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The Alchemist
The Alchemist

Chapter X · Chapter 10

Chapter 10 of The Alchemist is here in full — 397 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Alchemist
Context Illustration Reading 1/79 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
FACE.
Yes, indeed, sir.
KAS.
Nay, an I give my mind to't, I shall do't.
FACE.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Alchemist

Chapter X · Chapter 10

Chapter 10 of The Alchemist is here in full — 397 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/79 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
FACE.
/feɪs/
Line 2
Yes, indeed, sir.
/jes ˌɪnˈdiːd sɜːr/
Line 3
KAS.
Line 4
Nay, an I give my mind to't, I shall do't.
Line 5
FACE.
/feɪs/

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.

face noun US /feɪs/

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

From this reading “FACE.”

give verb US /ɡɪv/

cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading “Nay, an I give my mind to't, I shall do't.”

indeed adverb US /ˌɪnˈdiːd/

in truth (often tends to intensify)

From this reading “Yes, indeed, sir.”

mind noun US /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading “Nay, an I give my mind to't, I shall do't.”

Nay exclamation US /neɪ/

an old word for “no”

From this reading “Nay, an I give my mind to't, I shall do't.”

shall modal verb US /ʃæl/

used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest

From this reading “Nay, an I give my mind to't, I shall do't.”

sir noun US /sɜːr/

term of address for a man

From this reading “Yes, indeed, sir.”

Yes noun US /jes/

an affirmative

From this reading “Yes, indeed, sir.”

All words in this reading · 14

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.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading Nay, an I give my mind to't, I shall do't.

do't

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

From this reading Nay, an I give my mind to't, I shall do't.

FACEnounUS /feɪs/

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

From this reading FACE.

giveverbUS /ɡɪv/

cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading Nay, an I give my mind to't, I shall do't.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading Nay, an I give my mind to't, I shall do't.

indeedadverbUS /ˌɪnˈdiːd/

in truth (often tends to intensify)

From this reading Yes, indeed, sir.

KAS

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

From this reading KAS.

mindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading Nay, an I give my mind to't, I shall do't.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading Nay, an I give my mind to't, I shall do't.

NayexclamationUS /neɪ/

an old word for “no”

From this reading Nay, an I give my mind to't, I shall do't.

shallmodal verbUS /ʃæl/

used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest

From this reading Nay, an I give my mind to't, I shall do't.

sirnounUS /sɜːr/

term of address for a man

From this reading Yes, indeed, sir.

to't

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

From this reading Nay, an I give my mind to't, I shall do't.

YesnounUS /jes/

an affirmative

From this reading Yes, indeed, sir.

Chapter 10 of The Alchemist by Ben Jonson holds 397 sentences, grouped into 80 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 10 of The Alchemist contain?

Chapter 10 holds 397 sentences of The Alchemist, unabridged, divided into 80 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 10 of The Alchemist by Ben Jonson exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 397 sentences, grouped into 80 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 10 of The Alchemist?

Work through the 80 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 80 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 10 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 10 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 Alchemist

Common questions about reading The Alchemist by Ben Jonson on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Alchemist?

Yes. All 5119 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4081 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Alchemist is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #4081, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Alchemist take to read?

About 426 minutes of reading across 1024 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Alchemist section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 13 chapters of The Alchemist 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 Alchemist

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

Greatest
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Alchemist; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
English
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Alchemist; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Dramatists
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Alchemist; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Except
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Alchemist; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.