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The London Mercury — Vol. I
The London Mercury — Vol. I

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of The London Mercury — Vol. I is here in full — 488 sentences across 98 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/97 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
It is generally assumed that, in speaking lightly of himself, Walpole was merely posturing.
To me it seems that he was sincere enough.
He had a sense of greatness in literature, as is shown by his reverence of Shakespeare, and he was too much of a realist not to see that his own writings at their best were trifles beside the monuments of the poets.
He felt that he was doing little things in a little age.
He was diffident both for his times and for himself.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The London Mercury — Vol. I

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of The London Mercury — Vol. I is here in full — 488 sentences across 98 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/97 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
It is generally assumed that, in speaking lightly of himself, Walpole was merely posturing.
/ɪt ɪz ˈdʒenərəli əˈsuːmd ðæt ɪn ˈspiːkɪŋ ˈlaɪtli ʌv hɪmˈself ˈwɔːlpoʊl wɑːz ˈmɪrli ˈpɑːstʃərɪŋ/
Line 2
To me it seems that he was sincere enough.
/tuː miː ɪt siːmz ðæt hiː wɑːz sɪnˈsɪr ɪˈnʌf/
Line 3
He had a sense of greatness in literature, as is shown by his reverence of Shakespeare, and he was too much of a realist not to see that his own writings at their best were trifles beside the monuments of the poets.
/hiː hæd ə sens ʌv ˈɡreɪtnəs ɪn ˈlɪtərətʃər æz ɪz ʃoʊn baɪ hɪz ˈrevərəns ʌv ˈʃeɪkspiːr ənd hiː wɑːz tuː mʌtʃ ʌv ə ˈriːəlɪst nɑːt tuː siː ðæt hɪz oʊn ˈraɪtɪŋz æt ðer best wɜːr ˈtraɪfəlz bɪˈsaɪd ðə ˈmɑːnjəmənts ʌv ðə ˈpoʊəts/
Line 4
He felt that he was doing little things in a little age.
/hiː felt ðæt hiː wɑːz ˈduːɪŋ ˈlɪtəl θɪŋz ɪn ə ˈlɪtəl eɪdʒ/
Line 5
He was diffident both for his times and for himself.

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.

greatness noun US /ˈɡreɪtnəs/

the property possessed by something or someone of outstanding importance or eminence

From this reading “He had a sense of greatness in literature, as is shown by his reverence of Shakespeare, and he was too much of a realist not to see that his own writings at their best were trifles beside the monuments of the poets.”

monuments noun US /ˈmɑːnjəmənts/

plural of “monument” — a structure erected to commemorate persons or events

From this reading “He had a sense of greatness in literature, as is shown by his reverence of Shakespeare, and he was too much of a realist not to see that his own writings at their best were trifles beside the monuments of the poets.”

posturing noun US /ˈpɑːstʃərɪŋ/

adopting a vain conceited posture

From this reading “It is generally assumed that, in speaking lightly of himself, Walpole was merely posturing.”

realist noun US /ˈriːəlɪst/

a philosopher who believes that universals are real and exist independently of anyone thinking of them

From this reading “He had a sense of greatness in literature, as is shown by his reverence of Shakespeare, and he was too much of a realist not to see that his own writings at their best were trifles beside the monuments of the poets.”

reverence verb US /ˈrevərəns/

regard with feelings of respect and reverence; consider hallowed or exalted or be in awe of

From this reading “He had a sense of greatness in literature, as is shown by his reverence of Shakespeare, and he was too much of a realist not to see that his own writings at their best were trifles beside the monuments of the poets.”

trifles noun US /ˈtraɪfəlz/

plural of “trifle” — a cold pudding made of layers of sponge cake spread with fruit or jelly; may be decorated with nuts, cream, or chocolate

From this reading “He had a sense of greatness in literature, as is shown by his reverence of Shakespeare, and he was too much of a realist not to see that his own writings at their best were trifles beside the monuments of the poets.”

Walpole noun US /ˈwɔːlpoʊl/

English writer and historian; son of Sir Robert Walpole (1717-1797)

From this reading “It is generally assumed that, in speaking lightly of himself, Walpole was merely posturing.”

writings noun US /ˈraɪtɪŋz/

the third of three divisions of the Hebrew Scriptures

From this reading “He had a sense of greatness in literature, as is shown by his reverence of Shakespeare, and he was too much of a realist not to see that his own writings at their best were trifles beside the monuments of the poets.”

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

own writings verb + noun

In this reading “He had a sense of greatness in literature, as is shown by his reverence of Shakespeare, and he was too much of a realist not to see that his own writings at their best were trifles beside the monuments of the poets.”

little things adjective + noun

In this reading “He felt that he was doing little things in a little age.”

in literature preposition + noun

In this reading “He had a sense of greatness in literature, as is shown by his reverence of Shakespeare, and he was too much of a realist not to see that his own writings at their best were trifles beside the monuments of the poets.”

