Chapter 2 of The Grey Brethren, and Other Fragments in is here in full — 155 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The Grey Brethren, and Other Fragments in is here in full — 155 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
The infinite, visible and attainable. The mystery which is the greatest possible wisdom. * * * * * “Come, Child,” said the Recluse. The fire had burnt low; it was quite dark, save for the glow of the live embers. He threw on a great dry pine log; it flared like a torch.
Chapter 2 of The Grey Brethren, and Other Fragments in is here in full — 155 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/31 · 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.
capable of being attained or accomplished
From this reading “The infinite, visible and attainable.”
ruined by overcooking
From this reading “The fire had burnt low; it was quite dark, save for the glow of the live embers.”
plural of “ember” — a hot fragment of wood or coal that is left from a fire and is glowing or smoldering
From this reading “The fire had burnt low; it was quite dark, save for the glow of the live embers.”
past form of “flare” — burn brightly
From this reading “He threw on a great dry pine log; it flared like a torch.”
enter into a log, as on ships and planes
From this reading “He threw on a great dry pine log; it flared like a torch.”
a coniferous tree
From this reading “He threw on a great dry pine log; it flared like a torch.”
one who lives in solitude
From this reading “* * * * * “Come, Child,” said the Recluse.”
a light usually carried in the hand; consists of some flammable substance
From this reading “He threw on a great dry pine log; it flared like a torch.”
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 He threw on a great dry pine log; it flared like a torch.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The infinite, visible and attainable.
capable of being attained or accomplished
From this reading The infinite, visible and attainable.
ruined by overcooking
From this reading The fire had burnt low; it was quite dark, save for the glow of the live embers.
a young person of either sex
From this reading * * * * * “Come, Child,” said the Recluse.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading * * * * * “Come, Child,” said the Recluse.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading The fire had burnt low; it was quite dark, save for the glow of the live embers.
free from liquid or moisture; lacking natural or normal moisture or depleted of water; or no longer wet
From this reading He threw on a great dry pine log; it flared like a torch.
plural of “ember” — a hot fragment of wood or coal that is left from a fire and is glowing or smoldering
From this reading The fire had burnt low; it was quite dark, save for the glow of the live embers.
start firing a weapon
From this reading The fire had burnt low; it was quite dark, save for the glow of the live embers.
past form of “flare” — burn brightly
From this reading He threw on a great dry pine log; it flared like a torch.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The fire had burnt low; it was quite dark, save for the glow of the live embers.
an alert and refreshed state
From this reading The fire had burnt low; it was quite dark, save for the glow of the live embers.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading He threw on a great dry pine log; it flared like a torch.
highest in quality
From this reading The mystery which is the greatest possible wisdom.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The fire had burnt low; it was quite dark, save for the glow of the live embers.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He threw on a great dry pine log; it flared like a torch.
having no limits or boundaries in time or space or extent or magnitude
From this reading The infinite, visible and attainable.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The mystery which is the greatest possible wisdom.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The fire had burnt low; it was quite dark, save for the glow of the live embers.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading He threw on a great dry pine log; it flared like a torch.
be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading The fire had burnt low; it was quite dark, save for the glow of the live embers.
enter into a log, as on ships and planes
From this reading He threw on a great dry pine log; it flared like a torch.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading The fire had burnt low; it was quite dark, save for the glow of the live embers.
something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained
From this reading The mystery which is the greatest possible wisdom.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The fire had burnt low; it was quite dark, save for the glow of the live embers.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He threw on a great dry pine log; it flared like a torch.
a coniferous tree
From this reading He threw on a great dry pine log; it flared like a torch.
capable of happening or existing
From this reading The mystery which is the greatest possible wisdom.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading The fire had burnt low; it was quite dark, save for the glow of the live embers.
one who lives in solitude
From this reading * * * * * “Come, Child,” said the Recluse.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading * * * * * “Come, Child,” said the Recluse.
except for; apart from
From this reading The fire had burnt low; it was quite dark, save for the glow of the live embers.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The infinite, visible and attainable.
inflected form of “throw” — propel through the air
From this reading He threw on a great dry pine log; it flared like a torch.
a light usually carried in the hand; consists of some flammable substance
From this reading He threw on a great dry pine log; it flared like a torch.
capable of being seen; or open to easy view
From this reading The infinite, visible and attainable.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The fire had burnt low; it was quite dark, save for the glow of the live embers.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The mystery which is the greatest possible wisdom.
accumulated knowledge or erudition or enlightenment
From this reading The mystery which is the greatest possible wisdom.
Chapter 2 of The Grey Brethren, and Other Fragments in by Michael Fairless holds 155 sentences, grouped into 31 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 2 holds 155 sentences of The Grey Brethren, and Other Fragments in, unabridged, divided into 31 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The Grey Brethren, and Other Fragments in by Michael Fairless exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 155 sentences, grouped into 31 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 31 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 31 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 2 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 Grey Brethren, and Other Fragments in by Michael Fairless on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 640 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #835 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #835, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 53 minutes of reading across 128 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Grey Brethren, and Other Fragments in section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 4 chapters of The Grey Brethren, and Other Fragments in 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 Grey Brethren, and Other Fragments in, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
