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A Florentine Tragedy
A Florentine Tragedy

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of A Florentine Tragedy is here in full — 281 sentences across 57 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for A Florentine Tragedy
Context Illustration Reading 1/56 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
BIANCA.
O, then, my lord, it must be with Simone You strike your bargain; for to sell myself Would be to do what I most truly loathe.
Good-night, my lord; it is with deep regret I find myself unable to oblige Your lordship.
GUIDO.
Nay, I pray thee let me stay And pardon me the sorry part I played, As though I were a chapman and intent To lower prices, cheapen honest wares.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

A Florentine Tragedy

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of A Florentine Tragedy is here in full — 281 sentences across 57 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/56 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
BIANCA.
Line 2
O, then, my lord, it must be with Simone You strike your bargain; for to sell myself Would be to do what I most truly loathe.
Line 3
Good-night, my lord; it is with deep regret I find myself unable to oblige Your lordship.
Line 4
GUIDO.
Line 5
Nay, I pray thee let me stay And pardon me the sorry part I played, As though I were a chapman and intent To lower prices, cheapen honest wares.
/neɪ aɪ preɪ ðiː let miː steɪ ənd ˈpɑːrdən miː ðə ˈsɑːri pɑːrt aɪ pleɪd æz ðoʊ aɪ wɜːr ə ˈtʃæpmən ənd ˌɪnˈtent tuː ˈloʊər ˈpraɪsəz ˈtʃiːpən ˈɑːnəst werz/

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.

bargain noun US /ˈbɑːrɡən/

an agreement between parties (usually arrived at after discussion) fixing obligations of each

From this reading “O, then, my lord, it must be with Simone You strike your bargain; for to sell myself Would be to do what I most truly loathe.”

chapman noun US /ˈtʃæpmən/

United States pioneer who planted apple trees as he traveled (1774-1845)

From this reading “Nay, I pray thee let me stay And pardon me the sorry part I played, As though I were a chapman and intent To lower prices, cheapen honest wares.”

cheapen verb US /ˈtʃiːpən/

lower the grade of something; reduce its worth

From this reading “Nay, I pray thee let me stay And pardon me the sorry part I played, As though I were a chapman and intent To lower prices, cheapen honest wares.”

loathe verb US /loʊð/

find repugnant

From this reading “O, then, my lord, it must be with Simone You strike your bargain; for to sell myself Would be to do what I most truly loathe.”

lordship noun US /ˈlɔːrdʃɪp/

a title used to address any British peer except a duke and extended to a bishop or a judge

From this reading “Good-night, my lord; it is with deep regret I find myself unable to oblige Your lordship.”

oblige verb US /əˈblaɪdʒ/

force somebody to do something

From this reading “Good-night, my lord; it is with deep regret I find myself unable to oblige Your lordship.”

prices noun US /ˈpraɪsəz/

plural of “price” — the property of having material worth (often indicated by the amount of money something would bring if sold)

From this reading “Nay, I pray thee let me stay And pardon me the sorry part I played, As though I were a chapman and intent To lower prices, cheapen honest wares.”

wares noun US /werz/

plural of “ware” — articles of the same kind or material; usually used in combination: “silverware”, “software”

From this reading “Nay, I pray thee let me stay And pardon me the sorry part I played, As though I were a chapman and intent To lower prices, cheapen honest wares.”

All words in this reading · 57

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 Nay, I pray thee let me stay And pardon me the sorry part I played, As though I were a chapman and intent To lower prices, cheapen honest wares.

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Nay, I pray thee let me stay And pardon me the sorry part I played, As though I were a chapman and intent To lower prices, cheapen honest wares.

AsconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Nay, I pray thee let me stay And pardon me the sorry part I played, As though I were a chapman and intent To lower prices, cheapen honest wares.

bargainnounUS /ˈbɑːrɡən/

an agreement between parties (usually arrived at after discussion) fixing obligations of each

From this reading O, then, my lord, it must be with Simone You strike your bargain; for to sell myself Would be to do what I most truly loathe.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading O, then, my lord, it must be with Simone You strike your bargain; for to sell myself Would be to do what I most truly loathe.