All words in this reading · 57

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 He had a sense of greatness in literature, as is shown by his reverence of Shakespeare, and he was too much of a realist not to see that his own writings at their best were trifles beside the monuments of the poets.

agenounUS /eɪdʒ/

how long something has existed

From this reading He felt that he was doing little things in a little age.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading He had a sense of greatness in literature, as is shown by his reverence of Shakespeare, and he was too much of a realist not to see that his own writings at their best were trifles beside the monuments of the poets.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading He had a sense of greatness in literature, as is shown by his reverence of Shakespeare, and he was too much of a realist not to see that his own writings at their best were trifles beside the monuments of the poets.

assumedadjectiveUS /əˈsuːmd/

adopted in order to deceive

From this reading It is generally assumed that, in speaking lightly of himself, Walpole was merely posturing.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading He had a sense of greatness in literature, as is shown by his reverence of Shakespeare, and he was too much of a realist not to see that his own writings at their best were trifles beside the monuments of the poets.

besideprepositionUS /bɪˈsaɪd/

next to; at the side of

From this reading He had a sense of greatness in literature, as is shown by his reverence of Shakespeare, and he was too much of a realist not to see that his own writings at their best were trifles beside the monuments of the poets.

bestnounUS /best/

the supreme effort one can make

From this reading He had a sense of greatness in literature, as is shown by his reverence of Shakespeare, and he was too much of a realist not to see that his own writings at their best were trifles beside the monuments of the poets.

bothdeterminerUS /boʊθ/

the two together, not just one

From this reading He was diffident both for his times and for himself.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading He had a sense of greatness in literature, as is shown by his reverence of Shakespeare, and he was too much of a realist not to see that his own writings at their best were trifles beside the monuments of the poets.

diffidentadjective

showing modest reserve

From this reading He was diffident both for his times and for himself.

doingverbUS /ˈduːɪŋ/

-ing form of “do” — engage in

From this reading He felt that he was doing little things in a little age.

enoughnounUS /ɪˈnʌf/

an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose

From this reading To me it seems that he was sincere enough.

feltverbUS /felt/

mat together and make felt-like

From this reading He felt that he was doing little things in a little age.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading He was diffident both for his times and for himself.

generallyadverbUS /ˈdʒenərəli/

usually; as a rule

From this reading It is generally assumed that, in speaking lightly of himself, Walpole was merely posturing.

greatnessnounUS /ˈɡreɪtnəs/

the property possessed by something or someone of outstanding importance or eminence

From this reading He had a sense of greatness in literature, as is shown by his reverence of Shakespeare, and he was too much of a realist not to see that his own writings at their best were trifles beside the monuments of the poets.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading He had a sense of greatness in literature, as is shown by his reverence of Shakespeare, and he was too much of a realist not to see that his own writings at their best were trifles beside the monuments of the poets.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading To me it seems that he was sincere enough.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading It is generally assumed that, in speaking lightly of himself, Walpole was merely posturing.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading He had a sense of greatness in literature, as is shown by his reverence of Shakespeare, and he was too much of a realist not to see that his own writings at their best were trifles beside the monuments of the poets.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading It is generally assumed that, in speaking lightly of himself, Walpole was merely posturing.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading It is generally assumed that, in speaking lightly of himself, Walpole was merely posturing.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It is generally assumed that, in speaking lightly of himself, Walpole was merely posturing.

lightlyadverbUS /ˈlaɪtli/

without good reason

From this reading It is generally assumed that, in speaking lightly of himself, Walpole was merely posturing.

literaturenounUS /ˈlɪtərətʃər/

creative writing of recognized artistic value

From this reading He had a sense of greatness in literature, as is shown by his reverence of Shakespeare, and he was too much of a realist not to see that his own writings at their best were trifles beside the monuments of the poets.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading He felt that he was doing little things in a little age.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading To me it seems that he was sincere enough.

merelyadverbUS /ˈmɪrli/

and nothing more

From this reading It is generally assumed that, in speaking lightly of himself, Walpole was merely posturing.

monumentsnounUS /ˈmɑːnjəmənts/

plural of “monument” — a structure erected to commemorate persons or events

From this reading He had a sense of greatness in literature, as is shown by his reverence of Shakespeare, and he was too much of a realist not to see that his own writings at their best were trifles beside the monuments of the poets.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading He had a sense of greatness in literature, as is shown by his reverence of Shakespeare, and he was too much of a realist not to see that his own writings at their best were trifles beside the monuments of the poets.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading He had a sense of greatness in literature, as is shown by his reverence of Shakespeare, and he was too much of a realist not to see that his own writings at their best were trifles beside the monuments of the poets.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading It is generally assumed that, in speaking lightly of himself, Walpole was merely posturing.

