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The Shame of Motley
The Shame of Motley

Chapter XIII · Chapter 13

Chapter 13 of The Shame of Motley is here in full — 249 sentences across 50 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/49 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
REQUIESCAT!
A strange and mysterious thing is the working of terror on the human mind.
Some it renders incapable of thought or action, paralysing their limbs and stagnating the blood in their veins; such creatures die in anticipating death.
Others under the stress of that grim passion have their wits preternaturally sharpened.
The instinct of self-preservation assumes command of all their senses, and urges them to swift and feverish action.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Shame of Motley

Chapter XIII · Chapter 13

Chapter 13 of The Shame of Motley is here in full — 249 sentences across 50 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/49 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
REQUIESCAT!
Line 2
A strange and mysterious thing is the working of terror on the human mind.
/ə streɪndʒ ənd mɪˈstɪriəs θɪŋ ɪz ðə ˈwɜːrkɪŋ ʌv ˈterər ɑːn ðə ˈhjuːmən maɪnd/
Line 3
Some it renders incapable of thought or action, paralysing their limbs and stagnating the blood in their veins; such creatures die in anticipating death.
Line 4
Others under the stress of that grim passion have their wits preternaturally sharpened.
Line 5
The instinct of self-preservation assumes command of all their senses, and urges them to swift and feverish action.

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.

anticipating verb US /ænˈtɪsəpeɪtɪŋ/

-ing form of “anticipate” — regard something as probable or likely

From this reading “Some it renders incapable of thought or action, paralysing their limbs and stagnating the blood in their veins; such creatures die in anticipating death.”

assumes verb US /əˈsuːmz/

third-person singular of “assume” — take to be the case or to be true; accept without verification or proof

From this reading “The instinct of self-preservation assumes command of all their senses, and urges them to swift and feverish action.”

feverish adjective US /ˈfiːvərɪʃ/

marked by intense agitation or emotion

From this reading “The instinct of self-preservation assumes command of all their senses, and urges them to swift and feverish action.”

renders noun US /ˈrendərz/

plural of “render” — a substance similar to stucco but exclusively applied to masonry walls

From this reading “Some it renders incapable of thought or action, paralysing their limbs and stagnating the blood in their veins; such creatures die in anticipating death.”

sharpened adjective US /ˈʃɑːrpənd/

having the point made sharp

From this reading “Others under the stress of that grim passion have their wits preternaturally sharpened.”

stagnating verb US /ˈstæɡneɪtɪŋ/

-ing form of “stagnate” — stand still

From this reading “Some it renders incapable of thought or action, paralysing their limbs and stagnating the blood in their veins; such creatures die in anticipating death.”

stress noun US /stres/

the relative prominence of a syllable or musical note (especially with regard to stress or pitch)

From this reading “Others under the stress of that grim passion have their wits preternaturally sharpened.”

urges noun US /ˈɜːrdʒəz/

plural of “urge” — an instinctive motive

From this reading “The instinct of self-preservation assumes command of all their senses, and urges them to swift and feverish action.”

All words in this reading · 54

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 A strange and mysterious thing is the working of terror on the human mind.

actionnounUS /ˈækʃən/

something done (usually as opposed to something said)

From this reading Some it renders incapable of thought or action, paralysing their limbs and stagnating the blood in their veins; such creatures die in anticipating death.

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 The instinct of self-preservation assumes command of all their senses, and urges them to swift and feverish action.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading A strange and mysterious thing is the working of terror on the human mind.

anticipatingverbUS /ænˈtɪsəpeɪtɪŋ/

-ing form of “anticipate” — regard something as probable or likely

From this reading Some it renders incapable of thought or action, paralysing their limbs and stagnating the blood in their veins; such creatures die in anticipating death.

assumesverbUS /əˈsuːmz/

third-person singular of “assume” — take to be the case or to be true; accept without verification or proof

From this reading The instinct of self-preservation assumes command of all their senses, and urges them to swift and feverish action.

