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The Romance of Leonardo da Vinci, the Forerunner
The Romance of Leonardo da Vinci, the Forerunner

Chapter IX

Chapter 9 of The Romance of Leonardo da Vinci, the Forerunner is here in full — 1122 sentences across 225 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Dmitry Sergeyevich Merezhkovsky • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Romance of Leonardo da Vinci, the Forerunner
Context Illustration Reading 1/224 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE SIMILITUDES--1498-1499 _'I sensi sono terrestri, la ragione sta fuor di quelli, quando contempla.'_ LEONARDO DA VINCI.
(The Senses belong to earth: Reason, when she contemplates, stands outside them.)
[Greek: 'Ouranhos anô ouranhos katô.'] (Heaven above--heaven below.) TABULA SMARAGDINA.
I 'See here!
On the map of the Indian Ocean, westward of the island of Taprobane, we find a note--"The Sirens: prodigies of the sea."
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
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 Romance of Leonardo da Vinci, the Forerunner

Chapter IX

Chapter 9 of The Romance of Leonardo da Vinci, the Forerunner is here in full — 1122 sentences across 225 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/224 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE SIMILITUDES--1498-1499 _'I sensi sono terrestri, la ragione sta fuor di quelli, quando contempla.'_ LEONARDO DA VINCI.
Line 2
(The Senses belong to earth: Reason, when she contemplates, stands outside them.)
/ðə ˈsensɪz bɪˈlɔːŋ tuː ɜːrθ ˈriːzən wen ʃiː ˈkɑːntəmpleɪts stændz ˈaʊtˈsaɪd ðem/
Line 3
[Greek: 'Ouranhos anô ouranhos katô.'] (Heaven above--heaven below.) TABULA SMARAGDINA.
Line 4
I 'See here!
/aɪ siː hiːr/
Line 5
On the map of the Indian Ocean, westward of the island of Taprobane, we find a note--"The Sirens: prodigies of the sea."

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.

belong verb US /bɪˈlɔːŋ/

be owned by; be in the possession of

From this reading “(The Senses belong to earth: Reason, when she contemplates, stands outside them.)”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
contemplates verb US /ˈkɑːntəmpleɪts/

third-person singular of “contemplate” — look at thoughtfully; observe deep in thought

From this reading “(The Senses belong to earth: Reason, when she contemplates, stands outside them.)”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
leonardo noun US /ˌliːəˈnɑːrdoʊ/

Italian painter and sculptor and engineer and scientist and architect; the most versatile genius of the Italian Renaissance (1452-1519)

From this reading “THE SIMILITUDES--1498-1499 _'I sensi sono terrestri, la ragione sta fuor di quelli, quando contempla.'_ LEONARDO DA VINCI.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
map verb US /mæp/

make a map of; show or establish the features of details of

From this reading “On the map of the Indian Ocean, westward of the island of Taprobane, we find a note--"The Sirens: prodigies of the sea."”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
prodigies noun US /ˈprɑːdədʒiz/

plural of “prodigy” — an unusually gifted or intelligent (young) person; someone whose talents excite wonder and admiration

From this reading “On the map of the Indian Ocean, westward of the island of Taprobane, we find a note--"The Sirens: prodigies of the sea."”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Senses noun US /ˈsensɪz/

plural of “sens” — street names for marijuana

From this reading “(The Senses belong to earth: Reason, when she contemplates, stands outside them.)”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Sirens noun US /ˈsaɪrənz/

plural of “siren” — a sea nymph (part woman and part bird) supposed to lure sailors to destruction on the rocks where the nymphs lived

From this reading “On the map of the Indian Ocean, westward of the island of Taprobane, we find a note--"The Sirens: prodigies of the sea."”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
westward adverb US /ˈwestwərd/

toward the west

From this reading “On the map of the Indian Ocean, westward of the island of Taprobane, we find a note--"The Sirens: prodigies of the sea."”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

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.

stands outside verb + adjective counted as “stand outside”

In this reading “(The Senses belong to earth: Reason, when she contemplates, stands outside them.)”

