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The Devil Is an Ass
The Devil Is an Ass

Chapter V

Chapter 5 of The Devil Is an Ass is here in full — 357 sentences across 72 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Devil Is an Ass
Context Illustration Reading 1/71 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
[98] 10 Engine 1716, f.
[99] 12 Thomas Gilthead G [100] 15 His wife] om.
G [101] 18 Gentleman-usher to lady Tailbush G [102] 21 Serjeants, officers, servants, underkeepers, &c.
G [103] 22 The] om.
1716, W [104] The Prologue.] follows the title-page 1716, W [105] 5 _subtle_ 1692 f.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Devil Is an Ass

Chapter V

Chapter 5 of The Devil Is an Ass is here in full — 357 sentences across 72 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/71 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
[98] 10 Engine 1716, f.
Line 2
[99] 12 Thomas Gilthead G [100] 15 His wife] om.
Line 3
G [101] 18 Gentleman-usher to lady Tailbush G [102] 21 Serjeants, officers, servants, underkeepers, &c.
Line 4
G [103] 22 The] om.
Line 5
1716, W [104] The Prologue.] follows the title-page 1716, W [105] 5 _subtle_ 1692 f.

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.

Engine noun US /ˈendʒən/

motor that converts thermal energy to mechanical work

From this reading “[98] 10 Engine 1716, f.”

follows verb US /ˈfɑːloʊz/

third-person singular of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after

From this reading “1716, W [104] The Prologue.] follows the title-page 1716, W [105] 5 _subtle_ 1692 f.”

officers noun US /ˈɔːfəsərz/

plural of “officer” — any person in the armed services who holds a position of authority or command

From this reading “G [101] 18 Gentleman-usher to lady Tailbush G [102] 21 Serjeants, officers, servants, underkeepers, &c.”

Prologue noun US /ˈproʊlɑːɡ/

an introduction to a play

From this reading “1716, W [104] The Prologue.] follows the title-page 1716, W [105] 5 _subtle_ 1692 f.”

servants noun US /ˈsɜːrvənts/

plural of “servant” — a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)

From this reading “G [101] 18 Gentleman-usher to lady Tailbush G [102] 21 Serjeants, officers, servants, underkeepers, &c.”

subtle adjective US /ˈsʌtəl/

difficult to detect or grasp by the mind or analyze

Thomas noun US /ˈtɑːməs/

United States clockmaker who introduced mass production (1785-1859)

From this reading “[99] 12 Thomas Gilthead G [100] 15 His wife] om.”

wife noun US /waɪf/

a married woman; a man's partner in marriage

From this reading “[99] 12 Thomas Gilthead G [100] 15 His wife] om.”

All words in this reading · 40

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.

10

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

From this reading [98] 10 Engine 1716, f.

100

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

From this reading [99] 12 Thomas Gilthead G [100] 15 His wife] om.

101

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

From this reading G [101] 18 Gentleman-usher to lady Tailbush G [102] 21 Serjeants, officers, servants, underkeepers, &c.

102

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

From this reading G [101] 18 Gentleman-usher to lady Tailbush G [102] 21 Serjeants, officers, servants, underkeepers, &c.

103

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

From this reading G [103] 22 The] om.

104

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

From this reading 1716, W [104] The Prologue.] follows the title-page 1716, W [105] 5 _subtle_ 1692 f.

105

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

From this reading 1716, W [104] The Prologue.] follows the title-page 1716, W [105] 5 _subtle_ 1692 f.

12

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

From this reading [99] 12 Thomas Gilthead G [100] 15 His wife] om.

15

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

From this reading [99] 12 Thomas Gilthead G [100] 15 His wife] om.

1692

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

From this reading 1716, W [104] The Prologue.] follows the title-page 1716, W [105] 5 _subtle_ 1692 f.

1716

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

From this reading [98] 10 Engine 1716, f.

18

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

From this reading G [101] 18 Gentleman-usher to lady Tailbush G [102] 21 Serjeants, officers, servants, underkeepers, &c.

21

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

From this reading G [101] 18 Gentleman-usher to lady Tailbush G [102] 21 Serjeants, officers, servants, underkeepers, &c.

22

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

From this reading G [103] 22 The] om.

5

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

From this reading 1716, W [104] The Prologue.] follows the title-page 1716, W [105] 5 _subtle_ 1692 f.

98

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

From this reading [98] 10 Engine 1716, f.

99

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

From this reading [99] 12 Thomas Gilthead G [100] 15 His wife] om.

cnounUS /siː/

a degree on the centigrade scale of temperature

From this reading G [101] 18 Gentleman-usher to lady Tailbush G [102] 21 Serjeants, officers, servants, underkeepers, &c.

