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The Iron Pincers
The Iron Pincers

Chapter XIV

Chapter 14 of The Iron Pincers is here in full — 53 sentences across 11 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Iron Pincers
Context Illustration Reading 1/10 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
SONG ON THE BUTCHERY OF BEZIERS.
Behold, them, the Cath'lic Crusaders, Arrived before fortified Beziers!
They are gorged with pillage and blood, The priests ever leading the way!
At the side of Montfort are the Archbishops of Sens and Bordeaux, The Bishops of Puy, Autun, Limoges, Bazas and Agde, Besides from Clermont, Cahors and Nevers.
The Army of the Faith encircles the town.
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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 Iron Pincers

Chapter XIV

Chapter 14 of The Iron Pincers is here in full — 53 sentences across 11 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/10 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
SONG ON THE BUTCHERY OF BEZIERS.
Line 2
Behold, them, the Cath'lic Crusaders, Arrived before fortified Beziers!
Line 3
They are gorged with pillage and blood, The priests ever leading the way!
Line 4
At the side of Montfort are the Archbishops of Sens and Bordeaux, The Bishops of Puy, Autun, Limoges, Bazas and Agde, Besides from Clermont, Cahors and Nevers.
Line 5
The Army of the Faith encircles the town.

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.

Bishops noun US /ˈbɪʃəps/

plural of “bishop” — a senior member of the Christian clergy having spiritual and administrative authority; appointed in Christian churches to oversee priests or ministers; considered in some churches to be successors of the twelve Apostles of Christ

From this reading “At the side of Montfort are the Archbishops of Sens and Bordeaux, The Bishops of Puy, Autun, Limoges, Bazas and Agde, Besides from Clermont, Cahors and Nevers.”

Bordeaux noun US /bɔːrˈdoʊ/

a port city in southwestern France; a major center of the wine trade

From this reading “At the side of Montfort are the Archbishops of Sens and Bordeaux, The Bishops of Puy, Autun, Limoges, Bazas and Agde, Besides from Clermont, Cahors and Nevers.”

butchery noun US /ˈbʊtʃəri/

a building where animals are butchered

From this reading “SONG ON THE BUTCHERY OF BEZIERS.”

Crusaders noun US /kruːˈseɪdərz/

plural of “crusader” — a disputant who advocates reform

From this reading “Behold, them, the Cath'lic Crusaders, Arrived before fortified Beziers!”

fortified adjective US /ˈfɔːrtəfaɪd/

secured with bastions or fortifications

From this reading “Behold, them, the Cath'lic Crusaders, Arrived before fortified Beziers!”

Montfort noun US /ˈmɑːntfərt/

an English nobleman who led the baronial rebellion against Henry III (1208-1265)

From this reading “At the side of Montfort are the Archbishops of Sens and Bordeaux, The Bishops of Puy, Autun, Limoges, Bazas and Agde, Besides from Clermont, Cahors and Nevers.”

pillage noun US /ˈpɪlɪdʒ/

goods or money obtained illegally

From this reading “They are gorged with pillage and blood, The priests ever leading the way!”

Sens noun US /senz/

street names for marijuana

From this reading “At the side of Montfort are the Archbishops of Sens and Bordeaux, The Bishops of Puy, Autun, Limoges, Bazas and Agde, Besides from Clermont, Cahors and Nevers.”

All words in this reading · 45

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.

Agde

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

From this reading At the side of Montfort are the Archbishops of Sens and Bordeaux, The Bishops of Puy, Autun, Limoges, Bazas and Agde, Besides from Clermont, Cahors and Nevers.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading They are gorged with pillage and blood, The priests ever leading the way!

Archbishops

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

From this reading At the side of Montfort are the Archbishops of Sens and Bordeaux, The Bishops of Puy, Autun, Limoges, Bazas and Agde, Besides from Clermont, Cahors and Nevers.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading They are gorged with pillage and blood, The priests ever leading the way!

ArmynounUS /ˈɑːrmi/

a permanent organization of the military land forces of a nation or state

From this reading The Army of the Faith encircles the town.

ArrivedverbUS /ərˈaɪvd/

past form of “arrive” — reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress

From this reading Behold, them, the Cath'lic Crusaders, Arrived before fortified Beziers!

AtprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading At the side of Montfort are the Archbishops of Sens and Bordeaux, The Bishops of Puy, Autun, Limoges, Bazas and Agde, Besides from Clermont, Cahors and Nevers.

Autun

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

From this reading At the side of Montfort are the Archbishops of Sens and Bordeaux, The Bishops of Puy, Autun, Limoges, Bazas and Agde, Besides from Clermont, Cahors and Nevers.

Bazas

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

From this reading At the side of Montfort are the Archbishops of Sens and Bordeaux, The Bishops of Puy, Autun, Limoges, Bazas and Agde, Besides from Clermont, Cahors and Nevers.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Behold, them, the Cath'lic Crusaders, Arrived before fortified Beziers!

BeholdverbUS /bɪˈhoʊld/

see with attention

From this reading Behold, them, the Cath'lic Crusaders, Arrived before fortified Beziers!

BesidesprepositionUS /bɪˈsaɪdz/

in addition to; as well as

From this reading At the side of Montfort are the Archbishops of Sens and Bordeaux, The Bishops of Puy, Autun, Limoges, Bazas and Agde, Besides from Clermont, Cahors and Nevers.

BEZIERS

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

From this reading SONG ON THE BUTCHERY OF BEZIERS.