BIANCA

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

From this reading BIANCA.

chapmannounUS /ˈtʃæpmən/

United States pioneer who planted apple trees as he traveled (1774-1845)

From this reading Nay, I pray thee let me stay And pardon me the sorry part I played, As though I were a chapman and intent To lower prices, cheapen honest wares.

cheapenverbUS /ˈtʃiːpən/

lower the grade of something; reduce its worth

From this reading Nay, I pray thee let me stay And pardon me the sorry part I played, As though I were a chapman and intent To lower prices, cheapen honest wares.

deepadjectiveUS /diːp/

relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply

From this reading Good-night, my lord; it is with deep regret I find myself unable to oblige Your lordship.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading O, then, my lord, it must be with Simone You strike your bargain; for to sell myself Would be to do what I most truly loathe.

findverbUS /faɪnd/

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading Good-night, my lord; it is with deep regret I find myself unable to oblige Your lordship.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading O, then, my lord, it must be with Simone You strike your bargain; for to sell myself Would be to do what I most truly loathe.

Good-night

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

From this reading Good-night, my lord; it is with deep regret I find myself unable to oblige Your lordship.

GUIDO

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

From this reading GUIDO.

honestadjectiveUS /ˈɑːnəst/

not disposed to cheat or defraud; not deceptive or fraudulent

From this reading Nay, I pray thee let me stay And pardon me the sorry part I played, As though I were a chapman and intent To lower prices, cheapen honest wares.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading O, then, my lord, it must be with Simone You strike your bargain; for to sell myself Would be to do what I most truly loathe.

intentnounUS /ˌɪnˈtent/

an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions

From this reading Nay, I pray thee let me stay And pardon me the sorry part I played, As though I were a chapman and intent To lower prices, cheapen honest wares.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Good-night, my lord; it is with deep regret I find myself unable to oblige Your lordship.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading O, then, my lord, it must be with Simone You strike your bargain; for to sell myself Would be to do what I most truly loathe.

letauxiliary verbUS /let/

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading Nay, I pray thee let me stay And pardon me the sorry part I played, As though I were a chapman and intent To lower prices, cheapen honest wares.

loatheverbUS /loʊð/

find repugnant

From this reading O, then, my lord, it must be with Simone You strike your bargain; for to sell myself Would be to do what I most truly loathe.

lordnounUS /lɔːrd/

terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God

From this reading O, then, my lord, it must be with Simone You strike your bargain; for to sell myself Would be to do what I most truly loathe.

lordshipnounUS /ˈlɔːrdʃɪp/

a title used to address any British peer except a duke and extended to a bishop or a judge

From this reading Good-night, my lord; it is with deep regret I find myself unable to oblige Your lordship.

lowerverbUS /ˈloʊər/

move something or somebody to a lower position

From this reading Nay, I pray thee let me stay And pardon me the sorry part I played, As though I were a chapman and intent To lower prices, cheapen honest wares.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Nay, I pray thee let me stay And pardon me the sorry part I played, As though I were a chapman and intent To lower prices, cheapen honest wares.

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading O, then, my lord, it must be with Simone You strike your bargain; for to sell myself Would be to do what I most truly loathe.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading O, then, my lord, it must be with Simone You strike your bargain; for to sell myself Would be to do what I most truly loathe.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading O, then, my lord, it must be with Simone You strike your bargain; for to sell myself Would be to do what I most truly loathe.

myselfpronounUS /ˌmaɪˈself/

used when the speaker is also the object of the action

From this reading O, then, my lord, it must be with Simone You strike your bargain; for to sell myself Would be to do what I most truly loathe.

NayexclamationUS /neɪ/

an old word for “no”

From this reading Nay, I pray thee let me stay And pardon me the sorry part I played, As though I were a chapman and intent To lower prices, cheapen honest wares.

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 O, then, my lord, it must be with Simone You strike your bargain; for to sell myself Would be to do what I most truly loathe.

obligeverbUS /əˈblaɪdʒ/

force somebody to do something

From this reading Good-night, my lord; it is with deep regret I find myself unable to oblige Your lordship.

pardonverbUS /ˈpɑːrdən/

accept an excuse for

From this reading Nay, I pray thee let me stay And pardon me the sorry part I played, As though I were a chapman and intent To lower prices, cheapen honest wares.

partnounUS /pɑːrt/

something determined in relation to something that includes it

From this reading Nay, I pray thee let me stay And pardon me the sorry part I played, As though I were a chapman and intent To lower prices, cheapen honest wares.

playedadjectiveUS /pleɪd/

(of games) engaged in

From this reading Nay, I pray thee let me stay And pardon me the sorry part I played, As though I were a chapman and intent To lower prices, cheapen honest wares.

prayverbUS /preɪ/

address a deity, a prophet, a saint or an object of worship; say a prayer

From this reading Nay, I pray thee let me stay And pardon me the sorry part I played, As though I were a chapman and intent To lower prices, cheapen honest wares.

pricesnounUS /ˈpraɪsəz/

plural of “price” — the property of having material worth (often indicated by the amount of money something would bring if sold)

From this reading Nay, I pray thee let me stay And pardon me the sorry part I played, As though I were a chapman and intent To lower prices, cheapen honest wares.

regretverbUS /rəˈɡret/

feel remorse for; feel sorry for; be contrite about

From this reading Good-night, my lord; it is with deep regret I find myself unable to oblige Your lordship.

sellverbUS /sel/

exchange or deliver for money or its equivalent

From this reading O, then, my lord, it must be with Simone You strike your bargain; for to sell myself Would be to do what I most truly loathe.

