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A Collection of Ballads
A Collection of Ballads

Chapter XV · Chapter 15

Chapter 15 of A Collection of Ballads is here in full — 128 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/25 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Yet, Pottys, gret chepe!” creyed Robyn, Y loffe yeffell thes to stonde;” And all that saw hem sell, Seyde he had be no potter long.
The pottys that wer werthe pens feyffe, He sold tham for pens thre; Preveley seyde man and weyffe, Ywnder potter schall never the.”
Thos Roben solde foll fast, Tell he had pottys bot feyffe; On he hem toke of his car, And sende hem to the screffeys weyffe.
Therof sche was foll fayne, Gramarsey, sir,” than seyde sche; When ye com to thes contre ayen, Y schall bey of they pottys, so mot y the.”
Ye schall haffe of the best,” seyde Roben, And swar be the treneytè; Foll corteysley she gan hem call, Com deyne with the screfe and me.”
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

A Collection of Ballads

Chapter XV · Chapter 15

Chapter 15 of A Collection of Ballads is here in full — 128 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/25 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Yet, “Pottys, gret chepe!” creyed Robyn, “Y loffe yeffell thes to stonde;” And all that saw hem sell, Seyde he had be no potter long.
Line 2
The pottys that wer werthe pens feyffe, He sold tham for pens thre; Preveley seyde man and weyffe, “Ywnder potter schall never the.”
Line 3
Thos Roben solde foll fast, Tell he had pottys bot feyffe; On he hem toke of his car, And sende hem to the screffeys weyffe.
Line 4
Therof sche was foll fayne, “Gramarsey, sir,” than seyde sche; “When ye com to thes contre ayen, Y schall bey of they pottys, so mot y the.”
Line 5
Ye schall haffe of the best,” seyde Roben, And swar be the treneytè; Foll corteysley she gan hem call, “Com deyne with the screfe and me.”

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.

bey noun US /beɪ/

(formerly) a title of respect for a man in Turkey or Egypt

From this reading “Therof sche was foll fayne, “Gramarsey, sir,” than seyde sche; “When ye com to thes contre ayen, Y schall bey of they pottys, so mot y the.””

bot noun US /bɔːt/

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

From this reading “Thos Roben solde foll fast, Tell he had pottys bot feyffe; On he hem toke of his car, And sende hem to the screffeys weyffe.”

gan verb US /ɡæn/

inflected form of “gin” — separate the seeds from (cotton) with a cotton gin

From this reading ““Ye schall haffe of the best,” seyde Roben, And swar be the treneytè; Foll corteysley she gan hem call, “Com deyne with the screfe and me.””

hem noun US /hem/

the edge of a piece of cloth; especially the finished edge that has been doubled under and stitched down

From this reading “Yet, “Pottys, gret chepe!” creyed Robyn, “Y loffe yeffell thes to stonde;” And all that saw hem sell, Seyde he had be no potter long.”

pens noun US /penz/

plural of “pen” — a writing implement with a point from which ink flows

From this reading “The pottys that wer werthe pens feyffe, He sold tham for pens thre; Preveley seyde man and weyffe, “Ywnder potter schall never the.””

potter verb US /ˈpɑːtər/

do random, unplanned work or activities or spend time idly

From this reading “Yet, “Pottys, gret chepe!” creyed Robyn, “Y loffe yeffell thes to stonde;” And all that saw hem sell, Seyde he had be no potter long.”

sell verb US /sel/

exchange or deliver for money or its equivalent

From this reading “Yet, “Pottys, gret chepe!” creyed Robyn, “Y loffe yeffell thes to stonde;” And all that saw hem sell, Seyde he had be no potter long.”

sold adjective US /soʊld/

disposed of to a purchaser

From this reading “The pottys that wer werthe pens feyffe, He sold tham for pens thre; Preveley seyde man and weyffe, “Ywnder potter schall never the.””

All words in this reading · 82

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.

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 Yet, “Pottys, gret chepe!” creyed Robyn, “Y loffe yeffell thes to stonde;” And all that saw hem sell, Seyde he had be no potter long.

