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Life of Johnson, Volume 4 1780-1784
Life of Johnson, Volume 4 1780-1784

Chapter XXV · Chapter 25

Chapter 25 of Life of Johnson, Volume 4 1780-1784 is here in full — 398 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/79 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
[810] On the last day of the old year he wrote:--'To any man who extends his thoughts to national consideration, the times are dismal and gloomy.
But to a sick man, what is the publick?'
_Piozzi Letters_, ii.
344.
The original of the following note is in the admirable collection of autographs belonging to my friend, Mr. M. M. Holloway:-- 'TO THE REV.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Life of Johnson, Volume 4 1780-1784

Chapter XXV · Chapter 25

Chapter 25 of Life of Johnson, Volume 4 1780-1784 is here in full — 398 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/79 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
[810] On the last day of the old year he wrote:--'To any man who extends his thoughts to national consideration, the times are dismal and gloomy.
Line 2
But to a sick man, what is the publick?'
Line 3
_Piozzi Letters_, ii.
Line 4
344.
Line 5
The original of the following note is in the admirable collection of autographs belonging to my friend, Mr. M. M. Holloway:-- 'TO THE REV.

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.

admirable adjective US /ˈædmərəbəl/

deserving of the highest esteem or admiration

From this reading “The original of the following note is in the admirable collection of autographs belonging to my friend, Mr. M. M. Holloway:-- 'TO THE REV.”

autographs noun US /ˈɔːtəɡræfs/

plural of “autograph” — something written by one's own hand

From this reading “The original of the following note is in the admirable collection of autographs belonging to my friend, Mr. M. M. Holloway:-- 'TO THE REV.”

belonging noun US /bɪˈlɔːŋɪŋ/

happiness felt in a secure relationship

From this reading “The original of the following note is in the admirable collection of autographs belonging to my friend, Mr. M. M. Holloway:-- 'TO THE REV.”

collection noun US /kəˈlekʃən/

several things grouped together or considered as a whole

From this reading “The original of the following note is in the admirable collection of autographs belonging to my friend, Mr. M. M. Holloway:-- 'TO THE REV.”

dismal adjective US /ˈdɪzməl/

causing dejection

From this reading “[810] On the last day of the old year he wrote:--'To any man who extends his thoughts to national consideration, the times are dismal and gloomy.”

extends verb US /ɪkˈstendz/

third-person singular of “extend” — extend in scope or range or area

From this reading “[810] On the last day of the old year he wrote:--'To any man who extends his thoughts to national consideration, the times are dismal and gloomy.”

national adjective US /ˈnæʃənəl/

of or relating to or belonging to a nation or country

From this reading “[810] On the last day of the old year he wrote:--'To any man who extends his thoughts to national consideration, the times are dismal and gloomy.”

rev verb US /rev/

increase the number of rotations per minute

From this reading “The original of the following note is in the admirable collection of autographs belonging to my friend, Mr. M. M. Holloway:-- 'TO THE REV.”

All words in this reading · 48

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.

344

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

From this reading 344.

810

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

From this reading [810] On the last day of the old year he wrote:--'To any man who extends his thoughts to national consideration, the times are dismal and gloomy.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading But to a sick man, what is the publick?'

admirableadjectiveUS /ˈædmərəbəl/

deserving of the highest esteem or admiration

From this reading The original of the following note is in the admirable collection of autographs belonging to my friend, Mr. M. M. Holloway:-- 'TO THE REV.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading [810] On the last day of the old year he wrote:--'To any man who extends his thoughts to national consideration, the times are dismal and gloomy.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading [810] On the last day of the old year he wrote:--'To any man who extends his thoughts to national consideration, the times are dismal and gloomy.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading [810] On the last day of the old year he wrote:--'To any man who extends his thoughts to national consideration, the times are dismal and gloomy.

autographsnounUS /ˈɔːtəɡræfs/

plural of “autograph” — something written by one's own hand

From this reading The original of the following note is in the admirable collection of autographs belonging to my friend, Mr. M. M. Holloway:-- 'TO THE REV.

belongingnounUS /bɪˈlɔːŋɪŋ/

happiness felt in a secure relationship

From this reading The original of the following note is in the admirable collection of autographs belonging to my friend, Mr. M. M. Holloway:-- 'TO THE REV.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But to a sick man, what is the publick?'

collectionnounUS /kəˈlekʃən/

several things grouped together or considered as a whole

From this reading The original of the following note is in the admirable collection of autographs belonging to my friend, Mr. M. M. Holloway:-- 'TO THE REV.

considerationnounUS /kənˌsɪdərˈeɪʃən/

the process of giving careful thought to something

From this reading [810] On the last day of the old year he wrote:--'To any man who extends his thoughts to national consideration, the times are dismal and gloomy.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading [810] On the last day of the old year he wrote:--'To any man who extends his thoughts to national consideration, the times are dismal and gloomy.

dismaladjectiveUS /ˈdɪzməl/

causing dejection

From this reading [810] On the last day of the old year he wrote:--'To any man who extends his thoughts to national consideration, the times are dismal and gloomy.

extendsverbUS /ɪkˈstendz/

third-person singular of “extend” — extend in scope or range or area

From this reading [810] On the last day of the old year he wrote:--'To any man who extends his thoughts to national consideration, the times are dismal and gloomy.

followingadjectiveUS /ˈfɑːloʊɪŋ/

about to be mentioned or specified

From this reading The original of the following note is in the admirable collection of autographs belonging to my friend, Mr. M. M. Holloway:-- 'TO THE REV.

friendnounUS /frend/

a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading The original of the following note is in the admirable collection of autographs belonging to my friend, Mr. M. M. Holloway:-- 'TO THE REV.

gloomyadjectiveUS /ˈɡluːmi/

depressingly dark

From this reading [810] On the last day of the old year he wrote:--'To any man who extends his thoughts to national consideration, the times are dismal and gloomy.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading [810] On the last day of the old year he wrote:--'To any man who extends his thoughts to national consideration, the times are dismal and gloomy.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading [810] On the last day of the old year he wrote:--'To any man who extends his thoughts to national consideration, the times are dismal and gloomy.

