumbarton; and when his health permitted he appears to have been much occupied in shipbuilding and gardening, in enlarging his rural palace, and especially in sailing on the beautiful estuary of the Clyde. He died at Cardross on the 7th of June, 1329, in the fifty-fifth year of his age. His body was buried in the abbey church of Dunfermline before the high altar. His heart was taken out and embalmed, and delivered to Sir James Douglas, who, in obedience to the dying commands of the king, proceeded to carry it to Jerusalem for the purpose of interring it in the church of the Holy Sepulchre. Douglas, however, was killed at Sevillé on his journey in an engagement with the Moors—(see Douglas, Sir James)—and his companions brought back the heart of Bruce, which was finally buried in Melrose abbey. At the time of his death all classes, says the venerable Barbour, made "great lamentation over his untimely decease, and strong-bearded men wept full sore," regretting his worthy bounty, his wit, his strength, his bravery, and above all his kindness and courtesy—
" And ages after he was laid in earth.
'The Good King Robert' was the name he bore."
—(Barbour's Bruce; Fordun; Rymer's Fœdera; M. Malmesbury.)—J. T.
Bruce, Edward, second son of Robert, earl of Carrick, and brother of King Robert Bruce, was distinguished for his indomitable courage, which, however, often degenerated into recklessness; but was deficient in the judgment and prudence necessary to constitute a great commander. His thoughtless impetuosity repeatedly exposed himself and his brother to imminent danger, and he at last lost his life in an engagement with an enemy of vastly superior numbers, whom he insisted on fighting, in opposition to the earnest advice of his principal officers, 5th October, 1318. He was killed by John Maupas, who was himself found lying dead upon the body of his enemy. Notwithstanding the generous conduct of King Robert at the battle of Bannockburn, the English, to their great disgrace, treated the dead body of Edward Bruce with revolting indignity. It was quartered, and exposed in four different places in Ireland as a public spectacle, and the head was carried over by the English general as an acceptable present to King Edward.—(Barbour's Bruce.)—J. T.
Bruce, David, only son of King Robert Bruce, ascended the throne in 1329, when he was little more than five years of age. His reign began amid circumstances highly auspicious, but in no long time the kingdom began to suffer both from intestine treason and foreign aggression. The celebrated Randolph, earl of Moray, the regent, died at this juncture—20th July, 1332—there is reason to believe of poison, administered by the English faction; and his successor, Donald, earl of Mar, nephew to King Robert Bruce, appears to have been utterly unfitted for a situation so arduous and important. This unfortunate appointment had scarcely been made when the kingdom was invaded by Edward Baliol, the son of the dethroned king, assisted by several powerful English nobles, who laid claim to certain estates in Scotland on the ground of lineal succession. The total overthrow of the Scottish army at Dupplin, through the incompetency of the regent—the coronation of Baliol at Scone (see Baliol, Edward)—the invasion of Scotland by Edward III., who now threw off the mask which he had at first worn—the defeat of the Scots with great slaughter at Halidonhill, and the almost entire submission of the kingdom to the English monarch followed in rapid succession, and it was found necessary, in order to provide for the safety of the young king and his consort, to send them to France, where they were kindly received by Philip VI. The repeated invasions of the English, combined with factious dissensions among the nobles, had reduced the country to great extremity, when, fortunately for the cause of Scottish freedom, Edward laid claim to the crown of France, and declared war against that country, 7th October, 1337. This step proved the salvation of Scotland. In 1341 David, then in his eighteenth year, was recalled from France, and enthusiastically welcomed by all classes of his subjects. Great expectations had been formed of him; but his headstrong temper, violent passions, and immoderate fondness for pleasure, the result probably of his education at the court of France, rendered him quite unfit for the government of a country like Scotland, and speedily alienated the affections of his people.
The war with England was still carried on with savage ferocity; large tracts of country were left uncultivated, and a terrible famine in consequence broke out, and continued for several years. Pestilence, the natural consequence of famine, followed, and swept away many thousands of the enfeebled inhabitants. A two years' truce was at length concluded, which was to terminate at Martinmas, 1346. It was broken by the Scots, at the instigation of the French king, and David invaded England at the head of a powerful army, plundering and devastating the whole country. Marching through the bishopric of Durham, he encamped at a place called Beaurepair, near the city of Durham, where, on the 17th of October, he was unexpectedly attacked by a formidable army under Percy, Neville, and other northern barons. After an obstinate struggle the Scots were completely routed, with the loss of fifteen thousand men, and the king himself was taken prisoner, along with upwards of fifty barons and knights. This calamitous defeat brought the nation to the very brink of ruin. The High-Steward, however, who was now appointed guardian of the kingdom, exerted himself to maintain the national independence with a courage and prudence worthy of his illustrious descent; and Edward finding the conquest of Scotland as remote as ever, was obliged to conclude a trace with the regent, which was renewed from time to time for six years. Meanwhile negotiations for the liberation of the captive king were repeatedly begun and broken off; but at length they were, in 1357, brought to a successful termination. The ransom finally agreed on was a hundred thousand pounds, equivalent to twelve hundred thousand pounds sterling of modern money. The payment of this enormous sum continued for many years to be an oppressive burden on the resources of the exhausted country, and repeatedly brought it to the brink of insolvency. The last instalment was not paid till the seventh year of Richard II.
David now returned to his kingdom, after a captivity of eleven years, and was enthusiastically welcomed by his subjects. It soon appeared, however, that his character had not been improved by his long residence in England, and his headstrong and selfish behaviour, particularly in attempting to set aside the right of the Steward to the Scottish crown, in favour of Lionel, third son of the English king, completely alienated the affections of his people. Some time after 1363, Joanna, David's consort, died at Hertford castle in England, and the headstrong and imprudent monarch speedily contracted a marriage with Margaret Logie, a young woman of remarkable beauty but inferior birth, a step which gave great offence to his proud nobles, and seems to have caused an open rupture between David and the Steward. Margaret enjoyed her honours, however, only till 1369, when she was divorced by the fickle king. David seems never to have relinquished his base design to barter the independence of his kingdom for paltry and personal advantages; but, in the midst of his nefarious intrigues for this purpose, he was seized with a mortal illness, and died in the castle of Edinburgh, 22nd February, 1370, in the forty-seventh year of his age. This worthless prince presented a marked contrast to his father in everything, except in personal courage, and in his courteous and affable manners. It is a melancholy consideration, it has been justly said, that the death of the only son of Robert Bruce, must have been regarded by his subjects as a national deliverance.—(Wyntown's Chronicle; Fordun; Rymer's Fœdera; Hailes' Annals.)—J. T.
BRUCE, Rev. Archibald, professor of theology to the General Associate Synod, was born near Bannockburn, towards the middle of the last century. He studied at the university of Glasgow, and was ordained at Whitburn in 1769. His principal publications were—"Free Thoughts on the Toleration of Popery;" "A Dissertation on the Supremacy of the Civil Powers in matters of Religion;" "A Translation of Pictet's Discourses, with Memoir of his Life and Writings;" "A Critical Account of Morus, with a Translation of some of his Discourses." Mr. Bruce died suddenly in 1816.—W. B.
BRUCE, James, a celebrated traveller, was born at Kinnaird, in the county of Stirling, December 14, 1730. He was descended on the female side from that noble Norman family of Bruce which in the fourteenth century produced the restorer of Scot-
