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The Dynasts
The Dynasts

Chapter VI · Chapter 6

Chapter 6 of The Dynasts is here in full — 387 sentences across 78 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Dynasts
Context Illustration Reading 1/77 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
SOULT Some twenty minutes or less, your Majesty: Our troops down there, still mantled by the mist, Are half upon the way.
NAPOLEON Good!
Set forthwith Vandamme and Saint Hilaire to mount the slopes--- [Firing begins in the marsh to the right by Tilnitz and the pools, though the thick air yet hides the operations.]
O, there you are, blind boozy Buxhovden!
Achieve your worst.
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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 Dynasts

Chapter VI · Chapter 6

Chapter 6 of The Dynasts is here in full — 387 sentences across 78 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/77 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
SOULT Some twenty minutes or less, your Majesty: Our troops down there, still mantled by the mist, Are half upon the way.
Line 2
NAPOLEON Good!
/nəˈpoʊliən ɡʊd/
Line 3
Set forthwith Vandamme and Saint Hilaire to mount the slopes--- [Firing begins in the marsh to the right by Tilnitz and the pools, though the thick air yet hides the operations.]
Line 4
O, there you are, blind boozy Buxhovden!
Line 5
Achieve your worst.
/əˈtʃiːv jɔːr wɜːrst/

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.

Achieve verb US /əˈtʃiːv/

to gain with effort

From this reading “Achieve your worst.”

boozy adjective US /ˈbuːzi/

given to or marked by the consumption of alcohol

From this reading “O, there you are, blind boozy Buxhovden!”

Firing noun US /ˈfaɪrɪŋ/

the act of firing weapons or artillery at an enemy

From this reading “Set forthwith Vandamme and Saint Hilaire to mount the slopes--- [Firing begins in the marsh to the right by Tilnitz and the pools, though the thick air yet hides the operations.]”

hides noun US /haɪdz/

plural of “hide” — the dressed skin of an animal (especially a large animal)

From this reading “Set forthwith Vandamme and Saint Hilaire to mount the slopes--- [Firing begins in the marsh to the right by Tilnitz and the pools, though the thick air yet hides the operations.]”

marsh noun US /mɑːrʃ/

low-lying wet land with grassy vegetation; usually is a transition zone between land and water

From this reading “Set forthwith Vandamme and Saint Hilaire to mount the slopes--- [Firing begins in the marsh to the right by Tilnitz and the pools, though the thick air yet hides the operations.]”

operations noun US /ˌɑːpərˈeɪʃənz/

financial transactions at a brokerage; having to do with the execution of trades and keeping customer records

From this reading “Set forthwith Vandamme and Saint Hilaire to mount the slopes--- [Firing begins in the marsh to the right by Tilnitz and the pools, though the thick air yet hides the operations.]”

pools noun US /puːlz/

plural of “pool” — an excavation that is (usually) filled with water

From this reading “Set forthwith Vandamme and Saint Hilaire to mount the slopes--- [Firing begins in the marsh to the right by Tilnitz and the pools, though the thick air yet hides the operations.]”

slopes noun US /sloʊps/

plural of “slope” — an elevated geological formation

From this reading “Set forthwith Vandamme and Saint Hilaire to mount the slopes--- [Firing begins in the marsh to the right by Tilnitz and the pools, though the thick air yet hides the operations.]”

All words in this reading · 52

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.

AchieveverbUS /əˈtʃiːv/

to gain with effort

From this reading Achieve your worst.

airnounUS /er/

a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of

From this reading Set forthwith Vandamme and Saint Hilaire to mount the slopes--- [Firing begins in the marsh to the right by Tilnitz and the pools, though the thick air yet hides the operations.]

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Set forthwith Vandamme and Saint Hilaire to mount the slopes--- [Firing begins in the marsh to the right by Tilnitz and the pools, though the thick air yet hides the operations.]

Areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading SOULT Some twenty minutes or less, your Majesty: Our troops down there, still mantled by the mist, Are half upon the way.

beginsnounUS /bɪˈɡɪnz/

plural of “begin” — Israeli statesman (born in Russia) who (as prime minister of Israel) negotiated a peace treaty with Anwar Sadat (then the president of Egypt) (1913-1992)

From this reading Set forthwith Vandamme and Saint Hilaire to mount the slopes--- [Firing begins in the marsh to the right by Tilnitz and the pools, though the thick air yet hides the operations.]

blindnounUS /blaɪnd/

people who have severe visual impairments, considered as a group

From this reading O, there you are, blind boozy Buxhovden!

boozyadjectiveUS /ˈbuːzi/

given to or marked by the consumption of alcohol

From this reading O, there you are, blind boozy Buxhovden!

