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The Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems
The Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of The Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems is here in full — 251 sentences across 51 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/50 · 5 lines
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The oldest lady of them all then spake, When she had swooned, with a deadly cheer*, *countenance That it was ruthe* for to see or hear.
*pity She saide; Lord, to whom fortune hath given Vict’ry, and as a conqueror to liven, Nought grieveth us your glory and your honour; But we beseechen mercy and succour.
Have mercy on our woe and our distress; Some drop of pity, through thy gentleness, Upon us wretched women let now fall.
For certes, lord, there is none of us all That hath not been a duchess or a queen; Now be we caitives*, as it is well seen: *captives Thanked be Fortune, and her false wheel, That *none estate ensureth to be wele*.
*assures no continuance of And certes, lord, t’abiden your presence prosperous estate* Here in this temple of the goddess Clemence We have been waiting all this fortenight: Now help us, lord, since it lies in thy might.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of The Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems is here in full — 251 sentences across 51 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/50 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The oldest lady of them all then spake, When she had swooned, with a deadly cheer*, *countenance That it was ruthe* for to see or hear.
Line 2
*pity She saide; “Lord, to whom fortune hath given Vict’ry, and as a conqueror to liven, Nought grieveth us your glory and your honour; But we beseechen mercy and succour.
Line 3
Have mercy on our woe and our distress; Some drop of pity, through thy gentleness, Upon us wretched women let now fall.
/hæv ˈmɜːrsi ɑːn ˈaʊər woʊ ənd ˈaʊər dɪˈstres sʌm drɑːp ʌv ˈpɪti θruː ðaɪ ˈdʒentəlnəs əˈpɑːn ʌs ˈretʃɪd ˈwɪmən let naʊ fɔːl/
Line 4
For certes, lord, there is none of us all That hath not been a duchess or a queen; Now be we caitives*, as it is well seen: *captives Thanked be Fortune, and her false wheel, That *none estate ensureth to be wele*.
Line 5
*assures no continuance of And certes, lord, t’abiden your presence prosperous estate* Here in this temple of the goddess Clemence We have been waiting all this fortenight: Now help us, lord, since it lies in thy might.

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.

assures verb US /əˈʃʊrz/

third-person singular of “assure” — make certain of

From this reading “*assures no continuance of And certes, lord, t’abiden your presence prosperous estate* Here in this temple of the goddess Clemence We have been waiting all this fortenight: Now help us, lord, since it lies in thy might.”

captives noun US /ˈkæptɪvz/

plural of “captive” — a person who is confined; especially a prisoner of war

From this reading “For certes, lord, there is none of us all That hath not been a duchess or a queen; Now be we caitives*, as it is well seen: *captives Thanked be Fortune, and her false wheel, That *none estate ensureth to be wele*.”

conqueror noun US /ˈkɑːŋkərər/

someone who is victorious by force of arms

From this reading “*pity She saide; “Lord, to whom fortune hath given Vict’ry, and as a conqueror to liven, Nought grieveth us your glory and your honour; But we beseechen mercy and succour.”

continuance noun US /kənˈtɪnjuːəns/

the act of continuing an activity without interruption

From this reading “*assures no continuance of And certes, lord, t’abiden your presence prosperous estate* Here in this temple of the goddess Clemence We have been waiting all this fortenight: Now help us, lord, since it lies in thy might.”

gentleness noun US /ˈdʒentəlnəs/

the property possessed by a slope that is very gradual

From this reading “Have mercy on our woe and our distress; Some drop of pity, through thy gentleness, Upon us wretched women let now fall.”

liven verb US /ˈlaɪvən/

make lively

From this reading “*pity She saide; “Lord, to whom fortune hath given Vict’ry, and as a conqueror to liven, Nought grieveth us your glory and your honour; But we beseechen mercy and succour.”

prosperous adjective US /ˈprɑːspərəs/

in fortunate circumstances financially; moderately rich

From this reading “*assures no continuance of And certes, lord, t’abiden your presence prosperous estate* Here in this temple of the goddess Clemence We have been waiting all this fortenight: Now help us, lord, since it lies in thy might.”

swooned verb US /swuːnd/

past form of “swoon” — pass out from weakness, physical or emotional distress due to a loss of blood supply to the brain

From this reading “The oldest lady of them all then spake, When she had swooned, with a deadly cheer*, *countenance That it was ruthe* for to see or hear.”

