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A Bundle of Ballads
A Bundle of Ballads

Chapter XII · Chapter 12

Chapter 12 of A Bundle of Ballads is here in full — 119 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/23 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
But whan he see this lady saif, And her gat-es all locked fast, He fell into a rage of wrath, And his look was all aghast.
"Come down to me, ye lady gay, Come down, come down to me!
This night sall ye lig within mine arms To-morrow my bride sall be."-- "I winna come down, ye false Gord-on, I winna come down to thee; I winna forsake my ain dear lord, That is sae far frae me."-- "Give o'er your house, ye lady fair, Give o'er your house to me, Or I sall bren yoursel therein, Bot and your babies three."--
"I winna give o'er, ye false Gord-on To nae sic traitor as ye; And if ye bren my ain dear babes, My lord sall make you dree.
"But reach my pistol, Glaud, my man, And charge ye weel my gun: For, but an I pierce that bluidy butcher My babes we been undone."
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

A Bundle of Ballads

Chapter XII · Chapter 12

Chapter 12 of A Bundle of Ballads is here in full — 119 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/23 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
But whan he see this lady saif, And her gat-es all locked fast, He fell into a rage of wrath, And his look was all aghast.
Line 2
"Come down to me, ye lady gay, Come down, come down to me!
/kʌm daʊn tuː miː jiː ˈleɪdi ɡeɪ kʌm daʊn kʌm daʊn tuː miː/
Line 3
This night sall ye lig within mine arms To-morrow my bride sall be."-- "I winna come down, ye false Gord-on, I winna come down to thee; I winna forsake my ain dear lord, That is sae far frae me."-- "Give o'er your house, ye lady fair, Give o'er your house to me, Or I sall bren yoursel therein, Bot and your babies three."--
Line 4
"I winna give o'er, ye false Gord-on To nae sic traitor as ye; And if ye bren my ain dear babes, My lord sall make you dree.
Line 5
"But reach my pistol, Glaud, my man, And charge ye weel my gun: For, but an I pierce that bluidy butcher My babes we been undone."

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.

aghast adjective US /əˈɡæst/

struck with fear, dread, or consternation

From this reading “But whan he see this lady saif, And her gat-es all locked fast, He fell into a rage of wrath, And his look was all aghast.”

babes noun US /beɪbz/

plural of “babe” — a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk

From this reading “"I winna give o'er, ye false Gord-on To nae sic traitor as ye; And if ye bren my ain dear babes, My lord sall make you dree.”

bren noun US /bren/

a submachine gun operated by gas pressure; used by the British in World War II

From this reading “This night sall ye lig within mine arms To-morrow my bride sall be."-- "I winna come down, ye false Gord-on, I winna come down to thee; I winna forsake my ain dear lord, That is sae far frae me."-- "Give o'er your house, ye lady fair, Give o'er your house to me, Or I sall bren yoursel therein, Bot and your babies three."--”

butcher verb US /ˈbʊtʃər/

kill (animals) usually for food consumption

From this reading “"But reach my pistol, Glaud, my man, And charge ye weel my gun: For, but an I pierce that bluidy butcher My babes we been undone."”

forsake verb US /fɔːrˈseɪk/

leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch

From this reading “This night sall ye lig within mine arms To-morrow my bride sall be."-- "I winna come down, ye false Gord-on, I winna come down to thee; I winna forsake my ain dear lord, That is sae far frae me."-- "Give o'er your house, ye lady fair, Give o'er your house to me, Or I sall bren yoursel therein, Bot and your babies three."--”

pierce verb US /pɪrs/

cut or make a way through

From this reading “"But reach my pistol, Glaud, my man, And charge ye weel my gun: For, but an I pierce that bluidy butcher My babes we been undone."”

sic adverb US /sɪk/

intentionally so written (used after a printed word or phrase)

From this reading “"I winna give o'er, ye false Gord-on To nae sic traitor as ye; And if ye bren my ain dear babes, My lord sall make you dree.”

undone adjective US /ənˈdʌn/

not done

From this reading “"But reach my pistol, Glaud, my man, And charge ye weel my gun: For, but an I pierce that bluidy butcher My babes we been undone."”

