Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Thoth: A Romance
Thoth: A Romance

Chapter XII

Chapter 12 of Thoth: A Romance is here in full — 76 sentences across 16 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Thoth: A Romance
Context Illustration Reading 1/15 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THOTH FORSWEARS HIS OATH.
Before, however, we conquer the earth,” continued Thoth, in the same unimpassioned yet dignified manner, it is necessary to establish the new order which I have set forth in our own city.
It is needless to say that this will be a matter of some difficulty.
Thou hast seen for thyself how repugnant are women to our ruling class, and that it is their nature now to treat them with cruelty and contempt.
Still, with us the task is not hopeless, and, indeed, is quite possible.
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.

Thoth: A Romance

Chapter XII

Chapter 12 of Thoth: A Romance is here in full — 76 sentences across 16 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/15 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THOTH FORSWEARS HIS OATH.
Line 2
Before, however, we conquer the earth,” continued Thoth, in the same unimpassioned yet dignified manner, “it is necessary to establish the new order which I have set forth in our own city.
Line 3
It is needless to say that this will be a matter of some difficulty.
/ɪt ɪz ˈniːdləs tuː seɪ ðæt ðɪs wɪl biː ə ˈmætər ʌv sʌm ˈdɪfəkəlti/
Line 4
Thou hast seen for thyself how repugnant are women to our ruling class, and that it is their nature now to treat them with cruelty and contempt.
Line 5
Still, with us the task is not hopeless, and, indeed, is quite possible.
/stɪl wɪð ʌs ðə tæsk ɪz nɑːt ˈhoʊpləs ənd ˌɪnˈdiːd ɪz kwaɪt ˈpɑːsəbəl/

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.

conquer verb US /ˈkɑːŋkər/

bring under control by force or authority

From this reading ““Before, however, we conquer the earth,” continued Thoth, in the same unimpassioned yet dignified manner, “it is necessary to establish the new order which I have set forth in our own city.”

cruelty noun US /ˈkruːlti/

a cruel act; a deliberate infliction of pain and suffering

From this reading “Thou hast seen for thyself how repugnant are women to our ruling class, and that it is their nature now to treat them with cruelty and contempt.”

dignified adjective US /ˈdɪɡnəfaɪd/

having or expressing dignity; especially formality or stateliness in bearing or appearance

From this reading ““Before, however, we conquer the earth,” continued Thoth, in the same unimpassioned yet dignified manner, “it is necessary to establish the new order which I have set forth in our own city.”

establish verb US /ɪˈstæblɪʃ/

set up or found

From this reading ““Before, however, we conquer the earth,” continued Thoth, in the same unimpassioned yet dignified manner, “it is necessary to establish the new order which I have set forth in our own city.”

hopeless adjective US /ˈhoʊpləs/

without hope because there seems to be no possibility of comfort or success

From this reading “Still, with us the task is not hopeless, and, indeed, is quite possible.”

needless adjective US /ˈniːdləs/

unnecessary and unwarranted

From this reading “It is needless to say that this will be a matter of some difficulty.”

repugnant adjective US /rɪˈpʌɡnənt/

offensive to the mind

From this reading “Thou hast seen for thyself how repugnant are women to our ruling class, and that it is their nature now to treat them with cruelty and contempt.”

ruling noun US /ˈruːlɪŋ/

the reason for a court's judgment (as opposed to the decision itself)

From this reading “Thou hast seen for thyself how repugnant are women to our ruling class, and that it is their nature now to treat them with cruelty and contempt.”

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

set forth verb + particle

state

In this reading ““Before, however, we conquer the earth,” continued Thoth, in the same unimpassioned yet dignified manner, “it is necessary to establish the new order which I have set forth in our own city.”

dignified manner adjective + noun

In this reading ““Before, however, we conquer the earth,” continued Thoth, in the same unimpassioned yet dignified manner, “it is necessary to establish the new order which I have set forth in our own city.”

some difficulty adjective + noun

In this reading “It is needless to say that this will be a matter of some difficulty.”

quite possible adverb + adjective

In this reading “Still, with us the task is not hopeless, and, indeed, is quite possible.”

