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Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia
Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia

Chapter XXIV · Chapter 24

Chapter 24 of Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia is here in full — 42 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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THE DEBATE ON MARRIAGE (_continued_).
THE good of the whole,” says Rasselas, is the same with the good of all its parts.
If marriage be best for mankind, it must be evidently best for individuals; or a permanent and necessary duty must be the cause of evil, and some must be inevitably sacrificed to the convenience of others.
In the estimate which you have made of the two states, it appears that the incommodities of a single life are in a great measure necessary and certain, but those of the conjugal state accidental and avoidable.
I cannot forbear to flatter myself that prudence and benevolence will make marriage happy.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia

Chapter XXIV · Chapter 24

Chapter 24 of Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia is here in full — 42 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/8 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE DEBATE ON MARRIAGE (_continued_).
/ðə dəˈbeɪt ɑːn ˈmerɪdʒ kənˈtɪnjuːd/
Line 2
THE good of the whole,” says Rasselas, “is the same with the good of all its parts.
Line 3
If marriage be best for mankind, it must be evidently best for individuals; or a permanent and necessary duty must be the cause of evil, and some must be inevitably sacrificed to the convenience of others.
Line 4
In the estimate which you have made of the two states, it appears that the incommodities of a single life are in a great measure necessary and certain, but those of the conjugal state accidental and avoidable.
Line 5
I cannot forbear to flatter myself that prudence and benevolence will make marriage happy.

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.

accidental adjective US /ˌæksəˈdentəl/

happening by chance or unexpectedly or unintentionally

From this reading “In the estimate which you have made of the two states, it appears that the incommodities of a single life are in a great measure necessary and certain, but those of the conjugal state accidental and avoidable.”

avoidable adjective US /əˈvɔɪdəbəl/

capable of being avoided or warded off

From this reading “In the estimate which you have made of the two states, it appears that the incommodities of a single life are in a great measure necessary and certain, but those of the conjugal state accidental and avoidable.”

benevolence noun US /bəˈnev.əl.əns/

The quality of being well meaning; kindness and generosity. (Lòng nhân ái, sự nhân từ độ lượng.)

From this reading “I cannot forbear to flatter myself that prudence and benevolence will make marriage happy.”

conjugal adjective US /ˈkɑːndʒəɡəl/

of or relating to marriage or to the relationship between a wife and husband

From this reading “In the estimate which you have made of the two states, it appears that the incommodities of a single life are in a great measure necessary and certain, but those of the conjugal state accidental and avoidable.”

convenience noun US /kənˈviːnjəns/

the state of being suitable or opportune

From this reading “If marriage be best for mankind, it must be evidently best for individuals; or a permanent and necessary duty must be the cause of evil, and some must be inevitably sacrificed to the convenience of others.”

debate verb US /dəˈbeɪt/

argue with one another

From this reading “THE DEBATE ON MARRIAGE (_continued_).”

flatter verb US /ˈflætər/

praise somewhat dishonestly

From this reading “I cannot forbear to flatter myself that prudence and benevolence will make marriage happy.”

inevitably adverb US /ˌɪˈnevətəbli/

in such a manner as could not be otherwise

From this reading “If marriage be best for mankind, it must be evidently best for individuals; or a permanent and necessary duty must be the cause of evil, and some must be inevitably sacrificed to the convenience of others.”

All words in this reading · 72

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 If marriage be best for mankind, it must be evidently best for individuals; or a permanent and necessary duty must be the cause of evil, and some must be inevitably sacrificed to the convenience of others.

accidentaladjectiveUS /ˌæksəˈdentəl/

happening by chance or unexpectedly or unintentionally

From this reading In the estimate which you have made of the two states, it appears that the incommodities of a single life are in a great measure necessary and certain, but those of the conjugal state accidental and avoidable.

