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The Mayor of Casterbridge
The Mayor of Casterbridge

Chapter XXVI · Chapter 26

Chapter 26 of The Mayor of Casterbridge is here in full — 168 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Mayor of Casterbridge
Context Illustration Reading 1/33 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
With all my heart,” said the first fiddle.
We’ve let back our strings, that’s true, but we can soon pull em up again.
Sound A, neighbours, and give the man a stave.”
I don’t care a curse what the words be,” said Henchard.
Hymns, ballets, or rantipole rubbish; the Rogue’s March or the cherubim’s warble—’tis all the same to me if tis good harmony, and well put out.”
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
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 Mayor of Casterbridge

Chapter XXVI · Chapter 26

Chapter 26 of The Mayor of Casterbridge is here in full — 168 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/33 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
With all my heart,” said the first fiddle.
Line 2
We’ve let back our strings, that’s true, but we can soon pullem up again.
Line 3
Sound A, neighbours, and give the man a stave.”
Line 4
I don’t care a curse what the words be,” said Henchard.
Line 5
Hymns, ballets, or rantipole rubbish; the Rogue’s March or the cherubim’s warble—’tis all the same to me iftis good harmony, and well put out.”

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.

Same adjective US /seɪm/

Identical; not different.

From this reading ““Hymns, ballets, or rantipole rubbish; the Rogue’s March or the cherubim’s warble—’tis all the same to me if ’tis good harmony, and well put out.””

All words in this reading · 57

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.

A

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

From this reading Sound A, neighbours, and give the man a stave.”

again

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

From this reading “We’ve let back our strings, that’s true, but we can soon pull ’em up again.

all

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

From this reading “With all my heart,” said the first fiddle.

and

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

From this reading Sound A, neighbours, and give the man a stave.”

back

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

From this reading “We’ve let back our strings, that’s true, but we can soon pull ’em up again.

ballets

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

From this reading “Hymns, ballets, or rantipole rubbish; the Rogue’s March or the cherubim’s warble—’tis all the same to me if ’tis good harmony, and well put out.”

be

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

From this reading “I don’t care a curse what the words be,” said Henchard.

but

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

From this reading “We’ve let back our strings, that’s true, but we can soon pull ’em up again.

can

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

From this reading “We’ve let back our strings, that’s true, but we can soon pull ’em up again.

care

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

From this reading “I don’t care a curse what the words be,” said Henchard.

cherubim's

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

From this reading “Hymns, ballets, or rantipole rubbish; the Rogue’s March or the cherubim’s warble—’tis all the same to me if ’tis good harmony, and well put out.”

curse

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

From this reading “I don’t care a curse what the words be,” said Henchard.

don't

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

From this reading “I don’t care a curse what the words be,” said Henchard.

em

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

From this reading “We’ve let back our strings, that’s true, but we can soon pull ’em up again.

fiddle

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

From this reading “With all my heart,” said the first fiddle.

first

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

From this reading “With all my heart,” said the first fiddle.

give

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

From this reading Sound A, neighbours, and give the man a stave.”

good

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

From this reading “Hymns, ballets, or rantipole rubbish; the Rogue’s March or the cherubim’s warble—’tis all the same to me if ’tis good harmony, and well put out.”

harmony

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

From this reading “Hymns, ballets, or rantipole rubbish; the Rogue’s March or the cherubim’s warble—’tis all the same to me if ’tis good harmony, and well put out.”

heart

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

From this reading “With all my heart,” said the first fiddle.

Henchard

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

From this reading “I don’t care a curse what the words be,” said Henchard.

Hymns

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

From this reading “Hymns, ballets, or rantipole rubbish; the Rogue’s March or the cherubim’s warble—’tis all the same to me if ’tis good harmony, and well put out.”

I

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

From this reading “I don’t care a curse what the words be,” said Henchard.

if

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

From this reading “Hymns, ballets, or rantipole rubbish; the Rogue’s March or the cherubim’s warble—’tis all the same to me if ’tis good harmony, and well put out.”

let

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

From this reading “We’ve let back our strings, that’s true, but we can soon pull ’em up again.

man

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

From this reading Sound A, neighbours, and give the man a stave.”

