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

Chapter XL · Chapter 40

Chapter 40 of The Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems is here in full — 210 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems
Context Illustration Reading 1/42 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Bounty* so fix’d hath in thy heart his tent, *goodness, charity That well I wot thou wilt my succour be; Thou canst not *warne that* with good intent *refuse he who* Asketh thy help, thy heart is ay so free!
Thou art largess* of plein** felicity, *liberal bestower **full Haven and refuge of quiet and rest!
Lo! how that thieves seven <3> chase me!
Help, Lady bright, ere that my ship to-brest!* *be broken to pieces C.
Comfort is none, but in you, Lady dear!
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Speed 0.75x
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 Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems

Chapter XL · Chapter 40

Chapter 40 of The Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems is here in full — 210 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/42 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Bounty* so fix’d hath in thy heart his tent, *goodness, charity That well I wot thou wilt my succour be; Thou canst not *warne that* with good intent *refuse he who* Asketh thy help, thy heart is ay so free!
Line 2
Thou art largess* of plein** felicity, *liberal bestower **full Haven and refuge of quiet and rest!
Line 3
Lo! how that thieves seven <3> chase me!
Line 4
Help, Lady bright, ere that my ship to-brest!* *be broken to pieces C.
Line 5
Comfort is none, but in you, Lady dear!
/ˈkʌmfərt ɪz nʌn bʌt ɪn juː ˈleɪdi dɪr/

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.

Bounty noun US /ˈbaʊnti/

payment or reward (especially from a government) for acts such as catching criminals or killing predatory animals or enlisting in the military

From this reading “Bounty* so fix’d hath in thy heart his tent, *goodness, charity That well I wot thou wilt my succour be; Thou canst not *warne that* with good intent *refuse he who* Asketh thy help, thy heart is ay so free!”

canst modal verb US /kænst/

an old form of “can”, used with “thou”

From this reading “Bounty* so fix’d hath in thy heart his tent, *goodness, charity That well I wot thou wilt my succour be; Thou canst not *warne that* with good intent *refuse he who* Asketh thy help, thy heart is ay so free!”

felicity noun US /fɪˈlɪsəti/

pleasing and appropriate manner or style (especially manner or style of expression)

From this reading “Thou art largess* of plein** felicity, *liberal bestower **full Haven and refuge of quiet and rest!”

Haven noun US /ˈheɪvən/

a shelter serving as a place of safety or sanctuary

From this reading “Thou art largess* of plein** felicity, *liberal bestower **full Haven and refuge of quiet and rest!”

intent noun US /ˌɪnˈtent/

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

From this reading “Bounty* so fix’d hath in thy heart his tent, *goodness, charity That well I wot thou wilt my succour be; Thou canst not *warne that* with good intent *refuse he who* Asketh thy help, thy heart is ay so free!”

largess noun US /ˈlɑːrdʒəs/

a gift or money given (as for service or out of benevolence); usually given ostentatiously

From this reading “Thou art largess* of plein** felicity, *liberal bestower **full Haven and refuge of quiet and rest!”

liberal adjective US /ˈlɪbɜːrəl/

showing or characterized by broad-mindedness

From this reading “Thou art largess* of plein** felicity, *liberal bestower **full Haven and refuge of quiet and rest!”

thieves noun US /θiːvz/

plural of “thief” — a criminal who takes property belonging to someone else with the intention of keeping it or selling it

From this reading “Lo! how that thieves seven <3> chase me!”

All words in this reading · 68

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.

3

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

From this reading Lo! how that thieves seven <3> chase me!

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Thou art largess* of plein** felicity, *liberal bestower **full Haven and refuge of quiet and rest!

artauxiliary verbUS /ɑːrt/

an old form of “are”, used with “thou”

From this reading Thou art largess* of plein** felicity, *liberal bestower **full Haven and refuge of quiet and rest!

Asketh

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

From this reading Bounty* so fix’d hath in thy heart his tent, *goodness, charity That well I wot thou wilt my succour be; Thou canst not *warne that* with good intent *refuse he who* Asketh thy help, thy heart is ay so free!

ay

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

From this reading Bounty* so fix’d hath in thy heart his tent, *goodness, charity That well I wot thou wilt my succour be; Thou canst not *warne that* with good intent *refuse he who* Asketh thy help, thy heart is ay so free!

