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The Brass Bell
The Brass Bell

Chapter VII

Chapter 7 of The Brass Bell is here in full — 75 sentences across 15 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/15 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE EVE OF BATTLE.
It was the eve of the battle of Vannes; the battle of Vannes which, waged on land and sea, was to decide the fate of Brittany, and, consequently, of all Gaul, whether for liberty or enslavement.
On this memorable evening, in the presence of all the members of our family united in the Gallic camp, except my brother Albinik, who had joined the Gallic fleet in the bay of Morbihan, my father Joel, the brenn of the tribe of Karnak, addressed me, his eldest born, Guilhern the laborer, who now writes this account.
He said to me: "To-morrow, my son, is the day of battle.
We shall fight hard.
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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 Brass Bell

Chapter VII

Chapter 7 of The Brass Bell is here in full — 75 sentences across 15 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/15 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE EVE OF BATTLE.
/ðə iːv ʌv ˈbætəl/
Line 2
It was the eve of the battle of Vannes; the battle of Vannes which, waged on land and sea, was to decide the fate of Brittany, and, consequently, of all Gaul, whether for liberty or enslavement.
Line 3
On this memorable evening, in the presence of all the members of our family united in the Gallic camp, except my brother Albinik, who had joined the Gallic fleet in the bay of Morbihan, my father Joel, the brenn of the tribe of Karnak, addressed me, his eldest born, Guilhern the laborer, who now writes this account.
Line 4
He said to me: "To-morrow, my son, is the day of battle.
Line 5
We shall fight hard.
/wiː ʃæl faɪt hɑːrd/

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.

Brittany noun US /ˈbrɪtəni/

a former province of northwestern France on a peninsula between the English Channel and the Bay of Biscay

From this reading “It was the eve of the battle of Vannes; the battle of Vannes which, waged on land and sea, was to decide the fate of Brittany, and, consequently, of all Gaul, whether for liberty or enslavement.”

enslavement noun US /enˈsleɪvmənt/

the state of being a slave

From this reading “It was the eve of the battle of Vannes; the battle of Vannes which, waged on land and sea, was to decide the fate of Brittany, and, consequently, of all Gaul, whether for liberty or enslavement.”

Gallic adjective US /ˈɡælɪk/

of or pertaining to Gaul or the Gauls

From this reading “On this memorable evening, in the presence of all the members of our family united in the Gallic camp, except my brother Albinik, who had joined the Gallic fleet in the bay of Morbihan, my father Joel, the brenn of the tribe of Karnak, addressed me, his eldest born, Guilhern the laborer, who now writes this account.”

Gaul noun US /ɡɔːl/

a person of French descent

From this reading “It was the eve of the battle of Vannes; the battle of Vannes which, waged on land and sea, was to decide the fate of Brittany, and, consequently, of all Gaul, whether for liberty or enslavement.”

Joel noun US /ˈdʒoʊəl/

a Hebrew minor prophet

From this reading “On this memorable evening, in the presence of all the members of our family united in the Gallic camp, except my brother Albinik, who had joined the Gallic fleet in the bay of Morbihan, my father Joel, the brenn of the tribe of Karnak, addressed me, his eldest born, Guilhern the laborer, who now writes this account.”

laborer noun US /ˈleɪbərər/

someone who works with their hands; someone engaged in manual labor

From this reading “On this memorable evening, in the presence of all the members of our family united in the Gallic camp, except my brother Albinik, who had joined the Gallic fleet in the bay of Morbihan, my father Joel, the brenn of the tribe of Karnak, addressed me, his eldest born, Guilhern the laborer, who now writes this account.”

memorable adjective US /ˈmemərəbəl/

worth remembering

From this reading “On this memorable evening, in the presence of all the members of our family united in the Gallic camp, except my brother Albinik, who had joined the Gallic fleet in the bay of Morbihan, my father Joel, the brenn of the tribe of Karnak, addressed me, his eldest born, Guilhern the laborer, who now writes this account.”

waged verb US /weɪdʒd/

past form of “wage” — carry on (wars, battles, or campaigns)

