English Eccentrics and Eccentricities

Chapter XII

Chapter 12 of English Eccentrics and Eccentricities is here in full — 438 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By John Timbs • Curated US English Learning Edition

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"Your gentle brains with full libations drench, You've then Pitt's title to the Treasury Bench.

Your foe in war to overrate A maxim is of ancient date; Then sure 'twas right, in time of trouble, That our good rulers should see double.

The mob are beasts! exclaims the King of Daggers; What creature's he that's troubled with the staggers?"

"When Billy found he scarce could stand, 'Help! help!' he cried, and stretched his hand To faithful Harry calling, Quoth Hal, 'My friend, I'm sorry for't; 'Tis not my practice to support A minister that's falling.'"

"'Who's up?' inquired Burke of a friend at the door; 'Oh! no one,' says Paddy, 'though Pitt's on the floor.'"

Narrator

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LEARNER DICTIONARY

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/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter XII Reading 1/87

English Eccentrics and Eccentricities John Timbs

Chapter XII

Chapter 12 of English Eccentrics and Eccentricities is here in full — 438 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

"Your gentle brains with full libations drench, You've then Pitt's title to the Treasury Bench. Your foe in war to overrate A maxim is of ancient date; Then sure 'twas right, in time of trouble, That our good rulers should see double. The mob are beasts! exclaims the King of Daggers; What creature's he that's troubled with the staggers?" "When Billy found he scarce could stand, 'Help! help!' he cried, and stretched his hand To faithful Harry calling, Quoth Hal, 'My friend, I'm sorry for't; 'Tis not my practice to support A minister that's falling.'" "'Who's up?' inquired Burke of a friend at the door; 'Oh! no one,' says Paddy, 'though Pitt's on the floor.'"

English Eccentrics and Eccentricities

Chapter XII

Chapter 12 of English Eccentrics and Eccentricities is here in full — 438 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/87 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

"Your gentle brains with full libations drench, You've then Pitt's title to the Treasury Bench.

Line 2

Your foe in war to overrate A maxim is of ancient date; Then sure 'twas right, in time of trouble, That our good rulers should see double.

Line 3

The mob are beasts! exclaims the King of Daggers; What creature's he that's troubled with the staggers?"

Line 4

Line 5

"'Who's up?' inquired Burke of a friend at the door; 'Oh! no one,' says Paddy, 'though Pitt's on the floor.'"

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.

Daggers noun US /ˈdæɡərz/

plural of “dagger” — a short knife with a pointed blade used for piercing or stabbing

From this reading “The mob are beasts! exclaims the King of Daggers; What creature's he that's troubled with the staggers?"”

drench verb US /drentʃ/

drench or submerge or be drenched or submerged

From this reading “"Your gentle brains with full libations drench, You've then Pitt's title to the Treasury Bench.”

exclaims verb US /ɪkˈskleɪmz/

third-person singular of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy

From this reading “The mob are beasts! exclaims the King of Daggers; What creature's he that's troubled with the staggers?"”

maxim noun US /ˈmæksəm/

a saying that is widely accepted on its own merits

From this reading “Your foe in war to overrate A maxim is of ancient date; Then sure 'twas right, in time of trouble, That our good rulers should see double.”

overrate verb US /ˌoʊvərˈreɪt/

make too high an estimate of

From this reading “Your foe in war to overrate A maxim is of ancient date; Then sure 'twas right, in time of trouble, That our good rulers should see double.”

Paddy noun US /ˈpædi/

(ethnic slur) offensive term for a person of Irish descent

From this reading “"'Who's up?' inquired Burke of a friend at the door; 'Oh! no one,' says Paddy, 'though Pitt's on the floor.'"”

Pitt's noun US /pɪts/

possessive form of “pitt” — a British playwright who created the fictional character Sweeney Todd (1799-1855)

From this reading “"Your gentle brains with full libations drench, You've then Pitt's title to the Treasury Bench.”

staggers noun US /ˈstæɡərz/

a disease of the central nervous system affecting especially horses and cattle; characterized by an unsteady swaying gait and frequent falling

From this reading “The mob are beasts! exclaims the King of Daggers; What creature's he that's troubled with the staggers?"”

