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The Ordeal of Richard Feverel — Complete
The Ordeal of Richard Feverel — Complete

Chapter XVII · Chapter 17

Chapter 17 of The Ordeal of Richard Feverel — Complete is here in full — 558 sentences across 112 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/111 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Enchanted Islands have not yet rooted out their old brood of dragons.
Wherever there is romance, these monsters come by inimical attraction.
Because the heavens are certainly propitious to true lovers, the beasts of the abysses are banded to destroy them, stimulated by innumerable sad victories; and every love-tale is an Epic Par of the upper and lower powers.
I wish good fairies were a little more active.
They seem to be cajoled into security by the happiness of their favourites; whereas the wicked are always alert, and circumspect.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Ordeal of Richard Feverel — Complete

Chapter XVII · Chapter 17

Chapter 17 of The Ordeal of Richard Feverel — Complete is here in full — 558 sentences across 112 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/111 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Enchanted Islands have not yet rooted out their old brood of dragons.
/ɪnˈtʃæn.tɪd ˈaɪləndz hæv nɑːt jet ˈruːtəd aʊt ðer oʊld bruːd ʌv ˈdræɡənz/
Line 2
Wherever there is romance, these monsters come by inimical attraction.
/weˈrevər ðer ɪz roʊˈmæns ðiːz ˈmɑːnstərz kʌm baɪ ˌɪˈnɪmɪkəl əˈtrækʃən/
Line 3
Because the heavens are certainly propitious to true lovers, the beasts of the abysses are banded to destroy them, stimulated by innumerable sad victories; and every love-tale is an Epic Par of the upper and lower powers.
Line 4
I wish good fairies were a little more active.
/aɪ wɪʃ ɡʊd ˈferiz wɜːr ə ˈlɪtəl mɔːr ˈæktɪv/
Line 5
They seem to be cajoled into security by the happiness of their favourites; whereas the wicked are always alert, and circumspect.

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.

banded adjective US /ˈbændɪd/

identified with a band especially around a leg

From this reading “Because the heavens are certainly propitious to true lovers, the beasts of the abysses are banded to destroy them, stimulated by innumerable sad victories; and every love-tale is an Epic Par of the upper and lower powers.”

cajoled verb US /kəˈdʒoʊld/

past form of “cajole” — influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering

From this reading “They seem to be cajoled into security by the happiness of their favourites; whereas the wicked are always alert, and circumspect.”

circumspect adjective US /ˈsɜːrkəmspekt/

heedful of potential consequences

From this reading “They seem to be cajoled into security by the happiness of their favourites; whereas the wicked are always alert, and circumspect.”

dragons noun US /ˈdræɡənz/

plural of “dragon” — a creature of Teutonic mythology; usually represented as breathing fire and having a reptilian body and sometimes wings

From this reading “Enchanted Islands have not yet rooted out their old brood of dragons.”

Epic adjective US /ˈepɪk/

very imposing or impressive; surpassing the ordinary (especially in size or scale)

From this reading “Because the heavens are certainly propitious to true lovers, the beasts of the abysses are banded to destroy them, stimulated by innumerable sad victories; and every love-tale is an Epic Par of the upper and lower powers.”

inimical adjective US /ˌɪˈnɪmɪkəl/

not friendly

From this reading “Wherever there is romance, these monsters come by inimical attraction.”

propitious adjective US /prəˈpɪʃəs/

presenting favorable circumstances; likely to result in or show signs of success

From this reading “Because the heavens are certainly propitious to true lovers, the beasts of the abysses are banded to destroy them, stimulated by innumerable sad victories; and every love-tale is an Epic Par of the upper and lower powers.”

stimulated adjective US /ˈstɪmjəleɪtɪd/

emotionally aroused

From this reading “Because the heavens are certainly propitious to true lovers, the beasts of the abysses are banded to destroy them, stimulated by innumerable sad victories; and every love-tale is an Epic Par of the upper and lower powers.”