Holloway

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

From this reading The original of the following note is in the admirable collection of autographs belonging to my friend, Mr. M. M. Holloway:-- 'TO THE REV.

iinoun

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading _Piozzi Letters_, ii.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The original of the following note is in the admirable collection of autographs belonging to my friend, Mr. M. M. Holloway:-- 'TO THE REV.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading But to a sick man, what is the publick?'

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading [810] On the last day of the old year he wrote:--'To any man who extends his thoughts to national consideration, the times are dismal and gloomy.

LettersnounUS /ˈletərz/

the literary culture

From this reading _Piozzi Letters_, ii.

MnounUS /em/

the basic unit of length adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites (approximately 1.094 yards)

From this reading The original of the following note is in the admirable collection of autographs belonging to my friend, Mr. M. M. Holloway:-- 'TO THE REV.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading [810] On the last day of the old year he wrote:--'To any man who extends his thoughts to national consideration, the times are dismal and gloomy.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading The original of the following note is in the admirable collection of autographs belonging to my friend, Mr. M. M. Holloway:-- 'TO THE REV.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading The original of the following note is in the admirable collection of autographs belonging to my friend, Mr. M. M. Holloway:-- 'TO THE REV.

nationaladjectiveUS /ˈnæʃənəl/

of or relating to or belonging to a nation or country

From this reading [810] On the last day of the old year he wrote:--'To any man who extends his thoughts to national consideration, the times are dismal and gloomy.

notenounUS /noʊt/

a brief written record

From this reading The original of the following note is in the admirable collection of autographs belonging to my friend, Mr. M. M. Holloway:-- 'TO THE REV.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading [810] On the last day of the old year he wrote:--'To any man who extends his thoughts to national consideration, the times are dismal and gloomy.

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading [810] On the last day of the old year he wrote:--'To any man who extends his thoughts to national consideration, the times are dismal and gloomy.

OnprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading [810] On the last day of the old year he wrote:--'To any man who extends his thoughts to national consideration, the times are dismal and gloomy.

originaladjectiveUS /ərˈɪdʒənəl/

preceding all others in time or being as first made or performed

From this reading The original of the following note is in the admirable collection of autographs belonging to my friend, Mr. M. M. Holloway:-- 'TO THE REV.

Piozzi

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

From this reading _Piozzi Letters_, ii.

publick

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

From this reading But to a sick man, what is the publick?'

REVverbUS /rev/

increase the number of rotations per minute

From this reading The original of the following note is in the admirable collection of autographs belonging to my friend, Mr. M. M. Holloway:-- 'TO THE REV.

sickadjectiveUS /sɪk/

affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function

From this reading But to a sick man, what is the publick?'

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading [810] On the last day of the old year he wrote:--'To any man who extends his thoughts to national consideration, the times are dismal and gloomy.

thoughtsnounUS /θɔːts/

plural of “thought” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading [810] On the last day of the old year he wrote:--'To any man who extends his thoughts to national consideration, the times are dismal and gloomy.

timesnounUS /taɪmz/

a more or less definite period of time now or previously present

From this reading [810] On the last day of the old year he wrote:--'To any man who extends his thoughts to national consideration, the times are dismal and gloomy.

ToparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading [810] On the last day of the old year he wrote:--'To any man who extends his thoughts to national consideration, the times are dismal and gloomy.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading But to a sick man, what is the publick?'

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading [810] On the last day of the old year he wrote:--'To any man who extends his thoughts to national consideration, the times are dismal and gloomy.

wroteverbUS /roʊt/

inflected form of “write” — produce a literary work

From this reading [810] On the last day of the old year he wrote:--'To any man who extends his thoughts to national consideration, the times are dismal and gloomy.

yearnounUS /jɪr/

a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days

From this reading [810] On the last day of the old year he wrote:--'To any man who extends his thoughts to national consideration, the times are dismal and gloomy.

Chapter 25 of Life of Johnson, Volume 4 1780-1784 by James Boswell holds 398 sentences, grouped into 80 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.

What does chapter 25 of Life of Johnson, Volume 4 1780-1784 contain?

Chapter 25 holds 398 sentences of Life of Johnson, Volume 4 1780-1784, unabridged, divided into 80 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 25 of Life of Johnson, Volume 4 1780-1784 by James Boswell exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 398 sentences, grouped into 80 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 25 of Life of Johnson, Volume 4 1780-1784?

Work through the 80 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 80 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.

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Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 25 can be played aloud in United States English.

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Yes. All 12331 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #10357 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #10357, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 600 minutes of reading across 2467 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Life of Johnson, Volume 4 1780-1784

Words and structures a reader meets early in Life of Johnson, Volume 4 1780-1784, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

George
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Life of Johnson, Volume 4 1780-1784; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Birkbeck
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Life of Johnson, Volume 4 1780-1784; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Contents
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Life of Johnson, Volume 4 1780-1784; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Altercation
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Life of Johnson, Volume 4 1780-1784; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.