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 “THE good of the whole,” says Rasselas, “is the same with the good of all its parts.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading If marriage be best for mankind, it must be evidently best for individuals; or a permanent and necessary duty must be the cause of evil, and some must be inevitably sacrificed to the convenience of others.

appearsverbUS /əˈpɪrz/

third-person singular of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading In the estimate which you have made of the two states, it appears that the incommodities of a single life are in a great measure necessary and certain, but those of the conjugal state accidental and avoidable.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading In the estimate which you have made of the two states, it appears that the incommodities of a single life are in a great measure necessary and certain, but those of the conjugal state accidental and avoidable.

avoidableadjectiveUS /əˈvɔɪdəbəl/

capable of being avoided or warded off

From this reading In the estimate which you have made of the two states, it appears that the incommodities of a single life are in a great measure necessary and certain, but those of the conjugal state accidental and avoidable.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading If marriage be best for mankind, it must be evidently best for individuals; or a permanent and necessary duty must be the cause of evil, and some must be inevitably sacrificed to the convenience of others.

benevolencenounUS /bəˈnev.əl.əns/

The quality of being well meaning; kindness and generosity. (Lòng nhân ái, sự nhân từ độ lượng.)

From this reading I cannot forbear to flatter myself that prudence and benevolence will make marriage happy.

bestnounUS /best/

the supreme effort one can make

From this reading If marriage be best for mankind, it must be evidently best for individuals; or a permanent and necessary duty must be the cause of evil, and some must be inevitably sacrificed to the convenience of others.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading In the estimate which you have made of the two states, it appears that the incommodities of a single life are in a great measure necessary and certain, but those of the conjugal state accidental and avoidable.

cannot

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

From this reading I cannot forbear to flatter myself that prudence and benevolence will make marriage happy.

causenounUS /kɑːz/

events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something

From this reading If marriage be best for mankind, it must be evidently best for individuals; or a permanent and necessary duty must be the cause of evil, and some must be inevitably sacrificed to the convenience of others.

certainadjectiveUS /ˈsɜːrtən/

definite but not specified or identified

From this reading In the estimate which you have made of the two states, it appears that the incommodities of a single life are in a great measure necessary and certain, but those of the conjugal state accidental and avoidable.

conjugaladjectiveUS /ˈkɑːndʒəɡəl/

of or relating to marriage or to the relationship between a wife and husband

From this reading In the estimate which you have made of the two states, it appears that the incommodities of a single life are in a great measure necessary and certain, but those of the conjugal state accidental and avoidable.

continuedadjectiveUS /kənˈtɪnjuːd/

without stop or interruption

From this reading THE DEBATE ON MARRIAGE (_continued_).

conveniencenounUS /kənˈviːnjəns/

the state of being suitable or opportune

From this reading If marriage be best for mankind, it must be evidently best for individuals; or a permanent and necessary duty must be the cause of evil, and some must be inevitably sacrificed to the convenience of others.

DEBATEverbUS /dəˈbeɪt/

argue with one another

From this reading THE DEBATE ON MARRIAGE (_continued_).

dutynounUS /ˈduːti/

the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force

From this reading If marriage be best for mankind, it must be evidently best for individuals; or a permanent and necessary duty must be the cause of evil, and some must be inevitably sacrificed to the convenience of others.

estimatenounUS /ˈestəmət/

an approximate calculation of quantity or degree or worth

From this reading In the estimate which you have made of the two states, it appears that the incommodities of a single life are in a great measure necessary and certain, but those of the conjugal state accidental and avoidable.

evidentlyadverbUS /ˈevədəntli/

unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)

From this reading If marriage be best for mankind, it must be evidently best for individuals; or a permanent and necessary duty must be the cause of evil, and some must be inevitably sacrificed to the convenience of others.

evilnounUS /ˈiːvəl/

morally objectionable behavior

From this reading If marriage be best for mankind, it must be evidently best for individuals; or a permanent and necessary duty must be the cause of evil, and some must be inevitably sacrificed to the convenience of others.

flatterverbUS /ˈflætər/

praise somewhat dishonestly

From this reading I cannot forbear to flatter myself that prudence and benevolence will make marriage happy.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading If marriage be best for mankind, it must be evidently best for individuals; or a permanent and necessary duty must be the cause of evil, and some must be inevitably sacrificed to the convenience of others.

forbearverb

refrain from doing

From this reading I cannot forbear to flatter myself that prudence and benevolence will make marriage happy.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading “THE good of the whole,” says Rasselas, “is the same with the good of all its parts.

