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Can Such Things Be?
Can Such Things Be?

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Can Such Things Be? is here in full — 422 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/84 · 5 lines
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CAN SUCH THINGS BE?
For by death is wrought greater change than hath been shown.
Whereas in general the spirit that removed cometh back upon occasion, and is sometimes seen of those in flesh (appearing in the form of the body it bore) yet it hath happened that the veritable body without the spirit hath walked.
And it is attested of those encountering who have lived to speak thereon that a lich so raised up hath no natural affection, nor remembrance thereof, but only hate.
Also, it is known that some spirits which in life were benign become by death evil altogether.—_Hali_.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Can Such Things Be?

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Can Such Things Be? is here in full — 422 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/84 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
CAN SUCH THINGS BE?
/kæn sʌtʃ θɪŋz biː/
Line 2
For by death is wrought greater change than hath been shown.
/fɔːr baɪ deθ ɪz rɔːt ˈɡreɪtər tʃeɪndʒ ðæn hæθ bɪn ʃoʊn/
Line 3
Whereas in general the spirit that removed cometh back upon occasion, and is sometimes seen of those in flesh (appearing in the form of the body it bore) yet it hath happened that the veritable body without the spirit hath walked.
Line 4
And it is attested of those encountering who have lived to speak thereon that a lich so raised up hath no natural affection, nor remembrance thereof, but only hate.
Line 5
Also, it is known that some spirits which in life were benign become by death evil altogether.—_Hali_.

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.

appearing noun US /əˈpɪrɪŋ/

formal attendance (in court or at a hearing) of a party in an action

From this reading “Whereas in general the spirit that removed cometh back upon occasion, and is sometimes seen of those in flesh (appearing in the form of the body it bore) yet it hath happened that the veritable body without the spirit hath walked.”

attested adjective US /əˈtestɪd/

established as genuine

From this reading “And it is attested of those encountering who have lived to speak thereon that a lich so raised up hath no natural affection, nor remembrance thereof, but only hate.”

benign adjective US /bɪˈnaɪn/

not dangerous to health; not recurrent or progressive (especially of a tumor)

From this reading “Also, it is known that some spirits which in life were benign become by death evil altogether.—_Hali_.”

encountering verb US /enˈkaʊntərɪŋ/

-ing form of “encounter” — come together

From this reading “And it is attested of those encountering who have lived to speak thereon that a lich so raised up hath no natural affection, nor remembrance thereof, but only hate.”

remembrance noun US /riˈmembrəns/

the ability to recall past occurrences

From this reading “And it is attested of those encountering who have lived to speak thereon that a lich so raised up hath no natural affection, nor remembrance thereof, but only hate.”

thereof adverb US /ˌðeˈrʌv/

of or concerning this or that

From this reading “And it is attested of those encountering who have lived to speak thereon that a lich so raised up hath no natural affection, nor remembrance thereof, but only hate.”

thereon adverb US /ðeˈrɔːn/

on that

From this reading “And it is attested of those encountering who have lived to speak thereon that a lich so raised up hath no natural affection, nor remembrance thereof, but only hate.”

veritable adjective US /ˈverɪtəbəl/

often used as intensifiers

From this reading “Whereas in general the spirit that removed cometh back upon occasion, and is sometimes seen of those in flesh (appearing in the form of the body it bore) yet it hath happened that the veritable body without the spirit hath walked.”

All words in this reading · 76

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 And it is attested of those encountering who have lived to speak thereon that a lich so raised up hath no natural affection, nor remembrance thereof, but only hate.

affectionnounUS /əˈfekʃən/

a positive feeling of liking

From this reading And it is attested of those encountering who have lived to speak thereon that a lich so raised up hath no natural affection, nor remembrance thereof, but only hate.

AlsoadverbUS /ˈɔːlsoʊ/

in addition

From this reading Also, it is known that some spirits which in life were benign become by death evil altogether.—_Hali_.

altogetheradverbUS /ˌɔːltəˈɡeðər/

to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)

From this reading Also, it is known that some spirits which in life were benign become by death evil altogether.—_Hali_.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Whereas in general the spirit that removed cometh back upon occasion, and is sometimes seen of those in flesh (appearing in the form of the body it bore) yet it hath happened that the veritable body without the spirit hath walked.

appearingnounUS /əˈpɪrɪŋ/

formal attendance (in court or at a hearing) of a party in an action

From this reading Whereas in general the spirit that removed cometh back upon occasion, and is sometimes seen of those in flesh (appearing in the form of the body it bore) yet it hath happened that the veritable body without the spirit hath walked.

attestedadjectiveUS /əˈtestɪd/

established as genuine

From this reading And it is attested of those encountering who have lived to speak thereon that a lich so raised up hath no natural affection, nor remembrance thereof, but only hate.

