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The Gentle Shepherd: A Pastoral Comedy
The Gentle Shepherd: A Pastoral Comedy

Chapter VIII

Chapter 8 of The Gentle Shepherd: A Pastoral Comedy is here in full — 356 sentences across 72 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Allan Ramsay • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Gentle Shepherd: A Pastoral Comedy
Context Illustration Reading 1/71 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
FROM THE EARLIEST PERIOD.
_Sages and chiefs long since had birth, Ere Cæsar was, or Newton nam'd; These rais'd new empires o'er the earth,-- And those, new heav'ns and systems fram'd; Vain was the chiefs', the sages' pride!
They had no poet, and they died.
In vain they schem'd, in vain they bled!
They had no poet, and are dead._ A. POPE.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Gentle Shepherd: A Pastoral Comedy

Chapter VIII

Chapter 8 of The Gentle Shepherd: A Pastoral Comedy is here in full — 356 sentences across 72 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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

Line 1
FROM THE EARLIEST PERIOD.
/frʌm ðə ˈɜːrliəst ˈpɪriəd/
Line 2
_Sages and chiefs long since had birth, Ere Cæsar was, or Newton nam'd; These rais'd new empires o'er the earth,-- And those, new heav'ns and systems fram'd; Vain was the chiefs', the sages' pride!
Line 3
They had no poet, and they died.
/ðeɪ hæd noʊ ˈpoʊət ənd ðeɪ daɪd/
Line 4
In vain they schem'd, in vain they bled!
Line 5
They had no poet, and are dead._ A. POPE.
/ðeɪ hæd noʊ ˈpoʊət ənd ɑːr ded ə poʊp/

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.

bled verb US /bled/

inflected form of “bleed” — lose blood from one's body

From this reading “In vain they schem'd, in vain they bled!”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
chiefs noun US /tʃiːfs/

plural of “chief” — a person who is in charge

From this reading “_Sages and chiefs long since had birth, Ere Cæsar was, or Newton nam'd; These rais'd new empires o'er the earth,-- And those, new heav'ns and systems fram'd; Vain was the chiefs', the sages' pride!”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
earliest adjective US /ˈɜːrliəst/

(comparative and superlative of “early”) more early than; most early

From this reading “FROM THE EARLIEST PERIOD.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
empires noun US /ˈempaɪərz/

plural of “empire” — the domain ruled by an emperor or empress; the region over which imperial dominion is exercised

From this reading “_Sages and chiefs long since had birth, Ere Cæsar was, or Newton nam'd; These rais'd new empires o'er the earth,-- And those, new heav'ns and systems fram'd; Vain was the chiefs', the sages' pride!”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Newton noun US /ˈnuːtən/

English mathematician and physicist; remembered for developing the calculus and for his law of gravitation and his three laws of motion (1642-1727)

From this reading “_Sages and chiefs long since had birth, Ere Cæsar was, or Newton nam'd; These rais'd new empires o'er the earth,-- And those, new heav'ns and systems fram'd; Vain was the chiefs', the sages' pride!”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pope noun US /poʊp/

the head of the Roman Catholic Church

From this reading “They had no poet, and are dead._ A. POPE.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sages noun US /ˈseɪdʒɪz/

plural of “sage” — a mentor in spiritual and philosophical topics who is renowned for profound wisdom

From this reading “_Sages and chiefs long since had birth, Ere Cæsar was, or Newton nam'd; These rais'd new empires o'er the earth,-- And those, new heav'ns and systems fram'd; Vain was the chiefs', the sages' pride!”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
systems noun US /ˈsɪstəmz/

plural of “system” — instrumentality that combines interrelated interacting artifacts designed to work as a coherent entity

From this reading “_Sages and chiefs long since had birth, Ere Cæsar was, or Newton nam'd; These rais'd new empires o'er the earth,-- And those, new heav'ns and systems fram'd; Vain was the chiefs', the sages' pride!”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

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.

AdeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading They had no poet, and are dead._ A. POPE.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading _Sages and chiefs long since had birth, Ere Cæsar was, or Newton nam'd; These rais'd new empires o'er the earth,-- And those, new heav'ns and systems fram'd; Vain was the chiefs', the sages' pride!

