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Phantastes
Phantastes

Chapter XX · Chapter 20

Chapter 20 of Phantastes is here in full — 330 sentences across 66 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Phantastes
Context Illustration Reading 1/66 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
In still rest, in changeless simplicity, I bear, uninterrupted, the consciousness of the whole of Humanity within me.”
SCHLEIERMACHER, _Monologen_.
“... such a sweetness, such a grace, In all thy speech appear, That what to th’eye a beauteous face, That thy tongue is to the ear.”
COWLEY.
The water was deep to the very edge; and I sprang from the little boat upon a soft grassy turf.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Phantastes

Chapter XX · Chapter 20

Chapter 20 of Phantastes is here in full — 330 sentences across 66 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/66 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
In still rest, in changeless simplicity, I bear, uninterrupted, the consciousness of the whole of Humanity within me.”
Line 2
SCHLEIERMACHER, _Monologen_.
Line 3
“... such a sweetness, such a grace, In all thy speech appear, That what to th’eye a beauteous face, That thy tongue is to the ear.”
Line 4
COWLEY.
Line 5
The water was deep to the very edge; and I sprang from the little boat upon a soft grassy turf.
/ðə ˈwɔːtər wɑːz diːp tuː ðə ˈveri edʒ ənd aɪ spræŋ frʌm ðə ˈlɪtəl boʊt əˈpɑːn ə sɑːft ˈɡræsi tɜːrf/

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.

consciousness noun US /ˈkɑːnʃəsnəs/

an alert cognitive state in which you are aware of yourself and your situation

From this reading ““In still rest, in changeless simplicity, I bear, uninterrupted, the consciousness of the whole of Humanity within me.””

grassy adjective US /ˈɡræsi/

abounding in grass

From this reading “The water was deep to the very edge; and I sprang from the little boat upon a soft grassy turf.”

Humanity noun US /hjuːˈmænɪti/

the quality of being humane

From this reading ““In still rest, in changeless simplicity, I bear, uninterrupted, the consciousness of the whole of Humanity within me.””

simplicity noun US /sɪmˈplɪsəti/

the quality of being simple or uncompounded

From this reading ““In still rest, in changeless simplicity, I bear, uninterrupted, the consciousness of the whole of Humanity within me.””

sprang verb US /spræŋ/

inflected form of “spring” — move forward by leaps and bounds

From this reading “The water was deep to the very edge; and I sprang from the little boat upon a soft grassy turf.”

sweetness noun US /ˈswiːtnəs/

the taste experience when sugar dissolves in the mouth

From this reading ““... such a sweetness, such a grace, In all thy speech appear, That what to th’eye a beauteous face, That thy tongue is to the ear.””

turf noun US /tɜːrf/

surface layer of ground containing a mat of grass and grass roots

From this reading “The water was deep to the very edge; and I sprang from the little boat upon a soft grassy turf.”

uninterrupted adjective US /ˌʌnɪntərˈʌptɪd/

having undisturbed continuity

From this reading ““In still rest, in changeless simplicity, I bear, uninterrupted, the consciousness of the whole of Humanity within me.””

All words in this reading · 49

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading “... such a sweetness, such a grace, In all thy speech appear, That what to th’eye a beauteous face, That thy tongue is to the ear.”

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading “... such a sweetness, such a grace, In all thy speech appear, That what to th’eye a beauteous face, That thy tongue is to the ear.”

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The water was deep to the very edge; and I sprang from the little boat upon a soft grassy turf.

appearverbUS /əˈpɪr/

give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading “... such a sweetness, such a grace, In all thy speech appear, That what to th’eye a beauteous face, That thy tongue is to the ear.”

bearverbUS /ber/

have

From this reading “In still rest, in changeless simplicity, I bear, uninterrupted, the consciousness of the whole of Humanity within me.”

beauteousadjective

(poetic) beautiful, especially to the sight

From this reading “... such a sweetness, such a grace, In all thy speech appear, That what to th’eye a beauteous face, That thy tongue is to the ear.”

boatnounUS /boʊt/

a small vessel for travel on water

From this reading The water was deep to the very edge; and I sprang from the little boat upon a soft grassy turf.

changelessadjective

not subject or susceptible to change or variation in form or quality or nature

From this reading “In still rest, in changeless simplicity, I bear, uninterrupted, the consciousness of the whole of Humanity within me.”

consciousnessnounUS /ˈkɑːnʃəsnəs/

an alert cognitive state in which you are aware of yourself and your situation

From this reading “In still rest, in changeless simplicity, I bear, uninterrupted, the consciousness of the whole of Humanity within me.”

COWLEY

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

From this reading COWLEY.

deepadjectiveUS /diːp/

relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply

From this reading The water was deep to the very edge; and I sprang from the little boat upon a soft grassy turf.

earnounUS /iːr/

the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium

From this reading “... such a sweetness, such a grace, In all thy speech appear, That what to th’eye a beauteous face, That thy tongue is to the ear.”

edgenounUS /edʒ/

the boundary of a surface

From this reading The water was deep to the very edge; and I sprang from the little boat upon a soft grassy turf.

facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading “... such a sweetness, such a grace, In all thy speech appear, That what to th’eye a beauteous face, That thy tongue is to the ear.”

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading The water was deep to the very edge; and I sprang from the little boat upon a soft grassy turf.

gracenounUS /ɡreɪs/

(Christian theology) a state of sanctification by God; the state of one who is under such divine influence

From this reading “... such a sweetness, such a grace, In all thy speech appear, That what to th’eye a beauteous face, That thy tongue is to the ear.”

grassyadjectiveUS /ˈɡræsi/

abounding in grass

From this reading The water was deep to the very edge; and I sprang from the little boat upon a soft grassy turf.

