35 
1811. ] , Memoirs of Ldrd Mehille. 
Esk, five miles south from Edinburgh, 
and has been within these few years, re¬ 
built in the gothic style, and the grounds 
laid out with much taste, so as to forma 
handsome family seat 
A more elegant couple than Mr. and 
Mrs. Dunda.s was no where to be seen ; 
and as theirs was, in a great measure, a 
match of love, they enjoyed the utmost 
connubial felicity. At the same time, , 
both being young, gay, and fond of so¬ 
ciety and pleasure, they tasted deeply of 
all the gratifications of luxury and dissi¬ 
pation. Mr. Dundas, it is true, had 
little patrimony, and got no great fortune 
by his lady, but tlie fees arising from his 
practice, the salary, and emoluments of 
his successive otfices of Solicitor General 
and Lord Advocate, and the proceeds of 
the office of Keeper of the Signet, which 
he held first jointly with Mr. Andrews 
Stuart, and afterwards alone, made alto¬ 
gether a handsome income. On the other 
hand his expenditure was great. Besides 
keeping fashionable establishments in 
towm and country, his frequent journeys 
to London, together with pretty consi¬ 
derable private expenses arising from his 
devotion to the fair sex, altogether w'ere 
more than sufficient to exhaust the funds 
of a man, in whom the love or care of 
money was never a predominant passion; 
and not only was the estate of Melville 
mortgaged beyond its utmost value, but 
his personal debts were both large and 
numerous. Still, however, he was able 
to clear his way, and live in elegance. 
His mansion was the resort of the hon- 
Dhants, and being fond of the pleasures 
of the table, and an excellent bottle 
companion. Bacchanalian orgies not un- 
•frequently occurred^ and exposed Mrs* 
Dundas to scenes offensive to female de¬ 
licacy; but-v/hich, custom gradually fa¬ 
miliarises. To, this may perhaps be at¬ 
tributed the unfortunate occurrence which 
put an end to their nuptial happiness^ 
it is certain that Mr. Cockburn was so 
cruel a, husband, as to deny his lady a'par- 
ticipation in such revels ; and it is equally 
certain, that Mrs. Cockburn always main¬ 
tained an irreproachable character. 
In the year 177.8 the eleventh regiment 
■of dragoons happened to be quartered at 
Mussleburgh, a short distance from Mel¬ 
ville Castle, and from Mr. Dundas’s house 
at Edinburgh. In this corps wms Lieu^ 
tenant Falconer, a handsome young fel¬ 
low, and possessing those accomplish¬ 
ments which, particuiarly in military men, 
make so frequently ha,voc in the female 
heart. He devoted his particular atten¬ 
tions to Mrs. Dundas; while her husband 
was absent oiv avocations of business or 
pleasure, and his assiduities were but too 
successful.- The yielding fair-one could 
not withstand his impassioned suit, and 
their amour was conducted wfith so little 
circumspection, as soon to become ge¬ 
nerally known ; and of course not to be 
concealed from her lord. Mr. Dundas 
behaved on the occasion with becoming 
fortitude and generosity, without betray¬ 
ing the mercenary or vindictive disposi¬ 
tion which prompts injured husbands 
to seek a remuneration for the loss of 
their wives’ affection and honour in pecu¬ 
niary damages. It was, however, ne¬ 
cessary that a legal separation should 
take place. 
No objections were made, a divorce 
wms speedily obtained; and, in a few 
days after, a marriage vras celebrated be¬ 
tween the lady and Mr. Falcaner, Mr. 
Dundas behaving on the occasion with 
characteristic liberality; for, besides va¬ 
rious nuptial presents, such as are usually 
bestowed by parents on their daughters, 
he settled on her voluntarily, and with¬ 
out the interposition of any court, an 
annuity of ^.^00, on condition of her 
haidf^hing herself from Scot hind. It is un¬ 
necessary to trace here farther the result 
of this match; but it is proper to men¬ 
tion, with respect to Mr. Dundas, that 
he at all times acted the part of the best 
of fathers towards his children thus be¬ 
reft of their mother, and attended most 
dutifully to their education. The family 
thus left him were Robert, now Viscount 
Melville, who married Miss Saunders, 
grand-daugliter of the late Admiral Sir 
Charles Saunders, by whom begot a very 
large fortune, and three daughters, the 
eldest married first to Mr. Drummond, 
and afterwards to Mr. Strange, both of 
London, bankers; the second, to liis ne¬ 
phew the Right Honourable Lord Chief 
Baron Dundas, and the third, to the 
Honourable George Abercromby, (late 
member for Edinburgh city) eldest son 
of Sir Ralph, and who succeeds to ihe 
title of his mother Baroness Abercromby. 
It has been already mentioned that 
Mr. Dundas first came into parliament 
in opposition to the ministry, but he 
prudently carried his opposition no far¬ 
ther. On the contrary, he became a 
strenuous supporter of Lord North and 
of the American war. Although his 
eloquence wanted that grace and elegant 
suavity of some of his cotemnoraries, 
and although his elocution was disfigured 
by a guttural pronunciation, a strong 
provincial 
