Chapter 1 of Old Mortality, Complete is here in full — 438 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Old Mortality, Complete is here in full — 438 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Volume I. EDITOR’S INTRODUCTION TO OLD MORTALITY. The origin of “Old Mortality,” perhaps the best of Scott’s historical romances, is well known. In May, 1816, Mr. Joseph Train, the gauger from Galloway, breakfasted with Scott in Castle Street. He brought gifts in his hand,--a relic of Rob Roy, and a parcel of traditions.
Chapter 1 of Old Mortality, Complete is here in full — 438 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/87 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
possessive form of “editor” — a person responsible for the editorial aspects of publication; the person who determines the final content of a text (especially of a newspaper or magazine)
a district in southwestern Scotland
From this reading “In May, 1816, Mr. Joseph Train, the gauger from Galloway, breakfasted with Scott in Castle Street.”
the quality or state of being mortal
From this reading “EDITOR’S INTRODUCTION TO OLD MORTALITY.”
a wrapped container
From this reading “He brought gifts in his hand,--a relic of Rob Roy, and a parcel of traditions.”
an antiquity that has survived from the distant past
From this reading “He brought gifts in his hand,--a relic of Rob Roy, and a parcel of traditions.”
plural of “romance” — a relationship between two lovers
From this reading “The origin of “Old Mortality,” perhaps the best of Scott’s historical romances, is well known.”
possessive form of “scott” — award-winning United States film actor (1928-1999)
plural of “tradition” — an inherited pattern of thought or action
From this reading “He brought gifts in his hand,--a relic of Rob Roy, and a parcel of traditions.”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In May, 1816, Mr. Joseph Train, the gauger from Galloway, breakfasted with Scott in Castle Street.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He brought gifts in his hand,--a relic of Rob Roy, and a parcel of traditions.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He brought gifts in his hand,--a relic of Rob Roy, and a parcel of traditions.
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading The origin of “Old Mortality,” perhaps the best of Scott’s historical romances, is well known.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In May, 1816, Mr. Joseph Train, the gauger from Galloway, breakfasted with Scott in Castle Street.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading He brought gifts in his hand,--a relic of Rob Roy, and a parcel of traditions.
a large and stately mansion
From this reading In May, 1816, Mr. Joseph Train, the gauger from Galloway, breakfasted with Scott in Castle Street.
possessive form of “editor” — a person responsible for the editorial aspects of publication; the person who determines the final content of a text (especially of a newspaper or magazine)
From this reading EDITOR’S INTRODUCTION TO OLD MORTALITY.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading In May, 1816, Mr. Joseph Train, the gauger from Galloway, breakfasted with Scott in Castle Street.
a district in southwestern Scotland
From this reading In May, 1816, Mr. Joseph Train, the gauger from Galloway, breakfasted with Scott in Castle Street.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In May, 1816, Mr. Joseph Train, the gauger from Galloway, breakfasted with Scott in Castle Street.
plural of “gift” — something acquired without compensation
From this reading He brought gifts in his hand,--a relic of Rob Roy, and a parcel of traditions.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading He brought gifts in his hand,--a relic of Rob Roy, and a parcel of traditions.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He brought gifts in his hand,--a relic of Rob Roy, and a parcel of traditions.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He brought gifts in his hand,--a relic of Rob Roy, and a parcel of traditions.
of or relating to the study of history
From this reading The origin of “Old Mortality,” perhaps the best of Scott’s historical romances, is well known.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Volume I.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In May, 1816, Mr. Joseph Train, the gauger from Galloway, breakfasted with Scott in Castle Street.
the act of beginning something new
From this reading EDITOR’S INTRODUCTION TO OLD MORTALITY.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The origin of “Old Mortality,” perhaps the best of Scott’s historical romances, is well known.
leader of the Nez Perce in their retreat from United States troops (1840-1904)
From this reading In May, 1816, Mr. Joseph Train, the gauger from Galloway, breakfasted with Scott in Castle Street.
apprehended with certainty
From this reading The origin of “Old Mortality,” perhaps the best of Scott’s historical romances, is well known.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading In May, 1816, Mr. Joseph Train, the gauger from Galloway, breakfasted with Scott in Castle Street.
the quality or state of being mortal
From this reading EDITOR’S INTRODUCTION TO OLD MORTALITY.
a form of address for a man
From this reading In May, 1816, Mr. Joseph Train, the gauger from Galloway, breakfasted with Scott in Castle Street.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The origin of “Old Mortality,” perhaps the best of Scott’s historical romances, is well known.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading EDITOR’S INTRODUCTION TO OLD MORTALITY.
the place where something begins, where it springs into being
From this reading The origin of “Old Mortality,” perhaps the best of Scott’s historical romances, is well known.
a wrapped container
From this reading He brought gifts in his hand,--a relic of Rob Roy, and a parcel of traditions.
by chance
From this reading The origin of “Old Mortality,” perhaps the best of Scott’s historical romances, is well known.
an antiquity that has survived from the distant past
From this reading He brought gifts in his hand,--a relic of Rob Roy, and a parcel of traditions.
take something away by force or without the consent of the owner
From this reading He brought gifts in his hand,--a relic of Rob Roy, and a parcel of traditions.
plural of “romance” — a relationship between two lovers
From this reading The origin of “Old Mortality,” perhaps the best of Scott’s historical romances, is well known.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He brought gifts in his hand,--a relic of Rob Roy, and a parcel of traditions.
award-winning United States film actor (1928-1999)
From this reading In May, 1816, Mr. Joseph Train, the gauger from Galloway, breakfasted with Scott in Castle Street.
possessive form of “scott” — award-winning United States film actor (1928-1999)
From this reading The origin of “Old Mortality,” perhaps the best of Scott’s historical romances, is well known.
a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
From this reading In May, 1816, Mr. Joseph Train, the gauger from Galloway, breakfasted with Scott in Castle Street.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The origin of “Old Mortality,” perhaps the best of Scott’s historical romances, is well known.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading EDITOR’S INTRODUCTION TO OLD MORTALITY.
plural of “tradition” — an inherited pattern of thought or action
From this reading He brought gifts in his hand,--a relic of Rob Roy, and a parcel of traditions.
create by training and teaching
From this reading In May, 1816, Mr. Joseph Train, the gauger from Galloway, breakfasted with Scott in Castle Street.
the amount of 3-dimensional space occupied by an object
From this reading Volume I.
(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 The origin of “Old Mortality,” perhaps the best of Scott’s historical romances, is well known.
in the company of; together with
From this reading In May, 1816, Mr. Joseph Train, the gauger from Galloway, breakfasted with Scott in Castle Street.
Chapter 1 of Old Mortality, Complete by Walter Scott holds 438 sentences, grouped into 88 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.
Chapter 1 holds 438 sentences of Old Mortality, Complete, unabridged, divided into 88 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Old Mortality, Complete by Walter Scott exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 438 sentences, grouped into 88 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.
Work through the 88 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 88 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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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.
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Words and structures a reader meets early in Old Mortality, Complete, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
