Chapter 4 of The Beggar's Opera is here in full — 282 sentences across 57 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of The Beggar's Opera is here in full — 282 sentences across 57 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
[_Exeunt leaving_ Macheath _solus_. Macheath. AIR XXV. Courtiers, Courtiers, think it no Harm, &c. _Man may escape from Rope and Gun_; _Nay_, _some have out liv’d the Doctor’s Pill_; _Who takes a Woman must be undone_, _That Basilisk is sure to kill_.
Chapter 4 of The Beggar's Opera is here in full — 282 sentences across 57 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/56 · 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.
plural of “courtier” — an attendant at the court of a sovereign
From this reading “Courtiers, Courtiers, think it no Harm, &c.”
possessive form of “doctor” — a licensed medical practitioner
a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)
any physical damage to the body caused by violence or accident or fracture etc.
From this reading “Courtiers, Courtiers, think it no Harm, &c.”
something that resembles a tablet of medicine in shape or size
a strong line
From this reading “_Man may escape from Rope and Gun_; _Nay_, _some have out liv’d the Doctor’s Pill_; _Who takes a Woman must be undone_, _That Basilisk is sure to kill_.”
plural of “take” — the income or profit arising from such transactions as the sale of land or other property
From this reading “_Man may escape from Rope and Gun_; _Nay_, _some have out liv’d the Doctor’s Pill_; _Who takes a Woman must be undone_, _That Basilisk is sure to kill_.”
not done
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 _Man may escape from Rope and Gun_; _Nay_, _some have out liv’d the Doctor’s Pill_; _Who takes a Woman must be undone_, _That Basilisk is sure to kill_.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading AIR XXV.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading _Man may escape from Rope and Gun_; _Nay_, _some have out liv’d the Doctor’s Pill_; _Who takes a Woman must be undone_, _That Basilisk is sure to kill_.
(classical mythology) a serpent (or lizard or dragon) able to kill with its breath or glance
From this reading _Man may escape from Rope and Gun_; _Nay_, _some have out liv’d the Doctor’s Pill_; _Who takes a Woman must be undone_, _That Basilisk is sure to kill_.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading _Man may escape from Rope and Gun_; _Nay_, _some have out liv’d the Doctor’s Pill_; _Who takes a Woman must be undone_, _That Basilisk is sure to kill_.
a degree on the centigrade scale of temperature
From this reading Courtiers, Courtiers, think it no Harm, &c.
plural of “courtier” — an attendant at the court of a sovereign
From this reading Courtiers, Courtiers, think it no Harm, &c.
possessive form of “doctor” — a licensed medical practitioner
From this reading _Man may escape from Rope and Gun_; _Nay_, _some have out liv’d the Doctor’s Pill_; _Who takes a Woman must be undone_, _That Basilisk is sure to kill_.
the act of escaping physically
From this reading _Man may escape from Rope and Gun_; _Nay_, _some have out liv’d the Doctor’s Pill_; _Who takes a Woman must be undone_, _That Basilisk is sure to kill_.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading [_Exeunt leaving_ Macheath _solus_.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading _Man may escape from Rope and Gun_; _Nay_, _some have out liv’d the Doctor’s Pill_; _Who takes a Woman must be undone_, _That Basilisk is sure to kill_.
a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)
From this reading _Man may escape from Rope and Gun_; _Nay_, _some have out liv’d the Doctor’s Pill_; _Who takes a Woman must be undone_, _That Basilisk is sure to kill_.
any physical damage to the body caused by violence or accident or fracture etc.
From this reading Courtiers, Courtiers, think it no Harm, &c.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading _Man may escape from Rope and Gun_; _Nay_, _some have out liv’d the Doctor’s Pill_; _Who takes a Woman must be undone_, _That Basilisk is sure to kill_.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading _Man may escape from Rope and Gun_; _Nay_, _some have out liv’d the Doctor’s Pill_; _Who takes a Woman must be undone_, _That Basilisk is sure to kill_.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Courtiers, Courtiers, think it no Harm, &c.
cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly
From this reading _Man may escape from Rope and Gun_; _Nay_, _some have out liv’d the Doctor’s Pill_; _Who takes a Woman must be undone_, _That Basilisk is sure to kill_.
