Learn English through classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The Mountebank
The Mountebank

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of The Mountebank is here in full — 148 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Mountebank
Context Illustration Reading 1/29 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Like Ancient Gaul, time is nowadays divided into three parts, before, during and after the war.
The lives of most men are split into these three hard and fast sections.
And the men who have sojourned in the Valley of the Shadow of Death have emerged, for all their phlegm, their philosophy, their passionate carelessness and according to their several temperaments, not the same as when they entered.
They have taken human life, they have performed deeds of steadfast and reckless heroism unimagined even in the war-like daydreams of their early childhood.
They have endured want and misery and pain inconceivable.
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 Mountebank

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of The Mountebank is here in full — 148 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/29 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Like Ancient Gaul, time is nowadays divided into three parts, before, during and after the war.
/laɪk ˈeɪn.ʃənt ɡɔːl taɪm ɪz ˈnaʊədeɪz dɪˈvaɪdɪd ˈɪntuː θriː pɑːrts bɪˈfɔːr ˈdʊrɪŋ ənd ˈæftər ðə wɔːr/
Line 2
The lives of most men are split into these three hard and fast sections.
/ðə lɪvz ʌv moʊst men ɑːr splɪt ˈɪntuː ðiːz θriː hɑːrd ənd fæst ˈsekʃənz/
Line 3
And the men who have sojourned in the Valley of the Shadow of Death have emerged, for all their phlegm, their philosophy, their passionate carelessness and according to their several temperaments, not the same as when they entered.
Line 4
They have taken human life, they have performed deeds of steadfast and reckless heroism unimagined even in the war-like daydreams of their early childhood.
Line 5
They have endured want and misery and pain inconceivable.
/ðeɪ hæv enˈdjʊrd wɑːnt ənd ˈmɪzəri ənd peɪn ˌɪnkənˈsiːvəbəl/

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.

daydreams noun US /ˈdeɪdriːmz/

plural of “daydream” — absentminded dreaming while awake

From this reading “They have taken human life, they have performed deeds of steadfast and reckless heroism unimagined even in the war-like daydreams of their early childhood.”

Gaul noun US /ɡɔːl/

a person of French descent

From this reading “Like Ancient Gaul, time is nowadays divided into three parts, before, during and after the war.”

inconceivable adjective US /ˌɪnkənˈsiːvəbəl/

totally unlikely

From this reading “They have endured want and misery and pain inconceivable.”

phlegm noun US /flem/

apathy demonstrated by an absence of emotional reactions

From this reading “And the men who have sojourned in the Valley of the Shadow of Death have emerged, for all their phlegm, their philosophy, their passionate carelessness and according to their several temperaments, not the same as when they entered.”

sections noun US /ˈsekʃənz/

plural of “section” — a self-contained part of a larger composition (written or musical)

From this reading “The lives of most men are split into these three hard and fast sections.”

steadfast adjective US /ˈstedfæst/

marked by firm determination or resolution; not shakable

From this reading “They have taken human life, they have performed deeds of steadfast and reckless heroism unimagined even in the war-like daydreams of their early childhood.”

temperaments noun US /ˈtemprəmənts/

plural of “temperament” — your usual mood

From this reading “And the men who have sojourned in the Valley of the Shadow of Death have emerged, for all their phlegm, their philosophy, their passionate carelessness and according to their several temperaments, not the same as when they entered.”

unimagined adjective US /ˌʌnɪˈmædʒənd/

not imagined even in a dream

From this reading “They have taken human life, they have performed deeds of steadfast and reckless heroism unimagined even in the war-like daydreams of their early childhood.”

All words in this reading · 70

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.

accordingadjectiveUS /əˈkɔːrdɪŋ/

(followed by “to”) in agreement with or accordant with

From this reading And the men who have sojourned in the Valley of the Shadow of Death have emerged, for all their phlegm, their philosophy, their passionate carelessness and according to their several temperaments, not the same as when they entered.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading Like Ancient Gaul, time is nowadays divided into three parts, before, during and after the war.

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 And the men who have sojourned in the Valley of the Shadow of Death have emerged, for all their phlegm, their philosophy, their passionate carelessness and according to their several temperaments, not the same as when they entered.

