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Four Arthurian Romances
Four Arthurian Romances

Chapter XXXVI · Chapter 36

Chapter 36 of Four Arthurian Romances is here in full — 256 sentences across 52 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/51 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
(Vv.
3319-3490.) Then the king goes down and orders them to bring his horse.
A large steed is brought to him, upon which he springs by the stirrup, and he rides off with some of his men: three knights and two squires he bade to go with him.
They did not stop their ride downhill until they came to the bridge, where they see him stanching his wounds and wiping the blood from them.
The king expects to keep him as his guest for a long time while his wounds are healing; but he might as well expect to drain the sea.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Four Arthurian Romances

Chapter XXXVI · Chapter 36

Chapter 36 of Four Arthurian Romances is here in full — 256 sentences across 52 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/51 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
(Vv.
Line 2
3319-3490.) Then the king goes down and orders them to bring his horse.
Line 3
A large steed is brought to him, upon which he springs by the stirrup, and he rides off with some of his men: three knights and two squires he bade to go with him.
/ə lɑːrdʒ stiːd ɪz brɔːt tuː hɪm əˈpɑːn wɪtʃ hiː sprɪŋz baɪ ðə ˈstɜːrəp ənd hiː raɪdz ɔːf wɪð sʌm ʌv hɪz men θriː naɪts ənd tuː ˈskwaɪərz hiː beɪd tuː ɡoʊ wɪð hɪm/
Line 4
They did not stop their ride downhill until they came to the bridge, where they see him stanching his wounds and wiping the blood from them.
/ðeɪ dɪd nɑːt stɑːp ðer raɪd ˈdaʊnˈhɪl ənˈtɪl ðeɪ keɪm tuː ðə brɪdʒ wer ðeɪ siː hɪm ˈstæntʃɪŋ hɪz wuːndz ənd ˈwaɪpɪŋ ðə blʌd frʌm ðem/
Line 5
The king expects to keep him as his guest for a long time while his wounds are healing; but he might as well expect to drain the sea.
/ðə kɪŋ ɪkˈspekts tuː kiːp hɪm æz hɪz ɡest fɔːr ə lɔːŋ taɪm waɪl hɪz wuːndz ɑːr ˈhiːlɪŋ bʌt hiː maɪt æz wel ɪkˈspekt tuː dreɪn ðə siː/

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.

downhill adjective US /ˈdaʊnˈhɪl/

sloping down rather steeply

From this reading “They did not stop their ride downhill until they came to the bridge, where they see him stanching his wounds and wiping the blood from them.”

drain verb US /dreɪn/

flow off gradually

From this reading “The king expects to keep him as his guest for a long time while his wounds are healing; but he might as well expect to drain the sea.”

expects verb US /ɪkˈspekts/

third-person singular of “expect” — regard something as probable or likely

From this reading “The king expects to keep him as his guest for a long time while his wounds are healing; but he might as well expect to drain the sea.”

healing noun US /ˈhiːlɪŋ/

the natural process by which the body repairs itself

From this reading “The king expects to keep him as his guest for a long time while his wounds are healing; but he might as well expect to drain the sea.”

rides noun US /raɪdz/

plural of “ride” — a journey in a vehicle (usually an automobile)

From this reading “A large steed is brought to him, upon which he springs by the stirrup, and he rides off with some of his men: three knights and two squires he bade to go with him.”

squires noun US /ˈskwaɪərz/

plural of “squire” — young nobleman attendant on a knight

From this reading “A large steed is brought to him, upon which he springs by the stirrup, and he rides off with some of his men: three knights and two squires he bade to go with him.”

stanching verb US /ˈstæntʃɪŋ/

-ing form of “stanch” — stop the flow of a liquid

From this reading “They did not stop their ride downhill until they came to the bridge, where they see him stanching his wounds and wiping the blood from them.”

stirrup noun US /ˈstɜːrəp/

support consisting of metal loops into which rider's feet go

From this reading “A large steed is brought to him, upon which he springs by the stirrup, and he rides off with some of his men: three knights and two squires he bade to go with him.”

All words in this reading · 72

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.

3319

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

From this reading 3319-3490.) Then the king goes down and orders them to bring his horse.

3490

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

From this reading 3319-3490.) Then the king goes down and orders them to bring his horse.

AdeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading A large steed is brought to him, upon which he springs by the stirrup, and he rides off with some of his men: three knights and two squires he bade to go with him.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading 3319-3490.) Then the king goes down and orders them to bring his horse.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading The king expects to keep him as his guest for a long time while his wounds are healing; but he might as well expect to drain the sea.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading The king expects to keep him as his guest for a long time while his wounds are healing; but he might as well expect to drain the sea.

badenounUS /beɪd/

a Chadic language spoken in northern Nigeria

From this reading A large steed is brought to him, upon which he springs by the stirrup, and he rides off with some of his men: three knights and two squires he bade to go with him.

bloodnounUS /blʌd/

The red fluid that circulates in the heart and blood vessels.

From this reading They did not stop their ride downhill until they came to the bridge, where they see him stanching his wounds and wiping the blood from them.

bridgenounUS /brɪdʒ/

a structure that allows people or vehicles to cross an obstacle such as a river or canal or railway etc.

