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St. Ronan's Well
St. Ronan's Well

Chapter XXV · Chapter 25

Chapter 25 of St. Ronan's Well is here in full — 112 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/22 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
EXPLANATORY.
----By your leave, gentle wax.
SHAKSPEARE.
In the hall of Shaws-Castle the Earl of Etherington met Mowbray, returned from his fruitless chase after the bearer of the anonymous epistle before recited; and who had but just learned, on his return, that the Earl of Etherington was with his sister.
There was a degree of mutual confusion when they met; for Mowbray had the contents of the anonymous letter fresh in his mind, and Lord Etherington, notwithstanding all the coolness which he had endeavoured to maintain, had not gone through the scene with Clara without discomposure.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

St. Ronan's Well

Chapter XXV · Chapter 25

Chapter 25 of St. Ronan's Well is here in full — 112 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/22 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
EXPLANATORY.
/ɪkˈsplænətɔːri/
Line 2
----By your leave, gentle wax.
/baɪ jɔːr liːv ˈdʒentəl wæks/
Line 3
SHAKSPEARE.
Line 4
In the hall of Shaws-Castle the Earl of Etherington met Mowbray, returned from his fruitless chase after the bearer of the anonymous epistle before recited; and who had but just learned, on his return, that the Earl of Etherington was with his sister.
Line 5
There was a degree of mutual confusion when they met; for Mowbray had the contents of the anonymous letter fresh in his mind, and Lord Etherington, notwithstanding all the coolness which he had endeavoured to maintain, had not gone through the scene with Clara without discomposure.

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.

anonymous adjective US /əˈnɑːnəməs/

having no known name or identity or known source

From this reading “In the hall of Shaws-Castle the Earl of Etherington met Mowbray, returned from his fruitless chase after the bearer of the anonymous epistle before recited; and who had but just learned, on his return, that the Earl of Etherington was with his sister.”

bearer noun US /ˈberər/

someone whose employment involves carrying something

From this reading “In the hall of Shaws-Castle the Earl of Etherington met Mowbray, returned from his fruitless chase after the bearer of the anonymous epistle before recited; and who had but just learned, on his return, that the Earl of Etherington was with his sister.”

coolness noun US /ˈkuːlnəs/

calm and unruffled self-assurance

From this reading “There was a degree of mutual confusion when they met; for Mowbray had the contents of the anonymous letter fresh in his mind, and Lord Etherington, notwithstanding all the coolness which he had endeavoured to maintain, had not gone through the scene with Clara without discomposure.”

epistle noun US /ɪˈpɪsəl/

a specially long, formal letter

From this reading “In the hall of Shaws-Castle the Earl of Etherington met Mowbray, returned from his fruitless chase after the bearer of the anonymous epistle before recited; and who had but just learned, on his return, that the Earl of Etherington was with his sister.”

explanatory adjective US /ɪkˈsplænətɔːri/

serving or intended to explain or make clear

From this reading “EXPLANATORY.”

fruitless adjective US /ˈfruːtləs/

unproductive of success

From this reading “In the hall of Shaws-Castle the Earl of Etherington met Mowbray, returned from his fruitless chase after the bearer of the anonymous epistle before recited; and who had but just learned, on his return, that the Earl of Etherington was with his sister.”

recited verb US /rəˈsaɪtɪd/

past form of “recite” — recite in elocution

From this reading “In the hall of Shaws-Castle the Earl of Etherington met Mowbray, returned from his fruitless chase after the bearer of the anonymous epistle before recited; and who had but just learned, on his return, that the Earl of Etherington was with his sister.”

wax verb US /wæks/

cover with wax

From this reading “----By your leave, gentle wax.”

All words in this reading · 67

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 There was a degree of mutual confusion when they met; for Mowbray had the contents of the anonymous letter fresh in his mind, and Lord Etherington, notwithstanding all the coolness which he had endeavoured to maintain, had not gone through the scene with Clara without discomposure.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading In the hall of Shaws-Castle the Earl of Etherington met Mowbray, returned from his fruitless chase after the bearer of the anonymous epistle before recited; and who had but just learned, on his return, that the Earl of Etherington was with his sister.

