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The Cross and the Hammer
The Cross and the Hammer

Chapter XXV

Chapter 25 of The Cross and the Hammer is here in full — 92 sentences across 19 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/18 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
OLAF'S ATONEMENT.
"King Olaf," rang out the priest's deep voice, "we are unwilling that you should violate our religion.
The wish of us all is that you should offer sacrifice as other kings before you have done, and even as Jarl Hakon did.
When King Hakon, foster son of King Athelstan of England, wished to proclaim the White Christ, he found the bonders too strong for him, and he yielded to the old faith.
The only proper plan for you is to do likewise, for our minds have not changed since that Assembly wherein you promised to visit this temple at this time."
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Cross and the Hammer

Chapter XXV

Chapter 25 of The Cross and the Hammer is here in full — 92 sentences across 19 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/18 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
OLAF'S ATONEMENT.
Line 2
"King Olaf," rang out the priest's deep voice, "we are unwilling that you should violate our religion.
Line 3
The wish of us all is that you should offer sacrifice as other kings before you have done, and even as Jarl Hakon did.
Line 4
When King Hakon, foster son of King Athelstan of England, wished to proclaim the White Christ, he found the bonders too strong for him, and he yielded to the old faith.
Line 5
The only proper plan for you is to do likewise, for our minds have not changed since that Assembly wherein you promised to visit this temple at this time."

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.

Assembly noun US /əˈsembli/

a group of machine parts that fit together to form a self-contained unit

From this reading “The only proper plan for you is to do likewise, for our minds have not changed since that Assembly wherein you promised to visit this temple at this time."”

atonement noun US /əˈtoʊnmənt/

compensation for a wrong

From this reading “OLAF'S ATONEMENT.”

foster verb US /ˈfɑːstər/

promote the growth of

From this reading “When King Hakon, foster son of King Athelstan of England, wished to proclaim the White Christ, he found the bonders too strong for him, and he yielded to the old faith.”

priest's noun US /priːsts/

possessive form of “priest” — a clergyman in Christian churches who has the authority to perform or administer various religious rites; one of the Holy Orders

From this reading “"King Olaf," rang out the priest's deep voice, "we are unwilling that you should violate our religion.”

proclaim verb US /proʊˈkleɪm/

declare formally; declare someone to be something; of titles

From this reading “When King Hakon, foster son of King Athelstan of England, wished to proclaim the White Christ, he found the bonders too strong for him, and he yielded to the old faith.”

unwilling adjective US /ənˈwɪlɪŋ/

not disposed or inclined toward

From this reading “"King Olaf," rang out the priest's deep voice, "we are unwilling that you should violate our religion.”

violate verb US /ˈvaɪəleɪt/

fail to agree with; be in violation of; as of rules or patterns

From this reading “"King Olaf," rang out the priest's deep voice, "we are unwilling that you should violate our religion.”

yielded verb US /ˈjiːldɪd/

past form of “yield” — be the cause or source of

From this reading “When King Hakon, foster son of King Athelstan of England, wished to proclaim the White Christ, he found the bonders too strong for him, and he yielded to the old faith.”

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

offer sacrifice verb + noun

In this reading “The wish of us all is that you should offer sacrifice as other kings before you have done, and even as Jarl Hakon did.”

rang out verb + adjective counted as “ring out”

sound loudly

In this reading “"King Olaf," rang out the priest's deep voice, "we are unwilling that you should violate our religion.”

deep voice adjective + noun

In this reading “"King Olaf," rang out the priest's deep voice, "we are unwilling that you should violate our religion.”

too strong adverb + adjective

In this reading “When King Hakon, foster son of King Athelstan of England, wished to proclaim the White Christ, he found the bonders too strong for him, and he yielded to the old faith.”

plan for verb + particle

In this reading “The only proper plan for you is to do likewise, for our minds have not changed since that Assembly wherein you promised to visit this temple at this time."”

All words in this reading · 74

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.

