Page:Imperial Dictionary of Universal Biography Volume 1.pdf/831

BRU instituted a school of military engineering, and in 1721 was nominated one of the commissioners to negotiate the peace of Nystadt.  BRUCE,, a Scottish philosopher, was born in 1744, and died in 1826. He for some time held the office of professor of moral philosophy in the university of Edinburgh, and was afterwards member of parliament for the borough of Ilchester. He was the author of "First Principles of Philosophy;" "Elements of the Science of Ethics;" and of several works on the history and government of British India.—J. T.  BRUCE,, a Scotch poet, whose short and painful career has added much interest to his productions. He was born in 1746, of poor parents, in Kinneswood, Kinross-shire, and received a scanty education at the parish school. For six successive summers he herded cattle on the hills overlooking his native village, and his poem of "Lochleven" is made up of his reminiscences of this period of his life, and ought to be regarded by the reader as the impressions of the shepherd boy, clothed in the language of the student and the scholar. It was his father's wish to educate him for the ministry, but he despaired of being able to raise the funds requisite for so expensive an undertaking. But the son set all difficulties at defiance, and entered upon the course without knowing how the next step in it should be taken. Having acquired some knowledge of Latin at the parish school, he set out for Edinburgh university, where he was enabled to complete a course of arts, supported by a small sum of money left by a relative, and by what his father could spare from his slender income. Insufficient diet and too hard study, however, greatly impaired his health. In 1766 he was admitted a student of the theological seminary of the Secession church, and at the end of the session was appointed to a school at Forrest Mill. Soon after symptoms of pulmonary consumption began to show themselves, and became every day more marked. After composing his poem of "Lochleven," he was compelled to relinquish his school and seek repose at home. Shortly after he composed his "Ode to Spring," which, for touching allusions and exquisite pathos, is unsurpassed in the English language. He expired on 5th July, 1767.

Some time after Bruce's death, one of his college friends, Mr. John Logan, published a volume of his friend's poems, omitting several of his pieces, and inserting others which belonged to neither the editor nor the poet, under the plea of furnishing an attractive miscellany, the profits of which would go to Bruce's aged and then widowed mother. This seemed generous enough, but the person for whose benefit the publication was proposed never derived any advantage from it, while the editor subsequently claimed and published the best of the pieces as his own. Among these was the celebrated "Ode to the Cuckoo," and some hymns, which latter have since obtained a place among the paraphrases sung in the Scotch churches. Logan was allowed to retain the reputation thus acquired till within these few years, when the Rev. Dr. Mackelvie of Balgedie published a new edition of Bruce's works, accompanied with a memoir, in which he establishes, on what seems to us unquestionable evidence, the claims of Bruce to the authorship of the "Ode" and the hymns.—W. M'K.  BRUCE,, one of the most influential Scottish clergymen of the seventeenth century, was born about the year 1554. He was the second son of Sir Alexander Bruce of Airth, by Janet, daughter of Alexander, fifth Lord Livingston. It was intended by his father that he should follow the profession of the law, and with this view he was sent to study at Paris, and afterwards at Edinburgh. On completing his education he began to practise before the court of session. But he soon removed to St. Andrews, and commenced the study of theology under the famous Andrew Melville. In 1587 he was invited to succeed Mr. Laurie, the successor of Knox, in the church of Edinburgh. The reputation of Bruce for ability and learning advanced so rapidly, that he was soon regarded as one of the most influential leaders of the church. King James both respected and feared him, and in 1589, when he sailed for Denmark to bring home his queen, he appointed Bruce a member of the privy council, and gave him special charge to preserve order among the people during the absence of the sovereign. James, however, did not long remain on good terms with his powerful subject. His temporizing policy regarding the Roman catholic nobles, and his various infringements of the rights of the church, led to frequent and angry disputes; and the doubts which Bruce expressed respecting the Gowrie conspiracy, brought matters to a crisis. He was at last induced to express his belief of the guilt of Gowrie and his brother, but he peremptorily refused to preach upon it in the manner prescribed by the king, declaring that his conscience would not allow him to submit to human dictation respecting what he should preach. The king was so incensed at this refusal, that he deprived Bruce of his benefice, and banished him to France. In the following year he was permitted to return to Scotland, but the enmity of the king was by no means abated; and in 1605 Bruce was formally deposed and banished to Inverness, where he remained for eight years. In 1613 he was permitted to return to his seat at Kinnaird, on condition that he would confine himself to the place; but in 1621 he was committed to Edinburgh castle for some months, and then banished again to Inverness. On the death of King James in 1625, Bruce obtained permission to reside at his own house. He repaired the parish church of Larbert, which the bishop had left in ruins and without a minister, and preached there every sabbath-day to a numerous and deeply-interested audience. One of his converts was the famous Alexander Henderson, the restorer of presbytery in Scotland.

Robert Bruce died on the 13th of August, 1631, worn out with his labours and the infirmities of age. He was undoubtedly one of the most remarkable men that the church of Scotland has produced; and in indomitable courage, independence, and spotless integrity, was a worthy successor of Knox and Melville. In person he was tall and dignified, and of a majestic countenance—qualities which seem to have been hereditary in his family. He was the ancestor of Bruce, the Abyssinian traveller, in whom much both of his person and character seems to have revived.—J. T.  * BRUCH, ___, an eminent German botanist of the present day, has devoted special attention to cryptogamic botany, and has published, at Stuttgart, along with Schimper, a very valuable illustrated work, entitled "Bryologia Europæa; or Descriptions of the Genera of European Mosses." It is the most important work on this subject at the present day, and is a standard book of reference.—J. H. B.  * BRUCK,, baron von, an eminent Austrian statesman, famous as the founder and chief director of the Austrian Lloyds, was born in 1798 in the duchy of Berg. At Trieste, where he married the daughter of a wealthy merchant, he earned his first honours as an expert financier, in the position of secretary to a maritime assurance company, the failure of which led to a combination of all the assurance companies of the place, which was at first called the Trieste Lloyds, but is now universally known as the Austrian Lloyds. The success of this important association has been mainly, if not entirely, owing to the activity, enterprise, and financial skill of Bruck, who continued to manage its affairs till 1848. In that year he was deputed by his fellow-citizens to the national assembly at Frankfort, and was on his way to that city when he received from the imperial government of Vienna the appointment of plenipotentiary to the lieutenant of the Germanic empire. After the revolution of October, 1848, he was named minister of trade, a position in which his talents were exercised to the inestimable advantage of the commerce of the empire. In 1851 he resigned his portfolio; but in the following year was recalled to the imperial service, and in 1853 appointed to the dignified and momentous post of internuncio at Constantinople. In this position he exerted himself strenuously to avert the rupture between Russia and the Porte. In 1855 he became minister of finance.—J. S., G.  BRÜCK,, a modern Jewish writer, in German, on the religious ceremonies of the Jews. His "Pharisäische Volks sitten und Ritualien" (Popular usages and ritual observances of the Pharisees), and his "Rabinische Ceremonialgebräuche" (Rabbinical ceremonials), give evidence of extensive rabbinical reading, but occasionally, too, of a spirit of levity not in character with the subject.—T. T.  BRUCKER,, the celebrated historian of philosophy, was born at Augsburg in 1696. His father was a wealthy burgher of the city, and he enjoyed from the first the advantages of a good education. On leaving school he proceeded to the university of Jena, where he studied for the Lutheran church; and having finished his college course, became in 1724 rector of Kaufbeueren. At Jena he distinguished himself as a scholar, and before leaving the university, had already planned the great work to which his life was devoted. He may be said, indeed, to have actually commenced it before his college course <section end="831Zcontin" />