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Layamon's Brut
Layamon's Brut

Chapter V · Chapter 5

Chapter 5 of Layamon's Brut is here in full — 400 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/80 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Then was Walwain thither come, Loth's eldest son; from the pope of Rome, who was named Supplice, who long had him brought up, and made him knight.
Full well was it bestowed, that Walwain was born to be man, for Walwain was full noble-minded, in each virtue he was good; he was liberal, and knight with the best.
All Arthur's folk was greatly emboldened, for Walwain the keen, that was come to the host; and for his father Loth, who was chosen to be king.
Then spake Arthur with him, and bade him hold good peace, and bade him love his peaceful people, and those that would not hold peace, to fell them to ground.
The yet called Arthur, noblest of kings: "Where be ye, my Britons?
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Layamon's Brut

Chapter V · Chapter 5

Chapter 5 of Layamon's Brut is here in full — 400 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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

Line 1
Then was Walwain thither come, Loth's eldest son; from the pope of Rome, who was named Supplice, who long had him brought up, and made him knight.
Line 2
Full well was it bestowed, that Walwain was born to be man, for Walwain was full noble-minded, in each virtue he was good; he was liberal, and knight with the best.
Line 3
All Arthur's folk was greatly emboldened, for Walwain the keen, that was come to the host; and for his father Loth, who was chosen to be king.
Line 4
Then spake Arthur with him, and bade him hold good peace, and bade him love his peaceful people, and those that would not hold peace, to fell them to ground.
Line 5
The yet called Arthur, noblest of kings: "Where be ye, my Britons?
/ðə jet kɔːld ˈɑːrθər ˈnoʊblɪst ʌv kɪŋz wer biː jiː maɪ ˈbrɪtənz/

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.

Arthur's noun US /ˈɑːrθərz/

possessive form of “arthur” — elected vice president and became 21st President of the United States when Garfield was assassinated (1830-1886)

From this reading “All Arthur's folk was greatly emboldened, for Walwain the keen, that was come to the host; and for his father Loth, who was chosen to be king.”

bestowed verb US /bɪˈstoʊd/

past form of “bestow” — present

From this reading “Full well was it bestowed, that Walwain was born to be man, for Walwain was full noble-minded, in each virtue he was good; he was liberal, and knight with the best.”

Britons noun US /ˈbrɪtənz/

plural of “briton” — a native or inhabitant of Great Britain

From this reading “The yet called Arthur, noblest of kings: "Where be ye, my Britons?”

eldest adjective US /ˈeldəst/

first in order of birth

From this reading “Then was Walwain thither come, Loth's eldest son; from the pope of Rome, who was named Supplice, who long had him brought up, and made him knight.”

emboldened adjective US /emˈboʊldənd/

made bold or courageous

From this reading “All Arthur's folk was greatly emboldened, for Walwain the keen, that was come to the host; and for his father Loth, who was chosen to be king.”

liberal adjective US /ˈlɪbɜːrəl/

showing or characterized by broad-mindedness

From this reading “Full well was it bestowed, that Walwain was born to be man, for Walwain was full noble-minded, in each virtue he was good; he was liberal, and knight with the best.”

Loth adjective US /lɑːθ/

unwillingness to do something contrary to your custom

From this reading “Then was Walwain thither come, Loth's eldest son; from the pope of Rome, who was named Supplice, who long had him brought up, and made him knight.”

noblest adjective US /ˈnoʊblɪst/

superlative of “noble” — impressive in appearance

From this reading “The yet called Arthur, noblest of kings: "Where be ye, my Britons?”

All words in this reading · 77

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 All Arthur's folk was greatly emboldened, for Walwain the keen, that was come to the host; and for his father Loth, who was chosen to be king.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Then was Walwain thither come, Loth's eldest son; from the pope of Rome, who was named Supplice, who long had him brought up, and made him knight.

ArthurnounUS /ˈɑːrθər/

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

From this reading Then spake Arthur with him, and bade him hold good peace, and bade him love his peaceful people, and those that would not hold peace, to fell them to ground.

