Chapter 5 of Cynthia's Revels is here in full — 402 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter V
Chapter 5 of Cynthia's Revels is here in full — 402 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
PHI. Ay, and he has a very imperfect face. PHA. Like a sea-monster, that were to ravish Andromeda from the rock. PHI.
Chapter 5 of Cynthia's Revels is here in full — 402 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/80 · 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.
broad-leaved evergreen Asiatic shrub with glossy leaves and drooping clusters of white flowers
From this reading “Like a sea-monster, that were to ravish Andromeda from the rock.”
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading “Ay, and he has a very imperfect face.”
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Ay, and he has a very imperfect face.”
not perfect; defective or inadequate
From this reading “Ay, and he has a very imperfect face.”
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading “Like a sea-monster, that were to ravish Andromeda from the rock.”
the 21st letter of the Greek alphabet
From this reading “PHI.”
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading “Like a sea-monster, that were to ravish Andromeda from the rock.”
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 Ay, and he has a very imperfect face.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Ay, and he has a very imperfect face.
broad-leaved evergreen Asiatic shrub with glossy leaves and drooping clusters of white flowers
From this reading Like a sea-monster, that were to ravish Andromeda from the rock.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ay, and he has a very imperfect face.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading Ay, and he has a very imperfect face.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Like a sea-monster, that were to ravish Andromeda from the rock.
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Ay, and he has a very imperfect face.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Ay, and he has a very imperfect face.
not perfect; defective or inadequate
From this reading Ay, and he has a very imperfect face.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Like a sea-monster, that were to ravish Andromeda from the rock.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading PHA.
the 21st letter of the Greek alphabet
From this reading PHI.
force (someone) to have sex against their will
From this reading Like a sea-monster, that were to ravish Andromeda from the rock.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading Like a sea-monster, that were to ravish Andromeda from the rock.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Like a sea-monster, that were to ravish Andromeda from the rock.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Like a sea-monster, that were to ravish Andromeda from the rock.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Like a sea-monster, that were to ravish Andromeda from the rock.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Like a sea-monster, that were to ravish Andromeda from the rock.
precisely as stated
From this reading Ay, and he has a very imperfect face.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Like a sea-monster, that were to ravish Andromeda from the rock.
Chapter 5 of Cynthia's Revels by Ben Jonson holds 402 sentences, grouped into 81 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 5 holds 402 sentences of Cynthia's Revels, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 5 of Cynthia's Revels by Ben Jonson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 402 sentences, grouped into 81 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 81 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 81 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 5 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 Cynthia's Revels by Ben Jonson on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3582 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #3771 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #3771, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 298 minutes of reading across 717 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Cynthia's Revels section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 9 chapters of Cynthia's Revels 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 Cynthia's Revels, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
