With Fire and Sword

Chapter XIX

Chapter 19 of With Fire and Sword is here in full — 162 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Henryk Sienkiewicz • Curated US English Learning Edition

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It is easy to understand how the prince received the statement which Skshetuski made of the refusal of Osinski and Koritski.

Everything had so combined that it needed such a great soul as that iron prince possessed, not to bend, not to waver, or let his hands drop.

In vain was he to spend a colossal fortune on the maintenance of armies; in vain was he to struggle like a lion in a net; in vain was he to tear off one head of the rebellion after another, showing wonders of bravery all for nothing.

A time was coming in which he must feel his own impotence, withdraw somewhere to a distance, to a quiet place, and remain a silent spectator of what was being done in the Ukraine.

And what was it that rendered him powerless?

Narrator

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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter XIX Reading 1/32

With Fire and Sword Henryk Sienkiewicz

Chapter XIX

Chapter 19 of With Fire and Sword is here in full — 162 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

It is easy to understand how the prince received the statement which Skshetuski made of the refusal of Osinski and Koritski. Everything had so combined that it needed such a great soul as that iron prince possessed, not to bend, not to waver, or let his hands drop. In vain was he to spend a colossal fortune on the maintenance of armies; in vain was he to struggle like a lion in a net; in vain was he to tear off one head of the rebellion after another, showing wonders of bravery all for nothing. A time was coming in which he must feel his own impotence, withdraw somewhere to a distance, to a quiet place, and remain a silent spectator of what was being done in the Ukraine. And what was it that rendered him powerless?

With Fire and Sword

Chapter XIX

Chapter 19 of With Fire and Sword is here in full — 162 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/32 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

It is easy to understand how the prince received the statement which Skshetuski made of the refusal of Osinski and Koritski.

Line 2

Everything had so combined that it needed such a great soul as that iron prince possessed, not to bend, not to waver, or let his hands drop.

/ˈevriθɪŋ hæd soʊ kəmˈbaɪnd ðæt ɪt ˈniːdəd sʌtʃ ə ɡreɪt soʊl æz ðæt ˈaɪərn prɪns pəˈzest nɑːt tuː bend nɑːt tuː ˈweɪvər ɔːr let hɪz hændz drɑːp/

Line 3

/ɪn veɪn wɑːz hiː tuː spend ə kəˈlɑːsəl ˈfɔːrtʃən ɑːn ðə ˈmeɪntənəns ʌv ˈɑːrmiz ɪn veɪn wɑːz hiː tuː ˈstrʌɡəl laɪk ə ˈlaɪən ɪn ə net ɪn veɪn wɑːz hiː tuː ter ɔːf wʌn hed ʌv ðə rɪˈbeljən ˈæftər əˈnʌðər ˈʃoʊɪŋ ˈwʌndərz ʌv ˈbreɪvəri ɔːl fɔːr ˈnʌθɪŋ/

Line 4

A time was coming in which he must feel his own impotence, withdraw somewhere to a distance, to a quiet place, and remain a silent spectator of what was being done in the Ukraine.

/ə taɪm wɑːz ˈkʌmɪŋ ɪn wɪtʃ hiː mʌst fiːl hɪz oʊn ˈɪmpətəns wɪðˈdrɔː ˈsʌmwer tuː ə ˈdɪstəns tuː ə ˈkwaɪət pleɪs ənd rɪˈmeɪn ə ˈsaɪlənt ˈspekteɪtər ʌv wʌt wɑːz ˈbiːɪŋ dʌn ɪn ðə juːˈkreɪn/

Line 5

And what was it that rendered him powerless?

/ənd wʌt wɑːz ɪt ðæt ˈrendərd hɪm ˈpaʊərləs/

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.

bravery noun US /ˈbreɪvəri/

a quality of spirit that enables you to face danger or pain without showing fear

From this reading “In vain was he to spend a colossal fortune on the maintenance of armies; in vain was he to struggle like a lion in a net; in vain was he to tear off one head of the rebellion after another, showing wonders of bravery all for nothing.”

colossal adjective US /kəˈlɑːsəl/

so great in size or force or extent as to elicit awe

impotence noun US /ˈɪmpətəns/

the quality of lacking strength or power; being weak and feeble

From this reading “A time was coming in which he must feel his own impotence, withdraw somewhere to a distance, to a quiet place, and remain a silent spectator of what was being done in the Ukraine.”