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading Whereas in general the spirit that removed cometh back upon occasion, and is sometimes seen of those in flesh (appearing in the form of the body it bore) yet it hath happened that the veritable body without the spirit hath walked.

BEauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading CAN SUCH THINGS BE?

becomeverbUS /bɪˈkʌm/

enter or assume a certain state or condition

From this reading Also, it is known that some spirits which in life were benign become by death evil altogether.—_Hali_.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading For by death is wrought greater change than hath been shown.

benignadjectiveUS /bɪˈnaɪn/

not dangerous to health; not recurrent or progressive (especially of a tumor)

From this reading Also, it is known that some spirits which in life were benign become by death evil altogether.—_Hali_.

bodynounUS /ˈbɑːdi/

the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)

From this reading Whereas in general the spirit that removed cometh back upon occasion, and is sometimes seen of those in flesh (appearing in the form of the body it bore) yet it hath happened that the veritable body without the spirit hath walked.

boreverbUS /bɔːr/

cause to be bored

From this reading Whereas in general the spirit that removed cometh back upon occasion, and is sometimes seen of those in flesh (appearing in the form of the body it bore) yet it hath happened that the veritable body without the spirit hath walked.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading And it is attested of those encountering who have lived to speak thereon that a lich so raised up hath no natural affection, nor remembrance thereof, but only hate.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading For by death is wrought greater change than hath been shown.

CANmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading CAN SUCH THINGS BE?

changeverbUS /tʃeɪndʒ/

cause to change; make different; cause a transformation

From this reading For by death is wrought greater change than hath been shown.

cometh

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

From this reading Whereas in general the spirit that removed cometh back upon occasion, and is sometimes seen of those in flesh (appearing in the form of the body it bore) yet it hath happened that the veritable body without the spirit hath walked.

deathnounUS /deθ/

the event of dying or departure from life

From this reading For by death is wrought greater change than hath been shown.

encounteringverbUS /enˈkaʊntərɪŋ/

-ing form of “encounter” — come together

From this reading And it is attested of those encountering who have lived to speak thereon that a lich so raised up hath no natural affection, nor remembrance thereof, but only hate.

evilnounUS /ˈiːvəl/

morally objectionable behavior

From this reading Also, it is known that some spirits which in life were benign become by death evil altogether.—_Hali_.

fleshnounUS /fleʃ/

the soft tissue of the body of a vertebrate: mainly muscle tissue and fat

From this reading Whereas in general the spirit that removed cometh back upon occasion, and is sometimes seen of those in flesh (appearing in the form of the body it bore) yet it hath happened that the veritable body without the spirit hath walked.

ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading For by death is wrought greater change than hath been shown.

formnounUS /fɔːrm/

the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something

From this reading Whereas in general the spirit that removed cometh back upon occasion, and is sometimes seen of those in flesh (appearing in the form of the body it bore) yet it hath happened that the veritable body without the spirit hath walked.

generaladjectiveUS /ˈdʒenərəl/

applying to all or most members of a category or group

From this reading Whereas in general the spirit that removed cometh back upon occasion, and is sometimes seen of those in flesh (appearing in the form of the body it bore) yet it hath happened that the veritable body without the spirit hath walked.

greateradjectiveUS /ˈɡreɪtər/

greater in size or importance or degree

From this reading For by death is wrought greater change than hath been shown.

