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The Bruce
The Bruce

Chapter XXVII

Chapter 27 of The Bruce is here in full — 134 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Bruce
Context Illustration Reading 1/26 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
9 _Kyle._ The central division of Ayrshire, between _Carrick_ to the south and _Cunningham_ (13) in the north.
14 _He gert helde._ He made to submit (O.E., _hieldan_, to incline; Anglian _haeldan_).
_Cursor Mundi_, All folk to Rome suld _heild_” (22,235, N.E.D.).
15 _Bothweill._ Bothwell Castle, on the Clyde.
It had seen a good deal of fighting in the earlier war.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Bruce

Chapter XXVII

Chapter 27 of The Bruce is here in full — 134 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/26 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
9 _Kyle._ The central division of Ayrshire, between _Carrick_ to the south and _Cunningham_ (13) in the north.
Line 2
14 _He gert helde._ “He made to submit” (O.E., _hieldan_, to incline; Anglian _haeldan_).
Line 3
_Cursor Mundi_, “All folk to Rome suld _heild_” (22,235, N.E.D.).
Line 4
15 _Bothweill._ Bothwell Castle, on the Clyde.
Line 5
It had seen a good deal of fighting in the earlier war.
/ɪt hæd siːn ə ɡʊd diːl ʌv ˈfaɪtɪŋ ɪn ðə ˈɜːrliər wɔːr/

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.

Ayrshire noun US /ˈeɪərʃaɪər/

hardy breed of dairy cattle from Ayr, Scotland

From this reading “9 _Kyle._ The central division of Ayrshire, between _Carrick_ to the south and _Cunningham_ (13) in the north.”

central adjective US /ˈsentrəl/

serving as an essential component

From this reading “9 _Kyle._ The central division of Ayrshire, between _Carrick_ to the south and _Cunningham_ (13) in the north.”

Clyde noun US /klaɪd/

a river in western Scotland that flows from the southern uplands into the Firth of Clyde; navigable by oceangoing vessels as far as Glasgow

From this reading “15 _Bothweill._ Bothwell Castle, on the Clyde.”

Cunningham noun US /ˈkʌnɪŋhæm/

United States dancer and choreographer (born in 1922)

Cursor noun US /ˈkɜːrsər/

(computer science) indicator consisting of a movable spot of light (an icon) on a visual display; moving it allows the user to point to commands or screen positions

division noun US /dɪˈvɪʒən/

an army unit large enough to sustain combat

From this reading “9 _Kyle._ The central division of Ayrshire, between _Carrick_ to the south and _Cunningham_ (13) in the north.”

incline noun US /ˌɪnˈklaɪn/

an elevated geological formation

From this reading “14 _He gert helde._ “He made to submit” (O.E., _hieldan_, to incline; Anglian _haeldan_).”

submit verb US /səbˈmɪt/

refer for judgment or consideration

From this reading “14 _He gert helde._ “He made to submit” (O.E., _hieldan_, to incline; Anglian _haeldan_).”

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.

deal of verb + particle

In this reading “It had seen a good deal of fighting in the earlier war.”

in the north preposition + article + noun counted as “in … north”

In this reading “9 _Kyle._ The central division of Ayrshire, between _Carrick_ to the south and _Cunningham_ (13) in the north.”

All words in this reading · 53

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.

13

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

From this reading 9 _Kyle._ The central division of Ayrshire, between _Carrick_ to the south and _Cunningham_ (13) in the north.

14

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

From this reading 14 _He gert helde._ “He made to submit” (O.E., _hieldan_, to incline; Anglian _haeldan_).

15

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

From this reading 15 _Bothweill._ Bothwell Castle, on the Clyde.

22,235

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

From this reading _Cursor Mundi_, “All folk to Rome suld _heild_” (22,235, N.E.D.).

9

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

From this reading 9 _Kyle._ The central division of Ayrshire, between _Carrick_ to the south and _Cunningham_ (13) in the north.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading It had seen a good deal of fighting in the earlier war.

