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The Executioner's Knife
The Executioner's Knife

Chapter XXXIII

Chapter 33 of The Executioner's Knife is here in full — 356 sentences across 72 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Executioner's Knife
Context Illustration Reading 1/71 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
PHYSICAL COLLAPSE.
On the 24th of May, 1431, a great mass of people is crowding at about eight in the morning and under a brilliant springtide sun towards the cemetery of St. Audoin at Rouen.
A low wall surrounds the place of burial.
Within, and near the entrance of the cemetery, there rises on this morning a high scaffold with a wide platform on which a number of seats decked with violet coverings are placed.
English soldiers, casqued and cuirassed, and lance in hand, form a cordon that keeps the crowd at a distance.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Executioner's Knife

Chapter XXXIII

Chapter 33 of The Executioner's Knife is here in full — 356 sentences across 72 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/71 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
PHYSICAL COLLAPSE.
/ˈfɪzɪkəl kəˈlæps/
Line 2
On the 24th of May, 1431, a great mass of people is crowding at about eight in the morning and under a brilliant springtide sun towards the cemetery of St. Audoin at Rouen.
Line 3
A low wall surrounds the place of burial.
/ə loʊ wɔːl sərˈaʊndz ðə pleɪs ʌv ˈberiəl/
Line 4
Within, and near the entrance of the cemetery, there rises on this morning a high scaffold with a wide platform on which a number of seats decked with violet coverings are placed.
/wɪˈðɪn ənd nɪr ðə ˈentrəns ʌv ðə ˈseməteri ðer ˈraɪzəz ɑːn ðɪs ˈmɔːrnɪŋ ə haɪ ˈskæfəld wɪð ə waɪd ˈplætfɔːrm ɑːn wɪtʃ ə ˈnʌmbər ʌv siːts dekt wɪð ˈvaɪəlɪt ˈkʌvərɪŋz ɑːr pleɪst/
Line 5
English soldiers, casqued and cuirassed, and lance in hand, form a cordon that keeps the crowd at a distance.

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.

burial noun US /ˈberiəl/

the ritual placing of a corpse in a grave

From this reading “A low wall surrounds the place of burial.”

cemetery noun US /ˈseməteri/

a tract of land used for burials

From this reading “On the 24th of May, 1431, a great mass of people is crowding at about eight in the morning and under a brilliant springtide sun towards the cemetery of St. Audoin at Rouen.”

collapse noun US /kəˈlæps/

an abrupt failure of function or complete physical exhaustion

From this reading “PHYSICAL COLLAPSE.”

cordon noun US /ˈkɔːrdən/

a series of sentinels or of military posts enclosing or guarding some place or thing

From this reading “English soldiers, casqued and cuirassed, and lance in hand, form a cordon that keeps the crowd at a distance.”

coverings noun US /ˈkʌvərɪŋz/

plural of “covering” — a natural object that covers or envelops

From this reading “Within, and near the entrance of the cemetery, there rises on this morning a high scaffold with a wide platform on which a number of seats decked with violet coverings are placed.”

decked verb US /dekt/

past form of “deck” — be beautiful to look at

From this reading “Within, and near the entrance of the cemetery, there rises on this morning a high scaffold with a wide platform on which a number of seats decked with violet coverings are placed.”

scaffold noun US /ˈskæfəld/

a platform from which criminals are executed (hanged or beheaded)

From this reading “Within, and near the entrance of the cemetery, there rises on this morning a high scaffold with a wide platform on which a number of seats decked with violet coverings are placed.”

surrounds noun US /sərˈaʊndz/

plural of “surround” — the area in which something exists or lives

From this reading “A low wall surrounds the place of burial.”

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.

great mass adjective + noun

In this reading “On the 24th of May, 1431, a great mass of people is crowding at about eight in the morning and under a brilliant springtide sun towards the cemetery of St. Audoin at Rouen.”

low wall adjective + noun

In this reading “A low wall surrounds the place of burial.”

at a distance preposition + article + noun counted as “at … distance”

In this reading “English soldiers, casqued and cuirassed, and lance in hand, form a cordon that keeps the crowd at a distance.”

in the morning preposition + article + noun counted as “in … morning”

In this reading “On the 24th of May, 1431, a great mass of people is crowding at about eight in the morning and under a brilliant springtide sun towards the cemetery of St. Audoin at Rouen.”