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 There was a degree of mutual confusion when they met; for Mowbray had the contents of the anonymous letter fresh in his mind, and Lord Etherington, notwithstanding all the coolness which he had endeavoured to maintain, had not gone through the scene with Clara without discomposure.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading In the hall of Shaws-Castle the Earl of Etherington met Mowbray, returned from his fruitless chase after the bearer of the anonymous epistle before recited; and who had but just learned, on his return, that the Earl of Etherington was with his sister.

anonymousadjectiveUS /əˈnɑːnəməs/

having no known name or identity or known source

From this reading In the hall of Shaws-Castle the Earl of Etherington met Mowbray, returned from his fruitless chase after the bearer of the anonymous epistle before recited; and who had but just learned, on his return, that the Earl of Etherington was with his sister.

bearernounUS /ˈberər/

someone whose employment involves carrying something

From this reading In the hall of Shaws-Castle the Earl of Etherington met Mowbray, returned from his fruitless chase after the bearer of the anonymous epistle before recited; and who had but just learned, on his return, that the Earl of Etherington was with his sister.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading In the hall of Shaws-Castle the Earl of Etherington met Mowbray, returned from his fruitless chase after the bearer of the anonymous epistle before recited; and who had but just learned, on his return, that the Earl of Etherington was with his sister.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading In the hall of Shaws-Castle the Earl of Etherington met Mowbray, returned from his fruitless chase after the bearer of the anonymous epistle before recited; and who had but just learned, on his return, that the Earl of Etherington was with his sister.

ByprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading ----By your leave, gentle wax.

chaseverbUS /tʃeɪs/

go after with the intent to catch

From this reading In the hall of Shaws-Castle the Earl of Etherington met Mowbray, returned from his fruitless chase after the bearer of the anonymous epistle before recited; and who had but just learned, on his return, that the Earl of Etherington was with his sister.

Clara

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

From this reading There was a degree of mutual confusion when they met; for Mowbray had the contents of the anonymous letter fresh in his mind, and Lord Etherington, notwithstanding all the coolness which he had endeavoured to maintain, had not gone through the scene with Clara without discomposure.

confusionnounUS /kənˈfjuːʒən/

disorder resulting from a failure to behave predictably

From this reading There was a degree of mutual confusion when they met; for Mowbray had the contents of the anonymous letter fresh in his mind, and Lord Etherington, notwithstanding all the coolness which he had endeavoured to maintain, had not gone through the scene with Clara without discomposure.

contentsnounUS /ˈkɑːntents/

(usually plural) everything that is included in a collection and that is held or included in something

From this reading There was a degree of mutual confusion when they met; for Mowbray had the contents of the anonymous letter fresh in his mind, and Lord Etherington, notwithstanding all the coolness which he had endeavoured to maintain, had not gone through the scene with Clara without discomposure.

coolnessnounUS /ˈkuːlnəs/

calm and unruffled self-assurance

From this reading There was a degree of mutual confusion when they met; for Mowbray had the contents of the anonymous letter fresh in his mind, and Lord Etherington, notwithstanding all the coolness which he had endeavoured to maintain, had not gone through the scene with Clara without discomposure.

degreenounUS /dɪˈɡriː/

a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality

From this reading There was a degree of mutual confusion when they met; for Mowbray had the contents of the anonymous letter fresh in his mind, and Lord Etherington, notwithstanding all the coolness which he had endeavoured to maintain, had not gone through the scene with Clara without discomposure.

discomposurenoun

anxious embarrassment

From this reading There was a degree of mutual confusion when they met; for Mowbray had the contents of the anonymous letter fresh in his mind, and Lord Etherington, notwithstanding all the coolness which he had endeavoured to maintain, had not gone through the scene with Clara without discomposure.

EarlnounUS /ɜːrl/

a British peer ranking below a marquess and above a viscount

From this reading In the hall of Shaws-Castle the Earl of Etherington met Mowbray, returned from his fruitless chase after the bearer of the anonymous epistle before recited; and who had but just learned, on his return, that the Earl of Etherington was with his sister.

endeavoured

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

From this reading There was a degree of mutual confusion when they met; for Mowbray had the contents of the anonymous letter fresh in his mind, and Lord Etherington, notwithstanding all the coolness which he had endeavoured to maintain, had not gone through the scene with Clara without discomposure.

epistlenounUS /ɪˈpɪsəl/

a specially long, formal letter

From this reading In the hall of Shaws-Castle the Earl of Etherington met Mowbray, returned from his fruitless chase after the bearer of the anonymous epistle before recited; and who had but just learned, on his return, that the Earl of Etherington was with his sister.

