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The Iron Pincers
The Iron Pincers

Chapter XVI

Chapter 16 of The Iron Pincers is here in full — 48 sentences across 10 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Iron Pincers
Context Illustration Reading 1/9 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE HERETICS' WAR SONG.
Aye, behold them on the march to Lavaur, The fagot in one hand, The sword in the other, The Catholic Crusaders!
Aye, behold what they've done until now.
Oh, valiant sons of Languedoc!
Oh, ye sons of ancient Gaul, Who, like our fathers, have known how to re-conquer freedom, Read on the flag of the Catholic Crusaders, Read--read these lines traced in blood and in fire: "Chasseneuil," "Beziers," "Carcassonne."
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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 XVI

Chapter 16 of The Iron Pincers is here in full — 48 sentences across 10 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/9 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE HERETICS' WAR SONG.
/ðə ˈherətɪks wɔːr sɔːŋ/
Line 2
Aye, behold them on the march to Lavaur, The fagot in one hand, The sword in the other, The Catholic Crusaders!
Line 3
Aye, behold what they've done until now.
Line 4
Oh, valiant sons of Languedoc!
Line 5
Oh, ye sons of ancient Gaul, Who, like our fathers, have known how to re-conquer freedom, Read on the flag of the Catholic Crusaders, Read--read these lines traced in blood and in fire: "Chasseneuil," "Beziers," "Carcassonne."

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.

Catholic adjective US /ˈkæθlɪk/

of or relating to or supporting Catholicism

From this reading “Aye, behold them on the march to Lavaur, The fagot in one hand, The sword in the other, The Catholic Crusaders!”

Crusaders noun US /kruːˈseɪdərz/

plural of “crusader” — a disputant who advocates reform

From this reading “Aye, behold them on the march to Lavaur, The fagot in one hand, The sword in the other, The Catholic Crusaders!”

fathers noun US /ˈfɑːðərz/

plural of “father” — a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading “Oh, ye sons of ancient Gaul, Who, like our fathers, have known how to re-conquer freedom, Read on the flag of the Catholic Crusaders, Read--read these lines traced in blood and in fire: "Chasseneuil," "Beziers," "Carcassonne."”

flag noun US /flæɡ/

emblem usually consisting of a rectangular piece of cloth of distinctive design

From this reading “Oh, ye sons of ancient Gaul, Who, like our fathers, have known how to re-conquer freedom, Read on the flag of the Catholic Crusaders, Read--read these lines traced in blood and in fire: "Chasseneuil," "Beziers," "Carcassonne."”

Gaul noun US /ɡɔːl/

a person of French descent

From this reading “Oh, ye sons of ancient Gaul, Who, like our fathers, have known how to re-conquer freedom, Read on the flag of the Catholic Crusaders, Read--read these lines traced in blood and in fire: "Chasseneuil," "Beziers," "Carcassonne."”

heretics noun US /ˈherətɪks/

plural of “heretic” — a person who holds religious beliefs in conflict with the dogma of the Roman Catholic Church

From this reading “THE HERETICS' WAR SONG.”

traced verb US /treɪst/

past form of “trace” — follow, discover, or ascertain the course of development of something

From this reading “Oh, ye sons of ancient Gaul, Who, like our fathers, have known how to re-conquer freedom, Read on the flag of the Catholic Crusaders, Read--read these lines traced in blood and in fire: "Chasseneuil," "Beziers," "Carcassonne."”

valiant adj US /ˈvæl.jənt/

Possessing or showing courage or determination; heroic. (Dũng cảm, quả cảm, anh hùng.)

From this reading “Oh, valiant sons of Languedoc!”

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.

WAR SONG noun + noun

In this reading “THE HERETICS' WAR SONG.”

until now preposition + adverb

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

In this reading “Aye, behold what they've done until now.”

All words in this reading · 52

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.

ancientadjectiveUS /ˈeɪn.ʃənt/

Belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence or deeply revered.

From this reading Oh, ye sons of ancient Gaul, Who, like our fathers, have known how to re-conquer freedom, Read on the flag of the Catholic Crusaders, Read--read these lines traced in blood and in fire: "Chasseneuil," "Beziers," "Carcassonne."

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Oh, ye sons of ancient Gaul, Who, like our fathers, have known how to re-conquer freedom, Read on the flag of the Catholic Crusaders, Read--read these lines traced in blood and in fire: "Chasseneuil," "Beziers," "Carcassonne."

Aye

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

From this reading Aye, behold them on the march to Lavaur, The fagot in one hand, The sword in the other, The Catholic Crusaders!

beholdverbUS /bɪˈhoʊld/

see with attention

From this reading Aye, behold them on the march to Lavaur, The fagot in one hand, The sword in the other, The Catholic Crusaders!