All words in this reading · 103

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading The oldest lady of them all then spake, When she had swooned, with a deadly cheer*, *countenance That it was ruthe* for to see or hear.

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 The oldest lady of them all then spake, When she had swooned, with a deadly cheer*, *countenance That it was ruthe* for to see or hear.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading *pity She saide; “Lord, to whom fortune hath given Vict’ry, and as a conqueror to liven, Nought grieveth us your glory and your honour; But we beseechen mercy and succour.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading *pity She saide; “Lord, to whom fortune hath given Vict’ry, and as a conqueror to liven, Nought grieveth us your glory and your honour; But we beseechen mercy and succour.

assuresverbUS /əˈʃʊrz/

third-person singular of “assure” — make certain of

From this reading *assures no continuance of And certes, lord, t’abiden your presence prosperous estate* Here in this temple of the goddess Clemence We have been waiting all this fortenight: Now help us, lord, since it lies in thy might.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading For certes, lord, there is none of us all That hath not been a duchess or a queen; Now be we caitives*, as it is well seen: *captives Thanked be Fortune, and her false wheel, That *none estate ensureth to be wele*.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading For certes, lord, there is none of us all That hath not been a duchess or a queen; Now be we caitives*, as it is well seen: *captives Thanked be Fortune, and her false wheel, That *none estate ensureth to be wele*.

beseechen

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

From this reading *pity She saide; “Lord, to whom fortune hath given Vict’ry, and as a conqueror to liven, Nought grieveth us your glory and your honour; But we beseechen mercy and succour.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading *pity She saide; “Lord, to whom fortune hath given Vict’ry, and as a conqueror to liven, Nought grieveth us your glory and your honour; But we beseechen mercy and succour.

caitives

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

From this reading For certes, lord, there is none of us all That hath not been a duchess or a queen; Now be we caitives*, as it is well seen: *captives Thanked be Fortune, and her false wheel, That *none estate ensureth to be wele*.

captivesnounUS /ˈkæptɪvz/

plural of “captive” — a person who is confined; especially a prisoner of war

From this reading For certes, lord, there is none of us all That hath not been a duchess or a queen; Now be we caitives*, as it is well seen: *captives Thanked be Fortune, and her false wheel, That *none estate ensureth to be wele*.

certes

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

From this reading For certes, lord, there is none of us all That hath not been a duchess or a queen; Now be we caitives*, as it is well seen: *captives Thanked be Fortune, and her false wheel, That *none estate ensureth to be wele*.

cheerverbUS /tʃɪr/

give encouragement to

From this reading The oldest lady of them all then spake, When she had swooned, with a deadly cheer*, *countenance That it was ruthe* for to see or hear.

Clemence

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

From this reading *assures no continuance of And certes, lord, t’abiden your presence prosperous estate* Here in this temple of the goddess Clemence We have been waiting all this fortenight: Now help us, lord, since it lies in thy might.

conquerornounUS /ˈkɑːŋkərər/

someone who is victorious by force of arms

From this reading *pity She saide; “Lord, to whom fortune hath given Vict’ry, and as a conqueror to liven, Nought grieveth us your glory and your honour; But we beseechen mercy and succour.

continuancenounUS /kənˈtɪnjuːəns/

the act of continuing an activity without interruption

From this reading *assures no continuance of And certes, lord, t’abiden your presence prosperous estate* Here in this temple of the goddess Clemence We have been waiting all this fortenight: Now help us, lord, since it lies in thy might.

countenancenounUS /ˈkaʊntənəns/

the appearance conveyed by a person's face

From this reading The oldest lady of them all then spake, When she had swooned, with a deadly cheer*, *countenance That it was ruthe* for to see or hear.

deadlyadjectiveUS /ˈdedli/

causing or capable of causing death

From this reading The oldest lady of them all then spake, When she had swooned, with a deadly cheer*, *countenance That it was ruthe* for to see or hear.

distressnounUS /dɪˈstres/

psychological suffering

From this reading Have mercy on our woe and our distress; Some drop of pity, through thy gentleness, Upon us wretched women let now fall.

dropverbUS /drɑːp/

let fall to the ground

From this reading Have mercy on our woe and our distress; Some drop of pity, through thy gentleness, Upon us wretched women let now fall.

