BRUCE, Michael, Scottish poet: b. IGn nesswood, Kinross-shire, 27 March 1746; d. 5 July 1767. His father, though a weaver and poor, was ambitious to see his boy secure an education. He was himself a man of great natural talent, and he gave his personal atten tion to the training of his son. The boy, who was early sent to school, developed a singular liking for literature, poetry and history. How ever his days at school were irregular for the poverty of the made it necessary for him to help in its maintenance. This he did by herding cattle on the hills. This had a strong influence on his poetry which is distin guished for tenderness, pathos and a love of nature. Bruce received an education superior to his position in life and, at the age of 15, he was sent to Edinburgh University which he attended from 1762 to 1765. The following year he became a divinity student, but, through lack of means to continue his studies, was forced to become a teacher, an occupation un suitable to his genius and temperament. Broken
in health and disheartened he died of consump tion; and it was not until three years after his death that a collection of his poems was published by John Logan, a clergyman, and fellow student of Bruce. Logan is accused of publishing as his own work various of the poems of Bruce, notably, the