Beziers

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

From this reading Oh, ye sons of ancient Gaul, Who, like our fathers, have known how to re-conquer freedom, Read on the flag of the Catholic Crusaders, Read--read these lines traced in blood and in fire: "Chasseneuil," "Beziers," "Carcassonne."

bloodnounUS /blʌd/

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

From this reading Oh, ye sons of ancient Gaul, Who, like our fathers, have known how to re-conquer freedom, Read on the flag of the Catholic Crusaders, Read--read these lines traced in blood and in fire: "Chasseneuil," "Beziers," "Carcassonne."

Carcassonne

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

From this reading Oh, ye sons of ancient Gaul, Who, like our fathers, have known how to re-conquer freedom, Read on the flag of the Catholic Crusaders, Read--read these lines traced in blood and in fire: "Chasseneuil," "Beziers," "Carcassonne."

CatholicadjectiveUS /ˈkæθlɪk/

of or relating to or supporting Catholicism

From this reading Aye, behold them on the march to Lavaur, The fagot in one hand, The sword in the other, The Catholic Crusaders!

Chasseneuil

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

From this reading Oh, ye sons of ancient Gaul, Who, like our fathers, have known how to re-conquer freedom, Read on the flag of the Catholic Crusaders, Read--read these lines traced in blood and in fire: "Chasseneuil," "Beziers," "Carcassonne."

CrusadersnounUS /kruːˈseɪdərz/

plural of “crusader” — a disputant who advocates reform

From this reading Aye, behold them on the march to Lavaur, The fagot in one hand, The sword in the other, The Catholic Crusaders!

doneadjectiveUS /dʌn/

having finished or arrived at completion

From this reading Aye, behold what they've done until now.

fagotverb

ornament or join (fabric) by faggot stitch

From this reading Aye, behold them on the march to Lavaur, The fagot in one hand, The sword in the other, The Catholic Crusaders!

fathersnounUS /ˈfɑːðərz/

plural of “father” — a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading Oh, ye sons of ancient Gaul, Who, like our fathers, have known how to re-conquer freedom, Read on the flag of the Catholic Crusaders, Read--read these lines traced in blood and in fire: "Chasseneuil," "Beziers," "Carcassonne."

fireverbUS /ˈfaɪər/

start firing a weapon

From this reading Oh, ye sons of ancient Gaul, Who, like our fathers, have known how to re-conquer freedom, Read on the flag of the Catholic Crusaders, Read--read these lines traced in blood and in fire: "Chasseneuil," "Beziers," "Carcassonne."

flagnounUS /flæɡ/

emblem usually consisting of a rectangular piece of cloth of distinctive design

From this reading Oh, ye sons of ancient Gaul, Who, like our fathers, have known how to re-conquer freedom, Read on the flag of the Catholic Crusaders, Read--read these lines traced in blood and in fire: "Chasseneuil," "Beziers," "Carcassonne."

freedomnounUS /ˈfriːdəm/

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

From this reading Oh, ye sons of ancient Gaul, Who, like our fathers, have known how to re-conquer freedom, Read on the flag of the Catholic Crusaders, Read--read these lines traced in blood and in fire: "Chasseneuil," "Beziers," "Carcassonne."

GaulnounUS /ɡɔːl/

a person of French descent

From this reading Oh, ye sons of ancient Gaul, Who, like our fathers, have known how to re-conquer freedom, Read on the flag of the Catholic Crusaders, Read--read these lines traced in blood and in fire: "Chasseneuil," "Beziers," "Carcassonne."

handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading Aye, behold them on the march to Lavaur, The fagot in one hand, The sword in the other, The Catholic Crusaders!

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Oh, ye sons of ancient Gaul, Who, like our fathers, have known how to re-conquer freedom, Read on the flag of the Catholic Crusaders, Read--read these lines traced in blood and in fire: "Chasseneuil," "Beziers," "Carcassonne."

HERETICSnounUS /ˈherətɪks/

plural of “heretic” — a person who holds religious beliefs in conflict with the dogma of the Roman Catholic Church

From this reading THE HERETICS' WAR SONG.

how

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

From this reading Oh, ye sons of ancient Gaul, Who, like our fathers, have known how to re-conquer freedom, Read on the flag of the Catholic Crusaders, Read--read these lines traced in blood and in fire: "Chasseneuil," "Beziers," "Carcassonne."

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Aye, behold them on the march to Lavaur, The fagot in one hand, The sword in the other, The Catholic Crusaders!

knownadjectiveUS /noʊn/

apprehended with certainty

From this reading Oh, ye sons of ancient Gaul, Who, like our fathers, have known how to re-conquer freedom, Read on the flag of the Catholic Crusaders, Read--read these lines traced in blood and in fire: "Chasseneuil," "Beziers," "Carcassonne."

Languedoc

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

From this reading Oh, valiant sons of Languedoc!

Lavaur

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

From this reading Aye, behold them on the march to Lavaur, The fagot in one hand, The sword in the other, The Catholic Crusaders!