Arthur'snounUS /ˈɑːrθərz/

possessive form of “arthur” — elected vice president and became 21st President of the United States when Garfield was assassinated (1830-1886)

From this reading All Arthur's folk was greatly emboldened, for Walwain the keen, that was come to the host; and for his father Loth, who was chosen to be king.

badenounUS /beɪd/

a Chadic language spoken in northern Nigeria

From this reading Then spake Arthur with him, and bade him hold good peace, and bade him love his peaceful people, and those that would not hold peace, to fell them to ground.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading Full well was it bestowed, that Walwain was born to be man, for Walwain was full noble-minded, in each virtue he was good; he was liberal, and knight with the best.

bestnounUS /best/

the supreme effort one can make

From this reading Full well was it bestowed, that Walwain was born to be man, for Walwain was full noble-minded, in each virtue he was good; he was liberal, and knight with the best.

bestowedverbUS /bɪˈstoʊd/

past form of “bestow” — present

From this reading Full well was it bestowed, that Walwain was born to be man, for Walwain was full noble-minded, in each virtue he was good; he was liberal, and knight with the best.

bornadjectiveUS /bɔːrn/

brought into existence

From this reading Full well was it bestowed, that Walwain was born to be man, for Walwain was full noble-minded, in each virtue he was good; he was liberal, and knight with the best.

BritonsnounUS /ˈbrɪtənz/

plural of “briton” — a native or inhabitant of Great Britain

From this reading The yet called Arthur, noblest of kings: "Where be ye, my Britons?

broughtverbUS /brɔːt/

inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading Then was Walwain thither come, Loth's eldest son; from the pope of Rome, who was named Supplice, who long had him brought up, and made him knight.

calledverbUS /kɔːld/

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

From this reading The yet called Arthur, noblest of kings: "Where be ye, my Britons?

chosennounUS /ˈtʃoʊzən/

one who is the object of choice; who is given preference

From this reading All Arthur's folk was greatly emboldened, for Walwain the keen, that was come to the host; and for his father Loth, who was chosen to be king.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

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

From this reading Then was Walwain thither come, Loth's eldest son; from the pope of Rome, who was named Supplice, who long had him brought up, and made him knight.

eachdeterminerUS /iːtʃ/

every one of two or more people or things, taken separately

From this reading Full well was it bestowed, that Walwain was born to be man, for Walwain was full noble-minded, in each virtue he was good; he was liberal, and knight with the best.

eldestadjectiveUS /ˈeldəst/

first in order of birth

From this reading Then was Walwain thither come, Loth's eldest son; from the pope of Rome, who was named Supplice, who long had him brought up, and made him knight.

emboldenedadjectiveUS /emˈboʊldənd/

made bold or courageous

From this reading All Arthur's folk was greatly emboldened, for Walwain the keen, that was come to the host; and for his father Loth, who was chosen to be king.

fathernounUS /ˈfɑːðər/

a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading All Arthur's folk was greatly emboldened, for Walwain the keen, that was come to the host; and for his father Loth, who was chosen to be king.

fellverbUS /fel/

cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow

From this reading Then spake Arthur with him, and bade him hold good peace, and bade him love his peaceful people, and those that would not hold peace, to fell them to ground.

folknounUS /foʊk/

people in general (often used in the plural)

From this reading All Arthur's folk was greatly emboldened, for Walwain the keen, that was come to the host; and for his father Loth, who was chosen to be king.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Full well was it bestowed, that Walwain was born to be man, for Walwain was full noble-minded, in each virtue he was good; he was liberal, and knight with the best.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Then was Walwain thither come, Loth's eldest son; from the pope of Rome, who was named Supplice, who long had him brought up, and made him knight.

FulladjectiveUS /fʊl/

containing as much or as many as is possible or normal

From this reading Full well was it bestowed, that Walwain was born to be man, for Walwain was full noble-minded, in each virtue he was good; he was liberal, and knight with the best.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading Full well was it bestowed, that Walwain was born to be man, for Walwain was full noble-minded, in each virtue he was good; he was liberal, and knight with the best.

greatlyadverbUS /ˈɡreɪtli/

to an extraordinary extent or degree

From this reading All Arthur's folk was greatly emboldened, for Walwain the keen, that was come to the host; and for his father Loth, who was chosen to be king.

groundnounUS /ɡraʊnd/

the solid part of the earth's surface

From this reading Then spake Arthur with him, and bade him hold good peace, and bade him love his peaceful people, and those that would not hold peace, to fell them to ground.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Then was Walwain thither come, Loth's eldest son; from the pope of Rome, who was named Supplice, who long had him brought up, and made him knight.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Full well was it bestowed, that Walwain was born to be man, for Walwain was full noble-minded, in each virtue he was good; he was liberal, and knight with the best.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Then was Walwain thither come, Loth's eldest son; from the pope of Rome, who was named Supplice, who long had him brought up, and made him knight.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading All Arthur's folk was greatly emboldened, for Walwain the keen, that was come to the host; and for his father Loth, who was chosen to be king.

