Chapter 4 of Microcosmography is here in full — 426 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of Microcosmography is here in full — 426 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
FOOTNOTES: [67] The time of supper was about five o'clock. See note at page 39. XLIII. A BOLD FORWARD MAN Is a lusty fellow in a crowd, that is beholden more to his elbow than his legs, for he does not go, but thrusts well. He is a good shuffler in the world, wherein he is so oft putting forth, that at length he puts on.
Chapter 4 of Microcosmography is here in full — 426 sentences across 86 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.
under a moral obligation to someone
From this reading “A BOLD FORWARD MAN Is a lusty fellow in a crowd, that is beholden more to his elbow than his legs, for he does not go, but thrusts well.”
hinge joint between the forearm and upper arm and the corresponding joint in the forelimb of a quadruped
From this reading “A BOLD FORWARD MAN Is a lusty fellow in a crowd, that is beholden more to his elbow than his legs, for he does not go, but thrusts well.”
plural of “footnote” — a printed note placed below the text on a printed page
From this reading “FOOTNOTES: [67] The time of supper was about five o'clock.”
vigorously passionate
From this reading “A BOLD FORWARD MAN Is a lusty fellow in a crowd, that is beholden more to his elbow than his legs, for he does not go, but thrusts well.”
many times at short intervals
From this reading “He is a good shuffler in the world, wherein he is so oft putting forth, that at length he puts on.”
plural of “put” — the option to sell a given stock (or stock index or commodity future) at a given price before a given date
From this reading “He is a good shuffler in the world, wherein he is so oft putting forth, that at length he puts on.”
the card player who shuffles the cards
From this reading “He is a good shuffler in the world, wherein he is so oft putting forth, that at length he puts on.”
plural of “thrust” — the force used in pushing
From this reading “A BOLD FORWARD MAN Is a lusty fellow in a crowd, that is beholden more to his elbow than his legs, for he does not go, but thrusts well.”
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
in a lengthy or prolix manner
In this reading “He is a good shuffler in the world, wherein he is so oft putting forth, that at length he puts on.”
In this reading “FOOTNOTES: [67] The time of supper was about five o'clock.”
put clothing on one's body
In this reading “He is a good shuffler in the world, wherein he is so oft putting forth, that at length he puts on.”
In this reading “He is a good shuffler in the world, wherein he is so oft putting forth, that at length he puts on.”
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 See note at page 39.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading FOOTNOTES: [67] The time of supper was about five o'clock.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A BOLD FORWARD MAN Is a lusty fellow in a crowd, that is beholden more to his elbow than his legs, for he does not go, but thrusts well.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading FOOTNOTES: [67] The time of supper was about five o'clock.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading See note at page 39.
under a moral obligation to someone
From this reading A BOLD FORWARD MAN Is a lusty fellow in a crowd, that is beholden more to his elbow than his legs, for he does not go, but thrusts well.
fearless and daring
From this reading A BOLD FORWARD MAN Is a lusty fellow in a crowd, that is beholden more to his elbow than his legs, for he does not go, but thrusts well.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading A BOLD FORWARD MAN Is a lusty fellow in a crowd, that is beholden more to his elbow than his legs, for he does not go, but thrusts well.
cause to herd, drive, or crowd together
From this reading A BOLD FORWARD MAN Is a lusty fellow in a crowd, that is beholden more to his elbow than his legs, for he does not go, but thrusts well.
the form of “do” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A BOLD FORWARD MAN Is a lusty fellow in a crowd, that is beholden more to his elbow than his legs, for he does not go, but thrusts well.
hinge joint between the forearm and upper arm and the corresponding joint in the forelimb of a quadruped
From this reading A BOLD FORWARD MAN Is a lusty fellow in a crowd, that is beholden more to his elbow than his legs, for he does not go, but thrusts well.
a boy or man
From this reading A BOLD FORWARD MAN Is a lusty fellow in a crowd, that is beholden more to his elbow than his legs, for he does not go, but thrusts well.
the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one
From this reading FOOTNOTES: [67] The time of supper was about five o'clock.
plural of “footnote” — a printed note placed below the text on a printed page
From this reading FOOTNOTES: [67] The time of supper was about five o'clock.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading A BOLD FORWARD MAN Is a lusty fellow in a crowd, that is beholden more to his elbow than his legs, for he does not go, but thrusts well.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading He is a good shuffler in the world, wherein he is so oft putting forth, that at length he puts on.
