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The Bruce
The Bruce

Chapter XXVIII

Chapter 28 of The Bruce is here in full — 136 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/27 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
34 _Enverrowry._ Inverury, on the Don, fifteen miles north-west of Aberdeen.
64 _a-pane._ A curious use of the French adverbial phrase _a peine_, in, or with, difficulty; here = “hardly,” “scarcely.”
The sense seems to be that even in a case in which a company is successful without a captain, which they can be only with difficulty, still they will not accomplish as much as if they had one.
107 _the Slevach._ Sliach in Drumblade parish, about sixteen miles north-west of Inverurie.
Certain archæological features in the district are connected with Bruce’s visit, the “Meet-hillock,” “Robin’s Height,” etc. (_Old.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Bruce

Chapter XXVIII

Chapter 28 of The Bruce is here in full — 136 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/27 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
34 _Enverrowry._ Inverury, on the Don, fifteen miles north-west of Aberdeen.
Line 2
64 _a-pane._ A curious use of the French adverbial phrase _a peine_, in, or with, difficulty; here = “hardly,” “scarcely.”
Line 3
The sense seems to be that even in a case in which a company is successful without a captain, which they can be only with difficulty, still they will not accomplish as much as if they had one.
/ðə sens siːmz tuː biː ðæt ˈiːvɪn ɪn ə keɪs ɪn wɪtʃ ə ˈkʌmpəniː ɪz səkˈsesfəl wɪˈθaʊt ə ˈkæptən wɪtʃ ðeɪ kæn biː ˈoʊnli wɪð ˈdɪfəkəlti stɪl ðeɪ wɪl nɑːt əˈkɑːmplɪʃ æz mʌtʃ æz ɪf ðeɪ hæd wʌn/
Line 4
107 _the Slevach._ Sliach in Drumblade parish, about sixteen miles north-west of Inverurie.
Line 5
Certain archæological features in the district are connected with Bruce’s visit, the “Meet-hillock,” “Robin’s Height,” etc. (_Old.

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.

Aberdeen noun US /ˈæbərdiːn/

a town in western Washington

From this reading “34 _Enverrowry._ Inverury, on the Don, fifteen miles north-west of Aberdeen.”

accomplish verb US /əˈkɑːmplɪʃ/

put in effect

From this reading “The sense seems to be that even in a case in which a company is successful without a captain, which they can be only with difficulty, still they will not accomplish as much as if they had one.”

adverbial adjective US /ædˈvɜːrbiəl/

of or relating to or functioning as an adverb

From this reading “64 _a-pane._ A curious use of the French adverbial phrase _a peine_, in, or with, difficulty; here = “hardly,” “scarcely.””

Bruce's noun US /ˈbruːsəz/

possessive form of “bruce” — Australian physician and bacteriologist who described the bacterium that causes undulant fever or brucellosis (1855-1931)

parish noun US /ˈpærɪʃ/

a local church community

From this reading “107 _the Slevach._ Sliach in Drumblade parish, about sixteen miles north-west of Inverurie.”

phrase noun US /freɪz/

an expression consisting of one or more words forming a grammatical constituent of a sentence

From this reading “64 _a-pane._ A curious use of the French adverbial phrase _a peine_, in, or with, difficulty; here = “hardly,” “scarcely.””

Robin's noun US /ˈrɑːbənz/

possessive form of “robin” — small Old World songbird with a reddish breast

sixteen adjective US /sɪkˈstiːn/

being one more than fifteen

From this reading “107 _the Slevach._ Sliach in Drumblade parish, about sixteen miles north-west of Inverurie.”

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.

fifteen miles noun + noun counted as “fifteen mile”

In this reading “34 _Enverrowry._ Inverury, on the Don, fifteen miles north-west of Aberdeen.”

sixteen miles adjective + noun counted as “sixteen mile”

In this reading “107 _the Slevach._ Sliach in Drumblade parish, about sixteen miles north-west of Inverurie.”

with difficulty preposition + noun

In this reading “The sense seems to be that even in a case in which a company is successful without a captain, which they can be only with difficulty, still they will not accomplish as much as if they had one.”

All words in this reading · 73

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.

107

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

From this reading 107 _the Slevach._ Sliach in Drumblade parish, about sixteen miles north-west of Inverurie.