From this reading “It was the eve of the battle of Vannes; the battle of Vannes which, waged on land and sea, was to decide the fate of Brittany, and, consequently, of all Gaul, whether for liberty or enslavement.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

memorable evening adjective + noun

In this reading “On this memorable evening, in the presence of all the members of our family united in the Gallic camp, except my brother Albinik, who had joined the Gallic fleet in the bay of Morbihan, my father Joel, the brenn of the tribe of Karnak, addressed me, his eldest born, Guilhern the laborer, who now writes this account.”

decide the fate verb + article + noun counted as “decide … fate”

In this reading “It was the eve of the battle of Vannes; the battle of Vannes which, waged on land and sea, was to decide the fate of Brittany, and, consequently, of all Gaul, whether for liberty or enslavement.”

fight hard verb + adjective

In this reading “We shall fight hard.”

in the presence preposition + article + noun counted as “in … presence”

In this reading “On this memorable evening, in the presence of all the members of our family united in the Gallic camp, except my brother Albinik, who had joined the Gallic fleet in the bay of Morbihan, my father Joel, the brenn of the tribe of Karnak, addressed me, his eldest born, Guilhern the laborer, who now writes this account.”

in the bay preposition + article + noun counted as “in … bay”

In this reading “On this memorable evening, in the presence of all the members of our family united in the Gallic camp, except my brother Albinik, who had joined the Gallic fleet in the bay of Morbihan, my father Joel, the brenn of the tribe of Karnak, addressed me, his eldest born, Guilhern the laborer, who now writes this account.”

All words in this reading · 71

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.

accountnounUS /əˈkaʊnt/

a record or narrative description of past events

From this reading On this memorable evening, in the presence of all the members of our family united in the Gallic camp, except my brother Albinik, who had joined the Gallic fleet in the bay of Morbihan, my father Joel, the brenn of the tribe of Karnak, addressed me, his eldest born, Guilhern the laborer, who now writes this account.

addressedadjectiveUS /əˈdrest/

(of mail) marked with a destination

From this reading On this memorable evening, in the presence of all the members of our family united in the Gallic camp, except my brother Albinik, who had joined the Gallic fleet in the bay of Morbihan, my father Joel, the brenn of the tribe of Karnak, addressed me, his eldest born, Guilhern the laborer, who now writes this account.

Albinik

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

From this reading On this memorable evening, in the presence of all the members of our family united in the Gallic camp, except my brother Albinik, who had joined the Gallic fleet in the bay of Morbihan, my father Joel, the brenn of the tribe of Karnak, addressed me, his eldest born, Guilhern the laborer, who now writes this account.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading It was the eve of the battle of Vannes; the battle of Vannes which, waged on land and sea, was to decide the fate of Brittany, and, consequently, of all Gaul, whether for liberty or enslavement.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading It was the eve of the battle of Vannes; the battle of Vannes which, waged on land and sea, was to decide the fate of Brittany, and, consequently, of all Gaul, whether for liberty or enslavement.

BATTLEnounUS /ˈbætəl/

a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war

From this reading THE EVE OF BATTLE.

baynounUS /beɪ/

an indentation of a shoreline larger than a cove but smaller than a gulf

From this reading On this memorable evening, in the presence of all the members of our family united in the Gallic camp, except my brother Albinik, who had joined the Gallic fleet in the bay of Morbihan, my father Joel, the brenn of the tribe of Karnak, addressed me, his eldest born, Guilhern the laborer, who now writes this account.

bornadjectiveUS /bɔːrn/

brought into existence

From this reading On this memorable evening, in the presence of all the members of our family united in the Gallic camp, except my brother Albinik, who had joined the Gallic fleet in the bay of Morbihan, my father Joel, the brenn of the tribe of Karnak, addressed me, his eldest born, Guilhern the laborer, who now writes this account.

brenn

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

From this reading On this memorable evening, in the presence of all the members of our family united in the Gallic camp, except my brother Albinik, who had joined the Gallic fleet in the bay of Morbihan, my father Joel, the brenn of the tribe of Karnak, addressed me, his eldest born, Guilhern the laborer, who now writes this account.

