Arthurian Chronicles: Roman de Brut

Chapter V · Chapter 5

Chapter 5 of Arthurian Chronicles: Roman de Brut is here in full — 401 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Wace • Curated US English Learning Edition

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This damsel was passing fair of face and courteous, very gracious of manner, and come of a noble Roman house.

Cador had nourished this lady long and richly in his earldom of Cornwall.

The maiden was the earl's near cousin, for by his mother he, too, was of Roman blood.

Marvellously dainty was the maiden in person and vesture; right queenly of bearing, passing sweet and ready of tongue.

Narrator

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LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter V Reading 1/80

Arthurian Chronicles: Roman de Brut Wace

Chapter V

Chapter 5

Chapter 5 of Arthurian Chronicles: Roman de Brut is here in full — 401 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

When Arthur had settled his realm in peace, righted all wrongs, and restored the kingdom to its ancient borders, he took to wife a certain fresh and noble maiden, named Guenevere, making her his queen. This damsel was passing fair of face and courteous, very gracious of manner, and come of a noble Roman house. Cador had nourished this lady long and richly in his earldom of Cornwall. The maiden was the earl's near cousin, for by his mother he, too, was of Roman blood. Marvellously dainty was the maiden in person and vesture; right queenly of bearing, passing sweet and ready of tongue.

Arthurian Chronicles: Roman de Brut

Chapter V · Chapter 5

Chapter 5 of Arthurian Chronicles: Roman de Brut is here in full — 401 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/80 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

Line 2

This damsel was passing fair of face and courteous, very gracious of manner, and come of a noble Roman house.

/ðɪs ˈdæmzəl wɑːz ˈpæsɪŋ fer ʌv feɪs ənd ˈkɜːrtiəs ˈveri ˈɡreɪʃəs ʌv ˈmænər ənd kʌm ʌv ə ˈnoʊbəl ˈroʊmən haʊs/

Line 3

Cador had nourished this lady long and richly in his earldom of Cornwall.

Line 4

The maiden was the earl's near cousin, for by his mother he, too, was of Roman blood.

/ðə ˈmeɪdən wɑːz ðə ɜːrlz nɪr ˈkʌzən fɔːr baɪ hɪz ˈmʌðər hiː tuː wɑːz ʌv ˈroʊmən blʌd/

Line 5

Marvellously dainty was the maiden in person and vesture; right queenly of bearing, passing sweet and ready of tongue.

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.

borders noun US /ˈbɔːrdərz/

plural of “border” — a line that indicates a boundary

From this reading “When Arthur had settled his realm in peace, righted all wrongs, and restored the kingdom to its ancient borders, he took to wife a certain fresh and noble maiden, named Guenevere, making her his queen.”

Cornwall noun US /ˈkɔːrnwɔːl/

a hilly county in southwestern England

From this reading “Cador had nourished this lady long and richly in his earldom of Cornwall.”

earl's noun US /ɜːrlz/

possessive form of “earl” — a British peer ranking below a marquess and above a viscount

From this reading “The maiden was the earl's near cousin, for by his mother he, too, was of Roman blood.”

earldom noun US /ˈɜːrldəm/

the dignity or rank or position of an earl or countess

From this reading “Cador had nourished this lady long and richly in his earldom of Cornwall.”

nourished adjective US /ˈnɜːrɪʃt/

being provided with adequate nourishment

From this reading “Cador had nourished this lady long and richly in his earldom of Cornwall.”

richly adverb US /ˈrɪtʃli/

to an ample degree or in an ample manner

From this reading “Cador had nourished this lady long and richly in his earldom of Cornwall.”

righted verb US /ˈraɪtɪd/

past form of “right” — make reparations or amends for

wrongs noun US /rɔːŋz/

plural of “wrong” — that which is contrary to the principles of justice or law

All words in this reading · 71

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 When Arthur had settled his realm in peace, righted all wrongs, and restored the kingdom to its ancient borders, he took to wife a certain fresh and noble maiden, named Guenevere, making her his queen.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

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

ancientadjectiveUS /ˈeɪn.ʃənt/

Belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence or deeply revered.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

ArthurnounUS /ˈɑːrθər/

elected vice president and became 21st President of the United States when Garfield was assassinated (1830-1886)

bearingnounUS /ˈberɪŋ/

relevant relation or interconnection

From this reading Marvellously dainty was the maiden in person and vesture; right queenly of bearing, passing sweet and ready of tongue.

bloodnounUS /blʌd/

The red fluid that circulates in the heart and blood vessels.

