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Voltaire's Romances, Complete in One Volume
Voltaire's Romances, Complete in One Volume

Chapter XI

Chapter 11 of Voltaire's Romances, Complete in One Volume is here in full — 13 sentences across 3 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Voltaire • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Voltaire's Romances, Complete in One Volume
Context Illustration Reading 1/2 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
HOW THE SERPENT TOLD STORIES TO THE PRINCESS TO COMFORT HER.
Meanwhile the serpent told stories to the fair Amasidia to soothe her.
He related to her how he had formerly cured a whole nation of the bite of certain little serpents, only by showing himself at the end of a staff.
(_Num. xx:9._) He informed her of the conquests of a hero who made a charming contrast with Amphion, architect of Thebes.
Amphion assembled hewn stones by the sound of his violin.
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.

Voltaire's Romances, Complete in One Volume

Chapter XI

Chapter 11 of Voltaire's Romances, Complete in One Volume is here in full — 13 sentences across 3 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/2 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
HOW THE SERPENT TOLD STORIES TO THE PRINCESS TO COMFORT HER.
Line 2
Meanwhile the serpent told stories to the fair Amasidia to soothe her.
Line 3
He related to her how he had formerly cured a whole nation of the bite of certain little serpents, only by showing himself at the end of a staff.
Line 4
(_Num. xx:9._) He informed her of the conquests of a hero who made a charming contrast with Amphion, architect of Thebes.
Line 5
Amphion assembled hewn stones by the sound of his violin.

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.

architect noun US /ˈɑːrkətekt/

someone who creates plans to be used in making something (such as buildings)

From this reading “(_Num. xx:9._) He informed her of the conquests of a hero who made a charming contrast with Amphion, architect of Thebes.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
conquests noun US /ˈkɑːnkwests/

plural of “conquest” — the act of conquering

From this reading “(_Num. xx:9._) He informed her of the conquests of a hero who made a charming contrast with Amphion, architect of Thebes.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
cured adjective US /kjʊrd/

freed from illness or injury

From this reading “He related to her how he had formerly cured a whole nation of the bite of certain little serpents, only by showing himself at the end of a staff.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hewn adjective US /hjuːn/

cut or shaped with hard blows of a heavy cutting instrument like an ax or chisel

From this reading “Amphion assembled hewn stones by the sound of his violin.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
serpents noun US /ˈsɜːrpənts/

plural of “serpent” — limbless scaly elongate reptile; some are venomous

From this reading “He related to her how he had formerly cured a whole nation of the bite of certain little serpents, only by showing himself at the end of a staff.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
soothe verb US /suːð/

give moral or emotional strength to

From this reading “Meanwhile the serpent told stories to the fair Amasidia to soothe her.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Thebes noun US /θiːbz/

an ancient Egyptian city on the Nile River that flourished from the 22nd century BC to the 18th century BC; today the archeological remains include many splendid temples and tombs

From this reading “(_Num. xx:9._) He informed her of the conquests of a hero who made a charming contrast with Amphion, architect of Thebes.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
violin noun US /vaɪəˈlɪn/

bowed stringed instrument that is the highest member of the violin family; this instrument has four strings and a hollow body and an unfretted fingerboard and is played with a bow

From this reading “Amphion assembled hewn stones by the sound of his violin.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

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.

hewn stones adjective + noun counted as “hewn stone”

In this reading “Amphion assembled hewn stones by the sound of his violin.”

256 times in 426,212 chapters
whole nation adjective + noun

In this reading “He related to her how he had formerly cured a whole nation of the bite of certain little serpents, only by showing himself at the end of a staff.”

1,389 times in 426,212 chapters
at the end preposition + article + noun counted as “at … end”

In this reading “He related to her how he had formerly cured a whole nation of the bite of certain little serpents, only by showing himself at the end of a staff.”

65,688 times in 426,212 chapters
by showing preposition + noun

In this reading “He related to her how he had formerly cured a whole nation of the bite of certain little serpents, only by showing himself at the end of a staff.”

1,740 times in 426,212 chapters

All words in this reading · 53

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.

9

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

From this reading (_Num. xx:9._) He informed her of the conquests of a hero who made a charming contrast with Amphion, architect of Thebes.

Pending verification
adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading He related to her how he had formerly cured a whole nation of the bite of certain little serpents, only by showing himself at the end of a staff.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Amasidia

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

From this reading Meanwhile the serpent told stories to the fair Amasidia to soothe her.

Pending verification
Amphion

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

From this reading (_Num. xx:9._) He informed her of the conquests of a hero who made a charming contrast with Amphion, architect of Thebes.