All words in this reading · 65

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.

1431

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

From this reading On the 24th of May, 1431, a great mass of people is crowding at about eight in the morning and under a brilliant springtide sun towards the cemetery of St. Audoin at Rouen.

24th

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

From this reading On the 24th of May, 1431, a great mass of people is crowding at about eight in the morning and under a brilliant springtide sun towards the cemetery of St. Audoin at Rouen.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading On the 24th of May, 1431, a great mass of people is crowding at about eight in the morning and under a brilliant springtide sun towards the cemetery of St. Audoin at Rouen.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading On the 24th of May, 1431, a great mass of people is crowding at about eight in the morning and under a brilliant springtide sun towards the cemetery of St. Audoin at Rouen.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading On the 24th of May, 1431, a great mass of people is crowding at about eight in the morning and under a brilliant springtide sun towards the cemetery of St. Audoin at Rouen.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading Within, and near the entrance of the cemetery, there rises on this morning a high scaffold with a wide platform on which a number of seats decked with violet coverings are placed.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading On the 24th of May, 1431, a great mass of people is crowding at about eight in the morning and under a brilliant springtide sun towards the cemetery of St. Audoin at Rouen.

Audoin

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

From this reading On the 24th of May, 1431, a great mass of people is crowding at about eight in the morning and under a brilliant springtide sun towards the cemetery of St. Audoin at Rouen.

brilliantadjectiveUS /ˈbrɪljənt/

of surpassing excellence

From this reading On the 24th of May, 1431, a great mass of people is crowding at about eight in the morning and under a brilliant springtide sun towards the cemetery of St. Audoin at Rouen.

burialnounUS /ˈberiəl/

the ritual placing of a corpse in a grave

From this reading A low wall surrounds the place of burial.

casqued

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

From this reading English soldiers, casqued and cuirassed, and lance in hand, form a cordon that keeps the crowd at a distance.

cemeterynounUS /ˈseməteri/

a tract of land used for burials

From this reading On the 24th of May, 1431, a great mass of people is crowding at about eight in the morning and under a brilliant springtide sun towards the cemetery of St. Audoin at Rouen.

COLLAPSEnounUS /kəˈlæps/

an abrupt failure of function or complete physical exhaustion

From this reading PHYSICAL COLLAPSE.

cordonnounUS /ˈkɔːrdən/

a series of sentinels or of military posts enclosing or guarding some place or thing

From this reading English soldiers, casqued and cuirassed, and lance in hand, form a cordon that keeps the crowd at a distance.

coveringsnounUS /ˈkʌvərɪŋz/

plural of “covering” — a natural object that covers or envelops

From this reading Within, and near the entrance of the cemetery, there rises on this morning a high scaffold with a wide platform on which a number of seats decked with violet coverings are placed.

crowdverbUS /kraʊd/

cause to herd, drive, or crowd together

From this reading English soldiers, casqued and cuirassed, and lance in hand, form a cordon that keeps the crowd at a distance.

crowdingnounUS /ˈkraʊdɪŋ/

a situation in which people or things are crowded together

From this reading On the 24th of May, 1431, a great mass of people is crowding at about eight in the morning and under a brilliant springtide sun towards the cemetery of St. Audoin at Rouen.

cuirassed

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

From this reading English soldiers, casqued and cuirassed, and lance in hand, form a cordon that keeps the crowd at a distance.

deckedverbUS /dekt/

past form of “deck” — be beautiful to look at

From this reading Within, and near the entrance of the cemetery, there rises on this morning a high scaffold with a wide platform on which a number of seats decked with violet coverings are placed.

distancenounUS /ˈdɪstəns/

the property created by the space between two objects or points

From this reading English soldiers, casqued and cuirassed, and lance in hand, form a cordon that keeps the crowd at a distance.

eightadjectiveUS /eɪt/

being one more than seven

From this reading On the 24th of May, 1431, a great mass of people is crowding at about eight in the morning and under a brilliant springtide sun towards the cemetery of St. Audoin at Rouen.

