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Le Morte d'Arthur: Volume 1
Le Morte d'Arthur: Volume 1

Chapter XXI · Chapter 21

Chapter 21 of Le Morte d'Arthur: Volume 1 is here in full — 301 sentences across 61 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/60 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
King Bors, and of their counsel taken for the war.
So after the feast and journey, King Arthur drew him unto London, and so by the counsel of Merlin, the king let call his barons to council, for Merlin had told the king that the six kings that made war upon him would in all haste be awroke on him and on his lands.
Wherefore the king asked counsel at them all.
They could no counsel give, but said they were big enough.
Ye say well, said Arthur; I thank you for your good courage, but will ye all that loveth me speak with Merlin?
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Le Morte d'Arthur: Volume 1

Chapter XXI · Chapter 21

Chapter 21 of Le Morte d'Arthur: Volume 1 is here in full — 301 sentences across 61 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/60 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
King Bors, and of their counsel taken for the war.
Line 2
So after the feast and journey, King Arthur drew him unto London, and so by the counsel of Merlin, the king let call his barons to council, for Merlin had told the king that the six kings that made war upon him would in all haste be awroke on him and on his lands.
Line 3
Wherefore the king asked counsel at them all.
/werˈfɔːr ðə kɪŋ æskt ˈkaʊnsəl æt ðem ɔːl/
Line 4
They could no counsel give, but said they were big enough.
/ðeɪ kʊd noʊ ˈkaʊnsəl ɡɪv bʌt sed ðeɪ wɜːr bɪɡ ɪˈnʌf/
Line 5
Ye say well, said Arthur; I thank you for your good courage, but will ye all that loveth me speak with Merlin?

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.

barons noun US /ˈbærənz/

plural of “baron” — a nobleman (in various countries) of varying rank

From this reading “So after the feast and journey, King Arthur drew him unto London, and so by the counsel of Merlin, the king let call his barons to council, for Merlin had told the king that the six kings that made war upon him would in all haste be awroke on him and on his lands.”

council noun US /ˈkaʊnsəl/

a body serving in an administrative capacity

From this reading “So after the feast and journey, King Arthur drew him unto London, and so by the counsel of Merlin, the king let call his barons to council, for Merlin had told the king that the six kings that made war upon him would in all haste be awroke on him and on his lands.”

counsel noun US /ˈkaʊnsəl/

a lawyer who pleads cases in court

From this reading “King Bors, and of their counsel taken for the war.”

feast noun US /fiːst/

a ceremonial dinner party for many people

From this reading “So after the feast and journey, King Arthur drew him unto London, and so by the counsel of Merlin, the king let call his barons to council, for Merlin had told the king that the six kings that made war upon him would in all haste be awroke on him and on his lands.”

kings noun US /kɪŋz/

plural of “king” — a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom

From this reading “So after the feast and journey, King Arthur drew him unto London, and so by the counsel of Merlin, the king let call his barons to council, for Merlin had told the king that the six kings that made war upon him would in all haste be awroke on him and on his lands.”

lands noun US /lændz/

plural of “land” — the land on which real estate is located

From this reading “So after the feast and journey, King Arthur drew him unto London, and so by the counsel of Merlin, the king let call his barons to council, for Merlin had told the king that the six kings that made war upon him would in all haste be awroke on him and on his lands.”

Merlin noun US /ˈmɜːrlɪn/

(Arthurian legend) the magician who acted as King Arthur's advisor

From this reading “So after the feast and journey, King Arthur drew him unto London, and so by the counsel of Merlin, the king let call his barons to council, for Merlin had told the king that the six kings that made war upon him would in all haste be awroke on him and on his lands.”

Wherefore adverb US /werˈfɔːr/

an old word meaning “why” or “for that reason”

From this reading “Wherefore the king asked counsel at them all.”

All words in this reading · 69

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.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading So after the feast and journey, King Arthur drew him unto London, and so by the counsel of Merlin, the king let call his barons to council, for Merlin had told the king that the six kings that made war upon him would in all haste be awroke on him and on his lands.

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 So after the feast and journey, King Arthur drew him unto London, and so by the counsel of Merlin, the king let call his barons to council, for Merlin had told the king that the six kings that made war upon him would in all haste be awroke on him and on his lands.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading King Bors, and of their counsel taken for the war.