at or to or toward the front
From this reading A BOLD FORWARD MAN Is a lusty fellow in a crowd, that is beholden more to his elbow than his legs, for he does not go, but thrusts well.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading A BOLD FORWARD MAN Is a lusty fellow in a crowd, that is beholden more to his elbow than his legs, for he does not go, but thrusts well.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading He is a good shuffler in the world, wherein he is so oft putting forth, that at length he puts on.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading A BOLD FORWARD MAN Is a lusty fellow in a crowd, that is beholden more to his elbow than his legs, for he does not go, but thrusts well.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading A BOLD FORWARD MAN Is a lusty fellow in a crowd, that is beholden more to his elbow than his legs, for he does not go, but thrusts well.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A BOLD FORWARD MAN Is a lusty fellow in a crowd, that is beholden more to his elbow than his legs, for he does not go, but thrusts well.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A BOLD FORWARD MAN Is a lusty fellow in a crowd, that is beholden more to his elbow than his legs, for he does not go, but thrusts well.
staying power
From this reading A BOLD FORWARD MAN Is a lusty fellow in a crowd, that is beholden more to his elbow than his legs, for he does not go, but thrusts well.
the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place
From this reading He is a good shuffler in the world, wherein he is so oft putting forth, that at length he puts on.
vigorously passionate
From this reading A BOLD FORWARD MAN Is a lusty fellow in a crowd, that is beholden more to his elbow than his legs, for he does not go, but thrusts well.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading A BOLD FORWARD MAN Is a lusty fellow in a crowd, that is beholden more to his elbow than his legs, for he does not go, but thrusts well.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading A BOLD FORWARD MAN Is a lusty fellow in a crowd, that is beholden more to his elbow than his legs, for he does not go, but thrusts well.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading A BOLD FORWARD MAN Is a lusty fellow in a crowd, that is beholden more to his elbow than his legs, for he does not go, but thrusts well.
a brief written record
From this reading See note at page 39.
according to the clock
From this reading FOOTNOTES: [67] The time of supper was about five o'clock.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading FOOTNOTES: [67] The time of supper was about five o'clock.
many times at short intervals
From this reading He is a good shuffler in the world, wherein he is so oft putting forth, that at length he puts on.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He is a good shuffler in the world, wherein he is so oft putting forth, that at length he puts on.
one side of one leaf (of a book or magazine or newspaper or letter etc.) or the written or pictorial matter it contains
From this reading See note at page 39.
plural of “put” — the option to sell a given stock (or stock index or commodity future) at a given price before a given date
From this reading He is a good shuffler in the world, wherein he is so oft putting forth, that at length he puts on.
hitting a golf ball that is on the green using a putter
From this reading He is a good shuffler in the world, wherein he is so oft putting forth, that at length he puts on.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading See note at page 39.
the card player who shuffles the cards
From this reading He is a good shuffler in the world, wherein he is so oft putting forth, that at length he puts on.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading He is a good shuffler in the world, wherein he is so oft putting forth, that at length he puts on.
a light evening meal; served in early evening if dinner is at midday or served late in the evening at bedtime
From this reading FOOTNOTES: [67] The time of supper was about five o'clock.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading A BOLD FORWARD MAN Is a lusty fellow in a crowd, that is beholden more to his elbow than his legs, for he does not go, but thrusts well.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading A BOLD FORWARD MAN Is a lusty fellow in a crowd, that is beholden more to his elbow than his legs, for he does not go, but thrusts well.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading FOOTNOTES: [67] The time of supper was about five o'clock.
plural of “thrust” — the force used in pushing
From this reading A BOLD FORWARD MAN Is a lusty fellow in a crowd, that is beholden more to his elbow than his legs, for he does not go, but thrusts well.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading FOOTNOTES: [67] The time of supper was about five o'clock.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading A BOLD FORWARD MAN Is a lusty fellow in a crowd, that is beholden more to his elbow than his legs, for he does not go, but thrusts well.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading FOOTNOTES: [67] The time of supper was about five o'clock.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading A BOLD FORWARD MAN Is a lusty fellow in a crowd, that is beholden more to his elbow than his legs, for he does not go, but thrusts well.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He is a good shuffler in the world, wherein he is so oft putting forth, that at length he puts on.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading He is a good shuffler in the world, wherein he is so oft putting forth, that at length he puts on.
being three more than forty
From this reading XLIII.
Chapter 4 of Microcosmography by John Earle holds 426 sentences, grouped into 86 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 426 sentences of Microcosmography, unabridged, divided into 86 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Microcosmography by John Earle exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 426 sentences, grouped into 86 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 86 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 86 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.
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Yes. All 4571 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #26425 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #26425, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 380 minutes of reading across 915 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Microcosmography section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 11 chapters of Microcosmography 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 Microcosmography, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