From this reading They did not stop their ride downhill until they came to the bridge, where they see him stanching his wounds and wiping the blood from them.

bringverbUS /brɪŋ/

take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading 3319-3490.) Then the king goes down and orders them to bring his horse.

broughtverbUS /brɔːt/

inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading A large steed is brought to him, upon which he springs by the stirrup, and he rides off with some of his men: three knights and two squires he bade to go with him.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading The king expects to keep him as his guest for a long time while his wounds are healing; but he might as well expect to drain the sea.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading A large steed is brought to him, upon which he springs by the stirrup, and he rides off with some of his men: three knights and two squires he bade to go with him.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading They did not stop their ride downhill until they came to the bridge, where they see him stanching his wounds and wiping the blood from them.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading They did not stop their ride downhill until they came to the bridge, where they see him stanching his wounds and wiping the blood from them.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading 3319-3490.) Then the king goes down and orders them to bring his horse.

downhilladjectiveUS /ˈdaʊnˈhɪl/

sloping down rather steeply

From this reading They did not stop their ride downhill until they came to the bridge, where they see him stanching his wounds and wiping the blood from them.

drainverbUS /dreɪn/

flow off gradually

From this reading The king expects to keep him as his guest for a long time while his wounds are healing; but he might as well expect to drain the sea.

expectverbUS /ɪkˈspekt/

regard something as probable or likely

From this reading The king expects to keep him as his guest for a long time while his wounds are healing; but he might as well expect to drain the sea.

expectsverbUS /ɪkˈspekts/

third-person singular of “expect” — regard something as probable or likely

From this reading The king expects to keep him as his guest for a long time while his wounds are healing; but he might as well expect to drain the sea.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading The king expects to keep him as his guest for a long time while his wounds are healing; but he might as well expect to drain the sea.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading They did not stop their ride downhill until they came to the bridge, where they see him stanching his wounds and wiping the blood from them.

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading A large steed is brought to him, upon which he springs by the stirrup, and he rides off with some of his men: three knights and two squires he bade to go with him.

goesnounUS /ɡoʊz/

plural of “go” — a time period for working (after which you will be relieved by someone else)

From this reading 3319-3490.) Then the king goes down and orders them to bring his horse.

guestnounUS /ɡest/

a visitor to whom hospitality is extended

From this reading The king expects to keep him as his guest for a long time while his wounds are healing; but he might as well expect to drain the sea.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading A large steed is brought to him, upon which he springs by the stirrup, and he rides off with some of his men: three knights and two squires he bade to go with him.

healingnounUS /ˈhiːlɪŋ/

the natural process by which the body repairs itself

From this reading The king expects to keep him as his guest for a long time while his wounds are healing; but he might as well expect to drain the sea.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading A large steed is brought to him, upon which he springs by the stirrup, and he rides off with some of his men: three knights and two squires he bade to go with him.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading 3319-3490.) Then the king goes down and orders them to bring his horse.

horsenounUS /hɔːrs/

solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times

From this reading 3319-3490.) Then the king goes down and orders them to bring his horse.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading A large steed is brought to him, upon which he springs by the stirrup, and he rides off with some of his men: three knights and two squires he bade to go with him.

keepverbUS /kiːp/

cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”

From this reading The king expects to keep him as his guest for a long time while his wounds are healing; but he might as well expect to drain the sea.

kingnounUS /kɪŋ/

a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom

From this reading 3319-3490.) Then the king goes down and orders them to bring his horse.

knightsnounUS /naɪts/

plural of “knight” — originally a person of noble birth trained to arms and chivalry; today in Great Britain a person honored by the sovereign for personal merit

From this reading A large steed is brought to him, upon which he springs by the stirrup, and he rides off with some of his men: three knights and two squires he bade to go with him.

largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/

above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading A large steed is brought to him, upon which he springs by the stirrup, and he rides off with some of his men: three knights and two squires he bade to go with him.

longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading The king expects to keep him as his guest for a long time while his wounds are healing; but he might as well expect to drain the sea.

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading A large steed is brought to him, upon which he springs by the stirrup, and he rides off with some of his men: three knights and two squires he bade to go with him.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading The king expects to keep him as his guest for a long time while his wounds are healing; but he might as well expect to drain the sea.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading They did not stop their ride downhill until they came to the bridge, where they see him stanching his wounds and wiping the blood from them.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading A large steed is brought to him, upon which he springs by the stirrup, and he rides off with some of his men: three knights and two squires he bade to go with him.

offadverbUS /ɔːf/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading A large steed is brought to him, upon which he springs by the stirrup, and he rides off with some of his men: three knights and two squires he bade to go with him.

ordersnounUS /ˈɔːrdərz/

plural of “order” — (often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed

From this reading 3319-3490.) Then the king goes down and orders them to bring his horse.

rideverbUS /raɪd/

sit and travel on the back of animal, usually while controlling its motions

From this reading They did not stop their ride downhill until they came to the bridge, where they see him stanching his wounds and wiping the blood from them.