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading They had no poet, and are dead._ A. POPE.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
birthnounUS /bɜːrθ/

the time when something begins (especially life)

From this reading _Sages and chiefs long since had birth, Ere Cæsar was, or Newton nam'd; These rais'd new empires o'er the earth,-- And those, new heav'ns and systems fram'd; Vain was the chiefs', the sages' pride!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
bledverbUS /bled/

inflected form of “bleed” — lose blood from one's body

From this reading In vain they schem'd, in vain they bled!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
chiefsnounUS /tʃiːfs/

plural of “chief” — a person who is in charge

From this reading _Sages and chiefs long since had birth, Ere Cæsar was, or Newton nam'd; These rais'd new empires o'er the earth,-- And those, new heav'ns and systems fram'd; Vain was the chiefs', the sages' pride!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Cæsar

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

From this reading _Sages and chiefs long since had birth, Ere Cæsar was, or Newton nam'd; These rais'd new empires o'er the earth,-- And those, new heav'ns and systems fram'd; Vain was the chiefs', the sages' pride!

Pending verification
deadadjectiveUS /ded/

no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life

From this reading They had no poet, and are dead._ A. POPE.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
diedverbUS /daɪd/

past form of “die” — pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life

From this reading They had no poet, and they died.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
EARLIESTadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrliəst/

(comparative and superlative of “early”) more early than; most early

From this reading FROM THE EARLIEST PERIOD.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
earthnounUS /ɜːrθ/

the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on

From this reading _Sages and chiefs long since had birth, Ere Cæsar was, or Newton nam'd; These rais'd new empires o'er the earth,-- And those, new heav'ns and systems fram'd; Vain was the chiefs', the sages' pride!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
empiresnounUS /ˈempaɪərz/

plural of “empire” — the domain ruled by an emperor or empress; the region over which imperial dominion is exercised

From this reading _Sages and chiefs long since had birth, Ere Cæsar was, or Newton nam'd; These rais'd new empires o'er the earth,-- And those, new heav'ns and systems fram'd; Vain was the chiefs', the sages' pride!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
EreconjunctionUS /er/

an old word for “before”

From this reading _Sages and chiefs long since had birth, Ere Cæsar was, or Newton nam'd; These rais'd new empires o'er the earth,-- And those, new heav'ns and systems fram'd; Vain was the chiefs', the sages' pride!

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
fram'd

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

From this reading _Sages and chiefs long since had birth, Ere Cæsar was, or Newton nam'd; These rais'd new empires o'er the earth,-- And those, new heav'ns and systems fram'd; Vain was the chiefs', the sages' pride!

Pending verification
FROMprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading FROM THE EARLIEST PERIOD.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading _Sages and chiefs long since had birth, Ere Cæsar was, or Newton nam'd; These rais'd new empires o'er the earth,-- And those, new heav'ns and systems fram'd; Vain was the chiefs', the sages' pride!

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
heav'ns

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

From this reading _Sages and chiefs long since had birth, Ere Cæsar was, or Newton nam'd; These rais'd new empires o'er the earth,-- And those, new heav'ns and systems fram'd; Vain was the chiefs', the sages' pride!

Pending verification
InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading In vain they schem'd, in vain they bled!

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading _Sages and chiefs long since had birth, Ere Cæsar was, or Newton nam'd; These rais'd new empires o'er the earth,-- And those, new heav'ns and systems fram'd; Vain was the chiefs', the sages' pride!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nam'd

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

From this reading _Sages and chiefs long since had birth, Ere Cæsar was, or Newton nam'd; These rais'd new empires o'er the earth,-- And those, new heav'ns and systems fram'd; Vain was the chiefs', the sages' pride!

Pending verification
newadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading _Sages and chiefs long since had birth, Ere Cæsar was, or Newton nam'd; These rais'd new empires o'er the earth,-- And those, new heav'ns and systems fram'd; Vain was the chiefs', the sages' pride!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
NewtonnounUS /ˈnuːtən/

English mathematician and physicist; remembered for developing the calculus and for his law of gravitation and his three laws of motion (1642-1727)

From this reading _Sages and chiefs long since had birth, Ere Cæsar was, or Newton nam'd; These rais'd new empires o'er the earth,-- And those, new heav'ns and systems fram'd; Vain was the chiefs', the sages' pride!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading They had no poet, and they died.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
o'eradverb

throughout a period of time

From this reading _Sages and chiefs long since had birth, Ere Cæsar was, or Newton nam'd; These rais'd new empires o'er the earth,-- And those, new heav'ns and systems fram'd; Vain was the chiefs', the sages' pride!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading _Sages and chiefs long since had birth, Ere Cæsar was, or Newton nam'd; These rais'd new empires o'er the earth,-- And those, new heav'ns and systems fram'd; Vain was the chiefs', the sages' pride!

