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No Defense, Complete
No Defense, Complete

Chapter XVI · Chapter 16

Chapter 16 of No Defense, Complete is here in full — 364 sentences across 73 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/72 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Dyck Calhoun's letter was never ended.
It was only a relic of the years spent in Jamaica, only a sign of his well-being, though it gave no real picture of himself.
He did not know how like a tyrant he had become in some small ways, while in the large things he remained generous, urbane, and resourceful.
He was in appearance thin, dark-favoured, buoyant in manner, and stern of face, with splendid eyes.
Had he dwelt on Olympus, he might have been summoned to judge and chastise the sons of men.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

No Defense, Complete

Chapter XVI · Chapter 16

Chapter 16 of No Defense, Complete is here in full — 364 sentences across 73 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/72 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Dyck Calhoun's letter was never ended.
Line 2
It was only a relic of the years spent in Jamaica, only a sign of his well-being, though it gave no real picture of himself.
/ɪt wɑːz ˈoʊnli ə ˈrelɪk ʌv ðə jɪrz spent ɪn dʒəˈmeɪkə ˈoʊnli ə saɪn ʌv hɪz ˌwelˈbiːɪŋ ðoʊ ɪt ɡeɪv noʊ riːl ˈpɪktʃər ʌv hɪmˈself/
Line 3
He did not know how like a tyrant he had become in some small ways, while in the large things he remained generous, urbane, and resourceful.
Line 4
He was in appearance thin, dark-favoured, buoyant in manner, and stern of face, with splendid eyes.
Line 5
Had he dwelt on Olympus, he might have been summoned to judge and chastise the sons of men.
/hæd hiː dwelt ɑːn oʊˈlɪmpəs hiː maɪt hæv bɪn ˈsʌmənd tuː dʒʌdʒ ənd tʃæˈstaɪz ðə sʌnz ʌv men/

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.

buoyant adjective US /ˈbɔɪənt/

tending to float on a liquid or rise in air or gas

From this reading “He was in appearance thin, dark-favoured, buoyant in manner, and stern of face, with splendid eyes.”

chastise verb US /tʃæˈstaɪz/

censure severely

From this reading “Had he dwelt on Olympus, he might have been summoned to judge and chastise the sons of men.”

Jamaica noun US /dʒəˈmeɪkə/

a country on the island of Jamaica; became independent of England in 1962; much poverty; the major industry is tourism

From this reading “It was only a relic of the years spent in Jamaica, only a sign of his well-being, though it gave no real picture of himself.”

Olympus noun US /oʊˈlɪmpəs/

a mountain peak in northeast Greece near the Aegean coast; believed by ancient Greeks to be the dwelling place of the gods (9,570 feet high)

From this reading “Had he dwelt on Olympus, he might have been summoned to judge and chastise the sons of men.”

relic noun US /ˈrelɪk/

an antiquity that has survived from the distant past

From this reading “It was only a relic of the years spent in Jamaica, only a sign of his well-being, though it gave no real picture of himself.”

resourceful adjective US /riˈsɔːrsfəl/

having inner resources; adroit or imaginative

From this reading “He did not know how like a tyrant he had become in some small ways, while in the large things he remained generous, urbane, and resourceful.”

urbane adjective US /ərˈbeɪn/

showing a high degree of refinement and the assurance that comes from wide social experience

From this reading “He did not know how like a tyrant he had become in some small ways, while in the large things he remained generous, urbane, and resourceful.”

well-being noun US /ˌwelˈbiːɪŋ/

a contented state of being happy and healthy and prosperous

From this reading “It was only a relic of the years spent in Jamaica, only a sign of his well-being, though it gave no real picture of himself.”

All words in this reading · 67

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 It was only a relic of the years spent in Jamaica, only a sign of his well-being, though it gave no real picture of himself.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading He did not know how like a tyrant he had become in some small ways, while in the large things he remained generous, urbane, and resourceful.

appearancenounUS /əˈpɪrəns/

outward or visible aspect of a person or thing

From this reading He was in appearance thin, dark-favoured, buoyant in manner, and stern of face, with splendid eyes.

becomeverbUS /bɪˈkʌm/

enter or assume a certain state or condition

From this reading He did not know how like a tyrant he had become in some small ways, while in the large things he remained generous, urbane, and resourceful.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Had he dwelt on Olympus, he might have been summoned to judge and chastise the sons of men.

buoyantadjectiveUS /ˈbɔɪənt/

tending to float on a liquid or rise in air or gas

From this reading He was in appearance thin, dark-favoured, buoyant in manner, and stern of face, with splendid eyes.