From this reading The maiden was the earl's near cousin, for by his mother he, too, was of Roman blood.

bordersnounUS /ˈbɔːrdərz/

plural of “border” — a line that indicates a boundary

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading The maiden was the earl's near cousin, for by his mother he, too, was of Roman blood.

Cador

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

From this reading Cador had nourished this lady long and richly in his earldom of Cornwall.

certainadjectiveUS /ˈsɜːrtən/

definite but not specified or identified

comeverbUS /kʌm/

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

From this reading This damsel was passing fair of face and courteous, very gracious of manner, and come of a noble Roman house.

CornwallnounUS /ˈkɔːrnwɔːl/

a hilly county in southwestern England

From this reading Cador had nourished this lady long and richly in his earldom of Cornwall.

courteousadjectiveUS /ˈkɜːrtiəs/

exhibiting courtesy and politeness

From this reading This damsel was passing fair of face and courteous, very gracious of manner, and come of a noble Roman house.

cousinnounUS /ˈkʌzən/

the child of your aunt or uncle

From this reading The maiden was the earl's near cousin, for by his mother he, too, was of Roman blood.

daintyadjectiveUS /ˈdeɪnti/

delicately beautiful

From this reading Marvellously dainty was the maiden in person and vesture; right queenly of bearing, passing sweet and ready of tongue.

damselnounUS /ˈdæmzəl/

a young unmarried woman

From this reading This damsel was passing fair of face and courteous, very gracious of manner, and come of a noble Roman house.

earl'snounUS /ɜːrlz/

possessive form of “earl” — a British peer ranking below a marquess and above a viscount

From this reading The maiden was the earl's near cousin, for by his mother he, too, was of Roman blood.

earldomnounUS /ˈɜːrldəm/

the dignity or rank or position of an earl or countess

From this reading Cador had nourished this lady long and richly in his earldom of Cornwall.

facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading This damsel was passing fair of face and courteous, very gracious of manner, and come of a noble Roman house.

fairadjectiveUS /fer/

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

From this reading This damsel was passing fair of face and courteous, very gracious of manner, and come of a noble Roman house.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading The maiden was the earl's near cousin, for by his mother he, too, was of Roman blood.

freshadjectiveUS /freʃ/

recently made, produced, or harvested

graciousadjectiveUS /ˈɡreɪʃəs/

characterized by charm, good taste, and generosity of spirit

From this reading This damsel was passing fair of face and courteous, very gracious of manner, and come of a noble Roman house.

Gueneverenoun

(Arthurian legend) wife of King Arthur; in some versions of the legend she became Lancelot's lover and that led to the end of the Knights of the Round Table

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

housenounUS /haʊs/

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

From this reading This damsel was passing fair of face and courteous, very gracious of manner, and come of a noble Roman house.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

kingdomnounUS /ˈkɪŋdəm/

a domain in which something is dominant

ladynounUS /ˈleɪdi/

a polite name for any woman

From this reading Cador had nourished this lady long and richly in his earldom of Cornwall.

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 Cador had nourished this lady long and richly in his earldom of Cornwall.

maidennounUS /ˈmeɪdən/

an unmarried girl (especially a virgin)

makingnounUS /ˈmeɪkɪŋ/

the act that results in something coming to be

mannernounUS /ˈmænər/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading This damsel was passing fair of face and courteous, very gracious of manner, and come of a noble Roman house.

Marvellouslyadverb

(used as an intensifier) extremely well

From this reading Marvellously dainty was the maiden in person and vesture; right queenly of bearing, passing sweet and ready of tongue.

mothernounUS /ˈmʌðər/

a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading The maiden was the earl's near cousin, for by his mother he, too, was of Roman blood.

namedverbUS /neɪmd/

past form of “name” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

nearadverbUS /nɪr/

near in time or place or relationship

From this reading The maiden was the earl's near cousin, for by his mother he, too, was of Roman blood.

nobleadjectiveUS /ˈnoʊbəl/

impressive in appearance

nourishedadjectiveUS /ˈnɜːrɪʃt/

being provided with adequate nourishment

From this reading Cador had nourished this lady long and richly in his earldom of Cornwall.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading This damsel was passing fair of face and courteous, very gracious of manner, and come of a noble Roman house.

