Chapter XII · Chapter 12

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

From this reading There was once upon a time a banker, a millionaire, who could reckon his wealth not by millions only, but by hundreds of millions and more; who was, in fact, so tremendously rich that he did not know what to do with his money--a difficulty in which nobody had ever been before.

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

From this reading Marbles, carpets, gildings, silk hangings, pictures, and statues--in fact, the whole mass of common-place luxuries as one sees them even in the grandest royal abodes, fell short of his magnificent pretensions.

(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 He was an intelligent man, and thoroughly understood the respect due to his riches; and the common fate of kings seemed to him far too shabby for the entertainment of his dynasty, which he looked upon as very superior to all the families of crowned heads in the world.

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading He was an intelligent man, and thoroughly understood the respect due to his riches; and the common fate of kings seemed to him far too shabby for the entertainment of his dynasty, which he looked upon as very superior to all the families of crowned heads in the world.

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

From this reading There was once upon a time a banker, a millionaire, who could reckon his wealth not by millions only, but by hundreds of millions and more; who was, in fact, so tremendously rich that he did not know what to do with his money--a difficulty in which nobody had ever been before.

any thing at all

From this reading This man took it into his head to build a palace infinitely superior to anything that had hitherto been seen.

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

From this reading Marbles, carpets, gildings, silk hangings, pictures, and statues--in fact, the whole mass of common-place luxuries as one sees them even in the grandest royal abodes, fell short of his magnificent pretensions.

a financier who owns or is an executive in a bank

From this reading There was once upon a time a banker, a millionaire, who could reckon his wealth not by millions only, but by hundreds of millions and more; who was, in fact, so tremendously rich that he did not know what to do with his money--a difficulty in which nobody had ever been before.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading There was once upon a time a banker, a millionaire, who could reckon his wealth not by millions only, but by hundreds of millions and more; who was, in fact, so tremendously rich that he did not know what to do with his money--a difficulty in which nobody had ever been before.

earlier than; in front of

From this reading There was once upon a time a banker, a millionaire, who could reckon his wealth not by millions only, but by hundreds of millions and more; who was, in fact, so tremendously rich that he did not know what to do with his money--a difficulty in which nobody had ever been before.

make by combining materials and parts

From this reading This man took it into his head to build a palace infinitely superior to anything that had hitherto been seen.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading There was once upon a time a banker, a millionaire, who could reckon his wealth not by millions only, but by hundreds of millions and more; who was, in fact, so tremendously rich that he did not know what to do with his money--a difficulty in which nobody had ever been before.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading There was once upon a time a banker, a millionaire, who could reckon his wealth not by millions only, but by hundreds of millions and more; who was, in fact, so tremendously rich that he did not know what to do with his money--a difficulty in which nobody had ever been before.

plural of “carpet” — floor covering consisting of a piece of thick heavy fabric (usually with nap or pile)

From this reading Marbles, carpets, gildings, silk hangings, pictures, and statues--in fact, the whole mass of common-place luxuries as one sees them even in the grandest royal abodes, fell short of his magnificent pretensions.

belonging to or participated in by a community as a whole; public

From this reading He was an intelligent man, and thoroughly understood the respect due to his riches; and the common fate of kings seemed to him far too shabby for the entertainment of his dynasty, which he looked upon as very superior to all the families of crowned heads in the world.

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

From this reading Marbles, carpets, gildings, silk hangings, pictures, and statues--in fact, the whole mass of common-place luxuries as one sees them even in the grandest royal abodes, fell short of his magnificent pretensions.

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading There was once upon a time a banker, a millionaire, who could reckon his wealth not by millions only, but by hundreds of millions and more; who was, in fact, so tremendously rich that he did not know what to do with his money--a difficulty in which nobody had ever been before.

having an (artificial) crown on a tooth

From this reading He was an intelligent man, and thoroughly understood the respect due to his riches; and the common fate of kings seemed to him far too shabby for the entertainment of his dynasty, which he looked upon as very superior to all the families of crowned heads in the world.

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

From this reading There was once upon a time a banker, a millionaire, who could reckon his wealth not by millions only, but by hundreds of millions and more; who was, in fact, so tremendously rich that he did not know what to do with his money--a difficulty in which nobody had ever been before.

an effort that is inconvenient

From this reading There was once upon a time a banker, a millionaire, who could reckon his wealth not by millions only, but by hundreds of millions and more; who was, in fact, so tremendously rich that he did not know what to do with his money--a difficulty in which nobody had ever been before.