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading In the estimate which you have made of the two states, it appears that the incommodities of a single life are in a great measure necessary and certain, but those of the conjugal state accidental and avoidable.

happyadjectiveUS /ˈhæpi/

enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure

From this reading I cannot forbear to flatter myself that prudence and benevolence will make marriage happy.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading In the estimate which you have made of the two states, it appears that the incommodities of a single life are in a great measure necessary and certain, but those of the conjugal state accidental and avoidable.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I cannot forbear to flatter myself that prudence and benevolence will make marriage happy.

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading If marriage be best for mankind, it must be evidently best for individuals; or a permanent and necessary duty must be the cause of evil, and some must be inevitably sacrificed to the convenience of others.

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading In the estimate which you have made of the two states, it appears that the incommodities of a single life are in a great measure necessary and certain, but those of the conjugal state accidental and avoidable.

incommodities

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

From this reading In the estimate which you have made of the two states, it appears that the incommodities of a single life are in a great measure necessary and certain, but those of the conjugal state accidental and avoidable.

individualsnounUS /ˌɪndəˈvɪdʒəwəlz/

plural of “individual” — a human being

From this reading If marriage be best for mankind, it must be evidently best for individuals; or a permanent and necessary duty must be the cause of evil, and some must be inevitably sacrificed to the convenience of others.

inevitablyadverbUS /ˌɪˈnevətəbli/

in such a manner as could not be otherwise

From this reading If marriage be best for mankind, it must be evidently best for individuals; or a permanent and necessary duty must be the cause of evil, and some must be inevitably sacrificed to the convenience of others.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading “THE good of the whole,” says Rasselas, “is the same with the good of all its parts.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading If marriage be best for mankind, it must be evidently best for individuals; or a permanent and necessary duty must be the cause of evil, and some must be inevitably sacrificed to the convenience of others.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading “THE good of the whole,” says Rasselas, “is the same with the good of all its parts.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading In the estimate which you have made of the two states, it appears that the incommodities of a single life are in a great measure necessary and certain, but those of the conjugal state accidental and avoidable.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading In the estimate which you have made of the two states, it appears that the incommodities of a single life are in a great measure necessary and certain, but those of the conjugal state accidental and avoidable.

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading I cannot forbear to flatter myself that prudence and benevolence will make marriage happy.

mankindnounUS /ˈmænˈkaɪnd/

all of the living human inhabitants of the earth

From this reading If marriage be best for mankind, it must be evidently best for individuals; or a permanent and necessary duty must be the cause of evil, and some must be inevitably sacrificed to the convenience of others.

MARRIAGEnounUS /ˈmerɪdʒ/

the state of being a married couple voluntarily joined for life (or until divorce)

From this reading THE DEBATE ON MARRIAGE (_continued_).

measurenounUS /ˈmeʒər/

any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal

From this reading In the estimate which you have made of the two states, it appears that the incommodities of a single life are in a great measure necessary and certain, but those of the conjugal state accidental and avoidable.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading If marriage be best for mankind, it must be evidently best for individuals; or a permanent and necessary duty must be the cause of evil, and some must be inevitably sacrificed to the convenience of others.

myselfpronounUS /ˌmaɪˈself/

used when the speaker is also the object of the action

From this reading I cannot forbear to flatter myself that prudence and benevolence will make marriage happy.

necessaryadjectiveUS /ˈnesəseri/

absolutely essential

From this reading If marriage be best for mankind, it must be evidently best for individuals; or a permanent and necessary duty must be the cause of evil, and some must be inevitably sacrificed to the convenience of others.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading “THE good of the whole,” says Rasselas, “is the same with the good of all its parts.

ONprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading THE DEBATE ON MARRIAGE (_continued_).