bloodnounUS /blʌd/

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

From this reading Some it renders incapable of thought or action, paralysing their limbs and stagnating the blood in their veins; such creatures die in anticipating death.

commandnounUS /kəˈmænd/

an authoritative direction or instruction to do something

From this reading The instinct of self-preservation assumes command of all their senses, and urges them to swift and feverish action.

creaturesnounUS /ˈkriːtʃərz/

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

From this reading Some it renders incapable of thought or action, paralysing their limbs and stagnating the blood in their veins; such creatures die in anticipating death.

deathnounUS /deθ/

the event of dying or departure from life

From this reading Some it renders incapable of thought or action, paralysing their limbs and stagnating the blood in their veins; such creatures die in anticipating death.

dieverbUS /daɪ/

pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life

From this reading Some it renders incapable of thought or action, paralysing their limbs and stagnating the blood in their veins; such creatures die in anticipating death.

feverishadjectiveUS /ˈfiːvərɪʃ/

marked by intense agitation or emotion

From this reading The instinct of self-preservation assumes command of all their senses, and urges them to swift and feverish action.

grimadjectiveUS /ɡrɪm/

not to be placated or appeased or moved by entreaty

From this reading Others under the stress of that grim passion have their wits preternaturally sharpened.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Others under the stress of that grim passion have their wits preternaturally sharpened.

humanadjectiveUS /ˈhjuːmən/

characteristic of humanity

From this reading A strange and mysterious thing is the working of terror on the human mind.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Some it renders incapable of thought or action, paralysing their limbs and stagnating the blood in their veins; such creatures die in anticipating death.

incapableadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈkeɪpəbəl/

(followed by “of”) lacking capacity or ability

From this reading Some it renders incapable of thought or action, paralysing their limbs and stagnating the blood in their veins; such creatures die in anticipating death.

instinctnounUS /ˈɪnstɪŋkt/

inborn pattern of behavior often responsive to specific stimuli

From this reading The instinct of self-preservation assumes command of all their senses, and urges them to swift and feverish action.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading A strange and mysterious thing is the working of terror on the human mind.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Some it renders incapable of thought or action, paralysing their limbs and stagnating the blood in their veins; such creatures die in anticipating death.

limbsnounUS /lɪmz/

plural of “limb” — one of the jointed appendages of an animal used for locomotion or grasping: arm; leg; wing; flipper

From this reading Some it renders incapable of thought or action, paralysing their limbs and stagnating the blood in their veins; such creatures die in anticipating death.

mindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading A strange and mysterious thing is the working of terror on the human mind.

mysteriousadjectiveUS /mɪˈstɪriəs/

of an obscure nature

From this reading A strange and mysterious thing is the working of terror on the human mind.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading A strange and mysterious thing is the working of terror on the human mind.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading A strange and mysterious thing is the working of terror on the human mind.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Some it renders incapable of thought or action, paralysing their limbs and stagnating the blood in their veins; such creatures die in anticipating death.

Others

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

From this reading Others under the stress of that grim passion have their wits preternaturally sharpened.

paralysing

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

From this reading Some it renders incapable of thought or action, paralysing their limbs and stagnating the blood in their veins; such creatures die in anticipating death.

passionnounUS /ˈpæʃən/

a strong feeling or emotion

From this reading Others under the stress of that grim passion have their wits preternaturally sharpened.

preternaturallyadverb

in a supernatural manner

From this reading Others under the stress of that grim passion have their wits preternaturally sharpened.

rendersnounUS /ˈrendərz/

plural of “render” — a substance similar to stucco but exclusively applied to masonry walls

From this reading Some it renders incapable of thought or action, paralysing their limbs and stagnating the blood in their veins; such creatures die in anticipating death.

