Chapter 1 of The Beth Book is here in full — 247 sentences across 50 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Beth Book is here in full — 247 sentences across 50 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Being a Study of the Life of Elizabeth Caldwell Maclure A Woman of Genius IAGO. Come, hold your peace. EMILIA. 'Twill out, 'twill out:--I hold my peace, Sir? no; I'll be in speaking, liberal as the air: Let heaven, and men, and devils, let them all All, all, cry shame against me, yet I'll speak. SHAKESPEARE New York: D. Appleton 1897.
Chapter 1 of The Beth Book is here in full — 247 sentences across 50 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/49 · 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.
English physicist remembered for his studies of the ionosphere (1892-1966)
From this reading “SHAKESPEARE New York: D. Appleton 1897.”
United States author remembered for novels about poverty and degeneration (1903-1987)
From this reading “Being a Study of the Life of Elizabeth Caldwell Maclure A Woman of Genius IAGO.”
plural of “devil” — (Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions) chief spirit of evil and adversary of God; tempter of mankind; master of Hell
From this reading “'Twill out, 'twill out:--I hold my peace, Sir? no; I'll be in speaking, liberal as the air: Let heaven, and men, and devils, let them all All, all, cry shame against me, yet I'll speak.”
tropical African herbs
From this reading “EMILIA.”
the villain in William Shakespeare's tragedy who tricked Othello into murdering his wife
From this reading “Being a Study of the Life of Elizabeth Caldwell Maclure A Woman of Genius IAGO.”
showing or characterized by broad-mindedness
From this reading “'Twill out, 'twill out:--I hold my peace, Sir? no; I'll be in speaking, liberal as the air: Let heaven, and men, and devils, let them all All, all, cry shame against me, yet I'll speak.”
English poet and dramatist considered one of the greatest English writers (1564-1616)
From this reading “SHAKESPEARE New York: D. Appleton 1897.”
a weave used to produce the effect of parallel diagonal ribs
From this reading “'Twill out, 'twill out:--I hold my peace, Sir? no; I'll be in speaking, liberal as the air: Let heaven, and men, and devils, let them all All, all, cry shame against me, yet I'll speak.”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading SHAKESPEARE New York: D. Appleton 1897.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Being a Study of the Life of Elizabeth Caldwell Maclure A Woman of Genius IAGO.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading 'Twill out, 'twill out:--I hold my peace, Sir? no; I'll be in speaking, liberal as the air: Let heaven, and men, and devils, let them all All, all, cry shame against me, yet I'll speak.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading 'Twill out, 'twill out:--I hold my peace, Sir? no; I'll be in speaking, liberal as the air: Let heaven, and men, and devils, let them all All, all, cry shame against me, yet I'll speak.
(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 'Twill out, 'twill out:--I hold my peace, Sir? no; I'll be in speaking, liberal as the air: Let heaven, and men, and devils, let them all All, all, cry shame against me, yet I'll speak.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading 'Twill out, 'twill out:--I hold my peace, Sir? no; I'll be in speaking, liberal as the air: Let heaven, and men, and devils, let them all All, all, cry shame against me, yet I'll speak.
English physicist remembered for his studies of the ionosphere (1892-1966)
From this reading SHAKESPEARE New York: D. Appleton 1897.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading 'Twill out, 'twill out:--I hold my peace, Sir? no; I'll be in speaking, liberal as the air: Let heaven, and men, and devils, let them all All, all, cry shame against me, yet I'll speak.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading 'Twill out, 'twill out:--I hold my peace, Sir? no; I'll be in speaking, liberal as the air: Let heaven, and men, and devils, let them all All, all, cry shame against me, yet I'll speak.
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading Being a Study of the Life of Elizabeth Caldwell Maclure A Woman of Genius IAGO.
United States author remembered for novels about poverty and degeneration (1903-1987)
From this reading Being a Study of the Life of Elizabeth Caldwell Maclure A Woman of Genius IAGO.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Come, hold your peace.
utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading 'Twill out, 'twill out:--I hold my peace, Sir? no; I'll be in speaking, liberal as the air: Let heaven, and men, and devils, let them all All, all, cry shame against me, yet I'll speak.
a fat-soluble vitamin that prevents rickets
From this reading SHAKESPEARE New York: D. Appleton 1897.
plural of “devil” — (Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions) chief spirit of evil and adversary of God; tempter of mankind; master of Hell
From this reading 'Twill out, 'twill out:--I hold my peace, Sir? no; I'll be in speaking, liberal as the air: Let heaven, and men, and devils, let them all All, all, cry shame against me, yet I'll speak.
daughter of George VI who became the Queen of England and Northern Ireland in 1952 on the death of her father (1926-)
From this reading Being a Study of the Life of Elizabeth Caldwell Maclure A Woman of Genius IAGO.
tropical African herbs
From this reading EMILIA.
someone who has exceptional intellectual ability and originality
From this reading Being a Study of the Life of Elizabeth Caldwell Maclure A Woman of Genius IAGO.
any place of complete bliss and delight and peace
From this reading 'Twill out, 'twill out:--I hold my peace, Sir? no; I'll be in speaking, liberal as the air: Let heaven, and men, and devils, let them all All, all, cry shame against me, yet I'll speak.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading Come, hold your peace.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading 'Twill out, 'twill out:--I hold my peace, Sir? no; I'll be in speaking, liberal as the air: Let heaven, and men, and devils, let them all All, all, cry shame against me, yet I'll speak.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 'Twill out, 'twill out:--I hold my peace, Sir? no; I'll be in speaking, liberal as the air: Let heaven, and men, and devils, let them all All, all, cry shame against me, yet I'll speak.
the villain in William Shakespeare's tragedy who tricked Othello into murdering his wife
From this reading Being a Study of the Life of Elizabeth Caldwell Maclure A Woman of Genius IAGO.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading 'Twill out, 'twill out:--I hold my peace, Sir? no; I'll be in speaking, liberal as the air: Let heaven, and men, and devils, let them all All, all, cry shame against me, yet I'll speak.
