Chapter 8 of Epicoene is here in full — 425 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of Epicoene is here in full — 425 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
BASILISK, fabulous reptile, believed to slay with its eye. BASKET, used for the broken provision collected for prisoners. BASON, basons, etc., were beaten by the attendant mob when bad characters were "carted." BATE, be reduced; abate, reduce. BATOON, baton, stick.
Chapter 8 of Epicoene is here in full — 425 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/85 · 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.
make less active or intense
From this reading “BATE, be reduced; abate, reduce.”
moderate or restrain; lessen the force of
From this reading “BATE, be reduced; abate, reduce.”
a thin tapered rod used by a conductor to lead an orchestra or choir
From this reading “BATOON, baton, stick.”
past form of “cart” — draw slowly or heavily
From this reading “BASON, basons, etc., were beaten by the attendant mob when bad characters were "carted."”
extremely pleasing
From this reading “BASILISK, fabulous reptile, believed to slay with its eye.”
a stipulated condition
From this reading “BASKET, used for the broken provision collected for prisoners.”
cut down on; make a reduction in
From this reading “BATE, be reduced; abate, reduce.”
any cold-blooded vertebrate of the class Reptilia including tortoises, turtles, snakes, lizards, alligators, crocodiles, and extinct forms
From this reading “BASILISK, fabulous reptile, believed to slay with its eye.”
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.
make less active or intense
From this reading BATE, be reduced; abate, reduce.
someone who waits on or tends to or attends to the needs of another
From this reading BASON, basons, etc., were beaten by the attendant mob when bad characters were "carted."
having undesirable or negative qualities
From this reading BASON, basons, etc., were beaten by the attendant mob when bad characters were "carted."
(classical mythology) a serpent (or lizard or dragon) able to kill with its breath or glance
From this reading BASILISK, fabulous reptile, believed to slay with its eye.
a container that is usually woven and has handles
From this reading BASKET, used for the broken provision collected for prisoners.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading BASON, basons, etc., were beaten by the attendant mob when bad characters were "carted."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading BASON, basons, etc., were beaten by the attendant mob when bad characters were "carted."
moderate or restrain; lessen the force of
From this reading BATE, be reduced; abate, reduce.
a thin tapered rod used by a conductor to lead an orchestra or choir
From this reading BATOON, baton, stick.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading BATOON, baton, stick.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading BATE, be reduced; abate, reduce.
formed or made thin by hammering
From this reading BASON, basons, etc., were beaten by the attendant mob when bad characters were "carted."
past form of “believe” — accept as true; take to be true
From this reading BASILISK, fabulous reptile, believed to slay with its eye.
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading BASKET, used for the broken provision collected for prisoners.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading BASON, basons, etc., were beaten by the attendant mob when bad characters were "carted."
past form of “cart” — draw slowly or heavily
From this reading BASON, basons, etc., were beaten by the attendant mob when bad characters were "carted."
plural of “character” — an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story)
From this reading BASON, basons, etc., were beaten by the attendant mob when bad characters were "carted."
brought together in one place
From this reading BASKET, used for the broken provision collected for prisoners.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading BASON, basons, etc., were beaten by the attendant mob when bad characters were "carted."
the organ of sight
From this reading BASILISK, fabulous reptile, believed to slay with its eye.
extremely pleasing
From this reading BASILISK, fabulous reptile, believed to slay with its eye.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading BASKET, used for the broken provision collected for prisoners.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading BASILISK, fabulous reptile, believed to slay with its eye.
a disorderly crowd of people
From this reading BASON, basons, etc., were beaten by the attendant mob when bad characters were "carted."
plural of “prisoner” — a person who is confined; especially a prisoner of war
From this reading BASKET, used for the broken provision collected for prisoners.
a stipulated condition
From this reading BASKET, used for the broken provision collected for prisoners.
cut down on; make a reduction in
From this reading BATE, be reduced; abate, reduce.
made less in size or amount or degree
From this reading BATE, be reduced; abate, reduce.
any cold-blooded vertebrate of the class Reptilia including tortoises, turtles, snakes, lizards, alligators, crocodiles, and extinct forms
From this reading BASILISK, fabulous reptile, believed to slay with its eye.
kill intentionally and with premeditation
From this reading BASILISK, fabulous reptile, believed to slay with its eye.
put, fix, force, or implant
From this reading BATOON, baton, stick.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading BASKET, used for the broken provision collected for prisoners.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading BASILISK, fabulous reptile, believed to slay with its eye.
employed in accomplishing something
From this reading BASKET, used for the broken provision collected for prisoners.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading BASON, basons, etc., were beaten by the attendant mob when bad characters were "carted."
at the time that
From this reading BASON, basons, etc., were beaten by the attendant mob when bad characters were "carted."
in the company of; together with
From this reading BASILISK, fabulous reptile, believed to slay with its eye.
Chapter 8 of Epicoene by Ben Jonson holds 425 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.
Chapter 8 holds 425 sentences of Epicoene, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of Epicoene by Ben Jonson exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 425 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.
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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 8 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 Epicoene by Ben Jonson on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3550 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4011 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #4011, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 295 minutes of reading across 710 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Epicoene section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 9 chapters of Epicoene 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 Epicoene, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