duchessnounUS /ˈdʌtʃəs/

the wife of a duke or a woman holding ducal title in her own right

From this reading For certes, lord, there is none of us all That hath not been a duchess or a queen; Now be we caitives*, as it is well seen: *captives Thanked be Fortune, and her false wheel, That *none estate ensureth to be wele*.

ensureth

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

From this reading For certes, lord, there is none of us all That hath not been a duchess or a queen; Now be we caitives*, as it is well seen: *captives Thanked be Fortune, and her false wheel, That *none estate ensureth to be wele*.

estatenounUS /ɪˈsteɪt/

everything you own; all of your assets (whether real property or personal property) and liabilities

From this reading For certes, lord, there is none of us all That hath not been a duchess or a queen; Now be we caitives*, as it is well seen: *captives Thanked be Fortune, and her false wheel, That *none estate ensureth to be wele*.

fallverbUS /fɔːl/

descend in free fall under the influence of gravity

From this reading Have mercy on our woe and our distress; Some drop of pity, through thy gentleness, Upon us wretched women let now fall.

falseadjectiveUS /fɔːls/

not in accordance with the fact or reality or actuality

From this reading For certes, lord, there is none of us all That hath not been a duchess or a queen; Now be we caitives*, as it is well seen: *captives Thanked be Fortune, and her false wheel, That *none estate ensureth to be wele*.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading The oldest lady of them all then spake, When she had swooned, with a deadly cheer*, *countenance That it was ruthe* for to see or hear.

fortenight

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

From this reading *assures no continuance of And certes, lord, t’abiden your presence prosperous estate* Here in this temple of the goddess Clemence We have been waiting all this fortenight: Now help us, lord, since it lies in thy might.

fortunenounUS /ˈfɔːrtʃən/

an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another

From this reading *pity She saide; “Lord, to whom fortune hath given Vict’ry, and as a conqueror to liven, Nought grieveth us your glory and your honour; But we beseechen mercy and succour.

gentlenessnounUS /ˈdʒentəlnəs/

the property possessed by a slope that is very gradual

From this reading Have mercy on our woe and our distress; Some drop of pity, through thy gentleness, Upon us wretched women let now fall.

givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/

acknowledged as a supposition

From this reading *pity She saide; “Lord, to whom fortune hath given Vict’ry, and as a conqueror to liven, Nought grieveth us your glory and your honour; But we beseechen mercy and succour.

glorynounUS /ˈɡlɔːri/

a state of high honor

From this reading *pity She saide; “Lord, to whom fortune hath given Vict’ry, and as a conqueror to liven, Nought grieveth us your glory and your honour; But we beseechen mercy and succour.

goddessnounUS /ˈɡɑːdəs/

a female deity

From this reading *assures no continuance of And certes, lord, t’abiden your presence prosperous estate* Here in this temple of the goddess Clemence We have been waiting all this fortenight: Now help us, lord, since it lies in thy might.

grieveth

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

From this reading *pity She saide; “Lord, to whom fortune hath given Vict’ry, and as a conqueror to liven, Nought grieveth us your glory and your honour; But we beseechen mercy and succour.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading The oldest lady of them all then spake, When she had swooned, with a deadly cheer*, *countenance That it was ruthe* for to see or hear.

hathauxiliary verbUS /hæθ/

an old form of “has”

From this reading *pity She saide; “Lord, to whom fortune hath given Vict’ry, and as a conqueror to liven, Nought grieveth us your glory and your honour; But we beseechen mercy and succour.

Haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Have mercy on our woe and our distress; Some drop of pity, through thy gentleness, Upon us wretched women let now fall.

hearverbUS /hiːr/

perceive (sound) via the auditory sense

From this reading The oldest lady of them all then spake, When she had swooned, with a deadly cheer*, *countenance That it was ruthe* for to see or hear.

helpverbUS /help/

give help or assistance; be of service

From this reading *assures no continuance of And certes, lord, t’abiden your presence prosperous estate* Here in this temple of the goddess Clemence We have been waiting all this fortenight: Now help us, lord, since it lies in thy might.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading For certes, lord, there is none of us all That hath not been a duchess or a queen; Now be we caitives*, as it is well seen: *captives Thanked be Fortune, and her false wheel, That *none estate ensureth to be wele*.

HereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading *assures no continuance of And certes, lord, t’abiden your presence prosperous estate* Here in this temple of the goddess Clemence We have been waiting all this fortenight: Now help us, lord, since it lies in thy might.

honournounUS /ˈɑːnər/

the state of being honored

From this reading *pity She saide; “Lord, to whom fortune hath given Vict’ry, and as a conqueror to liven, Nought grieveth us your glory and your honour; But we beseechen mercy and succour.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading *assures no continuance of And certes, lord, t’abiden your presence prosperous estate* Here in this temple of the goddess Clemence We have been waiting all this fortenight: Now help us, lord, since it lies in thy might.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading For certes, lord, there is none of us all That hath not been a duchess or a queen; Now be we caitives*, as it is well seen: *captives Thanked be Fortune, and her false wheel, That *none estate ensureth to be wele*.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading The oldest lady of them all then spake, When she had swooned, with a deadly cheer*, *countenance That it was ruthe* for to see or hear.

ladynounUS /ˈleɪdi/

a polite name for any woman

From this reading The oldest lady of them all then spake, When she had swooned, with a deadly cheer*, *countenance That it was ruthe* for to see or hear.

letauxiliary verbUS /let/

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading Have mercy on our woe and our distress; Some drop of pity, through thy gentleness, Upon us wretched women let now fall.

liesnounUS /laɪz/

plural of “lie” — a statement that deviates from or perverts the truth

From this reading *assures no continuance of And certes, lord, t’abiden your presence prosperous estate* Here in this temple of the goddess Clemence We have been waiting all this fortenight: Now help us, lord, since it lies in thy might.

livenverbUS /ˈlaɪvən/

make lively

From this reading *pity She saide; “Lord, to whom fortune hath given Vict’ry, and as a conqueror to liven, Nought grieveth us your glory and your honour; But we beseechen mercy and succour.

LordnounUS /lɔːrd/

terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God

From this reading *pity She saide; “Lord, to whom fortune hath given Vict’ry, and as a conqueror to liven, Nought grieveth us your glory and your honour; But we beseechen mercy and succour.

mercynounUS /ˈmɜːrsi/

leniency and compassion shown toward offenders by a person or agency charged with administering justice

From this reading *pity She saide; “Lord, to whom fortune hath given Vict’ry, and as a conqueror to liven, Nought grieveth us your glory and your honour; But we beseechen mercy and succour.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading *assures no continuance of And certes, lord, t’abiden your presence prosperous estate* Here in this temple of the goddess Clemence We have been waiting all this fortenight: Now help us, lord, since it lies in thy might.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading *assures no continuance of And certes, lord, t’abiden your presence prosperous estate* Here in this temple of the goddess Clemence We have been waiting all this fortenight: Now help us, lord, since it lies in thy might.

nonepronounUS /nʌn/

not one, and not any

From this reading For certes, lord, there is none of us all That hath not been a duchess or a queen; Now be we caitives*, as it is well seen: *captives Thanked be Fortune, and her false wheel, That *none estate ensureth to be wele*.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading For certes, lord, there is none of us all That hath not been a duchess or a queen; Now be we caitives*, as it is well seen: *captives Thanked be Fortune, and her false wheel, That *none estate ensureth to be wele*.

Noughtnoun

a mathematical element that when added to another number yields the same number

From this reading *pity She saide; “Lord, to whom fortune hath given Vict’ry, and as a conqueror to liven, Nought grieveth us your glory and your honour; But we beseechen mercy and succour.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

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

From this reading Have mercy on our woe and our distress; Some drop of pity, through thy gentleness, Upon us wretched women let now fall.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The oldest lady of them all then spake, When she had swooned, with a deadly cheer*, *countenance That it was ruthe* for to see or hear.

oldestadjectiveUS /ˈoʊldəst/

superlative of “old” — (used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading The oldest lady of them all then spake, When she had swooned, with a deadly cheer*, *countenance That it was ruthe* for to see or hear.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Have mercy on our woe and our distress; Some drop of pity, through thy gentleness, Upon us wretched women let now fall.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading The oldest lady of them all then spake, When she had swooned, with a deadly cheer*, *countenance That it was ruthe* for to see or hear.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading Have mercy on our woe and our distress; Some drop of pity, through thy gentleness, Upon us wretched women let now fall.