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading There was once upon a time a banker, a millionaire, who could reckon his wealth not by millions only, but by hundreds of millions and more; who was, in fact, so tremendously rich that he did not know what to do with his money--a difficulty in which nobody had ever been before.

owed and payable immediately or on demand

From this reading He was an intelligent man, and thoroughly understood the respect due to his riches; and the common fate of kings seemed to him far too shabby for the entertainment of his dynasty, which he looked upon as very superior to all the families of crowned heads in the world.

a sequence of powerful leaders in the same family

From this reading He was an intelligent man, and thoroughly understood the respect due to his riches; and the common fate of kings seemed to him far too shabby for the entertainment of his dynasty, which he looked upon as very superior to all the families of crowned heads in the world.

an activity that is diverting and that holds the attention

From this reading He was an intelligent man, and thoroughly understood the respect due to his riches; and the common fate of kings seemed to him far too shabby for the entertainment of his dynasty, which he looked upon as very superior to all the families of crowned heads in the world.

divisible by two

From this reading Marbles, carpets, gildings, silk hangings, pictures, and statues--in fact, the whole mass of common-place luxuries as one sees them even in the grandest royal abodes, fell short of his magnificent pretensions.

at any time

From this reading There was once upon a time a banker, a millionaire, who could reckon his wealth not by millions only, but by hundreds of millions and more; who was, in fact, so tremendously rich that he did not know what to do with his money--a difficulty in which nobody had ever been before.

a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred

From this reading There was once upon a time a banker, a millionaire, who could reckon his wealth not by millions only, but by hundreds of millions and more; who was, in fact, so tremendously rich that he did not know what to do with his money--a difficulty in which nobody had ever been before.

plural of “family” — a social unit living together

From this reading He was an intelligent man, and thoroughly understood the respect due to his riches; and the common fate of kings seemed to him far too shabby for the entertainment of his dynasty, which he looked upon as very superior to all the families of crowned heads in the world.

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading He was an intelligent man, and thoroughly understood the respect due to his riches; and the common fate of kings seemed to him far too shabby for the entertainment of his dynasty, which he looked upon as very superior to all the families of crowned heads in the world.

an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future

From this reading He was an intelligent man, and thoroughly understood the respect due to his riches; and the common fate of kings seemed to him far too shabby for the entertainment of his dynasty, which he looked upon as very superior to all the families of crowned heads in the world.

cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow

From this reading Marbles, carpets, gildings, silk hangings, pictures, and statues--in fact, the whole mass of common-place luxuries as one sees them even in the grandest royal abodes, fell short of his magnificent pretensions.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading He was an intelligent man, and thoroughly understood the respect due to his riches; and the common fate of kings seemed to him far too shabby for the entertainment of his dynasty, which he looked upon as very superior to all the families of crowned heads in the world.

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

From this reading Marbles, carpets, gildings, silk hangings, pictures, and statues--in fact, the whole mass of common-place luxuries as one sees them even in the grandest royal abodes, fell short of his magnificent pretensions.

superlative of “grand” — of behavior that is impressive and ambitious in scale or scope

From this reading Marbles, carpets, gildings, silk hangings, pictures, and statues--in fact, the whole mass of common-place luxuries as one sees them even in the grandest royal abodes, fell short of his magnificent pretensions.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading There was once upon a time a banker, a millionaire, who could reckon his wealth not by millions only, but by hundreds of millions and more; who was, in fact, so tremendously rich that he did not know what to do with his money--a difficulty in which nobody had ever been before.

plural of “hanging” — decoration that is hung (as a tapestry) on a wall or over a window

From this reading Marbles, carpets, gildings, silk hangings, pictures, and statues--in fact, the whole mass of common-place luxuries as one sees them even in the grandest royal abodes, fell short of his magnificent pretensions.

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

From this reading There was once upon a time a banker, a millionaire, who could reckon his wealth not by millions only, but by hundreds of millions and more; who was, in fact, so tremendously rich that he did not know what to do with his money--a difficulty in which nobody had ever been before.

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading This man took it into his head to build a palace infinitely superior to anything that had hitherto been seen.

plural of “head” — the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading He was an intelligent man, and thoroughly understood the respect due to his riches; and the common fate of kings seemed to him far too shabby for the entertainment of his dynasty, which he looked upon as very superior to all the families of crowned heads in the world.

the locus of feelings and intuitions

From this reading THE HEART.

