Chapter 12 of Mercedes of Castile is here in full — 172 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XII
Chapter 12 of Mercedes of Castile is here in full — 172 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"But where is Harold? Shall I then forget To urge the gloomy wanderer o'er the wave? Little reck'd he of all that men regret; No loved one now in feign'd lament could rave; No friend the parting hand extended gave Ere the cold stranger pass'd to other climes." Byron. The reader is not to suppose that the eyes of Europe were on our adventurers.
Chapter 12 of Mercedes of Castile is here in full — 172 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/34 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
plural of “adventurer” — a person who enjoys taking risks
From this reading “The reader is not to suppose that the eyes of Europe were on our adventurers.”
English romantic poet notorious for his rebellious and unconventional lifestyle (1788-1824)
From this reading “Byron.”
plural of “clime” — the weather in some location averaged over some long period of time
From this reading “Little reck'd he of all that men regret; No loved one now in feign'd lament could rave; No friend the parting hand extended gave Ere the cold stranger pass'd to other climes."”
express grief verbally
From this reading “Little reck'd he of all that men regret; No loved one now in feign'd lament could rave; No friend the parting hand extended gave Ere the cold stranger pass'd to other climes."”
the act of departing politely
From this reading “Little reck'd he of all that men regret; No loved one now in feign'd lament could rave; No friend the parting hand extended gave Ere the cold stranger pass'd to other climes."”
participate in an all-night techno dance party
From this reading “Little reck'd he of all that men regret; No loved one now in feign'd lament could rave; No friend the parting hand extended gave Ere the cold stranger pass'd to other climes."”
force or impel in an indicated direction
From this reading “Shall I then forget To urge the gloomy wanderer o'er the wave?”
someone who leads a wandering unsettled life
From this reading “Shall I then forget To urge the gloomy wanderer o'er the wave?”
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.
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.
plural of “adventurer” — a person who enjoys taking risks
From this reading The reader is not to suppose that the eyes of Europe were on our adventurers.
(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 Little reck'd he of all that men regret; No loved one now in feign'd lament could rave; No friend the parting hand extended gave Ere the cold stranger pass'd to other climes."
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "But where is Harold?
English romantic poet notorious for his rebellious and unconventional lifestyle (1788-1824)
From this reading Byron.
plural of “clime” — the weather in some location averaged over some long period of time
From this reading Little reck'd he of all that men regret; No loved one now in feign'd lament could rave; No friend the parting hand extended gave Ere the cold stranger pass'd to other climes."
having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration
From this reading Little reck'd he of all that men regret; No loved one now in feign'd lament could rave; No friend the parting hand extended gave Ere the cold stranger pass'd to other climes."
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Little reck'd he of all that men regret; No loved one now in feign'd lament could rave; No friend the parting hand extended gave Ere the cold stranger pass'd to other climes."
an old word for “before”
From this reading Little reck'd he of all that men regret; No loved one now in feign'd lament could rave; No friend the parting hand extended gave Ere the cold stranger pass'd to other climes."
the 2nd smallest continent (actually a vast peninsula of Eurasia); the British use “Europe” to refer to all of the continent except the British Isles
From this reading The reader is not to suppose that the eyes of Europe were on our adventurers.
relatively long in duration; tediously protracted
From this reading Little reck'd he of all that men regret; No loved one now in feign'd lament could rave; No friend the parting hand extended gave Ere the cold stranger pass'd to other climes."
opinion or judgment
From this reading The reader is not to suppose that the eyes of Europe were on our adventurers.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Little reck'd he of all that men regret; No loved one now in feign'd lament could rave; No friend the parting hand extended gave Ere the cold stranger pass'd to other climes."
dismiss from the mind; stop remembering
From this reading Shall I then forget To urge the gloomy wanderer o'er the wave?
a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading Little reck'd he of all that men regret; No loved one now in feign'd lament could rave; No friend the parting hand extended gave Ere the cold stranger pass'd to other climes."
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading Little reck'd he of all that men regret; No loved one now in feign'd lament could rave; No friend the parting hand extended gave Ere the cold stranger pass'd to other climes."
depressingly dark
From this reading Shall I then forget To urge the gloomy wanderer o'er the wave?
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading Little reck'd he of all that men regret; No loved one now in feign'd lament could rave; No friend the parting hand extended gave Ere the cold stranger pass'd to other climes."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "But where is Harold?
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Little reck'd he of all that men regret; No loved one now in feign'd lament could rave; No friend the parting hand extended gave Ere the cold stranger pass'd to other climes."
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Shall I then forget To urge the gloomy wanderer o'er the wave?
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Little reck'd he of all that men regret; No loved one now in feign'd lament could rave; No friend the parting hand extended gave Ere the cold stranger pass'd to other climes."