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
PERIODnounUS /ˈpɪriəd/

an amount of time

From this reading FROM THE EARLIEST PERIOD.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
poetnounUS /ˈpoʊət/

a writer of poems (the term is usually reserved for writers of good poetry)

From this reading They had no poet, and they died.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
POPEnounUS /poʊp/

the head of the Roman Catholic Church

From this reading They had no poet, and are dead._ A. POPE.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pridenounUS /praɪd/

a feeling of self-respect and personal worth

From this reading _Sages and chiefs long since had birth, Ere Cæsar was, or Newton nam'd; These rais'd new empires o'er the earth,-- And those, new heav'ns and systems fram'd; Vain was the chiefs', the sages' pride!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
rais'd

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

From this reading _Sages and chiefs long since had birth, Ere Cæsar was, or Newton nam'd; These rais'd new empires o'er the earth,-- And those, new heav'ns and systems fram'd; Vain was the chiefs', the sages' pride!

Pending verification
SagesnounUS /ˈseɪdʒɪz/

plural of “sage” — a mentor in spiritual and philosophical topics who is renowned for profound wisdom

From this reading _Sages and chiefs long since had birth, Ere Cæsar was, or Newton nam'd; These rais'd new empires o'er the earth,-- And those, new heav'ns and systems fram'd; Vain was the chiefs', the sages' pride!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
schem'd

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

From this reading In vain they schem'd, in vain they bled!

Pending verification
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading _Sages and chiefs long since had birth, Ere Cæsar was, or Newton nam'd; These rais'd new empires o'er the earth,-- And those, new heav'ns and systems fram'd; Vain was the chiefs', the sages' pride!

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
systemsnounUS /ˈsɪstəmz/

plural of “system” — instrumentality that combines interrelated interacting artifacts designed to work as a coherent entity

From this reading _Sages and chiefs long since had birth, Ere Cæsar was, or Newton nam'd; These rais'd new empires o'er the earth,-- And those, new heav'ns and systems fram'd; Vain was the chiefs', the sages' pride!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading FROM THE EARLIEST PERIOD.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ThesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading _Sages and chiefs long since had birth, Ere Cæsar was, or Newton nam'd; These rais'd new empires o'er the earth,-- And those, new heav'ns and systems fram'd; Vain was the chiefs', the sages' pride!

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading They had no poet, and they died.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

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

From this reading _Sages and chiefs long since had birth, Ere Cæsar was, or Newton nam'd; These rais'd new empires o'er the earth,-- And those, new heav'ns and systems fram'd; Vain was the chiefs', the sages' pride!

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
VainadjectiveUS /veɪn/

characteristic of false pride; having an exaggerated sense of self-importance

From this reading _Sages and chiefs long since had birth, Ere Cæsar was, or Newton nam'd; These rais'd new empires o'er the earth,-- And those, new heav'ns and systems fram'd; Vain was the chiefs', the sages' pride!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading _Sages and chiefs long since had birth, Ere Cæsar was, or Newton nam'd; These rais'd new empires o'er the earth,-- And those, new heav'ns and systems fram'd; Vain was the chiefs', the sages' pride!

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 8 of The Gentle Shepherd: A Pastoral Comedy by Allan Ramsay holds 356 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 8 of The Gentle Shepherd: A Pastoral Comedy contain?

Chapter 8 holds 356 sentences of The Gentle Shepherd: A Pastoral Comedy, unabridged, divided into 72 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 8 of The Gentle Shepherd: A Pastoral Comedy by Allan Ramsay exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 356 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 8 of The Gentle Shepherd: A Pastoral Comedy?

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 8 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 8 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 Gentle Shepherd: A Pastoral Comedy

Common questions about reading The Gentle Shepherd: A Pastoral Comedy by Allan Ramsay on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Gentle Shepherd: A Pastoral Comedy?

Yes. All 3583 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #40639 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Gentle Shepherd: A Pastoral Comedy is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #40639, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Gentle Shepherd: A Pastoral Comedy take to read?

About 298 minutes of reading across 717 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Gentle Shepherd: A Pastoral Comedy section by section

How to work through The Gentle Shepherd: A Pastoral Comedy section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 10 chapters of The Gentle Shepherd: A Pastoral Comedy 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 Gentle Shepherd: A Pastoral Comedy

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Gentle Shepherd: A Pastoral Comedy, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Gentle
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Gentle Shepherd: A Pastoral Comedy; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Shepherd
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Gentle Shepherd: A Pastoral Comedy; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Pastoral
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Gentle Shepherd: A Pastoral Comedy; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Comedy
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Gentle Shepherd: A Pastoral Comedy; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.