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The Fatal Dowry
The Fatal Dowry

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of The Fatal Dowry is here in full — 385 sentences across 77 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/77 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
_Rom._ Sure a Legion has possest this woman.
_Beau._ One stampe more would do well: yet I desire not You should grow horne-mad, till you haue a wife.
You are come to warme meate, and perhaps cleane linnen: Feed, weare it, and bee thankefull.
For me, know, 195 That though a thousand watches were set on mee, And you the Master-spy, I yet would vse, The liberty that best likes mee.
I will reuell, Feast, kisse, imbreace, perhaps grant larger fauours: Yet such as liue vpon my meanes, shall know 200 They must not murmur at it.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Fatal Dowry

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of The Fatal Dowry is here in full — 385 sentences across 77 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/77 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
_Rom._ Sure a Legion has possest this woman.
Line 2
_Beau._ One stampe more would do well: yet I desire not You should grow horne-mad, till you haue a wife.
Line 3
You are come to warme meate, and perhaps cleane linnen: Feed, weare it, and bee thankefull.
Line 4
For me, know, 195 That though a thousand watches were set on mee, And you the Master-spy, I yet would vse, The liberty that best likes mee.
Line 5
I will reuell, Feast, kisse, imbreace, perhaps grant larger fauours: Yet such as liue vpon my meanes, shall know 200 They must not murmur at it.

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.

Beau noun US /boʊ/

a man who is the lover of a man or woman

bee noun US /biː/

any of numerous hairy-bodied insects including social and solitary species

From this reading “You are come to warme meate, and perhaps cleane linnen: Feed, weare it, and bee thankefull.”

Feed verb US /fiːd/

provide as food

From this reading “You are come to warme meate, and perhaps cleane linnen: Feed, weare it, and bee thankefull.”

Legion noun US /ˈliːdʒən/

archaic terms for army

From this reading “_Rom._ Sure a Legion has possest this woman.”

likes noun US /laɪks/

plural of “like” — a similar kind

From this reading “For me, know, 195 That though a thousand watches were set on mee, And you the Master-spy, I yet would vse, The liberty that best likes mee.”

murmur noun US /ˈmɜːrmər/

a low continuous indistinct sound; often accompanied by movement of the lips without the production of articulate speech

From this reading “I will reuell, Feast, kisse, imbreace, perhaps grant larger fauours: Yet such as liue vpon my meanes, shall know 200 They must not murmur at it.”

Rom noun US /rɑːm/

(computer science) memory whose contents can be accessed and read but cannot be changed

watches noun US /ˈwɑːtʃəz/

plural of “watch” — a small portable timepiece

From this reading “For me, know, 195 That though a thousand watches were set on mee, And you the Master-spy, I yet would vse, The liberty that best likes mee.”

All words in this reading · 78

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.

195

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

From this reading For me, know, 195 That though a thousand watches were set on mee, And you the Master-spy, I yet would vse, The liberty that best likes mee.

200

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

From this reading I will reuell, Feast, kisse, imbreace, perhaps grant larger fauours: Yet such as liue vpon my meanes, shall know 200 They must not murmur at it.

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading _Rom._ Sure a Legion has possest this woman.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading You are come to warme meate, and perhaps cleane linnen: Feed, weare it, and bee thankefull.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading You are come to warme meate, and perhaps cleane linnen: Feed, weare it, and bee thankefull.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading I will reuell, Feast, kisse, imbreace, perhaps grant larger fauours: Yet such as liue vpon my meanes, shall know 200 They must not murmur at it.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading I will reuell, Feast, kisse, imbreace, perhaps grant larger fauours: Yet such as liue vpon my meanes, shall know 200 They must not murmur at it.

BeaunounUS /boʊ/

a man who is the lover of a man or woman

From this reading _Beau._ One stampe more would do well: yet I desire not You should grow horne-mad, till you haue a wife.

beenounUS /biː/

any of numerous hairy-bodied insects including social and solitary species

From this reading You are come to warme meate, and perhaps cleane linnen: Feed, weare it, and bee thankefull.

bestnounUS /best/

the supreme effort one can make

From this reading For me, know, 195 That though a thousand watches were set on mee, And you the Master-spy, I yet would vse, The liberty that best likes mee.

cleane

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

From this reading You are come to warme meate, and perhaps cleane linnen: Feed, weare it, and bee thankefull.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading You are come to warme meate, and perhaps cleane linnen: Feed, weare it, and bee thankefull.

desirenounUS /dɪˈzaɪər/

the feeling that accompanies an unsatisfied state

From this reading _Beau._ One stampe more would do well: yet I desire not You should grow horne-mad, till you haue a wife.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading _Beau._ One stampe more would do well: yet I desire not You should grow horne-mad, till you haue a wife.

fauours

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

From this reading I will reuell, Feast, kisse, imbreace, perhaps grant larger fauours: Yet such as liue vpon my meanes, shall know 200 They must not murmur at it.