EnglishnounUS /ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ/

an Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch; the official language of Britain and the United States and most of the commonwealth countries

From this reading English soldiers, casqued and cuirassed, and lance in hand, form a cordon that keeps the crowd at a distance.

entrancenounUS /ˈentrəns/

something that provides access (to get in or get out)

From this reading Within, and near the entrance of the cemetery, there rises on this morning a high scaffold with a wide platform on which a number of seats decked with violet coverings are placed.

formnounUS /fɔːrm/

the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something

From this reading English soldiers, casqued and cuirassed, and lance in hand, form a cordon that keeps the crowd at a distance.

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading On the 24th of May, 1431, a great mass of people is crowding at about eight in the morning and under a brilliant springtide sun towards the cemetery of St. Audoin at Rouen.

handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading English soldiers, casqued and cuirassed, and lance in hand, form a cordon that keeps the crowd at a distance.

highadjectiveUS /haɪ/

greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading Within, and near the entrance of the cemetery, there rises on this morning a high scaffold with a wide platform on which a number of seats decked with violet coverings are placed.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading On the 24th of May, 1431, a great mass of people is crowding at about eight in the morning and under a brilliant springtide sun towards the cemetery of St. Audoin at Rouen.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading On the 24th of May, 1431, a great mass of people is crowding at about eight in the morning and under a brilliant springtide sun towards the cemetery of St. Audoin at Rouen.

keepsnounUS /kiːps/

plural of “keep” — the financial means whereby one lives

From this reading English soldiers, casqued and cuirassed, and lance in hand, form a cordon that keeps the crowd at a distance.

lancenounUS /læns/

a long pointed rod used as a tool or weapon

From this reading English soldiers, casqued and cuirassed, and lance in hand, form a cordon that keeps the crowd at a distance.

lowadjectiveUS /loʊ/

less than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading A low wall surrounds the place of burial.

massnounUS /mæs/

the property of a body that causes it to have weight in a gravitational field

From this reading On the 24th of May, 1431, a great mass of people is crowding at about eight in the morning and under a brilliant springtide sun towards the cemetery of St. Audoin at Rouen.

Maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading On the 24th of May, 1431, a great mass of people is crowding at about eight in the morning and under a brilliant springtide sun towards the cemetery of St. Audoin at Rouen.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading On the 24th of May, 1431, a great mass of people is crowding at about eight in the morning and under a brilliant springtide sun towards the cemetery of St. Audoin at Rouen.

nearadverbUS /nɪr/

near in time or place or relationship

From this reading Within, and near the entrance of the cemetery, there rises on this morning a high scaffold with a wide platform on which a number of seats decked with violet coverings are placed.

numbernounUS /ˈnʌmbər/

the property possessed by a sum or total or indefinite quantity of units or individuals

From this reading Within, and near the entrance of the cemetery, there rises on this morning a high scaffold with a wide platform on which a number of seats decked with violet coverings are placed.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading On the 24th of May, 1431, a great mass of people is crowding at about eight in the morning and under a brilliant springtide sun towards the cemetery of St. Audoin at Rouen.

OnprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading On the 24th of May, 1431, a great mass of people is crowding at about eight in the morning and under a brilliant springtide sun towards the cemetery of St. Audoin at Rouen.

peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading On the 24th of May, 1431, a great mass of people is crowding at about eight in the morning and under a brilliant springtide sun towards the cemetery of St. Audoin at Rouen.

PHYSICALadjectiveUS /ˈfɪzɪkəl/

involving the body as distinguished from the mind or spirit

From this reading PHYSICAL COLLAPSE.

placenounUS /pleɪs/

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading A low wall surrounds the place of burial.

placedadjectiveUS /pleɪst/

situated in a particular spot or position

From this reading Within, and near the entrance of the cemetery, there rises on this morning a high scaffold with a wide platform on which a number of seats decked with violet coverings are placed.

platformnounUS /ˈplætfɔːrm/

a raised horizontal surface

From this reading Within, and near the entrance of the cemetery, there rises on this morning a high scaffold with a wide platform on which a number of seats decked with violet coverings are placed.

risesnounUS /ˈraɪzəz/

plural of “rise” — a growth in strength or number or importance

From this reading Within, and near the entrance of the cemetery, there rises on this morning a high scaffold with a wide platform on which a number of seats decked with violet coverings are placed.