ArthurnounUS /ˈɑːrθər/

elected vice president and became 21st President of the United States when Garfield was assassinated (1830-1886)

From this reading So after the feast and journey, King Arthur drew him unto London, and so by the counsel of Merlin, the king let call his barons to council, for Merlin had told the king that the six kings that made war upon him would in all haste be awroke on him and on his lands.

askedverbUS /æskt/

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading Wherefore the king asked counsel at them all.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Wherefore the king asked counsel at them all.

awroke

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

From this reading So after the feast and journey, King Arthur drew him unto London, and so by the counsel of Merlin, the king let call his barons to council, for Merlin had told the king that the six kings that made war upon him would in all haste be awroke on him and on his lands.

baronsnounUS /ˈbærənz/

plural of “baron” — a nobleman (in various countries) of varying rank

From this reading So after the feast and journey, King Arthur drew him unto London, and so by the counsel of Merlin, the king let call his barons to council, for Merlin had told the king that the six kings that made war upon him would in all haste be awroke on him and on his lands.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading So after the feast and journey, King Arthur drew him unto London, and so by the counsel of Merlin, the king let call his barons to council, for Merlin had told the king that the six kings that made war upon him would in all haste be awroke on him and on his lands.

bigadjectiveUS /bɪɡ/

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

From this reading They could no counsel give, but said they were big enough.

Bors

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

From this reading King Bors, and of their counsel taken for the war.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading They could no counsel give, but said they were big enough.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading So after the feast and journey, King Arthur drew him unto London, and so by the counsel of Merlin, the king let call his barons to council, for Merlin had told the king that the six kings that made war upon him would in all haste be awroke on him and on his lands.

callverbUS /kɔːl/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading So after the feast and journey, King Arthur drew him unto London, and so by the counsel of Merlin, the king let call his barons to council, for Merlin had told the king that the six kings that made war upon him would in all haste be awroke on him and on his lands.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

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

From this reading They could no counsel give, but said they were big enough.

councilnounUS /ˈkaʊnsəl/

a body serving in an administrative capacity

From this reading So after the feast and journey, King Arthur drew him unto London, and so by the counsel of Merlin, the king let call his barons to council, for Merlin had told the king that the six kings that made war upon him would in all haste be awroke on him and on his lands.

counselnounUS /ˈkaʊnsəl/

a lawyer who pleads cases in court

From this reading King Bors, and of their counsel taken for the war.

couragenounUS /ˈkɜːrədʒ/

a quality of spirit that enables you to face danger or pain without showing fear

From this reading Ye say well, said Arthur; I thank you for your good courage, but will ye all that loveth me speak with Merlin?

drewnounUS /druː/

United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862)

From this reading So after the feast and journey, King Arthur drew him unto London, and so by the counsel of Merlin, the king let call his barons to council, for Merlin had told the king that the six kings that made war upon him would in all haste be awroke on him and on his lands.

enoughnounUS /ɪˈnʌf/

an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose

From this reading They could no counsel give, but said they were big enough.

feastnounUS /fiːst/

a ceremonial dinner party for many people

From this reading So after the feast and journey, King Arthur drew him unto London, and so by the counsel of Merlin, the king let call his barons to council, for Merlin had told the king that the six kings that made war upon him would in all haste be awroke on him and on his lands.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading King Bors, and of their counsel taken for the war.

giveverbUS /ɡɪv/

cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading They could no counsel give, but said they were big enough.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

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

From this reading Ye say well, said Arthur; I thank you for your good courage, but will ye all that loveth me speak with Merlin?

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading So after the feast and journey, King Arthur drew him unto London, and so by the counsel of Merlin, the king let call his barons to council, for Merlin had told the king that the six kings that made war upon him would in all haste be awroke on him and on his lands.

hastenounUS /heɪst/

overly eager speed (and possible carelessness)

From this reading So after the feast and journey, King Arthur drew him unto London, and so by the counsel of Merlin, the king let call his barons to council, for Merlin had told the king that the six kings that made war upon him would in all haste be awroke on him and on his lands.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading So after the feast and journey, King Arthur drew him unto London, and so by the counsel of Merlin, the king let call his barons to council, for Merlin had told the king that the six kings that made war upon him would in all haste be awroke on him and on his lands.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading So after the feast and journey, King Arthur drew him unto London, and so by the counsel of Merlin, the king let call his barons to council, for Merlin had told the king that the six kings that made war upon him would in all haste be awroke on him and on his lands.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading Ye say well, said Arthur; I thank you for your good courage, but will ye all that loveth me speak with Merlin?

