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The Iron Pincers
The Iron Pincers

Chapter XV

Chapter 15 of The Iron Pincers is here in full — 118 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Iron Pincers
Context Illustration Reading 1/23 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
SONG ON THE BURNING OF CARCASSONNE.
They march upon Carcassonne, The Cath'lic Crusaders!
Ill fortified is the town, Into the town, Roger, the young Viscount of Beziers, Too late back from Aragon to defend the capital of his domain, Has thrown himself.
The young man is bold and generous, beloved by all.
A heretic, like most the seigneurs of Languedoc, This land of freedom.
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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 XV

Chapter 15 of The Iron Pincers is here in full — 118 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/23 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
SONG ON THE BURNING OF CARCASSONNE.
Line 2
They march upon Carcassonne, The Cath'lic Crusaders!
Line 3
Ill fortified is the town, Into the town, Roger, the young Viscount of Beziers, Too late back from Aragon to defend the capital of his domain, Has thrown himself.
Line 4
The young man is bold and generous, beloved by all.
/ðə jʌŋ mæn ɪz boʊld ənd ˈdʒenərəs bɪˈlʌvd baɪ ɔːl/
Line 5
A heretic, like most the seigneurs of Languedoc, This land of freedom.

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.

Aragon noun US /ˈerəɡɑːn/

French writer who generalized surrealism to literature (1897-1982)

From this reading “Ill fortified is the town, Into the town, Roger, the young Viscount of Beziers, Too late back from Aragon to defend the capital of his domain, Has thrown himself.”

beloved adjective US /bɪˈlʌvd/

dearly loved

From this reading “The young man is bold and generous, beloved by all.”

Crusaders noun US /kruːˈseɪdərz/

plural of “crusader” — a disputant who advocates reform

From this reading “They march upon Carcassonne, The Cath'lic Crusaders!”

defend verb US /dɪˈfend/

argue or speak in defense of

From this reading “Ill fortified is the town, Into the town, Roger, the young Viscount of Beziers, Too late back from Aragon to defend the capital of his domain, Has thrown himself.”

domain noun US /doʊˈmeɪn/

a particular environment or walk of life

From this reading “Ill fortified is the town, Into the town, Roger, the young Viscount of Beziers, Too late back from Aragon to defend the capital of his domain, Has thrown himself.”

fortified adjective US /ˈfɔːrtəfaɪd/

secured with bastions or fortifications

From this reading “Ill fortified is the town, Into the town, Roger, the young Viscount of Beziers, Too late back from Aragon to defend the capital of his domain, Has thrown himself.”

heretic noun US /ˈherətɪk/

a person who holds religious beliefs in conflict with the dogma of the Roman Catholic Church

From this reading “A heretic, like most the seigneurs of Languedoc, This land of freedom.”

Viscount noun US /ˈvɪskaʊnt/

(in various countries) a son or younger brother or a count

From this reading “Ill fortified is the town, Into the town, Roger, the young Viscount of Beziers, Too late back from Aragon to defend the capital of his domain, Has thrown himself.”

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.

Too late adverb + adjective

In this reading “Ill fortified is the town, Into the town, Roger, the young Viscount of Beziers, Too late back from Aragon to defend the capital of his domain, Has thrown himself.”

young man adjective + noun

a teenager or a young adult male

In this reading “The young man is bold and generous, beloved by all.”

Into the town preposition + article + noun counted as “into … town”

In this reading “Ill fortified is the town, Into the town, Roger, the young Viscount of Beziers, Too late back from Aragon to defend the capital of his domain, Has thrown himself.”

All words in this reading · 49

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.

AdeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading A heretic, like most the seigneurs of Languedoc, This land of freedom.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(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 The young man is bold and generous, beloved by all.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The young man is bold and generous, beloved by all.

AragonnounUS /ˈerəɡɑːn/

French writer who generalized surrealism to literature (1897-1982)

From this reading Ill fortified is the town, Into the town, Roger, the young Viscount of Beziers, Too late back from Aragon to defend the capital of his domain, Has thrown himself.

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading Ill fortified is the town, Into the town, Roger, the young Viscount of Beziers, Too late back from Aragon to defend the capital of his domain, Has thrown himself.

belovedadjectiveUS /bɪˈlʌvd/

dearly loved

From this reading The young man is bold and generous, beloved by all.

Beziers

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

From this reading Ill fortified is the town, Into the town, Roger, the young Viscount of Beziers, Too late back from Aragon to defend the capital of his domain, Has thrown himself.

boldadjectiveUS /boʊld/

fearless and daring

From this reading The young man is bold and generous, beloved by all.

BURNINGnounUS /ˈbɜːrnɪŋ/

the act of burning something

From this reading SONG ON THE BURNING OF CARCASSONNE.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading The young man is bold and generous, beloved by all.

capitalnounUS /ˈkæpətəl/

assets available for use in the production of further assets

From this reading Ill fortified is the town, Into the town, Roger, the young Viscount of Beziers, Too late back from Aragon to defend the capital of his domain, Has thrown himself.

CARCASSONNE

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

From this reading SONG ON THE BURNING OF CARCASSONNE.

Cath'lic

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

From this reading They march upon Carcassonne, The Cath'lic Crusaders!

