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The Brethren
The Brethren

Chapter XXIV · Chapter 24

Chapter 24 of The Brethren is here in full — 261 sentences across 53 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/52 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Saint Rosamund From the day when he saw Saladin Godwin began to grow strong again, and as his health came back, so he fell to thinking.
Rosamund was lost to him and Masouda was dead, and at times he wished that he were dead also.
What more had he to do with his life, which had been so full of sorrow, struggle and bloodshed?
Go back to England to live there upon his lands, and wait until old age and death overtook him?
The prospect would have pleased many, but it did not please Godwin, who felt that his days were not given to him for this purpose, and that while he lived he must also labour.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Brethren

Chapter XXIV · Chapter 24

Chapter 24 of The Brethren is here in full — 261 sentences across 53 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/52 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Saint Rosamund From the day when he saw Saladin Godwin began to grow strong again, and as his health came back, so he fell to thinking.
Line 2
Rosamund was lost to him and Masouda was dead, and at times he wished that he were dead also.
Line 3
What more had he to do with his life, which had been so full of sorrow, struggle and bloodshed?
/wʌt mɔːr hæd hiː tuː duː wɪð hɪz laɪf wɪtʃ hæd bɪn soʊ fʊl ʌv ˈsɑːroʊ ˈstrʌɡəl ənd ˈblʌdʃed/
Line 4
Go back to England to live there upon his lands, and wait until old age and death overtook him?
/ɡoʊ bæk tuː ˈɪŋɡlənd tuː laɪv ðer əˈpɑːn hɪz lændz ənd weɪt ənˈtɪl oʊld eɪdʒ ənd deθ ˌoʊvərˈtʊk hɪm/
Line 5
The prospect would have pleased many, but it did not please Godwin, who felt that his days were not given to him for this purpose, and that while he lived he must also labour.

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.

bloodshed noun US /ˈblʌdʃed/

the shedding of blood resulting in murder

From this reading “What more had he to do with his life, which had been so full of sorrow, struggle and bloodshed?”

labour noun US /ˈleɪbər/

a social class comprising those who do manual labor or work for wages

From this reading “The prospect would have pleased many, but it did not please Godwin, who felt that his days were not given to him for this purpose, and that while he lived he must also labour.”

lands noun US /lændz/

plural of “land” — the land on which real estate is located

From this reading “Go back to England to live there upon his lands, and wait until old age and death overtook him?”

overtook verb US /ˌoʊvərˈtʊk/

inflected form of “overtake” — catch up with and possibly overtake

From this reading “Go back to England to live there upon his lands, and wait until old age and death overtook him?”

prospect noun US /ˈprɑːspekt/

the possibility of future success

From this reading “The prospect would have pleased many, but it did not please Godwin, who felt that his days were not given to him for this purpose, and that while he lived he must also labour.”

Saint noun US /seɪnt/

a person who has died and has been declared a saint by canonization

From this reading “Saint Rosamund From the day when he saw Saladin Godwin began to grow strong again, and as his health came back, so he fell to thinking.”

Saladin noun US /ˈsælədɪn/

sultan of Syria and Egypt; reconquered Jerusalem from the Christians in 1187 but was defeated by Richard Coeur de Lion in 1191 (1137-1193)

From this reading “Saint Rosamund From the day when he saw Saladin Godwin began to grow strong again, and as his health came back, so he fell to thinking.”

struggle verb US /ˈstrʌɡəl/

make a strenuous or labored effort

From this reading “What more had he to do with his life, which had been so full of sorrow, struggle and bloodshed?”

All words in this reading · 81

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.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading Saint Rosamund From the day when he saw Saladin Godwin began to grow strong again, and as his health came back, so he fell to thinking.

agenounUS /eɪdʒ/

how long something has existed

From this reading Go back to England to live there upon his lands, and wait until old age and death overtook him?

alsoadverbUS /ˈɔːlsoʊ/

in addition

From this reading Rosamund was lost to him and Masouda was dead, and at times he wished that he were dead also.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Saint Rosamund From the day when he saw Saladin Godwin began to grow strong again, and as his health came back, so he fell to thinking.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Saint Rosamund From the day when he saw Saladin Godwin began to grow strong again, and as his health came back, so he fell to thinking.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Rosamund was lost to him and Masouda was dead, and at times he wished that he were dead also.

