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king declared his pleasure. He there obtained license to return to 

 his native country, "to do his lawful business, Edinburgh excepted, 

 and some miles about ; but when he came, he was ordered to keep 

 ward in his own house at Kinnaird. This is the transaction, to 

 which the next paper (No. VII.) relates. January, 15, 1602, the 

 king ordered Bruce to come to Craigmiller, to confer with such as 

 he had appointed. The instructions to these commissioners compose 

 the substance of No. VIII. To their requisitions he replied, that 

 from the pulpit he would speak only according to his own per- 

 suasion; that to make proclamation here and there would be ac- 

 counted fear or flattery, and would do no good. Others would be 

 ^better heralds of his infamy than himself. He would not preach 

 injunctions, and he saw, that they were not anxious for his obedi- 

 ence, but tlie ruin of his character and the disgrace of his ministry. « 



The latter part of his history has no reference to the subject of this 

 memoir ; I shall, therefore, despatch it in a few words. On the 

 king's accession to the English throne, Bruce came to Edinburgh, 

 and had an interview with him by his majesty's desire. On this oc- 

 casion, he behaved with the same freedom and fidelity that he liad 

 ever done ; exhorting him " to take heed to his own heart, not to be 

 deceived by the glance and glory of earthly things, and to employ 

 his whole credit and care for the preservation of his own kingdom." 

 He went to the king again, as he mounted on horsehack, and took 

 his leave, but yet not a word of his reposition. In a letter to the 

 Synod of Lothian, James says, that Mr. R. Bruce and he parted 

 good friends. 



Till the death of James he was subject to continual persecution 

 by the king and his counsel, the bishops and the clergy, and was con- 

 fined for several years in Edinburgh castle and Inverness, or under 

 restraint in his own houses of Kinnaird, Airth and Monkland. As 



