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Hereward, the Last of the English
Hereward, the Last of the English

Chapter XL · Chapter 40

Chapter 40 of Hereward, the Last of the English is here in full — 60 sentences across 12 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Hereward, the Last of the English
Context Illustration Reading 1/12 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
HOW DEEPING FEN WAS DRAINED.
But war and disorder, ruin and death, cannot last forever.
They are by their own nature exceptional and suicidal, and spend themselves with what they feed on.
And then the true laws of God’s universe, peace and order, usefulness and life, will reassert themselves, as they have been waiting all along to do, hid in God’s presence from the strife of men.
And even so it was with Bourne.
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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.

Hereward, the Last of the English

Chapter XL · Chapter 40

Chapter 40 of Hereward, the Last of the English is here in full — 60 sentences across 12 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/12 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
HOW DEEPING FEN WAS DRAINED.
Line 2
But war and disorder, ruin and death, cannot last forever.
Line 3
They are by their own nature exceptional and suicidal, and spend themselves with what they feed on.
/ðeɪ ɑːr baɪ ðer oʊn ˈneɪtʃər ɪkˈsepʃənəl ənd ˌsuːəˈsaɪdəl ənd spend ðemˈselvz wɪð wʌt ðeɪ fiːd ɑːn/
Line 4
And then the true laws of God’s universe, peace and order, usefulness and life, will reassert themselves, as they have been waiting all along to do, hid in God’s presence from the strife of men.
/ənd ðen ðə truː lɔːz ʌv ɡɑːdz ˈjuːnəvɜːrs piːs ənd ˈɔːrdər ˈjuːsfəlnəs ənd laɪf wɪl ˌriːəˈsɜːrt ðemˈselvz æz ðeɪ hæv bɪn ˈweɪtɪŋ ɔːl əˈlɔːŋ tuː duː hɪd ɪn ɡɑːdz ˈprezəns frʌm ðə straɪf ʌv men/
Line 5
And even so it was with Bourne.
/ənd ˈiːvɪn soʊ ɪt wɑːz wɪð bɔːrn/

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.

Bourne noun US /bɔːrn/

an archaic term for a boundary

From this reading “And even so it was with Bourne.”

disorder noun US /dɪˈsɔːrdər/

a physical condition in which there is a disturbance of normal functioning

From this reading “But war and disorder, ruin and death, cannot last forever.”

drained adjective US /dreɪnd/

emptied or exhausted of (as by drawing off e.g. water or other liquid)

From this reading “HOW DEEPING FEN WAS DRAINED.”

exceptional adjective US /ɪkˈsepʃənəl/

far beyond what is usual in magnitude or degree

From this reading “They are by their own nature exceptional and suicidal, and spend themselves with what they feed on.”

fen noun US /fen/

100 fen equal 1 yuan in China

From this reading “HOW DEEPING FEN WAS DRAINED.”

reassert verb US /ˌriːəˈsɜːrt/

strengthen or make more firm

From this reading “And then the true laws of God’s universe, peace and order, usefulness and life, will reassert themselves, as they have been waiting all along to do, hid in God’s presence from the strife of men.”

suicidal adjective US /ˌsuːəˈsaɪdəl/

dangerous to yourself or your interests

From this reading “They are by their own nature exceptional and suicidal, and spend themselves with what they feed on.”

usefulness noun US /ˈjuːsfəlnəs/

the quality of being of practical use

From this reading “And then the true laws of God’s universe, peace and order, usefulness and life, will reassert themselves, as they have been waiting all along to do, hid in God’s presence from the strife of men.”

All words in this reading · 59

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.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading And then the true laws of God’s universe, peace and order, usefulness and life, will reassert themselves, as they have been waiting all along to do, hid in God’s presence from the strife of men.

alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/

following the length of something from one end toward the other

From this reading And then the true laws of God’s universe, peace and order, usefulness and life, will reassert themselves, as they have been waiting all along to do, hid in God’s presence from the strife of men.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading But war and disorder, ruin and death, cannot last forever.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading They are by their own nature exceptional and suicidal, and spend themselves with what they feed on.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading And then the true laws of God’s universe, peace and order, usefulness and life, will reassert themselves, as they have been waiting all along to do, hid in God’s presence from the strife of men.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading And then the true laws of God’s universe, peace and order, usefulness and life, will reassert themselves, as they have been waiting all along to do, hid in God’s presence from the strife of men.

