Chapter 11 of Portia is here in full — 384 sentences across 77 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XI
Chapter 11 of Portia is here in full — 384 sentences across 77 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"There's something in a flying horse." --PETER BELL. "For of fortunes sharpe adversite, The worst kind of infortune is this, A man that hath been in prosperite And it remember, whan it passed is!" --CHAUCER. "WHERE are you going, Uncle Christopher?" asks Dulce, as Sir Christopher enters the small drawing-room, booted and spurred for a long journey.
Chapter 11 of Portia is here in full — 384 sentences across 77 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/76 · 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.
third-person singular of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading “"WHERE are you going, Uncle Christopher?" asks Dulce, as Sir Christopher enters the small drawing-room, booted and spurred for a long journey.”
wearing boots
From this reading “"WHERE are you going, Uncle Christopher?" asks Dulce, as Sir Christopher enters the small drawing-room, booted and spurred for a long journey.”
English poet remembered as author of the Canterbury Tales (1340-1400)
From this reading “--CHAUCER.”
Christian martyr and patron saint of travellers (3rd century)
From this reading “"WHERE are you going, Uncle Christopher?" asks Dulce, as Sir Christopher enters the small drawing-room, booted and spurred for a long journey.”
third-person singular of “enter” — to come or go into
From this reading “"WHERE are you going, Uncle Christopher?" asks Dulce, as Sir Christopher enters the small drawing-room, booted and spurred for a long journey.”
moving swiftly
From this reading “"There's something in a flying horse."”
plural of “fortune” — an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another
From this reading “"For of fortunes sharpe adversite, The worst kind of infortune is this, A man that hath been in prosperite And it remember, whan it passed is!"”
inflected form of “spur” — incite or stimulate
From this reading “"WHERE are you going, Uncle Christopher?" asks Dulce, as Sir Christopher enters the small drawing-room, booted and spurred for a long journey.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "There's something in a flying horse."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "For of fortunes sharpe adversite, The worst kind of infortune is this, A man that hath been in prosperite And it remember, whan it passed is!"
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "For of fortunes sharpe adversite, The worst kind of infortune is this, A man that hath been in prosperite And it remember, whan it passed is!"
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "WHERE are you going, Uncle Christopher?" asks Dulce, as Sir Christopher enters the small drawing-room, booted and spurred for a long journey.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "WHERE are you going, Uncle Christopher?" asks Dulce, as Sir Christopher enters the small drawing-room, booted and spurred for a long journey.
third-person singular of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "WHERE are you going, Uncle Christopher?" asks Dulce, as Sir Christopher enters the small drawing-room, booted and spurred for a long journey.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading "For of fortunes sharpe adversite, The worst kind of infortune is this, A man that hath been in prosperite And it remember, whan it passed is!"
a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck
From this reading --PETER BELL.
wearing boots
From this reading "WHERE are you going, Uncle Christopher?" asks Dulce, as Sir Christopher enters the small drawing-room, booted and spurred for a long journey.
English poet remembered as author of the Canterbury Tales (1340-1400)
From this reading --CHAUCER.
Christian martyr and patron saint of travellers (3rd century)
From this reading "WHERE are you going, Uncle Christopher?" asks Dulce, as Sir Christopher enters the small drawing-room, booted and spurred for a long journey.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "WHERE are you going, Uncle Christopher?" asks Dulce, as Sir Christopher enters the small drawing-room, booted and spurred for a long journey.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "WHERE are you going, Uncle Christopher?" asks Dulce, as Sir Christopher enters the small drawing-room, booted and spurred for a long journey.
third-person singular of “enter” — to come or go into
From this reading "WHERE are you going, Uncle Christopher?" asks Dulce, as Sir Christopher enters the small drawing-room, booted and spurred for a long journey.
moving swiftly
From this reading "There's something in a flying horse."
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "For of fortunes sharpe adversite, The worst kind of infortune is this, A man that hath been in prosperite And it remember, whan it passed is!"
plural of “fortune” — an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another
From this reading "For of fortunes sharpe adversite, The worst kind of infortune is this, A man that hath been in prosperite And it remember, whan it passed is!"
the act of departing
From this reading "WHERE are you going, Uncle Christopher?" asks Dulce, as Sir Christopher enters the small drawing-room, booted and spurred for a long journey.
an old form of “has”
From this reading "For of fortunes sharpe adversite, The worst kind of infortune is this, A man that hath been in prosperite And it remember, whan it passed is!"
solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times
From this reading "There's something in a flying horse."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "There's something in a flying horse."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "For of fortunes sharpe adversite, The worst kind of infortune is this, A man that hath been in prosperite And it remember, whan it passed is!"