Calhoun's

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

From this reading Dyck Calhoun's letter was never ended.

chastiseverbUS /tʃæˈstaɪz/

censure severely

From this reading Had he dwelt on Olympus, he might have been summoned to judge and chastise the sons of men.

dark-favoured

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

From this reading He was in appearance thin, dark-favoured, buoyant in manner, and stern of face, with splendid eyes.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

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

From this reading He did not know how like a tyrant he had become in some small ways, while in the large things he remained generous, urbane, and resourceful.

dweltverbUS /dwelt/

inflected form of “dwell” — think moodily or anxiously about something

From this reading Had he dwelt on Olympus, he might have been summoned to judge and chastise the sons of men.

Dyck

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

From this reading Dyck Calhoun's letter was never ended.

endedadjectiveUS /ˈendəd/

having come or been brought to a conclusion

From this reading Dyck Calhoun's letter was never ended.

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading He was in appearance thin, dark-favoured, buoyant in manner, and stern of face, with splendid eyes.

facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading He was in appearance thin, dark-favoured, buoyant in manner, and stern of face, with splendid eyes.

gaveverbUS /ɡeɪv/

inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading It was only a relic of the years spent in Jamaica, only a sign of his well-being, though it gave no real picture of himself.

generousadjectiveUS /ˈdʒenərəs/

willing to give and share unstintingly

From this reading He did not know how like a tyrant he had become in some small ways, while in the large things he remained generous, urbane, and resourceful.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading He did not know how like a tyrant he had become in some small ways, while in the large things he remained generous, urbane, and resourceful.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Had he dwelt on Olympus, he might have been summoned to judge and chastise the sons of men.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He did not know how like a tyrant he had become in some small ways, while in the large things he remained generous, urbane, and resourceful.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading It was only a relic of the years spent in Jamaica, only a sign of his well-being, though it gave no real picture of himself.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading It was only a relic of the years spent in Jamaica, only a sign of his well-being, though it gave no real picture of himself.

how

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

From this reading He did not know how like a tyrant he had become in some small ways, while in the large things he remained generous, urbane, and resourceful.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading It was only a relic of the years spent in Jamaica, only a sign of his well-being, though it gave no real picture of himself.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was only a relic of the years spent in Jamaica, only a sign of his well-being, though it gave no real picture of himself.

JamaicanounUS /dʒəˈmeɪkə/

a country on the island of Jamaica; became independent of England in 1962; much poverty; the major industry is tourism

From this reading It was only a relic of the years spent in Jamaica, only a sign of his well-being, though it gave no real picture of himself.

judgeverbUS /dʒʌdʒ/

determine the result of (a competition)

From this reading Had he dwelt on Olympus, he might have been summoned to judge and chastise the sons of men.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading He did not know how like a tyrant he had become in some small ways, while in the large things he remained generous, urbane, and resourceful.

largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/

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

From this reading He did not know how like a tyrant he had become in some small ways, while in the large things he remained generous, urbane, and resourceful.

letternounUS /ˈletər/

a written message addressed to a person or organization

From this reading Dyck Calhoun's letter was never ended.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading He did not know how like a tyrant he had become in some small ways, while in the large things he remained generous, urbane, and resourceful.

mannernounUS /ˈmænər/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading He was in appearance thin, dark-favoured, buoyant in manner, and stern of face, with splendid eyes.

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading Had he dwelt on Olympus, he might have been summoned to judge and chastise the sons of men.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading Had he dwelt on Olympus, he might have been summoned to judge and chastise the sons of men.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading Dyck Calhoun's letter was never ended.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading It was only a relic of the years spent in Jamaica, only a sign of his well-being, though it gave no real picture of himself.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading He did not know how like a tyrant he had become in some small ways, while in the large things he remained generous, urbane, and resourceful.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading It was only a relic of the years spent in Jamaica, only a sign of his well-being, though it gave no real picture of himself.

OlympusnounUS /oʊˈlɪmpəs/

a mountain peak in northeast Greece near the Aegean coast; believed by ancient Greeks to be the dwelling place of the gods (9,570 feet high)

From this reading Had he dwelt on Olympus, he might have been summoned to judge and chastise the sons of men.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Had he dwelt on Olympus, he might have been summoned to judge and chastise the sons of men.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading It was only a relic of the years spent in Jamaica, only a sign of his well-being, though it gave no real picture of himself.

picturenounUS /ˈpɪktʃər/

a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface

From this reading It was only a relic of the years spent in Jamaica, only a sign of his well-being, though it gave no real picture of himself.

realadjectiveUS /riːl/

being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verified existence; not illusory

From this reading It was only a relic of the years spent in Jamaica, only a sign of his well-being, though it gave no real picture of himself.

relicnounUS /ˈrelɪk/

an antiquity that has survived from the distant past

From this reading It was only a relic of the years spent in Jamaica, only a sign of his well-being, though it gave no real picture of himself.