REQUIESCATnoun

a prayer for the repose of the soul of a dead person

From this reading REQUIESCAT!

self-preservationnoun

preservation of yourself from harm; a natural or instinctive tendency

From this reading The instinct of self-preservation assumes command of all their senses, and urges them to swift and feverish action.

sensesnounUS /ˈsensɪz/

plural of “sens” — street names for marijuana

From this reading The instinct of self-preservation assumes command of all their senses, and urges them to swift and feverish action.

sharpenedadjectiveUS /ˈʃɑːrpənd/

having the point made sharp

From this reading Others under the stress of that grim passion have their wits preternaturally sharpened.

SomeadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading Some it renders incapable of thought or action, paralysing their limbs and stagnating the blood in their veins; such creatures die in anticipating death.

stagnatingverbUS /ˈstæɡneɪtɪŋ/

-ing form of “stagnate” — stand still

From this reading Some it renders incapable of thought or action, paralysing their limbs and stagnating the blood in their veins; such creatures die in anticipating death.

strangeadjectiveUS /streɪndʒ/

being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird

From this reading A strange and mysterious thing is the working of terror on the human mind.

stressnounUS /stres/

the relative prominence of a syllable or musical note (especially with regard to stress or pitch)

From this reading Others under the stress of that grim passion have their wits preternaturally sharpened.

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading Some it renders incapable of thought or action, paralysing their limbs and stagnating the blood in their veins; such creatures die in anticipating death.

swiftadjectiveUS /swɪft/

moving very fast

From this reading The instinct of self-preservation assumes command of all their senses, and urges them to swift and feverish action.

terrornounUS /ˈterər/

an overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety

From this reading A strange and mysterious thing is the working of terror on the human mind.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Others under the stress of that grim passion have their wits preternaturally sharpened.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading A strange and mysterious thing is the working of terror on the human mind.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Some it renders incapable of thought or action, paralysing their limbs and stagnating the blood in their veins; such creatures die in anticipating death.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading The instinct of self-preservation assumes command of all their senses, and urges them to swift and feverish action.

thingnounUS /θɪŋ/

a special situation

From this reading A strange and mysterious thing is the working of terror on the human mind.

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading Some it renders incapable of thought or action, paralysing their limbs and stagnating the blood in their veins; such creatures die in anticipating death.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The instinct of self-preservation assumes command of all their senses, and urges them to swift and feverish action.

underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading Others under the stress of that grim passion have their wits preternaturally sharpened.

urgesnounUS /ˈɜːrdʒəz/

plural of “urge” — an instinctive motive

From this reading The instinct of self-preservation assumes command of all their senses, and urges them to swift and feverish action.

veinsnounUS /veɪnz/

plural of “vein” — a blood vessel that carries blood from the capillaries toward the heart

From this reading Some it renders incapable of thought or action, paralysing their limbs and stagnating the blood in their veins; such creatures die in anticipating death.

witsnounUS /wɪts/

the basic human power of intelligent thought and perception

From this reading Others under the stress of that grim passion have their wits preternaturally sharpened.

workingadjectiveUS /ˈwɜːrkɪŋ/

actively engaged in paid work

From this reading A strange and mysterious thing is the working of terror on the human mind.

Chapter 13 of The Shame of Motley by Rafael Sabatini holds 249 sentences, grouped into 50 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 13 of The Shame of Motley contain?

Chapter 13 holds 249 sentences of The Shame of Motley, unabridged, divided into 50 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 13 of The Shame of Motley by Rafael Sabatini exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 249 sentences, grouped into 50 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 13 of The Shame of Motley?

Work through the 50 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 50 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 13 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 13 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 Shame of Motley

Common questions about reading The Shame of Motley by Rafael Sabatini on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Shame of Motley?

Yes. All 4062 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #3408 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Shame of Motley is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #3408, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Shame of Motley take to read?

About 338 minutes of reading across 813 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Shame of Motley section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

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  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 Shame of Motley

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

Preparations
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Shame of Motley; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Complete
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Shame of Motley; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Although
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Shame of Motley; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Agreed
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Shame of Motley; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.