437 times in 426,211 chapters
map of verb + particle

In this reading “On the map of the Indian Ocean, westward of the island of Taprobane, we find a note--"The Sirens: prodigies of the sea."”

3,849 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 56

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.

1498

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

From this reading THE SIMILITUDES--1498-1499 _'I sensi sono terrestri, la ragione sta fuor di quelli, quando contempla.'_ LEONARDO DA VINCI.

Pending verification
1499

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

From this reading THE SIMILITUDES--1498-1499 _'I sensi sono terrestri, la ragione sta fuor di quelli, quando contempla.'_ LEONARDO DA VINCI.

Pending verification
adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading On the map of the Indian Ocean, westward of the island of Taprobane, we find a note--"The Sirens: prodigies of the sea."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/

higher than, or over, something

From this reading [Greek: 'Ouranhos anô ouranhos katô.'] (Heaven above--heaven below.) TABULA SMARAGDINA.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
anô

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

From this reading [Greek: 'Ouranhos anô ouranhos katô.'] (Heaven above--heaven below.) TABULA SMARAGDINA.

Pending verification
belongverbUS /bɪˈlɔːŋ/

be owned by; be in the possession of

From this reading (The Senses belong to earth: Reason, when she contemplates, stands outside them.)

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/

at or to a lower level than something

From this reading [Greek: 'Ouranhos anô ouranhos katô.'] (Heaven above--heaven below.) TABULA SMARAGDINA.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
contempla

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

From this reading THE SIMILITUDES--1498-1499 _'I sensi sono terrestri, la ragione sta fuor di quelli, quando contempla.'_ LEONARDO DA VINCI.

Pending verification
contemplatesverbUS /ˈkɑːntəmpleɪts/

third-person singular of “contemplate” — look at thoughtfully; observe deep in thought

From this reading (The Senses belong to earth: Reason, when she contemplates, stands outside them.)

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
DAnounUS /dɑː/

an official prosecutor for a judicial district

From this reading THE SIMILITUDES--1498-1499 _'I sensi sono terrestri, la ragione sta fuor di quelli, quando contempla.'_ LEONARDO DA VINCI.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
di

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

From this reading THE SIMILITUDES--1498-1499 _'I sensi sono terrestri, la ragione sta fuor di quelli, quando contempla.'_ LEONARDO DA VINCI.

Pending verification
earthnounUS /ɜːrθ/

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

From this reading (The Senses belong to earth: Reason, when she contemplates, stands outside them.)

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
findverbUS /faɪnd/

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading On the map of the Indian Ocean, westward of the island of Taprobane, we find a note--"The Sirens: prodigies of the sea."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fuor

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

From this reading THE SIMILITUDES--1498-1499 _'I sensi sono terrestri, la ragione sta fuor di quelli, quando contempla.'_ LEONARDO DA VINCI.

Pending verification
GreeknounUS /ɡriːk/

the Hellenic branch of the Indo-European family of languages

From this reading [Greek: 'Ouranhos anô ouranhos katô.'] (Heaven above--heaven below.) TABULA SMARAGDINA.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
HeavennounUS /ˈhevən/

any place of complete bliss and delight and peace

From this reading [Greek: 'Ouranhos anô ouranhos katô.'] (Heaven above--heaven below.) TABULA SMARAGDINA.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading I 'See here!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading THE SIMILITUDES--1498-1499 _'I sensi sono terrestri, la ragione sta fuor di quelli, quando contempla.'_ LEONARDO DA VINCI.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
IndianadjectiveUS /ˈɪndiən/

of or relating to or characteristic of India or the East Indies or their peoples or languages or cultures

From this reading On the map of the Indian Ocean, westward of the island of Taprobane, we find a note--"The Sirens: prodigies of the sea."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
islandnounUS /ˈaɪlənd/

a land mass (smaller than a continent) that is surrounded by water

From this reading On the map of the Indian Ocean, westward of the island of Taprobane, we find a note--"The Sirens: prodigies of the sea."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
katô

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

From this reading [Greek: 'Ouranhos anô ouranhos katô.'] (Heaven above--heaven below.) TABULA SMARAGDINA.