BrittanynounUS /ˈbrɪtəni/

a former province of northwestern France on a peninsula between the English Channel and the Bay of Biscay

From this reading It was the eve of the battle of Vannes; the battle of Vannes which, waged on land and sea, was to decide the fate of Brittany, and, consequently, of all Gaul, whether for liberty or enslavement.

brothernounUS /ˈbrʌðər/

a male with the same parents as someone else

From this reading On this memorable evening, in the presence of all the members of our family united in the Gallic camp, except my brother Albinik, who had joined the Gallic fleet in the bay of Morbihan, my father Joel, the brenn of the tribe of Karnak, addressed me, his eldest born, Guilhern the laborer, who now writes this account.

campnounUS /kæmp/

temporary living quarters specially built by the army for soldiers

From this reading On this memorable evening, in the presence of all the members of our family united in the Gallic camp, except my brother Albinik, who had joined the Gallic fleet in the bay of Morbihan, my father Joel, the brenn of the tribe of Karnak, addressed me, his eldest born, Guilhern the laborer, who now writes this account.

consequentlyadverbUS /ˈkɑːnsəkwəntli/

(sentence connectors) because of the reason given

From this reading It was the eve of the battle of Vannes; the battle of Vannes which, waged on land and sea, was to decide the fate of Brittany, and, consequently, of all Gaul, whether for liberty or enslavement.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading He said to me: "To-morrow, my son, is the day of battle.

decideverbUS /ˌdɪˈsaɪd/

reach, make, or come to a decision about something

From this reading It was the eve of the battle of Vannes; the battle of Vannes which, waged on land and sea, was to decide the fate of Brittany, and, consequently, of all Gaul, whether for liberty or enslavement.

eldestadjectiveUS /ˈeldəst/

first in order of birth

From this reading On this memorable evening, in the presence of all the members of our family united in the Gallic camp, except my brother Albinik, who had joined the Gallic fleet in the bay of Morbihan, my father Joel, the brenn of the tribe of Karnak, addressed me, his eldest born, Guilhern the laborer, who now writes this account.

enslavementnounUS /enˈsleɪvmənt/

the state of being a slave

From this reading It was the eve of the battle of Vannes; the battle of Vannes which, waged on land and sea, was to decide the fate of Brittany, and, consequently, of all Gaul, whether for liberty or enslavement.

EVEnounUS /iːv/

(Old Testament) Adam's wife in Judeo-Christian mythology: the first woman and mother of the human race; God created Eve from Adam's rib and placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden

From this reading THE EVE OF BATTLE.

eveningnounUS /ˈiːvnɪŋ/

the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)

From this reading On this memorable evening, in the presence of all the members of our family united in the Gallic camp, except my brother Albinik, who had joined the Gallic fleet in the bay of Morbihan, my father Joel, the brenn of the tribe of Karnak, addressed me, his eldest born, Guilhern the laborer, who now writes this account.

exceptprepositionUS /ɪkˈsept/

apart from; not including

From this reading On this memorable evening, in the presence of all the members of our family united in the Gallic camp, except my brother Albinik, who had joined the Gallic fleet in the bay of Morbihan, my father Joel, the brenn of the tribe of Karnak, addressed me, his eldest born, Guilhern the laborer, who now writes this account.

familynounUS /ˈfæməli/

a social unit living together

From this reading On this memorable evening, in the presence of all the members of our family united in the Gallic camp, except my brother Albinik, who had joined the Gallic fleet in the bay of Morbihan, my father Joel, the brenn of the tribe of Karnak, addressed me, his eldest born, Guilhern the laborer, who now writes this account.

fatenounUS /feɪt/

an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future

From this reading It was the eve of the battle of Vannes; the battle of Vannes which, waged on land and sea, was to decide the fate of Brittany, and, consequently, of all Gaul, whether for liberty or enslavement.

fathernounUS /ˈfɑːðər/

a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading On this memorable evening, in the presence of all the members of our family united in the Gallic camp, except my brother Albinik, who had joined the Gallic fleet in the bay of Morbihan, my father Joel, the brenn of the tribe of Karnak, addressed me, his eldest born, Guilhern the laborer, who now writes this account.