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Yet, “Pottys, gret chepe!” creyed Robyn, “Y loffe yeffell thes to stonde;” And all that saw hem sell, Seyde he had be no potter long.

ayen

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

From this reading Therof sche was foll fayne, “Gramarsey, sir,” than seyde sche; “When ye com to thes contre ayen, Y schall bey of they pottys, so mot y the.”

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading Yet, “Pottys, gret chepe!” creyed Robyn, “Y loffe yeffell thes to stonde;” And all that saw hem sell, Seyde he had be no potter long.

bestnounUS /best/

the supreme effort one can make

From this reading “Ye schall haffe of the best,” seyde Roben, And swar be the treneytè; Foll corteysley she gan hem call, “Com deyne with the screfe and me.”

beynounUS /beɪ/

(formerly) a title of respect for a man in Turkey or Egypt

From this reading Therof sche was foll fayne, “Gramarsey, sir,” than seyde sche; “When ye com to thes contre ayen, Y schall bey of they pottys, so mot y the.”

botnounUS /bɔːt/

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

From this reading Thos Roben solde foll fast, Tell he had pottys bot feyffe; On he hem toke of his car, And sende hem to the screffeys weyffe.

callverbUS /kɔːl/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading “Ye schall haffe of the best,” seyde Roben, And swar be the treneytè; Foll corteysley she gan hem call, “Com deyne with the screfe and me.”

carnounUS /kɑːr/

a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine

From this reading Thos Roben solde foll fast, Tell he had pottys bot feyffe; On he hem toke of his car, And sende hem to the screffeys weyffe.

chepe

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

From this reading Yet, “Pottys, gret chepe!” creyed Robyn, “Y loffe yeffell thes to stonde;” And all that saw hem sell, Seyde he had be no potter long.

com

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

From this reading Therof sche was foll fayne, “Gramarsey, sir,” than seyde sche; “When ye com to thes contre ayen, Y schall bey of they pottys, so mot y the.”

contre

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

From this reading Therof sche was foll fayne, “Gramarsey, sir,” than seyde sche; “When ye com to thes contre ayen, Y schall bey of they pottys, so mot y the.”

corteysley

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

From this reading “Ye schall haffe of the best,” seyde Roben, And swar be the treneytè; Foll corteysley she gan hem call, “Com deyne with the screfe and me.”

creyed

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

From this reading Yet, “Pottys, gret chepe!” creyed Robyn, “Y loffe yeffell thes to stonde;” And all that saw hem sell, Seyde he had be no potter long.

deyne

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

From this reading “Ye schall haffe of the best,” seyde Roben, And swar be the treneytè; Foll corteysley she gan hem call, “Com deyne with the screfe and me.”

fastadverbUS /fæst/

quickly or rapidly (often used as a combining form)

From this reading Thos Roben solde foll fast, Tell he had pottys bot feyffe; On he hem toke of his car, And sende hem to the screffeys weyffe.

fayne

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

From this reading Therof sche was foll fayne, “Gramarsey, sir,” than seyde sche; “When ye com to thes contre ayen, Y schall bey of they pottys, so mot y the.”

feyffe

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

From this reading The pottys that wer werthe pens feyffe, He sold tham for pens thre; Preveley seyde man and weyffe, “Ywnder potter schall never the.”

foll

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

From this reading Thos Roben solde foll fast, Tell he had pottys bot feyffe; On he hem toke of his car, And sende hem to the screffeys weyffe.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading The pottys that wer werthe pens feyffe, He sold tham for pens thre; Preveley seyde man and weyffe, “Ywnder potter schall never the.”

ganverbUS /ɡæn/

inflected form of “gin” — separate the seeds from (cotton) with a cotton gin

From this reading “Ye schall haffe of the best,” seyde Roben, And swar be the treneytè; Foll corteysley she gan hem call, “Com deyne with the screfe and me.”

