Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Borgia: A Period Play
Borgia: A Period Play

Chapter VII

Chapter 7 of Borgia: A Period Play is here in full — 401 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Borgia: A Period Play
Context Illustration Reading 1/80 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Dear Father, I will bring you in an hour word that your Duke Makes speed to visit you.
[_The_ DOCTOR _and the other_ SURGEONS _and_ APOTHECARIES, _with the_ CARDINALS _and_ ATTENDANTS, _pass in an excited company from the room_.
ALEXANDER.
[_To himself._] But Burchard Alters no muscle: nothing of importance Therefore has passed....
My Chronicler, And I have never looked into your books!
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Borgia: A Period Play

Chapter VII

Chapter 7 of Borgia: A Period Play is here in full — 401 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/80 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Dear Father, I will bring you in an hour word that your Duke Makes speed to visit you.
/dɪr ˈfɑːðər aɪ wɪl brɪŋ juː ɪn æn ˈaʊər wɜːrd ðæt jɔːr duːk meɪks spiːd tuː ˈvɪzɪt juː/
Line 2
[_The_ DOCTOR _and the other_ SURGEONS _and_ APOTHECARIES, _with the_ CARDINALS _and_ ATTENDANTS, _pass in an excited company from the room_.
Line 3
ALEXANDER.
/ˌæləɡˈzændər/
Line 4
[_To himself._] But Burchard Alters no muscle: nothing of importance Therefore has passed....
Line 5
My Chronicler, And I have never looked into your books!
/maɪ ˈkrɑːnɪklər ənd aɪ hæv ˈnevər lʊkt ˈɪntuː jɔːr bʊks/

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.

alexander noun US /ˌæləɡˈzændər/

European herb somewhat resembling celery widely naturalized in Britain coastal regions and often cultivated as a potherb

From this reading “ALEXANDER.”

Alters verb US /ˈɔːltərz/

third-person singular of “alter” — cause to change; make different; cause a transformation

From this reading “[_To himself._] But Burchard Alters no muscle: nothing of importance Therefore has passed....”

attendants noun US /əˈtendənts/

plural of “attendant” — someone who waits on or tends to or attends to the needs of another

From this reading “[_The_ DOCTOR _and the other_ SURGEONS _and_ APOTHECARIES, _with the_ CARDINALS _and_ ATTENDANTS, _pass in an excited company from the room_.”

cardinals noun US /ˈkɑːrdənəlz/

plural of “cardinal” — (Roman Catholic Church) one of a group of more than 100 prominent bishops in the Sacred College who advise the Pope and elect new Popes

From this reading “[_The_ DOCTOR _and the other_ SURGEONS _and_ APOTHECARIES, _with the_ CARDINALS _and_ ATTENDANTS, _pass in an excited company from the room_.”

Chronicler noun US /ˈkrɑːnɪklər/

someone who writes chronicles

From this reading “My Chronicler, And I have never looked into your books!”

importance noun US /ˌɪmˈpɔːrtəns/

the quality of being important and worthy of note

From this reading “[_To himself._] But Burchard Alters no muscle: nothing of importance Therefore has passed....”

muscle noun US /ˈmʌsəl/

one of the contractile organs of the body

From this reading “[_To himself._] But Burchard Alters no muscle: nothing of importance Therefore has passed....”

surgeons noun US /ˈsɜːrdʒənz/

plural of “surgeon” — a physician who specializes in surgery

From this reading “[_The_ DOCTOR _and the other_ SURGEONS _and_ APOTHECARIES, _with the_ CARDINALS _and_ ATTENDANTS, _pass in an excited company from the room_.”

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.

Dear Father adjective + noun

In this reading “Dear Father, I will bring you in an hour word that your Duke Makes speed to visit you.”

looked into verb + particle counted as “look into”

investigate scientifically

In this reading “My Chronicler, And I have never looked into your books!”

All words in this reading · 51

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.

ALEXANDERnounUS /ˌæləɡˈzændər/

European herb somewhat resembling celery widely naturalized in Britain coastal regions and often cultivated as a potherb

From this reading ALEXANDER.

AltersverbUS /ˈɔːltərz/

third-person singular of “alter” — cause to change; make different; cause a transformation

From this reading [_To himself._] But Burchard Alters no muscle: nothing of importance Therefore has passed....

