Chapter 19 of Old Mortality, Volume 2. is here in full — 121 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XIX
Chapter 19 of Old Mortality, Volume 2. is here in full — 121 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Ah, happy hills! ah, pleasing shades! Ah, fields beloved in vain! Where once my careless childhood strayed, A stranger yet to pain. Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College. It is not by corporal wants and infirmities only that men of the most distinguished talents are levelled, during their lifetime, with the common mass of mankind.
Chapter 19 of Old Mortality, Volume 2. is here in full — 121 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/24 · 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.
a noncommissioned officer in the Army or Air Force or Marines
From this reading “It is not by corporal wants and infirmities only that men of the most distinguished talents are levelled, during their lifetime, with the common mass of mankind.”
plural of “infirmity” — the state of being weak in health or body (especially from old age)
From this reading “It is not by corporal wants and infirmities only that men of the most distinguished talents are levelled, during their lifetime, with the common mass of mankind.”
inflected form of “level” — aim at
From this reading “It is not by corporal wants and infirmities only that men of the most distinguished talents are levelled, during their lifetime, with the common mass of mankind.”
the period during which something is functional (as between birth and death)
From this reading “It is not by corporal wants and infirmities only that men of the most distinguished talents are levelled, during their lifetime, with the common mass of mankind.”
a lyric poem with complex stanza forms
From this reading “Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College.”
(plural) something that reminds you of someone or something
From this reading “Ah, happy hills! ah, pleasing shades!”
past form of “stray” — move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment
From this reading “Where once my careless childhood strayed, A stranger yet to pain.”
plural of “talent” — natural abilities or qualities
From this reading “It is not by corporal wants and infirmities only that men of the most distinguished talents are levelled, during their lifetime, with the common mass of mankind.”
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 Where once my careless childhood strayed, A stranger yet to pain.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ah, happy hills! ah, pleasing shades!
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It is not by corporal wants and infirmities only that men of the most distinguished talents are levelled, during their lifetime, with the common mass of mankind.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading It is not by corporal wants and infirmities only that men of the most distinguished talents are levelled, during their lifetime, with the common mass of mankind.
dearly loved
From this reading Ah, fields beloved in vain!
showing who or what does the action
From this reading It is not by corporal wants and infirmities only that men of the most distinguished talents are levelled, during their lifetime, with the common mass of mankind.
marked by lack of attention or consideration or forethought or thoroughness; not careful
From this reading Where once my careless childhood strayed, A stranger yet to pain.
the time of person's life when they are a child
From this reading Where once my careless childhood strayed, A stranger yet to pain.
the body of faculty and students of a college
From this reading Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College.
belonging to or participated in by a community as a whole; public
From this reading It is not by corporal wants and infirmities only that men of the most distinguished talents are levelled, during their lifetime, with the common mass of mankind.
a noncommissioned officer in the Army or Air Force or Marines
From this reading It is not by corporal wants and infirmities only that men of the most distinguished talents are levelled, during their lifetime, with the common mass of mankind.
separated in space or coming from or going to a distance
From this reading Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College.
(used of persons) standing above others in character or attainment or reputation
From this reading It is not by corporal wants and infirmities only that men of the most distinguished talents are levelled, during their lifetime, with the common mass of mankind.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading It is not by corporal wants and infirmities only that men of the most distinguished talents are levelled, during their lifetime, with the common mass of mankind.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College.
United States comedian and film actor (1880-1946)
From this reading Ah, fields beloved in vain!
enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure
From this reading Ah, happy hills! ah, pleasing shades!
plural of “hill” — a local and well-defined elevation of the land
From this reading Ah, happy hills! ah, pleasing shades!
