Chapter 3 of A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 01 is here in full — 334 sentences across 67 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 01 is here in full — 334 sentences across 67 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
[_Then the dancers without the hall sing this wise, and they within answer, or else they may say it for need_.[24]] THE DANCERS AND SENSUAL. Peace, sirs, peace now! peace, sirs, all! HUMANITY AND IGNORANCE. Why, who is that so high doth call? THE DANCERS.
Chapter 3 of A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 01 is here in full — 334 sentences across 67 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/66 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.
plural of “dancer” — a performer who dances professionally
From this reading “[_Then the dancers without the hall sing this wise, and they within answer, or else they may say it for need_.[24]] THE DANCERS AND SENSUAL.”
an old form of “does”
From this reading “Why, who is that so high doth call?”
the quality of being humane
From this reading “HUMANITY AND IGNORANCE.”
the lack of knowledge or education
From this reading “HUMANITY AND IGNORANCE.”
marked by the appetites and passions of the body
From this reading “[_Then the dancers without the hall sing this wise, and they within answer, or else they may say it for need_.[24]] THE DANCERS AND SENSUAL.”
deliver by singing
From this reading “[_Then the dancers without the hall sing this wise, and they within answer, or else they may say it for need_.[24]] THE DANCERS AND SENSUAL.”
plural of “sir” — term of address for a man
From this reading “Peace, sirs, peace now! peace, sirs, all!”
having or prompted by wisdom or discernment
From this reading “[_Then the dancers without the hall sing this wise, and they within answer, or else they may say it for need_.[24]] THE DANCERS AND SENSUAL.”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading [_Then the dancers without the hall sing this wise, and they within answer, or else they may say it for need_.[24]] THE DANCERS AND SENSUAL.
(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 Peace, sirs, peace now! peace, sirs, all!
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading [_Then the dancers without the hall sing this wise, and they within answer, or else they may say it for need_.[24]] THE DANCERS AND SENSUAL.
react verbally
From this reading [_Then the dancers without the hall sing this wise, and they within answer, or else they may say it for need_.[24]] THE DANCERS AND SENSUAL.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading Why, who is that so high doth call?
plural of “dancer” — a performer who dances professionally
From this reading [_Then the dancers without the hall sing this wise, and they within answer, or else they may say it for need_.[24]] THE DANCERS AND SENSUAL.
an old form of “does”
From this reading Why, who is that so high doth call?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading [_Then the dancers without the hall sing this wise, and they within answer, or else they may say it for need_.[24]] THE DANCERS AND SENSUAL.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading [_Then the dancers without the hall sing this wise, and they within answer, or else they may say it for need_.[24]] THE DANCERS AND SENSUAL.
an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading [_Then the dancers without the hall sing this wise, and they within answer, or else they may say it for need_.[24]] THE DANCERS AND SENSUAL.
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading Why, who is that so high doth call?
the quality of being humane
From this reading HUMANITY AND IGNORANCE.
the lack of knowledge or education
From this reading HUMANITY AND IGNORANCE.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Why, who is that so high doth call?
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading [_Then the dancers without the hall sing this wise, and they within answer, or else they may say it for need_.[24]] THE DANCERS AND SENSUAL.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading [_Then the dancers without the hall sing this wise, and they within answer, or else they may say it for need_.[24]] THE DANCERS AND SENSUAL.
a condition requiring relief
From this reading [_Then the dancers without the hall sing this wise, and they within answer, or else they may say it for need_.[24]] THE DANCERS AND SENSUAL.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Peace, sirs, peace now! peace, sirs, all!
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading [_Then the dancers without the hall sing this wise, and they within answer, or else they may say it for need_.[24]] THE DANCERS AND SENSUAL.
the state prevailing during the absence of war
From this reading Peace, sirs, peace now! peace, sirs, all!
express in words
From this reading [_Then the dancers without the hall sing this wise, and they within answer, or else they may say it for need_.[24]] THE DANCERS AND SENSUAL.
marked by the appetites and passions of the body
From this reading [_Then the dancers without the hall sing this wise, and they within answer, or else they may say it for need_.[24]] THE DANCERS AND SENSUAL.
deliver by singing
From this reading [_Then the dancers without the hall sing this wise, and they within answer, or else they may say it for need_.[24]] THE DANCERS AND SENSUAL.
plural of “sir” — term of address for a man
From this reading Peace, sirs, peace now! peace, sirs, all!
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Why, who is that so high doth call?
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Why, who is that so high doth call?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading [_Then the dancers without the hall sing this wise, and they within answer, or else they may say it for need_.[24]] THE DANCERS AND SENSUAL.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading [_Then the dancers without the hall sing this wise, and they within answer, or else they may say it for need_.[24]] THE DANCERS AND SENSUAL.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading [_Then the dancers without the hall sing this wise, and they within answer, or else they may say it for need_.[24]] THE DANCERS AND SENSUAL.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading [_Then the dancers without the hall sing this wise, and they within answer, or else they may say it for need_.[24]] THE DANCERS AND SENSUAL.
which person or people
From this reading Why, who is that so high doth call?
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading Why, who is that so high doth call?
having or prompted by wisdom or discernment
From this reading [_Then the dancers without the hall sing this wise, and they within answer, or else they may say it for need_.[24]] THE DANCERS AND SENSUAL.
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading [_Then the dancers without the hall sing this wise, and they within answer, or else they may say it for need_.[24]] THE DANCERS AND SENSUAL.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading [_Then the dancers without the hall sing this wise, and they within answer, or else they may say it for need_.[24]] THE DANCERS AND SENSUAL.
Chapter 3 of A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 01 by Robert [Compiler] Dodsley holds 334 sentences, grouped into 67 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.
Chapter 3 holds 334 sentences of A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 01, unabridged, divided into 67 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 01 by Robert [Compiler] Dodsley exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 334 sentences, grouped into 67 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.
Work through the 67 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 67 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 3 can be played aloud in United States English.
Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.
Common questions about reading A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 01 by Robert [Compiler] Dodsley on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6364 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #9050 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #9050, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 530 minutes of reading across 1273 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 01 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 19 chapters of A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 01 to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 01, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
