Chapter 32 of The brother clerks is here in full — 83 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXXII
Chapter 32 of The brother clerks is here in full — 83 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Is there no constancy in earthly things? No happiness in us but what must alter? No life without the heavy load of fortune? What miseries we are, and to ourselves! Even then, when full content sits by us, What daily sores and sorrows!"
Chapter 32 of The brother clerks is here in full — 83 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/16 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
From this reading “No happiness in us but what must alter?”
the quality of being enduring and free from change or variation
From this reading “"Is there no constancy in earthly things?”
of or belonging to or characteristic of this earth as distinguished from heaven
From this reading “"Is there no constancy in earthly things?”
weight to be borne or conveyed
From this reading “No life without the heavy load of fortune?”
plural of “misery” — a state of ill-being due to affliction or misfortune
From this reading “What miseries we are, and to ourselves!”
third-person singular of “sit” — be seated
From this reading “Even then, when full content sits by us, What daily sores and sorrows!"”
plural of “sore” — an open skin infection
From this reading “Even then, when full content sits by us, What daily sores and sorrows!"”
plural of “sorrow” — an emotion of great sadness associated with loss or bereavement
From this reading “Even then, when full content sits by us, What daily sores and sorrows!"”
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.
cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
From this reading No happiness in us but what must alter?
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading What miseries we are, and to ourselves!
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading What miseries we are, and to ourselves!
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading No happiness in us but what must alter?
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Even then, when full content sits by us, What daily sores and sorrows!"
the quality of being enduring and free from change or variation
From this reading "Is there no constancy in earthly things?
(usually plural) everything that is included in a collection and that is held or included in something
From this reading Even then, when full content sits by us, What daily sores and sorrows!"
every day; without missing a day
From this reading Even then, when full content sits by us, What daily sores and sorrows!"
of or belonging to or characteristic of this earth as distinguished from heaven
From this reading "Is there no constancy in earthly things?
divisible by two
From this reading Even then, when full content sits by us, What daily sores and sorrows!"
an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another
From this reading No life without the heavy load of fortune?
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading Even then, when full content sits by us, What daily sores and sorrows!"
state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy
From this reading No happiness in us but what must alter?
of comparatively great physical weight or density
From this reading No life without the heavy load of fortune?
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Is there no constancy in earthly things?
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Is there no constancy in earthly things?
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading No life without the heavy load of fortune?
weight to be borne or conveyed
From this reading No life without the heavy load of fortune?
plural of “misery” — a state of ill-being due to affliction or misfortune
From this reading What miseries we are, and to ourselves!
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading No happiness in us but what must alter?
not any; not one
From this reading "Is there no constancy in earthly things?
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading No life without the heavy load of fortune?
used when we are both doing the action and receiving it
From this reading What miseries we are, and to ourselves!
third-person singular of “sit” — be seated
From this reading Even then, when full content sits by us, What daily sores and sorrows!"
plural of “sore” — an open skin infection
From this reading Even then, when full content sits by us, What daily sores and sorrows!"
plural of “sorrow” — an emotion of great sadness associated with loss or bereavement
From this reading Even then, when full content sits by us, What daily sores and sorrows!"
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading No life without the heavy load of fortune?
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Even then, when full content sits by us, What daily sores and sorrows!"
in or at that place or location
From this reading "Is there no constancy in earthly things?
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading "Is there no constancy in earthly things?
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading What miseries we are, and to ourselves!
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading No happiness in us but what must alter?
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading What miseries we are, and to ourselves!
used to ask for information about something
From this reading No happiness in us but what must alter?
at the time that
From this reading Even then, when full content sits by us, What daily sores and sorrows!"
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading No life without the heavy load of fortune?
Chapter 32 of The brother clerks by Mary Ashley Townsend holds 83 sentences, grouped into 17 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.
Chapter 32 holds 83 sentences of The brother clerks, unabridged, divided into 17 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 32 of The brother clerks by Mary Ashley Townsend exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 83 sentences, grouped into 17 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.
Work through the 17 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 17 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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 32 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.
Common questions about reading The brother clerks by Mary Ashley Townsend on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4436 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #18958 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #18958, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 369 minutes of reading across 888 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The brother clerks section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of The brother clerks to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in The brother clerks, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
