favour till 1596, when, giving offence by his opposition to James's prelatic tendencies, he, with others, was banished from Edinburgh. He was allowed to return after a time, and in May 1598 was admitted to the Little Kirk. At first he refused the imposition of hands, not judging it an essential part of the ordination ceremony, but ultimately he consented to accept it "as a ceremony of entry only." In August 1600 the Gowrie Conspiracy took place, and Bruce being one of those who entertained doubts as to the treason of the Ruthvens, refused to offer up thanks in the manner prescribed for the King's deliverance. As a result (and spite of the efforts of his friends to get the matter settled), Bruce was ordered to quit Edinburgh, and prohibited from preaching anywhere in the kingdom upon pain of death. The last thirty years of his life were spent in various places. From 1605 to 1609 he was confined to Inverness, where he met with much hard treatment from Lord Enzie and others, but where his preaching was much appreciated by his friends. On a vacancy he supplied the charge of Forres for a time, after which, on the solicitation of his son, he received permission to return to his patrimonial estate of Kinnaird, near Stirling, where he repaired at his own expense the church of Larbert, and discharged all the duties of the ministry, officiating sometimes also at Stirling. Occasionally he resided on his other property at Monkland. “Wherever he had an opportunity of preaching, great crowds attended; he preached with remarkable power, and his own life being in full accord with his preaching, the influence lie attained was almost without parallel in the history of the Scottish Church." In 1620 he was again banished to Inverness, where, broken in health and in increasing weakness, he remained till 1624. On King James's death in 1625 the severity against him was much mitigated, and by King Charles's order he was allowed to return to Kinnaird, where he died 27th July 1631. In person he was tall and dignified, with a majestic countenance and venerable appearance in the pulpit. He had a knowledge of the Scriptures beyond most

of his time. Andrew Melville described him as a "hero adorned with every virtue, a constant confessor and almost martyr to the Lord Jesus," whilst Livingstone of Ancrum said: “Mr Robert Bruce I several times heard, and in my opinion never man spoke with greater power since the Apostles' days.'' He marr. 22nd Aug. 1590, Martha (died Nov. 1620), second daugh. of Sir George Douglas of Pittendreich, and had issue-Robert, ancestor of James Bruce, African explorer; Anna, bapt. loth March 1595; Rebecca (marr. Andrew Young, minister: Stirling Sas., iv., 89) ;Margaret, bapt. 9th July 1598; Maria, bapt. 1st Sept. 1599; James; Jean, bapt. 21st Jan. 1601; Mary (marr. 15th Feb. 1618, Michael Elphinstone of Quarrel: Reg. of Deeds, cclxxviii., 295); John, a clergyman of the Church of England; Elizabeth (marr. 26th April 1624, James Campbell, younger, of Moy); Martha (marr. in 1648, James Ramsay, son to Barnbougle). Publications-Sermons upon the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper (Edinburgh, 1590; republished and edited by Prof. John Laidlaw, D.D., Edinburgh, 1901); [see Answer to foregoing by William Reinolde, priest at Antwerp, 1593]; The Way to True Peace and Rest (London, 1617); [which, with another, and Life by Wodrow, were edited by William Cunningham, D.D., and printed for the Wodrow Society, 1843].[Sermons; The Edin. (Bapt.), Counc., and Test. Reg. (Stirl.); Booke of the Kirk; Petrie's, Spottiswood's, Row's, and Calderwood's Hists.; Melvill's Autob.; Scots Mag., lxiv.; Orig. Lett., Maitland's Hist. of Edinburgh, Dict. Nat. Biog., W. Bruce Armstrong's Bruces of Airth, M. E. Cumming Bruce's Family Records of the Bruces, Macnicol's Master Robert Bruce (contains account of recently discovered MS. Sermons of R. B.).]

1610  JOHN HALL, son of Andrew H., burgess of Kirkcudbright; mentioned as min. of Hailes or Colinton in 1579; one of the commissioners for trial of the brethren in Lothian in 1586; trans. to Leith 24th Oct. 1596; adm. min. of the Second Charge, St Giles, 7th Dec. 1598; along with others of the city ministers he declined to believe in the genuineness of