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Ah, fields beloved in vain!
plural of “infirmity” — the state of being weak in health or body (especially from old age)
From this reading It is not by corporal wants and infirmities only that men of the most distinguished talents are levelled, during their lifetime, with the common mass of mankind.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It is not by corporal wants and infirmities only that men of the most distinguished talents are levelled, during their lifetime, with the common mass of mankind.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It is not by corporal wants and infirmities only that men of the most distinguished talents are levelled, during their lifetime, with the common mass of mankind.
inflected form of “level” — aim at
From this reading It is not by corporal wants and infirmities only that men of the most distinguished talents are levelled, during their lifetime, with the common mass of mankind.
the period during which something is functional (as between birth and death)
From this reading It is not by corporal wants and infirmities only that men of the most distinguished talents are levelled, during their lifetime, with the common mass of mankind.
all of the living human inhabitants of the earth
From this reading It is not by corporal wants and infirmities only that men of the most distinguished talents are levelled, during their lifetime, with the common mass of mankind.
the property of a body that causes it to have weight in a gravitational field
From this reading It is not by corporal wants and infirmities only that men of the most distinguished talents are levelled, during their lifetime, with the common mass of mankind.
the force of workers available
From this reading It is not by corporal wants and infirmities only that men of the most distinguished talents are levelled, during their lifetime, with the common mass of mankind.
used to form the superlative
From this reading It is not by corporal wants and infirmities only that men of the most distinguished talents are levelled, during their lifetime, with the common mass of mankind.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Where once my careless childhood strayed, A stranger yet to pain.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading It is not by corporal wants and infirmities only that men of the most distinguished talents are levelled, during their lifetime, with the common mass of mankind.
a lyric poem with complex stanza forms
From this reading Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College.
on one occasion
From this reading Where once my careless childhood strayed, A stranger yet to pain.
and nothing more
From this reading It is not by corporal wants and infirmities only that men of the most distinguished talents are levelled, during their lifetime, with the common mass of mankind.
a symptom of some physical hurt or disorder
From this reading Where once my careless childhood strayed, A stranger yet to pain.
giving pleasure and satisfaction
From this reading Ah, happy hills! ah, pleasing shades!
the possibility of future success
From this reading Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College.
(plural) something that reminds you of someone or something
From this reading Ah, happy hills! ah, pleasing shades!
anyone who does not belong in the environment in which they are found
From this reading Where once my careless childhood strayed, A stranger yet to pain.
past form of “stray” — move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment
From this reading Where once my careless childhood strayed, A stranger yet to pain.
plural of “talent” — natural abilities or qualities
From this reading It is not by corporal wants and infirmities only that men of the most distinguished talents are levelled, during their lifetime, with the common mass of mankind.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It is not by corporal wants and infirmities only that men of the most distinguished talents are levelled, during their lifetime, with the common mass of mankind.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It is not by corporal wants and infirmities only that men of the most distinguished talents are levelled, during their lifetime, with the common mass of mankind.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading It is not by corporal wants and infirmities only that men of the most distinguished talents are levelled, during their lifetime, with the common mass of mankind.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Where once my careless childhood strayed, A stranger yet to pain.
characteristic of false pride; having an exaggerated sense of self-importance
From this reading Ah, fields beloved in vain!
plural of “want” — a state of extreme poverty
From this reading It is not by corporal wants and infirmities only that men of the most distinguished talents are levelled, during their lifetime, with the common mass of mankind.
in or at the place that
From this reading Where once my careless childhood strayed, A stranger yet to pain.
in the company of; together with
From this reading It is not by corporal wants and infirmities only that men of the most distinguished talents are levelled, during their lifetime, with the common mass of mankind.
but in spite of that
From this reading Where once my careless childhood strayed, A stranger yet to pain.
Chapter 19 of Old Mortality, Volume 2. by Walter Scott holds 121 sentences, grouped into 25 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 19 holds 121 sentences of Old Mortality, Volume 2., unabridged, divided into 25 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 19 of Old Mortality, Volume 2. by Walter Scott exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 121 sentences, grouped into 25 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 25 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 25 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 19 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 Old Mortality, Volume 2. by Walter Scott on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3105 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #6940 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #6940, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 258 minutes of reading across 621 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Old Mortality, Volume 2. section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 24 chapters of Old Mortality, Volume 2. 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 Old Mortality, Volume 2., each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