HumanitynounUS /hjuːˈmænɪti/

the quality of being humane

From this reading “In still rest, in changeless simplicity, I bear, uninterrupted, the consciousness of the whole of Humanity within me.”

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading “In still rest, in changeless simplicity, I bear, uninterrupted, the consciousness of the whole of Humanity within me.”

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading “In still rest, in changeless simplicity, I bear, uninterrupted, the consciousness of the whole of Humanity within me.”

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading “... such a sweetness, such a grace, In all thy speech appear, That what to th’eye a beauteous face, That thy tongue is to the ear.”

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading The water was deep to the very edge; and I sprang from the little boat upon a soft grassy turf.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading “In still rest, in changeless simplicity, I bear, uninterrupted, the consciousness of the whole of Humanity within me.”

Monologen

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

From this reading SCHLEIERMACHER, _Monologen_.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading “In still rest, in changeless simplicity, I bear, uninterrupted, the consciousness of the whole of Humanity within me.”

restverbUS /rest/

not move; be in a resting position

From this reading “In still rest, in changeless simplicity, I bear, uninterrupted, the consciousness of the whole of Humanity within me.”

SCHLEIERMACHER

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

From this reading SCHLEIERMACHER, _Monologen_.

simplicitynounUS /sɪmˈplɪsəti/

the quality of being simple or uncompounded

From this reading “In still rest, in changeless simplicity, I bear, uninterrupted, the consciousness of the whole of Humanity within me.”

softadjectiveUS /sɑːft/

yielding readily to pressure or weight

From this reading The water was deep to the very edge; and I sprang from the little boat upon a soft grassy turf.

speechnounUS /spiːtʃ/

the act of delivering a formal spoken communication to an audience

From this reading “... such a sweetness, such a grace, In all thy speech appear, That what to th’eye a beauteous face, That thy tongue is to the ear.”

sprangverbUS /spræŋ/

inflected form of “spring” — move forward by leaps and bounds

From this reading The water was deep to the very edge; and I sprang from the little boat upon a soft grassy turf.

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading “In still rest, in changeless simplicity, I bear, uninterrupted, the consciousness of the whole of Humanity within me.”

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading “... such a sweetness, such a grace, In all thy speech appear, That what to th’eye a beauteous face, That thy tongue is to the ear.”

sweetnessnounUS /ˈswiːtnəs/

the taste experience when sugar dissolves in the mouth

From this reading “... such a sweetness, such a grace, In all thy speech appear, That what to th’eye a beauteous face, That thy tongue is to the ear.”

th'eye

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

From this reading “... such a sweetness, such a grace, In all thy speech appear, That what to th’eye a beauteous face, That thy tongue is to the ear.”

ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading “... such a sweetness, such a grace, In all thy speech appear, That what to th’eye a beauteous face, That thy tongue is to the ear.”

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading “In still rest, in changeless simplicity, I bear, uninterrupted, the consciousness of the whole of Humanity within me.”

thydeterminerUS /ðaɪ/

an old word for “your”, speaking to one person

From this reading “... such a sweetness, such a grace, In all thy speech appear, That what to th’eye a beauteous face, That thy tongue is to the ear.”

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading “... such a sweetness, such a grace, In all thy speech appear, That what to th’eye a beauteous face, That thy tongue is to the ear.”

tonguenounUS /tʌŋ/

a mobile mass of muscular tissue covered with mucous membrane and located in the oral cavity

From this reading “... such a sweetness, such a grace, In all thy speech appear, That what to th’eye a beauteous face, That thy tongue is to the ear.”

turfnounUS /tɜːrf/

surface layer of ground containing a mat of grass and grass roots

From this reading The water was deep to the very edge; and I sprang from the little boat upon a soft grassy turf.

uninterruptedadjectiveUS /ˌʌnɪntərˈʌptɪd/

having undisturbed continuity

From this reading “In still rest, in changeless simplicity, I bear, uninterrupted, the consciousness of the whole of Humanity within me.”

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading The water was deep to the very edge; and I sprang from the little boat upon a soft grassy turf.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading The water was deep to the very edge; and I sprang from the little boat upon a soft grassy turf.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The water was deep to the very edge; and I sprang from the little boat upon a soft grassy turf.

waternounUS /ˈwɔːtər/

binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent

From this reading The water was deep to the very edge; and I sprang from the little boat upon a soft grassy turf.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading “... such a sweetness, such a grace, In all thy speech appear, That what to th’eye a beauteous face, That thy tongue is to the ear.”

wholeadjectiveUS /hoʊl/

including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete

From this reading “In still rest, in changeless simplicity, I bear, uninterrupted, the consciousness of the whole of Humanity within me.”

withinprepositionUS /wɪˈðɪn/

inside; before a period of time has passed

From this reading “In still rest, in changeless simplicity, I bear, uninterrupted, the consciousness of the whole of Humanity within me.”

Chapter 20 of Phantastes by George MacDonald holds 330 sentences, grouped into 66 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.

What does chapter 20 of Phantastes contain?

Chapter 20 holds 330 sentences of Phantastes, unabridged, divided into 66 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 20 of Phantastes by George MacDonald exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 330 sentences, grouped into 66 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 20 of Phantastes?

Work through the 66 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 66 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.

Can chapter 20 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 20 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.

Questions about reading Phantastes

Common questions about reading Phantastes by George MacDonald on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Phantastes?

Yes. All 3137 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #325 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Phantastes is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #325, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Phantastes take to read?

About 261 minutes of reading across 628 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Phantastes section by section

How to work through Phantastes section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 26 chapters of Phantastes to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Phantastes

Words and structures a reader meets early in Phantastes, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Offering
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Phantastes; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Edition
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Phantastes; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Father
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Phantastes; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Phantastes
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Phantastes; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.