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading Dear Father, I will bring you in an hour word that your Duke Makes speed to visit you.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading [_The_ DOCTOR _and the other_ SURGEONS _and_ APOTHECARIES, _with the_ CARDINALS _and_ ATTENDANTS, _pass in an excited company from the room_.

APOTHECARIES

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

From this reading [_The_ DOCTOR _and the other_ SURGEONS _and_ APOTHECARIES, _with the_ CARDINALS _and_ ATTENDANTS, _pass in an excited company from the room_.

ATTENDANTSnounUS /əˈtendənts/

plural of “attendant” — someone who waits on or tends to or attends to the needs of another

From this reading [_The_ DOCTOR _and the other_ SURGEONS _and_ APOTHECARIES, _with the_ CARDINALS _and_ ATTENDANTS, _pass in an excited company from the room_.

booksnounUS /bʊks/

Bound written or printed works.

From this reading My Chronicler, And I have never looked into your books!

bringverbUS /brɪŋ/

take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading Dear Father, I will bring you in an hour word that your Duke Makes speed to visit you.

Burchard

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

From this reading [_To himself._] But Burchard Alters no muscle: nothing of importance Therefore has passed....

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading [_To himself._] But Burchard Alters no muscle: nothing of importance Therefore has passed....

CARDINALSnounUS /ˈkɑːrdənəlz/

plural of “cardinal” — (Roman Catholic Church) one of a group of more than 100 prominent bishops in the Sacred College who advise the Pope and elect new Popes

From this reading [_The_ DOCTOR _and the other_ SURGEONS _and_ APOTHECARIES, _with the_ CARDINALS _and_ ATTENDANTS, _pass in an excited company from the room_.

ChroniclernounUS /ˈkrɑːnɪklər/

someone who writes chronicles

From this reading My Chronicler, And I have never looked into your books!

companynounUS /ˈkʌmpəniː/

an institution created to conduct business

From this reading [_The_ DOCTOR _and the other_ SURGEONS _and_ APOTHECARIES, _with the_ CARDINALS _and_ ATTENDANTS, _pass in an excited company from the room_.

DearadjectiveUS /dɪr/

dearly loved

From this reading Dear Father, I will bring you in an hour word that your Duke Makes speed to visit you.

DOCTORnounUS /ˈdɑːktər/

a licensed medical practitioner

From this reading [_The_ DOCTOR _and the other_ SURGEONS _and_ APOTHECARIES, _with the_ CARDINALS _and_ ATTENDANTS, _pass in an excited company from the room_.

DukenounUS /duːk/

a British peer of the highest rank

From this reading Dear Father, I will bring you in an hour word that your Duke Makes speed to visit you.

excitedadjectiveUS /ɪkˈsaɪtəd/

(of persons) excessively affected by emotion

From this reading [_The_ DOCTOR _and the other_ SURGEONS _and_ APOTHECARIES, _with the_ CARDINALS _and_ ATTENDANTS, _pass in an excited company from the room_.

FathernounUS /ˈfɑːðər/

a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading Dear Father, I will bring you in an hour word that your Duke Makes speed to visit you.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading [_The_ DOCTOR _and the other_ SURGEONS _and_ APOTHECARIES, _with the_ CARDINALS _and_ ATTENDANTS, _pass in an excited company from the room_.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading [_To himself._] But Burchard Alters no muscle: nothing of importance Therefore has passed....

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading My Chronicler, And I have never looked into your books!

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading [_To himself._] But Burchard Alters no muscle: nothing of importance Therefore has passed....

hournounUS /ˈaʊər/

a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day

From this reading Dear Father, I will bring you in an hour word that your Duke Makes speed to visit you.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading Dear Father, I will bring you in an hour word that your Duke Makes speed to visit you.

importancenounUS /ˌɪmˈpɔːrtəns/

the quality of being important and worthy of note

From this reading [_To himself._] But Burchard Alters no muscle: nothing of importance Therefore has passed....

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Dear Father, I will bring you in an hour word that your Duke Makes speed to visit you.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading My Chronicler, And I have never looked into your books!

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading My Chronicler, And I have never looked into your books!