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

From this reading He was an intelligent man, and thoroughly understood the respect due to his riches; and the common fate of kings seemed to him far too shabby for the entertainment of his dynasty, which he looked upon as very superior to all the families of crowned heads in the world.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading There was once upon a time a banker, a millionaire, who could reckon his wealth not by millions only, but by hundreds of millions and more; who was, in fact, so tremendously rich that he did not know what to do with his money--a difficulty in which nobody had ever been before.

used in negative statement to describe a situation that has existed up to this point or up to the present time

From this reading This man took it into his head to build a palace infinitely superior to anything that had hitherto been seen.

plural of “hundred” — ten 10s

From this reading There was once upon a time a banker, a millionaire, who could reckon his wealth not by millions only, but by hundreds of millions and more; who was, in fact, so tremendously rich that he did not know what to do with his money--a difficulty in which nobody had ever been before.

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

From this reading There was once upon a time a banker, a millionaire, who could reckon his wealth not by millions only, but by hundreds of millions and more; who was, in fact, so tremendously rich that he did not know what to do with his money--a difficulty in which nobody had ever been before.

without bounds

From this reading This man took it into his head to build a palace infinitely superior to anything that had hitherto been seen.

having the capacity for thought and reason especially to a high degree

From this reading He was an intelligent man, and thoroughly understood the respect due to his riches; and the common fate of kings seemed to him far too shabby for the entertainment of his dynasty, which he looked upon as very superior to all the families of crowned heads in the world.

moving to the inside of something

From this reading This man took it into his head to build a palace infinitely superior to anything that had hitherto been seen.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading This man took it into his head to build a palace infinitely superior to anything that had hitherto been seen.

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

From this reading He was an intelligent man, and thoroughly understood the respect due to his riches; and the common fate of kings seemed to him far too shabby for the entertainment of his dynasty, which he looked upon as very superior to all the families of crowned heads in the world.

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading There was once upon a time a banker, a millionaire, who could reckon his wealth not by millions only, but by hundreds of millions and more; who was, in fact, so tremendously rich that he did not know what to do with his money--a difficulty in which nobody had ever been before.

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading He was an intelligent man, and thoroughly understood the respect due to his riches; and the common fate of kings seemed to him far too shabby for the entertainment of his dynasty, which he looked upon as very superior to all the families of crowned heads in the world.

plural of “luxury” — something that is an indulgence rather than a necessity

From this reading Marbles, carpets, gildings, silk hangings, pictures, and statues--in fact, the whole mass of common-place luxuries as one sees them even in the grandest royal abodes, fell short of his magnificent pretensions.

characterized by grandeur

From this reading Marbles, carpets, gildings, silk hangings, pictures, and statues--in fact, the whole mass of common-place luxuries as one sees them even in the grandest royal abodes, fell short of his magnificent pretensions.

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading This man took it into his head to build a palace infinitely superior to anything that had hitherto been seen.

a children's game played with little balls made of a hard substance (as glass)

From this reading Marbles, carpets, gildings, silk hangings, pictures, and statues--in fact, the whole mass of common-place luxuries as one sees them even in the grandest royal abodes, fell short of his magnificent pretensions.

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

From this reading Marbles, carpets, gildings, silk hangings, pictures, and statues--in fact, the whole mass of common-place luxuries as one sees them even in the grandest royal abodes, fell short of his magnificent pretensions.

a person whose material wealth is valued at more than a million dollars

From this reading There was once upon a time a banker, a millionaire, who could reckon his wealth not by millions only, but by hundreds of millions and more; who was, in fact, so tremendously rich that he did not know what to do with his money--a difficulty in which nobody had ever been before.

plural of “million” — the number that is represented as a one followed by 6 zeros

From this reading There was once upon a time a banker, a millionaire, who could reckon his wealth not by millions only, but by hundreds of millions and more; who was, in fact, so tremendously rich that he did not know what to do with his money--a difficulty in which nobody had ever been before.

the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender

From this reading There was once upon a time a banker, a millionaire, who could reckon his wealth not by millions only, but by hundreds of millions and more; who was, in fact, so tremendously rich that he did not know what to do with his money--a difficulty in which nobody had ever been before.

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading There was once upon a time a banker, a millionaire, who could reckon his wealth not by millions only, but by hundreds of millions and more; who was, in fact, so tremendously rich that he did not know what to do with his money--a difficulty in which nobody had ever been before.

no person; not anyone

From this reading There was once upon a time a banker, a millionaire, who could reckon his wealth not by millions only, but by hundreds of millions and more; who was, in fact, so tremendously rich that he did not know what to do with his money--a difficulty in which nobody had ever been before.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading There was once upon a time a banker, a millionaire, who could reckon his wealth not by millions only, but by hundreds of millions and more; who was, in fact, so tremendously rich that he did not know what to do with his money--a difficulty in which nobody had ever been before.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading There was once upon a time a banker, a millionaire, who could reckon his wealth not by millions only, but by hundreds of millions and more; who was, in fact, so tremendously rich that he did not know what to do with his money--a difficulty in which nobody had ever been before.

