Chapter XII
Chapter 12
Chapter 12 of The Alchemist is here in full — 395 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
KAS. Doxy, my suster. ANA. Locusts Of the foul pit. TRI.
The Alchemist
Chapter XII · Chapter 12
Chapter 12 of The Alchemist is here in full — 395 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
English subtitles · tap any word to listen
1 / 5
KAS.
Doxy,
my
suster.
ANA.
Locusts
Of
the
foul
pit.
TRI.
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
The Alchemist
Chapter XII · Chapter 12
Chapter 12 of The Alchemist is here in full — 395 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/79 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
Line 1
KAS.
Line 2
Doxy,
my
suster.
Line 3
ANA.
/ˈɑːnə/
Line 4
Locusts
Of
the
foul
pit.
/ˈloʊkəsts ʌv ðə faʊl pɪt/
Line 5
TRI.
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.
ana
noun
US /ˈɑːnə/
mother of the ancient Irish gods; sometimes identified with Danu
From this reading “ANA.”
Doxy
noun
US /ˈdɑːksi/
a woman who cohabits with an important man
From this reading “Doxy, my suster.”
foul
adjective
US /faʊl/
highly offensive; arousing aversion or disgust
From this reading “Locusts Of the foul pit.”
Locusts
noun
US /ˈloʊkəsts/
plural of “locust” — migratory grasshoppers of warm regions having short antennae
From this reading “Locusts Of the foul pit.”
pit
noun
US /pɪt/
A large hole in the ground, or an abyss of darkness and peril.
From this reading “Locusts Of the foul pit.”
All words in this reading · 11
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.
ANAnounUS /ˈɑːnə/
mother of the ancient Irish gods; sometimes identified with Danu
From this reading ANA.
DoxynounUS /ˈdɑːksi/
a woman who cohabits with an important man
From this reading Doxy, my suster.
fouladjectiveUS /faʊl/
highly offensive; arousing aversion or disgust
From this reading Locusts Of the foul pit.
KAS
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading KAS.
LocustsnounUS /ˈloʊkəsts/
plural of “locust” — migratory grasshoppers of warm regions having short antennae
From this reading Locusts Of the foul pit.
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Doxy, my suster.
OfprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Locusts Of the foul pit.
pitnounUS /pɪt/
A large hole in the ground, or an abyss of darkness and peril.
From this reading Locusts Of the foul pit.
suster
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Doxy, my suster.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Locusts Of the foul pit.
TRI
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading TRI.
Chapter 12 of The Alchemist by Ben Jonson holds 395 sentences, grouped into 79 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 12 of The Alchemist contain?
Chapter 12 holds 395 sentences of The Alchemist, unabridged, divided into 79 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 12 of The Alchemist by Ben Jonson exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 395 sentences, grouped into 79 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 12 of The Alchemist?
Work through the 79 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 79 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 12 be read aloud to me?
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.
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 5517 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 459 minutes of reading across 1104 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.
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Open a chapter
Choose one of the 14 chapters of The Alchemist to begin.
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Read one section
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
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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.