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading Saint Rosamund From the day when he saw Saladin Godwin began to grow strong again, and as his health came back, so he fell to thinking.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading What more had he to do with his life, which had been so full of sorrow, struggle and bloodshed?

beganverbUS /bɪˈɡæn/

inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading Saint Rosamund From the day when he saw Saladin Godwin began to grow strong again, and as his health came back, so he fell to thinking.

bloodshednounUS /ˈblʌdʃed/

the shedding of blood resulting in murder

From this reading What more had he to do with his life, which had been so full of sorrow, struggle and bloodshed?

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading The prospect would have pleased many, but it did not please Godwin, who felt that his days were not given to him for this purpose, and that while he lived he must also labour.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading Saint Rosamund From the day when he saw Saladin Godwin began to grow strong again, and as his health came back, so he fell to thinking.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading Saint Rosamund From the day when he saw Saladin Godwin began to grow strong again, and as his health came back, so he fell to thinking.

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading The prospect would have pleased many, but it did not please Godwin, who felt that his days were not given to him for this purpose, and that while he lived he must also labour.

deadadjectiveUS /ded/

no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life

From this reading Rosamund was lost to him and Masouda was dead, and at times he wished that he were dead also.

deathnounUS /deθ/

the event of dying or departure from life

From this reading Go back to England to live there upon his lands, and wait until old age and death overtook him?

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading The prospect would have pleased many, but it did not please Godwin, who felt that his days were not given to him for this purpose, and that while he lived he must also labour.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading What more had he to do with his life, which had been so full of sorrow, struggle and bloodshed?

EnglandnounUS /ˈɪŋɡlənd/

a division of the United Kingdom

From this reading Go back to England to live there upon his lands, and wait until old age and death overtook him?

fellverbUS /fel/

cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow

From this reading Saint Rosamund From the day when he saw Saladin Godwin began to grow strong again, and as his health came back, so he fell to thinking.

feltverbUS /felt/

mat together and make felt-like

From this reading The prospect would have pleased many, but it did not please Godwin, who felt that his days were not given to him for this purpose, and that while he lived he must also labour.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading The prospect would have pleased many, but it did not please Godwin, who felt that his days were not given to him for this purpose, and that while he lived he must also labour.

FromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Saint Rosamund From the day when he saw Saladin Godwin began to grow strong again, and as his health came back, so he fell to thinking.

fulladjectiveUS /fʊl/

containing as much or as many as is possible or normal

From this reading What more had he to do with his life, which had been so full of sorrow, struggle and bloodshed?

givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/

acknowledged as a supposition

From this reading The prospect would have pleased many, but it did not please Godwin, who felt that his days were not given to him for this purpose, and that while he lived he must also labour.

GoverbUS /ɡoʊ/

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

From this reading Go back to England to live there upon his lands, and wait until old age and death overtook him?

Godwin

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

From this reading Saint Rosamund From the day when he saw Saladin Godwin began to grow strong again, and as his health came back, so he fell to thinking.

growverbUS /ɡroʊ/

pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become

From this reading Saint Rosamund From the day when he saw Saladin Godwin began to grow strong again, and as his health came back, so he fell to thinking.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading What more had he to do with his life, which had been so full of sorrow, struggle and bloodshed?