Buxhovden

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

From this reading O, there you are, blind boozy Buxhovden!

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading SOULT Some twenty minutes or less, your Majesty: Our troops down there, still mantled by the mist, Are half upon the way.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading SOULT Some twenty minutes or less, your Majesty: Our troops down there, still mantled by the mist, Are half upon the way.

FiringnounUS /ˈfaɪrɪŋ/

the act of firing weapons or artillery at an enemy

From this reading Set forthwith Vandamme and Saint Hilaire to mount the slopes--- [Firing begins in the marsh to the right by Tilnitz and the pools, though the thick air yet hides the operations.]

forthwithadverbUS /ˈfɔːrˈθwɪθ/

without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening

From this reading Set forthwith Vandamme and Saint Hilaire to mount the slopes--- [Firing begins in the marsh to the right by Tilnitz and the pools, though the thick air yet hides the operations.]

GoodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

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

From this reading NAPOLEON Good!

halfadjectiveUS /hæf/

consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity

From this reading SOULT Some twenty minutes or less, your Majesty: Our troops down there, still mantled by the mist, Are half upon the way.

hidesnounUS /haɪdz/

plural of “hide” — the dressed skin of an animal (especially a large animal)

From this reading Set forthwith Vandamme and Saint Hilaire to mount the slopes--- [Firing begins in the marsh to the right by Tilnitz and the pools, though the thick air yet hides the operations.]

Hilaire

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

From this reading Set forthwith Vandamme and Saint Hilaire to mount the slopes--- [Firing begins in the marsh to the right by Tilnitz and the pools, though the thick air yet hides the operations.]

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Set forthwith Vandamme and Saint Hilaire to mount the slopes--- [Firing begins in the marsh to the right by Tilnitz and the pools, though the thick air yet hides the operations.]

lessadverbUS /les/

used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs

From this reading SOULT Some twenty minutes or less, your Majesty: Our troops down there, still mantled by the mist, Are half upon the way.

MajestynounUS /ˈmædʒəsti/

impressiveness in scale or proportion

From this reading SOULT Some twenty minutes or less, your Majesty: Our troops down there, still mantled by the mist, Are half upon the way.

mantledadjective

covered with or as if with clothes or a wrap or cloak

From this reading SOULT Some twenty minutes or less, your Majesty: Our troops down there, still mantled by the mist, Are half upon the way.

marshnounUS /mɑːrʃ/

low-lying wet land with grassy vegetation; usually is a transition zone between land and water

From this reading Set forthwith Vandamme and Saint Hilaire to mount the slopes--- [Firing begins in the marsh to the right by Tilnitz and the pools, though the thick air yet hides the operations.]

minutesnounUS /ˈmɪnəts/

a written account of what transpired at a meeting

From this reading SOULT Some twenty minutes or less, your Majesty: Our troops down there, still mantled by the mist, Are half upon the way.

mistverbUS /mɪst/

become covered with mist

From this reading SOULT Some twenty minutes or less, your Majesty: Our troops down there, still mantled by the mist, Are half upon the way.

mountverbUS /maʊnt/

attach to a support

From this reading Set forthwith Vandamme and Saint Hilaire to mount the slopes--- [Firing begins in the marsh to the right by Tilnitz and the pools, though the thick air yet hides the operations.]

NAPOLEONnounUS /nəˈpoʊliən/

French general who became emperor of the French (1769-1821)

From this reading NAPOLEON Good!

OnounUS /oʊ/

a nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless nonflammable diatomic gas; constitutes 21 percent of the atmosphere by volume; the most abundant element in the earth's crust

From this reading O, there you are, blind boozy Buxhovden!

operationsnounUS /ˌɑːpərˈeɪʃənz/

financial transactions at a brokerage; having to do with the execution of trades and keeping customer records

From this reading Set forthwith Vandamme and Saint Hilaire to mount the slopes--- [Firing begins in the marsh to the right by Tilnitz and the pools, though the thick air yet hides the operations.]

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading SOULT Some twenty minutes or less, your Majesty: Our troops down there, still mantled by the mist, Are half upon the way.

OurdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading SOULT Some twenty minutes or less, your Majesty: Our troops down there, still mantled by the mist, Are half upon the way.

poolsnounUS /puːlz/

plural of “pool” — an excavation that is (usually) filled with water

From this reading Set forthwith Vandamme and Saint Hilaire to mount the slopes--- [Firing begins in the marsh to the right by Tilnitz and the pools, though the thick air yet hides the operations.]

rightadverbUS /raɪt/

precisely, exactly

From this reading Set forthwith Vandamme and Saint Hilaire to mount the slopes--- [Firing begins in the marsh to the right by Tilnitz and the pools, though the thick air yet hides the operations.]