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading If marriage be best for mankind, it must be evidently best for individuals; or a permanent and necessary duty must be the cause of evil, and some must be inevitably sacrificed to the convenience of others.

others

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

From this reading If marriage be best for mankind, it must be evidently best for individuals; or a permanent and necessary duty must be the cause of evil, and some must be inevitably sacrificed to the convenience of others.

partsnounUS /pɑːrts/

the local environment

From this reading “THE good of the whole,” says Rasselas, “is the same with the good of all its parts.

permanentadjectiveUS /ˈpɜːrmənənt/

continuing or enduring without marked change in status or condition or place

From this reading If marriage be best for mankind, it must be evidently best for individuals; or a permanent and necessary duty must be the cause of evil, and some must be inevitably sacrificed to the convenience of others.

prudencenounUS /ˈpruːdəns/

discretion in practical affairs

From this reading I cannot forbear to flatter myself that prudence and benevolence will make marriage happy.

Rasselas

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

From this reading “THE good of the whole,” says Rasselas, “is the same with the good of all its parts.

sacrificedverbUS /ˈsækrəfaɪst/

past form of “sacrifice” — endure the loss of

From this reading If marriage be best for mankind, it must be evidently best for individuals; or a permanent and necessary duty must be the cause of evil, and some must be inevitably sacrificed to the convenience of others.

sameadjectiveUS /seɪm/

Identical; not different.

From this reading “THE good of the whole,” says Rasselas, “is the same with the good of all its parts.

saysnounUS /sez/

plural of “say” — the chance to speak

From this reading “THE good of the whole,” says Rasselas, “is the same with the good of all its parts.

singleadjectiveUS /ˈsɪŋɡəl/

being or characteristic of a single thing or person

From this reading In the estimate which you have made of the two states, it appears that the incommodities of a single life are in a great measure necessary and certain, but those of the conjugal state accidental and avoidable.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading If marriage be best for mankind, it must be evidently best for individuals; or a permanent and necessary duty must be the cause of evil, and some must be inevitably sacrificed to the convenience of others.

statenounUS /steɪt/

the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation

From this reading In the estimate which you have made of the two states, it appears that the incommodities of a single life are in a great measure necessary and certain, but those of the conjugal state accidental and avoidable.

statesnounUS /steɪts/

plural of “state” — the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation

From this reading In the estimate which you have made of the two states, it appears that the incommodities of a single life are in a great measure necessary and certain, but those of the conjugal state accidental and avoidable.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading In the estimate which you have made of the two states, it appears that the incommodities of a single life are in a great measure necessary and certain, but those of the conjugal state accidental and avoidable.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE DEBATE ON MARRIAGE (_continued_).

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading In the estimate which you have made of the two states, it appears that the incommodities of a single life are in a great measure necessary and certain, but those of the conjugal state accidental and avoidable.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading If marriage be best for mankind, it must be evidently best for individuals; or a permanent and necessary duty must be the cause of evil, and some must be inevitably sacrificed to the convenience of others.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading In the estimate which you have made of the two states, it appears that the incommodities of a single life are in a great measure necessary and certain, but those of the conjugal state accidental and avoidable.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading In the estimate which you have made of the two states, it appears that the incommodities of a single life are in a great measure necessary and certain, but those of the conjugal state accidental and avoidable.

wholeadjectiveUS /hoʊl/

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

From this reading “THE good of the whole,” says Rasselas, “is the same with the good of all its parts.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading I cannot forbear to flatter myself that prudence and benevolence will make marriage happy.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading “THE good of the whole,” says Rasselas, “is the same with the good of all its parts.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading In the estimate which you have made of the two states, it appears that the incommodities of a single life are in a great measure necessary and certain, but those of the conjugal state accidental and avoidable.

Chapter 24 of Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia by Samuel Johnson holds 42 sentences, grouped into 9 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.

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Chapter 24 holds 42 sentences of Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia, unabridged, divided into 9 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 24 of Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia by Samuel Johnson exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 42 sentences, grouped into 9 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.

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Work through the 9 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 9 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.

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Vocabulary met early in Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia

Words and structures a reader meets early in Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Description
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Palace
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Valley
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Listen
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