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 wish of us all is that you should offer sacrifice as other kings before you have done, and even as Jarl Hakon did.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The wish of us all is that you should offer sacrifice as other kings before you have done, and even as Jarl Hakon did.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading "King Olaf," rang out the priest's deep voice, "we are unwilling that you should violate our religion.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading The wish of us all is that you should offer sacrifice as other kings before you have done, and even as Jarl Hakon did.

AssemblynounUS /əˈsembli/

a group of machine parts that fit together to form a self-contained unit

From this reading The only proper plan for you is to do likewise, for our minds have not changed since that Assembly wherein you promised to visit this temple at this time."

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading The only proper plan for you is to do likewise, for our minds have not changed since that Assembly wherein you promised to visit this temple at this time."

Athelstannoun

the first Saxon ruler who extended his kingdom to include nearly all of England (895-939)

From this reading When King Hakon, foster son of King Athelstan of England, wished to proclaim the White Christ, he found the bonders too strong for him, and he yielded to the old faith.

ATONEMENTnounUS /əˈtoʊnmənt/

compensation for a wrong

From this reading OLAF'S ATONEMENT.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading The wish of us all is that you should offer sacrifice as other kings before you have done, and even as Jarl Hakon did.

bonders

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

From this reading When King Hakon, foster son of King Athelstan of England, wished to proclaim the White Christ, he found the bonders too strong for him, and he yielded to the old faith.

changedadjectiveUS /tʃeɪndʒd/

made or become different in nature or form

From this reading The only proper plan for you is to do likewise, for our minds have not changed since that Assembly wherein you promised to visit this temple at this time."

ChristnounUS /kraɪst/

a teacher and prophet born in Bethlehem and active in Nazareth; his life and sermons form the basis for Christianity (circa 4 BC - AD 29)

From this reading When King Hakon, foster son of King Athelstan of England, wished to proclaim the White Christ, he found the bonders too strong for him, and he yielded to the old faith.

deepadjectiveUS /diːp/

relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply

From this reading "King Olaf," rang out the priest's deep voice, "we are unwilling that you should violate our religion.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

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

From this reading The wish of us all is that you should offer sacrifice as other kings before you have done, and even as Jarl Hakon did.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading The only proper plan for you is to do likewise, for our minds have not changed since that Assembly wherein you promised to visit this temple at this time."

doneadjectiveUS /dʌn/

having finished or arrived at completion

From this reading The wish of us all is that you should offer sacrifice as other kings before you have done, and even as Jarl Hakon did.

EnglandnounUS /ˈɪŋɡlənd/

a division of the United Kingdom

From this reading When King Hakon, foster son of King Athelstan of England, wished to proclaim the White Christ, he found the bonders too strong for him, and he yielded to the old faith.

evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading The wish of us all is that you should offer sacrifice as other kings before you have done, and even as Jarl Hakon did.

faithnounUS /feɪθ/

a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny

From this reading When King Hakon, foster son of King Athelstan of England, wished to proclaim the White Christ, he found the bonders too strong for him, and he yielded to the old faith.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading When King Hakon, foster son of King Athelstan of England, wished to proclaim the White Christ, he found the bonders too strong for him, and he yielded to the old faith.

fosterverbUS /ˈfɑːstər/

promote the growth of

From this reading When King Hakon, foster son of King Athelstan of England, wished to proclaim the White Christ, he found the bonders too strong for him, and he yielded to the old faith.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading When King Hakon, foster son of King Athelstan of England, wished to proclaim the White Christ, he found the bonders too strong for him, and he yielded to the old faith.

Hakon

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

From this reading The wish of us all is that you should offer sacrifice as other kings before you have done, and even as Jarl Hakon did.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading The wish of us all is that you should offer sacrifice as other kings before you have done, and even as Jarl Hakon did.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading When King Hakon, foster son of King Athelstan of England, wished to proclaim the White Christ, he found the bonders too strong for him, and he yielded to the old faith.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading When King Hakon, foster son of King Athelstan of England, wished to proclaim the White Christ, he found the bonders too strong for him, and he yielded to the old faith.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading The wish of us all is that you should offer sacrifice as other kings before you have done, and even as Jarl Hakon did.