CrusadersnounUS /kruːˈseɪdərz/

plural of “crusader” — a disputant who advocates reform

From this reading They march upon Carcassonne, The Cath'lic Crusaders!

defendverbUS /dɪˈfend/

argue or speak in defense of

From this reading Ill fortified is the town, Into the town, Roger, the young Viscount of Beziers, Too late back from Aragon to defend the capital of his domain, Has thrown himself.

domainnounUS /doʊˈmeɪn/

a particular environment or walk of life

From this reading Ill fortified is the town, Into the town, Roger, the young Viscount of Beziers, Too late back from Aragon to defend the capital of his domain, Has thrown himself.

fortifiedadjectiveUS /ˈfɔːrtəfaɪd/

secured with bastions or fortifications

From this reading Ill fortified is the town, Into the town, Roger, the young Viscount of Beziers, Too late back from Aragon to defend the capital of his domain, Has thrown himself.

freedomnounUS /ˈfriːdəm/

the condition of being free; the power to act or speak or think without externally imposed restraints

From this reading A heretic, like most the seigneurs of Languedoc, This land of freedom.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Ill fortified is the town, Into the town, Roger, the young Viscount of Beziers, Too late back from Aragon to defend the capital of his domain, Has thrown himself.

generousadjectiveUS /ˈdʒenərəs/

willing to give and share unstintingly

From this reading The young man is bold and generous, beloved by all.

Hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading Ill fortified is the town, Into the town, Roger, the young Viscount of Beziers, Too late back from Aragon to defend the capital of his domain, Has thrown himself.

hereticnounUS /ˈherətɪk/

a person who holds religious beliefs in conflict with the dogma of the Roman Catholic Church

From this reading A heretic, like most the seigneurs of Languedoc, This land of freedom.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading Ill fortified is the town, Into the town, Roger, the young Viscount of Beziers, Too late back from Aragon to defend the capital of his domain, Has thrown himself.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Ill fortified is the town, Into the town, Roger, the young Viscount of Beziers, Too late back from Aragon to defend the capital of his domain, Has thrown himself.

IlladjectiveUS /ɪl/

affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function

From this reading Ill fortified is the town, Into the town, Roger, the young Viscount of Beziers, Too late back from Aragon to defend the capital of his domain, Has thrown himself.

IntoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Ill fortified is the town, Into the town, Roger, the young Viscount of Beziers, Too late back from Aragon to defend the capital of his domain, Has thrown himself.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Ill fortified is the town, Into the town, Roger, the young Viscount of Beziers, Too late back from Aragon to defend the capital of his domain, Has thrown himself.

landnounUS /lænd/

the land on which real estate is located

From this reading A heretic, like most the seigneurs of Languedoc, This land of freedom.

Languedoc

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

From this reading A heretic, like most the seigneurs of Languedoc, This land of freedom.

lateadjectiveUS /leɪt/

being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time

From this reading Ill fortified is the town, Into the town, Roger, the young Viscount of Beziers, Too late back from Aragon to defend the capital of his domain, Has thrown himself.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading A heretic, like most the seigneurs of Languedoc, This land of freedom.

mannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading The young man is bold and generous, beloved by all.

marchverbUS /mɑːrtʃ/

march in a procession

From this reading They march upon Carcassonne, The Cath'lic Crusaders!

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading A heretic, like most the seigneurs of Languedoc, This land of freedom.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading SONG ON THE BURNING OF CARCASSONNE.

ONprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading SONG ON THE BURNING OF CARCASSONNE.

Roger

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

From this reading Ill fortified is the town, Into the town, Roger, the young Viscount of Beziers, Too late back from Aragon to defend the capital of his domain, Has thrown himself.

seigneurs

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

From this reading A heretic, like most the seigneurs of Languedoc, This land of freedom.

SONGnounUS /sɔːŋ/

a short musical composition with words

From this reading SONG ON THE BURNING OF CARCASSONNE.

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 BURNING OF CARCASSONNE.

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading They march upon Carcassonne, The Cath'lic Crusaders!

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading A heretic, like most the seigneurs of Languedoc, This land of freedom.

thrownadjectiveUS /θroʊn/

caused to fall to the ground

From this reading Ill fortified is the town, Into the town, Roger, the young Viscount of Beziers, Too late back from Aragon to defend the capital of his domain, Has thrown himself.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Ill fortified is the town, Into the town, Roger, the young Viscount of Beziers, Too late back from Aragon to defend the capital of his domain, Has thrown himself.

TooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading Ill fortified is the town, Into the town, Roger, the young Viscount of Beziers, Too late back from Aragon to defend the capital of his domain, Has thrown himself.

townnounUS /taʊn/

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

From this reading Ill fortified is the town, Into the town, Roger, the young Viscount of Beziers, Too late back from Aragon to defend the capital of his domain, Has thrown himself.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading They march upon Carcassonne, The Cath'lic Crusaders!

ViscountnounUS /ˈvɪskaʊnt/

(in various countries) a son or younger brother or a count

From this reading Ill fortified is the town, Into the town, Roger, the young Viscount of Beziers, Too late back from Aragon to defend the capital of his domain, Has thrown himself.

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading Ill fortified is the town, Into the town, Roger, the young Viscount of Beziers, Too late back from Aragon to defend the capital of his domain, Has thrown himself.

Chapter 15 of The Iron Pincers by Eugène Sue holds 118 sentences, grouped into 24 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 15 of The Iron Pincers contain?

Chapter 15 holds 118 sentences of The Iron Pincers, unabridged, divided into 24 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 15 of The Iron Pincers by Eugène Sue exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 118 sentences, grouped into 24 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 15 of The Iron Pincers?

Work through the 24 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 24 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 15 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 15 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.