Pending verification
architectnounUS /ˈɑːrkətekt/

someone who creates plans to be used in making something (such as buildings)

From this reading (_Num. xx:9._) He informed her of the conquests of a hero who made a charming contrast with Amphion, architect of Thebes.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
assembledverbUS /əˈsembəld/

past form of “assemble” — create by putting components or members together

From this reading Amphion assembled hewn stones by the sound of his violin.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading He related to her how he had formerly cured a whole nation of the bite of certain little serpents, only by showing himself at the end of a staff.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
biteverbUS /baɪt/

to grip, cut off, or tear with or as if with the teeth or jaws

From this reading He related to her how he had formerly cured a whole nation of the bite of certain little serpents, only by showing himself at the end of a staff.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading He related to her how he had formerly cured a whole nation of the bite of certain little serpents, only by showing himself at the end of a staff.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
certainadjectiveUS /ˈsɜːrtən/

definite but not specified or identified

From this reading He related to her how he had formerly cured a whole nation of the bite of certain little serpents, only by showing himself at the end of a staff.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
charmingadjectiveUS /ˈtʃɑːrmɪŋ/

pleasing or delighting

From this reading (_Num. xx:9._) He informed her of the conquests of a hero who made a charming contrast with Amphion, architect of Thebes.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
COMFORTnounUS /ˈkʌmfərt/

a state of being relaxed and feeling no pain

From this reading HOW THE SERPENT TOLD STORIES TO THE PRINCESS TO COMFORT HER.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
conquestsnounUS /ˈkɑːnkwests/

plural of “conquest” — the act of conquering

From this reading (_Num. xx:9._) He informed her of the conquests of a hero who made a charming contrast with Amphion, architect of Thebes.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
contrastnounUS /ˈkɑːntræst/

the opposition or dissimilarity of things that are compared

From this reading (_Num. xx:9._) He informed her of the conquests of a hero who made a charming contrast with Amphion, architect of Thebes.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
curedadjectiveUS /kjʊrd/

freed from illness or injury

From this reading He related to her how he had formerly cured a whole nation of the bite of certain little serpents, only by showing himself at the end of a staff.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
endnounUS /end/

either extremity of something that has length

From this reading He related to her how he had formerly cured a whole nation of the bite of certain little serpents, only by showing himself at the end of a staff.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fairadjectiveUS /fer/

free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules

From this reading Meanwhile the serpent told stories to the fair Amasidia to soothe her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
formerlyadverbUS /ˈfɔːrmərli/

at a previous time

From this reading He related to her how he had formerly cured a whole nation of the bite of certain little serpents, only by showing himself at the end of a staff.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading He related to her how he had formerly cured a whole nation of the bite of certain little serpents, only by showing himself at the end of a staff.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
HepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading He related to her how he had formerly cured a whole nation of the bite of certain little serpents, only by showing himself at the end of a staff.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
HERdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading HOW THE SERPENT TOLD STORIES TO THE PRINCESS TO COMFORT HER.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
heronounUS /ˈhɪroʊ/

a man distinguished by exceptional courage and nobility and strength

From this reading (_Num. xx:9._) He informed her of the conquests of a hero who made a charming contrast with Amphion, architect of Thebes.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hewnadjectiveUS /hjuːn/

cut or shaped with hard blows of a heavy cutting instrument like an ax or chisel

From this reading Amphion assembled hewn stones by the sound of his violin.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading He related to her how he had formerly cured a whole nation of the bite of certain little serpents, only by showing himself at the end of a staff.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Amphion assembled hewn stones by the sound of his violin.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
HOW

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

From this reading HOW THE SERPENT TOLD STORIES TO THE PRINCESS TO COMFORT HER.

Pending verification
informedadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈfɔːrmd/

having much knowledge or education

From this reading (_Num. xx:9._) He informed her of the conquests of a hero who made a charming contrast with Amphion, architect of Thebes.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading He related to her how he had formerly cured a whole nation of the bite of certain little serpents, only by showing himself at the end of a staff.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading (_Num. xx:9._) He informed her of the conquests of a hero who made a charming contrast with Amphion, architect of Thebes.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MeanwhileadverbUS /ˈmiːnwaɪl/

at the same time but in another place

From this reading Meanwhile the serpent told stories to the fair Amasidia to soothe her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nationnounUS /ˈneɪʃən/

a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading He related to her how he had formerly cured a whole nation of the bite of certain little serpents, only by showing himself at the end of a staff.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Num

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

From this reading (_Num. xx:9._) He informed her of the conquests of a hero who made a charming contrast with Amphion, architect of Thebes.

Pending verification
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading He related to her how he had formerly cured a whole nation of the bite of certain little serpents, only by showing himself at the end of a staff.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading He related to her how he had formerly cured a whole nation of the bite of certain little serpents, only by showing himself at the end of a staff.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
PRINCESSnounUS /ˈprɪn.ses/

The daughter of a monarch; a female member of a royal family.

