A. ‘The Laird o Logie,’ Scott’s Minstrelsy, 1833, III, 128. The same, with the insertion of one stanza from recitation, Motherwell’s Minstrelsy, p. 56.
B. ‘The young Laird of Ochiltrie,’ Herd, The Ancient and Modern Scots Songs, 1769, p. 240; ed. 1776, I, 21. Repeated in Campbell MSS, I, 142.
C. ‘The Laird of Logie,’ a stall-copy printed by M. Randall, Stirling. The same in Motherwell’s MS., p. 504, and in Maidment’s Scotish Ballads and Songs, p. 8, ‘The young Laird of Logie.’
D. ‘Young Logie,’ Harris MS., fol. 16.
E. ‘The Laird o Logie, or, May Margaret,’ Motherwell’s Minstrelsy, p. 56, one stanza.
Francis Stewart, Earl of Bothwell, a madcap cousin of the king, had been guilty of a violent assault upon Holyrood House in December (or September), 1591, and in June, 1592, had “conspired the apprehension of the king’s person” while James was residing at Falkland. In August following he attempted to force himself into the king’s presence to “make his reconciliation.”
“The lairds of Burlie and Logie, delated to [have] had intelligence with the Earl Bothwell, were taken and apprehended by the Duke of Lennox the ninth day of August, 1592, and committed to ward within Dalkeith; where being examined they both confessed the same. Burley gat his life for telling the truth, but Logie, being a great courtier with the king, and dealer with the Earl Bothwell in Bothwell’s enterprise which should [have] been done at Dalkeith, to wit, that they should come in at the back gate through the yard and [have] gotten the king in their hands, the said laird of Logie was ordained to be tried by an assize and executed to the death. But the same night that he was examined, he escaped out by the means of a gentlewoman whom he loved, a Dane, who conveyed him out of his keepers’ hands, through the queen’s chamber, where his Majesty and the queen were lying in their beds, to a window in the backside of the place, where he went down upon a tow [rope], and shot three pistols in token of his onlouping [mounting his horse] where some of his servants, with the laird of Niddry, were awaiting him.” (Moysie’s Memoirs, p. 95.)
Another account may be added, from The Historie of King James the Sext (p. 253 f.):
“It fortuned that a gentleman called Wemyss of Logie, being also in credence at court, was delated as a trafficker with Francis Earl Bothwell; and he, being examined before king and council, confessed his accusation to be of verity; that sundry times he had spoken with him, expressly against the king’s inhibition proclaimed in the contrary; which confession he subscribed with his hand....
“Queen Anne, our noble princess, was served with divers gentlewomen of her own country, and namely with one called Mistress Margaret Twynstoun, to whom this gentleman, Wemyss of Logie, bore great honest affection, tending to the godly band of marriage; the which was honestly requited by the said gentlewoman, yea, even in his greatest mister (need). For how soon she understood the said gentleman to be in distress, and apparently by his confession, to be punisht to the death, and she having privilege to lie in the queen’s chamber that same very night of his accusation, where the king was also reposing that same night, she came forth of the door privily, both the princes being then at quiet rest, and past to the chamber where the said gentleman was put in custody to certain of the guard, and commanded them that immediately he should be brought to the king and queen; whereunto they giving sure credence obeyed. But how soon she was come back to the chamber-door, she desired the watches to stay till he should come forth again; and so she closed the door and conveyed the gentleman to a window, where she ministered a long cord unto him to convey himself down upon, and so, by her good charitable help, he happily escaped, by the subtlety of love.”