BishopsnounUS /ˈbɪʃəps/

plural of “bishop” — a senior member of the Christian clergy having spiritual and administrative authority; appointed in Christian churches to oversee priests or ministers; considered in some churches to be successors of the twelve Apostles of Christ

From this reading At the side of Montfort are the Archbishops of Sens and Bordeaux, The Bishops of Puy, Autun, Limoges, Bazas and Agde, Besides from Clermont, Cahors and Nevers.

bloodnounUS /blʌd/

The red fluid that circulates in the heart and blood vessels.

From this reading They are gorged with pillage and blood, The priests ever leading the way!

BordeauxnounUS /bɔːrˈdoʊ/

a port city in southwestern France; a major center of the wine trade

From this reading At the side of Montfort are the Archbishops of Sens and Bordeaux, The Bishops of Puy, Autun, Limoges, Bazas and Agde, Besides from Clermont, Cahors and Nevers.

BUTCHERYnounUS /ˈbʊtʃəri/

a building where animals are butchered

From this reading SONG ON THE BUTCHERY OF BEZIERS.

Cahors

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

From this reading At the side of Montfort are the Archbishops of Sens and Bordeaux, The Bishops of Puy, Autun, Limoges, Bazas and Agde, Besides from Clermont, Cahors and Nevers.

Cath'lic

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

From this reading Behold, them, the Cath'lic Crusaders, Arrived before fortified Beziers!

Clermont

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

From this reading At the side of Montfort are the Archbishops of Sens and Bordeaux, The Bishops of Puy, Autun, Limoges, Bazas and Agde, Besides from Clermont, Cahors and Nevers.

CrusadersnounUS /kruːˈseɪdərz/

plural of “crusader” — a disputant who advocates reform

From this reading Behold, them, the Cath'lic Crusaders, Arrived before fortified Beziers!

encircles

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

From this reading The Army of the Faith encircles the town.

everadverbUS /ˈevər/

at any time

From this reading They are gorged with pillage and blood, The priests ever leading the way!

FaithnounUS /feɪθ/

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

From this reading The Army of the Faith encircles the town.

fortifiedadjectiveUS /ˈfɔːrtəfaɪd/

secured with bastions or fortifications

From this reading Behold, them, the Cath'lic Crusaders, Arrived before fortified Beziers!

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading At the side of Montfort are the Archbishops of Sens and Bordeaux, The Bishops of Puy, Autun, Limoges, Bazas and Agde, Besides from Clermont, Cahors and Nevers.

gorged

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

From this reading They are gorged with pillage and blood, The priests ever leading the way!

leadingadjectiveUS /ˈliːdɪŋ/

indicating the most important performer or role

From this reading They are gorged with pillage and blood, The priests ever leading the way!

Limoges

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

From this reading At the side of Montfort are the Archbishops of Sens and Bordeaux, The Bishops of Puy, Autun, Limoges, Bazas and Agde, Besides from Clermont, Cahors and Nevers.

MontfortnounUS /ˈmɑːntfərt/

an English nobleman who led the baronial rebellion against Henry III (1208-1265)

From this reading At the side of Montfort are the Archbishops of Sens and Bordeaux, The Bishops of Puy, Autun, Limoges, Bazas and Agde, Besides from Clermont, Cahors and Nevers.

Nevers

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

From this reading At the side of Montfort are the Archbishops of Sens and Bordeaux, The Bishops of Puy, Autun, Limoges, Bazas and Agde, Besides from Clermont, Cahors and Nevers.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading SONG ON THE BUTCHERY OF BEZIERS.

ONprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading SONG ON THE BUTCHERY OF BEZIERS.

pillagenounUS /ˈpɪlɪdʒ/

goods or money obtained illegally

From this reading They are gorged with pillage and blood, The priests ever leading the way!

priestsnounUS /priːsts/

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

From this reading They are gorged with pillage and blood, The priests ever leading the way!

Puy

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

From this reading At the side of Montfort are the Archbishops of Sens and Bordeaux, The Bishops of Puy, Autun, Limoges, Bazas and Agde, Besides from Clermont, Cahors and Nevers.

SensnounUS /senz/

street names for marijuana

From this reading At the side of Montfort are the Archbishops of Sens and Bordeaux, The Bishops of Puy, Autun, Limoges, Bazas and Agde, Besides from Clermont, Cahors and Nevers.

sidenounUS /saɪd/

a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location

From this reading At the side of Montfort are the Archbishops of Sens and Bordeaux, The Bishops of Puy, Autun, Limoges, Bazas and Agde, Besides from Clermont, Cahors and Nevers.

SONGnounUS /sɔːŋ/

a short musical composition with words

From this reading SONG ON THE BUTCHERY OF BEZIERS.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading SONG ON THE BUTCHERY OF BEZIERS.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Behold, them, the Cath'lic Crusaders, Arrived before fortified Beziers!

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading They are gorged with pillage and blood, The priests ever leading the way!

townnounUS /taʊn/

an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city

From this reading The Army of the Faith encircles the town.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading They are gorged with pillage and blood, The priests ever leading the way!

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading They are gorged with pillage and blood, The priests ever leading the way!

Chapter 14 of The Iron Pincers by Eugène Sue holds 53 sentences, grouped into 11 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 14 of The Iron Pincers contain?

Chapter 14 holds 53 sentences of The Iron Pincers, unabridged, divided into 11 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 14 of The Iron Pincers by Eugène Sue exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 53 sentences, grouped into 11 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 14 of The Iron Pincers?

Work through the 11 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 11 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 14 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 14 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 Iron Pincers

Common questions about reading The Iron Pincers by Eugène Sue on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Iron Pincers?

Yes. All 2898 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #33114 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Iron Pincers is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #33114, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Iron Pincers take to read?

About 241 minutes of reading across 580 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Iron Pincers section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 20 chapters of The Iron Pincers 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 Iron Pincers

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

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