AncientadjectiveUS /ˈeɪn.ʃənt/

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

From this reading Like Ancient Gaul, time is nowadays divided into three parts, before, during and after the war.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Like Ancient Gaul, time is nowadays divided into three parts, before, during and after the war.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading The lives of most men are split into these three hard and fast sections.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading And the men who have sojourned in the Valley of the Shadow of Death have emerged, for all their phlegm, their philosophy, their passionate carelessness and according to their several temperaments, not the same as when they entered.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Like Ancient Gaul, time is nowadays divided into three parts, before, during and after the war.

carelessnessnounUS /ˈkerləsnəs/

the quality of not being careful or taking pains

From this reading And the men who have sojourned in the Valley of the Shadow of Death have emerged, for all their phlegm, their philosophy, their passionate carelessness and according to their several temperaments, not the same as when they entered.

childhoodnounUS /ˈtʃaɪldhʊd/

the time of person's life when they are a child

From this reading They have taken human life, they have performed deeds of steadfast and reckless heroism unimagined even in the war-like daydreams of their early childhood.

daydreamsnounUS /ˈdeɪdriːmz/

plural of “daydream” — absentminded dreaming while awake

From this reading They have taken human life, they have performed deeds of steadfast and reckless heroism unimagined even in the war-like daydreams of their early childhood.

DeathnounUS /deθ/

the event of dying or departure from life

From this reading And the men who have sojourned in the Valley of the Shadow of Death have emerged, for all their phlegm, their philosophy, their passionate carelessness and according to their several temperaments, not the same as when they entered.

deedsnounUS /diːdz/

performance of moral or religious acts

From this reading They have taken human life, they have performed deeds of steadfast and reckless heroism unimagined even in the war-like daydreams of their early childhood.

dividedadjectiveUS /dɪˈvaɪdɪd/

separated into parts or pieces

From this reading Like Ancient Gaul, time is nowadays divided into three parts, before, during and after the war.

duringprepositionUS /ˈdʊrɪŋ/

all through a period, or at some point within it

From this reading Like Ancient Gaul, time is nowadays divided into three parts, before, during and after the war.

earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/

at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time

From this reading They have taken human life, they have performed deeds of steadfast and reckless heroism unimagined even in the war-like daydreams of their early childhood.

emergedverbUS /ɪˈmɜːrdʒd/

past form of “emerge” — come out into view, as from concealment

From this reading And the men who have sojourned in the Valley of the Shadow of Death have emerged, for all their phlegm, their philosophy, their passionate carelessness and according to their several temperaments, not the same as when they entered.

enduredverbUS /enˈdjʊrd/

past form of “endure” — put up with something or somebody unpleasant

From this reading They have endured want and misery and pain inconceivable.

enteredverbUS /ˈentərd/

past form of “enter” — to come or go into

From this reading And the men who have sojourned in the Valley of the Shadow of Death have emerged, for all their phlegm, their philosophy, their passionate carelessness and according to their several temperaments, not the same as when they entered.

evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading They have taken human life, they have performed deeds of steadfast and reckless heroism unimagined even in the war-like daydreams of their early childhood.

fastadverbUS /fæst/

quickly or rapidly (often used as a combining form)

From this reading The lives of most men are split into these three hard and fast sections.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading And the men who have sojourned in the Valley of the Shadow of Death have emerged, for all their phlegm, their philosophy, their passionate carelessness and according to their several temperaments, not the same as when they entered.

GaulnounUS /ɡɔːl/

a person of French descent

From this reading Like Ancient Gaul, time is nowadays divided into three parts, before, during and after the war.

hardadjectiveUS /hɑːrd/

not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure

From this reading The lives of most men are split into these three hard and fast sections.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading And the men who have sojourned in the Valley of the Shadow of Death have emerged, for all their phlegm, their philosophy, their passionate carelessness and according to their several temperaments, not the same as when they entered.

heroismnounUS /ˈheroʊɪzəm/

the qualities of a hero or heroine; exceptional or heroic courage when facing danger (especially in battle)