FeastnounUS /fiːst/

a ceremonial dinner party for many people

From this reading I will reuell, Feast, kisse, imbreace, perhaps grant larger fauours: Yet such as liue vpon my meanes, shall know 200 They must not murmur at it.

FeedverbUS /fiːd/

provide as food

From this reading You are come to warme meate, and perhaps cleane linnen: Feed, weare it, and bee thankefull.

ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading For me, know, 195 That though a thousand watches were set on mee, And you the Master-spy, I yet would vse, The liberty that best likes mee.

grantverbUS /ɡrænt/

let have

From this reading I will reuell, Feast, kisse, imbreace, perhaps grant larger fauours: Yet such as liue vpon my meanes, shall know 200 They must not murmur at it.

growverbUS /ɡroʊ/

pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become

From this reading _Beau._ One stampe more would do well: yet I desire not You should grow horne-mad, till you haue a wife.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading _Rom._ Sure a Legion has possest this woman.

haue

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

From this reading _Beau._ One stampe more would do well: yet I desire not You should grow horne-mad, till you haue a wife.

horne-mad

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

From this reading _Beau._ One stampe more would do well: yet I desire not You should grow horne-mad, till you haue a wife.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading _Beau._ One stampe more would do well: yet I desire not You should grow horne-mad, till you haue a wife.

imbreace

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

From this reading I will reuell, Feast, kisse, imbreace, perhaps grant larger fauours: Yet such as liue vpon my meanes, shall know 200 They must not murmur at it.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading You are come to warme meate, and perhaps cleane linnen: Feed, weare it, and bee thankefull.

kisse

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

From this reading I will reuell, Feast, kisse, imbreace, perhaps grant larger fauours: Yet such as liue vpon my meanes, shall know 200 They must not murmur at it.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading For me, know, 195 That though a thousand watches were set on mee, And you the Master-spy, I yet would vse, The liberty that best likes mee.

largeradjectiveUS /ˈlɑːrdʒər/

large or big relative to something else

From this reading I will reuell, Feast, kisse, imbreace, perhaps grant larger fauours: Yet such as liue vpon my meanes, shall know 200 They must not murmur at it.

LegionnounUS /ˈliːdʒən/

archaic terms for army

From this reading _Rom._ Sure a Legion has possest this woman.

libertynounUS /ˈlɪb.ər.ti/

The state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions on one's way of life.

From this reading For me, know, 195 That though a thousand watches were set on mee, And you the Master-spy, I yet would vse, The liberty that best likes mee.

likesnounUS /laɪks/

plural of “like” — a similar kind

From this reading For me, know, 195 That though a thousand watches were set on mee, And you the Master-spy, I yet would vse, The liberty that best likes mee.

linnen

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

From this reading You are come to warme meate, and perhaps cleane linnen: Feed, weare it, and bee thankefull.

liue

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

From this reading I will reuell, Feast, kisse, imbreace, perhaps grant larger fauours: Yet such as liue vpon my meanes, shall know 200 They must not murmur at it.

Master-spy

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

From this reading For me, know, 195 That though a thousand watches were set on mee, And you the Master-spy, I yet would vse, The liberty that best likes mee.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading For me, know, 195 That though a thousand watches were set on mee, And you the Master-spy, I yet would vse, The liberty that best likes mee.

meanes

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

From this reading I will reuell, Feast, kisse, imbreace, perhaps grant larger fauours: Yet such as liue vpon my meanes, shall know 200 They must not murmur at it.

meate

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

From this reading You are come to warme meate, and perhaps cleane linnen: Feed, weare it, and bee thankefull.

mee

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

From this reading For me, know, 195 That though a thousand watches were set on mee, And you the Master-spy, I yet would vse, The liberty that best likes mee.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading _Beau._ One stampe more would do well: yet I desire not You should grow horne-mad, till you haue a wife.

murmurnounUS /ˈmɜːrmər/

a low continuous indistinct sound; often accompanied by movement of the lips without the production of articulate speech

From this reading I will reuell, Feast, kisse, imbreace, perhaps grant larger fauours: Yet such as liue vpon my meanes, shall know 200 They must not murmur at it.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading I will reuell, Feast, kisse, imbreace, perhaps grant larger fauours: Yet such as liue vpon my meanes, shall know 200 They must not murmur at it.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading I will reuell, Feast, kisse, imbreace, perhaps grant larger fauours: Yet such as liue vpon my meanes, shall know 200 They must not murmur at it.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading _Beau._ One stampe more would do well: yet I desire not You should grow horne-mad, till you haue a wife.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading For me, know, 195 That though a thousand watches were set on mee, And you the Master-spy, I yet would vse, The liberty that best likes mee.

OnepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading _Beau._ One stampe more would do well: yet I desire not You should grow horne-mad, till you haue a wife.

perhapsadverbUS /pərˈhæps/

by chance

From this reading You are come to warme meate, and perhaps cleane linnen: Feed, weare it, and bee thankefull.

possest

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

From this reading _Rom._ Sure a Legion has possest this woman.

reuell

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

From this reading I will reuell, Feast, kisse, imbreace, perhaps grant larger fauours: Yet such as liue vpon my meanes, shall know 200 They must not murmur at it.