Etherington

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

From this reading In the hall of Shaws-Castle the Earl of Etherington met Mowbray, returned from his fruitless chase after the bearer of the anonymous epistle before recited; and who had but just learned, on his return, that the Earl of Etherington was with his sister.

EXPLANATORYadjectiveUS /ɪkˈsplænətɔːri/

serving or intended to explain or make clear

From this reading EXPLANATORY.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading There was a degree of mutual confusion when they met; for Mowbray had the contents of the anonymous letter fresh in his mind, and Lord Etherington, notwithstanding all the coolness which he had endeavoured to maintain, had not gone through the scene with Clara without discomposure.

freshadjectiveUS /freʃ/

recently made, produced, or harvested

From this reading There was a degree of mutual confusion when they met; for Mowbray had the contents of the anonymous letter fresh in his mind, and Lord Etherington, notwithstanding all the coolness which he had endeavoured to maintain, had not gone through the scene with Clara without discomposure.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading In the hall of Shaws-Castle the Earl of Etherington met Mowbray, returned from his fruitless chase after the bearer of the anonymous epistle before recited; and who had but just learned, on his return, that the Earl of Etherington was with his sister.

fruitlessadjectiveUS /ˈfruːtləs/

unproductive of success

From this reading In the hall of Shaws-Castle the Earl of Etherington met Mowbray, returned from his fruitless chase after the bearer of the anonymous epistle before recited; and who had but just learned, on his return, that the Earl of Etherington was with his sister.

gentleadjectiveUS /ˈdʒentəl/

soft and mild; not harsh or stern or severe

From this reading ----By your leave, gentle wax.

goneadjectiveUS /ɡɔːn/

destroyed or killed

From this reading There was a degree of mutual confusion when they met; for Mowbray had the contents of the anonymous letter fresh in his mind, and Lord Etherington, notwithstanding all the coolness which he had endeavoured to maintain, had not gone through the scene with Clara without discomposure.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading In the hall of Shaws-Castle the Earl of Etherington met Mowbray, returned from his fruitless chase after the bearer of the anonymous epistle before recited; and who had but just learned, on his return, that the Earl of Etherington was with his sister.

hallnounUS /hɔːl/

an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open

From this reading In the hall of Shaws-Castle the Earl of Etherington met Mowbray, returned from his fruitless chase after the bearer of the anonymous epistle before recited; and who had but just learned, on his return, that the Earl of Etherington was with his sister.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading There was a degree of mutual confusion when they met; for Mowbray had the contents of the anonymous letter fresh in his mind, and Lord Etherington, notwithstanding all the coolness which he had endeavoured to maintain, had not gone through the scene with Clara without discomposure.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading In the hall of Shaws-Castle the Earl of Etherington met Mowbray, returned from his fruitless chase after the bearer of the anonymous epistle before recited; and who had but just learned, on his return, that the Earl of Etherington was with his sister.

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading In the hall of Shaws-Castle the Earl of Etherington met Mowbray, returned from his fruitless chase after the bearer of the anonymous epistle before recited; and who had but just learned, on his return, that the Earl of Etherington was with his sister.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading In the hall of Shaws-Castle the Earl of Etherington met Mowbray, returned from his fruitless chase after the bearer of the anonymous epistle before recited; and who had but just learned, on his return, that the Earl of Etherington was with his sister.

learnedadjectiveUS /lɜːrnd/

having or showing profound knowledge

From this reading In the hall of Shaws-Castle the Earl of Etherington met Mowbray, returned from his fruitless chase after the bearer of the anonymous epistle before recited; and who had but just learned, on his return, that the Earl of Etherington was with his sister.

leaveverbUS /liːv/

go away from a place

From this reading ----By your leave, gentle wax.

letternounUS /ˈletər/

a written message addressed to a person or organization

From this reading There was a degree of mutual confusion when they met; for Mowbray had the contents of the anonymous letter fresh in his mind, and Lord Etherington, notwithstanding all the coolness which he had endeavoured to maintain, had not gone through the scene with Clara without discomposure.

