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The Dynasts
The Dynasts

Chapter XIII · Chapter 13

Chapter 13 of The Dynasts is here in full — 367 sentences across 74 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/73 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
NAPOLEON Your mother is too rash and reasonless-- Wailing and fainting over statesmanship Which is no personal caprice of mine, But policy most painful--forced on me By the necessities of this country's charge.
Go to her; see if she be saner now; Explain it to her once and once again, And bring me word what impress you may make.
[HORTENSE goes out.
CHAMPAGNY is shown in.]
Champagny, I have something clear to say Now, on our process after the divorce.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Dynasts

Chapter XIII · Chapter 13

Chapter 13 of The Dynasts is here in full — 367 sentences across 74 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/73 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
NAPOLEON Your mother is too rash and reasonless-- Wailing and fainting over statesmanship Which is no personal caprice of mine, But policy most painful--forced on me By the necessities of this country's charge.
Line 2
Go to her; see if she be saner now; Explain it to her once and once again, And bring me word what impress you may make.
/ɡoʊ tuː hɜːr siː ɪf ʃiː biː ˈseɪnər naʊ ɪkˈspleɪn ɪt tuː hɜːr wʌns ənd wʌns əˈɡen ənd brɪŋ miː wɜːrd wʌt ˌɪmˈpres juː meɪ meɪk/
Line 3
[HORTENSE goes out.
Line 4
CHAMPAGNY is shown in.]
Line 5
Champagny, I have something clear to say Now, on our process after the divorce.

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.

caprice noun US /kəˈpriːs/

a sudden desire

From this reading “NAPOLEON Your mother is too rash and reasonless-- Wailing and fainting over statesmanship Which is no personal caprice of mine, But policy most painful--forced on me By the necessities of this country's charge.”

country's noun US /ˈkʌntriz/

possessive form of “country” — a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading “NAPOLEON Your mother is too rash and reasonless-- Wailing and fainting over statesmanship Which is no personal caprice of mine, But policy most painful--forced on me By the necessities of this country's charge.”

fainting verb US /ˈfeɪntɪŋ/

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

From this reading “NAPOLEON Your mother is too rash and reasonless-- Wailing and fainting over statesmanship Which is no personal caprice of mine, But policy most painful--forced on me By the necessities of this country's charge.”

impress verb US /ˌɪmˈpres/

have an emotional or cognitive impact upon

From this reading “Go to her; see if she be saner now; Explain it to her once and once again, And bring me word what impress you may make.”

necessities noun US /nəˈsesɪtiz/

plural of “necessity” — the condition of being essential or indispensable

From this reading “NAPOLEON Your mother is too rash and reasonless-- Wailing and fainting over statesmanship Which is no personal caprice of mine, But policy most painful--forced on me By the necessities of this country's charge.”

saner adjective US /ˈseɪnər/

comparative of “sane” — mentally healthy; free from mental disorder

From this reading “Go to her; see if she be saner now; Explain it to her once and once again, And bring me word what impress you may make.”

statesmanship noun US /ˈsteɪtsmənʃɪp/

wisdom in the management of public affairs

From this reading “NAPOLEON Your mother is too rash and reasonless-- Wailing and fainting over statesmanship Which is no personal caprice of mine, But policy most painful--forced on me By the necessities of this country's charge.”

Wailing noun US /ˈweɪlɪŋ/

loud cries made while weeping

From this reading “NAPOLEON Your mother is too rash and reasonless-- Wailing and fainting over statesmanship Which is no personal caprice of mine, But policy most painful--forced on me By the necessities of this country's charge.”

All words in this reading · 66

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.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading Champagny, I have something clear to say Now, on our process after the divorce.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading Go to her; see if she be saner now; Explain it to her once and once again, And bring me word what impress you may make.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading NAPOLEON Your mother is too rash and reasonless-- Wailing and fainting over statesmanship Which is no personal caprice of mine, But policy most painful--forced on me By the necessities of this country's charge.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading Go to her; see if she be saner now; Explain it to her once and once again, And bring me word what impress you may make.

bringverbUS /brɪŋ/

take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading Go to her; see if she be saner now; Explain it to her once and once again, And bring me word what impress you may make.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading NAPOLEON Your mother is too rash and reasonless-- Wailing and fainting over statesmanship Which is no personal caprice of mine, But policy most painful--forced on me By the necessities of this country's charge.

ByprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading NAPOLEON Your mother is too rash and reasonless-- Wailing and fainting over statesmanship Which is no personal caprice of mine, But policy most painful--forced on me By the necessities of this country's charge.

capricenounUS /kəˈpriːs/

a sudden desire

From this reading NAPOLEON Your mother is too rash and reasonless-- Wailing and fainting over statesmanship Which is no personal caprice of mine, But policy most painful--forced on me By the necessities of this country's charge.

