Chapter 8 of The Prince and Betty is here in full — 255 sentences across 51 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of The Prince and Betty is here in full — 255 sentences across 51 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
MERVO CHANGES ITS CONSTITUTION Humor, if one looks into it, is principally a matter of retrospect. In after years John was wont to look back with amusement on the revolution which ejected him from the throne of his ancestors. But at the time its mirthfulness did not appeal to him. He was in a frenzy of restlessness. He wanted Betty.
Chapter 8 of The Prince and Betty is here in full — 255 sentences across 51 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/51 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
plural of “ancestor” — someone from whom you are descended (but usually more remote than a grandparent)
From this reading “In after years John was wont to look back with amusement on the revolution which ejected him from the throne of his ancestors.”
law determining the fundamental political principles of a government
From this reading “MERVO CHANGES ITS CONSTITUTION Humor, if one looks into it, is principally a matter of retrospect.”
past form of “eject” — put out or expel from a place
From this reading “In after years John was wont to look back with amusement on the revolution which ejected him from the throne of his ancestors.”
state of violent mental agitation
From this reading “He was in a frenzy of restlessness.”
for the most part
From this reading “MERVO CHANGES ITS CONSTITUTION Humor, if one looks into it, is principally a matter of retrospect.”
the quality of being ceaselessly moving or active
From this reading “He was in a frenzy of restlessness.”
contemplation of things past
From this reading “MERVO CHANGES ITS CONSTITUTION Humor, if one looks into it, is principally a matter of retrospect.”
a drastic and far-reaching change in ways of thinking and behaving
From this reading “In after years John was wont to look back with amusement on the revolution which ejected him from the throne of his ancestors.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading MERVO CHANGES ITS CONSTITUTION Humor, if one looks into it, is principally a matter of retrospect.
later than; following
From this reading In after years John was wont to look back with amusement on the revolution which ejected him from the throne of his ancestors.
a feeling of delight at being entertained
From this reading In after years John was wont to look back with amusement on the revolution which ejected him from the throne of his ancestors.
plural of “ancestor” — someone from whom you are descended (but usually more remote than a grandparent)
From this reading In after years John was wont to look back with amusement on the revolution which ejected him from the throne of his ancestors.
take a court case to a higher court for review
From this reading But at the time its mirthfulness did not appeal to him.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading But at the time its mirthfulness did not appeal to him.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading In after years John was wont to look back with amusement on the revolution which ejected him from the throne of his ancestors.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He wanted Betty.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But at the time its mirthfulness did not appeal to him.
plural of “change” — an event that occurs when something passes from one state or phase to another
From this reading MERVO CHANGES ITS CONSTITUTION Humor, if one looks into it, is principally a matter of retrospect.
law determining the fundamental political principles of a government
From this reading MERVO CHANGES ITS CONSTITUTION Humor, if one looks into it, is principally a matter of retrospect.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading But at the time its mirthfulness did not appeal to him.
past form of “eject” — put out or expel from a place
From this reading In after years John was wont to look back with amusement on the revolution which ejected him from the throne of his ancestors.
state of violent mental agitation
From this reading He was in a frenzy of restlessness.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading In after years John was wont to look back with amusement on the revolution which ejected him from the throne of his ancestors.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was in a frenzy of restlessness.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading In after years John was wont to look back with amusement on the revolution which ejected him from the throne of his ancestors.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading In after years John was wont to look back with amusement on the revolution which ejected him from the throne of his ancestors.
a message whose ingenuity or verbal skill or incongruity has the power to evoke laughter
From this reading MERVO CHANGES ITS CONSTITUTION Humor, if one looks into it, is principally a matter of retrospect.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading MERVO CHANGES ITS CONSTITUTION Humor, if one looks into it, is principally a matter of retrospect.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In after years John was wont to look back with amusement on the revolution which ejected him from the throne of his ancestors.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading MERVO CHANGES ITS CONSTITUTION Humor, if one looks into it, is principally a matter of retrospect.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading MERVO CHANGES ITS CONSTITUTION Humor, if one looks into it, is principally a matter of retrospect.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading MERVO CHANGES ITS CONSTITUTION Humor, if one looks into it, is principally a matter of retrospect.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading MERVO CHANGES ITS CONSTITUTION Humor, if one looks into it, is principally a matter of retrospect.
a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
From this reading In after years John was wont to look back with amusement on the revolution which ejected him from the throne of his ancestors.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading In after years John was wont to look back with amusement on the revolution which ejected him from the throne of his ancestors.
plural of “look” — the feelings expressed on a person's face
From this reading MERVO CHANGES ITS CONSTITUTION Humor, if one looks into it, is principally a matter of retrospect.
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading MERVO CHANGES ITS CONSTITUTION Humor, if one looks into it, is principally a matter of retrospect.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading MERVO CHANGES ITS CONSTITUTION Humor, if one looks into it, is principally a matter of retrospect.
great merriment
From this reading But at the time its mirthfulness did not appeal to him.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading But at the time its mirthfulness did not appeal to him.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading MERVO CHANGES ITS CONSTITUTION Humor, if one looks into it, is principally a matter of retrospect.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading In after years John was wont to look back with amusement on the revolution which ejected him from the throne of his ancestors.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading MERVO CHANGES ITS CONSTITUTION Humor, if one looks into it, is principally a matter of retrospect.
for the most part
From this reading MERVO CHANGES ITS CONSTITUTION Humor, if one looks into it, is principally a matter of retrospect.
the quality of being ceaselessly moving or active
From this reading He was in a frenzy of restlessness.
contemplation of things past
From this reading MERVO CHANGES ITS CONSTITUTION Humor, if one looks into it, is principally a matter of retrospect.
a drastic and far-reaching change in ways of thinking and behaving
From this reading In after years John was wont to look back with amusement on the revolution which ejected him from the throne of his ancestors.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading In after years John was wont to look back with amusement on the revolution which ejected him from the throne of his ancestors.
the chair of state for a monarch, bishop, etc.
From this reading In after years John was wont to look back with amusement on the revolution which ejected him from the throne of his ancestors.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading But at the time its mirthfulness did not appeal to him.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading In after years John was wont to look back with amusement on the revolution which ejected him from the throne of his ancestors.
desired or wished for or sought
From this reading He wanted Betty.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading In after years John was wont to look back with amusement on the revolution which ejected him from the throne of his ancestors.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading In after years John was wont to look back with amusement on the revolution which ejected him from the throne of his ancestors.
in the company of; together with
From this reading In after years John was wont to look back with amusement on the revolution which ejected him from the throne of his ancestors.
an established custom
From this reading In after years John was wont to look back with amusement on the revolution which ejected him from the throne of his ancestors.
a late time of life
From this reading In after years John was wont to look back with amusement on the revolution which ejected him from the throne of his ancestors.
Chapter 8 of The Prince and Betty by P. G. (Pelham Grenville) Wodehouse holds 255 sentences, grouped into 51 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.
Chapter 8 holds 255 sentences of The Prince and Betty, unabridged, divided into 51 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of The Prince and Betty by P. G. (Pelham Grenville) Wodehouse exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 255 sentences, grouped into 51 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.
Work through the 51 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 51 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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 8 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.
Common questions about reading The Prince and Betty by P. G. (Pelham Grenville) Wodehouse on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5582 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #6955 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #6955, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 465 minutes of reading across 1117 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Prince and Betty section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 29 chapters of The Prince and Betty to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Prince and Betty, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