maintenance noun US /ˈmeɪntənəns/

activity involved in maintaining something in good working order

powerless adjective US /ˈpaʊərləs/

lacking power

From this reading “And what was it that rendered him powerless?”

spectator noun US /ˈspekteɪtər/

a close observer; someone who looks at something (such as an exhibition of some kind)

Ukraine noun US /juːˈkreɪn/

a republic in southeastern Europe; formerly a European soviet; the center of the original Russian state which came into existence in the ninth century

waver verb US /ˈweɪvər/

pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness

From this reading “Everything had so combined that it needed such a great soul as that iron prince possessed, not to bend, not to waver, or let his hands drop.”

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.

tear off verb + particle

remove by pulling or ripping violently and forcefully

In this reading “In vain was he to spend a colossal fortune on the maintenance of armies; in vain was he to struggle like a lion in a net; in vain was he to tear off one head of the rebellion after another, showing wonders of bravery all for nothing.”

All words in this reading · 87

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 Everything had so combined that it needed such a great soul as that iron prince possessed, not to bend, not to waver, or let his hands drop.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading In vain was he to spend a colossal fortune on the maintenance of armies; in vain was he to struggle like a lion in a net; in vain was he to tear off one head of the rebellion after another, showing wonders of bravery all for nothing.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading It is easy to understand how the prince received the statement which Skshetuski made of the refusal of Osinski and Koritski.

anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

armiesnounUS /ˈɑːrmiz/

plural of “army” — a permanent organization of the military land forces of a nation or state

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Everything had so combined that it needed such a great soul as that iron prince possessed, not to bend, not to waver, or let his hands drop.

beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading A time was coming in which he must feel his own impotence, withdraw somewhere to a distance, to a quiet place, and remain a silent spectator of what was being done in the Ukraine.

bendverbUS /bend/

form a curve

From this reading Everything had so combined that it needed such a great soul as that iron prince possessed, not to bend, not to waver, or let his hands drop.

braverynounUS /ˈbreɪvəri/

a quality of spirit that enables you to face danger or pain without showing fear

colossaladjectiveUS /kəˈlɑːsəl/

so great in size or force or extent as to elicit awe

combinedadjectiveUS /kəmˈbaɪnd/

made or joined or united into one

From this reading Everything had so combined that it needed such a great soul as that iron prince possessed, not to bend, not to waver, or let his hands drop.

comingnounUS /ˈkʌmɪŋ/

the act of drawing spatially closer to something

From this reading A time was coming in which he must feel his own impotence, withdraw somewhere to a distance, to a quiet place, and remain a silent spectator of what was being done in the Ukraine.

distancenounUS /ˈdɪstəns/

the property created by the space between two objects or points

From this reading A time was coming in which he must feel his own impotence, withdraw somewhere to a distance, to a quiet place, and remain a silent spectator of what was being done in the Ukraine.

doneadjectiveUS /dʌn/

having finished or arrived at completion

From this reading A time was coming in which he must feel his own impotence, withdraw somewhere to a distance, to a quiet place, and remain a silent spectator of what was being done in the Ukraine.

dropverbUS /drɑːp/

let fall to the ground

From this reading Everything had so combined that it needed such a great soul as that iron prince possessed, not to bend, not to waver, or let his hands drop.

easyadjectiveUS /ˈiːzi/

posing no difficulty; requiring little effort

From this reading It is easy to understand how the prince received the statement which Skshetuski made of the refusal of Osinski and Koritski.

EverythingpronounUS /ˈevriθɪŋ/

all things; all of a situation

From this reading Everything had so combined that it needed such a great soul as that iron prince possessed, not to bend, not to waver, or let his hands drop.

feelverbUS /fiːl/

undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind

From this reading A time was coming in which he must feel his own impotence, withdraw somewhere to a distance, to a quiet place, and remain a silent spectator of what was being done in the Ukraine.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

fortunenounUS /ˈfɔːrtʃən/

an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading Everything had so combined that it needed such a great soul as that iron prince possessed, not to bend, not to waver, or let his hands drop.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Everything had so combined that it needed such a great soul as that iron prince possessed, not to bend, not to waver, or let his hands drop.

handsnounUS /hændz/

(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child

From this reading Everything had so combined that it needed such a great soul as that iron prince possessed, not to bend, not to waver, or let his hands drop.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

headnounUS /hed/

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading And what was it that rendered him powerless?