LordnounUS /lɔːrd/

terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God

From this reading There was a degree of mutual confusion when they met; for Mowbray had the contents of the anonymous letter fresh in his mind, and Lord Etherington, notwithstanding all the coolness which he had endeavoured to maintain, had not gone through the scene with Clara without discomposure.

maintainverbUS /meɪnˈteɪn/

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

From this reading There was a degree of mutual confusion when they met; for Mowbray had the contents of the anonymous letter fresh in his mind, and Lord Etherington, notwithstanding all the coolness which he had endeavoured to maintain, had not gone through the scene with Clara without discomposure.

metverbUS /met/

inflected form of “meet” — come together

From this reading In the hall of Shaws-Castle the Earl of Etherington met Mowbray, returned from his fruitless chase after the bearer of the anonymous epistle before recited; and who had but just learned, on his return, that the Earl of Etherington was with his sister.

mindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading There was a degree of mutual confusion when they met; for Mowbray had the contents of the anonymous letter fresh in his mind, and Lord Etherington, notwithstanding all the coolness which he had endeavoured to maintain, had not gone through the scene with Clara without discomposure.

Mowbray

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

From this reading In the hall of Shaws-Castle the Earl of Etherington met Mowbray, returned from his fruitless chase after the bearer of the anonymous epistle before recited; and who had but just learned, on his return, that the Earl of Etherington was with his sister.

mutualadjectiveUS /ˈmjuːtʃuːəl/

common to or shared by two or more parties

From this reading There was a degree of mutual confusion when they met; for Mowbray had the contents of the anonymous letter fresh in his mind, and Lord Etherington, notwithstanding all the coolness which he had endeavoured to maintain, had not gone through the scene with Clara without discomposure.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading There was a degree of mutual confusion when they met; for Mowbray had the contents of the anonymous letter fresh in his mind, and Lord Etherington, notwithstanding all the coolness which he had endeavoured to maintain, had not gone through the scene with Clara without discomposure.

notwithstandingadverbUS /ˌnɑːtwɪθˈstændɪŋ/

despite anything to the contrary (usually preceding a concession)

From this reading There was a degree of mutual confusion when they met; for Mowbray had the contents of the anonymous letter fresh in his mind, and Lord Etherington, notwithstanding all the coolness which he had endeavoured to maintain, had not gone through the scene with Clara without discomposure.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading In the hall of Shaws-Castle the Earl of Etherington met Mowbray, returned from his fruitless chase after the bearer of the anonymous epistle before recited; and who had but just learned, on his return, that the Earl of Etherington was with his sister.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading In the hall of Shaws-Castle the Earl of Etherington met Mowbray, returned from his fruitless chase after the bearer of the anonymous epistle before recited; and who had but just learned, on his return, that the Earl of Etherington was with his sister.

recitedverbUS /rəˈsaɪtɪd/

past form of “recite” — recite in elocution

From this reading In the hall of Shaws-Castle the Earl of Etherington met Mowbray, returned from his fruitless chase after the bearer of the anonymous epistle before recited; and who had but just learned, on his return, that the Earl of Etherington was with his sister.

returnverbUS /rɪˈtɜːrn/

go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before

From this reading In the hall of Shaws-Castle the Earl of Etherington met Mowbray, returned from his fruitless chase after the bearer of the anonymous epistle before recited; and who had but just learned, on his return, that the Earl of Etherington was with his sister.

returnedverbUS /rɪˈtɜːrnd/

past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before

From this reading In the hall of Shaws-Castle the Earl of Etherington met Mowbray, returned from his fruitless chase after the bearer of the anonymous epistle before recited; and who had but just learned, on his return, that the Earl of Etherington was with his sister.

scenenounUS /siːn/

the place where some action occurs

From this reading There was a degree of mutual confusion when they met; for Mowbray had the contents of the anonymous letter fresh in his mind, and Lord Etherington, notwithstanding all the coolness which he had endeavoured to maintain, had not gone through the scene with Clara without discomposure.

SHAKSPEARE

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

From this reading SHAKSPEARE.