Gramarsey

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

From this reading Therof sche was foll fayne, “Gramarsey, sir,” than seyde sche; “When ye com to thes contre ayen, Y schall bey of they pottys, so mot y the.”

gret

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

From this reading Yet, “Pottys, gret chepe!” creyed Robyn, “Y loffe yeffell thes to stonde;” And all that saw hem sell, Seyde he had be no potter long.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Yet, “Pottys, gret chepe!” creyed Robyn, “Y loffe yeffell thes to stonde;” And all that saw hem sell, Seyde he had be no potter long.

haffe

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

From this reading “Ye schall haffe of the best,” seyde Roben, And swar be the treneytè; Foll corteysley she gan hem call, “Com deyne with the screfe and me.”

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Yet, “Pottys, gret chepe!” creyed Robyn, “Y loffe yeffell thes to stonde;” And all that saw hem sell, Seyde he had be no potter long.

hemnounUS /hem/

the edge of a piece of cloth; especially the finished edge that has been doubled under and stitched down

From this reading Yet, “Pottys, gret chepe!” creyed Robyn, “Y loffe yeffell thes to stonde;” And all that saw hem sell, Seyde he had be no potter long.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Thos Roben solde foll fast, Tell he had pottys bot feyffe; On he hem toke of his car, And sende hem to the screffeys weyffe.

loffe

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

From this reading Yet, “Pottys, gret chepe!” creyed Robyn, “Y loffe yeffell thes to stonde;” And all that saw hem sell, Seyde he had be no potter long.

longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading Yet, “Pottys, gret chepe!” creyed Robyn, “Y loffe yeffell thes to stonde;” And all that saw hem sell, Seyde he had be no potter long.

mannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading The pottys that wer werthe pens feyffe, He sold tham for pens thre; Preveley seyde man and weyffe, “Ywnder potter schall never the.”

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading “Ye schall haffe of the best,” seyde Roben, And swar be the treneytè; Foll corteysley she gan hem call, “Com deyne with the screfe and me.”

motnoun

a clever remark

From this reading Therof sche was foll fayne, “Gramarsey, sir,” than seyde sche; “When ye com to thes contre ayen, Y schall bey of they pottys, so mot y the.”

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading The pottys that wer werthe pens feyffe, He sold tham for pens thre; Preveley seyde man and weyffe, “Ywnder potter schall never the.”

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading Yet, “Pottys, gret chepe!” creyed Robyn, “Y loffe yeffell thes to stonde;” And all that saw hem sell, Seyde he had be no potter long.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Thos Roben solde foll fast, Tell he had pottys bot feyffe; On he hem toke of his car, And sende hem to the screffeys weyffe.

OnprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Thos Roben solde foll fast, Tell he had pottys bot feyffe; On he hem toke of his car, And sende hem to the screffeys weyffe.

pensnounUS /penz/

plural of “pen” — a writing implement with a point from which ink flows

From this reading The pottys that wer werthe pens feyffe, He sold tham for pens thre; Preveley seyde man and weyffe, “Ywnder potter schall never the.”

potterverbUS /ˈpɑːtər/

do random, unplanned work or activities or spend time idly

From this reading Yet, “Pottys, gret chepe!” creyed Robyn, “Y loffe yeffell thes to stonde;” And all that saw hem sell, Seyde he had be no potter long.

Pottys

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

From this reading Yet, “Pottys, gret chepe!” creyed Robyn, “Y loffe yeffell thes to stonde;” And all that saw hem sell, Seyde he had be no potter long.

Preveley

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

From this reading The pottys that wer werthe pens feyffe, He sold tham for pens thre; Preveley seyde man and weyffe, “Ywnder potter schall never the.”

Roben

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

From this reading Thos Roben solde foll fast, Tell he had pottys bot feyffe; On he hem toke of his car, And sende hem to the screffeys weyffe.

Robyn

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

From this reading Yet, “Pottys, gret chepe!” creyed Robyn, “Y loffe yeffell thes to stonde;” And all that saw hem sell, Seyde he had be no potter long.