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "But where is Harold?
express grief verbally
From this reading Little reck'd he of all that men regret; No loved one now in feign'd lament could rave; No friend the parting hand extended gave Ere the cold stranger pass'd to other climes."
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Little reck'd he of all that men regret; No loved one now in feign'd lament could rave; No friend the parting hand extended gave Ere the cold stranger pass'd to other climes."
held dear
From this reading Little reck'd he of all that men regret; No loved one now in feign'd lament could rave; No friend the parting hand extended gave Ere the cold stranger pass'd to other climes."
the force of workers available
From this reading Little reck'd he of all that men regret; No loved one now in feign'd lament could rave; No friend the parting hand extended gave Ere the cold stranger pass'd to other climes."
not any; not one
From this reading Little reck'd he of all that men regret; No loved one now in feign'd lament could rave; No friend the parting hand extended gave Ere the cold stranger pass'd to other climes."
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The reader is not to suppose that the eyes of Europe were on our adventurers.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Little reck'd he of all that men regret; No loved one now in feign'd lament could rave; No friend the parting hand extended gave Ere the cold stranger pass'd to other climes."
throughout a period of time
From this reading Shall I then forget To urge the gloomy wanderer o'er the wave?
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Little reck'd he of all that men regret; No loved one now in feign'd lament could rave; No friend the parting hand extended gave Ere the cold stranger pass'd to other climes."
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The reader is not to suppose that the eyes of Europe were on our adventurers.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Little reck'd he of all that men regret; No loved one now in feign'd lament could rave; No friend the parting hand extended gave Ere the cold stranger pass'd to other climes."
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading Little reck'd he of all that men regret; No loved one now in feign'd lament could rave; No friend the parting hand extended gave Ere the cold stranger pass'd to other climes."
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading The reader is not to suppose that the eyes of Europe were on our adventurers.
the act of departing politely
From this reading Little reck'd he of all that men regret; No loved one now in feign'd lament could rave; No friend the parting hand extended gave Ere the cold stranger pass'd to other climes."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Little reck'd he of all that men regret; No loved one now in feign'd lament could rave; No friend the parting hand extended gave Ere the cold stranger pass'd to other climes."
participate in an all-night techno dance party
From this reading Little reck'd he of all that men regret; No loved one now in feign'd lament could rave; No friend the parting hand extended gave Ere the cold stranger pass'd to other climes."
a person who enjoys reading
From this reading The reader is not to suppose that the eyes of Europe were on our adventurers.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Little reck'd he of all that men regret; No loved one now in feign'd lament could rave; No friend the parting hand extended gave Ere the cold stranger pass'd to other climes."
feel remorse for; feel sorry for; be contrite about
From this reading Little reck'd he of all that men regret; No loved one now in feign'd lament could rave; No friend the parting hand extended gave Ere the cold stranger pass'd to other climes."
used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest
From this reading Shall I then forget To urge the gloomy wanderer o'er the wave?
anyone who does not belong in the environment in which they are found
From this reading Little reck'd he of all that men regret; No loved one now in feign'd lament could rave; No friend the parting hand extended gave Ere the cold stranger pass'd to other climes."
express a supposition
From this reading The reader is not to suppose that the eyes of Europe were on our adventurers.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Little reck'd he of all that men regret; No loved one now in feign'd lament could rave; No friend the parting hand extended gave Ere the cold stranger pass'd to other climes."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Shall I then forget To urge the gloomy wanderer o'er the wave?
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Shall I then forget To urge the gloomy wanderer o'er the wave?
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Shall I then forget To urge the gloomy wanderer o'er the wave?
force or impel in an indicated direction
From this reading Shall I then forget To urge the gloomy wanderer o'er the wave?
someone who leads a wandering unsettled life
From this reading Shall I then forget To urge the gloomy wanderer o'er the wave?
one of a series of ridges that moves across the surface of a liquid (especially across a large body of water)
From this reading Shall I then forget To urge the gloomy wanderer o'er the wave?
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The reader is not to suppose that the eyes of Europe were on our adventurers.
in or at the place that
From this reading "But where is Harold?
Chapter 12 of Mercedes of Castile by James Fenimore Cooper holds 172 sentences, grouped into 35 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.
Chapter 12 holds 172 sentences of Mercedes of Castile, unabridged, divided into 35 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 12 of Mercedes of Castile by James Fenimore Cooper exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 172 sentences, grouped into 35 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.
Work through the 35 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 35 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.
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.
Common questions about reading Mercedes of Castile by James Fenimore Cooper on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6180 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #36406 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #36406, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 515 minutes of reading across 1236 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Mercedes of Castile section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 32 chapters of Mercedes of Castile to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in Mercedes of Castile, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