pitynounUS /ˈpɪti/

a feeling of sympathy and sorrow for the misfortunes of others

From this reading *pity She saide; “Lord, to whom fortune hath given Vict’ry, and as a conqueror to liven, Nought grieveth us your glory and your honour; But we beseechen mercy and succour.

presencenounUS /ˈprezəns/

the state of being present; current existence

From this reading *assures no continuance of And certes, lord, t’abiden your presence prosperous estate* Here in this temple of the goddess Clemence We have been waiting all this fortenight: Now help us, lord, since it lies in thy might.

prosperousadjectiveUS /ˈprɑːspərəs/

in fortunate circumstances financially; moderately rich

From this reading *assures no continuance of And certes, lord, t’abiden your presence prosperous estate* Here in this temple of the goddess Clemence We have been waiting all this fortenight: Now help us, lord, since it lies in thy might.

queennounUS /kwiːn/

the only fertile female in a colony of social insects such as bees and ants and termites; its function is to lay eggs

From this reading For certes, lord, there is none of us all That hath not been a duchess or a queen; Now be we caitives*, as it is well seen: *captives Thanked be Fortune, and her false wheel, That *none estate ensureth to be wele*.

ruthe

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

From this reading The oldest lady of them all then spake, When she had swooned, with a deadly cheer*, *countenance That it was ruthe* for to see or hear.

saide

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

From this reading *pity She saide; “Lord, to whom fortune hath given Vict’ry, and as a conqueror to liven, Nought grieveth us your glory and your honour; But we beseechen mercy and succour.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading The oldest lady of them all then spake, When she had swooned, with a deadly cheer*, *countenance That it was ruthe* for to see or hear.

seenverbUS /siːn/

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading For certes, lord, there is none of us all That hath not been a duchess or a queen; Now be we caitives*, as it is well seen: *captives Thanked be Fortune, and her false wheel, That *none estate ensureth to be wele*.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading The oldest lady of them all then spake, When she had swooned, with a deadly cheer*, *countenance That it was ruthe* for to see or hear.

sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading *assures no continuance of And certes, lord, t’abiden your presence prosperous estate* Here in this temple of the goddess Clemence We have been waiting all this fortenight: Now help us, lord, since it lies in thy might.

SomeadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading Have mercy on our woe and our distress; Some drop of pity, through thy gentleness, Upon us wretched women let now fall.

spake

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

From this reading The oldest lady of them all then spake, When she had swooned, with a deadly cheer*, *countenance That it was ruthe* for to see or hear.

succournoun

assistance in time of difficulty

From this reading *pity She saide; “Lord, to whom fortune hath given Vict’ry, and as a conqueror to liven, Nought grieveth us your glory and your honour; But we beseechen mercy and succour.

swoonedverbUS /swuːnd/

past form of “swoon” — pass out from weakness, physical or emotional distress due to a loss of blood supply to the brain

From this reading The oldest lady of them all then spake, When she had swooned, with a deadly cheer*, *countenance That it was ruthe* for to see or hear.

t'abiden

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

From this reading *assures no continuance of And certes, lord, t’abiden your presence prosperous estate* Here in this temple of the goddess Clemence We have been waiting all this fortenight: Now help us, lord, since it lies in thy might.

templenounUS /ˈtempəl/

place of worship consisting of an edifice for the worship of a deity

From this reading *assures no continuance of And certes, lord, t’abiden your presence prosperous estate* Here in this temple of the goddess Clemence We have been waiting all this fortenight: Now help us, lord, since it lies in thy might.

ThankedverbUS /θæŋkt/

past form of “thank” — express gratitude or show appreciation to

From this reading For certes, lord, there is none of us all That hath not been a duchess or a queen; Now be we caitives*, as it is well seen: *captives Thanked be Fortune, and her false wheel, That *none estate ensureth to be wele*.

ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The oldest lady of them all then spake, When she had swooned, with a deadly cheer*, *countenance That it was ruthe* for to see or hear.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The oldest lady of them all then spake, When she had swooned, with a deadly cheer*, *countenance That it was ruthe* for to see or hear.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading The oldest lady of them all then spake, When she had swooned, with a deadly cheer*, *countenance That it was ruthe* for to see or hear.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading The oldest lady of them all then spake, When she had swooned, with a deadly cheer*, *countenance That it was ruthe* for to see or hear.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading For certes, lord, there is none of us all That hath not been a duchess or a queen; Now be we caitives*, as it is well seen: *captives Thanked be Fortune, and her false wheel, That *none estate ensureth to be wele*.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading *assures no continuance of And certes, lord, t’abiden your presence prosperous estate* Here in this temple of the goddess Clemence We have been waiting all this fortenight: Now help us, lord, since it lies in thy might.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading Have mercy on our woe and our distress; Some drop of pity, through thy gentleness, Upon us wretched women let now fall.

thydeterminerUS /ðaɪ/

an old word for “your”, speaking to one person

From this reading Have mercy on our woe and our distress; Some drop of pity, through thy gentleness, Upon us wretched women let now fall.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The oldest lady of them all then spake, When she had swooned, with a deadly cheer*, *countenance That it was ruthe* for to see or hear.

UponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading Have mercy on our woe and our distress; Some drop of pity, through thy gentleness, Upon us wretched women let now fall.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading *pity She saide; “Lord, to whom fortune hath given Vict’ry, and as a conqueror to liven, Nought grieveth us your glory and your honour; But we beseechen mercy and succour.

Vict'ry

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

From this reading *pity She saide; “Lord, to whom fortune hath given Vict’ry, and as a conqueror to liven, Nought grieveth us your glory and your honour; But we beseechen mercy and succour.

waitingnounUS /ˈweɪtɪŋ/

the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)

From this reading *assures no continuance of And certes, lord, t’abiden your presence prosperous estate* Here in this temple of the goddess Clemence We have been waiting all this fortenight: Now help us, lord, since it lies in thy might.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The oldest lady of them all then spake, When she had swooned, with a deadly cheer*, *countenance That it was ruthe* for to see or hear.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading *pity She saide; “Lord, to whom fortune hath given Vict’ry, and as a conqueror to liven, Nought grieveth us your glory and your honour; But we beseechen mercy and succour.

wele

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

From this reading For certes, lord, there is none of us all That hath not been a duchess or a queen; Now be we caitives*, as it is well seen: *captives Thanked be Fortune, and her false wheel, That *none estate ensureth to be wele*.

welladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading For certes, lord, there is none of us all That hath not been a duchess or a queen; Now be we caitives*, as it is well seen: *captives Thanked be Fortune, and her false wheel, That *none estate ensureth to be wele*.

wheelverbUS /wiːl/

change directions as if revolving on a pivot

From this reading For certes, lord, there is none of us all That hath not been a duchess or a queen; Now be we caitives*, as it is well seen: *captives Thanked be Fortune, and her false wheel, That *none estate ensureth to be wele*.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading The oldest lady of them all then spake, When she had swooned, with a deadly cheer*, *countenance That it was ruthe* for to see or hear.

whompronounUS /huːm/

the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading *pity She saide; “Lord, to whom fortune hath given Vict’ry, and as a conqueror to liven, Nought grieveth us your glory and your honour; But we beseechen mercy and succour.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading The oldest lady of them all then spake, When she had swooned, with a deadly cheer*, *countenance That it was ruthe* for to see or hear.

woenounUS /woʊ/

misery resulting from affliction

From this reading Have mercy on our woe and our distress; Some drop of pity, through thy gentleness, Upon us wretched women let now fall.

womennounUS /ˈwɪmən/

plural of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading Have mercy on our woe and our distress; Some drop of pity, through thy gentleness, Upon us wretched women let now fall.

wretchedadjectiveUS /ˈretʃɪd/

of very poor quality or condition

From this reading Have mercy on our woe and our distress; Some drop of pity, through thy gentleness, Upon us wretched women let now fall.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading *pity She saide; “Lord, to whom fortune hath given Vict’ry, and as a conqueror to liven, Nought grieveth us your glory and your honour; But we beseechen mercy and succour.

Chapter 4 of The Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems by Geoffrey Chaucer holds 251 sentences, grouped into 51 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 4 of The Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems contain?

Chapter 4 holds 251 sentences of The Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems, unabridged, divided into 51 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of The Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems by Geoffrey Chaucer exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 251 sentences, grouped into 51 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 4 of The Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems?

Work through the 51 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 51 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 4 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 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 Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems

Common questions about reading The Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems by Geoffrey Chaucer on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems?

Yes. All 9557 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2383 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #2383, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1912 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems section by section

How to work through The Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of The Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems 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 Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Canterbury
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Tales
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Other
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Poems
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.