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading 'Twill out, 'twill out:--I hold my peace, Sir? no; I'll be in speaking, liberal as the air: Let heaven, and men, and devils, let them all All, all, cry shame against me, yet I'll speak.
showing or characterized by broad-mindedness
From this reading 'Twill out, 'twill out:--I hold my peace, Sir? no; I'll be in speaking, liberal as the air: Let heaven, and men, and devils, let them all All, all, cry shame against me, yet I'll speak.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading Being a Study of the Life of Elizabeth Caldwell Maclure A Woman of Genius IAGO.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Being a Study of the Life of Elizabeth Caldwell Maclure A Woman of Genius IAGO.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading 'Twill out, 'twill out:--I hold my peace, Sir? no; I'll be in speaking, liberal as the air: Let heaven, and men, and devils, let them all All, all, cry shame against me, yet I'll speak.
the force of workers available
From this reading 'Twill out, 'twill out:--I hold my peace, Sir? no; I'll be in speaking, liberal as the air: Let heaven, and men, and devils, let them all All, all, cry shame against me, yet I'll speak.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading 'Twill out, 'twill out:--I hold my peace, Sir? no; I'll be in speaking, liberal as the air: Let heaven, and men, and devils, let them all All, all, cry shame against me, yet I'll speak.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading SHAKESPEARE New York: D. Appleton 1897.
not any; not one
From this reading 'Twill out, 'twill out:--I hold my peace, Sir? no; I'll be in speaking, liberal as the air: Let heaven, and men, and devils, let them all All, all, cry shame against me, yet I'll speak.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Being a Study of the Life of Elizabeth Caldwell Maclure A Woman of Genius IAGO.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading 'Twill out, 'twill out:--I hold my peace, Sir? no; I'll be in speaking, liberal as the air: Let heaven, and men, and devils, let them all All, all, cry shame against me, yet I'll speak.
the state prevailing during the absence of war
From this reading Come, hold your peace.
English poet and dramatist considered one of the greatest English writers (1564-1616)
From this reading SHAKESPEARE New York: D. Appleton 1897.
a painful emotion resulting from an awareness of inadequacy or guilt
From this reading 'Twill out, 'twill out:--I hold my peace, Sir? no; I'll be in speaking, liberal as the air: Let heaven, and men, and devils, let them all All, all, cry shame against me, yet I'll speak.
term of address for a man
From this reading 'Twill out, 'twill out:--I hold my peace, Sir? no; I'll be in speaking, liberal as the air: Let heaven, and men, and devils, let them all All, all, cry shame against me, yet I'll speak.
express in speech
From this reading 'Twill out, 'twill out:--I hold my peace, Sir? no; I'll be in speaking, liberal as the air: Let heaven, and men, and devils, let them all All, all, cry shame against me, yet I'll speak.
the utterance of intelligible speech
From this reading 'Twill out, 'twill out:--I hold my peace, Sir? no; I'll be in speaking, liberal as the air: Let heaven, and men, and devils, let them all All, all, cry shame against me, yet I'll speak.
a detailed critical inspection
From this reading Being a Study of the Life of Elizabeth Caldwell Maclure A Woman of Genius IAGO.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Being a Study of the Life of Elizabeth Caldwell Maclure A Woman of Genius IAGO.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading 'Twill out, 'twill out:--I hold my peace, Sir? no; I'll be in speaking, liberal as the air: Let heaven, and men, and devils, let them all All, all, cry shame against me, yet I'll speak.
a weave used to produce the effect of parallel diagonal ribs
From this reading 'Twill out, 'twill out:--I hold my peace, Sir? no; I'll be in speaking, liberal as the air: Let heaven, and men, and devils, let them all All, all, cry shame against me, yet I'll speak.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading Being a Study of the Life of Elizabeth Caldwell Maclure A Woman of Genius IAGO.
but in spite of that
From this reading 'Twill out, 'twill out:--I hold my peace, Sir? no; I'll be in speaking, liberal as the air: Let heaven, and men, and devils, let them all All, all, cry shame against me, yet I'll speak.
the English royal house (a branch of the Plantagenet line) that reigned from 1461 to 1485; its emblem was a white rose
From this reading SHAKESPEARE New York: D. Appleton 1897.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Come, hold your peace.
Chapter 1 of The Beth Book by Sarah Grand holds 247 sentences, grouped into 50 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 1 holds 247 sentences of The Beth Book, unabridged, divided into 50 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The Beth Book by Sarah Grand exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 247 sentences, grouped into 50 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 50 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 50 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 1 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.
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Yes. All 13257 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #28088 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #28088, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 2652 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Beth Book section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of The Beth Book 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 Beth Book, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