All words in this reading · 71

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 I wish good fairies were a little more active.

abysses

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

From this reading Because the heavens are certainly propitious to true lovers, the beasts of the abysses are banded to destroy them, stimulated by innumerable sad victories; and every love-tale is an Epic Par of the upper and lower powers.

activeadjectiveUS /ˈæktɪv/

tending to become more severe or wider in scope

From this reading I wish good fairies were a little more active.

alertadjectiveUS /əˈlɜːrt/

engaged in or accustomed to close observation

From this reading They seem to be cajoled into security by the happiness of their favourites; whereas the wicked are always alert, and circumspect.

alwaysadverbUS /ˈɔːlweɪz/

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading They seem to be cajoled into security by the happiness of their favourites; whereas the wicked are always alert, and circumspect.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading Because the heavens are certainly propitious to true lovers, the beasts of the abysses are banded to destroy them, stimulated by innumerable sad victories; and every love-tale is an Epic Par of the upper and lower powers.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Because the heavens are certainly propitious to true lovers, the beasts of the abysses are banded to destroy them, stimulated by innumerable sad victories; and every love-tale is an Epic Par of the upper and lower powers.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading Because the heavens are certainly propitious to true lovers, the beasts of the abysses are banded to destroy them, stimulated by innumerable sad victories; and every love-tale is an Epic Par of the upper and lower powers.

attractionnounUS /əˈtrækʃən/

the force by which one object attracts another

From this reading Wherever there is romance, these monsters come by inimical attraction.

bandedadjectiveUS /ˈbændɪd/

identified with a band especially around a leg

From this reading Because the heavens are certainly propitious to true lovers, the beasts of the abysses are banded to destroy them, stimulated by innumerable sad victories; and every love-tale is an Epic Par of the upper and lower powers.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading They seem to be cajoled into security by the happiness of their favourites; whereas the wicked are always alert, and circumspect.

beastsnounUS /biːsts/

plural of “beast” — a living organism characterized by voluntary movement

From this reading Because the heavens are certainly propitious to true lovers, the beasts of the abysses are banded to destroy them, stimulated by innumerable sad victories; and every love-tale is an Epic Par of the upper and lower powers.

BecauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/

for the reason that

From this reading Because the heavens are certainly propitious to true lovers, the beasts of the abysses are banded to destroy them, stimulated by innumerable sad victories; and every love-tale is an Epic Par of the upper and lower powers.

broodverbUS /bruːd/

think moodily or anxiously about something

From this reading Enchanted Islands have not yet rooted out their old brood of dragons.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Wherever there is romance, these monsters come by inimical attraction.

cajoledverbUS /kəˈdʒoʊld/

past form of “cajole” — influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering

From this reading They seem to be cajoled into security by the happiness of their favourites; whereas the wicked are always alert, and circumspect.

certainlyadverbUS /ˈsɜːrtənli/

definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)

From this reading Because the heavens are certainly propitious to true lovers, the beasts of the abysses are banded to destroy them, stimulated by innumerable sad victories; and every love-tale is an Epic Par of the upper and lower powers.

circumspectadjectiveUS /ˈsɜːrkəmspekt/

heedful of potential consequences

From this reading They seem to be cajoled into security by the happiness of their favourites; whereas the wicked are always alert, and circumspect.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading Wherever there is romance, these monsters come by inimical attraction.

destroyverbUS /dɪˈstrɔɪ/

do away with, cause the destruction or undoing of

From this reading Because the heavens are certainly propitious to true lovers, the beasts of the abysses are banded to destroy them, stimulated by innumerable sad victories; and every love-tale is an Epic Par of the upper and lower powers.

dragonsnounUS /ˈdræɡənz/

plural of “dragon” — a creature of Teutonic mythology; usually represented as breathing fire and having a reptilian body and sometimes wings

From this reading Enchanted Islands have not yet rooted out their old brood of dragons.

EnchantedadjectiveUS /ɪnˈtʃæn.tɪd/

Filled with or placed under the influence of magical power or charm.

From this reading Enchanted Islands have not yet rooted out their old brood of dragons.

EpicadjectiveUS /ˈepɪk/

very imposing or impressive; surpassing the ordinary (especially in size or scale)

From this reading Because the heavens are certainly propitious to true lovers, the beasts of the abysses are banded to destroy them, stimulated by innumerable sad victories; and every love-tale is an Epic Par of the upper and lower powers.