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading Bounty* so fix’d hath in thy heart his tent, *goodness, charity That well I wot thou wilt my succour be; Thou canst not *warne that* with good intent *refuse he who* Asketh thy help, thy heart is ay so free!

bestowernoun

person who makes a gift of property

From this reading Thou art largess* of plein** felicity, *liberal bestower **full Haven and refuge of quiet and rest!

BountynounUS /ˈbaʊnti/

payment or reward (especially from a government) for acts such as catching criminals or killing predatory animals or enlisting in the military

From this reading Bounty* so fix’d hath in thy heart his tent, *goodness, charity That well I wot thou wilt my succour be; Thou canst not *warne that* with good intent *refuse he who* Asketh thy help, thy heart is ay so free!

brightadjectiveUS /braɪt/

emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts

From this reading Help, Lady bright, ere that my ship to-brest!* *be broken to pieces C.

brokenadjectiveUS /ˈbroʊkən/

physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split

From this reading Help, Lady bright, ere that my ship to-brest!* *be broken to pieces C.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Comfort is none, but in you, Lady dear!

CnounUS /siː/

a degree on the centigrade scale of temperature

From this reading Help, Lady bright, ere that my ship to-brest!* *be broken to pieces C.

canstmodal verbUS /kænst/

an old form of “can”, used with “thou”

From this reading Bounty* so fix’d hath in thy heart his tent, *goodness, charity That well I wot thou wilt my succour be; Thou canst not *warne that* with good intent *refuse he who* Asketh thy help, thy heart is ay so free!

charitynounUS /ˈtʃerɪti/

a foundation created to promote the public good (not for assistance to any particular individuals)

From this reading Bounty* so fix’d hath in thy heart his tent, *goodness, charity That well I wot thou wilt my succour be; Thou canst not *warne that* with good intent *refuse he who* Asketh thy help, thy heart is ay so free!

chaseverbUS /tʃeɪs/

go after with the intent to catch

From this reading Lo! how that thieves seven <3> chase me!

ComfortnounUS /ˈkʌmfərt/

a state of being relaxed and feeling no pain

From this reading Comfort is none, but in you, Lady dear!

dearadjectiveUS /dɪr/

dearly loved

From this reading Comfort is none, but in you, Lady dear!

ereconjunctionUS /er/

an old word for “before”

From this reading Help, Lady bright, ere that my ship to-brest!* *be broken to pieces C.

felicitynounUS /fɪˈlɪsəti/

pleasing and appropriate manner or style (especially manner or style of expression)

From this reading Thou art largess* of plein** felicity, *liberal bestower **full Haven and refuge of quiet and rest!

fix'd

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

From this reading Bounty* so fix’d hath in thy heart his tent, *goodness, charity That well I wot thou wilt my succour be; Thou canst not *warne that* with good intent *refuse he who* Asketh thy help, thy heart is ay so free!

freeverbUS /friː/

grant freedom to; free from confinement

From this reading Bounty* so fix’d hath in thy heart his tent, *goodness, charity That well I wot thou wilt my succour be; Thou canst not *warne that* with good intent *refuse he who* Asketh thy help, thy heart is ay so free!

fulladjectiveUS /fʊl/

containing as much or as many as is possible or normal

From this reading Thou art largess* of plein** felicity, *liberal bestower **full Haven and refuge of quiet and rest!

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading Bounty* so fix’d hath in thy heart his tent, *goodness, charity That well I wot thou wilt my succour be; Thou canst not *warne that* with good intent *refuse he who* Asketh thy help, thy heart is ay so free!

goodnessnounUS /ˈɡʊdnəs/

that which is pleasing or valuable or useful

From this reading Bounty* so fix’d hath in thy heart his tent, *goodness, charity That well I wot thou wilt my succour be; Thou canst not *warne that* with good intent *refuse he who* Asketh thy help, thy heart is ay so free!

hathauxiliary verbUS /hæθ/

an old form of “has”

From this reading Bounty* so fix’d hath in thy heart his tent, *goodness, charity That well I wot thou wilt my succour be; Thou canst not *warne that* with good intent *refuse he who* Asketh thy help, thy heart is ay so free!

HavennounUS /ˈheɪvən/

a shelter serving as a place of safety or sanctuary

From this reading Thou art largess* of plein** felicity, *liberal bestower **full Haven and refuge of quiet and rest!