SaintnounUS /seɪnt/

a person who has died and has been declared a saint by canonization

From this reading Set forthwith Vandamme and Saint Hilaire to mount the slopes--- [Firing begins in the marsh to the right by Tilnitz and the pools, though the thick air yet hides the operations.]

SetverbUS /set/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading Set forthwith Vandamme and Saint Hilaire to mount the slopes--- [Firing begins in the marsh to the right by Tilnitz and the pools, though the thick air yet hides the operations.]

slopesnounUS /sloʊps/

plural of “slope” — an elevated geological formation

From this reading Set forthwith Vandamme and Saint Hilaire to mount the slopes--- [Firing begins in the marsh to the right by Tilnitz and the pools, though the thick air yet hides the operations.]

SomeadjectiveUS /sʌm/

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

From this reading SOULT Some twenty minutes or less, your Majesty: Our troops down there, still mantled by the mist, Are half upon the way.

SOULT

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

From this reading SOULT Some twenty minutes or less, your Majesty: Our troops down there, still mantled by the mist, Are half upon the way.

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading SOULT Some twenty minutes or less, your Majesty: Our troops down there, still mantled by the mist, Are half upon the way.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading SOULT Some twenty minutes or less, your Majesty: Our troops down there, still mantled by the mist, Are half upon the way.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading SOULT Some twenty minutes or less, your Majesty: Our troops down there, still mantled by the mist, Are half upon the way.

thickadjectiveUS /θɪk/

not thin; of a specific thickness or of relatively great extent from one surface to the opposite usually in the smallest of the three solid dimensions

From this reading Set forthwith Vandamme and Saint Hilaire to mount the slopes--- [Firing begins in the marsh to the right by Tilnitz and the pools, though the thick air yet hides the operations.]

thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading Set forthwith Vandamme and Saint Hilaire to mount the slopes--- [Firing begins in the marsh to the right by Tilnitz and the pools, though the thick air yet hides the operations.]

Tilnitz

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

From this reading Set forthwith Vandamme and Saint Hilaire to mount the slopes--- [Firing begins in the marsh to the right by Tilnitz and the pools, though the thick air yet hides the operations.]

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Set forthwith Vandamme and Saint Hilaire to mount the slopes--- [Firing begins in the marsh to the right by Tilnitz and the pools, though the thick air yet hides the operations.]

troopsnounUS /truːps/

soldiers collectively

From this reading SOULT Some twenty minutes or less, your Majesty: Our troops down there, still mantled by the mist, Are half upon the way.

twentynounUS /ˈtwenti/

the cardinal number that is the sum of nineteen and one

From this reading SOULT Some twenty minutes or less, your Majesty: Our troops down there, still mantled by the mist, Are half upon the way.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading SOULT Some twenty minutes or less, your Majesty: Our troops down there, still mantled by the mist, Are half upon the way.

Vandamme

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

From this reading Set forthwith Vandamme and Saint Hilaire to mount the slopes--- [Firing begins in the marsh to the right by Tilnitz and the pools, though the thick air yet hides the operations.]

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading SOULT Some twenty minutes or less, your Majesty: Our troops down there, still mantled by the mist, Are half upon the way.

worstnounUS /wɜːrst/

the least favorable outcome

From this reading Achieve your worst.

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading Set forthwith Vandamme and Saint Hilaire to mount the slopes--- [Firing begins in the marsh to the right by Tilnitz and the pools, though the thick air yet hides the operations.]

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading O, there you are, blind boozy Buxhovden!

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading SOULT Some twenty minutes or less, your Majesty: Our troops down there, still mantled by the mist, Are half upon the way.

Chapter 6 of The Dynasts by Thomas Hardy holds 387 sentences, grouped into 78 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 6 of The Dynasts contain?

Chapter 6 holds 387 sentences of The Dynasts, unabridged, divided into 78 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 6 of The Dynasts by Thomas Hardy exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 387 sentences, grouped into 78 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 6 of The Dynasts?

Work through the 78 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 78 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 6 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 6 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 Dynasts

Common questions about reading The Dynasts by Thomas Hardy on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Dynasts?

Yes. All 9483 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4043 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Dynasts is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #4043, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Dynasts take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1897 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Dynasts section by section

How to work through The Dynasts section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 25 chapters of The Dynasts 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 Dynasts

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

Covered
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Dynasts; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Action
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Dynasts; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Being
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Dynasts; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Years
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Dynasts; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.