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading Yet, “Pottys, gret chepe!” creyed Robyn, “Y loffe yeffell thes to stonde;” And all that saw hem sell, Seyde he had be no potter long.

schall

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

From this reading The pottys that wer werthe pens feyffe, He sold tham for pens thre; Preveley seyde man and weyffe, “Ywnder potter schall never the.”

sche

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

From this reading Therof sche was foll fayne, “Gramarsey, sir,” than seyde sche; “When ye com to thes contre ayen, Y schall bey of they pottys, so mot y the.”

screfe

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

From this reading “Ye schall haffe of the best,” seyde Roben, And swar be the treneytè; Foll corteysley she gan hem call, “Com deyne with the screfe and me.”

screffeys

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

From this reading Thos Roben solde foll fast, Tell he had pottys bot feyffe; On he hem toke of his car, And sende hem to the screffeys weyffe.

sellverbUS /sel/

exchange or deliver for money or its equivalent

From this reading Yet, “Pottys, gret chepe!” creyed Robyn, “Y loffe yeffell thes to stonde;” And all that saw hem sell, Seyde he had be no potter long.

sende

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

From this reading Thos Roben solde foll fast, Tell he had pottys bot feyffe; On he hem toke of his car, And sende hem to the screffeys weyffe.

Seyde

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

From this reading Yet, “Pottys, gret chepe!” creyed Robyn, “Y loffe yeffell thes to stonde;” And all that saw hem sell, Seyde he had be no potter long.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading “Ye schall haffe of the best,” seyde Roben, And swar be the treneytè; Foll corteysley she gan hem call, “Com deyne with the screfe and me.”

sirnounUS /sɜːr/

term of address for a man

From this reading Therof sche was foll fayne, “Gramarsey, sir,” than seyde sche; “When ye com to thes contre ayen, Y schall bey of they pottys, so mot y the.”

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Therof sche was foll fayne, “Gramarsey, sir,” than seyde sche; “When ye com to thes contre ayen, Y schall bey of they pottys, so mot y the.”

soldadjectiveUS /soʊld/

disposed of to a purchaser

From this reading The pottys that wer werthe pens feyffe, He sold tham for pens thre; Preveley seyde man and weyffe, “Ywnder potter schall never the.”

solde

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

From this reading Thos Roben solde foll fast, Tell he had pottys bot feyffe; On he hem toke of his car, And sende hem to the screffeys weyffe.

stonde

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

From this reading Yet, “Pottys, gret chepe!” creyed Robyn, “Y loffe yeffell thes to stonde;” And all that saw hem sell, Seyde he had be no potter long.

swar

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

From this reading “Ye schall haffe of the best,” seyde Roben, And swar be the treneytè; Foll corteysley she gan hem call, “Com deyne with the screfe and me.”

TellverbUS /tel/

express in words

From this reading Thos Roben solde foll fast, Tell he had pottys bot feyffe; On he hem toke of his car, And sende hem to the screffeys weyffe.

tham

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

From this reading The pottys that wer werthe pens feyffe, He sold tham for pens thre; Preveley seyde man and weyffe, “Ywnder potter schall never the.”

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading Therof sche was foll fayne, “Gramarsey, sir,” than seyde sche; “When ye com to thes contre ayen, Y schall bey of they pottys, so mot y the.”

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Yet, “Pottys, gret chepe!” creyed Robyn, “Y loffe yeffell thes to stonde;” And all that saw hem sell, Seyde he had be no potter long.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading The pottys that wer werthe pens feyffe, He sold tham for pens thre; Preveley seyde man and weyffe, “Ywnder potter schall never the.”

Therof

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

From this reading Therof sche was foll fayne, “Gramarsey, sir,” than seyde sche; “When ye com to thes contre ayen, Y schall bey of they pottys, so mot y the.”

thes

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

From this reading Yet, “Pottys, gret chepe!” creyed Robyn, “Y loffe yeffell thes to stonde;” And all that saw hem sell, Seyde he had be no potter long.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Therof sche was foll fayne, “Gramarsey, sir,” than seyde sche; “When ye com to thes contre ayen, Y schall bey of they pottys, so mot y the.”