holdverbUS /hoʊld/

cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”

From this reading Then spake Arthur with him, and bade him hold good peace, and bade him love his peaceful people, and those that would not hold peace, to fell them to ground.

hostnounUS /hoʊst/

a person who invites guests to a social event (such as a party in his or her own home) and who is responsible for them while they are there

From this reading All Arthur's folk was greatly emboldened, for Walwain the keen, that was come to the host; and for his father Loth, who was chosen to be king.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Full well was it bestowed, that Walwain was born to be man, for Walwain was full noble-minded, in each virtue he was good; he was liberal, and knight with the best.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Full well was it bestowed, that Walwain was born to be man, for Walwain was full noble-minded, in each virtue he was good; he was liberal, and knight with the best.

keenadjectiveUS /kiːn/

having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions

From this reading All Arthur's folk was greatly emboldened, for Walwain the keen, that was come to the host; and for his father Loth, who was chosen to be king.

kingnounUS /kɪŋ/

a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom

From this reading All Arthur's folk was greatly emboldened, for Walwain the keen, that was come to the host; and for his father Loth, who was chosen to be king.

kingsnounUS /kɪŋz/

plural of “king” — a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom

From this reading The yet called Arthur, noblest of kings: "Where be ye, my Britons?

knightnounUS /naɪt/

originally a person of noble birth trained to arms and chivalry; today in Great Britain a person honored by the sovereign for personal merit

From this reading Then was Walwain thither come, Loth's eldest son; from the pope of Rome, who was named Supplice, who long had him brought up, and made him knight.

liberaladjectiveUS /ˈlɪbɜːrəl/

showing or characterized by broad-mindedness

From this reading Full well was it bestowed, that Walwain was born to be man, for Walwain was full noble-minded, in each virtue he was good; he was liberal, and knight with the best.

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 Then was Walwain thither come, Loth's eldest son; from the pope of Rome, who was named Supplice, who long had him brought up, and made him knight.

LothadjectiveUS /lɑːθ/

unwillingness to do something contrary to your custom

From this reading All Arthur's folk was greatly emboldened, for Walwain the keen, that was come to the host; and for his father Loth, who was chosen to be king.

Loth's

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

From this reading Then was Walwain thither come, Loth's eldest son; from the pope of Rome, who was named Supplice, who long had him brought up, and made him knight.

lovenounUS /lʌv/

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading Then spake Arthur with him, and bade him hold good peace, and bade him love his peaceful people, and those that would not hold peace, to fell them to ground.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading Then was Walwain thither come, Loth's eldest son; from the pope of Rome, who was named Supplice, who long had him brought up, and made him knight.

mannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading Full well was it bestowed, that Walwain was born to be man, for Walwain was full noble-minded, in each virtue he was good; he was liberal, and knight with the best.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading The yet called Arthur, noblest of kings: "Where be ye, my Britons?

namedverbUS /neɪmd/

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

From this reading Then was Walwain thither come, Loth's eldest son; from the pope of Rome, who was named Supplice, who long had him brought up, and made him knight.

noble-mindedadjective

of high moral or intellectual value; elevated in nature or style

From this reading Full well was it bestowed, that Walwain was born to be man, for Walwain was full noble-minded, in each virtue he was good; he was liberal, and knight with the best.

noblestadjectiveUS /ˈnoʊblɪst/

superlative of “noble” — impressive in appearance

From this reading The yet called Arthur, noblest of kings: "Where be ye, my Britons?

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Then spake Arthur with him, and bade him hold good peace, and bade him love his peaceful people, and those that would not hold peace, to fell them to ground.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Then was Walwain thither come, Loth's eldest son; from the pope of Rome, who was named Supplice, who long had him brought up, and made him knight.

peacenounUS /piːs/

the state prevailing during the absence of war

From this reading Then spake Arthur with him, and bade him hold good peace, and bade him love his peaceful people, and those that would not hold peace, to fell them to ground.

peacefuladjectiveUS /ˈpiːsfəl/

not disturbed by strife or turmoil or war

From this reading Then spake Arthur with him, and bade him hold good peace, and bade him love his peaceful people, and those that would not hold peace, to fell them to ground.

peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading Then spake Arthur with him, and bade him hold good peace, and bade him love his peaceful people, and those that would not hold peace, to fell them to ground.

popenounUS /poʊp/

the head of the Roman Catholic Church

From this reading Then was Walwain thither come, Loth's eldest son; from the pope of Rome, who was named Supplice, who long had him brought up, and made him knight.