Pending verification
lanounUS /lɑː/

a white soft metallic element that tarnishes readily; occurs in rare earth minerals and is usually classified as a rare earth

From this reading THE SIMILITUDES--1498-1499 _'I sensi sono terrestri, la ragione sta fuor di quelli, quando contempla.'_ LEONARDO DA VINCI.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
LEONARDOnounUS /ˌliːəˈnɑːrdoʊ/

Italian painter and sculptor and engineer and scientist and architect; the most versatile genius of the Italian Renaissance (1452-1519)

From this reading THE SIMILITUDES--1498-1499 _'I sensi sono terrestri, la ragione sta fuor di quelli, quando contempla.'_ LEONARDO DA VINCI.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mapverbUS /mæp/

make a map of; show or establish the features of details of

From this reading On the map of the Indian Ocean, westward of the island of Taprobane, we find a note--"The Sirens: prodigies of the sea."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
notenounUS /noʊt/

a brief written record

From this reading On the map of the Indian Ocean, westward of the island of Taprobane, we find a note--"The Sirens: prodigies of the sea."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
OceannounUS /ˈoʊʃən/

a large body of water constituting a principal part of the hydrosphere

From this reading On the map of the Indian Ocean, westward of the island of Taprobane, we find a note--"The Sirens: prodigies of the sea."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading On the map of the Indian Ocean, westward of the island of Taprobane, we find a note--"The Sirens: prodigies of the sea."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
OnprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading On the map of the Indian Ocean, westward of the island of Taprobane, we find a note--"The Sirens: prodigies of the sea."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Ouranhos

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

From this reading [Greek: 'Ouranhos anô ouranhos katô.'] (Heaven above--heaven below.) TABULA SMARAGDINA.

Pending verification
outsideadjectiveUS /ˈaʊtˈsaɪd/

relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit

From this reading (The Senses belong to earth: Reason, when she contemplates, stands outside them.)

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
prodigiesnounUS /ˈprɑːdədʒiz/

plural of “prodigy” — an unusually gifted or intelligent (young) person; someone whose talents excite wonder and admiration

From this reading On the map of the Indian Ocean, westward of the island of Taprobane, we find a note--"The Sirens: prodigies of the sea."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
quando

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

From this reading THE SIMILITUDES--1498-1499 _'I sensi sono terrestri, la ragione sta fuor di quelli, quando contempla.'_ LEONARDO DA VINCI.

Pending verification
quelli

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

From this reading THE SIMILITUDES--1498-1499 _'I sensi sono terrestri, la ragione sta fuor di quelli, quando contempla.'_ LEONARDO DA VINCI.

Pending verification
ragione

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

From this reading THE SIMILITUDES--1498-1499 _'I sensi sono terrestri, la ragione sta fuor di quelli, quando contempla.'_ LEONARDO DA VINCI.

Pending verification
ReasonnounUS /ˈriːzən/

a rational motive for a belief or action

From this reading (The Senses belong to earth: Reason, when she contemplates, stands outside them.)

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
seanounUS /siː/

a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land

From this reading On the map of the Indian Ocean, westward of the island of Taprobane, we find a note--"The Sirens: prodigies of the sea."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SeeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading I 'See here!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SensesnounUS /ˈsensɪz/

plural of “sens” — street names for marijuana

From this reading (The Senses belong to earth: Reason, when she contemplates, stands outside them.)

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sensi

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

From this reading THE SIMILITUDES--1498-1499 _'I sensi sono terrestri, la ragione sta fuor di quelli, quando contempla.'_ LEONARDO DA VINCI.

Pending verification
shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading (The Senses belong to earth: Reason, when she contemplates, stands outside them.)