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading Because the heavens are certainly propitious to true lovers, the beasts of the abysses are banded to destroy them, stimulated by innumerable sad victories; and every love-tale is an Epic Par of the upper and lower powers.

fairiesnounUS /ˈferiz/

plural of “fairy” — a small being, human in form, playful and having magical powers

From this reading I wish good fairies were a little more active.

favourites

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

From this reading They seem to be cajoled into security by the happiness of their favourites; whereas the wicked are always alert, and circumspect.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading I wish good fairies were a little more active.

happinessnounUS /ˈhæpinəs/

state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy

From this reading They seem to be cajoled into security by the happiness of their favourites; whereas the wicked are always alert, and circumspect.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Enchanted Islands have not yet rooted out their old brood of dragons.

heavensnounUS /ˈhevənz/

the apparent surface of the imaginary sphere on which celestial bodies appear to be projected

From this reading Because the heavens are certainly propitious to true lovers, the beasts of the abysses are banded to destroy them, stimulated by innumerable sad victories; and every love-tale is an Epic Par of the upper and lower powers.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading I wish good fairies were a little more active.

inimicaladjectiveUS /ˌɪˈnɪmɪkəl/

not friendly

From this reading Wherever there is romance, these monsters come by inimical attraction.

innumerableadjectiveUS /ˌɪˈnuːmərəbəl/

too numerous to be counted

From this reading Because the heavens are certainly propitious to true lovers, the beasts of the abysses are banded to destroy them, stimulated by innumerable sad victories; and every love-tale is an Epic Par of the upper and lower powers.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading They seem to be cajoled into security by the happiness of their favourites; whereas the wicked are always alert, and circumspect.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Wherever there is romance, these monsters come by inimical attraction.

IslandsnounUS /ˈaɪləndz/

plural of “island” — a land mass (smaller than a continent) that is surrounded by water

From this reading Enchanted Islands have not yet rooted out their old brood of dragons.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading I wish good fairies were a little more active.

love-tale

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

From this reading Because the heavens are certainly propitious to true lovers, the beasts of the abysses are banded to destroy them, stimulated by innumerable sad victories; and every love-tale is an Epic Par of the upper and lower powers.

loversnounUS /ˈlʌvərz/

plural of “lover” — a person who loves someone or is loved by someone

From this reading Because the heavens are certainly propitious to true lovers, the beasts of the abysses are banded to destroy them, stimulated by innumerable sad victories; and every love-tale is an Epic Par of the upper and lower powers.

lowerverbUS /ˈloʊər/

move something or somebody to a lower position

From this reading Because the heavens are certainly propitious to true lovers, the beasts of the abysses are banded to destroy them, stimulated by innumerable sad victories; and every love-tale is an Epic Par of the upper and lower powers.

monstersnounUS /ˈmɑːnstərz/

plural of “monster” — an imaginary creature usually having various human and animal parts

From this reading Wherever there is romance, these monsters come by inimical attraction.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading I wish good fairies were a little more active.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Enchanted Islands have not yet rooted out their old brood of dragons.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Enchanted Islands have not yet rooted out their old brood of dragons.

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading Enchanted Islands have not yet rooted out their old brood of dragons.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Enchanted Islands have not yet rooted out their old brood of dragons.

ParnounUS /pɑːr/

(golf) the standard number of strokes set for each hole on a golf course, or for the entire course

From this reading Because the heavens are certainly propitious to true lovers, the beasts of the abysses are banded to destroy them, stimulated by innumerable sad victories; and every love-tale is an Epic Par of the upper and lower powers.

powersnounUS /ˈpaʊərz/

plural of “power” — possession of controlling influence

From this reading Because the heavens are certainly propitious to true lovers, the beasts of the abysses are banded to destroy them, stimulated by innumerable sad victories; and every love-tale is an Epic Par of the upper and lower powers.

propitiousadjectiveUS /prəˈpɪʃəs/

presenting favorable circumstances; likely to result in or show signs of success

From this reading Because the heavens are certainly propitious to true lovers, the beasts of the abysses are banded to destroy them, stimulated by innumerable sad victories; and every love-tale is an Epic Par of the upper and lower powers.

romancenounUS /roʊˈmæns/

a relationship between two lovers

From this reading Wherever there is romance, these monsters come by inimical attraction.

rootedadjectiveUS /ˈruːtəd/

absolutely still

From this reading Enchanted Islands have not yet rooted out their old brood of dragons.