March

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

From this reading “Hymns, ballets, or rantipole rubbish; the Rogue’s March or the cherubim’s warble—’tis all the same to me if ’tis good harmony, and well put out.”

me

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

From this reading “Hymns, ballets, or rantipole rubbish; the Rogue’s March or the cherubim’s warble—’tis all the same to me if ’tis good harmony, and well put out.”

my

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

From this reading “With all my heart,” said the first fiddle.

neighbours

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

From this reading Sound A, neighbours, and give the man a stave.”

or

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

From this reading “Hymns, ballets, or rantipole rubbish; the Rogue’s March or the cherubim’s warble—’tis all the same to me if ’tis good harmony, and well put out.”

our

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

From this reading “We’ve let back our strings, that’s true, but we can soon pull ’em up again.

out

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

From this reading “Hymns, ballets, or rantipole rubbish; the Rogue’s March or the cherubim’s warble—’tis all the same to me if ’tis good harmony, and well put out.”

pull

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

From this reading “We’ve let back our strings, that’s true, but we can soon pull ’em up again.

put

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

From this reading “Hymns, ballets, or rantipole rubbish; the Rogue’s March or the cherubim’s warble—’tis all the same to me if ’tis good harmony, and well put out.”

rantipole

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

From this reading “Hymns, ballets, or rantipole rubbish; the Rogue’s March or the cherubim’s warble—’tis all the same to me if ’tis good harmony, and well put out.”

Rogue's

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

From this reading “Hymns, ballets, or rantipole rubbish; the Rogue’s March or the cherubim’s warble—’tis all the same to me if ’tis good harmony, and well put out.”

rubbish

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

From this reading “Hymns, ballets, or rantipole rubbish; the Rogue’s March or the cherubim’s warble—’tis all the same to me if ’tis good harmony, and well put out.”

said

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

From this reading “With all my heart,” said the first fiddle.

sameadjectiveUS /seɪm/

Identical; not different.

From this reading “Hymns, ballets, or rantipole rubbish; the Rogue’s March or the cherubim’s warble—’tis all the same to me if ’tis good harmony, and well put out.”

soon

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

From this reading “We’ve let back our strings, that’s true, but we can soon pull ’em up again.

Sound

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

From this reading Sound A, neighbours, and give the man a stave.”

stave

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

From this reading Sound A, neighbours, and give the man a stave.”

strings

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

From this reading “We’ve let back our strings, that’s true, but we can soon pull ’em up again.

that's

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

From this reading “We’ve let back our strings, that’s true, but we can soon pull ’em up again.

the

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

From this reading “With all my heart,” said the first fiddle.

tis

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

From this reading “Hymns, ballets, or rantipole rubbish; the Rogue’s March or the cherubim’s warble—’tis all the same to me if ’tis good harmony, and well put out.”

to

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

From this reading “Hymns, ballets, or rantipole rubbish; the Rogue’s March or the cherubim’s warble—’tis all the same to me if ’tis good harmony, and well put out.”

true

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

From this reading “We’ve let back our strings, that’s true, but we can soon pull ’em up again.

up

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

From this reading “We’ve let back our strings, that’s true, but we can soon pull ’em up again.

warble

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

From this reading “Hymns, ballets, or rantipole rubbish; the Rogue’s March or the cherubim’s warble—’tis all the same to me if ’tis good harmony, and well put out.”

we

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

From this reading “We’ve let back our strings, that’s true, but we can soon pull ’em up again.

We've

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

From this reading “We’ve let back our strings, that’s true, but we can soon pull ’em up again.

well

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

From this reading “Hymns, ballets, or rantipole rubbish; the Rogue’s March or the cherubim’s warble—’tis all the same to me if ’tis good harmony, and well put out.”

what

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

From this reading “I don’t care a curse what the words be,” said Henchard.

With

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

From this reading “With all my heart,” said the first fiddle.

words

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

From this reading “I don’t care a curse what the words be,” said Henchard.

Chapter 26 of The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy holds 168 sentences, grouped into 34 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 26 of The Mayor of Casterbridge contain?

Chapter 26 holds 168 sentences of The Mayor of Casterbridge, unabridged, divided into 34 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 26 of The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 168 sentences, grouped into 34 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 26 of The Mayor of Casterbridge?

Work through the 34 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 34 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 26 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 26 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 Mayor of Casterbridge

Common questions about reading The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Mayor of Casterbridge?

Yes. All 6288 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #143 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Mayor of Casterbridge is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #143, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Mayor of Casterbridge take to read?

About 524 minutes of reading across 1258 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Mayor of Casterbridge section by section

How to work through The Mayor of Casterbridge section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 36 chapters of The Mayor of Casterbridge 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 Mayor of Casterbridge

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Mayor of Casterbridge, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Death
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mayor of Casterbridge; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Character
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mayor of Casterbridge; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Evening
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mayor of Casterbridge; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Summer
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mayor of Casterbridge; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.