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading So after the feast and journey, King Arthur drew him unto London, and so by the counsel of Merlin, the king let call his barons to council, for Merlin had told the king that the six kings that made war upon him would in all haste be awroke on him and on his lands.

journeyverbUS /ˈdʒɜːrni/

undertake a journey or trip

From this reading So after the feast and journey, King Arthur drew him unto London, and so by the counsel of Merlin, the king let call his barons to council, for Merlin had told the king that the six kings that made war upon him would in all haste be awroke on him and on his lands.

KingnounUS /kɪŋ/

a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom

From this reading King Bors, and of their counsel taken for the war.

kingsnounUS /kɪŋz/

plural of “king” — a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom

From this reading So after the feast and journey, King Arthur drew him unto London, and so by the counsel of Merlin, the king let call his barons to council, for Merlin had told the king that the six kings that made war upon him would in all haste be awroke on him and on his lands.

landsnounUS /lændz/

plural of “land” — the land on which real estate is located

From this reading So after the feast and journey, King Arthur drew him unto London, and so by the counsel of Merlin, the king let call his barons to council, for Merlin had told the king that the six kings that made war upon him would in all haste be awroke on him and on his lands.

letauxiliary verbUS /let/

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading So after the feast and journey, King Arthur drew him unto London, and so by the counsel of Merlin, the king let call his barons to council, for Merlin had told the king that the six kings that made war upon him would in all haste be awroke on him and on his lands.

LondonnounUS /ˈlʌndən/

the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center

From this reading So after the feast and journey, King Arthur drew him unto London, and so by the counsel of Merlin, the king let call his barons to council, for Merlin had told the king that the six kings that made war upon him would in all haste be awroke on him and on his lands.

loveth

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

From this reading Ye say well, said Arthur; I thank you for your good courage, but will ye all that loveth me speak with Merlin?

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading So after the feast and journey, King Arthur drew him unto London, and so by the counsel of Merlin, the king let call his barons to council, for Merlin had told the king that the six kings that made war upon him would in all haste be awroke on him and on his lands.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading Ye say well, said Arthur; I thank you for your good courage, but will ye all that loveth me speak with Merlin?

MerlinnounUS /ˈmɜːrlɪn/

(Arthurian legend) the magician who acted as King Arthur's advisor

From this reading So after the feast and journey, King Arthur drew him unto London, and so by the counsel of Merlin, the king let call his barons to council, for Merlin had told the king that the six kings that made war upon him would in all haste be awroke on him and on his lands.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading They could no counsel give, but said they were big enough.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading King Bors, and of their counsel taken for the war.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading So after the feast and journey, King Arthur drew him unto London, and so by the counsel of Merlin, the king let call his barons to council, for Merlin had told the king that the six kings that made war upon him would in all haste be awroke on him and on his lands.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading They could no counsel give, but said they were big enough.

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading Ye say well, said Arthur; I thank you for your good courage, but will ye all that loveth me speak with Merlin?

sixnounUS /sɪks/

the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one

From this reading So after the feast and journey, King Arthur drew him unto London, and so by the counsel of Merlin, the king let call his barons to council, for Merlin had told the king that the six kings that made war upon him would in all haste be awroke on him and on his lands.

SoconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading So after the feast and journey, King Arthur drew him unto London, and so by the counsel of Merlin, the king let call his barons to council, for Merlin had told the king that the six kings that made war upon him would in all haste be awroke on him and on his lands.

speakverbUS /spiːk/

express in speech

From this reading Ye say well, said Arthur; I thank you for your good courage, but will ye all that loveth me speak with Merlin?

takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading King Bors, and of their counsel taken for the war.

thankverbUS /θæŋk/

express gratitude or show appreciation to

From this reading Ye say well, said Arthur; I thank you for your good courage, but will ye all that loveth me speak with Merlin?