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Everything had so combined that it needed such a great soul as that iron prince possessed, not to bend, not to waver, or let his hands drop.

how

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

From this reading It is easy to understand how the prince received the statement which Skshetuski made of the refusal of Osinski and Koritski.

impotencenounUS /ˈɪmpətəns/

the quality of lacking strength or power; being weak and feeble

From this reading A time was coming in which he must feel his own impotence, withdraw somewhere to a distance, to a quiet place, and remain a silent spectator of what was being done in the Ukraine.

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

ironnounUS /ˈaɪərn/

a heavy ductile magnetic metallic element; is silver-white in pure form but readily rusts; used in construction and tools and armament; plays a role in the transport of oxygen by the blood

From this reading Everything had so combined that it needed such a great soul as that iron prince possessed, not to bend, not to waver, or let his hands drop.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading It is easy to understand how the prince received the statement which Skshetuski made of the refusal of Osinski and Koritski.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It is easy to understand how the prince received the statement which Skshetuski made of the refusal of Osinski and Koritski.

Koritski

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

From this reading It is easy to understand how the prince received the statement which Skshetuski made of the refusal of Osinski and Koritski.

letauxiliary verbUS /let/

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading Everything had so combined that it needed such a great soul as that iron prince possessed, not to bend, not to waver, or let his hands drop.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

lionnounUS /ˈlaɪən/

large gregarious predatory feline of Africa and India having a tawny coat with a shaggy mane in the male

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading It is easy to understand how the prince received the statement which Skshetuski made of the refusal of Osinski and Koritski.

maintenancenounUS /ˈmeɪntənəns/

activity involved in maintaining something in good working order

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading A time was coming in which he must feel his own impotence, withdraw somewhere to a distance, to a quiet place, and remain a silent spectator of what was being done in the Ukraine.

neededadjectiveUS /ˈniːdəd/

necessary for relief or supply

From this reading Everything had so combined that it needed such a great soul as that iron prince possessed, not to bend, not to waver, or let his hands drop.

netnounUS /net/

a computer network consisting of a worldwide network of computer networks that use the TCP/IP network protocols to facilitate data transmission and exchange

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Everything had so combined that it needed such a great soul as that iron prince possessed, not to bend, not to waver, or let his hands drop.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading It is easy to understand how the prince received the statement which Skshetuski made of the refusal of Osinski and Koritski.

offadverbUS /ɔːf/

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

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Everything had so combined that it needed such a great soul as that iron prince possessed, not to bend, not to waver, or let his hands drop.

Osinski

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

From this reading It is easy to understand how the prince received the statement which Skshetuski made of the refusal of Osinski and Koritski.

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading A time was coming in which he must feel his own impotence, withdraw somewhere to a distance, to a quiet place, and remain a silent spectator of what was being done in the Ukraine.

placenounUS /pleɪs/

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading A time was coming in which he must feel his own impotence, withdraw somewhere to a distance, to a quiet place, and remain a silent spectator of what was being done in the Ukraine.

possessedadjectiveUS /pəˈzest/

influenced or controlled by a powerful force such as a strong emotion

From this reading Everything had so combined that it needed such a great soul as that iron prince possessed, not to bend, not to waver, or let his hands drop.

powerlessadjectiveUS /ˈpaʊərləs/

lacking power

From this reading And what was it that rendered him powerless?

princenounUS /prɪns/

a male member of a royal family other than the sovereign (especially the son of a sovereign)

From this reading It is easy to understand how the prince received the statement which Skshetuski made of the refusal of Osinski and Koritski.

quietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/

characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity

From this reading A time was coming in which he must feel his own impotence, withdraw somewhere to a distance, to a quiet place, and remain a silent spectator of what was being done in the Ukraine.

rebellionnounUS /rɪˈbeljən/

refusal to accept some authority or code or convention

receivedadjectiveUS /rəˈsiːvd/

conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers

From this reading It is easy to understand how the prince received the statement which Skshetuski made of the refusal of Osinski and Koritski.

refusalnounUS /rəˈfjuːzəl/

the act of refusing

From this reading It is easy to understand how the prince received the statement which Skshetuski made of the refusal of Osinski and Koritski.

remainverbUS /rɪˈmeɪn/

stay the same; remain in a certain state

From this reading A time was coming in which he must feel his own impotence, withdraw somewhere to a distance, to a quiet place, and remain a silent spectator of what was being done in the Ukraine.

renderedverbUS /ˈrendərd/

past form of “render” — cause to become

From this reading And what was it that rendered him powerless?

showingnounUS /ˈʃoʊɪŋ/

the display of a motion picture

silentadjectiveUS /ˈsaɪlənt/

marked by absence of sound

From this reading A time was coming in which he must feel his own impotence, withdraw somewhere to a distance, to a quiet place, and remain a silent spectator of what was being done in the Ukraine.