passingnounUS /ˈpæsɪŋ/

(American football) a play that involves one player throwing the ball to a teammate

From this reading This damsel was passing fair of face and courteous, very gracious of manner, and come of a noble Roman house.

peacenounUS /piːs/

the state prevailing during the absence of war

personnounUS /ˈpɜːrsən/

a human being

From this reading Marvellously dainty was the maiden in person and vesture; right queenly of bearing, passing sweet and ready of tongue.

queennounUS /kwiːn/

the only fertile female in a colony of social insects such as bees and ants and termites; its function is to lay eggs

queenlyadjective

having the rank of or resembling or befitting a queen

From this reading Marvellously dainty was the maiden in person and vesture; right queenly of bearing, passing sweet and ready of tongue.

readyadjectiveUS /ˈredi/

completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress

From this reading Marvellously dainty was the maiden in person and vesture; right queenly of bearing, passing sweet and ready of tongue.

realmnounUS /relm/

a domain in which something is dominant

restoredverbUS /rɪˈstɔːrd/

past form of “restore” — return to its original or usable and functioning condition

richlyadverbUS /ˈrɪtʃli/

to an ample degree or in an ample manner

From this reading Cador had nourished this lady long and richly in his earldom of Cornwall.

rightadverbUS /raɪt/

precisely, exactly

From this reading Marvellously dainty was the maiden in person and vesture; right queenly of bearing, passing sweet and ready of tongue.

rightedverbUS /ˈraɪtɪd/

past form of “right” — make reparations or amends for

RomanadjectiveUS /ˈroʊmən/

relating to or characteristic of people of Rome

From this reading This damsel was passing fair of face and courteous, very gracious of manner, and come of a noble Roman house.

settledadjectiveUS /ˈsetəld/

established or decided beyond dispute or doubt

sweetadjectiveUS /swiːt/

having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar

From this reading Marvellously dainty was the maiden in person and vesture; right queenly of bearing, passing sweet and ready of tongue.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading This damsel was passing fair of face and courteous, very gracious of manner, and come of a noble Roman house.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

tonguenounUS /tʌŋ/

a mobile mass of muscular tissue covered with mucous membrane and located in the oral cavity

From this reading Marvellously dainty was the maiden in person and vesture; right queenly of bearing, passing sweet and ready of tongue.

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading The maiden was the earl's near cousin, for by his mother he, too, was of Roman blood.

tookverbUS /tʊk/

inflected form of “take” — carry out

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading This damsel was passing fair of face and courteous, very gracious of manner, and come of a noble Roman house.

vesturenoun

something that covers or cloaks like a garment

From this reading Marvellously dainty was the maiden in person and vesture; right queenly of bearing, passing sweet and ready of tongue.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading This damsel was passing fair of face and courteous, very gracious of manner, and come of a noble Roman house.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

wifenounUS /waɪf/

a married woman; a man's partner in marriage

wrongsnounUS /rɔːŋz/

plural of “wrong” — that which is contrary to the principles of justice or law

Chapter 5 of Arthurian Chronicles: Roman de Brut by Wace holds 401 sentences, grouped into 81 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 5 of Arthurian Chronicles: Roman de Brut contain?

Chapter 5 holds 401 sentences of Arthurian Chronicles: Roman de Brut, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 5 of Arthurian Chronicles: Roman de Brut by Wace exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 401 sentences, grouped into 81 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 5 of Arthurian Chronicles: Roman de Brut?

Work through the 81 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 81 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 5 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 5 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 Arthurian Chronicles: Roman de Brut

Common questions about reading Arthurian Chronicles: Roman de Brut by Wace on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Arthurian Chronicles: Roman de Brut?

Yes. All 3214 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #10472 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Arthurian Chronicles: Roman de Brut is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #10472, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Arthurian Chronicles: Roman de Brut take to read?

About 267 minutes of reading across 643 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Arthurian Chronicles: Roman de Brut

Words and structures a reader meets early in Arthurian Chronicles: Roman de Brut, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chronicle: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Arthurian Chronicles: Roman de Brut; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Wasted: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Arthurian Chronicles: Roman de Brut; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Descriptions: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Arthurian Chronicles: Roman de Brut; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Fairest: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Arthurian Chronicles: Roman de Brut; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter V · Chapter 5

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