From this reading HOW THE SERPENT TOLD STORIES TO THE PRINCESS TO COMFORT HER.

Velmora curated lexicon
relatedadjectiveUS /rɪˈleɪtɪd/

being connected either logically or causally or by shared characteristics

From this reading He related to her how he had formerly cured a whole nation of the bite of certain little serpents, only by showing himself at the end of a staff.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SERPENTnounUS /ˈsɜːrpənt/

limbless scaly elongate reptile; some are venomous

From this reading HOW THE SERPENT TOLD STORIES TO THE PRINCESS TO COMFORT HER.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
serpentsnounUS /ˈsɜːrpənts/

plural of “serpent” — limbless scaly elongate reptile; some are venomous

From this reading He related to her how he had formerly cured a whole nation of the bite of certain little serpents, only by showing himself at the end of a staff.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
showingnounUS /ˈʃoʊɪŋ/

the display of a motion picture

From this reading He related to her how he had formerly cured a whole nation of the bite of certain little serpents, only by showing himself at the end of a staff.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sootheverbUS /suːð/

give moral or emotional strength to

From this reading Meanwhile the serpent told stories to the fair Amasidia to soothe her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
soundnounUS /saʊnd/

the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause

From this reading Amphion assembled hewn stones by the sound of his violin.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
staffnounUS /stæf/

personnel who assist their superior in carrying out an assigned task

From this reading He related to her how he had formerly cured a whole nation of the bite of certain little serpents, only by showing himself at the end of a staff.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stonesnounUS /stoʊnz/

plural of “stone” — a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter

From this reading Amphion assembled hewn stones by the sound of his violin.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
STORIESnounUS /ˈstɔːriz/

plural of “story” — a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading HOW THE SERPENT TOLD STORIES TO THE PRINCESS TO COMFORT HER.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading HOW THE SERPENT TOLD STORIES TO THE PRINCESS TO COMFORT HER.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ThebesnounUS /θiːbz/

an ancient Egyptian city on the Nile River that flourished from the 22nd century BC to the 18th century BC; today the archeological remains include many splendid temples and tombs

From this reading (_Num. xx:9._) He informed her of the conquests of a hero who made a charming contrast with Amphion, architect of Thebes.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
TOparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading HOW THE SERPENT TOLD STORIES TO THE PRINCESS TO COMFORT HER.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
TOLDverbUS /toʊld/

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading HOW THE SERPENT TOLD STORIES TO THE PRINCESS TO COMFORT HER.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
violinnounUS /vaɪəˈlɪn/

bowed stringed instrument that is the highest member of the violin family; this instrument has four strings and a hollow body and an unfretted fingerboard and is played with a bow

From this reading Amphion assembled hewn stones by the sound of his violin.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading (_Num. xx:9._) He informed her of the conquests of a hero who made a charming contrast with Amphion, architect of Thebes.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wholeadjectiveUS /hoʊl/

including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete

From this reading He related to her how he had formerly cured a whole nation of the bite of certain little serpents, only by showing himself at the end of a staff.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading (_Num. xx:9._) He informed her of the conquests of a hero who made a charming contrast with Amphion, architect of Thebes.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
xxnoun

the cardinal number that is the sum of nineteen and one

From this reading (_Num. xx:9._) He informed her of the conquests of a hero who made a charming contrast with Amphion, architect of Thebes.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 11 of Voltaire's Romances, Complete in One Volume by Voltaire holds 13 sentences, grouped into 3 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 11 of Voltaire's Romances, Complete in One Volume contain?

Chapter 11 holds 13 sentences of Voltaire's Romances, Complete in One Volume, unabridged, divided into 3 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 11 of Voltaire's Romances, Complete in One Volume by Voltaire exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 13 sentences, grouped into 3 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 11 of Voltaire's Romances, Complete in One Volume?

Work through the 3 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 3 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 11 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 11 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 Voltaire's Romances, Complete in One Volume

Common questions about reading Voltaire's Romances, Complete in One Volume by Voltaire on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Voltaire's Romances, Complete in One Volume?

Yes. All 8779 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #35595 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Voltaire's Romances, Complete in One Volume is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #35595, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Voltaire's Romances, Complete in One Volume take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1756 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Voltaire's Romances, Complete in One Volume section by section

How to work through Voltaire's Romances, Complete in One Volume section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Voltaire's Romances, Complete in One Volume

Words and structures a reader meets early in Voltaire's Romances, Complete in One Volume, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Translated
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Voltaire's Romances, Complete in One Volume; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
French
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Voltaire's Romances, Complete in One Volume; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Numerous
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Voltaire's Romances, Complete in One Volume; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Illustrations
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Voltaire's Romances, Complete in One Volume; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.