fightverbUS /faɪt/

be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight

From this reading We shall fight hard.

fleetnounUS /fliːt/

group of aircraft operating together under the same ownership

From this reading On this memorable evening, in the presence of all the members of our family united in the Gallic camp, except my brother Albinik, who had joined the Gallic fleet in the bay of Morbihan, my father Joel, the brenn of the tribe of Karnak, addressed me, his eldest born, Guilhern the laborer, who now writes this account.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading It was the eve of the battle of Vannes; the battle of Vannes which, waged on land and sea, was to decide the fate of Brittany, and, consequently, of all Gaul, whether for liberty or enslavement.

GallicadjectiveUS /ˈɡælɪk/

of or pertaining to Gaul or the Gauls

From this reading On this memorable evening, in the presence of all the members of our family united in the Gallic camp, except my brother Albinik, who had joined the Gallic fleet in the bay of Morbihan, my father Joel, the brenn of the tribe of Karnak, addressed me, his eldest born, Guilhern the laborer, who now writes this account.

GaulnounUS /ɡɔːl/

a person of French descent

From this reading It was the eve of the battle of Vannes; the battle of Vannes which, waged on land and sea, was to decide the fate of Brittany, and, consequently, of all Gaul, whether for liberty or enslavement.

Guilhern

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

From this reading On this memorable evening, in the presence of all the members of our family united in the Gallic camp, except my brother Albinik, who had joined the Gallic fleet in the bay of Morbihan, my father Joel, the brenn of the tribe of Karnak, addressed me, his eldest born, Guilhern the laborer, who now writes this account.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading On this memorable evening, in the presence of all the members of our family united in the Gallic camp, except my brother Albinik, who had joined the Gallic fleet in the bay of Morbihan, my father Joel, the brenn of the tribe of Karnak, addressed me, his eldest born, Guilhern the laborer, who now writes this account.

hardadjectiveUS /hɑːrd/

not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure

From this reading We shall fight hard.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He said to me: "To-morrow, my son, is the day of battle.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading On this memorable evening, in the presence of all the members of our family united in the Gallic camp, except my brother Albinik, who had joined the Gallic fleet in the bay of Morbihan, my father Joel, the brenn of the tribe of Karnak, addressed me, his eldest born, Guilhern the laborer, who now writes this account.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading On this memorable evening, in the presence of all the members of our family united in the Gallic camp, except my brother Albinik, who had joined the Gallic fleet in the bay of Morbihan, my father Joel, the brenn of the tribe of Karnak, addressed me, his eldest born, Guilhern the laborer, who now writes this account.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading He said to me: "To-morrow, my son, is the day of battle.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was the eve of the battle of Vannes; the battle of Vannes which, waged on land and sea, was to decide the fate of Brittany, and, consequently, of all Gaul, whether for liberty or enslavement.

JoelnounUS /ˈdʒoʊəl/

a Hebrew minor prophet

From this reading On this memorable evening, in the presence of all the members of our family united in the Gallic camp, except my brother Albinik, who had joined the Gallic fleet in the bay of Morbihan, my father Joel, the brenn of the tribe of Karnak, addressed me, his eldest born, Guilhern the laborer, who now writes this account.

joinedadjectiveUS /dʒɔɪnd/

of or relating to two people who are married to each other

From this reading On this memorable evening, in the presence of all the members of our family united in the Gallic camp, except my brother Albinik, who had joined the Gallic fleet in the bay of Morbihan, my father Joel, the brenn of the tribe of Karnak, addressed me, his eldest born, Guilhern the laborer, who now writes this account.

Karnak

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

From this reading On this memorable evening, in the presence of all the members of our family united in the Gallic camp, except my brother Albinik, who had joined the Gallic fleet in the bay of Morbihan, my father Joel, the brenn of the tribe of Karnak, addressed me, his eldest born, Guilhern the laborer, who now writes this account.

laborernounUS /ˈleɪbərər/

someone who works with their hands; someone engaged in manual labor

From this reading On this memorable evening, in the presence of all the members of our family united in the Gallic camp, except my brother Albinik, who had joined the Gallic fleet in the bay of Morbihan, my father Joel, the brenn of the tribe of Karnak, addressed me, his eldest born, Guilhern the laborer, who now writes this account.

landnounUS /lænd/

the land on which real estate is located

From this reading It was the eve of the battle of Vannes; the battle of Vannes which, waged on land and sea, was to decide the fate of Brittany, and, consequently, of all Gaul, whether for liberty or enslavement.

libertynounUS /ˈlɪb.ər.ti/

The state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions on one's way of life.