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
SIMILITUDES

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

From this reading THE SIMILITUDES--1498-1499 _'I sensi sono terrestri, la ragione sta fuor di quelli, quando contempla.'_ LEONARDO DA VINCI.

Pending verification
SirensnounUS /ˈsaɪrənz/

plural of “siren” — a sea nymph (part woman and part bird) supposed to lure sailors to destruction on the rocks where the nymphs lived

From this reading On the map of the Indian Ocean, westward of the island of Taprobane, we find a note--"The Sirens: prodigies of the sea."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SMARAGDINA

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

From this reading [Greek: 'Ouranhos anô ouranhos katô.'] (Heaven above--heaven below.) TABULA SMARAGDINA.

Pending verification
sono

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

From this reading THE SIMILITUDES--1498-1499 _'I sensi sono terrestri, la ragione sta fuor di quelli, quando contempla.'_ LEONARDO DA VINCI.

Pending verification
sta

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

From this reading THE SIMILITUDES--1498-1499 _'I sensi sono terrestri, la ragione sta fuor di quelli, quando contempla.'_ LEONARDO DA VINCI.

Pending verification
standsnounUS /stændz/

plural of “stand” — a support or foundation

From this reading (The Senses belong to earth: Reason, when she contemplates, stands outside them.)

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
TABULA

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

From this reading [Greek: 'Ouranhos anô ouranhos katô.'] (Heaven above--heaven below.) TABULA SMARAGDINA.

Pending verification
Taprobane

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

From this reading On the map of the Indian Ocean, westward of the island of Taprobane, we find a note--"The Sirens: prodigies of the sea."

Pending verification
terrestri

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

From this reading THE SIMILITUDES--1498-1499 _'I sensi sono terrestri, la ragione sta fuor di quelli, quando contempla.'_ LEONARDO DA VINCI.

Pending verification
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE SIMILITUDES--1498-1499 _'I sensi sono terrestri, la ragione sta fuor di quelli, quando contempla.'_ LEONARDO DA VINCI.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading (The Senses belong to earth: Reason, when she contemplates, stands outside them.)

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading (The Senses belong to earth: Reason, when she contemplates, stands outside them.)

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
VINCI

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

From this reading THE SIMILITUDES--1498-1499 _'I sensi sono terrestri, la ragione sta fuor di quelli, quando contempla.'_ LEONARDO DA VINCI.

Pending verification
wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading On the map of the Indian Ocean, westward of the island of Taprobane, we find a note--"The Sirens: prodigies of the sea."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
westwardadverbUS /ˈwestwərd/

toward the west

From this reading On the map of the Indian Ocean, westward of the island of Taprobane, we find a note--"The Sirens: prodigies of the sea."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading (The Senses belong to earth: Reason, when she contemplates, stands outside them.)

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 9 of The Romance of Leonardo da Vinci, the Forerunner by Dmitry Sergeyevich Merezhkovsky holds 1122 sentences, grouped into 225 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 9 of The Romance of Leonardo da Vinci, the Forerunner contain?

Chapter 9 holds 1122 sentences of The Romance of Leonardo da Vinci, the Forerunner, unabridged, divided into 225 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 9 of The Romance of Leonardo da Vinci, the Forerunner by Dmitry Sergeyevich Merezhkovsky exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 1122 sentences, grouped into 225 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 9 of The Romance of Leonardo da Vinci, the Forerunner?

Work through the 225 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 225 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 9 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 9 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.

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Yes. All 9361 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #47902 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #47902, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 600 minutes of reading across 1873 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in The Romance of Leonardo da Vinci, the Forerunner

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Romance of Leonardo da Vinci, the Forerunner, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

White
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Romance of Leonardo da Vinci, the Forerunner; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
She-devil--
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Romance of Leonardo da Vinci, the Forerunner; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Siena
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Romance of Leonardo da Vinci, the Forerunner; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Discovered
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Romance of Leonardo da Vinci, the Forerunner; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.