BournenounUS /bɔːrn/

an archaic term for a boundary

From this reading And even so it was with Bourne.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But war and disorder, ruin and death, cannot last forever.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading They are by their own nature exceptional and suicidal, and spend themselves with what they feed on.

cannot

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

From this reading But war and disorder, ruin and death, cannot last forever.

deathnounUS /deθ/

the event of dying or departure from life

From this reading But war and disorder, ruin and death, cannot last forever.

DEEPING

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

From this reading HOW DEEPING FEN WAS DRAINED.

disordernounUS /dɪˈsɔːrdər/

a physical condition in which there is a disturbance of normal functioning

From this reading But war and disorder, ruin and death, cannot last forever.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading And then the true laws of God’s universe, peace and order, usefulness and life, will reassert themselves, as they have been waiting all along to do, hid in God’s presence from the strife of men.

DRAINEDadjectiveUS /dreɪnd/

emptied or exhausted of (as by drawing off e.g. water or other liquid)

From this reading HOW DEEPING FEN WAS DRAINED.

evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading And even so it was with Bourne.

exceptionaladjectiveUS /ɪkˈsepʃənəl/

far beyond what is usual in magnitude or degree

From this reading They are by their own nature exceptional and suicidal, and spend themselves with what they feed on.

feedverbUS /fiːd/

provide as food

From this reading They are by their own nature exceptional and suicidal, and spend themselves with what they feed on.

FENnounUS /fen/

100 fen equal 1 yuan in China

From this reading HOW DEEPING FEN WAS DRAINED.

foreveradverbUS /fərˈevər/

for a limitless time

From this reading But war and disorder, ruin and death, cannot last forever.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading And then the true laws of God’s universe, peace and order, usefulness and life, will reassert themselves, as they have been waiting all along to do, hid in God’s presence from the strife of men.

God'snounUS /ɡɑːdz/

possessive form of “god” — the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions

From this reading And then the true laws of God’s universe, peace and order, usefulness and life, will reassert themselves, as they have been waiting all along to do, hid in God’s presence from the strife of men.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading And then the true laws of God’s universe, peace and order, usefulness and life, will reassert themselves, as they have been waiting all along to do, hid in God’s presence from the strife of men.

hidverbUS /hɪd/

inflected form of “hide” — prevent from being seen or discovered

From this reading And then the true laws of God’s universe, peace and order, usefulness and life, will reassert themselves, as they have been waiting all along to do, hid in God’s presence from the strife of men.

HOW

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

From this reading HOW DEEPING FEN WAS DRAINED.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading And then the true laws of God’s universe, peace and order, usefulness and life, will reassert themselves, as they have been waiting all along to do, hid in God’s presence from the strife of men.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading And even so it was with Bourne.

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading But war and disorder, ruin and death, cannot last forever.

lawsnounUS /lɔːz/

the first of three divisions of the Hebrew Scriptures comprising the first five books of the Hebrew Bible considered as a unit

From this reading And then the true laws of God’s universe, peace and order, usefulness and life, will reassert themselves, as they have been waiting all along to do, hid in God’s presence from the strife of men.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading And then the true laws of God’s universe, peace and order, usefulness and life, will reassert themselves, as they have been waiting all along to do, hid in God’s presence from the strife of men.

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading And then the true laws of God’s universe, peace and order, usefulness and life, will reassert themselves, as they have been waiting all along to do, hid in God’s presence from the strife of men.

naturenounUS /ˈneɪtʃər/

the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized

From this reading They are by their own nature exceptional and suicidal, and spend themselves with what they feed on.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading And then the true laws of God’s universe, peace and order, usefulness and life, will reassert themselves, as they have been waiting all along to do, hid in God’s presence from the strife of men.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading They are by their own nature exceptional and suicidal, and spend themselves with what they feed on.

ordernounUS /ˈɔːrdər/

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

From this reading And then the true laws of God’s universe, peace and order, usefulness and life, will reassert themselves, as they have been waiting all along to do, hid in God’s presence from the strife of men.