From this reading It was the eve of the battle of Vannes; the battle of Vannes which, waged on land and sea, was to decide the fate of Brittany, and, consequently, of all Gaul, whether for liberty or enslavement.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading On this memorable evening, in the presence of all the members of our family united in the Gallic camp, except my brother Albinik, who had joined the Gallic fleet in the bay of Morbihan, my father Joel, the brenn of the tribe of Karnak, addressed me, his eldest born, Guilhern the laborer, who now writes this account.

membersnounUS /ˈmembərz/

plural of “member” — one of the persons who compose a social group (especially individuals who have joined and participate in a group organization)

From this reading On this memorable evening, in the presence of all the members of our family united in the Gallic camp, except my brother Albinik, who had joined the Gallic fleet in the bay of Morbihan, my father Joel, the brenn of the tribe of Karnak, addressed me, his eldest born, Guilhern the laborer, who now writes this account.

memorableadjectiveUS /ˈmemərəbəl/

worth remembering

From this reading On this memorable evening, in the presence of all the members of our family united in the Gallic camp, except my brother Albinik, who had joined the Gallic fleet in the bay of Morbihan, my father Joel, the brenn of the tribe of Karnak, addressed me, his eldest born, Guilhern the laborer, who now writes this account.

Morbihan

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

From this reading On this memorable evening, in the presence of all the members of our family united in the Gallic camp, except my brother Albinik, who had joined the Gallic fleet in the bay of Morbihan, my father Joel, the brenn of the tribe of Karnak, addressed me, his eldest born, Guilhern the laborer, who now writes this account.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading On this memorable evening, in the presence of all the members of our family united in the Gallic camp, except my brother Albinik, who had joined the Gallic fleet in the bay of Morbihan, my father Joel, the brenn of the tribe of Karnak, addressed me, his eldest born, Guilhern the laborer, who now writes this account.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading On this memorable evening, in the presence of all the members of our family united in the Gallic camp, except my brother Albinik, who had joined the Gallic fleet in the bay of Morbihan, my father Joel, the brenn of the tribe of Karnak, addressed me, his eldest born, Guilhern the laborer, who now writes this account.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE EVE OF BATTLE.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading It was the eve of the battle of Vannes; the battle of Vannes which, waged on land and sea, was to decide the fate of Brittany, and, consequently, of all Gaul, whether for liberty or enslavement.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading It was the eve of the battle of Vannes; the battle of Vannes which, waged on land and sea, was to decide the fate of Brittany, and, consequently, of all Gaul, whether for liberty or enslavement.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading On this memorable evening, in the presence of all the members of our family united in the Gallic camp, except my brother Albinik, who had joined the Gallic fleet in the bay of Morbihan, my father Joel, the brenn of the tribe of Karnak, addressed me, his eldest born, Guilhern the laborer, who now writes this account.

presencenounUS /ˈprezəns/

the state of being present; current existence

From this reading On this memorable evening, in the presence of all the members of our family united in the Gallic camp, except my brother Albinik, who had joined the Gallic fleet in the bay of Morbihan, my father Joel, the brenn of the tribe of Karnak, addressed me, his eldest born, Guilhern the laborer, who now writes this account.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading He said to me: "To-morrow, my son, is the day of battle.

seanounUS /siː/

a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land

From this reading It was the eve of the battle of Vannes; the battle of Vannes which, waged on land and sea, was to decide the fate of Brittany, and, consequently, of all Gaul, whether for liberty or enslavement.

shallmodal verbUS /ʃæl/

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

From this reading We shall fight hard.

sonnounUS /sʌn/

a male human offspring

From this reading He said to me: "To-morrow, my son, is the day of battle.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE EVE OF BATTLE.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading On this memorable evening, in the presence of all the members of our family united in the Gallic camp, except my brother Albinik, who had joined the Gallic fleet in the bay of Morbihan, my father Joel, the brenn of the tribe of Karnak, addressed me, his eldest born, Guilhern the laborer, who now writes this account.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading It was the eve of the battle of Vannes; the battle of Vannes which, waged on land and sea, was to decide the fate of Brittany, and, consequently, of all Gaul, whether for liberty or enslavement.

