Chapter 9 of Mosses from an old manse is here in full — 151 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IX
Chapter 9 of Mosses from an old manse is here in full — 151 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“Will you make a fool of me?” cried Giovanni, passionately. “THAT, signor professor, were an untoward experiment.” “Patience! patience!” replied the imperturbable professor. “I tell thee, my poor Giovanni, that Rappaccini has a scientific interest in thee. Thou hast fallen into fearful hands!
Chapter 9 of Mosses from an old manse is here in full — 151 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/30 · 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.
the act of conducting a controlled test or investigation
From this reading ““THAT, signor professor, were an untoward experiment.””
experiencing or showing fear
From this reading “Thou hast fallen into fearful hands!”
with passion
From this reading ““Will you make a fool of me?” cried Giovanni, passionately.”
good-natured tolerance of delay or incompetence
From this reading ““Patience! patience!” replied the imperturbable professor.”
someone who is a member of the faculty at a college or university
From this reading ““THAT, signor professor, were an untoward experiment.””
of or relating to the practice of science
From this reading ““I tell thee, my poor Giovanni, that Rappaccini has a scientific interest in thee.”
used as an Italian courtesy title; can be prefixed to the name or used separately
From this reading ““THAT, signor professor, were an untoward experiment.””
not in keeping with accepted standards of what is right or proper in polite society
From this reading ““THAT, signor professor, were an untoward experiment.””
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 “Will you make a fool of me?” cried Giovanni, passionately.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading “THAT, signor professor, were an untoward experiment.”
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading “Will you make a fool of me?” cried Giovanni, passionately.
the act of conducting a controlled test or investigation
From this reading “THAT, signor professor, were an untoward experiment.”
having dropped by the force of gravity
From this reading Thou hast fallen into fearful hands!
experiencing or showing fear
From this reading Thou hast fallen into fearful hands!
a person who lacks good judgment
From this reading “Will you make a fool of me?” cried Giovanni, passionately.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Will you make a fool of me?” cried Giovanni, passionately.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading Thou hast fallen into fearful hands!
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “I tell thee, my poor Giovanni, that Rappaccini has a scientific interest in thee.
an old form of “have”, used with “thou”
From this reading Thou hast fallen into fearful hands!
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I tell thee, my poor Giovanni, that Rappaccini has a scientific interest in thee.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Patience! patience!” replied the imperturbable professor.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “I tell thee, my poor Giovanni, that Rappaccini has a scientific interest in thee.
a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something
From this reading “I tell thee, my poor Giovanni, that Rappaccini has a scientific interest in thee.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Thou hast fallen into fearful hands!
engage in
From this reading “Will you make a fool of me?” cried Giovanni, passionately.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “Will you make a fool of me?” cried Giovanni, passionately.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading “I tell thee, my poor Giovanni, that Rappaccini has a scientific interest in thee.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “Will you make a fool of me?” cried Giovanni, passionately.
with passion
From this reading “Will you make a fool of me?” cried Giovanni, passionately.
good-natured tolerance of delay or incompetence
From this reading “Patience! patience!” replied the imperturbable professor.
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading “I tell thee, my poor Giovanni, that Rappaccini has a scientific interest in thee.
someone who is a member of the faculty at a college or university
From this reading “THAT, signor professor, were an untoward experiment.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I tell thee, my poor Giovanni, that Rappaccini has a scientific interest in thee.
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading “Patience! patience!” replied the imperturbable professor.
of or relating to the practice of science
From this reading “I tell thee, my poor Giovanni, that Rappaccini has a scientific interest in thee.
used as an Italian courtesy title; can be prefixed to the name or used separately
From this reading “THAT, signor professor, were an untoward experiment.”
express in words
From this reading “I tell thee, my poor Giovanni, that Rappaccini has a scientific interest in thee.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “THAT, signor professor, were an untoward experiment.”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “Patience! patience!” replied the imperturbable professor.
an old word for “you”, as the object, speaking to one person
From this reading “I tell thee, my poor Giovanni, that Rappaccini has a scientific interest in thee.
an old word for “you”, as the subject, speaking to one person
From this reading Thou hast fallen into fearful hands!
not in keeping with accepted standards of what is right or proper in polite society
From this reading “THAT, signor professor, were an untoward experiment.”
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “THAT, signor professor, were an untoward experiment.”
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading “Will you make a fool of me?” cried Giovanni, passionately.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Will you make a fool of me?” cried Giovanni, passionately.
Chapter 9 of Mosses from an old manse by Nathaniel Hawthorne holds 151 sentences, grouped into 31 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 9 holds 151 sentences of Mosses from an old manse, unabridged, divided into 31 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 9 of Mosses from an old manse by Nathaniel Hawthorne exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 151 sentences, grouped into 31 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 31 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 31 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 9 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 Mosses from an old manse by Nathaniel Hawthorne on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6218 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #512 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #512, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 518 minutes of reading across 1244 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Mosses from an old manse section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of Mosses from an old manse 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 Mosses from an old manse, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