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 It is needless to say that this will be a matter of some difficulty.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Thou hast seen for thyself how repugnant are women to our ruling class, and that it is their nature now to treat them with cruelty and contempt.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading Thou hast seen for thyself how repugnant are women to our ruling class, and that it is their nature now to treat them with cruelty and contempt.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading It is needless to say that this will be a matter of some difficulty.

BeforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading “Before, however, we conquer the earth,” continued Thoth, in the same unimpassioned yet dignified manner, “it is necessary to establish the new order which I have set forth in our own city.

citynounUS /ˈsɪti/

a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts

From this reading “Before, however, we conquer the earth,” continued Thoth, in the same unimpassioned yet dignified manner, “it is necessary to establish the new order which I have set forth in our own city.

classnounUS /klæs/

a collection of things sharing a common attribute

From this reading Thou hast seen for thyself how repugnant are women to our ruling class, and that it is their nature now to treat them with cruelty and contempt.

conquerverbUS /ˈkɑːŋkər/

bring under control by force or authority

From this reading “Before, however, we conquer the earth,” continued Thoth, in the same unimpassioned yet dignified manner, “it is necessary to establish the new order which I have set forth in our own city.

contemptnounUS /kənˈtempt/

lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike

From this reading Thou hast seen for thyself how repugnant are women to our ruling class, and that it is their nature now to treat them with cruelty and contempt.

continuedadjectiveUS /kənˈtɪnjuːd/

without stop or interruption

From this reading “Before, however, we conquer the earth,” continued Thoth, in the same unimpassioned yet dignified manner, “it is necessary to establish the new order which I have set forth in our own city.

crueltynounUS /ˈkruːlti/

a cruel act; a deliberate infliction of pain and suffering

From this reading Thou hast seen for thyself how repugnant are women to our ruling class, and that it is their nature now to treat them with cruelty and contempt.

difficultynounUS /ˈdɪfəkəlti/

an effort that is inconvenient

From this reading It is needless to say that this will be a matter of some difficulty.

dignifiedadjectiveUS /ˈdɪɡnəfaɪd/

having or expressing dignity; especially formality or stateliness in bearing or appearance

From this reading “Before, however, we conquer the earth,” continued Thoth, in the same unimpassioned yet dignified manner, “it is necessary to establish the new order which I have set forth in our own city.

earthnounUS /ɜːrθ/

the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on

From this reading “Before, however, we conquer the earth,” continued Thoth, in the same unimpassioned yet dignified manner, “it is necessary to establish the new order which I have set forth in our own city.

establishverbUS /ɪˈstæblɪʃ/

set up or found

From this reading “Before, however, we conquer the earth,” continued Thoth, in the same unimpassioned yet dignified manner, “it is necessary to establish the new order which I have set forth in our own city.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Thou hast seen for thyself how repugnant are women to our ruling class, and that it is their nature now to treat them with cruelty and contempt.

FORSWEARS

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

From this reading THOTH FORSWEARS HIS OATH.

forthadverbUS /fɔːrθ/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading “Before, however, we conquer the earth,” continued Thoth, in the same unimpassioned yet dignified manner, “it is necessary to establish the new order which I have set forth in our own city.

hastauxiliary verbUS /hæst/

an old form of “have”, used with “thou”

From this reading Thou hast seen for thyself how repugnant are women to our ruling class, and that it is their nature now to treat them with cruelty and contempt.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “Before, however, we conquer the earth,” continued Thoth, in the same unimpassioned yet dignified manner, “it is necessary to establish the new order which I have set forth in our own city.

HISdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading THOTH FORSWEARS HIS OATH.

hopelessadjectiveUS /ˈhoʊpləs/

without hope because there seems to be no possibility of comfort or success

From this reading Still, with us the task is not hopeless, and, indeed, is quite possible.

how

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

From this reading Thou hast seen for thyself how repugnant are women to our ruling class, and that it is their nature now to treat them with cruelty and contempt.

howeveradverbUS /ˌhaʊˈevər/

used to add a contrasting statement

From this reading “Before, however, we conquer the earth,” continued Thoth, in the same unimpassioned yet dignified manner, “it is necessary to establish the new order which I have set forth in our own city.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading “Before, however, we conquer the earth,” continued Thoth, in the same unimpassioned yet dignified manner, “it is necessary to establish the new order which I have set forth in our own city.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading “Before, however, we conquer the earth,” continued Thoth, in the same unimpassioned yet dignified manner, “it is necessary to establish the new order which I have set forth in our own city.

indeedadverbUS /ˌɪnˈdiːd/

in truth (often tends to intensify)

From this reading Still, with us the task is not hopeless, and, indeed, is quite possible.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading “Before, however, we conquer the earth,” continued Thoth, in the same unimpassioned yet dignified manner, “it is necessary to establish the new order which I have set forth in our own city.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading “Before, however, we conquer the earth,” continued Thoth, in the same unimpassioned yet dignified manner, “it is necessary to establish the new order which I have set forth in our own city.

mannernounUS /ˈmænər/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading “Before, however, we conquer the earth,” continued Thoth, in the same unimpassioned yet dignified manner, “it is necessary to establish the new order which I have set forth in our own city.

matternounUS /ˈmætər/

a vaguely specified concern

From this reading It is needless to say that this will be a matter of some difficulty.

naturenounUS /ˈneɪtʃər/

the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized

From this reading Thou hast seen for thyself how repugnant are women to our ruling class, and that it is their nature now to treat them with cruelty and contempt.

necessaryadjectiveUS /ˈnesəseri/

absolutely essential

From this reading “Before, however, we conquer the earth,” continued Thoth, in the same unimpassioned yet dignified manner, “it is necessary to establish the new order which I have set forth in our own city.

needlessadjectiveUS /ˈniːdləs/

unnecessary and unwarranted

From this reading It is needless to say that this will be a matter of some difficulty.

newadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading “Before, however, we conquer the earth,” continued Thoth, in the same unimpassioned yet dignified manner, “it is necessary to establish the new order which I have set forth in our own city.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Still, with us the task is not hopeless, and, indeed, is quite possible.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading Thou hast seen for thyself how repugnant are women to our ruling class, and that it is their nature now to treat them with cruelty and contempt.

OATHnounUS /oʊθ/

profane or obscene expression usually of surprise or anger

From this reading THOTH FORSWEARS HIS OATH.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading It is needless to say that this will be a matter of some difficulty.

ordernounUS /ˈɔːrdər/

(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed

From this reading “Before, however, we conquer the earth,” continued Thoth, in the same unimpassioned yet dignified manner, “it is necessary to establish the new order which I have set forth in our own city.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading “Before, however, we conquer the earth,” continued Thoth, in the same unimpassioned yet dignified manner, “it is necessary to establish the new order which I have set forth in our own city.

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading “Before, however, we conquer the earth,” continued Thoth, in the same unimpassioned yet dignified manner, “it is necessary to establish the new order which I have set forth in our own city.

possibleadjectiveUS /ˈpɑːsəbəl/

capable of happening or existing

From this reading Still, with us the task is not hopeless, and, indeed, is quite possible.

quiteadverbUS /kwaɪt/

to a degree (not used with a negative)

From this reading Still, with us the task is not hopeless, and, indeed, is quite possible.

repugnantadjectiveUS /rɪˈpʌɡnənt/

offensive to the mind

From this reading Thou hast seen for thyself how repugnant are women to our ruling class, and that it is their nature now to treat them with cruelty and contempt.

rulingnounUS /ˈruːlɪŋ/

the reason for a court's judgment (as opposed to the decision itself)

From this reading Thou hast seen for thyself how repugnant are women to our ruling class, and that it is their nature now to treat them with cruelty and contempt.

sameadjectiveUS /seɪm/

Identical; not different.

From this reading “Before, however, we conquer the earth,” continued Thoth, in the same unimpassioned yet dignified manner, “it is necessary to establish the new order which I have set forth in our own city.

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading It is needless to say that this will be a matter of some difficulty.

seenverbUS /siːn/

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading Thou hast seen for thyself how repugnant are women to our ruling class, and that it is their nature now to treat them with cruelty and contempt.

setverbUS /set/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading “Before, however, we conquer the earth,” continued Thoth, in the same unimpassioned yet dignified manner, “it is necessary to establish the new order which I have set forth in our own city.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

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

From this reading It is needless to say that this will be a matter of some difficulty.

StilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading Still, with us the task is not hopeless, and, indeed, is quite possible.

tasknounUS /tæsk/

any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted

From this reading Still, with us the task is not hopeless, and, indeed, is quite possible.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading It is needless to say that this will be a matter of some difficulty.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading “Before, however, we conquer the earth,” continued Thoth, in the same unimpassioned yet dignified manner, “it is necessary to establish the new order which I have set forth in our own city.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Thou hast seen for thyself how repugnant are women to our ruling class, and that it is their nature now to treat them with cruelty and contempt.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Thou hast seen for thyself how repugnant are women to our ruling class, and that it is their nature now to treat them with cruelty and contempt.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading It is needless to say that this will be a matter of some difficulty.

THOTHnoun

Egyptian Moon deity with the head of an ibis; god of wisdom and learning and the arts; scribe of the gods

From this reading THOTH FORSWEARS HIS OATH.

ThoupronounUS /ðaʊ/

an old word for “you”, as the subject, speaking to one person

From this reading Thou hast seen for thyself how repugnant are women to our ruling class, and that it is their nature now to treat them with cruelty and contempt.

thyself

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

From this reading Thou hast seen for thyself how repugnant are women to our ruling class, and that it is their nature now to treat them with cruelty and contempt.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading “Before, however, we conquer the earth,” continued Thoth, in the same unimpassioned yet dignified manner, “it is necessary to establish the new order which I have set forth in our own city.

treatverbUS /triːt/

interact in a certain way

From this reading Thou hast seen for thyself how repugnant are women to our ruling class, and that it is their nature now to treat them with cruelty and contempt.

unimpassionedadjective

free from emotional appeal; marked by reasonableness

From this reading “Before, however, we conquer the earth,” continued Thoth, in the same unimpassioned yet dignified manner, “it is necessary to establish the new order which I have set forth in our own city.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Still, with us the task is not hopeless, and, indeed, is quite possible.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading “Before, however, we conquer the earth,” continued Thoth, in the same unimpassioned yet dignified manner, “it is necessary to establish the new order which I have set forth in our own city.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading “Before, however, we conquer the earth,” continued Thoth, in the same unimpassioned yet dignified manner, “it is necessary to establish the new order which I have set forth in our own city.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading It is needless to say that this will be a matter of some difficulty.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Thou hast seen for thyself how repugnant are women to our ruling class, and that it is their nature now to treat them with cruelty and contempt.

womennounUS /ˈwɪmən/

plural of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading Thou hast seen for thyself how repugnant are women to our ruling class, and that it is their nature now to treat them with cruelty and contempt.

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading “Before, however, we conquer the earth,” continued Thoth, in the same unimpassioned yet dignified manner, “it is necessary to establish the new order which I have set forth in our own city.

Chapter 12 of Thoth: A Romance by J. Shield (Joseph Shield) Nicholson holds 76 sentences, grouped into 16 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 12 of Thoth: A Romance contain?

Chapter 12 holds 76 sentences of Thoth: A Romance, unabridged, divided into 16 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 12 of Thoth: A Romance by J. Shield (Joseph Shield) Nicholson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 76 sentences, grouped into 16 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 12 of Thoth: A Romance?

Work through the 16 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 16 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 12 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 12 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 Thoth: A Romance

Common questions about reading Thoth: A Romance by J. Shield (Joseph Shield) Nicholson on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Thoth: A Romance?

Yes. All 1614 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #56975 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Thoth: A Romance is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #56975, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Thoth: A Romance take to read?

About 134 minutes of reading across 323 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Thoth: A Romance section by section

How to work through Thoth: A Romance section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 21 chapters of Thoth: A Romance 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 Thoth: A Romance

Words and structures a reader meets early in Thoth: A Romance, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Opinions
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Thoth: A Romance; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Press
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Thoth: A Romance; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Beauty
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Thoth: A Romance; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Thoth
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Thoth: A Romance; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.