MakesnounUS /meɪks/

plural of “make” — a recognizable kind

From this reading Dear Father, I will bring you in an hour word that your Duke Makes speed to visit you.

musclenounUS /ˈmʌsəl/

one of the contractile organs of the body

From this reading [_To himself._] But Burchard Alters no muscle: nothing of importance Therefore has passed....

MydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading My Chronicler, And I have never looked into your books!

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading My Chronicler, And I have never looked into your books!

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading [_To himself._] But Burchard Alters no muscle: nothing of importance Therefore has passed....

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading [_To himself._] But Burchard Alters no muscle: nothing of importance Therefore has passed....

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading [_To himself._] But Burchard Alters no muscle: nothing of importance Therefore has passed....

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading [_The_ DOCTOR _and the other_ SURGEONS _and_ APOTHECARIES, _with the_ CARDINALS _and_ ATTENDANTS, _pass in an excited company from the room_.

passverbUS /pæs/

go across or through

From this reading [_The_ DOCTOR _and the other_ SURGEONS _and_ APOTHECARIES, _with the_ CARDINALS _and_ ATTENDANTS, _pass in an excited company from the room_.

passedverbUS /pæst/

past form of “pass” — go across or through

From this reading [_To himself._] But Burchard Alters no muscle: nothing of importance Therefore has passed....

roomnounUS /ruːm/

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading [_The_ DOCTOR _and the other_ SURGEONS _and_ APOTHECARIES, _with the_ CARDINALS _and_ ATTENDANTS, _pass in an excited company from the room_.

speedverbUS /spiːd/

move hurridly

From this reading Dear Father, I will bring you in an hour word that your Duke Makes speed to visit you.

SURGEONSnounUS /ˈsɜːrdʒənz/

plural of “surgeon” — a physician who specializes in surgery

From this reading [_The_ DOCTOR _and the other_ SURGEONS _and_ APOTHECARIES, _with the_ CARDINALS _and_ ATTENDANTS, _pass in an excited company from the room_.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Dear Father, I will bring you in an hour word that your Duke Makes speed to visit you.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading [_The_ DOCTOR _and the other_ SURGEONS _and_ APOTHECARIES, _with the_ CARDINALS _and_ ATTENDANTS, _pass in an excited company from the room_.

ThereforeadverbUS /ˈðerfɔːr/

for that reason; as a result

From this reading [_To himself._] But Burchard Alters no muscle: nothing of importance Therefore has passed....

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Dear Father, I will bring you in an hour word that your Duke Makes speed to visit you.

visitverbUS /ˈvɪzɪt/

go to see a place, as for entertainment

From this reading Dear Father, I will bring you in an hour word that your Duke Makes speed to visit you.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading Dear Father, I will bring you in an hour word that your Duke Makes speed to visit you.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading [_The_ DOCTOR _and the other_ SURGEONS _and_ APOTHECARIES, _with the_ CARDINALS _and_ ATTENDANTS, _pass in an excited company from the room_.

wordnounUS /wɜːrd/

a unit of language that native speakers can identify

From this reading Dear Father, I will bring you in an hour word that your Duke Makes speed to visit you.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Dear Father, I will bring you in an hour word that your Duke Makes speed to visit you.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Dear Father, I will bring you in an hour word that your Duke Makes speed to visit you.

Chapter 7 of Borgia: A Period Play by Michael Field holds 401 sentences, grouped into 81 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 7 of Borgia: A Period Play contain?

Chapter 7 holds 401 sentences of Borgia: A Period Play, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 7 of Borgia: A Period Play by Michael Field exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 401 sentences, grouped into 81 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 7 of Borgia: A Period Play?

Work through the 81 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 81 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 7 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 7 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 Borgia: A Period Play

Common questions about reading Borgia: A Period Play by Michael Field on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Borgia: A Period Play?

Yes. All 3226 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #65280 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Borgia: A Period Play is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #65280, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Borgia: A Period Play take to read?

About 268 minutes of reading across 646 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Borgia: A Period Play section by section

How to work through Borgia: A Period Play section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 8 chapters of Borgia: A Period Play 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 Borgia: A Period Play

Words and structures a reader meets early in Borgia: A Period Play, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Short
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Borgia: A Period Play; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Laugh
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Borgia: A Period Play; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Unmasking
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Borgia: A Period Play; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Father
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Borgia: A Period Play; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.