Chapter 21 of The Natural History of Selborne, Vol. 1 is here in full — 16 sentences across 4 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXI
Chapter 21 of The Natural History of Selborne, Vol. 1 is here in full — 16 sentences across 4 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
SELBORNE, _Aug. 1st_, 1770. Dear Sir,--The French, I think, in general are strangely prolix in their natural history. What Linnaeus says with respect to insects holds good in every other branch: "_Verbositas praesentis saeculi_, _calamitas artis_." Pray how do you approve of Scopoli's new work?
Chapter 21 of The Natural History of Selborne, Vol. 1 is here in full — 16 sentences across 4 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/3 · 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.
give sanction to
From this reading “Pray how do you approve of Scopoli's new work?”
the month following July and preceding September
a division of some larger or more complex organization
From this reading “What Linnaeus says with respect to insects holds good in every other branch: "_Verbositas praesentis saeculi_, _calamitas artis_."”
plural of “hold” — the act of grasping
From this reading “What Linnaeus says with respect to insects holds good in every other branch: "_Verbositas praesentis saeculi_, _calamitas artis_."”
plural of “insect” — small air-breathing arthropod
From this reading “What Linnaeus says with respect to insects holds good in every other branch: "_Verbositas praesentis saeculi_, _calamitas artis_."”
address a deity, a prophet, a saint or an object of worship; say a prayer
From this reading “Pray how do you approve of Scopoli's new work?”
(usually preceded by “in”) a detail or point
From this reading “What Linnaeus says with respect to insects holds good in every other branch: "_Verbositas praesentis saeculi_, _calamitas artis_."”
in a strange manner
From this reading “Dear Sir,--The French, I think, in general are strangely prolix in their natural history.”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 1st_, 1770.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 1st_, 1770.
give sanction to
From this reading Pray how do you approve of Scopoli's new work?
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Dear Sir,--The French, I think, in general are strangely prolix in their natural history.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What Linnaeus says with respect to insects holds good in every other branch: "_Verbositas praesentis saeculi_, _calamitas artis_."
the month following July and preceding September
From this reading SELBORNE, _Aug.
a division of some larger or more complex organization
From this reading What Linnaeus says with respect to insects holds good in every other branch: "_Verbositas praesentis saeculi_, _calamitas artis_."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What Linnaeus says with respect to insects holds good in every other branch: "_Verbositas praesentis saeculi_, _calamitas artis_."
dearly loved
From this reading Dear Sir,--The French, I think, in general are strangely prolix in their natural history.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading Pray how do you approve of Scopoli's new work?
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading What Linnaeus says with respect to insects holds good in every other branch: "_Verbositas praesentis saeculi_, _calamitas artis_."
the Romance language spoken in France and in countries colonized by France
From this reading Dear Sir,--The French, I think, in general are strangely prolix in their natural history.
applying to all or most members of a category or group
From this reading Dear Sir,--The French, I think, in general are strangely prolix in their natural history.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading What Linnaeus says with respect to insects holds good in every other branch: "_Verbositas praesentis saeculi_, _calamitas artis_."
the aggregate of past events
From this reading Dear Sir,--The French, I think, in general are strangely prolix in their natural history.
plural of “hold” — the act of grasping
From this reading What Linnaeus says with respect to insects holds good in every other branch: "_Verbositas praesentis saeculi_, _calamitas artis_."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Pray how do you approve of Scopoli's new work?
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Dear Sir,--The French, I think, in general are strangely prolix in their natural history.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Dear Sir,--The French, I think, in general are strangely prolix in their natural history.
plural of “insect” — small air-breathing arthropod
From this reading What Linnaeus says with respect to insects holds good in every other branch: "_Verbositas praesentis saeculi_, _calamitas artis_."
Swedish botanist who proposed the modern system of biological nomenclature (1707-1778)
From this reading What Linnaeus says with respect to insects holds good in every other branch: "_Verbositas praesentis saeculi_, _calamitas artis_."
in accordance with nature; relating to or concerning nature
From this reading Dear Sir,--The French, I think, in general are strangely prolix in their natural history.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading Pray how do you approve of Scopoli's new work?
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Pray how do you approve of Scopoli's new work?
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading What Linnaeus says with respect to insects holds good in every other branch: "_Verbositas praesentis saeculi_, _calamitas artis_."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What Linnaeus says with respect to insects holds good in every other branch: "_Verbositas praesentis saeculi_, _calamitas artis_."
address a deity, a prophet, a saint or an object of worship; say a prayer
From this reading Pray how do you approve of Scopoli's new work?
tediously prolonged or tending to speak or write at great length
From this reading Dear Sir,--The French, I think, in general are strangely prolix in their natural history.
(usually preceded by “in”) a detail or point
From this reading What Linnaeus says with respect to insects holds good in every other branch: "_Verbositas praesentis saeculi_, _calamitas artis_."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What Linnaeus says with respect to insects holds good in every other branch: "_Verbositas praesentis saeculi_, _calamitas artis_."
plural of “say” — the chance to speak
From this reading What Linnaeus says with respect to insects holds good in every other branch: "_Verbositas praesentis saeculi_, _calamitas artis_."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Pray how do you approve of Scopoli's new work?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading SELBORNE, _Aug.
term of address for a man
From this reading Dear Sir,--The French, I think, in general are strangely prolix in their natural history.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 1st_, 1770.
in a strange manner
From this reading Dear Sir,--The French, I think, in general are strangely prolix in their natural history.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Dear Sir,--The French, I think, in general are strangely prolix in their natural history.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Dear Sir,--The French, I think, in general are strangely prolix in their natural history.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading Dear Sir,--The French, I think, in general are strangely prolix in their natural history.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading What Linnaeus says with respect to insects holds good in every other branch: "_Verbositas praesentis saeculi_, _calamitas artis_."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What Linnaeus says with respect to insects holds good in every other branch: "_Verbositas praesentis saeculi_, _calamitas artis_."
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What Linnaeus says with respect to insects holds good in every other branch: "_Verbositas praesentis saeculi_, _calamitas artis_."
in the company of; together with
From this reading What Linnaeus says with respect to insects holds good in every other branch: "_Verbositas praesentis saeculi_, _calamitas artis_."
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading Pray how do you approve of Scopoli's new work?
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Pray how do you approve of Scopoli's new work?
Chapter 21 of The Natural History of Selborne, Vol. 1 by Gilbert White holds 16 sentences, grouped into 4 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.
Chapter 21 holds 16 sentences of The Natural History of Selborne, Vol. 1, unabridged, divided into 4 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 21 of The Natural History of Selborne, Vol. 1 by Gilbert White exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 16 sentences, grouped into 4 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 4 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 4 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 21 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 Natural History of Selborne, Vol. 1 by Gilbert White on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1583 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #20933 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #20933, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 131 minutes of reading across 317 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Natural History of Selborne, Vol. 1 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of The Natural History of Selborne, Vol. 1 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 Natural History of Selborne, Vol. 1, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
