Family records of the Bruces and the Cumyns

JAMES BRUCE OF KINNAIRD. 373
Leghorn and Florence, expecting despatches from home ; but finding none,
returned, after three months' residence at Florence, to Rome, at both places
employing himself in studying architecture and art generally under the best
masters. At Rome he had his portrait painted and sent home, and also a
miniature, both of which are now at Kinnaird.* They were destined for a young
lady to whom he was engaged to be married on his return ; but that return
was so long delayed, and it was so confidently asserted that he had died in the
course of his travels, that the young lady, whose health was failing, was taken
by her brother to Italy and there married to an Italian marchese. But this
happened some years after the date of the portrait, which he writes was begun
at Rome on his birthday in August 1762.
Another year passed away without bringing any orders to sail for Algiers, or
of taking any steps towards the business at Malta.
In January 1763 he was instructed to await further commands at Naples,
which he was the more willing to do that he had a great desire to visit Paastum.
These magnificent ruins had first been brought into notice in 1746 by Baron
Antonini, but no correct plans or elevations of them had yet been made. At
Florence he had accidentally met with some drawings by a Spanish officer,
which he bought, and showing them to Sir James Gray, the British ambassador
at Naples, proposed to him, who was well calculated for the undertaking, to
publish 'a small work on Presto, in which coins should contribute to illustrate
its history. This Sir James declined to undertake, but advised Mr Bruce to
visit the ruins, to verify or correct the drawings in his possession. With this
view he left Naples for Paesto, and took plans and elevations of the principal
ruins, which he found to consist of three temples of the Doric order, which
are still amongst his collection of drawings. He also traced the walls of the
city, which are about three miles in circumference, and the ruins of an amphi-
theatre, an aqueduct, and some baths. Returning to Rome and Florence,
he engaged a painter (Signor Zocchi) to compose a frontispiece for his
intended work, and intrusted the drawings to Mr Strange, then in Italy, to
be engraved.
In the month of February despatches arrived from England, informing him
that the differences with the Grandmaster of Malta had been arranged, and
that a British ship had received orders to stand in for the Italian coast to carry
Mr Bruce to Algiers. Sailing from Leghorn, he arrived at Algiers on the 20th
of March 1763, and immediately entered upon his official duties. These
duties after a time were rendered exceedingly onerous by a quantity of
printed passports designed for British ships having at the taking of Minorca by
* By Pompeo Battone. .
3 B