Chapter 16 of Life of Johnson, Volume 3 1776-1780 is here in full — 402 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter XVI
Chapter 16 of Life of Johnson, Volume 3 1776-1780 is here in full — 402 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
BOSWELL. [1282] It is little more than half that distance. [1283] Johnson wrote to Mrs. Thrale on Nov. 7:--'My master, I hope, hunts and walks, and courts the belles, and shakes Brighthelmston. When he comes back, frolick and active, we will make a feast, and drink his health, and have a noble day.'
Chapter 16 of Life of Johnson, Volume 3 1776-1780 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.
plural of “belle” — a young woman who is the most charming and beautiful of several rivals
From this reading “7:--'My master, I hope, hunts and walks, and courts the belles, and shakes Brighthelmston.”
Scottish author noted for his biography of Samuel Johnson (1740-1795)
From this reading “BOSWELL.”
plural of “court” — an assembly (including one or more judges) to conduct judicial business
From this reading “7:--'My master, I hope, hunts and walks, and courts the belles, and shakes Brighthelmston.”
plural of “hunt” — Englishman and Pre-Raphaelite painter (1827-1910)
From this reading “7:--'My master, I hope, hunts and walks, and courts the belles, and shakes Brighthelmston.”
English writer and lexicographer (1709-1784)
From this reading “[1283] Johnson wrote to Mrs. Thrale on Nov.”
the month following October and preceding December
From this reading “[1283] Johnson wrote to Mrs. Thrale on Nov.”
plural of “shake” — building material used as siding or roofing
From this reading “7:--'My master, I hope, hunts and walks, and courts the belles, and shakes Brighthelmston.”
plural of “walk” — the act of traveling by foot
From this reading “7:--'My master, I hope, hunts and walks, and courts the belles, and shakes Brighthelmston.”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading [1282] It is little more than half that distance.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading [1283] Johnson wrote to Mrs. Thrale on Nov.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 7:--'My master, I hope, hunts and walks, and courts the belles, and shakes Brighthelmston.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading When he comes back, frolick and active, we will make a feast, and drink his health, and have a noble day.'
tending to become more severe or wider in scope
From this reading When he comes back, frolick and active, we will make a feast, and drink his health, and have a noble day.'
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading 7:--'My master, I hope, hunts and walks, and courts the belles, and shakes Brighthelmston.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading When he comes back, frolick and active, we will make a feast, and drink his health, and have a noble day.'
plural of “belle” — a young woman who is the most charming and beautiful of several rivals
From this reading 7:--'My master, I hope, hunts and walks, and courts the belles, and shakes Brighthelmston.
Scottish author noted for his biography of Samuel Johnson (1740-1795)
From this reading BOSWELL.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 7:--'My master, I hope, hunts and walks, and courts the belles, and shakes Brighthelmston.
plural of “come” — the thick white fluid containing spermatozoa that is ejaculated by the male genital tract
From this reading When he comes back, frolick and active, we will make a feast, and drink his health, and have a noble day.'
plural of “court” — an assembly (including one or more judges) to conduct judicial business
From this reading 7:--'My master, I hope, hunts and walks, and courts the belles, and shakes Brighthelmston.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading When he comes back, frolick and active, we will make a feast, and drink his health, and have a noble day.'
the property created by the space between two objects or points
From this reading [1282] It is little more than half that distance.
take in liquids
From this reading When he comes back, frolick and active, we will make a feast, and drink his health, and have a noble day.'
a ceremonial dinner party for many people
From this reading When he comes back, frolick and active, we will make a feast, and drink his health, and have a noble day.'
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When he comes back, frolick and active, we will make a feast, and drink his health, and have a noble day.'
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading [1282] It is little more than half that distance.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading When he comes back, frolick and active, we will make a feast, and drink his health, and have a noble day.'
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading When he comes back, frolick and active, we will make a feast, and drink his health, and have a noble day.'
a healthy state of wellbeing free from disease
From this reading When he comes back, frolick and active, we will make a feast, and drink his health, and have a noble day.'
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading When he comes back, frolick and active, we will make a feast, and drink his health, and have a noble day.'
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading 7:--'My master, I hope, hunts and walks, and courts the belles, and shakes Brighthelmston.
plural of “hunt” — Englishman and Pre-Raphaelite painter (1827-1910)
From this reading 7:--'My master, I hope, hunts and walks, and courts the belles, and shakes Brighthelmston.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading 7:--'My master, I hope, hunts and walks, and courts the belles, and shakes Brighthelmston.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading [1282] It is little more than half that distance.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading [1282] It is little more than half that distance.
English writer and lexicographer (1709-1784)
From this reading [1283] Johnson wrote to Mrs. Thrale on Nov.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading [1282] It is little more than half that distance.
engage in
From this reading When he comes back, frolick and active, we will make a feast, and drink his health, and have a noble day.'
an artist of consummate skill
From this reading 7:--'My master, I hope, hunts and walks, and courts the belles, and shakes Brighthelmston.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading [1282] It is little more than half that distance.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading [1283] Johnson wrote to Mrs. Thrale on Nov.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading 7:--'My master, I hope, hunts and walks, and courts the belles, and shakes Brighthelmston.
impressive in appearance
From this reading When he comes back, frolick and active, we will make a feast, and drink his health, and have a noble day.'
the month following October and preceding December
From this reading [1283] Johnson wrote to Mrs. Thrale on Nov.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading [1283] Johnson wrote to Mrs. Thrale on Nov.
plural of “shake” — building material used as siding or roofing
From this reading 7:--'My master, I hope, hunts and walks, and courts the belles, and shakes Brighthelmston.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading [1282] It is little more than half that distance.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading [1282] It is little more than half that distance.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading 7:--'My master, I hope, hunts and walks, and courts the belles, and shakes Brighthelmston.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading [1283] Johnson wrote to Mrs. Thrale on Nov.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading [1283] Johnson wrote to Mrs. Thrale on Nov.
plural of “walk” — the act of traveling by foot
From this reading 7:--'My master, I hope, hunts and walks, and courts the belles, and shakes Brighthelmston.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading When he comes back, frolick and active, we will make a feast, and drink his health, and have a noble day.'
at the time that
From this reading When he comes back, frolick and active, we will make a feast, and drink his health, and have a noble day.'
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading When he comes back, frolick and active, we will make a feast, and drink his health, and have a noble day.'
inflected form of “write” — produce a literary work
From this reading [1283] Johnson wrote to Mrs. Thrale on Nov.
Chapter 16 of Life of Johnson, Volume 3 1776-1780 by James Boswell 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 16 holds 402 sentences of Life of Johnson, Volume 3 1776-1780, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 16 of Life of Johnson, Volume 3 1776-1780 by James Boswell 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 16 can be played aloud in United States English.
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