CHAMPAGNY

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

From this reading CHAMPAGNY is shown in.]

chargeverbUS /tʃɑːrdʒ/

to make a rush at or sudden attack upon, as in battle

From this reading NAPOLEON Your mother is too rash and reasonless-- Wailing and fainting over statesmanship Which is no personal caprice of mine, But policy most painful--forced on me By the necessities of this country's charge.

clearverbUS /klɪr/

rid of obstructions

From this reading Champagny, I have something clear to say Now, on our process after the divorce.

country'snounUS /ˈkʌntriz/

possessive form of “country” — a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading NAPOLEON Your mother is too rash and reasonless-- Wailing and fainting over statesmanship Which is no personal caprice of mine, But policy most painful--forced on me By the necessities of this country's charge.

divorceverbUS /dɪˈvɔːrs/

part; cease or break association with

From this reading Champagny, I have something clear to say Now, on our process after the divorce.

ExplainverbUS /ɪkˈspleɪn/

make plain and comprehensible

From this reading Go to her; see if she be saner now; Explain it to her once and once again, And bring me word what impress you may make.

faintingverbUS /ˈfeɪntɪŋ/

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

From this reading NAPOLEON Your mother is too rash and reasonless-- Wailing and fainting over statesmanship Which is no personal caprice of mine, But policy most painful--forced on me By the necessities of this country's charge.

forcedadjectiveUS /fɔːrst/

produced by or subjected to forcing

From this reading NAPOLEON Your mother is too rash and reasonless-- Wailing and fainting over statesmanship Which is no personal caprice of mine, But policy most painful--forced on me By the necessities of this country's charge.

GoverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading Go to her; see if she be saner now; Explain it to her once and once again, And bring me word what impress you may make.

goesnounUS /ɡoʊz/

plural of “go” — a time period for working (after which you will be relieved by someone else)

From this reading [HORTENSE goes out.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Champagny, I have something clear to say Now, on our process after the divorce.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading Go to her; see if she be saner now; Explain it to her once and once again, And bring me word what impress you may make.

HORTENSE

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

From this reading [HORTENSE goes out.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading Champagny, I have something clear to say Now, on our process after the divorce.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading Go to her; see if she be saner now; Explain it to her once and once again, And bring me word what impress you may make.

impressverbUS /ˌɪmˈpres/

have an emotional or cognitive impact upon

From this reading Go to her; see if she be saner now; Explain it to her once and once again, And bring me word what impress you may make.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading CHAMPAGNY is shown in.]

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading NAPOLEON Your mother is too rash and reasonless-- Wailing and fainting over statesmanship Which is no personal caprice of mine, But policy most painful--forced on me By the necessities of this country's charge.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Go to her; see if she be saner now; Explain it to her once and once again, And bring me word what impress you may make.

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading Go to her; see if she be saner now; Explain it to her once and once again, And bring me word what impress you may make.

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading Go to her; see if she be saner now; Explain it to her once and once again, And bring me word what impress you may make.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading NAPOLEON Your mother is too rash and reasonless-- Wailing and fainting over statesmanship Which is no personal caprice of mine, But policy most painful--forced on me By the necessities of this country's charge.

minepronounUS /maɪn/

the one or ones belonging to the person speaking

From this reading NAPOLEON Your mother is too rash and reasonless-- Wailing and fainting over statesmanship Which is no personal caprice of mine, But policy most painful--forced on me By the necessities of this country's charge.

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading NAPOLEON Your mother is too rash and reasonless-- Wailing and fainting over statesmanship Which is no personal caprice of mine, But policy most painful--forced on me By the necessities of this country's charge.

mothernounUS /ˈmʌðər/

a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading NAPOLEON Your mother is too rash and reasonless-- Wailing and fainting over statesmanship Which is no personal caprice of mine, But policy most painful--forced on me By the necessities of this country's charge.

NAPOLEONnounUS /nəˈpoʊliən/

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

From this reading NAPOLEON Your mother is too rash and reasonless-- Wailing and fainting over statesmanship Which is no personal caprice of mine, But policy most painful--forced on me By the necessities of this country's charge.

necessitiesnounUS /nəˈsesɪtiz/

plural of “necessity” — the condition of being essential or indispensable

From this reading NAPOLEON Your mother is too rash and reasonless-- Wailing and fainting over statesmanship Which is no personal caprice of mine, But policy most painful--forced on me By the necessities of this country's charge.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading NAPOLEON Your mother is too rash and reasonless-- Wailing and fainting over statesmanship Which is no personal caprice of mine, But policy most painful--forced on me By the necessities of this country's charge.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

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

From this reading Go to her; see if she be saner now; Explain it to her once and once again, And bring me word what impress you may make.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading NAPOLEON Your mother is too rash and reasonless-- Wailing and fainting over statesmanship Which is no personal caprice of mine, But policy most painful--forced on me By the necessities of this country's charge.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading NAPOLEON Your mother is too rash and reasonless-- Wailing and fainting over statesmanship Which is no personal caprice of mine, But policy most painful--forced on me By the necessities of this country's charge.

onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading Go to her; see if she be saner now; Explain it to her once and once again, And bring me word what impress you may make.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading Champagny, I have something clear to say Now, on our process after the divorce.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading [HORTENSE goes out.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading NAPOLEON Your mother is too rash and reasonless-- Wailing and fainting over statesmanship Which is no personal caprice of mine, But policy most painful--forced on me By the necessities of this country's charge.

painfuladjectiveUS /ˈpeɪnfəl/

causing physical or psychological pain

From this reading NAPOLEON Your mother is too rash and reasonless-- Wailing and fainting over statesmanship Which is no personal caprice of mine, But policy most painful--forced on me By the necessities of this country's charge.

personaladjectiveUS /ˈpɜːrsɪnəl/

concerning or affecting a particular person or his or her private life and personality

From this reading NAPOLEON Your mother is too rash and reasonless-- Wailing and fainting over statesmanship Which is no personal caprice of mine, But policy most painful--forced on me By the necessities of this country's charge.

policynounUS /ˈpɑːləsi/

a plan of action adopted by an individual or social group

From this reading NAPOLEON Your mother is too rash and reasonless-- Wailing and fainting over statesmanship Which is no personal caprice of mine, But policy most painful--forced on me By the necessities of this country's charge.

processverbUS /ˈprɑːses/

subject to a process or treatment, with the aim of readying for some purpose, improving, or remedying a condition

From this reading Champagny, I have something clear to say Now, on our process after the divorce.

rashnounUS /ræʃ/

any red eruption of the skin

From this reading NAPOLEON Your mother is too rash and reasonless-- Wailing and fainting over statesmanship Which is no personal caprice of mine, But policy most painful--forced on me By the necessities of this country's charge.

reasonlessadjective

not marked by the use of reason

From this reading NAPOLEON Your mother is too rash and reasonless-- Wailing and fainting over statesmanship Which is no personal caprice of mine, But policy most painful--forced on me By the necessities of this country's charge.

saneradjectiveUS /ˈseɪnər/

comparative of “sane” — mentally healthy; free from mental disorder

From this reading Go to her; see if she be saner now; Explain it to her once and once again, And bring me word what impress you may make.

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading Champagny, I have something clear to say Now, on our process after the divorce.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading Go to her; see if she be saner now; Explain it to her once and once again, And bring me word what impress you may make.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading Go to her; see if she be saner now; Explain it to her once and once again, And bring me word what impress you may make.

shownverbUS /ʃoʊn/

inflected form of “show” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading CHAMPAGNY is shown in.]

somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading Champagny, I have something clear to say Now, on our process after the divorce.

statesmanshipnounUS /ˈsteɪtsmənʃɪp/

wisdom in the management of public affairs

From this reading NAPOLEON Your mother is too rash and reasonless-- Wailing and fainting over statesmanship Which is no personal caprice of mine, But policy most painful--forced on me By the necessities of this country's charge.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading NAPOLEON Your mother is too rash and reasonless-- Wailing and fainting over statesmanship Which is no personal caprice of mine, But policy most painful--forced on me By the necessities of this country's charge.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading NAPOLEON Your mother is too rash and reasonless-- Wailing and fainting over statesmanship Which is no personal caprice of mine, But policy most painful--forced on me By the necessities of this country's charge.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Go to her; see if she be saner now; Explain it to her once and once again, And bring me word what impress you may make.

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading NAPOLEON Your mother is too rash and reasonless-- Wailing and fainting over statesmanship Which is no personal caprice of mine, But policy most painful--forced on me By the necessities of this country's charge.

WailingnounUS /ˈweɪlɪŋ/

loud cries made while weeping

From this reading NAPOLEON Your mother is too rash and reasonless-- Wailing and fainting over statesmanship Which is no personal caprice of mine, But policy most painful--forced on me By the necessities of this country's charge.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading Go to her; see if she be saner now; Explain it to her once and once again, And bring me word what impress you may make.

WhichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading NAPOLEON Your mother is too rash and reasonless-- Wailing and fainting over statesmanship Which is no personal caprice of mine, But policy most painful--forced on me By the necessities of this country's charge.

wordnounUS /wɜːrd/

a unit of language that native speakers can identify

From this reading Go to her; see if she be saner now; Explain it to her once and once again, And bring me word what impress you may make.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Go to her; see if she be saner now; Explain it to her once and once again, And bring me word what impress you may make.

YourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading NAPOLEON Your mother is too rash and reasonless-- Wailing and fainting over statesmanship Which is no personal caprice of mine, But policy most painful--forced on me By the necessities of this country's charge.

Chapter 13 of The Dynasts by Thomas Hardy holds 367 sentences, grouped into 74 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 13 of The Dynasts contain?

Chapter 13 holds 367 sentences of The Dynasts, unabridged, divided into 74 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 13 of The Dynasts by Thomas Hardy exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 367 sentences, grouped into 74 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 13 of The Dynasts?

Work through the 74 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 74 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 13 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 13 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.

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  1. Open a chapter

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    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.