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading They are by their own nature exceptional and suicidal, and spend themselves with what they feed on.

peacenounUS /piːs/

the state prevailing during the absence of war

From this reading And then the true laws of God’s universe, peace and order, usefulness and life, will reassert themselves, as they have been waiting all along to do, hid in God’s presence from the strife of men.

presencenounUS /ˈprezəns/

the state of being present; current existence

From this reading And then the true laws of God’s universe, peace and order, usefulness and life, will reassert themselves, as they have been waiting all along to do, hid in God’s presence from the strife of men.

reassertverbUS /ˌriːəˈsɜːrt/

strengthen or make more firm

From this reading And then the true laws of God’s universe, peace and order, usefulness and life, will reassert themselves, as they have been waiting all along to do, hid in God’s presence from the strife of men.

ruinnounUS /ˈruːən/

an irrecoverable state of devastation and destruction

From this reading But war and disorder, ruin and death, cannot last forever.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading And even so it was with Bourne.

spendverbUS /spend/

use up a period of time in a specific way

From this reading They are by their own nature exceptional and suicidal, and spend themselves with what they feed on.

strifenounUS /straɪf/

lack of agreement or harmony

From this reading And then the true laws of God’s universe, peace and order, usefulness and life, will reassert themselves, as they have been waiting all along to do, hid in God’s presence from the strife of men.

suicidaladjectiveUS /ˌsuːəˈsaɪdəl/

dangerous to yourself or your interests

From this reading They are by their own nature exceptional and suicidal, and spend themselves with what they feed on.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading And then the true laws of God’s universe, peace and order, usefulness and life, will reassert themselves, as they have been waiting all along to do, hid in God’s presence from the strife of men.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading They are by their own nature exceptional and suicidal, and spend themselves with what they feed on.

themselvespronounUS /ðemˈselvz/

used when the people doing the action are also its object

From this reading They are by their own nature exceptional and suicidal, and spend themselves with what they feed on.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading And then the true laws of God’s universe, peace and order, usefulness and life, will reassert themselves, as they have been waiting all along to do, hid in God’s presence from the strife of men.

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading They are by their own nature exceptional and suicidal, and spend themselves with what they feed on.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading And then the true laws of God’s universe, peace and order, usefulness and life, will reassert themselves, as they have been waiting all along to do, hid in God’s presence from the strife of men.

trueadjectiveUS /truː/

consistent with fact or reality; not false

From this reading And then the true laws of God’s universe, peace and order, usefulness and life, will reassert themselves, as they have been waiting all along to do, hid in God’s presence from the strife of men.

universenounUS /ˈjuːnəvɜːrs/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading And then the true laws of God’s universe, peace and order, usefulness and life, will reassert themselves, as they have been waiting all along to do, hid in God’s presence from the strife of men.

usefulnessnounUS /ˈjuːsfəlnəs/

the quality of being of practical use

From this reading And then the true laws of God’s universe, peace and order, usefulness and life, will reassert themselves, as they have been waiting all along to do, hid in God’s presence from the strife of men.

waitingnounUS /ˈweɪtɪŋ/

the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)

From this reading And then the true laws of God’s universe, peace and order, usefulness and life, will reassert themselves, as they have been waiting all along to do, hid in God’s presence from the strife of men.

warnounUS /wɔːr/

the waging of armed conflict against an enemy

From this reading But war and disorder, ruin and death, cannot last forever.

WASauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading HOW DEEPING FEN WAS DRAINED.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading They are by their own nature exceptional and suicidal, and spend themselves with what they feed on.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading And then the true laws of God’s universe, peace and order, usefulness and life, will reassert themselves, as they have been waiting all along to do, hid in God’s presence from the strife of men.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading They are by their own nature exceptional and suicidal, and spend themselves with what they feed on.

Chapter 40 of Hereward, the Last of the English by Charles Kingsley holds 60 sentences, grouped into 12 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 40 of Hereward, the Last of the English contain?

Chapter 40 holds 60 sentences of Hereward, the Last of the English, unabridged, divided into 12 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 40 of Hereward, the Last of the English by Charles Kingsley exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 60 sentences, grouped into 12 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 40 of Hereward, the Last of the English?

Work through the 12 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 12 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 40 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 40 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 Hereward, the Last of the English

Common questions about reading Hereward, the Last of the English by Charles Kingsley on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Hereward, the Last of the English?

Yes. All 9035 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #7815 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Hereward, the Last of the English is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #7815, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Hereward, the Last of the English take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1807 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Hereward, the Last of the English section by section

How to work through Hereward, the Last of the English section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of Hereward, the Last of the English 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 Hereward, the Last of the English

Words and structures a reader meets early in Hereward, the Last of the English, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Hereward
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Hereward, the Last of the English; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Outlawed
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Hereward, the Last of the English; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
North
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Hereward, the Last of the English; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Fortunes
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Hereward, the Last of the English; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.