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The Age of Chivalry
The Age of Chivalry

Chapter XXXI · Chapter 31

Chapter 31 of The Age of Chivalry is here in full — 143 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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PWYLL, PRINCE OF DYVED Once upon a time Pwyll was at Narberth, his chief palace, where a feast had been prepared for him, and with him was a great host of men.
And after the first meal Pwyll arose to walk; and he went to the top of a mound that was above the palace, and was called Gorsedd Arberth.
"Lord," said one of the court, "it is peculiar to the mound that whosoever sits upon it cannot go thence without either receiving wounds or blows, or else seeing a wonder."
"I fear not to receive wounds or blows," said Pwyll; "but as to the wonder, gladly would I see it.
I will therefore go and sit upon the mound."
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Age of Chivalry

Chapter XXXI · Chapter 31

Chapter 31 of The Age of Chivalry is here in full — 143 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/28 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
PWYLL, PRINCE OF DYVED Once upon a time Pwyll was at Narberth, his chief palace, where a feast had been prepared for him, and with him was a great host of men.
Line 2
And after the first meal Pwyll arose to walk; and he went to the top of a mound that was above the palace, and was called Gorsedd Arberth.
Line 3
"Lord," said one of the court, "it is peculiar to the mound that whosoever sits upon it cannot go thence without either receiving wounds or blows, or else seeing a wonder."
Line 4
"I fear not to receive wounds or blows," said Pwyll; "but as to the wonder, gladly would I see it.
Line 5
I will therefore go and sit upon the mound."
/aɪ wɪl ˈðerfɔːr ɡoʊ ənd sɪt əˈpɑːn ðə maʊnd/

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.

blows noun US /bloʊz/

plural of “blow” — a powerful stroke with the fist or a weapon

From this reading “"Lord," said one of the court, "it is peculiar to the mound that whosoever sits upon it cannot go thence without either receiving wounds or blows, or else seeing a wonder."”

feast noun US /fiːst/

a ceremonial dinner party for many people

From this reading “PWYLL, PRINCE OF DYVED Once upon a time Pwyll was at Narberth, his chief palace, where a feast had been prepared for him, and with him was a great host of men.”

gladly adverb US /ˈɡlædli/

in a willing manner

From this reading “"I fear not to receive wounds or blows," said Pwyll; "but as to the wonder, gladly would I see it.”

mound noun US /maʊnd/

(baseball) the slight elevation on which the pitcher stands

From this reading “And after the first meal Pwyll arose to walk; and he went to the top of a mound that was above the palace, and was called Gorsedd Arberth.”

receiving verb US /rəˈsiːvɪŋ/

-ing form of “receive” — get something; come into possession of

From this reading “"Lord," said one of the court, "it is peculiar to the mound that whosoever sits upon it cannot go thence without either receiving wounds or blows, or else seeing a wonder."”

sits verb US /sɪts/

third-person singular of “sit” — be seated

From this reading “"Lord," said one of the court, "it is peculiar to the mound that whosoever sits upon it cannot go thence without either receiving wounds or blows, or else seeing a wonder."”

thence adverb US /ðens/

from that place or that time

From this reading “"Lord," said one of the court, "it is peculiar to the mound that whosoever sits upon it cannot go thence without either receiving wounds or blows, or else seeing a wonder."”

wounds noun US /wuːndz/

plural of “wound” — an injury to living tissue (especially an injury involving a cut or break in the skin)

From this reading “"Lord," said one of the court, "it is peculiar to the mound that whosoever sits upon it cannot go thence without either receiving wounds or blows, or else seeing a wonder."”

All words in this reading · 75

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 PWYLL, PRINCE OF DYVED Once upon a time Pwyll was at Narberth, his chief palace, where a feast had been prepared for him, and with him was a great host of men.

aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/

higher than, or over, something

From this reading And after the first meal Pwyll arose to walk; and he went to the top of a mound that was above the palace, and was called Gorsedd Arberth.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading And after the first meal Pwyll arose to walk; and he went to the top of a mound that was above the palace, and was called Gorsedd Arberth.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading PWYLL, PRINCE OF DYVED Once upon a time Pwyll was at Narberth, his chief palace, where a feast had been prepared for him, and with him was a great host of men.