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 _Cursor Mundi_, “All folk to Rome suld _heild_” (22,235, N.E.D.).

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading 9 _Kyle._ The central division of Ayrshire, between _Carrick_ to the south and _Cunningham_ (13) in the north.

Angliannoun

one of the major dialects of Old English

From this reading 14 _He gert helde._ “He made to submit” (O.E., _hieldan_, to incline; Anglian _haeldan_).

AyrshirenounUS /ˈeɪərʃaɪər/

hardy breed of dairy cattle from Ayr, Scotland

From this reading 9 _Kyle._ The central division of Ayrshire, between _Carrick_ to the south and _Cunningham_ (13) in the north.

betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading 9 _Kyle._ The central division of Ayrshire, between _Carrick_ to the south and _Cunningham_ (13) in the north.

Bothweill

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

From this reading 15 _Bothweill._ Bothwell Castle, on the Clyde.

Bothwell

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

From this reading 15 _Bothweill._ Bothwell Castle, on the Clyde.

Carrick

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

From this reading 9 _Kyle._ The central division of Ayrshire, between _Carrick_ to the south and _Cunningham_ (13) in the north.

CastlenounUS /ˈkæsəl/

a large and stately mansion

From this reading 15 _Bothweill._ Bothwell Castle, on the Clyde.

centraladjectiveUS /ˈsentrəl/

serving as an essential component

From this reading 9 _Kyle._ The central division of Ayrshire, between _Carrick_ to the south and _Cunningham_ (13) in the north.

ClydenounUS /klaɪd/

a river in western Scotland that flows from the southern uplands into the Firth of Clyde; navigable by oceangoing vessels as far as Glasgow

From this reading 15 _Bothweill._ Bothwell Castle, on the Clyde.

CunninghamnounUS /ˈkʌnɪŋhæm/

United States dancer and choreographer (born in 1922)

From this reading 9 _Kyle._ The central division of Ayrshire, between _Carrick_ to the south and _Cunningham_ (13) in the north.

CursornounUS /ˈkɜːrsər/

(computer science) indicator consisting of a movable spot of light (an icon) on a visual display; moving it allows the user to point to commands or screen positions

From this reading _Cursor Mundi_, “All folk to Rome suld _heild_” (22,235, N.E.D.).

DnounUS /diː/

a fat-soluble vitamin that prevents rickets

From this reading _Cursor Mundi_, “All folk to Rome suld _heild_” (22,235, N.E.D.).

dealverbUS /diːl/

act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression

From this reading It had seen a good deal of fighting in the earlier war.

divisionnounUS /dɪˈvɪʒən/

an army unit large enough to sustain combat

From this reading 9 _Kyle._ The central division of Ayrshire, between _Carrick_ to the south and _Cunningham_ (13) in the north.

EnounUS /iː/

a fat-soluble vitamin that is essential for normal reproduction; an important antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals in the body

From this reading 14 _He gert helde._ “He made to submit” (O.E., _hieldan_, to incline; Anglian _haeldan_).

earlieradverbUS /ˈɜːrliər/

earlier in time; previously

From this reading It had seen a good deal of fighting in the earlier war.

fightingnounUS /ˈfaɪtɪŋ/

the act of fighting; any contest or struggle

From this reading It had seen a good deal of fighting in the earlier war.

folknounUS /foʊk/

people in general (often used in the plural)

From this reading _Cursor Mundi_, “All folk to Rome suld _heild_” (22,235, N.E.D.).

gert

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

From this reading 14 _He gert helde._ “He made to submit” (O.E., _hieldan_, to incline; Anglian _haeldan_).

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

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

From this reading It had seen a good deal of fighting in the earlier war.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading It had seen a good deal of fighting in the earlier war.

haeldan

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

From this reading 14 _He gert helde._ “He made to submit” (O.E., _hieldan_, to incline; Anglian _haeldan_).