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.

on the floor preposition + article + noun counted as “on … floor”

In this reading “"'Who's up?' inquired Burke of a friend at the door; 'Oh! no one,' says Paddy, 'though Pitt's on the floor.'"”

at the door preposition + article + noun counted as “at … door”

In this reading “"'Who's up?' inquired Burke of a friend at the door; 'Oh! no one,' says Paddy, 'though Pitt's on the floor.'"”

All words in this reading · 91

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 Your foe in war to overrate A maxim is of ancient date; Then sure 'twas right, in time of trouble, That our good rulers should see double.

ancientadjectiveUS /ˈeɪn.ʃənt/

Belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence or deeply revered.

From this reading Your foe in war to overrate A maxim is of ancient date; Then sure 'twas right, in time of trouble, That our good rulers should see double.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading "When Billy found he scarce could stand, 'Help! help!' he cried, and stretched his hand To faithful Harry calling, Quoth Hal, 'My friend, I'm sorry for't; 'Tis not my practice to support A minister that's falling.'"

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading The mob are beasts! exclaims the King of Daggers; What creature's he that's troubled with the staggers?"

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading "'Who's up?' inquired Burke of a friend at the door; 'Oh! no one,' says Paddy, 'though Pitt's on the floor.'"

beastsnounUS /biːsts/

plural of “beast” — a living organism characterized by voluntary movement

From this reading The mob are beasts! exclaims the King of Daggers; What creature's he that's troubled with the staggers?"

BenchnounUS /bentʃ/

a long seat for more than one person

From this reading "Your gentle brains with full libations drench, You've then Pitt's title to the Treasury Bench.

BillynounUS /ˈbɪli/

a short stout club used primarily by policemen

brainsnounUS /breɪnz/

plural of “brain” — that part of the central nervous system that includes all the higher nervous centers; enclosed within the skull; continuous with the spinal cord

From this reading "Your gentle brains with full libations drench, You've then Pitt's title to the Treasury Bench.

BurkenounUS /bɜːrk/

British statesman famous for his oratory; pleaded the cause of the American colonists in British Parliament and defended the parliamentary system (1729-1797)

From this reading "'Who's up?' inquired Burke of a friend at the door; 'Oh! no one,' says Paddy, 'though Pitt's on the floor.'"

callingnounUS /ˈkɔːlɪŋ/

the particular occupation for which you are trained

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

creature's

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

From this reading The mob are beasts! exclaims the King of Daggers; What creature's he that's troubled with the staggers?"

criedverbUS /kraɪd/

inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry

DaggersnounUS /ˈdæɡərz/

plural of “dagger” — a short knife with a pointed blade used for piercing or stabbing

From this reading The mob are beasts! exclaims the King of Daggers; What creature's he that's troubled with the staggers?"

datenounUS /deɪt/

the specified day of the month

From this reading Your foe in war to overrate A maxim is of ancient date; Then sure 'twas right, in time of trouble, That our good rulers should see double.

doornounUS /dɔːr/

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading "'Who's up?' inquired Burke of a friend at the door; 'Oh! no one,' says Paddy, 'though Pitt's on the floor.'"

doubleverbUS /ˈdʌbəl/

increase twofold

From this reading Your foe in war to overrate A maxim is of ancient date; Then sure 'twas right, in time of trouble, That our good rulers should see double.

drenchverbUS /drentʃ/

drench or submerge or be drenched or submerged

From this reading "Your gentle brains with full libations drench, You've then Pitt's title to the Treasury Bench.

exclaimsverbUS /ɪkˈskleɪmz/

third-person singular of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy

From this reading The mob are beasts! exclaims the King of Daggers; What creature's he that's troubled with the staggers?"

faithfuladjectiveUS /ˈfeɪθfəl/

steadfast in affection or allegiance

fallingadjectiveUS /ˈfɑːlɪŋ/

decreasing in amount or degree

floornounUS /flɔːr/

the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)

From this reading "'Who's up?' inquired Burke of a friend at the door; 'Oh! no one,' says Paddy, 'though Pitt's on the floor.'"

foenounUS /foʊ/

an armed adversary (especially a member of an opposing military force)

From this reading Your foe in war to overrate A maxim is of ancient date; Then sure 'twas right, in time of trouble, That our good rulers should see double.

for't

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

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

friendnounUS /frend/

a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

fulladjectiveUS /fʊl/

containing as much or as many as is possible or normal

From this reading "Your gentle brains with full libations drench, You've then Pitt's title to the Treasury Bench.

gentleadjectiveUS /ˈdʒentəl/

soft and mild; not harsh or stern or severe

From this reading "Your gentle brains with full libations drench, You've then Pitt's title to the Treasury Bench.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

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

From this reading Your foe in war to overrate A maxim is of ancient date; Then sure 'twas right, in time of trouble, That our good rulers should see double.