Arberth

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

From this reading And after the first meal Pwyll arose to walk; and he went to the top of a mound that was above the palace, and was called Gorsedd Arberth.

aroseverbUS /ərˈoʊz/

inflected form of “arise” — come into existence; take on form or shape

From this reading And after the first meal Pwyll arose to walk; and he went to the top of a mound that was above the palace, and was called Gorsedd Arberth.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading "I fear not to receive wounds or blows," said Pwyll; "but as to the wonder, gladly would I see it.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading PWYLL, PRINCE OF DYVED Once upon a time Pwyll was at Narberth, his chief palace, where a feast had been prepared for him, and with him was a great host of men.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading PWYLL, PRINCE OF DYVED Once upon a time Pwyll was at Narberth, his chief palace, where a feast had been prepared for him, and with him was a great host of men.

blowsnounUS /bloʊz/

plural of “blow” — a powerful stroke with the fist or a weapon

From this reading "Lord," said one of the court, "it is peculiar to the mound that whosoever sits upon it cannot go thence without either receiving wounds or blows, or else seeing a wonder."

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading "I fear not to receive wounds or blows," said Pwyll; "but as to the wonder, gladly would I see it.

calledverbUS /kɔːld/

past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading And after the first meal Pwyll arose to walk; and he went to the top of a mound that was above the palace, and was called Gorsedd Arberth.

cannot

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

From this reading "Lord," said one of the court, "it is peculiar to the mound that whosoever sits upon it cannot go thence without either receiving wounds or blows, or else seeing a wonder."

chiefnounUS /tʃiːf/

a person who is in charge

From this reading PWYLL, PRINCE OF DYVED Once upon a time Pwyll was at Narberth, his chief palace, where a feast had been prepared for him, and with him was a great host of men.

courtnounUS /kɔːrt/

an assembly (including one or more judges) to conduct judicial business

From this reading "Lord," said one of the court, "it is peculiar to the mound that whosoever sits upon it cannot go thence without either receiving wounds or blows, or else seeing a wonder."

DYVED

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

From this reading PWYLL, PRINCE OF DYVED Once upon a time Pwyll was at Narberth, his chief palace, where a feast had been prepared for him, and with him was a great host of men.

eitherdeterminerUS /ˈiːðər/

one or the other of two

From this reading "Lord," said one of the court, "it is peculiar to the mound that whosoever sits upon it cannot go thence without either receiving wounds or blows, or else seeing a wonder."

else

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

From this reading "Lord," said one of the court, "it is peculiar to the mound that whosoever sits upon it cannot go thence without either receiving wounds or blows, or else seeing a wonder."

fearverbUS /fɪr/

be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event

From this reading "I fear not to receive wounds or blows," said Pwyll; "but as to the wonder, gladly would I see it.

feastnounUS /fiːst/

a ceremonial dinner party for many people

From this reading PWYLL, PRINCE OF DYVED Once upon a time Pwyll was at Narberth, his chief palace, where a feast had been prepared for him, and with him was a great host of men.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading And after the first meal Pwyll arose to walk; and he went to the top of a mound that was above the palace, and was called Gorsedd Arberth.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading PWYLL, PRINCE OF DYVED Once upon a time Pwyll was at Narberth, his chief palace, where a feast had been prepared for him, and with him was a great host of men.

gladlyadverbUS /ˈɡlædli/

in a willing manner

From this reading "I fear not to receive wounds or blows," said Pwyll; "but as to the wonder, gladly would I see it.

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading "Lord," said one of the court, "it is peculiar to the mound that whosoever sits upon it cannot go thence without either receiving wounds or blows, or else seeing a wonder."

Gorsedd

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

From this reading And after the first meal Pwyll arose to walk; and he went to the top of a mound that was above the palace, and was called Gorsedd Arberth.

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading PWYLL, PRINCE OF DYVED Once upon a time Pwyll was at Narberth, his chief palace, where a feast had been prepared for him, and with him was a great host of men.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading PWYLL, PRINCE OF DYVED Once upon a time Pwyll was at Narberth, his chief palace, where a feast had been prepared for him, and with him was a great host of men.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading And after the first meal Pwyll arose to walk; and he went to the top of a mound that was above the palace, and was called Gorsedd Arberth.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading PWYLL, PRINCE OF DYVED Once upon a time Pwyll was at Narberth, his chief palace, where a feast had been prepared for him, and with him was a great host of men.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading PWYLL, PRINCE OF DYVED Once upon a time Pwyll was at Narberth, his chief palace, where a feast had been prepared for him, and with him was a great host of men.

hostnounUS /hoʊst/

a person who invites guests to a social event (such as a party in his or her own home) and who is responsible for them while they are there

From this reading PWYLL, PRINCE OF DYVED Once upon a time Pwyll was at Narberth, his chief palace, where a feast had been prepared for him, and with him was a great host of men.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "I fear not to receive wounds or blows," said Pwyll; "but as to the wonder, gladly would I see it.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "Lord," said one of the court, "it is peculiar to the mound that whosoever sits upon it cannot go thence without either receiving wounds or blows, or else seeing a wonder."