on one occasion

From this reading There was once upon a time a banker, a millionaire, who could reckon his wealth not by millions only, but by hundreds of millions and more; who was, in fact, so tremendously rich that he did not know what to do with his money--a difficulty in which nobody had ever been before.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Marbles, carpets, gildings, silk hangings, pictures, and statues--in fact, the whole mass of common-place luxuries as one sees them even in the grandest royal abodes, fell short of his magnificent pretensions.

and nothing more

From this reading There was once upon a time a banker, a millionaire, who could reckon his wealth not by millions only, but by hundreds of millions and more; who was, in fact, so tremendously rich that he did not know what to do with his money--a difficulty in which nobody had ever been before.

a large and stately mansion

From this reading This man took it into his head to build a palace infinitely superior to anything that had hitherto been seen.

plural of “picture” — a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface

From this reading Marbles, carpets, gildings, silk hangings, pictures, and statues--in fact, the whole mass of common-place luxuries as one sees them even in the grandest royal abodes, fell short of his magnificent pretensions.

plural of “pretension” — a false or unsupportable quality

From this reading Marbles, carpets, gildings, silk hangings, pictures, and statues--in fact, the whole mass of common-place luxuries as one sees them even in the grandest royal abodes, fell short of his magnificent pretensions.

expect, believe, or suppose

From this reading There was once upon a time a banker, a millionaire, who could reckon his wealth not by millions only, but by hundreds of millions and more; who was, in fact, so tremendously rich that he did not know what to do with his money--a difficulty in which nobody had ever been before.

(usually preceded by “in”) a detail or point

From this reading He was an intelligent man, and thoroughly understood the respect due to his riches; and the common fate of kings seemed to him far too shabby for the entertainment of his dynasty, which he looked upon as very superior to all the families of crowned heads in the world.

possessing material wealth

From this reading There was once upon a time a banker, a millionaire, who could reckon his wealth not by millions only, but by hundreds of millions and more; who was, in fact, so tremendously rich that he did not know what to do with his money--a difficulty in which nobody had ever been before.

an abundance of material possessions and resources

From this reading He was an intelligent man, and thoroughly understood the respect due to his riches; and the common fate of kings seemed to him far too shabby for the entertainment of his dynasty, which he looked upon as very superior to all the families of crowned heads in the world.

of or relating to or indicative of or issued or performed by a king or queen or other monarch

From this reading Marbles, carpets, gildings, silk hangings, pictures, and statues--in fact, the whole mass of common-place luxuries as one sees them even in the grandest royal abodes, fell short of his magnificent pretensions.

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading He was an intelligent man, and thoroughly understood the respect due to his riches; and the common fate of kings seemed to him far too shabby for the entertainment of his dynasty, which he looked upon as very superior to all the families of crowned heads in the world.

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading This man took it into his head to build a palace infinitely superior to anything that had hitherto been seen.

plural of “see” — the seat within a bishop's diocese where his cathedral is located

From this reading Marbles, carpets, gildings, silk hangings, pictures, and statues--in fact, the whole mass of common-place luxuries as one sees them even in the grandest royal abodes, fell short of his magnificent pretensions.

showing signs of wear and tear

From this reading He was an intelligent man, and thoroughly understood the respect due to his riches; and the common fate of kings seemed to him far too shabby for the entertainment of his dynasty, which he looked upon as very superior to all the families of crowned heads in the world.

primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration

From this reading Marbles, carpets, gildings, silk hangings, pictures, and statues--in fact, the whole mass of common-place luxuries as one sees them even in the grandest royal abodes, fell short of his magnificent pretensions.

a fabric made from the fine threads produced by certain insect larvae

From this reading Marbles, carpets, gildings, silk hangings, pictures, and statues--in fact, the whole mass of common-place luxuries as one sees them even in the grandest royal abodes, fell short of his magnificent pretensions.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading There was once upon a time a banker, a millionaire, who could reckon his wealth not by millions only, but by hundreds of millions and more; who was, in fact, so tremendously rich that he did not know what to do with his money--a difficulty in which nobody had ever been before.

plural of “statue” — a sculpture representing a human or animal

From this reading Marbles, carpets, gildings, silk hangings, pictures, and statues--in fact, the whole mass of common-place luxuries as one sees them even in the grandest royal abodes, fell short of his magnificent pretensions.

of high or superior quality or performance

From this reading This man took it into his head to build a palace infinitely superior to anything that had hitherto been seen.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading There was once upon a time a banker, a millionaire, who could reckon his wealth not by millions only, but by hundreds of millions and more; who was, in fact, so tremendously rich that he did not know what to do with his money--a difficulty in which nobody had ever been before.