From this reading They have taken human life, they have performed deeds of steadfast and reckless heroism unimagined even in the war-like daydreams of their early childhood.

humanadjectiveUS /ˈhjuːmən/

characteristic of humanity

From this reading They have taken human life, they have performed deeds of steadfast and reckless heroism unimagined even in the war-like daydreams of their early childhood.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading And the men who have sojourned in the Valley of the Shadow of Death have emerged, for all their phlegm, their philosophy, their passionate carelessness and according to their several temperaments, not the same as when they entered.

inconceivableadjectiveUS /ˌɪnkənˈsiːvəbəl/

totally unlikely

From this reading They have endured want and misery and pain inconceivable.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Like Ancient Gaul, time is nowadays divided into three parts, before, during and after the war.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Like Ancient Gaul, time is nowadays divided into three parts, before, during and after the war.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading They have taken human life, they have performed deeds of steadfast and reckless heroism unimagined even in the war-like daydreams of their early childhood.

LikeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading Like Ancient Gaul, time is nowadays divided into three parts, before, during and after the war.

livesnounUS /lɪvz/

plural of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading The lives of most men are split into these three hard and fast sections.

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading The lives of most men are split into these three hard and fast sections.

miserynounUS /ˈmɪzəri/

a state of ill-being due to affliction or misfortune

From this reading They have endured want and misery and pain inconceivable.

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading The lives of most men are split into these three hard and fast sections.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading And the men who have sojourned in the Valley of the Shadow of Death have emerged, for all their phlegm, their philosophy, their passionate carelessness and according to their several temperaments, not the same as when they entered.

nowadaysnounUS /ˈnaʊədeɪz/

the period of time that is happening now; any continuous stretch of time including the moment of speech

From this reading Like Ancient Gaul, time is nowadays divided into three parts, before, during and after the war.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The lives of most men are split into these three hard and fast sections.

painnounUS /peɪn/

a symptom of some physical hurt or disorder

From this reading They have endured want and misery and pain inconceivable.

partsnounUS /pɑːrts/

the local environment

From this reading Like Ancient Gaul, time is nowadays divided into three parts, before, during and after the war.

passionateadjectiveUS /ˈpæʃənət/

having or expressing strong emotions

From this reading And the men who have sojourned in the Valley of the Shadow of Death have emerged, for all their phlegm, their philosophy, their passionate carelessness and according to their several temperaments, not the same as when they entered.

performedverbUS /pərˈfɔːrmd/

past form of “perform” — carry out or perform an action

From this reading They have taken human life, they have performed deeds of steadfast and reckless heroism unimagined even in the war-like daydreams of their early childhood.

philosophynounUS /fɪˈlɑː.sə.fi/

The study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence. (Triết học, đạo lý nhân sinh.)

From this reading And the men who have sojourned in the Valley of the Shadow of Death have emerged, for all their phlegm, their philosophy, their passionate carelessness and according to their several temperaments, not the same as when they entered.

phlegmnounUS /flem/

apathy demonstrated by an absence of emotional reactions

From this reading And the men who have sojourned in the Valley of the Shadow of Death have emerged, for all their phlegm, their philosophy, their passionate carelessness and according to their several temperaments, not the same as when they entered.

recklessadjectiveUS /ˈrekləs/

marked by defiant disregard for danger or consequences

From this reading They have taken human life, they have performed deeds of steadfast and reckless heroism unimagined even in the war-like daydreams of their early childhood.

sameadjectiveUS /seɪm/

Identical; not different.

From this reading And the men who have sojourned in the Valley of the Shadow of Death have emerged, for all their phlegm, their philosophy, their passionate carelessness and according to their several temperaments, not the same as when they entered.

sectionsnounUS /ˈsekʃənz/

plural of “section” — a self-contained part of a larger composition (written or musical)

From this reading The lives of most men are split into these three hard and fast sections.

severaladjectiveUS /ˈsevrəl/

(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many

From this reading And the men who have sojourned in the Valley of the Shadow of Death have emerged, for all their phlegm, their philosophy, their passionate carelessness and according to their several temperaments, not the same as when they entered.

ShadownounUS /ˈʃæd.oʊ/

A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.