Shaws-Castle

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

From this reading In the hall of Shaws-Castle the Earl of Etherington met Mowbray, returned from his fruitless chase after the bearer of the anonymous epistle before recited; and who had but just learned, on his return, that the Earl of Etherington was with his sister.

sisternounUS /ˈsɪstər/

a female person who has the same parents as another person

From this reading In the hall of Shaws-Castle the Earl of Etherington met Mowbray, returned from his fruitless chase after the bearer of the anonymous epistle before recited; and who had but just learned, on his return, that the Earl of Etherington was with his sister.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading In the hall of Shaws-Castle the Earl of Etherington met Mowbray, returned from his fruitless chase after the bearer of the anonymous epistle before recited; and who had but just learned, on his return, that the Earl of Etherington was with his sister.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading In the hall of Shaws-Castle the Earl of Etherington met Mowbray, returned from his fruitless chase after the bearer of the anonymous epistle before recited; and who had but just learned, on his return, that the Earl of Etherington was with his sister.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading There was a degree of mutual confusion when they met; for Mowbray had the contents of the anonymous letter fresh in his mind, and Lord Etherington, notwithstanding all the coolness which he had endeavoured to maintain, had not gone through the scene with Clara without discomposure.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading There was a degree of mutual confusion when they met; for Mowbray had the contents of the anonymous letter fresh in his mind, and Lord Etherington, notwithstanding all the coolness which he had endeavoured to maintain, had not gone through the scene with Clara without discomposure.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading There was a degree of mutual confusion when they met; for Mowbray had the contents of the anonymous letter fresh in his mind, and Lord Etherington, notwithstanding all the coolness which he had endeavoured to maintain, had not gone through the scene with Clara without discomposure.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading There was a degree of mutual confusion when they met; for Mowbray had the contents of the anonymous letter fresh in his mind, and Lord Etherington, notwithstanding all the coolness which he had endeavoured to maintain, had not gone through the scene with Clara without discomposure.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading In the hall of Shaws-Castle the Earl of Etherington met Mowbray, returned from his fruitless chase after the bearer of the anonymous epistle before recited; and who had but just learned, on his return, that the Earl of Etherington was with his sister.

waxverbUS /wæks/

cover with wax

From this reading ----By your leave, gentle wax.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading There was a degree of mutual confusion when they met; for Mowbray had the contents of the anonymous letter fresh in his mind, and Lord Etherington, notwithstanding all the coolness which he had endeavoured to maintain, had not gone through the scene with Clara without discomposure.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading There was a degree of mutual confusion when they met; for Mowbray had the contents of the anonymous letter fresh in his mind, and Lord Etherington, notwithstanding all the coolness which he had endeavoured to maintain, had not gone through the scene with Clara without discomposure.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading In the hall of Shaws-Castle the Earl of Etherington met Mowbray, returned from his fruitless chase after the bearer of the anonymous epistle before recited; and who had but just learned, on his return, that the Earl of Etherington was with his sister.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading In the hall of Shaws-Castle the Earl of Etherington met Mowbray, returned from his fruitless chase after the bearer of the anonymous epistle before recited; and who had but just learned, on his return, that the Earl of Etherington was with his sister.

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading There was a degree of mutual confusion when they met; for Mowbray had the contents of the anonymous letter fresh in his mind, and Lord Etherington, notwithstanding all the coolness which he had endeavoured to maintain, had not gone through the scene with Clara without discomposure.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading ----By your leave, gentle wax.

Chapter 25 of St. Ronan's Well by Walter Scott holds 112 sentences, grouped into 23 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 25 of St. Ronan's Well contain?

Chapter 25 holds 112 sentences of St. Ronan's Well, unabridged, divided into 23 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 25 of St. Ronan's Well by Walter Scott exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 112 sentences, grouped into 23 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 25 of St. Ronan's Well?

Work through the 23 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 23 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 25 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 25 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 St. Ronan's Well

Common questions about reading St. Ronan's Well by Walter Scott on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of St. Ronan's Well?

Yes. All 5368 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #20749 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of St. Ronan's Well is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #20749, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does St. Ronan's Well take to read?

About 447 minutes of reading across 1074 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read St. Ronan's Well section by section

How to work through St. Ronan's Well section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 39 chapters of St. Ronan's Well 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 St. Ronan's Well

Words and structures a reader meets early in St. Ronan's Well, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Old-world
A word that appears in the opening chapter of St. Ronan's Well; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Landlady
A word that appears in the opening chapter of St. Ronan's Well; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Breweth
A word that appears in the opening chapter of St. Ronan's Well; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Thereof
A word that appears in the opening chapter of St. Ronan's Well; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.