Hali

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

From this reading Also, it is known that some spirits which in life were benign become by death evil altogether.—_Hali_.

happenedverbUS /ˈhæpənd/

past form of “happen” — come to pass

From this reading Whereas in general the spirit that removed cometh back upon occasion, and is sometimes seen of those in flesh (appearing in the form of the body it bore) yet it hath happened that the veritable body without the spirit hath walked.

hatenounUS /heɪt/

the emotion of intense dislike; a feeling of dislike so strong that it demands action

From this reading And it is attested of those encountering who have lived to speak thereon that a lich so raised up hath no natural affection, nor remembrance thereof, but only hate.

hathauxiliary verbUS /hæθ/

an old form of “has”

From this reading For by death is wrought greater change than hath been shown.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading And it is attested of those encountering who have lived to speak thereon that a lich so raised up hath no natural affection, nor remembrance thereof, but only hate.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Whereas in general the spirit that removed cometh back upon occasion, and is sometimes seen of those in flesh (appearing in the form of the body it bore) yet it hath happened that the veritable body without the spirit hath walked.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading For by death is wrought greater change than hath been shown.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Whereas in general the spirit that removed cometh back upon occasion, and is sometimes seen of those in flesh (appearing in the form of the body it bore) yet it hath happened that the veritable body without the spirit hath walked.

knownadjectiveUS /noʊn/

apprehended with certainty

From this reading Also, it is known that some spirits which in life were benign become by death evil altogether.—_Hali_.

lich

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

From this reading And it is attested of those encountering who have lived to speak thereon that a lich so raised up hath no natural affection, nor remembrance thereof, but only hate.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading Also, it is known that some spirits which in life were benign become by death evil altogether.—_Hali_.

livedverbUS /lɪvd/

past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in

From this reading And it is attested of those encountering who have lived to speak thereon that a lich so raised up hath no natural affection, nor remembrance thereof, but only hate.

naturaladjectiveUS /ˈnætʃərəl/

in accordance with nature; relating to or concerning nature

From this reading And it is attested of those encountering who have lived to speak thereon that a lich so raised up hath no natural affection, nor remembrance thereof, but only hate.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading And it is attested of those encountering who have lived to speak thereon that a lich so raised up hath no natural affection, nor remembrance thereof, but only hate.

norconjunctionUS /nɔːr/

and not; used after a negative to add a second negative

From this reading And it is attested of those encountering who have lived to speak thereon that a lich so raised up hath no natural affection, nor remembrance thereof, but only hate.

occasionnounUS /əˈkeɪʒən/

an event that occurs at a critical time

From this reading Whereas in general the spirit that removed cometh back upon occasion, and is sometimes seen of those in flesh (appearing in the form of the body it bore) yet it hath happened that the veritable body without the spirit hath walked.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Whereas in general the spirit that removed cometh back upon occasion, and is sometimes seen of those in flesh (appearing in the form of the body it bore) yet it hath happened that the veritable body without the spirit hath walked.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading And it is attested of those encountering who have lived to speak thereon that a lich so raised up hath no natural affection, nor remembrance thereof, but only hate.

raisedadjectiveUS /reɪzd/

located or moved above the surround or above the normal position

From this reading And it is attested of those encountering who have lived to speak thereon that a lich so raised up hath no natural affection, nor remembrance thereof, but only hate.

remembrancenounUS /riˈmembrəns/

the ability to recall past occurrences

From this reading And it is attested of those encountering who have lived to speak thereon that a lich so raised up hath no natural affection, nor remembrance thereof, but only hate.

removedadjectiveUS /riˈmuːvd/

separated in relationship by a given degree of descent

From this reading Whereas in general the spirit that removed cometh back upon occasion, and is sometimes seen of those in flesh (appearing in the form of the body it bore) yet it hath happened that the veritable body without the spirit hath walked.

seenverbUS /siːn/

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

From this reading Whereas in general the spirit that removed cometh back upon occasion, and is sometimes seen of those in flesh (appearing in the form of the body it bore) yet it hath happened that the veritable body without the spirit hath walked.

shownverbUS /ʃoʊn/

inflected form of “show” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading For by death is wrought greater change than hath been shown.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading And it is attested of those encountering who have lived to speak thereon that a lich so raised up hath no natural affection, nor remembrance thereof, but only hate.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

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

From this reading Also, it is known that some spirits which in life were benign become by death evil altogether.—_Hali_.

sometimesadverbUS /səmˈtaɪmz/

on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always

From this reading Whereas in general the spirit that removed cometh back upon occasion, and is sometimes seen of those in flesh (appearing in the form of the body it bore) yet it hath happened that the veritable body without the spirit hath walked.

speakverbUS /spiːk/

express in speech

From this reading And it is attested of those encountering who have lived to speak thereon that a lich so raised up hath no natural affection, nor remembrance thereof, but only hate.

spiritnounUS /ˈspɪrət/

the vital principle or animating force within living things

From this reading Whereas in general the spirit that removed cometh back upon occasion, and is sometimes seen of those in flesh (appearing in the form of the body it bore) yet it hath happened that the veritable body without the spirit hath walked.

spiritsnounUS /ˈspɪrɪts/

an alcoholic beverage that is distilled rather than fermented

From this reading Also, it is known that some spirits which in life were benign become by death evil altogether.—_Hali_.

SUCHdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading CAN SUCH THINGS BE?

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading For by death is wrought greater change than hath been shown.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Whereas in general the spirit that removed cometh back upon occasion, and is sometimes seen of those in flesh (appearing in the form of the body it bore) yet it hath happened that the veritable body without the spirit hath walked.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Whereas in general the spirit that removed cometh back upon occasion, and is sometimes seen of those in flesh (appearing in the form of the body it bore) yet it hath happened that the veritable body without the spirit hath walked.

thereofadverbUS /ˌðeˈrʌv/

of or concerning this or that

From this reading And it is attested of those encountering who have lived to speak thereon that a lich so raised up hath no natural affection, nor remembrance thereof, but only hate.

thereonadverbUS /ðeˈrɔːn/

on that

From this reading And it is attested of those encountering who have lived to speak thereon that a lich so raised up hath no natural affection, nor remembrance thereof, but only hate.

THINGSnounUS /θɪŋz/

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading CAN SUCH THINGS BE?

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading Whereas in general the spirit that removed cometh back upon occasion, and is sometimes seen of those in flesh (appearing in the form of the body it bore) yet it hath happened that the veritable body without the spirit hath walked.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading And it is attested of those encountering who have lived to speak thereon that a lich so raised up hath no natural affection, nor remembrance thereof, but only hate.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading And it is attested of those encountering who have lived to speak thereon that a lich so raised up hath no natural affection, nor remembrance thereof, but only hate.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading Whereas in general the spirit that removed cometh back upon occasion, and is sometimes seen of those in flesh (appearing in the form of the body it bore) yet it hath happened that the veritable body without the spirit hath walked.

veritableadjectiveUS /ˈverɪtəbəl/

often used as intensifiers

From this reading Whereas in general the spirit that removed cometh back upon occasion, and is sometimes seen of those in flesh (appearing in the form of the body it bore) yet it hath happened that the veritable body without the spirit hath walked.

walkedverbUS /wɔːkt/

past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps

From this reading Whereas in general the spirit that removed cometh back upon occasion, and is sometimes seen of those in flesh (appearing in the form of the body it bore) yet it hath happened that the veritable body without the spirit hath walked.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading Also, it is known that some spirits which in life were benign become by death evil altogether.—_Hali_.

WhereasconjunctionUS /weˈræz/

in contrast with the fact that

From this reading Whereas in general the spirit that removed cometh back upon occasion, and is sometimes seen of those in flesh (appearing in the form of the body it bore) yet it hath happened that the veritable body without the spirit hath walked.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading Also, it is known that some spirits which in life were benign become by death evil altogether.—_Hali_.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading And it is attested of those encountering who have lived to speak thereon that a lich so raised up hath no natural affection, nor remembrance thereof, but only hate.

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading Whereas in general the spirit that removed cometh back upon occasion, and is sometimes seen of those in flesh (appearing in the form of the body it bore) yet it hath happened that the veritable body without the spirit hath walked.

wroughtadjectiveUS /rɔːt/

shaped to fit by or as if by altering the contours of a pliable mass (as by work or effort)

From this reading For by death is wrought greater change than hath been shown.

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading Whereas in general the spirit that removed cometh back upon occasion, and is sometimes seen of those in flesh (appearing in the form of the body it bore) yet it hath happened that the veritable body without the spirit hath walked.

Chapter 1 of Can Such Things Be? by Ambrose Bierce holds 422 sentences, grouped into 85 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 1 of Can Such Things Be? contain?

Chapter 1 holds 422 sentences of Can Such Things Be?, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Can Such Things Be? by Ambrose Bierce exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 422 sentences, grouped into 85 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 1 of Can Such Things Be??

Work through the 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 85 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 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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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Project Gutenberg eBook #4366, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 246 minutes of reading across 591 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Can Such Things Be?

Words and structures a reader meets early in Can Such Things Be?, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Things
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Can Such Things Be?; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Death
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Can Such Things Be?; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Wrought
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Can Such Things Be?; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Greater
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Can Such Things Be?; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.