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

From this reading THE HEART.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Marbles, carpets, gildings, silk hangings, pictures, and statues--in fact, the whole mass of common-place luxuries as one sees them even in the grandest royal abodes, fell short of his magnificent pretensions.

in or at that place or location

From this reading There was once upon a time a banker, a millionaire, who could reckon his wealth not by millions only, but by hundreds of millions and more; who was, in fact, so tremendously rich that he did not know what to do with his money--a difficulty in which nobody had ever been before.

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

From this reading This man took it into his head to build a palace infinitely superior to anything that had hitherto been seen.

in an exhaustive manner

From this reading He was an intelligent man, and thoroughly understood the respect due to his riches; and the common fate of kings seemed to him far too shabby for the entertainment of his dynasty, which he looked upon as very superior to all the families of crowned heads in the world.

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading There was once upon a time a banker, a millionaire, who could reckon his wealth not by millions only, but by hundreds of millions and more; who was, in fact, so tremendously rich that he did not know what to do with his money--a difficulty in which nobody had ever been before.

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

From this reading There was once upon a time a banker, a millionaire, who could reckon his wealth not by millions only, but by hundreds of millions and more; who was, in fact, so tremendously rich that he did not know what to do with his money--a difficulty in which nobody had ever been before.

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading He was an intelligent man, and thoroughly understood the respect due to his riches; and the common fate of kings seemed to him far too shabby for the entertainment of his dynasty, which he looked upon as very superior to all the families of crowned heads in the world.

inflected form of “take” — carry out

From this reading This man took it into his head to build a palace infinitely superior to anything that had hitherto been seen.

extremely

From this reading There was once upon a time a banker, a millionaire, who could reckon his wealth not by millions only, but by hundreds of millions and more; who was, in fact, so tremendously rich that he did not know what to do with his money--a difficulty in which nobody had ever been before.

fully apprehended as to purport or meaning or explanation

From this reading He was an intelligent man, and thoroughly understood the respect due to his riches; and the common fate of kings seemed to him far too shabby for the entertainment of his dynasty, which he looked upon as very superior to all the families of crowned heads in the world.

a formal word for “on”

From this reading There was once upon a time a banker, a millionaire, who could reckon his wealth not by millions only, but by hundreds of millions and more; who was, in fact, so tremendously rich that he did not know what to do with his money--a difficulty in which nobody had ever been before.

precisely as stated

From this reading He was an intelligent man, and thoroughly understood the respect due to his riches; and the common fate of kings seemed to him far too shabby for the entertainment of his dynasty, which he looked upon as very superior to all the families of crowned heads in the world.

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

From this reading There was once upon a time a banker, a millionaire, who could reckon his wealth not by millions only, but by hundreds of millions and more; who was, in fact, so tremendously rich that he did not know what to do with his money--a difficulty in which nobody had ever been before.

the state of being rich and affluent; having a plentiful supply of material goods and money

From this reading There was once upon a time a banker, a millionaire, who could reckon his wealth not by millions only, but by hundreds of millions and more; who was, in fact, so tremendously rich that he did not know what to do with his money--a difficulty in which nobody had ever been before.

used to ask for information about something

From this reading There was once upon a time a banker, a millionaire, who could reckon his wealth not by millions only, but by hundreds of millions and more; who was, in fact, so tremendously rich that he did not know what to do with his money--a difficulty in which nobody had ever been before.

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

From this reading There was once upon a time a banker, a millionaire, who could reckon his wealth not by millions only, but by hundreds of millions and more; who was, in fact, so tremendously rich that he did not know what to do with his money--a difficulty in which nobody had ever been before.

which person or people

From this reading There was once upon a time a banker, a millionaire, who could reckon his wealth not by millions only, but by hundreds of millions and more; who was, in fact, so tremendously rich that he did not know what to do with his money--a difficulty in which nobody had ever been before.

including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete

From this reading Marbles, carpets, gildings, silk hangings, pictures, and statues--in fact, the whole mass of common-place luxuries as one sees them even in the grandest royal abodes, fell short of his magnificent pretensions.

in the company of; together with

From this reading There was once upon a time a banker, a millionaire, who could reckon his wealth not by millions only, but by hundreds of millions and more; who was, in fact, so tremendously rich that he did not know what to do with his money--a difficulty in which nobody had ever been before.

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading He was an intelligent man, and thoroughly understood the respect due to his riches; and the common fate of kings seemed to him far too shabby for the entertainment of his dynasty, which he looked upon as very superior to all the families of crowned heads in the world.