Chapter 6 of Old Saint Paul's is here in full — 400 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VI
Chapter 6 of Old Saint Paul's is here in full — 400 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Would it were a dream!" replied her husband. "And was it not so?" she rejoined, pressing her hand to her temples. "It is true! oh! yes, I feel it is. Every circumstance rushes upon me plainly and distinctly. I see the daring libertine before me.
Chapter 6 of Old Saint Paul's is here in full — 400 sentences across 80 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.
a condition that accompanies or influences some event or activity
From this reading “Every circumstance rushes upon me plainly and distinctly.”
a challenge to do something dangerous or foolhardy
From this reading “I see the daring libertine before me.”
clear to the mind; with distinct mental discernment
From this reading “Every circumstance rushes upon me plainly and distinctly.”
a dissolute person; usually a man who is morally unrestrained
From this reading “I see the daring libertine before me.”
the act of pressing; the exertion of pressure
From this reading “"And was it not so?" she rejoined, pressing her hand to her temples.”
past form of “rejoin” — join again
From this reading “"And was it not so?" she rejoined, pressing her hand to her temples.”
plural of “rush” — the act of moving hurriedly and in a careless manner
From this reading “Every circumstance rushes upon me plainly and distinctly.”
plural of “temple” — place of worship consisting of an edifice for the worship of a deity
From this reading “"And was it not so?" she rejoined, pressing her hand to her temples.”
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 "Would it were a dream!" replied her husband.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "And was it not so?" she rejoined, pressing her hand to her temples.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading I see the daring libertine before me.
a condition that accompanies or influences some event or activity
From this reading Every circumstance rushes upon me plainly and distinctly.
a challenge to do something dangerous or foolhardy
From this reading I see the daring libertine before me.
clear to the mind; with distinct mental discernment
From this reading Every circumstance rushes upon me plainly and distinctly.
A series of thoughts, images, or emotions during sleep.
From this reading "Would it were a dream!" replied her husband.
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading Every circumstance rushes upon me plainly and distinctly.
undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind
From this reading "It is true! oh! yes, I feel it is.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading "And was it not so?" she rejoined, pressing her hand to her temples.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading "Would it were a dream!" replied her husband.
a married man; a woman's partner in marriage
From this reading "Would it were a dream!" replied her husband.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "It is true! oh! yes, I feel it is.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "It is true! oh! yes, I feel it is.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "Would it were a dream!" replied her husband.
a dissolute person; usually a man who is morally unrestrained
From this reading I see the daring libertine before me.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Every circumstance rushes upon me plainly and distinctly.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "And was it not so?" she rejoined, pressing her hand to her temples.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading "It is true! oh! yes, I feel it is.
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading Every circumstance rushes upon me plainly and distinctly.
the act of pressing; the exertion of pressure
From this reading "And was it not so?" she rejoined, pressing her hand to her temples.
past form of “rejoin” — join again
From this reading "And was it not so?" she rejoined, pressing her hand to her temples.
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading "Would it were a dream!" replied her husband.
plural of “rush” — the act of moving hurriedly and in a careless manner
From this reading Every circumstance rushes upon me plainly and distinctly.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading I see the daring libertine before me.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "And was it not so?" she rejoined, pressing her hand to her temples.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading "And was it not so?" she rejoined, pressing her hand to her temples.
plural of “temple” — place of worship consisting of an edifice for the worship of a deity
From this reading "And was it not so?" she rejoined, pressing her hand to her temples.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I see the daring libertine before me.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "And was it not so?" she rejoined, pressing her hand to her temples.
consistent with fact or reality; not false
From this reading "It is true! oh! yes, I feel it is.
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Every circumstance rushes upon me plainly and distinctly.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "And was it not so?" she rejoined, pressing her hand to her temples.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "Would it were a dream!" replied her husband.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading "Would it were a dream!" replied her husband.
an affirmative
From this reading "It is true! oh! yes, I feel it is.
Chapter 6 of Old Saint Paul's by William Harrison Ainsworth holds 400 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.
Chapter 6 holds 400 sentences of Old Saint Paul's, unabridged, divided into 80 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 6 of Old Saint Paul's by William Harrison Ainsworth exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 400 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.
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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 6 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 Saint Paul's by William Harrison Ainsworth on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 10477 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #11082 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #11082, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 2096 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Old Saint Paul's section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 26 chapters of Old Saint Paul's 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 Saint Paul's, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