Hal

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

handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

HarryverbUS /ˈheri/

annoy continually or chronically

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading The mob are beasts! exclaims the King of Daggers; What creature's he that's troubled with the staggers?"

HelpverbUS /help/

give help or assistance; be of service

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

I'm

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

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Your foe in war to overrate A maxim is of ancient date; Then sure 'twas right, in time of trouble, That our good rulers should see double.

inquiredverbUS /ˌɪnˈkwaɪərd/

past form of “inquire” — address a question to and expect an answer from

From this reading "'Who's up?' inquired Burke of a friend at the door; 'Oh! no one,' says Paddy, 'though Pitt's on the floor.'"

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Your foe in war to overrate A maxim is of ancient date; Then sure 'twas right, in time of trouble, That our good rulers should see double.

KingnounUS /kɪŋ/

a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom

From this reading The mob are beasts! exclaims the King of Daggers; What creature's he that's troubled with the staggers?"

libations

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

From this reading "Your gentle brains with full libations drench, You've then Pitt's title to the Treasury Bench.

maximnounUS /ˈmæksəm/

a saying that is widely accepted on its own merits

From this reading Your foe in war to overrate A maxim is of ancient date; Then sure 'twas right, in time of trouble, That our good rulers should see double.

ministernounUS /ˈmɪnəstər/

a person authorized to conduct religious worship

mobnounUS /mɑːb/

a disorderly crowd of people

From this reading The mob are beasts! exclaims the King of Daggers; What creature's he that's troubled with the staggers?"

MydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading "'Who's up?' inquired Burke of a friend at the door; 'Oh! no one,' says Paddy, 'though Pitt's on the floor.'"

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Your foe in war to overrate A maxim is of ancient date; Then sure 'twas right, in time of trouble, That our good rulers should see double.

OhnounUS /oʊ/

a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region

From this reading "'Who's up?' inquired Burke of a friend at the door; 'Oh! no one,' says Paddy, 'though Pitt's on the floor.'"

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading "'Who's up?' inquired Burke of a friend at the door; 'Oh! no one,' says Paddy, 'though Pitt's on the floor.'"

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading "'Who's up?' inquired Burke of a friend at the door; 'Oh! no one,' says Paddy, 'though Pitt's on the floor.'"

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading Your foe in war to overrate A maxim is of ancient date; Then sure 'twas right, in time of trouble, That our good rulers should see double.

overrateverbUS /ˌoʊvərˈreɪt/

make too high an estimate of

From this reading Your foe in war to overrate A maxim is of ancient date; Then sure 'twas right, in time of trouble, That our good rulers should see double.

PaddynounUS /ˈpædi/

(ethnic slur) offensive term for a person of Irish descent

From this reading "'Who's up?' inquired Burke of a friend at the door; 'Oh! no one,' says Paddy, 'though Pitt's on the floor.'"

Pitt'snounUS /pɪts/

possessive form of “pitt” — a British playwright who created the fictional character Sweeney Todd (1799-1855)

From this reading "Your gentle brains with full libations drench, You've then Pitt's title to the Treasury Bench.

practicenounUS /ˈpræktəs/

a customary way of operation or behavior

Quoth

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

rightadverbUS /raɪt/

precisely, exactly

From this reading Your foe in war to overrate A maxim is of ancient date; Then sure 'twas right, in time of trouble, That our good rulers should see double.

rulersnounUS /ˈruːlərz/

plural of “ruler” — a person who rules or commands

From this reading Your foe in war to overrate A maxim is of ancient date; Then sure 'twas right, in time of trouble, That our good rulers should see double.

saysnounUS /sez/

plural of “say” — the chance to speak

From this reading "'Who's up?' inquired Burke of a friend at the door; 'Oh! no one,' says Paddy, 'though Pitt's on the floor.'"

scarceadverbUS /skers/

only a very short time before

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading Your foe in war to overrate A maxim is of ancient date; Then sure 'twas right, in time of trouble, That our good rulers should see double.

