Chapter 4 of Jane Talbot 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 IV
Chapter 4 of Jane Talbot is here in full — 425 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
In all this there was nothing formidable. Such a man might surely be a harmless companion. Those with whom he was said to associate most intimately were highly estimable. Their esteem was a test of merit not to be disposed or hastily rejected. Things, however, quickly took a new face.
Chapter 4 of Jane Talbot 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 a logical or causal connection
From this reading “Those with whom he was said to associate most intimately were highly estimable.”
the condition of being honored (esteemed or respected or well regarded)
From this reading “Their esteem was a test of merit not to be disposed or hastily rejected.”
deserving of respect or high regard
From this reading “Those with whom he was said to associate most intimately were highly estimable.”
extremely impressive in strength or excellence
From this reading “In all this there was nothing formidable.”
not causing or capable of causing harm
From this reading “Such a man might surely be a harmless companion.”
in a close manner
From this reading “Those with whom he was said to associate most intimately were highly estimable.”
rebuffed (by a lover) without warning
From this reading “Their esteem was a test of merit not to be disposed or hastily rejected.”
trying something to find out about it
From this reading “Their esteem was a test of merit not to be disposed or hastily rejected.”
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 Such a man might surely be a harmless companion.
(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 In all this there was nothing formidable.
make a logical or causal connection
From this reading Those with whom he was said to associate most intimately were highly estimable.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Such a man might surely be a harmless companion.
a friend who is frequently in the company of another
From this reading Such a man might surely be a harmless companion.
having made preparations
From this reading Their esteem was a test of merit not to be disposed or hastily rejected.
the condition of being honored (esteemed or respected or well regarded)
From this reading Their esteem was a test of merit not to be disposed or hastily rejected.
deserving of respect or high regard
From this reading Those with whom he was said to associate most intimately were highly estimable.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading Things, however, quickly took a new face.
extremely impressive in strength or excellence
From this reading In all this there was nothing formidable.
not causing or capable of causing harm
From this reading Such a man might surely be a harmless companion.
in a hurried or hasty manner
From this reading Their esteem was a test of merit not to be disposed or hastily rejected.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Those with whom he was said to associate most intimately were highly estimable.
to a high degree or extent; favorably or with much respect
From this reading Those with whom he was said to associate most intimately were highly estimable.
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading Things, however, quickly took a new face.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In all this there was nothing formidable.
in a close manner
From this reading Those with whom he was said to associate most intimately were highly estimable.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Such a man might surely be a harmless companion.
any admirable quality or attribute
From this reading Their esteem was a test of merit not to be disposed or hastily rejected.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading Such a man might surely be a harmless companion.
used to form the superlative
From this reading Those with whom he was said to associate most intimately were highly estimable.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading Things, however, quickly took a new face.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Their esteem was a test of merit not to be disposed or hastily rejected.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading In all this there was nothing formidable.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Their esteem was a test of merit not to be disposed or hastily rejected.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Their esteem was a test of merit not to be disposed or hastily rejected.
with speed
From this reading Things, however, quickly took a new face.
rebuffed (by a lover) without warning
From this reading Their esteem was a test of merit not to be disposed or hastily rejected.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading Those with whom he was said to associate most intimately were highly estimable.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading Such a man might surely be a harmless companion.
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading Such a man might surely be a harmless companion.
trying something to find out about it
From this reading Their esteem was a test of merit not to be disposed or hastily rejected.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Their esteem was a test of merit not to be disposed or hastily rejected.
in or at that place or location
From this reading In all this there was nothing formidable.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading Things, however, quickly took a new face.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading In all this there was nothing formidable.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading Those with whom he was said to associate most intimately were highly estimable.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Those with whom he was said to associate most intimately were highly estimable.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading Things, however, quickly took a new face.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading In all this there was nothing formidable.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Those with whom he was said to associate most intimately were highly estimable.
the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Those with whom he was said to associate most intimately were highly estimable.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Those with whom he was said to associate most intimately were highly estimable.
Chapter 4 of Jane Talbot by Charles Brockden Brown holds 425 sentences, grouped into 85 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 425 sentences of Jane Talbot, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Jane Talbot by Charles Brockden Brown exactly as it stands in the 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 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 Jane Talbot by Charles Brockden Brown on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4745 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #8404 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #8404, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 395 minutes of reading across 949 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Jane Talbot section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 11 chapters of Jane Talbot 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 Jane Talbot, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