ridesnounUS /raɪdz/

plural of “ride” — a journey in a vehicle (usually an automobile)

From this reading A large steed is brought to him, upon which he springs by the stirrup, and he rides off with some of his men: three knights and two squires he bade to go with him.

seanounUS /siː/

a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land

From this reading The king expects to keep him as his guest for a long time while his wounds are healing; but he might as well expect to drain the sea.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading They did not stop their ride downhill until they came to the bridge, where they see him stanching his wounds and wiping the blood from them.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading A large steed is brought to him, upon which he springs by the stirrup, and he rides off with some of his men: three knights and two squires he bade to go with him.

springsnounUS /sprɪŋz/

plural of “spring” — the season of growth

From this reading A large steed is brought to him, upon which he springs by the stirrup, and he rides off with some of his men: three knights and two squires he bade to go with him.

squiresnounUS /ˈskwaɪərz/

plural of “squire” — young nobleman attendant on a knight

From this reading A large steed is brought to him, upon which he springs by the stirrup, and he rides off with some of his men: three knights and two squires he bade to go with him.

stanchingverbUS /ˈstæntʃɪŋ/

-ing form of “stanch” — stop the flow of a liquid

From this reading They did not stop their ride downhill until they came to the bridge, where they see him stanching his wounds and wiping the blood from them.

steednounUS /stiːd/

(literary) a spirited horse for state of war

From this reading A large steed is brought to him, upon which he springs by the stirrup, and he rides off with some of his men: three knights and two squires he bade to go with him.

stirrupnounUS /ˈstɜːrəp/

support consisting of metal loops into which rider's feet go

From this reading A large steed is brought to him, upon which he springs by the stirrup, and he rides off with some of his men: three knights and two squires he bade to go with him.

stopverbUS /stɑːp/

come to a halt, stop moving

From this reading They did not stop their ride downhill until they came to the bridge, where they see him stanching his wounds and wiping the blood from them.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading 3319-3490.) Then the king goes down and orders them to bring his horse.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading They did not stop their ride downhill until they came to the bridge, where they see him stanching his wounds and wiping the blood from them.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading 3319-3490.) Then the king goes down and orders them to bring his horse.

ThenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading 3319-3490.) Then the king goes down and orders them to bring his horse.

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading They did not stop their ride downhill until they came to the bridge, where they see him stanching his wounds and wiping the blood from them.

threenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading A large steed is brought to him, upon which he springs by the stirrup, and he rides off with some of his men: three knights and two squires he bade to go with him.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading The king expects to keep him as his guest for a long time while his wounds are healing; but he might as well expect to drain the sea.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading 3319-3490.) Then the king goes down and orders them to bring his horse.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading A large steed is brought to him, upon which he springs by the stirrup, and he rides off with some of his men: three knights and two squires he bade to go with him.

untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading They did not stop their ride downhill until they came to the bridge, where they see him stanching his wounds and wiping the blood from them.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading A large steed is brought to him, upon which he springs by the stirrup, and he rides off with some of his men: three knights and two squires he bade to go with him.

Vv

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

From this reading (Vv.

welladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading The king expects to keep him as his guest for a long time while his wounds are healing; but he might as well expect to drain the sea.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading They did not stop their ride downhill until they came to the bridge, where they see him stanching his wounds and wiping the blood from them.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading A large steed is brought to him, upon which he springs by the stirrup, and he rides off with some of his men: three knights and two squires he bade to go with him.

whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading The king expects to keep him as his guest for a long time while his wounds are healing; but he might as well expect to drain the sea.

wipingverbUS /ˈwaɪpɪŋ/

-ing form of “wipe” — rub with a circular motion

From this reading They did not stop their ride downhill until they came to the bridge, where they see him stanching his wounds and wiping the blood from them.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading A large steed is brought to him, upon which he springs by the stirrup, and he rides off with some of his men: three knights and two squires he bade to go with him.

woundsnounUS /wuːndz/

plural of “wound” — an injury to living tissue (especially an injury involving a cut or break in the skin)

From this reading They did not stop their ride downhill until they came to the bridge, where they see him stanching his wounds and wiping the blood from them.

Chapter 36 of Four Arthurian Romances by de Troyes, active 12th century Chrétien holds 256 sentences, grouped into 52 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 36 of Four Arthurian Romances contain?

Chapter 36 holds 256 sentences of Four Arthurian Romances, unabridged, divided into 52 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 36 of Four Arthurian Romances by de Troyes, active 12th century Chrétien exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 256 sentences, grouped into 52 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 36 of Four Arthurian Romances?

Work through the 52 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 52 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 36 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 36 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 Four Arthurian Romances

Common questions about reading Four Arthurian Romances by de Troyes, active 12th century Chrétien on this page, its source edition and its audio.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #831, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 600 minutes of reading across 1858 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Four Arthurian Romances

Words and structures a reader meets early in Four Arthurian Romances, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Century
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Four Arthurian Romances; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Originally
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Four Arthurian Romances; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Written
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Four Arthurian Romances; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
French
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Four Arthurian Romances; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.