Rouen

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

From this reading On the 24th of May, 1431, a great mass of people is crowding at about eight in the morning and under a brilliant springtide sun towards the cemetery of St. Audoin at Rouen.

scaffoldnounUS /ˈskæfəld/

a platform from which criminals are executed (hanged or beheaded)

From this reading Within, and near the entrance of the cemetery, there rises on this morning a high scaffold with a wide platform on which a number of seats decked with violet coverings are placed.

seatsnounUS /siːts/

an area that includes places where several people can sit

From this reading Within, and near the entrance of the cemetery, there rises on this morning a high scaffold with a wide platform on which a number of seats decked with violet coverings are placed.

soldiersnounUS /ˈsoʊldʒərz/

plural of “soldier” — an enlisted man or woman who serves in an army

From this reading English soldiers, casqued and cuirassed, and lance in hand, form a cordon that keeps the crowd at a distance.

springtidenoun

a swelling rush of anything

From this reading On the 24th of May, 1431, a great mass of people is crowding at about eight in the morning and under a brilliant springtide sun towards the cemetery of St. Audoin at Rouen.

St

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

From this reading On the 24th of May, 1431, a great mass of people is crowding at about eight in the morning and under a brilliant springtide sun towards the cemetery of St. Audoin at Rouen.

sunnounUS /sʌn/

the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system

From this reading On the 24th of May, 1431, a great mass of people is crowding at about eight in the morning and under a brilliant springtide sun towards the cemetery of St. Audoin at Rouen.

surroundsnounUS /sərˈaʊndz/

plural of “surround” — the area in which something exists or lives

From this reading A low wall surrounds the place of burial.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading English soldiers, casqued and cuirassed, and lance in hand, form a cordon that keeps the crowd at a distance.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading On the 24th of May, 1431, a great mass of people is crowding at about eight in the morning and under a brilliant springtide sun towards the cemetery of St. Audoin at Rouen.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading Within, and near the entrance of the cemetery, there rises on this morning a high scaffold with a wide platform on which a number of seats decked with violet coverings are placed.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading Within, and near the entrance of the cemetery, there rises on this morning a high scaffold with a wide platform on which a number of seats decked with violet coverings are placed.

towardsprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrdz/

in the direction of

From this reading On the 24th of May, 1431, a great mass of people is crowding at about eight in the morning and under a brilliant springtide sun towards the cemetery of St. Audoin at Rouen.

underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading On the 24th of May, 1431, a great mass of people is crowding at about eight in the morning and under a brilliant springtide sun towards the cemetery of St. Audoin at Rouen.

violetnounUS /ˈvaɪəlɪt/

any of numerous low-growing violas with small flowers

From this reading Within, and near the entrance of the cemetery, there rises on this morning a high scaffold with a wide platform on which a number of seats decked with violet coverings are placed.

wallnounUS /wɔːl/

an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure

From this reading A low wall surrounds the place of burial.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading Within, and near the entrance of the cemetery, there rises on this morning a high scaffold with a wide platform on which a number of seats decked with violet coverings are placed.

wideadjectiveUS /waɪd/

having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other

From this reading Within, and near the entrance of the cemetery, there rises on this morning a high scaffold with a wide platform on which a number of seats decked with violet coverings are placed.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Within, and near the entrance of the cemetery, there rises on this morning a high scaffold with a wide platform on which a number of seats decked with violet coverings are placed.

WithinprepositionUS /wɪˈðɪn/

inside; before a period of time has passed

From this reading Within, and near the entrance of the cemetery, there rises on this morning a high scaffold with a wide platform on which a number of seats decked with violet coverings are placed.

Chapter 33 of The Executioner's Knife by Eugène Sue holds 356 sentences, grouped into 72 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 33 of The Executioner's Knife contain?

Chapter 33 holds 356 sentences of The Executioner's Knife, unabridged, divided into 72 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 33 of The Executioner's Knife by Eugène Sue exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 356 sentences, grouped into 72 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 33 of The Executioner's Knife?

Work through the 72 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 72 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 33 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 33 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 Executioner's Knife

Common questions about reading The Executioner's Knife by Eugène Sue on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Executioner's Knife?

Yes. All 5473 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #37399 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Executioner's Knife is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #37399, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Executioner's Knife take to read?

About 456 minutes of reading across 1095 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in The Executioner's Knife

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Executioner's Knife, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

History
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Executioner's Knife; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Proletarian
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Executioner's Knife; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Family
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Executioner's Knife; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Across
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Executioner's Knife; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.