EnginenounUS /ˈendʒən/

motor that converts thermal energy to mechanical work

From this reading [98] 10 Engine 1716, f.

fnounUS /ef/

a degree on the Fahrenheit scale of temperature

From this reading [98] 10 Engine 1716, f.

followsverbUS /ˈfɑːloʊz/

third-person singular of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after

From this reading 1716, W [104] The Prologue.] follows the title-page 1716, W [105] 5 _subtle_ 1692 f.

GnounUS /dʒiː/

a metric unit of weight equal to one thousandth of a kilogram

From this reading [99] 12 Thomas Gilthead G [100] 15 His wife] om.

Gentleman-usher

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

From this reading G [101] 18 Gentleman-usher to lady Tailbush G [102] 21 Serjeants, officers, servants, underkeepers, &c.

Gilthead

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

From this reading [99] 12 Thomas Gilthead G [100] 15 His wife] om.

HisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading [99] 12 Thomas Gilthead G [100] 15 His wife] om.

ladynounUS /ˈleɪdi/

a polite name for any woman

From this reading G [101] 18 Gentleman-usher to lady Tailbush G [102] 21 Serjeants, officers, servants, underkeepers, &c.

officersnounUS /ˈɔːfəsərz/

plural of “officer” — any person in the armed services who holds a position of authority or command

From this reading G [101] 18 Gentleman-usher to lady Tailbush G [102] 21 Serjeants, officers, servants, underkeepers, &c.

om

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

From this reading [99] 12 Thomas Gilthead G [100] 15 His wife] om.

ProloguenounUS /ˈproʊlɑːɡ/

an introduction to a play

From this reading 1716, W [104] The Prologue.] follows the title-page 1716, W [105] 5 _subtle_ 1692 f.

Serjeants

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

From this reading G [101] 18 Gentleman-usher to lady Tailbush G [102] 21 Serjeants, officers, servants, underkeepers, &c.

servantsnounUS /ˈsɜːrvənts/

plural of “servant” — a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)

From this reading G [101] 18 Gentleman-usher to lady Tailbush G [102] 21 Serjeants, officers, servants, underkeepers, &c.

subtleadjectiveUS /ˈsʌtəl/

difficult to detect or grasp by the mind or analyze

From this reading 1716, W [104] The Prologue.] follows the title-page 1716, W [105] 5 _subtle_ 1692 f.

Tailbush

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

From this reading G [101] 18 Gentleman-usher to lady Tailbush G [102] 21 Serjeants, officers, servants, underkeepers, &c.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading G [103] 22 The] om.

ThomasnounUS /ˈtɑːməs/

United States clockmaker who introduced mass production (1785-1859)

From this reading [99] 12 Thomas Gilthead G [100] 15 His wife] om.

title-page

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

From this reading 1716, W [104] The Prologue.] follows the title-page 1716, W [105] 5 _subtle_ 1692 f.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading G [101] 18 Gentleman-usher to lady Tailbush G [102] 21 Serjeants, officers, servants, underkeepers, &c.

underkeepers

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

From this reading G [101] 18 Gentleman-usher to lady Tailbush G [102] 21 Serjeants, officers, servants, underkeepers, &c.

WnounUS /ˈdʌbəljuː/

a heavy grey-white metallic element; the pure form is used mainly in electrical applications; it is found in several ores including wolframite and scheelite

From this reading 1716, W [104] The Prologue.] follows the title-page 1716, W [105] 5 _subtle_ 1692 f.

wifenounUS /waɪf/

a married woman; a man's partner in marriage

From this reading [99] 12 Thomas Gilthead G [100] 15 His wife] om.

Chapter 5 of The Devil Is an Ass by Ben Jonson holds 357 sentences, grouped into 72 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.

What does chapter 5 of The Devil Is an Ass contain?

Chapter 5 holds 357 sentences of The Devil Is an Ass, unabridged, divided into 72 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 5 of The Devil Is an Ass by Ben Jonson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 357 sentences, grouped into 72 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 5 of The Devil Is an Ass?

Work through the 72 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 72 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 5 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 5 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 The Devil Is an Ass

Common questions about reading The Devil Is an Ass by Ben Jonson on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Devil Is an Ass?

Yes. All 13920 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #50150 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Devil Is an Ass is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #50150, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Devil Is an Ass take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 2784 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Devil Is an Ass section by section

How to work through The Devil Is an Ass section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 35 chapters of The Devil Is an Ass 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 The Devil Is an Ass

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Devil Is an Ass, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Edited
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Devil Is an Ass; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Introduction
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Devil Is an Ass; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Notes
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Devil Is an Ass; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Glossary
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Devil Is an Ass; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.