Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Bruce is here in full — 341 sentences across 69 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
W. M. MACKENZIE, M.A., F.S.A. (SCOT.) AUTHOR OF “AN OUTLINE OF SCOTTISH HISTORY,” ETC. 1. MSS.
The Bruce
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Bruce is here in full — 341 sentences across 69 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
English subtitles · tap any word to listen
1 / 5
W.
M.
MACKENZIE,
M.A.,
F.S.A.
(SCOT.)
AUTHOR
OF
“AN
OUTLINE
OF
SCOTTISH
HISTORY,”
ETC.
1.
MSS.
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
The Bruce
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Bruce is here in full — 341 sentences across 69 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/68 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
Line 1
W.
M.
MACKENZIE,
M.A.,
F.S.A.
Line 2
(SCOT.)
/skɑːt/
Line 3
AUTHOR
OF
“AN
OUTLINE
OF
SCOTTISH
HISTORY,”
ETC.
Line 4
1.
Line 5
MSS.
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.
writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading “AUTHOR OF “AN OUTLINE OF SCOTTISH HISTORY,” ETC.”
the aggregate of past events
From this reading “AUTHOR OF “AN OUTLINE OF SCOTTISH HISTORY,” ETC.”
mackenzie
noun
US /məˈkenzi/
Canadian explorer (born in England) who explored the Mackenzie River and who was first to cross North America by land north of Mexico (1764-1820)
From this reading “W. M. MACKENZIE, M.A., F.S.A.”
outline
noun
US /ˈaʊtlaɪn/
the line that appears to bound an object
From this reading “AUTHOR OF “AN OUTLINE OF SCOTTISH HISTORY,” ETC.”
scot
noun
US /skɑːt/
a native or inhabitant of Scotland
From this reading “(SCOT.)”
scottish
noun
US /ˈskɑːtɪʃ/
the dialect of English used in Scotland
From this reading “AUTHOR OF “AN OUTLINE OF SCOTTISH HISTORY,” ETC.”
Word partnerships in these lines
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
All words in this reading · 16
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.
1
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 1.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading W. M. MACKENZIE, M.A., F.S.A.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading AUTHOR OF “AN OUTLINE OF SCOTTISH HISTORY,” ETC.
writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading AUTHOR OF “AN OUTLINE OF SCOTTISH HISTORY,” ETC.
ETC
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading AUTHOR OF “AN OUTLINE OF SCOTTISH HISTORY,” ETC.
a degree on the Fahrenheit scale of temperature
From this reading W. M. MACKENZIE, M.A., F.S.A.
the aggregate of past events
From this reading AUTHOR OF “AN OUTLINE OF SCOTTISH HISTORY,” ETC.
the basic unit of length adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites (approximately 1.094 yards)
From this reading W. M. MACKENZIE, M.A., F.S.A.
MACKENZIEnounUS /məˈkenzi/
Canadian explorer (born in England) who explored the Mackenzie River and who was first to cross North America by land north of Mexico (1764-1820)
From this reading W. M. MACKENZIE, M.A., F.S.A.
MSS
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading MSS.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading AUTHOR OF “AN OUTLINE OF SCOTTISH HISTORY,” ETC.
OUTLINEnounUS /ˈaʊtlaɪn/
the line that appears to bound an object
From this reading AUTHOR OF “AN OUTLINE OF SCOTTISH HISTORY,” ETC.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading W. M. MACKENZIE, M.A., F.S.A.
SCOTnounUS /skɑːt/
a native or inhabitant of Scotland
From this reading (SCOT.)
SCOTTISHnounUS /ˈskɑːtɪʃ/
the dialect of English used in Scotland
From this reading AUTHOR OF “AN OUTLINE OF SCOTTISH HISTORY,” ETC.
a heavy grey-white metallic element; the pure form is used mainly in electrical applications; it is found in several ores including wolframite and scheelite
From this reading W. M. MACKENZIE, M.A., F.S.A.
Chapter 1 of The Bruce by John, -1395 Barbour holds 341 sentences, grouped into 69 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 1 of The Bruce contain?
Chapter 1 holds 341 sentences of The Bruce, unabridged, divided into 69 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The Bruce by John, -1395 Barbour exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 341 sentences, grouped into 69 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 1 of The Bruce?
Work through the 69 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 69 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 1 be read aloud to me?
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.
Questions about reading The Bruce
Common questions about reading The Bruce by John, -1395 Barbour on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Is this the complete text of The Bruce?
Yes. All 8217 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #44292 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Which edition of The Bruce is used?
Project Gutenberg eBook #44292, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
How long does The Bruce take to read?
About 600 minutes of reading across 1644 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to read The Bruce section by section
How to work through The Bruce section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
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Open a chapter
Choose one of the 39 chapters of The Bruce to begin.
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Read one section
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
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Listen and tap
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Vocabulary met early in The Bruce
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Bruce, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
- Mackenzie
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Bruce; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Author
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Bruce; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Outline
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Bruce; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Scottish
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Bruce; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.