Skshetuski

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

From this reading It is easy to understand how the prince received the statement which Skshetuski made of the refusal of Osinski and Koritski.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Everything had so combined that it needed such a great soul as that iron prince possessed, not to bend, not to waver, or let his hands drop.

somewhereadverbUS /ˈsʌmwer/

in or at or to some place

From this reading A time was coming in which he must feel his own impotence, withdraw somewhere to a distance, to a quiet place, and remain a silent spectator of what was being done in the Ukraine.

soulnounUS /soʊl/

the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life

From this reading Everything had so combined that it needed such a great soul as that iron prince possessed, not to bend, not to waver, or let his hands drop.

spectatornounUS /ˈspekteɪtər/

a close observer; someone who looks at something (such as an exhibition of some kind)

From this reading A time was coming in which he must feel his own impotence, withdraw somewhere to a distance, to a quiet place, and remain a silent spectator of what was being done in the Ukraine.

spendverbUS /spend/

use up a period of time in a specific way

statementnounUS /ˈsteɪtmənt/

a message that is stated or declared; a communication (oral or written) setting forth particulars or facts etc

From this reading It is easy to understand how the prince received the statement which Skshetuski made of the refusal of Osinski and Koritski.

struggleverbUS /ˈstrʌɡəl/

make a strenuous or labored effort

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading Everything had so combined that it needed such a great soul as that iron prince possessed, not to bend, not to waver, or let his hands drop.

tearverbUS /ter/

separate or cause to separate abruptly

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Everything had so combined that it needed such a great soul as that iron prince possessed, not to bend, not to waver, or let his hands drop.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading It is easy to understand how the prince received the statement which Skshetuski made of the refusal of Osinski and Koritski.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading A time was coming in which he must feel his own impotence, withdraw somewhere to a distance, to a quiet place, and remain a silent spectator of what was being done in the Ukraine.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading It is easy to understand how the prince received the statement which Skshetuski made of the refusal of Osinski and Koritski.

UkrainenounUS /juːˈkreɪn/

a republic in southeastern Europe; formerly a European soviet; the center of the original Russian state which came into existence in the ninth century

From this reading A time was coming in which he must feel his own impotence, withdraw somewhere to a distance, to a quiet place, and remain a silent spectator of what was being done in the Ukraine.

understandverbUS /ˌʌndərˈstænd/

know and comprehend the nature or meaning of

From this reading It is easy to understand how the prince received the statement which Skshetuski made of the refusal of Osinski and Koritski.

vainadjectiveUS /veɪn/

characteristic of false pride; having an exaggerated sense of self-importance

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

waververbUS /ˈweɪvər/

pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness

From this reading Everything had so combined that it needed such a great soul as that iron prince possessed, not to bend, not to waver, or let his hands drop.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading A time was coming in which he must feel his own impotence, withdraw somewhere to a distance, to a quiet place, and remain a silent spectator of what was being done in the Ukraine.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading It is easy to understand how the prince received the statement which Skshetuski made of the refusal of Osinski and Koritski.

withdrawverbUS /wɪðˈdrɔː/

pull back or move away or backward

From this reading A time was coming in which he must feel his own impotence, withdraw somewhere to a distance, to a quiet place, and remain a silent spectator of what was being done in the Ukraine.

wondersnounUS /ˈwʌndərz/

plural of “wonder” — the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising

Chapter 19 of With Fire and Sword by Henryk Sienkiewicz holds 162 sentences, grouped into 33 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 19 of With Fire and Sword contain?

Chapter 19 holds 162 sentences of With Fire and Sword, unabridged, divided into 33 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 19 of With Fire and Sword by Henryk Sienkiewicz exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 162 sentences, grouped into 33 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 19 of With Fire and Sword?

Work through the 33 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 33 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.

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Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 19 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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Chapter XIX

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