Jarl

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

From this reading The wish of us all is that you should offer sacrifice as other kings before you have done, and even as Jarl Hakon did.

KingnounUS /kɪŋ/

a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom

From this reading "King Olaf," rang out the priest's deep voice, "we are unwilling that you should violate our religion.

kingsnounUS /kɪŋz/

plural of “king” — a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom

From this reading The wish of us all is that you should offer sacrifice as other kings before you have done, and even as Jarl Hakon did.

likewiseadverbUS /ˈlaɪkwaɪz/

in like or similar manner

From this reading The only proper plan for you is to do likewise, for our minds have not changed since that Assembly wherein you promised to visit this temple at this time."

mindsnounUS /maɪndz/

plural of “mind” — that which is responsible for one's thoughts, feelings, and conscious brain functions; the seat of the faculty of reason

From this reading The only proper plan for you is to do likewise, for our minds have not changed since that Assembly wherein you promised to visit this temple at this time."

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading The only proper plan for you is to do likewise, for our minds have not changed since that Assembly wherein you promised to visit this temple at this time."

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The wish of us all is that you should offer sacrifice as other kings before you have done, and even as Jarl Hakon did.

offerverbUS /ˈɔːfər/

make available or accessible, provide or furnish

From this reading The wish of us all is that you should offer sacrifice as other kings before you have done, and even as Jarl Hakon did.

Olaf

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

From this reading "King Olaf," rang out the priest's deep voice, "we are unwilling that you should violate our religion.

OLAF'S

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

From this reading OLAF'S ATONEMENT.

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

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

From this reading When King Hakon, foster son of King Athelstan of England, wished to proclaim the White Christ, he found the bonders too strong for him, and he yielded to the old faith.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading The only proper plan for you is to do likewise, for our minds have not changed since that Assembly wherein you promised to visit this temple at this time."

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading The wish of us all is that you should offer sacrifice as other kings before you have done, and even as Jarl Hakon did.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading "King Olaf," rang out the priest's deep voice, "we are unwilling that you should violate our religion.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading "King Olaf," rang out the priest's deep voice, "we are unwilling that you should violate our religion.

planverbUS /plæn/

have the will and intention to carry out some action

From this reading The only proper plan for you is to do likewise, for our minds have not changed since that Assembly wherein you promised to visit this temple at this time."

priest'snounUS /priːsts/

possessive form of “priest” — a clergyman in Christian churches who has the authority to perform or administer various religious rites; one of the Holy Orders

From this reading "King Olaf," rang out the priest's deep voice, "we are unwilling that you should violate our religion.

proclaimverbUS /proʊˈkleɪm/

declare formally; declare someone to be something; of titles

From this reading When King Hakon, foster son of King Athelstan of England, wished to proclaim the White Christ, he found the bonders too strong for him, and he yielded to the old faith.

promisedverbUS /ˈprɑːməst/

past form of “promise” — make a promise or commitment

From this reading The only proper plan for you is to do likewise, for our minds have not changed since that Assembly wherein you promised to visit this temple at this time."

properadjectiveUS /ˈprɑːpər/

marked by suitability or rightness or appropriateness

From this reading The only proper plan for you is to do likewise, for our minds have not changed since that Assembly wherein you promised to visit this temple at this time."

rangverbUS /ræŋ/

inflected form of “ring” — sound loudly and sonorously

From this reading "King Olaf," rang out the priest's deep voice, "we are unwilling that you should violate our religion.

religionnounUS /rɪˈlɪdʒən/

a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny

From this reading "King Olaf," rang out the priest's deep voice, "we are unwilling that you should violate our religion.

sacrificenounUS /ˈsækrəfaɪs/

the act of losing or surrendering something as a penalty for a mistake or fault or failure to perform etc.

From this reading The wish of us all is that you should offer sacrifice as other kings before you have done, and even as Jarl Hakon did.