Thos

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

From this reading Thos Roben solde foll fast, Tell he had pottys bot feyffe; On he hem toke of his car, And sende hem to the screffeys weyffe.

thre

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

From this reading The pottys that wer werthe pens feyffe, He sold tham for pens thre; Preveley seyde man and weyffe, “Ywnder potter schall never the.”

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Yet, “Pottys, gret chepe!” creyed Robyn, “Y loffe yeffell thes to stonde;” And all that saw hem sell, Seyde he had be no potter long.

tokenoun

a puff of a marijuana or hashish cigarette

From this reading Thos Roben solde foll fast, Tell he had pottys bot feyffe; On he hem toke of his car, And sende hem to the screffeys weyffe.

treneytè

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

From this reading “Ye schall haffe of the best,” seyde Roben, And swar be the treneytè; Foll corteysley she gan hem call, “Com deyne with the screfe and me.”

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Therof sche was foll fayne, “Gramarsey, sir,” than seyde sche; “When ye com to thes contre ayen, Y schall bey of they pottys, so mot y the.”

wer

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

From this reading The pottys that wer werthe pens feyffe, He sold tham for pens thre; Preveley seyde man and weyffe, “Ywnder potter schall never the.”

werthe

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

From this reading The pottys that wer werthe pens feyffe, He sold tham for pens thre; Preveley seyde man and weyffe, “Ywnder potter schall never the.”

weyffe

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

From this reading The pottys that wer werthe pens feyffe, He sold tham for pens thre; Preveley seyde man and weyffe, “Ywnder potter schall never the.”

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading Therof sche was foll fayne, “Gramarsey, sir,” than seyde sche; “When ye com to thes contre ayen, Y schall bey of they pottys, so mot y the.”

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading “Ye schall haffe of the best,” seyde Roben, And swar be the treneytè; Foll corteysley she gan hem call, “Com deyne with the screfe and me.”

YnounUS /waɪ/

a silvery metallic element that is common in rare-earth minerals; used in magnesium and aluminum alloys

From this reading Yet, “Pottys, gret chepe!” creyed Robyn, “Y loffe yeffell thes to stonde;” And all that saw hem sell, Seyde he had be no potter long.

yepronounUS /jiː/

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

From this reading Therof sche was foll fayne, “Gramarsey, sir,” than seyde sche; “When ye com to thes contre ayen, Y schall bey of they pottys, so mot y the.”

yeffell

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

From this reading Yet, “Pottys, gret chepe!” creyed Robyn, “Y loffe yeffell thes to stonde;” And all that saw hem sell, Seyde he had be no potter long.

YetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading Yet, “Pottys, gret chepe!” creyed Robyn, “Y loffe yeffell thes to stonde;” And all that saw hem sell, Seyde he had be no potter long.

Ywnder

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

From this reading The pottys that wer werthe pens feyffe, He sold tham for pens thre; Preveley seyde man and weyffe, “Ywnder potter schall never the.”

Chapter 15 of A Collection of Ballads by Andrew Lang holds 128 sentences, grouped into 26 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 15 of A Collection of Ballads contain?

Chapter 15 holds 128 sentences of A Collection of Ballads, unabridged, divided into 26 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 15 of A Collection of Ballads by Andrew Lang exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 128 sentences, grouped into 26 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 15 of A Collection of Ballads?

Work through the 26 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 26 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 15 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 15 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 Collection of Ballads

Common questions about reading A Collection of Ballads by Andrew Lang on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Collection of Ballads?

Yes. All 2388 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1054 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Collection of Ballads is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #1054, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Collection of Ballads take to read?

About 199 minutes of reading across 478 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A Collection of Ballads section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 18 chapters of A Collection 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 Collection of Ballads

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

Learned
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Collection of Ballads; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
First
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Collection of Ballads; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Serious
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Collection of Ballads; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Attention
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Collection of Ballads; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.