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "For of fortunes sharpe adversite, The worst kind of infortune is this, A man that hath been in prosperite And it remember, whan it passed is!"
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "For of fortunes sharpe adversite, The worst kind of infortune is this, A man that hath been in prosperite And it remember, whan it passed is!"
undertake a journey or trip
From this reading "WHERE are you going, Uncle Christopher?" asks Dulce, as Sir Christopher enters the small drawing-room, booted and spurred for a long journey.
having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior
From this reading "For of fortunes sharpe adversite, The worst kind of infortune is this, A man that hath been in prosperite And it remember, whan it passed is!"
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 "WHERE are you going, Uncle Christopher?" asks Dulce, as Sir Christopher enters the small drawing-room, booted and spurred for a long journey.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading "For of fortunes sharpe adversite, The worst kind of infortune is this, A man that hath been in prosperite And it remember, whan it passed is!"
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "For of fortunes sharpe adversite, The worst kind of infortune is this, A man that hath been in prosperite And it remember, whan it passed is!"
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading "For of fortunes sharpe adversite, The worst kind of infortune is this, A man that hath been in prosperite And it remember, whan it passed is!"
disciple of Jesus and leader of the Apostles; regarded by Catholics as the vicar of Christ on earth and first Pope
From this reading --PETER BELL.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "For of fortunes sharpe adversite, The worst kind of infortune is this, A man that hath been in prosperite And it remember, whan it passed is!"
To recall to mind.
From this reading "For of fortunes sharpe adversite, The worst kind of infortune is this, A man that hath been in prosperite And it remember, whan it passed is!"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "For of fortunes sharpe adversite, The worst kind of infortune is this, A man that hath been in prosperite And it remember, whan it passed is!"
term of address for a man
From this reading "WHERE are you going, Uncle Christopher?" asks Dulce, as Sir Christopher enters the small drawing-room, booted and spurred for a long journey.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading "WHERE are you going, Uncle Christopher?" asks Dulce, as Sir Christopher enters the small drawing-room, booted and spurred for a long journey.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading "There's something in a flying horse."
inflected form of “spur” — incite or stimulate
From this reading "WHERE are you going, Uncle Christopher?" asks Dulce, as Sir Christopher enters the small drawing-room, booted and spurred for a long journey.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "For of fortunes sharpe adversite, The worst kind of infortune is this, A man that hath been in prosperite And it remember, whan it passed is!"
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "For of fortunes sharpe adversite, The worst kind of infortune is this, A man that hath been in prosperite And it remember, whan it passed is!"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "There's something in a flying horse."
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "For of fortunes sharpe adversite, The worst kind of infortune is this, A man that hath been in prosperite And it remember, whan it passed is!"
the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt
From this reading "WHERE are you going, Uncle Christopher?" asks Dulce, as Sir Christopher enters the small drawing-room, booted and spurred for a long journey.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "For of fortunes sharpe adversite, The worst kind of infortune is this, A man that hath been in prosperite And it remember, whan it passed is!"
in or at the place that
From this reading "WHERE are you going, Uncle Christopher?" asks Dulce, as Sir Christopher enters the small drawing-room, booted and spurred for a long journey.
the least favorable outcome
From this reading "For of fortunes sharpe adversite, The worst kind of infortune is this, A man that hath been in prosperite And it remember, whan it passed is!"
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "WHERE are you going, Uncle Christopher?" asks Dulce, as Sir Christopher enters the small drawing-room, booted and spurred for a long journey.
Chapter 11 of Portia by Duchess holds 384 sentences, grouped into 77 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 11 holds 384 sentences of Portia, unabridged, divided into 77 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 11 of Portia by Duchess exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 384 sentences, grouped into 77 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 77 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 77 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 11 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 Portia by Duchess on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6566 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #31825 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #31825, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 547 minutes of reading across 1314 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Portia section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 29 chapters of Portia 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 Portia, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