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Bounty* so fix’d hath in thy heart his tent, *goodness, charity That well I wot thou wilt my succour be; Thou canst not *warne that* with good intent *refuse he who* Asketh thy help, thy heart is ay so free!

heartnounUS /hɑːrt/

the locus of feelings and intuitions

From this reading Bounty* so fix’d hath in thy heart his tent, *goodness, charity That well I wot thou wilt my succour be; Thou canst not *warne that* with good intent *refuse he who* Asketh thy help, thy heart is ay so free!

helpverbUS /help/

give help or assistance; be of service

From this reading Bounty* so fix’d hath in thy heart his tent, *goodness, charity That well I wot thou wilt my succour be; Thou canst not *warne that* with good intent *refuse he who* Asketh thy help, thy heart is ay so free!

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Bounty* so fix’d hath in thy heart his tent, *goodness, charity That well I wot thou wilt my succour be; Thou canst not *warne that* with good intent *refuse he who* Asketh thy help, thy heart is ay so free!

how

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

From this reading Lo! how that thieves seven <3> chase me!

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading Bounty* so fix’d hath in thy heart his tent, *goodness, charity That well I wot thou wilt my succour be; Thou canst not *warne that* with good intent *refuse he who* Asketh thy help, thy heart is ay so free!

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Bounty* so fix’d hath in thy heart his tent, *goodness, charity That well I wot thou wilt my succour be; Thou canst not *warne that* with good intent *refuse he who* Asketh thy help, thy heart is ay so free!

intentnounUS /ˌɪnˈtent/

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

From this reading Bounty* so fix’d hath in thy heart his tent, *goodness, charity That well I wot thou wilt my succour be; Thou canst not *warne that* with good intent *refuse he who* Asketh thy help, thy heart is ay so free!

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Bounty* so fix’d hath in thy heart his tent, *goodness, charity That well I wot thou wilt my succour be; Thou canst not *warne that* with good intent *refuse he who* Asketh thy help, thy heart is ay so free!

LadynounUS /ˈleɪdi/

a polite name for any woman

From this reading Help, Lady bright, ere that my ship to-brest!* *be broken to pieces C.

largessnounUS /ˈlɑːrdʒəs/

a gift or money given (as for service or out of benevolence); usually given ostentatiously

From this reading Thou art largess* of plein** felicity, *liberal bestower **full Haven and refuge of quiet and rest!

liberaladjectiveUS /ˈlɪbɜːrəl/

showing or characterized by broad-mindedness

From this reading Thou art largess* of plein** felicity, *liberal bestower **full Haven and refuge of quiet and rest!

Lo

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

From this reading Lo! how that thieves seven <3> chase me!

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading Lo! how that thieves seven <3> chase me!

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading Bounty* so fix’d hath in thy heart his tent, *goodness, charity That well I wot thou wilt my succour be; Thou canst not *warne that* with good intent *refuse he who* Asketh thy help, thy heart is ay so free!

nonepronounUS /nʌn/

not one, and not any

From this reading Comfort is none, but in you, Lady dear!

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Bounty* so fix’d hath in thy heart his tent, *goodness, charity That well I wot thou wilt my succour be; Thou canst not *warne that* with good intent *refuse he who* Asketh thy help, thy heart is ay so free!

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Thou art largess* of plein** felicity, *liberal bestower **full Haven and refuge of quiet and rest!

piecesnounUS /ˈpiːsəz/

plural of “piece” — a separate part of a whole

From this reading Help, Lady bright, ere that my ship to-brest!* *be broken to pieces C.

plein

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

From this reading Thou art largess* of plein** felicity, *liberal bestower **full Haven and refuge of quiet and rest!

quietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/

characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity

From this reading Thou art largess* of plein** felicity, *liberal bestower **full Haven and refuge of quiet and rest!

refugenounUS /ˈrefjuːdʒ/

a safe place

From this reading Thou art largess* of plein** felicity, *liberal bestower **full Haven and refuge of quiet and rest!

refuseverbUS /rəˈfjuːz/

show unwillingness towards

From this reading Bounty* so fix’d hath in thy heart his tent, *goodness, charity That well I wot thou wilt my succour be; Thou canst not *warne that* with good intent *refuse he who* Asketh thy help, thy heart is ay so free!

