William Dunbar was a Scottish makar, or court poet, active in the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries. He was a cleric who served in the court of King James IV of Scotland, receiving a royal pension for his work. His poetry is known for its wide range of genres, including comic, satirical, religious, and courtly love poems. Dunbar's most famous works include 'The Thrissil and the Rois,' 'The Goldyn Targe,' and the satirical 'Lament for the Makaris.'