RomenounUS /roʊm/

capital and largest city of Italy; on the Tiber; seat of the Roman Catholic Church; formerly the capital of the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire

From this reading Then was Walwain thither come, Loth's eldest son; from the pope of Rome, who was named Supplice, who long had him brought up, and made him knight.

sonnounUS /sʌn/

a male human offspring

From this reading Then was Walwain thither come, Loth's eldest son; from the pope of Rome, who was named Supplice, who long had him brought up, and made him knight.

spake

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

From this reading Then spake Arthur with him, and bade him hold good peace, and bade him love his peaceful people, and those that would not hold peace, to fell them to ground.

Supplice

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

From this reading Then was Walwain thither come, Loth's eldest son; from the pope of Rome, who was named Supplice, who long had him brought up, and made him knight.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Full well was it bestowed, that Walwain was born to be man, for Walwain was full noble-minded, in each virtue he was good; he was liberal, and knight with the best.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Then was Walwain thither come, Loth's eldest son; from the pope of Rome, who was named Supplice, who long had him brought up, and made him knight.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Then spake Arthur with him, and bade him hold good peace, and bade him love his peaceful people, and those that would not hold peace, to fell them to ground.

ThenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Then was Walwain thither come, Loth's eldest son; from the pope of Rome, who was named Supplice, who long had him brought up, and made him knight.

thitheradverbUS /ˈðɪθɜːr/

an old word meaning “to that place”

From this reading Then was Walwain thither come, Loth's eldest son; from the pope of Rome, who was named Supplice, who long had him brought up, and made him knight.

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading Then spake Arthur with him, and bade him hold good peace, and bade him love his peaceful people, and those that would not hold peace, to fell them to ground.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Full well was it bestowed, that Walwain was born to be man, for Walwain was full noble-minded, in each virtue he was good; he was liberal, and knight with the best.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading Then was Walwain thither come, Loth's eldest son; from the pope of Rome, who was named Supplice, who long had him brought up, and made him knight.

virtuenounUS /ˈvɝː.tʃuː/

Moral excellence and goodness of character; the highest human attainment in Stoic philosophy.

From this reading Full well was it bestowed, that Walwain was born to be man, for Walwain was full noble-minded, in each virtue he was good; he was liberal, and knight with the best.

Walwain

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

From this reading Then was Walwain thither come, Loth's eldest son; from the pope of Rome, who was named Supplice, who long had him brought up, and made him knight.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Then was Walwain thither come, Loth's eldest son; from the pope of Rome, who was named Supplice, who long had him brought up, and made him knight.

welladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading Full well was it bestowed, that Walwain was born to be man, for Walwain was full noble-minded, in each virtue he was good; he was liberal, and knight with the best.

WhereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading The yet called Arthur, noblest of kings: "Where be ye, my Britons?

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading Then was Walwain thither come, Loth's eldest son; from the pope of Rome, who was named Supplice, who long had him brought up, and made him knight.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Full well was it bestowed, that Walwain was born to be man, for Walwain was full noble-minded, in each virtue he was good; he was liberal, and knight with the best.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading Then spake Arthur with him, and bade him hold good peace, and bade him love his peaceful people, and those that would not hold peace, to fell them to ground.

yepronounUS /jiː/

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

From this reading The yet called Arthur, noblest of kings: "Where be ye, my Britons?

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading The yet called Arthur, noblest of kings: "Where be ye, my Britons?

Chapter 5 of Layamon's Brut by active 1200 Layamon holds 400 sentences, grouped into 80 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 Layamon's Brut contain?

Chapter 5 holds 400 sentences of Layamon's Brut, unabridged, divided into 80 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 5 of Layamon's Brut by active 1200 Layamon exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 400 sentences, grouped into 80 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 Layamon's Brut?

Work through the 80 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 80 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 Layamon's Brut

Common questions about reading Layamon's Brut by active 1200 Layamon on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Layamon's Brut?

Yes. All 2400 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #14305 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Layamon's Brut is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #14305, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Layamon's Brut take to read?

About 200 minutes of reading across 480 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Layamon's Brut section by section

How to work through Layamon's Brut section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 6 chapters of Layamon's Brut 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 Layamon's Brut

Words and structures a reader meets early in Layamon's Brut, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Totnes
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Layamon's Brut; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Constantin
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Layamon's Brut; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Ashore
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Layamon's Brut; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Thither
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Layamon's Brut; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.