Simone

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

From this reading O, then, my lord, it must be with Simone You strike your bargain; for to sell myself Would be to do what I most truly loathe.

sorryadjectiveUS /ˈsɑːri/

feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone

From this reading Nay, I pray thee let me stay And pardon me the sorry part I played, As though I were a chapman and intent To lower prices, cheapen honest wares.

stayverbUS /steɪ/

stay the same; remain in a certain state

From this reading Nay, I pray thee let me stay And pardon me the sorry part I played, As though I were a chapman and intent To lower prices, cheapen honest wares.

strikeverbUS /straɪk/

deliver a sharp blow, as with the hand, fist, or weapon

From this reading O, then, my lord, it must be with Simone You strike your bargain; for to sell myself Would be to do what I most truly loathe.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Nay, I pray thee let me stay And pardon me the sorry part I played, As though I were a chapman and intent To lower prices, cheapen honest wares.

theepronounUS /ðiː/

an old word for “you”, as the object, speaking to one person

From this reading Nay, I pray thee let me stay And pardon me the sorry part I played, As though I were a chapman and intent To lower prices, cheapen honest wares.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading O, then, my lord, it must be with Simone You strike your bargain; for to sell myself Would be to do what I most truly loathe.

thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading Nay, I pray thee let me stay And pardon me the sorry part I played, As though I were a chapman and intent To lower prices, cheapen honest wares.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading O, then, my lord, it must be with Simone You strike your bargain; for to sell myself Would be to do what I most truly loathe.

trulyadverbUS /ˈtruːli/

in accordance with truth or fact or reality

From this reading O, then, my lord, it must be with Simone You strike your bargain; for to sell myself Would be to do what I most truly loathe.

unableadjectiveUS /əˈneɪbəl/

(usually followed by “to”) not having the necessary means or skill or know-how

From this reading Good-night, my lord; it is with deep regret I find myself unable to oblige Your lordship.

waresnounUS /werz/

plural of “ware” — articles of the same kind or material; usually used in combination: “silverware”, “software”

From this reading Nay, I pray thee let me stay And pardon me the sorry part I played, As though I were a chapman and intent To lower prices, cheapen honest wares.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading Nay, I pray thee let me stay And pardon me the sorry part I played, As though I were a chapman and intent To lower prices, cheapen honest wares.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading O, then, my lord, it must be with Simone You strike your bargain; for to sell myself Would be to do what I most truly loathe.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading O, then, my lord, it must be with Simone You strike your bargain; for to sell myself Would be to do what I most truly loathe.

Wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading O, then, my lord, it must be with Simone You strike your bargain; for to sell myself Would be to do what I most truly loathe.

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading O, then, my lord, it must be with Simone You strike your bargain; for to sell myself Would be to do what I most truly loathe.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading O, then, my lord, it must be with Simone You strike your bargain; for to sell myself Would be to do what I most truly loathe.

Chapter 3 of A Florentine Tragedy by Oscar Wilde holds 281 sentences, grouped into 57 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 3 of A Florentine Tragedy contain?

Chapter 3 holds 281 sentences of A Florentine Tragedy, unabridged, divided into 57 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 3 of A Florentine Tragedy by Oscar Wilde exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 281 sentences, grouped into 57 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 3 of A Florentine Tragedy?

Work through the 57 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 57 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 3 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 3 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 A Florentine Tragedy

Common questions about reading A Florentine Tragedy by Oscar Wilde on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Florentine Tragedy?

Yes. All 1082 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1308 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Florentine Tragedy is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #1308, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Florentine Tragedy take to read?

About 90 minutes of reading across 217 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A Florentine Tragedy section by section

How to work through A Florentine Tragedy section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 4 chapters of A Florentine Tragedy 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 A Florentine Tragedy

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Florentine Tragedy, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Preface
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Florentine Tragedy; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Sainte
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Florentine Tragedy; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Courtisane
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Florentine Tragedy; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Florentine
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Florentine Tragedy; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.