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading "King Olaf," rang out the priest's deep voice, "we are unwilling that you should violate our religion.

sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading The only proper plan for you is to do likewise, for our minds have not changed since that Assembly wherein you promised to visit this temple at this time."

sonnounUS /sʌn/

a male human offspring

From this reading When King Hakon, foster son of King Athelstan of England, wished to proclaim the White Christ, he found the bonders too strong for him, and he yielded to the old faith.

strongadjectiveUS /strɔːŋ/

having strength or power greater than average or expected

From this reading When King Hakon, foster son of King Athelstan of England, wished to proclaim the White Christ, he found the bonders too strong for him, and he yielded to the old faith.

templenounUS /ˈtempəl/

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

From this reading The only proper plan for you is to do likewise, for our minds have not changed since that Assembly wherein you promised to visit this temple at this time."

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading "King Olaf," rang out the priest's deep voice, "we are unwilling that you should violate our religion.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "King Olaf," rang out the priest's deep voice, "we are unwilling that you should violate our religion.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading The only proper plan for you is to do likewise, for our minds have not changed since that Assembly wherein you promised to visit this temple at this time."

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading The only proper plan for you is to do likewise, for our minds have not changed since that Assembly wherein you promised to visit this temple at this time."

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading When King Hakon, foster son of King Athelstan of England, wished to proclaim the White Christ, he found the bonders too strong for him, and he yielded to the old faith.

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading When King Hakon, foster son of King Athelstan of England, wished to proclaim the White Christ, he found the bonders too strong for him, and he yielded to the old faith.

unwillingadjectiveUS /ənˈwɪlɪŋ/

not disposed or inclined toward

From this reading "King Olaf," rang out the priest's deep voice, "we are unwilling that you should violate our religion.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

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

From this reading The wish of us all is that you should offer sacrifice as other kings before you have done, and even as Jarl Hakon did.

violateverbUS /ˈvaɪəleɪt/

fail to agree with; be in violation of; as of rules or patterns

From this reading "King Olaf," rang out the priest's deep voice, "we are unwilling that you should violate our religion.

visitverbUS /ˈvɪzɪt/

go to see a place, as for entertainment

From this reading The only proper plan for you is to do likewise, for our minds have not changed since that Assembly wherein you promised to visit this temple at this time."

voicenounUS /vɔɪs/

the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech

From this reading "King Olaf," rang out the priest's deep voice, "we are unwilling that you should violate our religion.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading "King Olaf," rang out the priest's deep voice, "we are unwilling that you should violate our religion.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading When King Hakon, foster son of King Athelstan of England, wished to proclaim the White Christ, he found the bonders too strong for him, and he yielded to the old faith.

wherein

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

From this reading The only proper plan for you is to do likewise, for our minds have not changed since that Assembly wherein you promised to visit this temple at this time."

WhitenounUS /waɪt/

a Caucasian

From this reading When King Hakon, foster son of King Athelstan of England, wished to proclaim the White Christ, he found the bonders too strong for him, and he yielded to the old faith.

wishverbUS /wɪʃ/

hope for; have a wish

From this reading The wish of us all is that you should offer sacrifice as other kings before you have done, and even as Jarl Hakon did.

wishedverbUS /wɪʃt/

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

From this reading When King Hakon, foster son of King Athelstan of England, wished to proclaim the White Christ, he found the bonders too strong for him, and he yielded to the old faith.

yieldedverbUS /ˈjiːldɪd/

past form of “yield” — be the cause or source of

From this reading When King Hakon, foster son of King Athelstan of England, wished to proclaim the White Christ, he found the bonders too strong for him, and he yielded to the old faith.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "King Olaf," rang out the priest's deep voice, "we are unwilling that you should violate our religion.

Chapter 25 of The Cross and the Hammer by H. (Henry) Bedford-Jones holds 92 sentences, grouped into 19 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 25 of The Cross and the Hammer contain?

Chapter 25 holds 92 sentences of The Cross and the Hammer, unabridged, divided into 19 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 25 of The Cross and the Hammer by H. (Henry) Bedford-Jones exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 92 sentences, grouped into 19 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 25 of The Cross and the Hammer?

Work through the 19 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 19 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 25 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 25 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.

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Vocabulary met early in The Cross and the Hammer

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

Chapter 1
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Chapter 2
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Chapter 3
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