restverbUS /rest/

not move; be in a resting position

From this reading Thou art largess* of plein** felicity, *liberal bestower **full Haven and refuge of quiet and rest!

sevennounUS /ˈsevən/

the cardinal number that is the sum of six and one

From this reading Lo! how that thieves seven <3> chase me!

shipverbUS /ʃɪp/

transport commercially

From this reading Help, Lady bright, ere that my ship to-brest!* *be broken to pieces C.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Bounty* so fix’d hath in thy heart his tent, *goodness, charity That well I wot thou wilt my succour be; Thou canst not *warne that* with good intent *refuse he who* Asketh thy help, thy heart is ay so free!

succournoun

assistance in time of difficulty

From this reading Bounty* so fix’d hath in thy heart his tent, *goodness, charity That well I wot thou wilt my succour be; Thou canst not *warne that* with good intent *refuse he who* Asketh thy help, thy heart is ay so free!

tentnounUS /tent/

a portable shelter (usually of canvas stretched over supporting poles and fastened to the ground with ropes and pegs)

From this reading Bounty* so fix’d hath in thy heart his tent, *goodness, charity That well I wot thou wilt my succour be; Thou canst not *warne that* with good intent *refuse he who* Asketh thy help, thy heart is ay so free!

ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Bounty* so fix’d hath in thy heart his tent, *goodness, charity That well I wot thou wilt my succour be; Thou canst not *warne that* with good intent *refuse he who* Asketh thy help, thy heart is ay so free!

thievesnounUS /θiːvz/

plural of “thief” — a criminal who takes property belonging to someone else with the intention of keeping it or selling it

From this reading Lo! how that thieves seven <3> chase me!

thoupronounUS /ðaʊ/

an old word for “you”, as the subject, speaking to one person

From this reading Bounty* so fix’d hath in thy heart his tent, *goodness, charity That well I wot thou wilt my succour be; Thou canst not *warne that* with good intent *refuse he who* Asketh thy help, thy heart is ay so free!

thydeterminerUS /ðaɪ/

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

From this reading Bounty* so fix’d hath in thy heart his tent, *goodness, charity That well I wot thou wilt my succour be; Thou canst not *warne that* with good intent *refuse he who* Asketh thy help, thy heart is ay so free!

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Help, Lady bright, ere that my ship to-brest!* *be broken to pieces C.

to-brest

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

From this reading Help, Lady bright, ere that my ship to-brest!* *be broken to pieces C.

warne

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

From this reading Bounty* so fix’d hath in thy heart his tent, *goodness, charity That well I wot thou wilt my succour be; Thou canst not *warne that* with good intent *refuse he who* Asketh thy help, thy heart is ay so free!

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 Bounty* so fix’d hath in thy heart his tent, *goodness, charity That well I wot thou wilt my succour be; Thou canst not *warne that* with good intent *refuse he who* Asketh thy help, thy heart is ay so free!

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading Bounty* so fix’d hath in thy heart his tent, *goodness, charity That well I wot thou wilt my succour be; Thou canst not *warne that* with good intent *refuse he who* Asketh thy help, thy heart is ay so free!

wiltmodal verbUS /wɪlt/

an old form of “will”, used with “thou”

From this reading Bounty* so fix’d hath in thy heart his tent, *goodness, charity That well I wot thou wilt my succour be; Thou canst not *warne that* with good intent *refuse he who* Asketh thy help, thy heart is ay so free!

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Bounty* so fix’d hath in thy heart his tent, *goodness, charity That well I wot thou wilt my succour be; Thou canst not *warne that* with good intent *refuse he who* Asketh thy help, thy heart is ay so free!

wot

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

From this reading Bounty* so fix’d hath in thy heart his tent, *goodness, charity That well I wot thou wilt my succour be; Thou canst not *warne that* with good intent *refuse he who* Asketh thy help, thy heart is ay so free!

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Comfort is none, but in you, Lady dear!

Chapter 40 of The Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems by Geoffrey Chaucer holds 210 sentences, grouped into 42 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 40 of The Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems contain?

Chapter 40 holds 210 sentences of The Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems, unabridged, divided into 42 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 40 of The Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems by Geoffrey Chaucer exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 210 sentences, grouped into 42 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 40 of The Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems?

Work through the 42 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 42 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 40 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 40 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.