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading Your foe in war to overrate A maxim is of ancient date; Then sure 'twas right, in time of trouble, That our good rulers should see double.

sorryadjectiveUS /ˈsɑːri/

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

staggersnounUS /ˈstæɡərz/

a disease of the central nervous system affecting especially horses and cattle; characterized by an unsteady swaying gait and frequent falling

From this reading The mob are beasts! exclaims the King of Daggers; What creature's he that's troubled with the staggers?"

standverbUS /stænd/

be standing; be upright

stretchedadjectiveUS /stretʃt/

(of muscles) relieved of stiffness by stretching

supportnounUS /səˈpɔːrt/

the activity of providing for or maintaining by supplying with money or necessities

sureadjectiveUS /ʃʊr/

having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured

From this reading Your foe in war to overrate A maxim is of ancient date; Then sure 'twas right, in time of trouble, That our good rulers should see double.

ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Your foe in war to overrate A maxim is of ancient date; Then sure 'twas right, in time of trouble, That our good rulers should see double.

that's

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

From this reading The mob are beasts! exclaims the King of Daggers; What creature's he that's troubled with the staggers?"

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "Your gentle brains with full libations drench, You've then Pitt's title to the Treasury Bench.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading "Your gentle brains with full libations drench, You've then Pitt's title to the Treasury Bench.

thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading "'Who's up?' inquired Burke of a friend at the door; 'Oh! no one,' says Paddy, 'though Pitt's on the floor.'"

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading Your foe in war to overrate A maxim is of ancient date; Then sure 'twas right, in time of trouble, That our good rulers should see double.

TisnounUS /tɪz/

plural of “ti” — a light strong grey lustrous corrosion-resistant metallic element used in strong lightweight alloys (as for airplane parts); the main sources are rutile and ilmenite

titlenounUS /ˈtaɪtəl/

a heading that names a statute or legislative bill; may give a brief summary of the matters it deals with

From this reading "Your gentle brains with full libations drench, You've then Pitt's title to the Treasury Bench.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "Your gentle brains with full libations drench, You've then Pitt's title to the Treasury Bench.

TreasurynounUS /ˈtreʒəri/

the funds of a government or institution or individual

From this reading "Your gentle brains with full libations drench, You've then Pitt's title to the Treasury Bench.

troublenounUS /ˈtrʌbəl/

a source of difficulty

From this reading Your foe in war to overrate A maxim is of ancient date; Then sure 'twas right, in time of trouble, That our good rulers should see double.

troubledadjectiveUS /ˈtrʌbəld/

characterized by or indicative of distress or affliction or danger or need

From this reading The mob are beasts! exclaims the King of Daggers; What creature's he that's troubled with the staggers?"

twas

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

From this reading Your foe in war to overrate A maxim is of ancient date; Then sure 'twas right, in time of trouble, That our good rulers should see double.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading "'Who's up?' inquired Burke of a friend at the door; 'Oh! no one,' says Paddy, 'though Pitt's on the floor.'"

warnounUS /wɔːr/

the waging of armed conflict against an enemy

From this reading Your foe in war to overrate A maxim is of ancient date; Then sure 'twas right, in time of trouble, That our good rulers should see double.

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading The mob are beasts! exclaims the King of Daggers; What creature's he that's troubled with the staggers?"

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

Who's

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

From this reading "'Who's up?' inquired Burke of a friend at the door; 'Oh! no one,' says Paddy, 'though Pitt's on the floor.'"

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading "Your gentle brains with full libations drench, You've then Pitt's title to the Treasury Bench.

You've

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

From this reading "Your gentle brains with full libations drench, You've then Pitt's title to the Treasury Bench.

YourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "Your gentle brains with full libations drench, You've then Pitt's title to the Treasury Bench.

Chapter 12 of English Eccentrics and Eccentricities by John Timbs holds 438 sentences, grouped into 88 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 12 of English Eccentrics and Eccentricities contain?

Chapter 12 holds 438 sentences of English Eccentrics and Eccentricities, unabridged, divided into 88 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 12 of English Eccentrics and Eccentricities by John Timbs exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 438 sentences, grouped into 88 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 12 of English Eccentrics and Eccentricities?

Work through the 88 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 88 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 12 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 12 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.

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Yes. All 6326 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #50439 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #50439, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 527 minutes of reading across 1266 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Chapter XII

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