Chapter 8 of Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland, Volume 01 is here in full — 43 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland, Volume 01 is here in full — 43 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"A lowly muse! She sings of reptiles yet in song unknown." I returned to the vessel with a heavy heart; and it was nearly three months from this time ere I again set foot in Edinburgh. Alas! for my unfortunate friend! He was now an inmate of the asylum, and on the verge of dissolution.
Chapter 8 of Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland, Volume 01 is here in full — 43 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/8 · 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.
a shelter from danger or hardship
From this reading “He was now an inmate of the asylum, and on the verge of dissolution.”
separation into component parts
From this reading “He was now an inmate of the asylum, and on the verge of dissolution.”
one of several resident of a dwelling (especially someone confined to a prison or hospital)
From this reading “He was now an inmate of the asylum, and on the verge of dissolution.”
low or inferior in station or quality
From this reading “"A lowly muse!”
in ancient Greek mythology any of 9 daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne; protector of an art or science
From this reading “"A lowly muse!”
plural of “reptile” — any cold-blooded vertebrate of the class Reptilia including tortoises, turtles, snakes, lizards, alligators, crocodiles, and extinct forms
From this reading “She sings of reptiles yet in song unknown."”
third-person singular of “sing” — deliver by singing
From this reading “She sings of reptiles yet in song unknown."”
a region marking a boundary
From this reading “He was now an inmate of the asylum, and on the verge of dissolution.”
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.
In this reading “I returned to the vessel with a heavy heart; and it was nearly three months from this time ere I again set foot in Edinburgh.”
In this reading “He was now an inmate of the asylum, and on the verge of dissolution.”
In this reading “I returned to the vessel with a heavy heart; and it was nearly three months from this time ere I again set foot in Edinburgh.”
In this reading “I returned to the vessel with a heavy heart; and it was nearly three months from this time ere I again set foot in Edinburgh.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "A lowly muse!
anew
From this reading I returned to the vessel with a heavy heart; and it was nearly three months from this time ere I again set foot in Edinburgh.
used to show sadness, pity, or regret
From this reading Alas! for my unfortunate friend!
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading He was now an inmate of the asylum, and on the verge of dissolution.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I returned to the vessel with a heavy heart; and it was nearly three months from this time ere I again set foot in Edinburgh.
a shelter from danger or hardship
From this reading He was now an inmate of the asylum, and on the verge of dissolution.
separation into component parts
From this reading He was now an inmate of the asylum, and on the verge of dissolution.
the capital of Scotland; located in the Lothian Region on the south side of the Firth of Forth
From this reading I returned to the vessel with a heavy heart; and it was nearly three months from this time ere I again set foot in Edinburgh.
an old word for “before”
From this reading I returned to the vessel with a heavy heart; and it was nearly three months from this time ere I again set foot in Edinburgh.
the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading I returned to the vessel with a heavy heart; and it was nearly three months from this time ere I again set foot in Edinburgh.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Alas! for my unfortunate friend!
a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading Alas! for my unfortunate friend!
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading I returned to the vessel with a heavy heart; and it was nearly three months from this time ere I again set foot in Edinburgh.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was now an inmate of the asylum, and on the verge of dissolution.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading I returned to the vessel with a heavy heart; and it was nearly three months from this time ere I again set foot in Edinburgh.
of comparatively great physical weight or density
From this reading I returned to the vessel with a heavy heart; and it was nearly three months from this time ere I again set foot in Edinburgh.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I returned to the vessel with a heavy heart; and it was nearly three months from this time ere I again set foot in Edinburgh.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading She sings of reptiles yet in song unknown."
one of several resident of a dwelling (especially someone confined to a prison or hospital)
From this reading He was now an inmate of the asylum, and on the verge of dissolution.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading I returned to the vessel with a heavy heart; and it was nearly three months from this time ere I again set foot in Edinburgh.
low or inferior in station or quality
From this reading "A lowly muse!
plural of “month” — one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year
From this reading I returned to the vessel with a heavy heart; and it was nearly three months from this time ere I again set foot in Edinburgh.
in ancient Greek mythology any of 9 daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne; protector of an art or science
From this reading "A lowly muse!
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Alas! for my unfortunate friend!
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading I returned to the vessel with a heavy heart; and it was nearly three months from this time ere I again set foot in Edinburgh.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading He was now an inmate of the asylum, and on the verge of dissolution.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading She sings of reptiles yet in song unknown."
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He was now an inmate of the asylum, and on the verge of dissolution.
plural of “reptile” — any cold-blooded vertebrate of the class Reptilia including tortoises, turtles, snakes, lizards, alligators, crocodiles, and extinct forms
From this reading She sings of reptiles yet in song unknown."
past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading I returned to the vessel with a heavy heart; and it was nearly three months from this time ere I again set foot in Edinburgh.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading I returned to the vessel with a heavy heart; and it was nearly three months from this time ere I again set foot in Edinburgh.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She sings of reptiles yet in song unknown."
third-person singular of “sing” — deliver by singing
From this reading She sings of reptiles yet in song unknown."
a short musical composition with words
From this reading She sings of reptiles yet in song unknown."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I returned to the vessel with a heavy heart; and it was nearly three months from this time ere I again set foot in Edinburgh.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading I returned to the vessel with a heavy heart; and it was nearly three months from this time ere I again set foot in Edinburgh.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading I returned to the vessel with a heavy heart; and it was nearly three months from this time ere I again set foot in Edinburgh.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading I returned to the vessel with a heavy heart; and it was nearly three months from this time ere I again set foot in Edinburgh.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I returned to the vessel with a heavy heart; and it was nearly three months from this time ere I again set foot in Edinburgh.
not favored by fortune; marked or accompanied by or resulting in ill fortune
From this reading Alas! for my unfortunate friend!
not known
From this reading She sings of reptiles yet in song unknown."
a region marking a boundary
From this reading He was now an inmate of the asylum, and on the verge of dissolution.
a tube in which a body fluid circulates
From this reading I returned to the vessel with a heavy heart; and it was nearly three months from this time ere I again set foot in Edinburgh.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I returned to the vessel with a heavy heart; and it was nearly three months from this time ere I again set foot in Edinburgh.
in the company of; together with
From this reading I returned to the vessel with a heavy heart; and it was nearly three months from this time ere I again set foot in Edinburgh.
but in spite of that
From this reading She sings of reptiles yet in song unknown."
Chapter 8 of Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland, Volume 01 by John Mackay [Compiler] Wilson holds 43 sentences, grouped into 9 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 8 holds 43 sentences of Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland, Volume 01, unabridged, divided into 9 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland, Volume 01 by John Mackay [Compiler] Wilson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 43 sentences, grouped into 9 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 9 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 9 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 8 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.
Common questions about reading Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland, Volume 01 by John Mackay [Compiler] Wilson on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3496 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #32862 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #32862, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 291 minutes of reading across 700 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland, Volume 01 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 9 chapters of Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland, Volume 01 to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland, Volume 01, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
