Chapter 7 of The Cathedral is here in full — 312 sentences across 63 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VII
Chapter 7 of The Cathedral is here in full — 312 sentences across 63 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"How many worshippers can the Cathedral contain? Well, nearly 18,000," said the Abbe Plomb. "But I need hardly tell you, I suppose, that it is never full; that even during the season for pilgrimages the vast crowds of Mediaeval times never assemble here. Ah, no! Chartres is not exactly what you would call a pious town!"
Chapter 7 of The Cathedral is here in full — 312 sentences across 63 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/62 · 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.
a French abbot
From this reading “Well, nearly 18,000," said the Abbe Plomb.”
create by putting components or members together
From this reading “"But I need hardly tell you, I suppose, that it is never full; that even during the season for pilgrimages the vast crowds of Mediaeval times never assemble here.”
any large and important church
From this reading “"How many worshippers can the Cathedral contain?”
a town in northern France that is noted for its Gothic Cathedral
From this reading “Chartres is not exactly what you would call a pious town!"”
include or contain; have as a component
From this reading “"How many worshippers can the Cathedral contain?”
plural of “crowd” — a large number of things or people considered together
From this reading “"But I need hardly tell you, I suppose, that it is never full; that even during the season for pilgrimages the vast crowds of Mediaeval times never assemble here.”
plural of “pilgrimage” — a journey to a sacred place
From this reading “"But I need hardly tell you, I suppose, that it is never full; that even during the season for pilgrimages the vast crowds of Mediaeval times never assemble here.”
plural of “worshipper” — a person who has religious faith
From this reading “"How many worshippers can the Cathedral contain?”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Well, nearly 18,000," said the Abbe Plomb.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Chartres is not exactly what you would call a pious town!"
a French abbot
From this reading Well, nearly 18,000," said the Abbe Plomb.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ah, no!
create by putting components or members together
From this reading "But I need hardly tell you, I suppose, that it is never full; that even during the season for pilgrimages the vast crowds of Mediaeval times never assemble here.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "But I need hardly tell you, I suppose, that it is never full; that even during the season for pilgrimages the vast crowds of Mediaeval times never assemble here.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading Chartres is not exactly what you would call a pious town!"
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading "How many worshippers can the Cathedral contain?
any large and important church
From this reading "How many worshippers can the Cathedral contain?
a town in northern France that is noted for its Gothic Cathedral
From this reading Chartres is not exactly what you would call a pious town!"
include or contain; have as a component
From this reading "How many worshippers can the Cathedral contain?
plural of “crowd” — a large number of things or people considered together
From this reading "But I need hardly tell you, I suppose, that it is never full; that even during the season for pilgrimages the vast crowds of Mediaeval times never assemble here.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading "But I need hardly tell you, I suppose, that it is never full; that even during the season for pilgrimages the vast crowds of Mediaeval times never assemble here.
divisible by two
From this reading "But I need hardly tell you, I suppose, that it is never full; that even during the season for pilgrimages the vast crowds of Mediaeval times never assemble here.
indicating exactness or preciseness
From this reading Chartres is not exactly what you would call a pious town!"
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "But I need hardly tell you, I suppose, that it is never full; that even during the season for pilgrimages the vast crowds of Mediaeval times never assemble here.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading "But I need hardly tell you, I suppose, that it is never full; that even during the season for pilgrimages the vast crowds of Mediaeval times never assemble here.
only a very short time before
From this reading "But I need hardly tell you, I suppose, that it is never full; that even during the season for pilgrimages the vast crowds of Mediaeval times never assemble here.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading "But I need hardly tell you, I suppose, that it is never full; that even during the season for pilgrimages the vast crowds of Mediaeval times never assemble here.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "How many worshippers can the Cathedral contain?
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "But I need hardly tell you, I suppose, that it is never full; that even during the season for pilgrimages the vast crowds of Mediaeval times never assemble here.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "But I need hardly tell you, I suppose, that it is never full; that even during the season for pilgrimages the vast crowds of Mediaeval times never assemble here.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "But I need hardly tell you, I suppose, that it is never full; that even during the season for pilgrimages the vast crowds of Mediaeval times never assemble here.
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 "How many worshippers can the Cathedral contain?
relating to or belonging to the Middle Ages
From this reading "But I need hardly tell you, I suppose, that it is never full; that even during the season for pilgrimages the vast crowds of Mediaeval times never assemble here.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading Well, nearly 18,000," said the Abbe Plomb.
a condition requiring relief
From this reading "But I need hardly tell you, I suppose, that it is never full; that even during the season for pilgrimages the vast crowds of Mediaeval times never assemble here.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading "But I need hardly tell you, I suppose, that it is never full; that even during the season for pilgrimages the vast crowds of Mediaeval times never assemble here.
not any; not one
From this reading Ah, no!
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Chartres is not exactly what you would call a pious town!"
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "But I need hardly tell you, I suppose, that it is never full; that even during the season for pilgrimages the vast crowds of Mediaeval times never assemble here.
plural of “pilgrimage” — a journey to a sacred place
From this reading "But I need hardly tell you, I suppose, that it is never full; that even during the season for pilgrimages the vast crowds of Mediaeval times never assemble here.
having or showing or expressing reverence for a deity
From this reading Chartres is not exactly what you would call a pious town!"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Well, nearly 18,000," said the Abbe Plomb.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading Well, nearly 18,000," said the Abbe Plomb.
a period of the year marked by special events or activities in some field
From this reading "But I need hardly tell you, I suppose, that it is never full; that even during the season for pilgrimages the vast crowds of Mediaeval times never assemble here.
express a supposition
From this reading "But I need hardly tell you, I suppose, that it is never full; that even during the season for pilgrimages the vast crowds of Mediaeval times never assemble here.
express in words
From this reading "But I need hardly tell you, I suppose, that it is never full; that even during the season for pilgrimages the vast crowds of Mediaeval times never assemble here.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "But I need hardly tell you, I suppose, that it is never full; that even during the season for pilgrimages the vast crowds of Mediaeval times never assemble here.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "How many worshippers can the Cathedral contain?
a more or less definite period of time now or previously present
From this reading "But I need hardly tell you, I suppose, that it is never full; that even during the season for pilgrimages the vast crowds of Mediaeval times never assemble here.
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading Chartres is not exactly what you would call a pious town!"
unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope
From this reading "But I need hardly tell you, I suppose, that it is never full; that even during the season for pilgrimages the vast crowds of Mediaeval times never assemble here.
(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 Well, nearly 18,000," said the Abbe Plomb.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Chartres is not exactly what you would call a pious town!"
plural of “worshipper” — a person who has religious faith
From this reading "How many worshippers can the Cathedral contain?
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Chartres is not exactly what you would call a pious town!"
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "But I need hardly tell you, I suppose, that it is never full; that even during the season for pilgrimages the vast crowds of Mediaeval times never assemble here.
Chapter 7 of The Cathedral by J.-K. (Joris-Karl) Huysmans holds 312 sentences, grouped into 63 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 7 holds 312 sentences of The Cathedral, unabridged, divided into 63 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 7 of The Cathedral by J.-K. (Joris-Karl) Huysmans exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 312 sentences, grouped into 63 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 63 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 63 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 7 can be played aloud in United States English.
Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.
Common questions about reading The Cathedral by J.-K. (Joris-Karl) Huysmans on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4324 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #15067 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #15067, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 360 minutes of reading across 865 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Cathedral section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 16 chapters of The Cathedral 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 Cathedral, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