All words in this reading · 89

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading But whan he see this lady saif, And her gat-es all locked fast, He fell into a rage of wrath, And his look was all aghast.

aghastadjectiveUS /əˈɡæst/

struck with fear, dread, or consternation

From this reading But whan he see this lady saif, And her gat-es all locked fast, He fell into a rage of wrath, And his look was all aghast.

ainadjective

belonging to or on behalf of a specified person (especially yourself); preceded by a possessive

From this reading This night sall ye lig within mine arms To-morrow my bride sall be."-- "I winna come down, ye false Gord-on, I winna come down to thee; I winna forsake my ain dear lord, That is sae far frae me."-- "Give o'er your house, ye lady fair, Give o'er your house to me, Or I sall bren yoursel therein, Bot and your babies three."--

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading But whan he see this lady saif, And her gat-es all locked fast, He fell into a rage of wrath, And his look was all aghast.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading "But reach my pistol, Glaud, my man, And charge ye weel my gun: For, but an I pierce that bluidy butcher My babes we been undone."

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading But whan he see this lady saif, And her gat-es all locked fast, He fell into a rage of wrath, And his look was all aghast.

armsnounUS /ɑːrmz/

weapons considered collectively

From this reading This night sall ye lig within mine arms To-morrow my bride sall be."-- "I winna come down, ye false Gord-on, I winna come down to thee; I winna forsake my ain dear lord, That is sae far frae me."-- "Give o'er your house, ye lady fair, Give o'er your house to me, Or I sall bren yoursel therein, Bot and your babies three."--

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading "I winna give o'er, ye false Gord-on To nae sic traitor as ye; And if ye bren my ain dear babes, My lord sall make you dree.

babesnounUS /beɪbz/

plural of “babe” — a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk

From this reading "I winna give o'er, ye false Gord-on To nae sic traitor as ye; And if ye bren my ain dear babes, My lord sall make you dree.

babiesnounUS /ˈbeɪbiz/

plural of “baby” — a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk

From this reading This night sall ye lig within mine arms To-morrow my bride sall be."-- "I winna come down, ye false Gord-on, I winna come down to thee; I winna forsake my ain dear lord, That is sae far frae me."-- "Give o'er your house, ye lady fair, Give o'er your house to me, Or I sall bren yoursel therein, Bot and your babies three."--

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading This night sall ye lig within mine arms To-morrow my bride sall be."-- "I winna come down, ye false Gord-on, I winna come down to thee; I winna forsake my ain dear lord, That is sae far frae me."-- "Give o'er your house, ye lady fair, Give o'er your house to me, Or I sall bren yoursel therein, Bot and your babies three."--

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading "But reach my pistol, Glaud, my man, And charge ye weel my gun: For, but an I pierce that bluidy butcher My babes we been undone."

bluidy

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "But reach my pistol, Glaud, my man, And charge ye weel my gun: For, but an I pierce that bluidy butcher My babes we been undone."

BotnounUS /bɔːt/

botfly larva; typically develops inside the body of a horse or sheep or human

From this reading This night sall ye lig within mine arms To-morrow my bride sall be."-- "I winna come down, ye false Gord-on, I winna come down to thee; I winna forsake my ain dear lord, That is sae far frae me."-- "Give o'er your house, ye lady fair, Give o'er your house to me, Or I sall bren yoursel therein, Bot and your babies three."--

brennounUS /bren/

a submachine gun operated by gas pressure; used by the British in World War II

From this reading This night sall ye lig within mine arms To-morrow my bride sall be."-- "I winna come down, ye false Gord-on, I winna come down to thee; I winna forsake my ain dear lord, That is sae far frae me."-- "Give o'er your house, ye lady fair, Give o'er your house to me, Or I sall bren yoursel therein, Bot and your babies three."--

bridenounUS /braɪd/

a woman who has recently been married

From this reading This night sall ye lig within mine arms To-morrow my bride sall be."-- "I winna come down, ye false Gord-on, I winna come down to thee; I winna forsake my ain dear lord, That is sae far frae me."-- "Give o'er your house, ye lady fair, Give o'er your house to me, Or I sall bren yoursel therein, Bot and your babies three."--

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But whan he see this lady saif, And her gat-es all locked fast, He fell into a rage of wrath, And his look was all aghast.

butcherverbUS /ˈbʊtʃər/

kill (animals) usually for food consumption

From this reading "But reach my pistol, Glaud, my man, And charge ye weel my gun: For, but an I pierce that bluidy butcher My babes we been undone."

chargeverbUS /tʃɑːrdʒ/

to make a rush at or sudden attack upon, as in battle

From this reading "But reach my pistol, Glaud, my man, And charge ye weel my gun: For, but an I pierce that bluidy butcher My babes we been undone."

ComeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading "Come down to me, ye lady gay, Come down, come down to me!

dearadjectiveUS /dɪr/

dearly loved

From this reading This night sall ye lig within mine arms To-morrow my bride sall be."-- "I winna come down, ye false Gord-on, I winna come down to thee; I winna forsake my ain dear lord, That is sae far frae me."-- "Give o'er your house, ye lady fair, Give o'er your house to me, Or I sall bren yoursel therein, Bot and your babies three."--

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading "Come down to me, ye lady gay, Come down, come down to me!

dree

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "I winna give o'er, ye false Gord-on To nae sic traitor as ye; And if ye bren my ain dear babes, My lord sall make you dree.

fairadjectiveUS /fer/

free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules

From this reading This night sall ye lig within mine arms To-morrow my bride sall be."-- "I winna come down, ye false Gord-on, I winna come down to thee; I winna forsake my ain dear lord, That is sae far frae me."-- "Give o'er your house, ye lady fair, Give o'er your house to me, Or I sall bren yoursel therein, Bot and your babies three."--

falseadjectiveUS /fɔːls/

not in accordance with the fact or reality or actuality

From this reading This night sall ye lig within mine arms To-morrow my bride sall be."-- "I winna come down, ye false Gord-on, I winna come down to thee; I winna forsake my ain dear lord, That is sae far frae me."-- "Give o'er your house, ye lady fair, Give o'er your house to me, Or I sall bren yoursel therein, Bot and your babies three."--

faradverbUS /fɑːr/

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading This night sall ye lig within mine arms To-morrow my bride sall be."-- "I winna come down, ye false Gord-on, I winna come down to thee; I winna forsake my ain dear lord, That is sae far frae me."-- "Give o'er your house, ye lady fair, Give o'er your house to me, Or I sall bren yoursel therein, Bot and your babies three."--

fastadverbUS /fæst/

quickly or rapidly (often used as a combining form)

From this reading But whan he see this lady saif, And her gat-es all locked fast, He fell into a rage of wrath, And his look was all aghast.

fellverbUS /fel/

cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow

From this reading But whan he see this lady saif, And her gat-es all locked fast, He fell into a rage of wrath, And his look was all aghast.

ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading "But reach my pistol, Glaud, my man, And charge ye weel my gun: For, but an I pierce that bluidy butcher My babes we been undone."

forsakeverbUS /fɔːrˈseɪk/

leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch

From this reading This night sall ye lig within mine arms To-morrow my bride sall be."-- "I winna come down, ye false Gord-on, I winna come down to thee; I winna forsake my ain dear lord, That is sae far frae me."-- "Give o'er your house, ye lady fair, Give o'er your house to me, Or I sall bren yoursel therein, Bot and your babies three."--

frae

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading This night sall ye lig within mine arms To-morrow my bride sall be."-- "I winna come down, ye false Gord-on, I winna come down to thee; I winna forsake my ain dear lord, That is sae far frae me."-- "Give o'er your house, ye lady fair, Give o'er your house to me, Or I sall bren yoursel therein, Bot and your babies three."--

gat-es

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading But whan he see this lady saif, And her gat-es all locked fast, He fell into a rage of wrath, And his look was all aghast.

gayadjectiveUS /ɡeɪ/

bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer

From this reading "Come down to me, ye lady gay, Come down, come down to me!

GiveverbUS /ɡɪv/

cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading This night sall ye lig within mine arms To-morrow my bride sall be."-- "I winna come down, ye false Gord-on, I winna come down to thee; I winna forsake my ain dear lord, That is sae far frae me."-- "Give o'er your house, ye lady fair, Give o'er your house to me, Or I sall bren yoursel therein, Bot and your babies three."--

Glaud

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "But reach my pistol, Glaud, my man, And charge ye weel my gun: For, but an I pierce that bluidy butcher My babes we been undone."

Gord-on

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading This night sall ye lig within mine arms To-morrow my bride sall be."-- "I winna come down, ye false Gord-on, I winna come down to thee; I winna forsake my ain dear lord, That is sae far frae me."-- "Give o'er your house, ye lady fair, Give o'er your house to me, Or I sall bren yoursel therein, Bot and your babies three."--

gunnounUS /ɡʌn/

a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)

From this reading "But reach my pistol, Glaud, my man, And charge ye weel my gun: For, but an I pierce that bluidy butcher My babes we been undone."