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading "Lord," said one of the court, "it is peculiar to the mound that whosoever sits upon it cannot go thence without either receiving wounds or blows, or else seeing a wonder."

LordnounUS /lɔːrd/

terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God

From this reading "Lord," said one of the court, "it is peculiar to the mound that whosoever sits upon it cannot go thence without either receiving wounds or blows, or else seeing a wonder."

mealnounUS /miːl/

the food served and eaten at one time

From this reading And after the first meal Pwyll arose to walk; and he went to the top of a mound that was above the palace, and was called Gorsedd Arberth.

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading PWYLL, PRINCE OF DYVED Once upon a time Pwyll was at Narberth, his chief palace, where a feast had been prepared for him, and with him was a great host of men.

moundnounUS /maʊnd/

(baseball) the slight elevation on which the pitcher stands

From this reading And after the first meal Pwyll arose to walk; and he went to the top of a mound that was above the palace, and was called Gorsedd Arberth.

Narberth

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

From this reading PWYLL, PRINCE OF DYVED Once upon a time Pwyll was at Narberth, his chief palace, where a feast had been prepared for him, and with him was a great host of men.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading "I fear not to receive wounds or blows," said Pwyll; "but as to the wonder, gladly would I see it.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading PWYLL, PRINCE OF DYVED Once upon a time Pwyll was at Narberth, his chief palace, where a feast had been prepared for him, and with him was a great host of men.

OnceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading PWYLL, PRINCE OF DYVED Once upon a time Pwyll was at Narberth, his chief palace, where a feast had been prepared for him, and with him was a great host of men.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading "Lord," said one of the court, "it is peculiar to the mound that whosoever sits upon it cannot go thence without either receiving wounds or blows, or else seeing a wonder."

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading "Lord," said one of the court, "it is peculiar to the mound that whosoever sits upon it cannot go thence without either receiving wounds or blows, or else seeing a wonder."

palacenounUS /ˈpæləs/

a large and stately mansion

From this reading PWYLL, PRINCE OF DYVED Once upon a time Pwyll was at Narberth, his chief palace, where a feast had been prepared for him, and with him was a great host of men.

peculiaradjectiveUS /pəˈkjuːljər/

beyond or deviating from the usual or expected

From this reading "Lord," said one of the court, "it is peculiar to the mound that whosoever sits upon it cannot go thence without either receiving wounds or blows, or else seeing a wonder."

preparedadjectiveUS /priˈperd/

made ready or fit or suitable beforehand

From this reading PWYLL, PRINCE OF DYVED Once upon a time Pwyll was at Narberth, his chief palace, where a feast had been prepared for him, and with him was a great host of men.

PRINCEnounUS /prɪns/

a male member of a royal family other than the sovereign (especially the son of a sovereign)

From this reading PWYLL, PRINCE OF DYVED Once upon a time Pwyll was at Narberth, his chief palace, where a feast had been prepared for him, and with him was a great host of men.

PWYLL

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

From this reading PWYLL, PRINCE OF DYVED Once upon a time Pwyll was at Narberth, his chief palace, where a feast had been prepared for him, and with him was a great host of men.

receiveverbUS /rəˈsiːv/

get something; come into possession of

From this reading "I fear not to receive wounds or blows," said Pwyll; "but as to the wonder, gladly would I see it.

receivingverbUS /rəˈsiːvɪŋ/

-ing form of “receive” — get something; come into possession of

From this reading "Lord," said one of the court, "it is peculiar to the mound that whosoever sits upon it cannot go thence without either receiving wounds or blows, or else seeing a wonder."

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "Lord," said one of the court, "it is peculiar to the mound that whosoever sits upon it cannot go thence without either receiving wounds or blows, or else seeing a wonder."