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading The prospect would have pleased many, but it did not please Godwin, who felt that his days were not given to him for this purpose, and that while he lived he must also labour.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Saint Rosamund From the day when he saw Saladin Godwin began to grow strong again, and as his health came back, so he fell to thinking.

healthnounUS /helθ/

a healthy state of wellbeing free from disease

From this reading Saint Rosamund From the day when he saw Saladin Godwin began to grow strong again, and as his health came back, so he fell to thinking.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading Rosamund was lost to him and Masouda was dead, and at times he wished that he were dead also.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Saint Rosamund From the day when he saw Saladin Godwin began to grow strong again, and as his health came back, so he fell to thinking.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading The prospect would have pleased many, but it did not please Godwin, who felt that his days were not given to him for this purpose, and that while he lived he must also labour.

labournounUS /ˈleɪbər/

a social class comprising those who do manual labor or work for wages

From this reading The prospect would have pleased many, but it did not please Godwin, who felt that his days were not given to him for this purpose, and that while he lived he must also labour.

landsnounUS /lændz/

plural of “land” — the land on which real estate is located

From this reading Go back to England to live there upon his lands, and wait until old age and death overtook him?

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading What more had he to do with his life, which had been so full of sorrow, struggle and bloodshed?

liveverbUS /laɪv/

be an inhabitant of or reside in

From this reading Go back to England to live there upon his lands, and wait until old age and death overtook him?

livedverbUS /lɪvd/

past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in

From this reading The prospect would have pleased many, but it did not please Godwin, who felt that his days were not given to him for this purpose, and that while he lived he must also labour.

lostadjectiveUS /lɔːst/

no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered

From this reading Rosamund was lost to him and Masouda was dead, and at times he wished that he were dead also.

manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading The prospect would have pleased many, but it did not please Godwin, who felt that his days were not given to him for this purpose, and that while he lived he must also labour.

Masouda

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

From this reading Rosamund was lost to him and Masouda was dead, and at times he wished that he were dead also.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading What more had he to do with his life, which had been so full of sorrow, struggle and bloodshed?

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading The prospect would have pleased many, but it did not please Godwin, who felt that his days were not given to him for this purpose, and that while he lived he must also labour.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading The prospect would have pleased many, but it did not please Godwin, who felt that his days were not given to him for this purpose, and that while he lived he must also labour.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading What more had he to do with his life, which had been so full of sorrow, struggle and bloodshed?

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading Go back to England to live there upon his lands, and wait until old age and death overtook him?

overtookverbUS /ˌoʊvərˈtʊk/

inflected form of “overtake” — catch up with and possibly overtake

From this reading Go back to England to live there upon his lands, and wait until old age and death overtook him?

pleaseverbUS /pliːz/

give pleasure to or be pleasing to

From this reading The prospect would have pleased many, but it did not please Godwin, who felt that his days were not given to him for this purpose, and that while he lived he must also labour.

pleasedadjectiveUS /pliːzd/

experiencing or manifesting pleasure

From this reading The prospect would have pleased many, but it did not please Godwin, who felt that his days were not given to him for this purpose, and that while he lived he must also labour.

prospectnounUS /ˈprɑːspekt/

the possibility of future success

From this reading The prospect would have pleased many, but it did not please Godwin, who felt that his days were not given to him for this purpose, and that while he lived he must also labour.

purposenounUS /ˈpɜːrpəs/

an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions

From this reading The prospect would have pleased many, but it did not please Godwin, who felt that his days were not given to him for this purpose, and that while he lived he must also labour.

Rosamund

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

From this reading Saint Rosamund From the day when he saw Saladin Godwin began to grow strong again, and as his health came back, so he fell to thinking.

SaintnounUS /seɪnt/

a person who has died and has been declared a saint by canonization

From this reading Saint Rosamund From the day when he saw Saladin Godwin began to grow strong again, and as his health came back, so he fell to thinking.

SaladinnounUS /ˈsælədɪn/

sultan of Syria and Egypt; reconquered Jerusalem from the Christians in 1187 but was defeated by Richard Coeur de Lion in 1191 (1137-1193)

From this reading Saint Rosamund From the day when he saw Saladin Godwin began to grow strong again, and as his health came back, so he fell to thinking.