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading So after the feast and journey, King Arthur drew him unto London, and so by the counsel of Merlin, the king let call his barons to council, for Merlin had told the king that the six kings that made war upon him would in all haste be awroke on him and on his lands.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading King Bors, and of their counsel taken for the war.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading King Bors, and of their counsel taken for the war.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Wherefore the king asked counsel at them all.

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading They could no counsel give, but said they were big enough.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading So after the feast and journey, King Arthur drew him unto London, and so by the counsel of Merlin, the king let call his barons to council, for Merlin had told the king that the six kings that made war upon him would in all haste be awroke on him and on his lands.

toldverbUS /toʊld/

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading So after the feast and journey, King Arthur drew him unto London, and so by the counsel of Merlin, the king let call his barons to council, for Merlin had told the king that the six kings that made war upon him would in all haste be awroke on him and on his lands.

untoprepositionUS /ˈʌntuː/

an old word for “to”

From this reading So after the feast and journey, King Arthur drew him unto London, and so by the counsel of Merlin, the king let call his barons to council, for Merlin had told the king that the six kings that made war upon him would in all haste be awroke on him and on his lands.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading So after the feast and journey, King Arthur drew him unto London, and so by the counsel of Merlin, the king let call his barons to council, for Merlin had told the king that the six kings that made war upon him would in all haste be awroke on him and on his lands.

warnounUS /wɔːr/

the waging of armed conflict against an enemy

From this reading King Bors, and of their counsel taken for the war.

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 Ye say well, said Arthur; I thank you for your good courage, but will ye all that loveth me speak with Merlin?

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading They could no counsel give, but said they were big enough.

WhereforeadverbUS /werˈfɔːr/

an old word meaning “why” or “for that reason”

From this reading Wherefore the king asked counsel at them all.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading Ye say well, said Arthur; I thank you for your good courage, but will ye all that loveth me speak with Merlin?

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Ye say well, said Arthur; I thank you for your good courage, but will ye all that loveth me speak with Merlin?

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading So after the feast and journey, King Arthur drew him unto London, and so by the counsel of Merlin, the king let call his barons to council, for Merlin had told the king that the six kings that made war upon him would in all haste be awroke on him and on his lands.

YepronounUS /jiː/

an old word for “you”, speaking to more than one person

From this reading Ye say well, said Arthur; I thank you for your good courage, but will ye all that loveth me speak with Merlin?

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Ye say well, said Arthur; I thank you for your good courage, but will ye all that loveth me speak with Merlin?

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Ye say well, said Arthur; I thank you for your good courage, but will ye all that loveth me speak with Merlin?

Chapter 21 of Le Morte d'Arthur: Volume 1 by Thomas, Sir, -1471 Malory holds 301 sentences, grouped into 61 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 21 of Le Morte d'Arthur: Volume 1 contain?

Chapter 21 holds 301 sentences of Le Morte d'Arthur: Volume 1, unabridged, divided into 61 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 21 of Le Morte d'Arthur: Volume 1 by Thomas, Sir, -1471 Malory exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 301 sentences, grouped into 61 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 21 of Le Morte d'Arthur: Volume 1?

Work through the 61 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 61 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 21 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 21 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 Le Morte d'Arthur: Volume 1

Common questions about reading Le Morte d'Arthur: Volume 1 by Thomas, Sir, -1471 Malory on this page, its source edition and its audio.

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Yes. All 6022 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1251 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Le Morte d'Arthur: Volume 1 is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #1251, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Le Morte d'Arthur: Volume 1 take to read?

About 501 minutes of reading across 1205 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Le Morte d'Arthur: Volume 1 section by section

How to work through Le Morte d'Arthur: Volume 1 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

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Vocabulary met early in Le Morte d'Arthur: Volume 1

Words and structures a reader meets early in Le Morte d'Arthur: Volume 1, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Igraine
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Le Morte d'Arthur: Volume 1; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Departing
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Le Morte d'Arthur: Volume 1; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Suddenly
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Le Morte d'Arthur: Volume 1; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Again
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Le Morte d'Arthur: Volume 1; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.