Chapter 4 of Burlesque Plays and Poems is here in full — 411 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of Burlesque Plays and Poems is here in full — 411 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
_Boy._ I will, sir. _Merch._ And then bring me word what tune he is in, And have another crown; but do it truly. I've fitted him a bargain, now, will vex him. _Boy._ God bless your worship's health, sir. _Merch._ Farewell, boy.
Chapter 4 of Burlesque Plays and Poems is here in full — 411 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/82 · 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.
an agreement between parties (usually arrived at after discussion) fixing obligations of each
From this reading “I've fitted him a bargain, now, will vex him.”
give a benediction to
From this reading “_Boy._ God bless your worship's health, sir.”
the Crown (or the reigning monarch) as the symbol of the power and authority of a monarchy
From this reading “_Merch._ And then bring me word what tune he is in, And have another crown; but do it truly.”
an acknowledgment or expression of goodwill at parting
From this reading “_Merch._ Farewell, boy.”
being the right size and shape to fit as desired
From this reading “I've fitted him a bargain, now, will vex him.”
in accordance with truth or fact or reality
From this reading “_Merch._ And then bring me word what tune he is in, And have another crown; but do it truly.”
a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence
From this reading “_Merch._ And then bring me word what tune he is in, And have another crown; but do it truly.”
cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations
From this reading “I've fitted him a bargain, now, will vex him.”
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.
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading I've fitted him a bargain, now, will vex him.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading _Merch._ And then bring me word what tune he is in, And have another crown; but do it truly.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading _Merch._ And then bring me word what tune he is in, And have another crown; but do it truly.
an agreement between parties (usually arrived at after discussion) fixing obligations of each
From this reading I've fitted him a bargain, now, will vex him.
give a benediction to
From this reading _Boy._ God bless your worship's health, sir.
a youthful male person
From this reading _Boy._ I will, sir.
take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading _Merch._ And then bring me word what tune he is in, And have another crown; but do it truly.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading _Merch._ And then bring me word what tune he is in, And have another crown; but do it truly.
the Crown (or the reigning monarch) as the symbol of the power and authority of a monarchy
From this reading _Merch._ And then bring me word what tune he is in, And have another crown; but do it truly.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading _Merch._ And then bring me word what tune he is in, And have another crown; but do it truly.
an acknowledgment or expression of goodwill at parting
From this reading _Merch._ Farewell, boy.
being the right size and shape to fit as desired
From this reading I've fitted him a bargain, now, will vex him.
the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions
From this reading _Boy._ God bless your worship's health, sir.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading _Merch._ And then bring me word what tune he is in, And have another crown; but do it truly.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading _Merch._ And then bring me word what tune he is in, And have another crown; but do it truly.
a healthy state of wellbeing free from disease
From this reading _Boy._ God bless your worship's health, sir.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I've fitted him a bargain, now, will vex him.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading _Boy._ I will, sir.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I've fitted him a bargain, now, will vex him.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading _Merch._ And then bring me word what tune he is in, And have another crown; but do it truly.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading _Merch._ And then bring me word what tune he is in, And have another crown; but do it truly.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading _Merch._ And then bring me word what tune he is in, And have another crown; but do it truly.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading _Merch._ And then bring me word what tune he is in, And have another crown; but do it truly.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Merch._ And then bring me word what tune he is in, And have another crown; but do it truly.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading I've fitted him a bargain, now, will vex him.
term of address for a man
From this reading _Boy._ I will, sir.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading _Merch._ And then bring me word what tune he is in, And have another crown; but do it truly.
in accordance with truth or fact or reality
From this reading _Merch._ And then bring me word what tune he is in, And have another crown; but do it truly.
a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence
From this reading _Merch._ And then bring me word what tune he is in, And have another crown; but do it truly.
cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations
From this reading I've fitted him a bargain, now, will vex him.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading _Merch._ And then bring me word what tune he is in, And have another crown; but do it truly.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading _Boy._ I will, sir.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading _Merch._ And then bring me word what tune he is in, And have another crown; but do it truly.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Boy._ God bless your worship's health, sir.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading _Boy._ God bless your worship's health, sir.
Chapter 4 of Burlesque Plays and Poems by Henry [Editor] Morley holds 411 sentences, grouped into 83 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 4 holds 411 sentences of Burlesque Plays and Poems, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Burlesque Plays and Poems by Henry [Editor] Morley exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 411 sentences, grouped into 83 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 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 83 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 4 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 Burlesque Plays and Poems by Henry [Editor] Morley on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5928 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #53606 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #53606, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 494 minutes of reading across 1186 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Burlesque Plays and Poems section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 16 chapters of Burlesque Plays and Poems 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 Burlesque Plays and Poems, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