To-morrow

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

From this reading He said to me: "To-morrow, my son, is the day of battle.

tribenounUS /traɪb/

a social division of (usually preliterate) people

From this reading On this memorable evening, in the presence of all the members of our family united in the Gallic camp, except my brother Albinik, who had joined the Gallic fleet in the bay of Morbihan, my father Joel, the brenn of the tribe of Karnak, addressed me, his eldest born, Guilhern the laborer, who now writes this account.

unitedadjectiveUS /juːˈnaɪtɪd/

characterized by unity; being or joined into a single entity

From this reading On this memorable evening, in the presence of all the members of our family united in the Gallic camp, except my brother Albinik, who had joined the Gallic fleet in the bay of Morbihan, my father Joel, the brenn of the tribe of Karnak, addressed me, his eldest born, Guilhern the laborer, who now writes this account.

Vannes

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

From this reading It was the eve of the battle of Vannes; the battle of Vannes which, waged on land and sea, was to decide the fate of Brittany, and, consequently, of all Gaul, whether for liberty or enslavement.

wagedverbUS /weɪdʒd/

past form of “wage” — carry on (wars, battles, or campaigns)

From this reading It was the eve of the battle of Vannes; the battle of Vannes which, waged on land and sea, was to decide the fate of Brittany, and, consequently, of all Gaul, whether for liberty or enslavement.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading It was the eve of the battle of Vannes; the battle of Vannes which, waged on land and sea, was to decide the fate of Brittany, and, consequently, of all Gaul, whether for liberty or enslavement.

WepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading We shall fight hard.

whetherconjunctionUS /ˈweðər/

used to introduce two or more possibilities

From this reading It was the eve of the battle of Vannes; the battle of Vannes which, waged on land and sea, was to decide the fate of Brittany, and, consequently, of all Gaul, whether for liberty or enslavement.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading It was the eve of the battle of Vannes; the battle of Vannes which, waged on land and sea, was to decide the fate of Brittany, and, consequently, of all Gaul, whether for liberty or enslavement.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading On this memorable evening, in the presence of all the members of our family united in the Gallic camp, except my brother Albinik, who had joined the Gallic fleet in the bay of Morbihan, my father Joel, the brenn of the tribe of Karnak, addressed me, his eldest born, Guilhern the laborer, who now writes this account.

writesverbUS /raɪts/

third-person singular of “write” — produce a literary work

From this reading On this memorable evening, in the presence of all the members of our family united in the Gallic camp, except my brother Albinik, who had joined the Gallic fleet in the bay of Morbihan, my father Joel, the brenn of the tribe of Karnak, addressed me, his eldest born, Guilhern the laborer, who now writes this account.

Chapter 7 of The Brass Bell by Eugène Sue holds 75 sentences, grouped into 15 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 7 of The Brass Bell contain?

Chapter 7 holds 75 sentences of The Brass Bell, unabridged, divided into 15 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 7 of The Brass Bell by Eugène Sue exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 75 sentences, grouped into 15 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 7 of The Brass Bell?

Work through the 15 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 15 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 7 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 7 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 Brass Bell

Common questions about reading The Brass Bell by Eugène Sue on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Brass Bell?

Yes. All 2146 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #26623 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Brass Bell is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #26623, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Brass Bell take to read?

About 178 minutes of reading across 430 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Brass Bell section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 14 chapters of The Brass Bell 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 Brass Bell

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

Caesar's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Brass Bell; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Gallic
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Brass Bell; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Invasion
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Brass Bell; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Labor
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Brass Bell; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.