"What news, what news, my gude auld man? 25 What news, what news, hae ye to me?" "Nae news, nae news," said the auld man, "The morn's our queen's wedding day." "Will ye lend me your begging weed, And I'll lend you my riding steed?" 30 "My begging weed will ill suit thee, And your riding steed will ill suit me." But part be right, and part be wrang, Frae the beggar man the cloak he wan; "Auld man, come tell to me your leed, 35 What news ye gie when ye beg your bread." "As ye walk up unto the hill, Your pike staff ye lend ye till; But whan ye come near by the yett, Straight to them ye will upstep. 40 "Take nane frae Peter, nor frae Paul, Nane frae high or low o' them all; And frae them all ye will take nane, Until it comes frae the bride's ain hand." He took nane frae Peter, nor frae Paul, 45 Nane frae the high nor low o' them all; And frae them all he would take nane, Until it came frae the bride's ain hand. The bride came tripping down the stair, The combs o' red gowd in her hair; 50 A cup o' red wine in her hand, And that she gae to the beggar man. Out o' the cup he drank the wine, And into the cup he dropt the ring; "O got ye't by sea, or got ye't by land, 55 Or got ye't on a drown'd man's hand?" "I got it not by sea, nor got it by land, Nor got I it on a drown'd man's hand; But I got it at my wooing gay, And I'll gie't you on your wedding day." 60 "I'll take the red gowd frae my head, And follow you, and beg my bread; I'll take the red gowd frae my hair, And follow you for evermair." Atween the kitchen and the ha', 65 He loot his cloutie cloak down fa'; And wi' red gowd shone ower them a', And frae the bridegroom the bride he sta'. KATHARINE JANFARIE. A story similar to this occurs in various forms both in Scotland and the Scandinavian kingdoms. Scott inserted the ballad in his first edition under the title of _The Laird of Laminton_; the present copy is an improved one obtained by him from several recitations. (_Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border_, iii. 122.) Other versions are Motherwell's, printed with this, Maidment's, in his _North Countrie Garland_, p. 34, (_Catharine Jaffery_), and Buchan's, in his _Gleanings_, p. 74, (_Loch-in-var._) _Sweet William_, in Motherwell's collection, (see Appendix,) is still another variety. Jamieson has translated a Danish ballad which, though not cognate with these, exhibits nearly the same incidents, and we have inserted it in the Appendix. It need hardly be remarked that the spirited ballad of _Lochinvar_ in _Marmion_ is founded on this ancient legend.