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading But whan he see this lady saif, And her gat-es all locked fast, He fell into a rage of wrath, And his look was all aghast.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading But whan he see this lady saif, And her gat-es all locked fast, He fell into a rage of wrath, And his look was all aghast.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading But whan he see this lady saif, And her gat-es all locked fast, He fell into a rage of wrath, And his look was all aghast.

housenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading This night sall ye lig within mine arms To-morrow my bride sall be."-- "I winna come down, ye false Gord-on, I winna come down to thee; I winna forsake my ain dear lord, That is sae far frae me."-- "Give o'er your house, ye lady fair, Give o'er your house to me, Or I sall bren yoursel therein, Bot and your babies three."--

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading This night sall ye lig within mine arms To-morrow my bride sall be."-- "I winna come down, ye false Gord-on, I winna come down to thee; I winna forsake my ain dear lord, That is sae far frae me."-- "Give o'er your house, ye lady fair, Give o'er your house to me, Or I sall bren yoursel therein, Bot and your babies three."--

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading "I winna give o'er, ye false Gord-on To nae sic traitor as ye; And if ye bren my ain dear babes, My lord sall make you dree.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading But whan he see this lady saif, And her gat-es all locked fast, He fell into a rage of wrath, And his look was all aghast.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading This night sall ye lig within mine arms To-morrow my bride sall be."-- "I winna come down, ye false Gord-on, I winna come down to thee; I winna forsake my ain dear lord, That is sae far frae me."-- "Give o'er your house, ye lady fair, Give o'er your house to me, Or I sall bren yoursel therein, Bot and your babies three."--

ladynounUS /ˈleɪdi/

a polite name for any woman

From this reading But whan he see this lady saif, And her gat-es all locked fast, He fell into a rage of wrath, And his look was all aghast.

lig

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading This night sall ye lig within mine arms To-morrow my bride sall be."-- "I winna come down, ye false Gord-on, I winna come down to thee; I winna forsake my ain dear lord, That is sae far frae me."-- "Give o'er your house, ye lady fair, Give o'er your house to me, Or I sall bren yoursel therein, Bot and your babies three."--

lockedverbUS /lɑːkt/

past form of “lock” — fasten with a lock

From this reading But whan he see this lady saif, And her gat-es all locked fast, He fell into a rage of wrath, And his look was all aghast.

lookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading But whan he see this lady saif, And her gat-es all locked fast, He fell into a rage of wrath, And his look was all aghast.

lordnounUS /lɔːrd/

terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God

From this reading This night sall ye lig within mine arms To-morrow my bride sall be."-- "I winna come down, ye false Gord-on, I winna come down to thee; I winna forsake my ain dear lord, That is sae far frae me."-- "Give o'er your house, ye lady fair, Give o'er your house to me, Or I sall bren yoursel therein, Bot and your babies three."--

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading "I winna give o'er, ye false Gord-on To nae sic traitor as ye; And if ye bren my ain dear babes, My lord sall make you dree.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading "But reach my pistol, Glaud, my man, And charge ye weel my gun: For, but an I pierce that bluidy butcher My babes we been undone."

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading "Come down to me, ye lady gay, Come down, come down to me!

minepronounUS /maɪn/

the one or ones belonging to the person speaking

From this reading This night sall ye lig within mine arms To-morrow my bride sall be."-- "I winna come down, ye false Gord-on, I winna come down to thee; I winna forsake my ain dear lord, That is sae far frae me."-- "Give o'er your house, ye lady fair, Give o'er your house to me, Or I sall bren yoursel therein, Bot and your babies three."--

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading This night sall ye lig within mine arms To-morrow my bride sall be."-- "I winna come down, ye false Gord-on, I winna come down to thee; I winna forsake my ain dear lord, That is sae far frae me."-- "Give o'er your house, ye lady fair, Give o'er your house to me, Or I sall bren yoursel therein, Bot and your babies three."--

nae

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "I winna give o'er, ye false Gord-on To nae sic traitor as ye; And if ye bren my ain dear babes, My lord sall make you dree.

nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading This night sall ye lig within mine arms To-morrow my bride sall be."-- "I winna come down, ye false Gord-on, I winna come down to thee; I winna forsake my ain dear lord, That is sae far frae me."-- "Give o'er your house, ye lady fair, Give o'er your house to me, Or I sall bren yoursel therein, Bot and your babies three."--

o'eradverb

throughout a period of time

From this reading This night sall ye lig within mine arms To-morrow my bride sall be."-- "I winna come down, ye false Gord-on, I winna come down to thee; I winna forsake my ain dear lord, That is sae far frae me."-- "Give o'er your house, ye lady fair, Give o'er your house to me, Or I sall bren yoursel therein, Bot and your babies three."--

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading But whan he see this lady saif, And her gat-es all locked fast, He fell into a rage of wrath, And his look was all aghast.

OrconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading This night sall ye lig within mine arms To-morrow my bride sall be."-- "I winna come down, ye false Gord-on, I winna come down to thee; I winna forsake my ain dear lord, That is sae far frae me."-- "Give o'er your house, ye lady fair, Give o'er your house to me, Or I sall bren yoursel therein, Bot and your babies three."--

pierceverbUS /pɪrs/

cut or make a way through

From this reading "But reach my pistol, Glaud, my man, And charge ye weel my gun: For, but an I pierce that bluidy butcher My babes we been undone."

pistolnounUS /ˈpɪstəl/

a firearm that is held and fired with one hand

From this reading "But reach my pistol, Glaud, my man, And charge ye weel my gun: For, but an I pierce that bluidy butcher My babes we been undone."

ragenounUS /reɪdʒ/

a feeling of intense anger

From this reading But whan he see this lady saif, And her gat-es all locked fast, He fell into a rage of wrath, And his look was all aghast.

reachverbUS /riːtʃ/

reach a destination, either real or abstract

From this reading "But reach my pistol, Glaud, my man, And charge ye weel my gun: For, but an I pierce that bluidy butcher My babes we been undone."

sae

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading This night sall ye lig within mine arms To-morrow my bride sall be."-- "I winna come down, ye false Gord-on, I winna come down to thee; I winna forsake my ain dear lord, That is sae far frae me."-- "Give o'er your house, ye lady fair, Give o'er your house to me, Or I sall bren yoursel therein, Bot and your babies three."--

saif

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading But whan he see this lady saif, And her gat-es all locked fast, He fell into a rage of wrath, And his look was all aghast.

sall

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading This night sall ye lig within mine arms To-morrow my bride sall be."-- "I winna come down, ye false Gord-on, I winna come down to thee; I winna forsake my ain dear lord, That is sae far frae me."-- "Give o'er your house, ye lady fair, Give o'er your house to me, Or I sall bren yoursel therein, Bot and your babies three."--

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading But whan he see this lady saif, And her gat-es all locked fast, He fell into a rage of wrath, And his look was all aghast.

sicadverbUS /sɪk/

intentionally so written (used after a printed word or phrase)

From this reading "I winna give o'er, ye false Gord-on To nae sic traitor as ye; And if ye bren my ain dear babes, My lord sall make you dree.

ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading This night sall ye lig within mine arms To-morrow my bride sall be."-- "I winna come down, ye false Gord-on, I winna come down to thee; I winna forsake my ain dear lord, That is sae far frae me."-- "Give o'er your house, ye lady fair, Give o'er your house to me, Or I sall bren yoursel therein, Bot and your babies three."--

theepronounUS /ðiː/

an old word for “you”, as the object, speaking to one person

From this reading This night sall ye lig within mine arms To-morrow my bride sall be."-- "I winna come down, ye false Gord-on, I winna come down to thee; I winna forsake my ain dear lord, That is sae far frae me."-- "Give o'er your house, ye lady fair, Give o'er your house to me, Or I sall bren yoursel therein, Bot and your babies three."--

thereinadverbUS /ðeˈrɪn/

(formal) in or into that thing or place

From this reading This night sall ye lig within mine arms To-morrow my bride sall be."-- "I winna come down, ye false Gord-on, I winna come down to thee; I winna forsake my ain dear lord, That is sae far frae me."-- "Give o'er your house, ye lady fair, Give o'er your house to me, Or I sall bren yoursel therein, Bot and your babies three."--

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading But whan he see this lady saif, And her gat-es all locked fast, He fell into a rage of wrath, And his look was all aghast.

threenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading This night sall ye lig within mine arms To-morrow my bride sall be."-- "I winna come down, ye false Gord-on, I winna come down to thee; I winna forsake my ain dear lord, That is sae far frae me."-- "Give o'er your house, ye lady fair, Give o'er your house to me, Or I sall bren yoursel therein, Bot and your babies three."--

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading "Come down to me, ye lady gay, Come down, come down to me!