34

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

From this reading 34 _Enverrowry._ Inverury, on the Don, fifteen miles north-west of Aberdeen.

64

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

From this reading 64 _a-pane._ A curious use of the French adverbial phrase _a peine_, in, or with, difficulty; here = “hardly,” “scarcely.”

AdeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading 64 _a-pane._ A curious use of the French adverbial phrase _a peine_, in, or with, difficulty; here = “hardly,” “scarcely.”

a-pane

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

From this reading 64 _a-pane._ A curious use of the French adverbial phrase _a peine_, in, or with, difficulty; here = “hardly,” “scarcely.”

AberdeennounUS /ˈæbərdiːn/

a town in western Washington

From this reading 34 _Enverrowry._ Inverury, on the Don, fifteen miles north-west of Aberdeen.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading 107 _the Slevach._ Sliach in Drumblade parish, about sixteen miles north-west of Inverurie.

accomplishverbUS /əˈkɑːmplɪʃ/

put in effect

From this reading The sense seems to be that even in a case in which a company is successful without a captain, which they can be only with difficulty, still they will not accomplish as much as if they had one.

adverbialadjectiveUS /ædˈvɜːrbiəl/

of or relating to or functioning as an adverb

From this reading 64 _a-pane._ A curious use of the French adverbial phrase _a peine_, in, or with, difficulty; here = “hardly,” “scarcely.”

archæological

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

From this reading Certain archæological features in the district are connected with Bruce’s visit, the “Meet-hillock,” “Robin’s Height,” etc. (_Old.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading Certain archæological features in the district are connected with Bruce’s visit, the “Meet-hillock,” “Robin’s Height,” etc. (_Old.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading The sense seems to be that even in a case in which a company is successful without a captain, which they can be only with difficulty, still they will not accomplish as much as if they had one.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading The sense seems to be that even in a case in which a company is successful without a captain, which they can be only with difficulty, still they will not accomplish as much as if they had one.

Bruce'snounUS /ˈbruːsəz/

possessive form of “bruce” — Australian physician and bacteriologist who described the bacterium that causes undulant fever or brucellosis (1855-1931)

From this reading Certain archæological features in the district are connected with Bruce’s visit, the “Meet-hillock,” “Robin’s Height,” etc. (_Old.

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading The sense seems to be that even in a case in which a company is successful without a captain, which they can be only with difficulty, still they will not accomplish as much as if they had one.

captainnounUS /ˈkæptən/

an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant

From this reading The sense seems to be that even in a case in which a company is successful without a captain, which they can be only with difficulty, still they will not accomplish as much as if they had one.

casenounUS /keɪs/

an occurrence of something

From this reading The sense seems to be that even in a case in which a company is successful without a captain, which they can be only with difficulty, still they will not accomplish as much as if they had one.

CertainadjectiveUS /ˈsɜːrtən/

definite but not specified or identified

From this reading Certain archæological features in the district are connected with Bruce’s visit, the “Meet-hillock,” “Robin’s Height,” etc. (_Old.

companynounUS /ˈkʌmpəniː/

an institution created to conduct business

From this reading The sense seems to be that even in a case in which a company is successful without a captain, which they can be only with difficulty, still they will not accomplish as much as if they had one.

connectedadjectiveUS /kəˈnektɪd/

being joined in close association

From this reading Certain archæological features in the district are connected with Bruce’s visit, the “Meet-hillock,” “Robin’s Height,” etc. (_Old.

curiousadjectiveUS /ˈkjʊriəs/

beyond or deviating from the usual or expected

From this reading 64 _a-pane._ A curious use of the French adverbial phrase _a peine_, in, or with, difficulty; here = “hardly,” “scarcely.”

difficultynounUS /ˈdɪfəkəlti/

an effort that is inconvenient

From this reading 64 _a-pane._ A curious use of the French adverbial phrase _a peine_, in, or with, difficulty; here = “hardly,” “scarcely.”

districtnounUS /ˈdɪstrɪkt/

a region marked off for administrative or other purposes

From this reading Certain archæological features in the district are connected with Bruce’s visit, the “Meet-hillock,” “Robin’s Height,” etc. (_Old.