sadadjectiveUS /sæd/

experiencing or showing sorrow or unhappiness

From this reading Because the heavens are certainly propitious to true lovers, the beasts of the abysses are banded to destroy them, stimulated by innumerable sad victories; and every love-tale is an Epic Par of the upper and lower powers.

securitynounUS /sɪˈkjʊrəti/

the state of being free from danger or injury

From this reading They seem to be cajoled into security by the happiness of their favourites; whereas the wicked are always alert, and circumspect.

seemverbUS /siːm/

give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading They seem to be cajoled into security by the happiness of their favourites; whereas the wicked are always alert, and circumspect.

stimulatedadjectiveUS /ˈstɪmjəleɪtɪd/

emotionally aroused

From this reading Because the heavens are certainly propitious to true lovers, the beasts of the abysses are banded to destroy them, stimulated by innumerable sad victories; and every love-tale is an Epic Par of the upper and lower powers.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Because the heavens are certainly propitious to true lovers, the beasts of the abysses are banded to destroy them, stimulated by innumerable sad victories; and every love-tale is an Epic Par of the upper and lower powers.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Enchanted Islands have not yet rooted out their old brood of dragons.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Because the heavens are certainly propitious to true lovers, the beasts of the abysses are banded to destroy them, stimulated by innumerable sad victories; and every love-tale is an Epic Par of the upper and lower powers.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading Wherever there is romance, these monsters come by inimical attraction.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

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

From this reading Wherever there is romance, these monsters come by inimical attraction.

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading They seem to be cajoled into security by the happiness of their favourites; whereas the wicked are always alert, and circumspect.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Because the heavens are certainly propitious to true lovers, the beasts of the abysses are banded to destroy them, stimulated by innumerable sad victories; and every love-tale is an Epic Par of the upper and lower powers.

trueadjectiveUS /truː/

consistent with fact or reality; not false

From this reading Because the heavens are certainly propitious to true lovers, the beasts of the abysses are banded to destroy them, stimulated by innumerable sad victories; and every love-tale is an Epic Par of the upper and lower powers.

upperadjectiveUS /ˈʌpər/

the topmost one of two

From this reading Because the heavens are certainly propitious to true lovers, the beasts of the abysses are banded to destroy them, stimulated by innumerable sad victories; and every love-tale is an Epic Par of the upper and lower powers.

victoriesnounUS /ˈvɪktəriz/

plural of “victory” — a successful ending of a struggle or contest

From this reading Because the heavens are certainly propitious to true lovers, the beasts of the abysses are banded to destroy them, stimulated by innumerable sad victories; and every love-tale is an Epic Par of the upper and lower powers.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading I wish good fairies were a little more active.

whereasconjunctionUS /weˈræz/

in contrast with the fact that

From this reading They seem to be cajoled into security by the happiness of their favourites; whereas the wicked are always alert, and circumspect.

WhereverconjunctionUS /weˈrevər/

in or to any place at all

From this reading Wherever there is romance, these monsters come by inimical attraction.

wickedadjectiveUS /ˈwɪkəd/

morally bad in principle or practice

From this reading They seem to be cajoled into security by the happiness of their favourites; whereas the wicked are always alert, and circumspect.

wishverbUS /wɪʃ/

hope for; have a wish

From this reading I wish good fairies were a little more active.

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading Enchanted Islands have not yet rooted out their old brood of dragons.

Chapter 17 of The Ordeal of Richard Feverel — Complete by George Meredith holds 558 sentences, grouped into 112 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 17 of The Ordeal of Richard Feverel — Complete contain?

Chapter 17 holds 558 sentences of The Ordeal of Richard Feverel — Complete, unabridged, divided into 112 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 17 of The Ordeal of Richard Feverel — Complete by George Meredith exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 558 sentences, grouped into 112 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 17 of The Ordeal of Richard Feverel — Complete?

Work through the 112 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 112 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 17 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 17 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.

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Yes. All 11838 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4412 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #4412, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 600 minutes of reading across 2368 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in The Ordeal of Richard Feverel — Complete

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Ordeal of Richard Feverel — Complete, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

October
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Ordeal of Richard Feverel — Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Shone
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Ordeal of Richard Feverel — Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Royally
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Ordeal of Richard Feverel — Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Richard
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Ordeal of Richard Feverel — Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.