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading Oh, ye sons of ancient Gaul, Who, like our fathers, have known how to re-conquer freedom, Read on the flag of the Catholic Crusaders, Read--read these lines traced in blood and in fire: "Chasseneuil," "Beziers," "Carcassonne."

linesnounUS /laɪnz/

plural of “line” — a formation of people or things one beside another

From this reading Oh, ye sons of ancient Gaul, Who, like our fathers, have known how to re-conquer freedom, Read on the flag of the Catholic Crusaders, Read--read these lines traced in blood and in fire: "Chasseneuil," "Beziers," "Carcassonne."

marchverbUS /mɑːrtʃ/

march in a procession

From this reading Aye, behold them on the march to Lavaur, The fagot in one hand, The sword in the other, The Catholic Crusaders!

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

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

From this reading Aye, behold what they've done until now.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Oh, valiant sons of Languedoc!

OhnounUS /oʊ/

a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region

From this reading Oh, valiant sons of Languedoc!

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Aye, behold them on the march to Lavaur, The fagot in one hand, The sword in the other, The Catholic Crusaders!

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Aye, behold them on the march to Lavaur, The fagot in one hand, The sword in the other, The Catholic Crusaders!

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading Aye, behold them on the march to Lavaur, The fagot in one hand, The sword in the other, The Catholic Crusaders!

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading Oh, ye sons of ancient Gaul, Who, like our fathers, have known how to re-conquer freedom, Read on the flag of the Catholic Crusaders, Read--read these lines traced in blood and in fire: "Chasseneuil," "Beziers," "Carcassonne."

re-conquer

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

From this reading Oh, ye sons of ancient Gaul, Who, like our fathers, have known how to re-conquer freedom, Read on the flag of the Catholic Crusaders, Read--read these lines traced in blood and in fire: "Chasseneuil," "Beziers," "Carcassonne."

ReadverbUS /red/

interpret something that is written or printed

From this reading Oh, ye sons of ancient Gaul, Who, like our fathers, have known how to re-conquer freedom, Read on the flag of the Catholic Crusaders, Read--read these lines traced in blood and in fire: "Chasseneuil," "Beziers," "Carcassonne."

SONGnounUS /sɔːŋ/

a short musical composition with words

From this reading THE HERETICS' WAR SONG.

sonsnounUS /sʌnz/

plural of “son” — a male human offspring

From this reading Oh, valiant sons of Languedoc!

swordnounUS /sɔːrd/

a cutting or thrusting weapon that has a long metal blade and a hilt with a hand guard

From this reading Aye, behold them on the march to Lavaur, The fagot in one hand, The sword in the other, The Catholic Crusaders!

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE HERETICS' WAR SONG.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Aye, behold them on the march to Lavaur, The fagot in one hand, The sword in the other, The Catholic Crusaders!

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading Oh, ye sons of ancient Gaul, Who, like our fathers, have known how to re-conquer freedom, Read on the flag of the Catholic Crusaders, Read--read these lines traced in blood and in fire: "Chasseneuil," "Beziers," "Carcassonne."

they've

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

From this reading Aye, behold what they've done until now.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Aye, behold them on the march to Lavaur, The fagot in one hand, The sword in the other, The Catholic Crusaders!

tracedverbUS /treɪst/

past form of “trace” — follow, discover, or ascertain the course of development of something

From this reading Oh, ye sons of ancient Gaul, Who, like our fathers, have known how to re-conquer freedom, Read on the flag of the Catholic Crusaders, Read--read these lines traced in blood and in fire: "Chasseneuil," "Beziers," "Carcassonne."

untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading Aye, behold what they've done until now.

valiantadjUS /ˈvæl.jənt/

Possessing or showing courage or determination; heroic. (Dũng cảm, quả cảm, anh hùng.)

From this reading Oh, valiant sons of Languedoc!

WARnounUS /wɔːr/

the waging of armed conflict against an enemy

From this reading THE HERETICS' WAR SONG.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading Aye, behold what they've done until now.

WhopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading Oh, ye sons of ancient Gaul, Who, like our fathers, have known how to re-conquer freedom, Read on the flag of the Catholic Crusaders, Read--read these lines traced in blood and in fire: "Chasseneuil," "Beziers," "Carcassonne."

yepronounUS /jiː/

an old word for “you”, speaking to more than one person

From this reading Oh, ye sons of ancient Gaul, Who, like our fathers, have known how to re-conquer freedom, Read on the flag of the Catholic Crusaders, Read--read these lines traced in blood and in fire: "Chasseneuil," "Beziers," "Carcassonne."

Chapter 16 of The Iron Pincers by Eugène Sue holds 48 sentences, grouped into 10 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 16 of The Iron Pincers contain?

Chapter 16 holds 48 sentences of The Iron Pincers, unabridged, divided into 10 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 16 of The Iron Pincers by Eugène Sue exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 48 sentences, grouped into 10 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 16 of The Iron Pincers?

Work through the 10 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 10 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 16 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 16 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.