DonnounUS /dɑːn/

a Spanish gentleman or nobleman

From this reading 34 _Enverrowry._ Inverury, on the Don, fifteen miles north-west of Aberdeen.

Drumblade

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

From this reading 107 _the Slevach._ Sliach in Drumblade parish, about sixteen miles north-west of Inverurie.

Enverrowry

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

From this reading 34 _Enverrowry._ Inverury, on the Don, fifteen miles north-west of Aberdeen.

etc

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

From this reading Certain archæological features in the district are connected with Bruce’s visit, the “Meet-hillock,” “Robin’s Height,” etc. (_Old.

evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading The sense seems to be that even in a case in which a company is successful without a captain, which they can be only with difficulty, still they will not accomplish as much as if they had one.

featuresnounUS /ˈfiːtʃərz/

plural of “feature” — a prominent attribute or aspect of something

From this reading Certain archæological features in the district are connected with Bruce’s visit, the “Meet-hillock,” “Robin’s Height,” etc. (_Old.

fifteennounUS /fɪfˈtiːn/

the cardinal number that is the sum of fourteen and one

From this reading 34 _Enverrowry._ Inverury, on the Don, fifteen miles north-west of Aberdeen.

FrenchnounUS /frentʃ/

the Romance language spoken in France and in countries colonized by France

From this reading 64 _a-pane._ A curious use of the French adverbial phrase _a peine_, in, or with, difficulty; here = “hardly,” “scarcely.”

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading The sense seems to be that even in a case in which a company is successful without a captain, which they can be only with difficulty, still they will not accomplish as much as if they had one.

hardlyadverbUS /ˈhɑːrdli/

only a very short time before

From this reading 64 _a-pane._ A curious use of the French adverbial phrase _a peine_, in, or with, difficulty; here = “hardly,” “scarcely.”

HeightnounUS /haɪt/

the vertical dimension of extension; distance from the base of something to the top

From this reading Certain archæological features in the district are connected with Bruce’s visit, the “Meet-hillock,” “Robin’s Height,” etc. (_Old.

hereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading 64 _a-pane._ A curious use of the French adverbial phrase _a peine_, in, or with, difficulty; here = “hardly,” “scarcely.”

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading The sense seems to be that even in a case in which a company is successful without a captain, which they can be only with difficulty, still they will not accomplish as much as if they had one.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading 64 _a-pane._ A curious use of the French adverbial phrase _a peine_, in, or with, difficulty; here = “hardly,” “scarcely.”

Inverurie

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

From this reading 107 _the Slevach._ Sliach in Drumblade parish, about sixteen miles north-west of Inverurie.

Inverury

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

From this reading 34 _Enverrowry._ Inverury, on the Don, fifteen miles north-west of Aberdeen.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading The sense seems to be that even in a case in which a company is successful without a captain, which they can be only with difficulty, still they will not accomplish as much as if they had one.

Meet-hillock

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

From this reading Certain archæological features in the district are connected with Bruce’s visit, the “Meet-hillock,” “Robin’s Height,” etc. (_Old.

milesnounUS /maɪlz/

plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters

From this reading 34 _Enverrowry._ Inverury, on the Don, fifteen miles north-west of Aberdeen.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading The sense seems to be that even in a case in which a company is successful without a captain, which they can be only with difficulty, still they will not accomplish as much as if they had one.

north-westadverb

to, toward, or in the northwest

From this reading 34 _Enverrowry._ Inverury, on the Don, fifteen miles north-west of Aberdeen.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading The sense seems to be that even in a case in which a company is successful without a captain, which they can be only with difficulty, still they will not accomplish as much as if they had one.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading 34 _Enverrowry._ Inverury, on the Don, fifteen miles north-west of Aberdeen.

OldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading Certain archæological features in the district are connected with Bruce’s visit, the “Meet-hillock,” “Robin’s Height,” etc. (_Old.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading 34 _Enverrowry._ Inverury, on the Don, fifteen miles north-west of Aberdeen.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading The sense seems to be that even in a case in which a company is successful without a captain, which they can be only with difficulty, still they will not accomplish as much as if they had one.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading The sense seems to be that even in a case in which a company is successful without a captain, which they can be only with difficulty, still they will not accomplish as much as if they had one.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading 64 _a-pane._ A curious use of the French adverbial phrase _a peine_, in, or with, difficulty; here = “hardly,” “scarcely.”

parishnounUS /ˈpærɪʃ/

a local church community

From this reading 107 _the Slevach._ Sliach in Drumblade parish, about sixteen miles north-west of Inverurie.

peine

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

From this reading 64 _a-pane._ A curious use of the French adverbial phrase _a peine_, in, or with, difficulty; here = “hardly,” “scarcely.”

phrasenounUS /freɪz/

an expression consisting of one or more words forming a grammatical constituent of a sentence

From this reading 64 _a-pane._ A curious use of the French adverbial phrase _a peine_, in, or with, difficulty; here = “hardly,” “scarcely.”

Robin'snounUS /ˈrɑːbənz/

possessive form of “robin” — small Old World songbird with a reddish breast

From this reading Certain archæological features in the district are connected with Bruce’s visit, the “Meet-hillock,” “Robin’s Height,” etc. (_Old.

scarcelyadverbUS /ˈskersli/

only a very short time before

From this reading 64 _a-pane._ A curious use of the French adverbial phrase _a peine_, in, or with, difficulty; here = “hardly,” “scarcely.”

seemsverbUS /siːmz/

third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading The sense seems to be that even in a case in which a company is successful without a captain, which they can be only with difficulty, still they will not accomplish as much as if they had one.

sensenounUS /sens/

a general conscious awareness

From this reading The sense seems to be that even in a case in which a company is successful without a captain, which they can be only with difficulty, still they will not accomplish as much as if they had one.

sixteenadjectiveUS /sɪkˈstiːn/

being one more than fifteen

From this reading 107 _the Slevach._ Sliach in Drumblade parish, about sixteen miles north-west of Inverurie.

Slevach

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

From this reading 107 _the Slevach._ Sliach in Drumblade parish, about sixteen miles north-west of Inverurie.

Sliach

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

From this reading 107 _the Slevach._ Sliach in Drumblade parish, about sixteen miles north-west of Inverurie.

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading The sense seems to be that even in a case in which a company is successful without a captain, which they can be only with difficulty, still they will not accomplish as much as if they had one.

successfuladjectiveUS /səkˈsesfəl/

having succeeded or being marked by a favorable outcome

From this reading The sense seems to be that even in a case in which a company is successful without a captain, which they can be only with difficulty, still they will not accomplish as much as if they had one.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The sense seems to be that even in a case in which a company is successful without a captain, which they can be only with difficulty, still they will not accomplish as much as if they had one.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading 34 _Enverrowry._ Inverury, on the Don, fifteen miles north-west of Aberdeen.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading The sense seems to be that even in a case in which a company is successful without a captain, which they can be only with difficulty, still they will not accomplish as much as if they had one.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The sense seems to be that even in a case in which a company is successful without a captain, which they can be only with difficulty, still they will not accomplish as much as if they had one.

usenounUS /juːs/

the act of using

From this reading 64 _a-pane._ A curious use of the French adverbial phrase _a peine_, in, or with, difficulty; here = “hardly,” “scarcely.”

visitverbUS /ˈvɪzɪt/

go to see a place, as for entertainment

From this reading Certain archæological features in the district are connected with Bruce’s visit, the “Meet-hillock,” “Robin’s Height,” etc. (_Old.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading The sense seems to be that even in a case in which a company is successful without a captain, which they can be only with difficulty, still they will not accomplish as much as if they had one.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading The sense seems to be that even in a case in which a company is successful without a captain, which they can be only with difficulty, still they will not accomplish as much as if they had one.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading 64 _a-pane._ A curious use of the French adverbial phrase _a peine_, in, or with, difficulty; here = “hardly,” “scarcely.”

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading The sense seems to be that even in a case in which a company is successful without a captain, which they can be only with difficulty, still they will not accomplish as much as if they had one.

Chapter 28 of The Bruce by John, -1395 Barbour holds 136 sentences, grouped into 28 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 28 of The Bruce contain?

Chapter 28 holds 136 sentences of The Bruce, unabridged, divided into 28 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 28 of The Bruce by John, -1395 Barbour exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 136 sentences, grouped into 28 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 28 of The Bruce?

Work through the 28 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 28 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 28 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 28 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

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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.

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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.