From this reading And the men who have sojourned in the Valley of the Shadow of Death have emerged, for all their phlegm, their philosophy, their passionate carelessness and according to their several temperaments, not the same as when they entered.

sojourned

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

From this reading And the men who have sojourned in the Valley of the Shadow of Death have emerged, for all their phlegm, their philosophy, their passionate carelessness and according to their several temperaments, not the same as when they entered.

splitverbUS /splɪt/

separate into parts or portions

From this reading The lives of most men are split into these three hard and fast sections.

steadfastadjectiveUS /ˈstedfæst/

marked by firm determination or resolution; not shakable

From this reading They have taken human life, they have performed deeds of steadfast and reckless heroism unimagined even in the war-like daydreams of their early childhood.

takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading They have taken human life, they have performed deeds of steadfast and reckless heroism unimagined even in the war-like daydreams of their early childhood.

temperamentsnounUS /ˈtemprəmənts/

plural of “temperament” — your usual mood

From this reading And the men who have sojourned in the Valley of the Shadow of Death have emerged, for all their phlegm, their philosophy, their passionate carelessness and according to their several temperaments, not the same as when they entered.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Like Ancient Gaul, time is nowadays divided into three parts, before, during and after the war.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading And the men who have sojourned in the Valley of the Shadow of Death have emerged, for all their phlegm, their philosophy, their passionate carelessness and according to their several temperaments, not the same as when they entered.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

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

From this reading The lives of most men are split into these three hard and fast sections.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading And the men who have sojourned in the Valley of the Shadow of Death have emerged, for all their phlegm, their philosophy, their passionate carelessness and according to their several temperaments, not the same as when they entered.

threenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading Like Ancient Gaul, time is nowadays divided into three parts, before, during and after the war.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading Like Ancient Gaul, time is nowadays divided into three parts, before, during and after the war.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading And the men who have sojourned in the Valley of the Shadow of Death have emerged, for all their phlegm, their philosophy, their passionate carelessness and according to their several temperaments, not the same as when they entered.

unimaginedadjectiveUS /ˌʌnɪˈmædʒənd/

not imagined even in a dream

From this reading They have taken human life, they have performed deeds of steadfast and reckless heroism unimagined even in the war-like daydreams of their early childhood.

ValleynounUS /ˈvæli/

a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river

From this reading And the men who have sojourned in the Valley of the Shadow of Death have emerged, for all their phlegm, their philosophy, their passionate carelessness and according to their several temperaments, not the same as when they entered.

wantverbUS /wɑːnt/

feel or have a desire for; want strongly

From this reading They have endured want and misery and pain inconceivable.

warnounUS /wɔːr/

the waging of armed conflict against an enemy

From this reading Like Ancient Gaul, time is nowadays divided into three parts, before, during and after the war.

war-like

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

From this reading They have taken human life, they have performed deeds of steadfast and reckless heroism unimagined even in the war-like daydreams of their early childhood.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading And the men who have sojourned in the Valley of the Shadow of Death have emerged, for all their phlegm, their philosophy, their passionate carelessness and according to their several temperaments, not the same as when they entered.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading And the men who have sojourned in the Valley of the Shadow of Death have emerged, for all their phlegm, their philosophy, their passionate carelessness and according to their several temperaments, not the same as when they entered.

Chapter 3 of The Mountebank by William John Locke holds 148 sentences, grouped into 30 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 3 of The Mountebank contain?

Chapter 3 holds 148 sentences of The Mountebank, unabridged, divided into 30 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 3 of The Mountebank by William John Locke exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 148 sentences, grouped into 30 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 3 of The Mountebank?

Work through the 30 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 30 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 3 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 3 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 Mountebank

Common questions about reading The Mountebank by William John Locke on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Mountebank?

Yes. All 6537 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #8430 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Mountebank is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #8430, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Mountebank take to read?

About 544 minutes of reading across 1308 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Mountebank section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 22 chapters of The Mountebank 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 Mountebank

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

Hosts
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mountebank; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Verity-stewarts
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mountebank; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Pleasant
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mountebank; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
People
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mountebank; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.