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading 14 _He gert helde._ “He made to submit” (O.E., _hieldan_, to incline; Anglian _haeldan_).

heild

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

From this reading _Cursor Mundi_, “All folk to Rome suld _heild_” (22,235, N.E.D.).

helde

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

From this reading 14 _He gert helde._ “He made to submit” (O.E., _hieldan_, to incline; Anglian _haeldan_).

hieldan

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

From this reading 14 _He gert helde._ “He made to submit” (O.E., _hieldan_, to incline; Anglian _haeldan_).

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading 9 _Kyle._ The central division of Ayrshire, between _Carrick_ to the south and _Cunningham_ (13) in the north.

inclinenounUS /ˌɪnˈklaɪn/

an elevated geological formation

From this reading 14 _He gert helde._ “He made to submit” (O.E., _hieldan_, to incline; Anglian _haeldan_).

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It had seen a good deal of fighting in the earlier war.

Kyle

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

From this reading 9 _Kyle._ The central division of Ayrshire, between _Carrick_ to the south and _Cunningham_ (13) in the north.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading 14 _He gert helde._ “He made to submit” (O.E., _hieldan_, to incline; Anglian _haeldan_).

Mundi

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

From this reading _Cursor Mundi_, “All folk to Rome suld _heild_” (22,235, N.E.D.).

NnounUS /en/

a common nonmetallic element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless inert diatomic gas; constitutes 78 percent of the atmosphere by volume; a constituent of all living tissues

From this reading _Cursor Mundi_, “All folk to Rome suld _heild_” (22,235, N.E.D.).

northnounUS /nɔːrθ/

the region of the United States lying to the north of the Mason-Dixon line

From this reading 9 _Kyle._ The central division of Ayrshire, between _Carrick_ to the south and _Cunningham_ (13) in the north.

OnounUS /oʊ/

a nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless nonflammable diatomic gas; constitutes 21 percent of the atmosphere by volume; the most abundant element in the earth's crust

From this reading 14 _He gert helde._ “He made to submit” (O.E., _hieldan_, to incline; Anglian _haeldan_).

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading 9 _Kyle._ The central division of Ayrshire, between _Carrick_ to the south and _Cunningham_ (13) in the north.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading 15 _Bothweill._ Bothwell Castle, on the Clyde.

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 _Cursor Mundi_, “All folk to Rome suld _heild_” (22,235, N.E.D.).

seenverbUS /siːn/

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading It had seen a good deal of fighting in the earlier war.

southnounUS /saʊθ/

the region of the United States lying to the south of the Mason-Dixon line

From this reading 9 _Kyle._ The central division of Ayrshire, between _Carrick_ to the south and _Cunningham_ (13) in the north.

submitverbUS /səbˈmɪt/

refer for judgment or consideration

From this reading 14 _He gert helde._ “He made to submit” (O.E., _hieldan_, to incline; Anglian _haeldan_).

suld

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

From this reading _Cursor Mundi_, “All folk to Rome suld _heild_” (22,235, N.E.D.).

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading 9 _Kyle._ The central division of Ayrshire, between _Carrick_ to the south and _Cunningham_ (13) in the north.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading 9 _Kyle._ The central division of Ayrshire, between _Carrick_ to the south and _Cunningham_ (13) in the north.

warnounUS /wɔːr/

the waging of armed conflict against an enemy

From this reading It had seen a good deal of fighting in the earlier war.

Chapter 27 of The Bruce by John, -1395 Barbour holds 134 sentences, grouped into 27 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 27 of The Bruce contain?

Chapter 27 holds 134 sentences of The Bruce, unabridged, divided into 27 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 27 of The Bruce by John, -1395 Barbour exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 134 sentences, grouped into 27 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 27 of The Bruce?

Work through the 27 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 27 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 27 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 27 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.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 39 chapters of The Bruce 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 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.