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading Saint Rosamund From the day when he saw Saladin Godwin began to grow strong again, and as his health came back, so he fell to thinking.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Saint Rosamund From the day when he saw Saladin Godwin began to grow strong again, and as his health came back, so he fell to thinking.

sorrownounUS /ˈsɑːroʊ/

an emotion of great sadness associated with loss or bereavement

From this reading What more had he to do with his life, which had been so full of sorrow, struggle and bloodshed?

strongadjectiveUS /strɔːŋ/

having strength or power greater than average or expected

From this reading Saint Rosamund From the day when he saw Saladin Godwin began to grow strong again, and as his health came back, so he fell to thinking.

struggleverbUS /ˈstrʌɡəl/

make a strenuous or labored effort

From this reading What more had he to do with his life, which had been so full of sorrow, struggle and bloodshed?

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Rosamund was lost to him and Masouda was dead, and at times he wished that he were dead also.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Saint Rosamund From the day when he saw Saladin Godwin began to grow strong again, and as his health came back, so he fell to thinking.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading Go back to England to live there upon his lands, and wait until old age and death overtook him?

thinkingnounUS /ˈθɪŋkɪŋ/

the process of using your mind to consider something carefully

From this reading Saint Rosamund From the day when he saw Saladin Godwin began to grow strong again, and as his health came back, so he fell to thinking.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading The prospect would have pleased many, but it did not please Godwin, who felt that his days were not given to him for this purpose, and that while he lived he must also labour.

timesnounUS /taɪmz/

a more or less definite period of time now or previously present

From this reading Rosamund was lost to him and Masouda was dead, and at times he wished that he were dead also.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Saint Rosamund From the day when he saw Saladin Godwin began to grow strong again, and as his health came back, so he fell to thinking.

untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading Go back to England to live there upon his lands, and wait until old age and death overtook him?

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading Go back to England to live there upon his lands, and wait until old age and death overtook him?

waitverbUS /weɪt/

stay in one place and anticipate or expect something

From this reading Go back to England to live there upon his lands, and wait until old age and death overtook him?

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Rosamund was lost to him and Masouda was dead, and at times he wished that he were dead also.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading Rosamund was lost to him and Masouda was dead, and at times he wished that he were dead also.

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading What more had he to do with his life, which had been so full of sorrow, struggle and bloodshed?

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading Saint Rosamund From the day when he saw Saladin Godwin began to grow strong again, and as his health came back, so he fell to thinking.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading What more had he to do with his life, which had been so full of sorrow, struggle and bloodshed?

whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading The prospect would have pleased many, but it did not please Godwin, who felt that his days were not given to him for this purpose, and that while he lived he must also labour.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading The prospect would have pleased many, but it did not please Godwin, who felt that his days were not given to him for this purpose, and that while he lived he must also labour.

wishedverbUS /wɪʃt/

past form of “wish” — hope for; have a wish

From this reading Rosamund was lost to him and Masouda was dead, and at times he wished that he were dead also.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading What more had he to do with his life, which had been so full of sorrow, struggle and bloodshed?

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading The prospect would have pleased many, but it did not please Godwin, who felt that his days were not given to him for this purpose, and that while he lived he must also labour.

Chapter 24 of The Brethren by H. Rider (Henry Rider) Haggard holds 261 sentences, grouped into 53 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 24 of The Brethren contain?

Chapter 24 holds 261 sentences of The Brethren, unabridged, divided into 53 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 24 of The Brethren by H. Rider (Henry Rider) Haggard exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 261 sentences, grouped into 53 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 24 of The Brethren?

Work through the 53 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 53 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 24 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 24 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 Brethren

Common questions about reading The Brethren by H. Rider (Henry Rider) Haggard on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Brethren?

Yes. All 6406 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2762 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Brethren is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #2762, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Brethren take to read?

About 533 minutes of reading across 1282 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Brethren section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 25 chapters of The Brethren 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 Brethren

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

Mongolia
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Brethren; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Mayhap
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Brethren; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Distance
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Brethren; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Lends
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Brethren; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.