RomnounUS /rɑːm/

(computer science) memory whose contents can be accessed and read but cannot be changed

From this reading _Rom._ Sure a Legion has possest this woman.

setverbUS /set/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading For me, know, 195 That though a thousand watches were set on mee, And you the Master-spy, I yet would vse, The liberty that best likes mee.

shallmodal verbUS /ʃæl/

used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest

From this reading I will reuell, Feast, kisse, imbreace, perhaps grant larger fauours: Yet such as liue vpon my meanes, shall know 200 They must not murmur at it.

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading _Beau._ One stampe more would do well: yet I desire not You should grow horne-mad, till you haue a wife.

stampe

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

From this reading _Beau._ One stampe more would do well: yet I desire not You should grow horne-mad, till you haue a wife.

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading I will reuell, Feast, kisse, imbreace, perhaps grant larger fauours: Yet such as liue vpon my meanes, shall know 200 They must not murmur at it.

SureadjectiveUS /ʃʊr/

having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured

From this reading _Rom._ Sure a Legion has possest this woman.

thankefull

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

From this reading You are come to warme meate, and perhaps cleane linnen: Feed, weare it, and bee thankefull.

ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading For me, know, 195 That though a thousand watches were set on mee, And you the Master-spy, I yet would vse, The liberty that best likes mee.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading For me, know, 195 That though a thousand watches were set on mee, And you the Master-spy, I yet would vse, The liberty that best likes mee.

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading I will reuell, Feast, kisse, imbreace, perhaps grant larger fauours: Yet such as liue vpon my meanes, shall know 200 They must not murmur at it.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading _Rom._ Sure a Legion has possest this woman.

thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading For me, know, 195 That though a thousand watches were set on mee, And you the Master-spy, I yet would vse, The liberty that best likes mee.

thousandnounUS /ˈθaʊzənd/

the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100

From this reading For me, know, 195 That though a thousand watches were set on mee, And you the Master-spy, I yet would vse, The liberty that best likes mee.

tillprepositionUS /tɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading _Beau._ One stampe more would do well: yet I desire not You should grow horne-mad, till you haue a wife.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading You are come to warme meate, and perhaps cleane linnen: Feed, weare it, and bee thankefull.

vpon

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

From this reading I will reuell, Feast, kisse, imbreace, perhaps grant larger fauours: Yet such as liue vpon my meanes, shall know 200 They must not murmur at it.

vse

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

From this reading For me, know, 195 That though a thousand watches were set on mee, And you the Master-spy, I yet would vse, The liberty that best likes mee.

warme

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

From this reading You are come to warme meate, and perhaps cleane linnen: Feed, weare it, and bee thankefull.

watchesnounUS /ˈwɑːtʃəz/

plural of “watch” — a small portable timepiece

From this reading For me, know, 195 That though a thousand watches were set on mee, And you the Master-spy, I yet would vse, The liberty that best likes mee.

weare

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

From this reading You are come to warme meate, and perhaps cleane linnen: Feed, weare it, and bee thankefull.

welladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading _Beau._ One stampe more would do well: yet I desire not You should grow horne-mad, till you haue a wife.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading For me, know, 195 That though a thousand watches were set on mee, And you the Master-spy, I yet would vse, The liberty that best likes mee.

wifenounUS /waɪf/

a married woman; a man's partner in marriage

From this reading _Beau._ One stampe more would do well: yet I desire not You should grow horne-mad, till you haue a wife.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading I will reuell, Feast, kisse, imbreace, perhaps grant larger fauours: Yet such as liue vpon my meanes, shall know 200 They must not murmur at it.

womannounUS /ˈwʊmən/

an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading _Rom._ Sure a Legion has possest this woman.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading _Beau._ One stampe more would do well: yet I desire not You should grow horne-mad, till you haue a wife.

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading _Beau._ One stampe more would do well: yet I desire not You should grow horne-mad, till you haue a wife.

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading _Beau._ One stampe more would do well: yet I desire not You should grow horne-mad, till you haue a wife.

Chapter 4 of The Fatal Dowry by Philip Massinger holds 385 sentences, grouped into 77 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 4 of The Fatal Dowry contain?

Chapter 4 holds 385 sentences of The Fatal Dowry, unabridged, divided into 77 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of The Fatal Dowry by Philip Massinger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 385 sentences, grouped into 77 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 4 of The Fatal Dowry?

Work through the 77 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 77 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 4 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading The Fatal Dowry

Common questions about reading The Fatal Dowry by Philip Massinger on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Fatal Dowry?

Yes. All 2847 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #44015 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Fatal Dowry is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #44015, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Fatal Dowry take to read?

About 237 minutes of reading across 570 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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  1. Open a chapter

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Vocabulary met early in The Fatal Dowry

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Fatal Dowry, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Charles
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Fatal Dowry; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Lockert
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Fatal Dowry; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Press
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Fatal Dowry; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Printing
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Fatal Dowry; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.