the act of departing
From this reading [_Exeunt leaving_ Macheath _solus_.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Man may escape from Rope and Gun_; _Nay_, _some have out liv’d the Doctor’s Pill_; _Who takes a Woman must be undone_, _That Basilisk is sure to kill_.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading [_Exeunt leaving_ Macheath _solus_.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading _Man may escape from Rope and Gun_; _Nay_, _some have out liv’d the Doctor’s Pill_; _Who takes a Woman must be undone_, _That Basilisk is sure to kill_.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading _Man may escape from Rope and Gun_; _Nay_, _some have out liv’d the Doctor’s Pill_; _Who takes a Woman must be undone_, _That Basilisk is sure to kill_.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading _Man may escape from Rope and Gun_; _Nay_, _some have out liv’d the Doctor’s Pill_; _Who takes a Woman must be undone_, _That Basilisk is sure to kill_.
an old word for “no”
From this reading _Man may escape from Rope and Gun_; _Nay_, _some have out liv’d the Doctor’s Pill_; _Who takes a Woman must be undone_, _That Basilisk is sure to kill_.
not any; not one
From this reading Courtiers, Courtiers, think it no Harm, &c.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading _Man may escape from Rope and Gun_; _Nay_, _some have out liv’d the Doctor’s Pill_; _Who takes a Woman must be undone_, _That Basilisk is sure to kill_.
something that resembles a tablet of medicine in shape or size
From this reading _Man may escape from Rope and Gun_; _Nay_, _some have out liv’d the Doctor’s Pill_; _Who takes a Woman must be undone_, _That Basilisk is sure to kill_.
a strong line
From this reading _Man may escape from Rope and Gun_; _Nay_, _some have out liv’d the Doctor’s Pill_; _Who takes a Woman must be undone_, _That Basilisk is sure to kill_.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading [_Exeunt leaving_ Macheath _solus_.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading _Man may escape from Rope and Gun_; _Nay_, _some have out liv’d the Doctor’s Pill_; _Who takes a Woman must be undone_, _That Basilisk is sure to kill_.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading _Man may escape from Rope and Gun_; _Nay_, _some have out liv’d the Doctor’s Pill_; _Who takes a Woman must be undone_, _That Basilisk is sure to kill_.
plural of “take” — the income or profit arising from such transactions as the sale of land or other property
From this reading _Man may escape from Rope and Gun_; _Nay_, _some have out liv’d the Doctor’s Pill_; _Who takes a Woman must be undone_, _That Basilisk is sure to kill_.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading _Man may escape from Rope and Gun_; _Nay_, _some have out liv’d the Doctor’s Pill_; _Who takes a Woman must be undone_, _That Basilisk is sure to kill_.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading _Man may escape from Rope and Gun_; _Nay_, _some have out liv’d the Doctor’s Pill_; _Who takes a Woman must be undone_, _That Basilisk is sure to kill_.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading Courtiers, Courtiers, think it no Harm, &c.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading _Man may escape from Rope and Gun_; _Nay_, _some have out liv’d the Doctor’s Pill_; _Who takes a Woman must be undone_, _That Basilisk is sure to kill_.
not done
From this reading _Man may escape from Rope and Gun_; _Nay_, _some have out liv’d the Doctor’s Pill_; _Who takes a Woman must be undone_, _That Basilisk is sure to kill_.
which person or people
From this reading _Man may escape from Rope and Gun_; _Nay_, _some have out liv’d the Doctor’s Pill_; _Who takes a Woman must be undone_, _That Basilisk is sure to kill_.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading _Man may escape from Rope and Gun_; _Nay_, _some have out liv’d the Doctor’s Pill_; _Who takes a Woman must be undone_, _That Basilisk is sure to kill_.
the cardinal number that is the sum of twenty-four and one
From this reading AIR XXV.
Chapter 4 of The Beggar's Opera by John Gay holds 282 sentences, grouped into 57 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 4 holds 282 sentences of The Beggar's Opera, unabridged, divided into 57 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of The Beggar's Opera by John Gay exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 282 sentences, grouped into 57 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 57 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 57 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 4 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 The Beggar's Opera by John Gay on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1403 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2421 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #2421, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 116 minutes of reading across 281 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Beggar's Opera section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 5 chapters of The Beggar's Opera 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 The Beggar's Opera, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