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading "I fear not to receive wounds or blows," said Pwyll; "but as to the wonder, gladly would I see it.

seeingnounUS /ˈsiːɪŋ/

perception by means of the eyes

From this reading "Lord," said one of the court, "it is peculiar to the mound that whosoever sits upon it cannot go thence without either receiving wounds or blows, or else seeing a wonder."

sitverbUS /sɪt/

be seated

From this reading I will therefore go and sit upon the mound."

sitsverbUS /sɪts/

third-person singular of “sit” — be seated

From this reading "Lord," said one of the court, "it is peculiar to the mound that whosoever sits upon it cannot go thence without either receiving wounds or blows, or else seeing a wonder."

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading And after the first meal Pwyll arose to walk; and he went to the top of a mound that was above the palace, and was called Gorsedd Arberth.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading And after the first meal Pwyll arose to walk; and he went to the top of a mound that was above the palace, and was called Gorsedd Arberth.

thenceadverbUS /ðens/

from that place or that time

From this reading "Lord," said one of the court, "it is peculiar to the mound that whosoever sits upon it cannot go thence without either receiving wounds or blows, or else seeing a wonder."

thereforeadverbUS /ˈðerfɔːr/

for that reason; as a result

From this reading I will therefore go and sit upon the mound."

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading PWYLL, PRINCE OF DYVED Once upon a time Pwyll was at Narberth, his chief palace, where a feast had been prepared for him, and with him was a great host of men.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading And after the first meal Pwyll arose to walk; and he went to the top of a mound that was above the palace, and was called Gorsedd Arberth.

topnounUS /tɑːp/

the upper part of anything

From this reading And after the first meal Pwyll arose to walk; and he went to the top of a mound that was above the palace, and was called Gorsedd Arberth.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading PWYLL, PRINCE OF DYVED Once upon a time Pwyll was at Narberth, his chief palace, where a feast had been prepared for him, and with him was a great host of men.

walknounUS /wɔːk/

the act of traveling by foot

From this reading And after the first meal Pwyll arose to walk; and he went to the top of a mound that was above the palace, and was called Gorsedd Arberth.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading PWYLL, PRINCE OF DYVED Once upon a time Pwyll was at Narberth, his chief palace, where a feast had been prepared for him, and with him was a great host of men.

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading And after the first meal Pwyll arose to walk; and he went to the top of a mound that was above the palace, and was called Gorsedd Arberth.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading PWYLL, PRINCE OF DYVED Once upon a time Pwyll was at Narberth, his chief palace, where a feast had been prepared for him, and with him was a great host of men.

whosoever

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

From this reading "Lord," said one of the court, "it is peculiar to the mound that whosoever sits upon it cannot go thence without either receiving wounds or blows, or else seeing a wonder."

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading I will therefore go and sit upon the mound."

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading PWYLL, PRINCE OF DYVED Once upon a time Pwyll was at Narberth, his chief palace, where a feast had been prepared for him, and with him was a great host of men.

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading "Lord," said one of the court, "it is peculiar to the mound that whosoever sits upon it cannot go thence without either receiving wounds or blows, or else seeing a wonder."

wondernounUS /ˈwʌndər/

the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising

From this reading "Lord," said one of the court, "it is peculiar to the mound that whosoever sits upon it cannot go thence without either receiving wounds or blows, or else seeing a wonder."

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading "I fear not to receive wounds or blows," said Pwyll; "but as to the wonder, gladly would I see it.

woundsnounUS /wuːndz/

plural of “wound” — an injury to living tissue (especially an injury involving a cut or break in the skin)

From this reading "Lord," said one of the court, "it is peculiar to the mound that whosoever sits upon it cannot go thence without either receiving wounds or blows, or else seeing a wonder."

Chapter 31 of The Age of Chivalry by Thomas Bulfinch holds 143 sentences, grouped into 29 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 31 of The Age of Chivalry contain?

Chapter 31 holds 143 sentences of The Age of Chivalry, unabridged, divided into 29 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 31 of The Age of Chivalry by Thomas Bulfinch exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 143 sentences, grouped into 29 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 31 of The Age of Chivalry?

Work through the 29 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 29 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 31 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 31 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 The Age of Chivalry

Common questions about reading The Age of Chivalry by Thomas Bulfinch on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Age of Chivalry?

Yes. All 4782 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4926 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Age of Chivalry is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #4926, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Age of Chivalry take to read?

About 398 minutes of reading across 957 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Age of Chivalry section by section

How to work through The Age of Chivalry section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 36 chapters of The Age of Chivalry 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 The Age of Chivalry

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Age of Chivalry, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Decline
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Age of Chivalry; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Roman
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Age of Chivalry; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Power
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Age of Chivalry; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Centuries
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Age of Chivalry; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.