remainedverbUS /rɪˈmeɪnd/

past form of “remain” — stay the same; remain in a certain state

From this reading He did not know how like a tyrant he had become in some small ways, while in the large things he remained generous, urbane, and resourceful.

resourcefuladjectiveUS /riˈsɔːrsfəl/

having inner resources; adroit or imaginative

From this reading He did not know how like a tyrant he had become in some small ways, while in the large things he remained generous, urbane, and resourceful.

signnounUS /saɪn/

a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)

From this reading It was only a relic of the years spent in Jamaica, only a sign of his well-being, though it gave no real picture of himself.

smalladjectiveUS /smɔːl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading He did not know how like a tyrant he had become in some small ways, while in the large things he remained generous, urbane, and resourceful.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

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

From this reading He did not know how like a tyrant he had become in some small ways, while in the large things he remained generous, urbane, and resourceful.

sonsnounUS /sʌnz/

plural of “son” — a male human offspring

From this reading Had he dwelt on Olympus, he might have been summoned to judge and chastise the sons of men.

spentadjectiveUS /spent/

depleted of energy, force, or strength

From this reading It was only a relic of the years spent in Jamaica, only a sign of his well-being, though it gave no real picture of himself.

splendidadjectiveUS /ˈsplendɪd/

having great beauty and splendor

From this reading He was in appearance thin, dark-favoured, buoyant in manner, and stern of face, with splendid eyes.

sternadjectiveUS /stɜːrn/

of a stern or strict bearing or demeanor; forbidding in aspect

From this reading He was in appearance thin, dark-favoured, buoyant in manner, and stern of face, with splendid eyes.

summonedverbUS /ˈsʌmənd/

past form of “summon” — call in an official matter, such as to attend court

From this reading Had he dwelt on Olympus, he might have been summoned to judge and chastise the sons of men.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading It was only a relic of the years spent in Jamaica, only a sign of his well-being, though it gave no real picture of himself.

thinadjectiveUS /θɪn/

Having little thickness or extent.

From this reading He was in appearance thin, dark-favoured, buoyant in manner, and stern of face, with splendid eyes.

thingsnounUS /θɪŋz/

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading He did not know how like a tyrant he had become in some small ways, while in the large things he remained generous, urbane, and resourceful.

thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading It was only a relic of the years spent in Jamaica, only a sign of his well-being, though it gave no real picture of himself.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Had he dwelt on Olympus, he might have been summoned to judge and chastise the sons of men.

tyrantnounUS /ˈtaɪrənt/

a cruel and oppressive dictator

From this reading He did not know how like a tyrant he had become in some small ways, while in the large things he remained generous, urbane, and resourceful.

urbaneadjectiveUS /ərˈbeɪn/

showing a high degree of refinement and the assurance that comes from wide social experience

From this reading He did not know how like a tyrant he had become in some small ways, while in the large things he remained generous, urbane, and resourceful.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Dyck Calhoun's letter was never ended.

waysnounUS /weɪz/

structure consisting of a sloping way down to the water from the place where ships are built or repaired

From this reading He did not know how like a tyrant he had become in some small ways, while in the large things he remained generous, urbane, and resourceful.

well-beingnounUS /ˌwelˈbiːɪŋ/

a contented state of being happy and healthy and prosperous

From this reading It was only a relic of the years spent in Jamaica, only a sign of his well-being, though it gave no real picture of himself.

whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading He did not know how like a tyrant he had become in some small ways, while in the large things he remained generous, urbane, and resourceful.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading He was in appearance thin, dark-favoured, buoyant in manner, and stern of face, with splendid eyes.

yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading It was only a relic of the years spent in Jamaica, only a sign of his well-being, though it gave no real picture of himself.

Chapter 16 of No Defense, Complete by Gilbert Parker holds 364 sentences, grouped into 73 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 16 of No Defense, Complete contain?

Chapter 16 holds 364 sentences of No Defense, Complete, unabridged, divided into 73 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 16 of No Defense, Complete by Gilbert Parker exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 364 sentences, grouped into 73 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 16 of No Defense, Complete?

Work through the 73 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 73 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 16 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 16 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 No Defense, Complete

Common questions about reading No Defense, Complete by Gilbert Parker on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of No Defense, Complete?

Yes. All 5023 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #6295 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of No Defense, Complete is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #6295, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does No Defense, Complete take to read?

About 418 minutes of reading across 1005 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read No Defense, Complete section by section

How to work through No Defense, Complete section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  2. Read one section

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  3. Listen and tap

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Vocabulary met early in No Defense, Complete

Words and structures a reader meets early in No Defense, Complete, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Entered
A word that appears in the opening chapter of No Defense, Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Library
A word that appears in the opening chapter of No Defense, Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Playmore
A word that appears in the opening chapter of No Defense, Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
First
A word that appears in the opening chapter of No Defense, Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.