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading He had a sense of greatness in literature, as is shown by his reverence of Shakespeare, and he was too much of a realist not to see that his own writings at their best were trifles beside the monuments of the poets.

poetsnounUS /ˈpoʊəts/

plural of “poet” — a writer of poems (the term is usually reserved for writers of good poetry)

From this reading He had a sense of greatness in literature, as is shown by his reverence of Shakespeare, and he was too much of a realist not to see that his own writings at their best were trifles beside the monuments of the poets.

posturingnounUS /ˈpɑːstʃərɪŋ/

adopting a vain conceited posture

From this reading It is generally assumed that, in speaking lightly of himself, Walpole was merely posturing.

realistnounUS /ˈriːəlɪst/

a philosopher who believes that universals are real and exist independently of anyone thinking of them

From this reading He had a sense of greatness in literature, as is shown by his reverence of Shakespeare, and he was too much of a realist not to see that his own writings at their best were trifles beside the monuments of the poets.

reverenceverbUS /ˈrevərəns/

regard with feelings of respect and reverence; consider hallowed or exalted or be in awe of

From this reading He had a sense of greatness in literature, as is shown by his reverence of Shakespeare, and he was too much of a realist not to see that his own writings at their best were trifles beside the monuments of the poets.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading He had a sense of greatness in literature, as is shown by his reverence of Shakespeare, and he was too much of a realist not to see that his own writings at their best were trifles beside the monuments of the poets.

seemsverbUS /siːmz/

third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading To me it seems that he was sincere enough.

sensenounUS /sens/

a general conscious awareness

From this reading He had a sense of greatness in literature, as is shown by his reverence of Shakespeare, and he was too much of a realist not to see that his own writings at their best were trifles beside the monuments of the poets.

ShakespearenounUS /ˈʃeɪkspiːr/

English poet and dramatist considered one of the greatest English writers (1564-1616)

From this reading He had a sense of greatness in literature, as is shown by his reverence of Shakespeare, and he was too much of a realist not to see that his own writings at their best were trifles beside the monuments of the poets.

shownverbUS /ʃoʊn/

inflected form of “show” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading He had a sense of greatness in literature, as is shown by his reverence of Shakespeare, and he was too much of a realist not to see that his own writings at their best were trifles beside the monuments of the poets.

sincereadjectiveUS /sɪnˈsɪr/

open and genuine; not deceitful

From this reading To me it seems that he was sincere enough.

speakingnounUS /ˈspiːkɪŋ/

the utterance of intelligible speech

From this reading It is generally assumed that, in speaking lightly of himself, Walpole was merely posturing.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading It is generally assumed that, in speaking lightly of himself, Walpole was merely posturing.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading He had a sense of greatness in literature, as is shown by his reverence of Shakespeare, and he was too much of a realist not to see that his own writings at their best were trifles beside the monuments of the poets.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading He had a sense of greatness in literature, as is shown by his reverence of Shakespeare, and he was too much of a realist not to see that his own writings at their best were trifles beside the monuments of the poets.

thingsnounUS /θɪŋz/

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading He felt that he was doing little things in a little age.

timesnounUS /taɪmz/

a more or less definite period of time now or previously present

From this reading He was diffident both for his times and for himself.

ToparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading To me it seems that he was sincere enough.

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading He had a sense of greatness in literature, as is shown by his reverence of Shakespeare, and he was too much of a realist not to see that his own writings at their best were trifles beside the monuments of the poets.

triflesnounUS /ˈtraɪfəlz/

plural of “trifle” — a cold pudding made of layers of sponge cake spread with fruit or jelly; may be decorated with nuts, cream, or chocolate

From this reading He had a sense of greatness in literature, as is shown by his reverence of Shakespeare, and he was too much of a realist not to see that his own writings at their best were trifles beside the monuments of the poets.

WalpolenounUS /ˈwɔːlpoʊl/

English writer and historian; son of Sir Robert Walpole (1717-1797)

From this reading It is generally assumed that, in speaking lightly of himself, Walpole was merely posturing.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading It is generally assumed that, in speaking lightly of himself, Walpole was merely posturing.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading He had a sense of greatness in literature, as is shown by his reverence of Shakespeare, and he was too much of a realist not to see that his own writings at their best were trifles beside the monuments of the poets.

writingsnounUS /ˈraɪtɪŋz/

the third of three divisions of the Hebrew Scriptures

From this reading He had a sense of greatness in literature, as is shown by his reverence of Shakespeare, and he was too much of a realist not to see that his own writings at their best were trifles beside the monuments of the poets.

Chapter 4 of The London Mercury — Vol. I by Various holds 488 sentences, grouped into 98 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 London Mercury — Vol. I contain?

Chapter 4 holds 488 sentences of The London Mercury — Vol. I, unabridged, divided into 98 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of The London Mercury — Vol. I by Various exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 488 sentences, grouped into 98 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 London Mercury — Vol. I?

Work through the 98 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 98 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 London Mercury — Vol. I

Common questions about reading The London Mercury — Vol. I by Various on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The London Mercury — Vol. I?

Yes. All 19107 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #45116 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The London Mercury — Vol. I is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #45116, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The London Mercury — Vol. I take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 3822 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in The London Mercury — Vol. I

Words and structures a reader meets early in The London Mercury — Vol. I, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

America
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The London Mercury — Vol. I; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Letter
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The London Mercury — Vol. I; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Bibliographical
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The London Mercury — Vol. I; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Notes
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The London Mercury — Vol. I; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.