To-morrow

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading This night sall ye lig within mine arms To-morrow my bride sall be."-- "I winna come down, ye false Gord-on, I winna come down to thee; I winna forsake my ain dear lord, That is sae far frae me."-- "Give o'er your house, ye lady fair, Give o'er your house to me, Or I sall bren yoursel therein, Bot and your babies three."--

traitornounUS /ˈtreɪtər/

someone who betrays his country by committing treason

From this reading "I winna give o'er, ye false Gord-on To nae sic traitor as ye; And if ye bren my ain dear babes, My lord sall make you dree.

undoneadjectiveUS /ənˈdʌn/

not done

From this reading "But reach my pistol, Glaud, my man, And charge ye weel my gun: For, but an I pierce that bluidy butcher My babes we been undone."

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading But whan he see this lady saif, And her gat-es all locked fast, He fell into a rage of wrath, And his look was all aghast.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading "But reach my pistol, Glaud, my man, And charge ye weel my gun: For, but an I pierce that bluidy butcher My babes we been undone."

weel

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "But reach my pistol, Glaud, my man, And charge ye weel my gun: For, but an I pierce that bluidy butcher My babes we been undone."

whan

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading But whan he see this lady saif, And her gat-es all locked fast, He fell into a rage of wrath, And his look was all aghast.

winna

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading This night sall ye lig within mine arms To-morrow my bride sall be."-- "I winna come down, ye false Gord-on, I winna come down to thee; I winna forsake my ain dear lord, That is sae far frae me."-- "Give o'er your house, ye lady fair, Give o'er your house to me, Or I sall bren yoursel therein, Bot and your babies three."--

withinprepositionUS /wɪˈðɪn/

inside; before a period of time has passed

From this reading This night sall ye lig within mine arms To-morrow my bride sall be."-- "I winna come down, ye false Gord-on, I winna come down to thee; I winna forsake my ain dear lord, That is sae far frae me."-- "Give o'er your house, ye lady fair, Give o'er your house to me, Or I sall bren yoursel therein, Bot and your babies three."--

wrathnounUS /ræθ/

intense anger (usually on an epic scale)

From this reading But whan he see this lady saif, And her gat-es all locked fast, He fell into a rage of wrath, And his look was all aghast.

yepronounUS /jiː/

an old word for “you”, speaking to more than one person

From this reading "Come down to me, ye lady gay, Come down, come down to me!

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "I winna give o'er, ye false Gord-on To nae sic traitor as ye; And if ye bren my ain dear babes, My lord sall make you dree.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading This night sall ye lig within mine arms To-morrow my bride sall be."-- "I winna come down, ye false Gord-on, I winna come down to thee; I winna forsake my ain dear lord, That is sae far frae me."-- "Give o'er your house, ye lady fair, Give o'er your house to me, Or I sall bren yoursel therein, Bot and your babies three."--

yoursel

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading This night sall ye lig within mine arms To-morrow my bride sall be."-- "I winna come down, ye false Gord-on, I winna come down to thee; I winna forsake my ain dear lord, That is sae far frae me."-- "Give o'er your house, ye lady fair, Give o'er your house to me, Or I sall bren yoursel therein, Bot and your babies three."--

Chapter 12 of A Bundle of Ballads by Henry [Editor] Morley holds 119 sentences, grouped into 24 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 12 of A Bundle of Ballads contain?

Chapter 12 holds 119 sentences of A Bundle of Ballads, unabridged, divided into 24 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 12 of A Bundle of Ballads by Henry [Editor] Morley exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 119 sentences, grouped into 24 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 12 of A Bundle of Ballads?

Work through the 24 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 24 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 12 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 12 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading A Bundle of Ballads

Common questions about reading A Bundle of Ballads by Henry [Editor] Morley on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Bundle of Ballads?

Yes. All 1660 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2831 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Bundle of Ballads is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #2831, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Bundle of Ballads take to read?

About 138 minutes of reading across 332 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A Bundle of Ballads section by section

How to work through A Bundle of Ballads section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 14 chapters of A Bundle of Ballads to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in A Bundle of Ballads

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Bundle of Ballads, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Recitation
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Bundle of Ballads; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Dramatic
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Bundle of Ballads; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Energy
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Bundle of Ballads; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Whose
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Bundle of Ballads; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.