Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 27.djvu/237

Home was the initial step in the establishment of episcopacy in Scotland. The next steps were taken at the Red Parliament, held at Perth in the following July. Dunbar had direction of its arrangements, and succeeded in passing the two important ecclesiastical acts `anent the king's majesty's prerogative' and 'anent the restitution of the estate of bishops.' At the same parliament an act was passed ratifying, in favour of Dunbar, his possession of the earldom of Dunbar and other lands. It was partly through the permission of Dunbar, with whom James Melville had a consultation, that the eight presbyterian ministers summoned to the ecclesiastical conference at Hampton Court agreed to attend it. Dunbar treated them in London with great kindness, sending them five hundred marks apiece for their expenses, and using every other means to induce them to alter their attitude towards episcopacy. He, however, declined to grant them a private conference with himself (ib. vi. 589). Dunbar was present at the ecclesiastical convention held at Linlithgow in December 1606, and in his majesty's name thanked the convention for their attendance and for their deliberations. To `facilitate the business intended' Dunbar is stated to have distributed forty thousand marks 'amonst the most needy and clamorous of the ministry' (, Annals, ii. 18). Remaining in Edinburgh over Christmas, he somewhat scandalised `the godly' by the `great solemnity' with which he kept the day (, vi. 630).

On 4 March 1606 the council of Scotland wrote letters to the king and the council of England recommending that Dunbar should be appointed single commissioner of the borders for both kingdoms (Reg. P. C. Scotl. vii. 486). The recommendation was acted on, and at two justiciary courts held in September he `condemned and caused hang above 140 of the nimblest and most powerful thieves in all the borders'(, Annals, ii. 17). On 19 Dec. the council of Scotland were required to direct the principal border towns in Scotland to aid him in his duties as commissioner (Reg. P. C. Scotl, vii. 505). On 20 May 1608 he was installed a knight of the Garter at Windsor (, Annals, ii. 25). In the end of June of this year he came to Scotland as commissioner to the assembly of the kirk, to be held at the end of the following July at Linlithgow. He was accompanied by certain English divines, who were to assist him in his endeavours to remove objections against episcopacy, and, according to current rumour, was entrusted with a large sum of money to be distributed as bribes. The policy which he meanwhile adopted was to avoid disputes regarding the merits of the rival policies. This he cleverly accomplished by directing the chief attraction of the assembly towards methods for checking the spread of popery.

Dunbar played a part of doubtful honesty in two important political trials. In August 1608 he specially exerted himself to obtain from George Sprott a confession of his connection with the Gowrie conspiracy. On this confession George Sprott was executed, and Dunbar's conspicuous presence at the execution caused much adverse comment, `it being surmised,' according to Carderwood, `that it was only to give a sign when his speech should be interrupted, and when he should be cast over the ladder' (Hist. vi. 780). Dunbar occupied an equally equivocal position in relation to the proceedings against Lord Balmerino [see, first ]. As Balmerino's confession before the English privy council could not be produced as evidence against him in Scottish court, Dunbar undertook to induce him to plead guilty. This he accomplished by promising that Balmerino should not suffer in life or estate. Probably he was authorised by the king to make the promise, and did so in good faith. But Balmerino, who was led to expect that confession would fully condone his offence, was, after being sentenced to death as a traitor, ordered to confine himself to his own house, and full liberty was denied him till his death.

On 24 April 1609 Dunbar caused some scandal among the presbyterians by making at Berwick a solemn feast with great pomp and ceremony on the 'Lord's day' in honour of St. George, the patron saint of England (, vii, 18). On the occasion he was also ' served as one of the knights of the Garter by lords, knights, barons, and gentlemen of good ranks'(ib.) On the 4th of the following May, as one of the king's commissioners, he attended an ecclesiastical conference at Falkland, held to consider the external government and discipline of the kirk. About the end of July he held a justice court at Dumfries for the trial of border thieves, several of whom were executed.

His appointment as sole commissioner for the borders had been thoroughly successful, the joint authority in Scotland and England being the first effectual means of quelling the old feuds and rooting out the old habits of plunder. Dunbar was also, on 6 Feb. 1609, appointed one of the commissioners of the isles (Reg. P. C. Scotl. viii. 748), and was chosen a new member of the new Scottish privy council of thirty-five members, reconstituted on 13 Feb. of the following year (ib. p. 815).