Chapter 4 of The sane men of Satan is here in full — 426 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of The sane men of Satan is here in full — 426 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Yes." Ortine's expression was sour. "In at least a half-dozen bodies I conceived! Furthermore, once it had happened, there was no escaping or altering those particular bodies until the child was born." "I don't quite see how it could happen," said Justin.
Chapter 4 of The sane men of Satan is here in full — 426 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/85 · 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.
the sterilization of an animal
From this reading “Furthermore, once it had happened, there was no escaping or altering those particular bodies until the child was born."”
plural of “body” — the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading “"In at least a half-dozen bodies I conceived!”
past form of “conceive” — have the idea for
From this reading “"In at least a half-dozen bodies I conceived!”
-ing form of “escape” — run away from confinement
From this reading “Furthermore, once it had happened, there was no escaping or altering those particular bodies until the child was born."”
in addition
From this reading “Furthermore, once it had happened, there was no escaping or altering those particular bodies until the child was born."”
denoting a quantity consisting of six items or units
From this reading “"In at least a half-dozen bodies I conceived!”
come to pass
From this reading “"I don't quite see how it could happen," said Justin.”
go sour or spoil
From this reading “Ortine's expression was sour.”
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.
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 "In at least a half-dozen bodies I conceived!
the sterilization of an animal
From this reading Furthermore, once it had happened, there was no escaping or altering those particular bodies until the child was born."
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading "In at least a half-dozen bodies I conceived!
plural of “body” — the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading "In at least a half-dozen bodies I conceived!
brought into existence
From this reading Furthermore, once it had happened, there was no escaping or altering those particular bodies until the child was born."
a young person of either sex
From this reading Furthermore, once it had happened, there was no escaping or altering those particular bodies until the child was born."
past form of “conceive” — have the idea for
From this reading "In at least a half-dozen bodies I conceived!
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading "I don't quite see how it could happen," said Justin.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I don't quite see how it could happen," said Justin.
-ing form of “escape” — run away from confinement
From this reading Furthermore, once it had happened, there was no escaping or altering those particular bodies until the child was born."
the feelings expressed on a person's face
From this reading Ortine's expression was sour.
in addition
From this reading Furthermore, once it had happened, there was no escaping or altering those particular bodies until the child was born."
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Furthermore, once it had happened, there was no escaping or altering those particular bodies until the child was born."
denoting a quantity consisting of six items or units
From this reading "In at least a half-dozen bodies I conceived!
come to pass
From this reading "I don't quite see how it could happen," said Justin.
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading Furthermore, once it had happened, there was no escaping or altering those particular bodies until the child was born."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I don't quite see how it could happen," said Justin.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "In at least a half-dozen bodies I conceived!
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "In at least a half-dozen bodies I conceived!
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Furthermore, once it had happened, there was no escaping or altering those particular bodies until the child was born."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I don't quite see how it could happen," said Justin.
the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree
From this reading "In at least a half-dozen bodies I conceived!
not any; not one
From this reading Furthermore, once it had happened, there was no escaping or altering those particular bodies until the child was born."
on one occasion
From this reading Furthermore, once it had happened, there was no escaping or altering those particular bodies until the child was born."
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Furthermore, once it had happened, there was no escaping or altering those particular bodies until the child was born."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ortine's expression was sour.
unique or specific to a person or thing or category
From this reading Furthermore, once it had happened, there was no escaping or altering those particular bodies until the child was born."
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading "I don't quite see how it could happen," said Justin.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "I don't quite see how it could happen," said Justin.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading "I don't quite see how it could happen," said Justin.
go sour or spoil
From this reading Ortine's expression was sour.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Furthermore, once it had happened, there was no escaping or altering those particular bodies until the child was born."
in or at that place or location
From this reading Furthermore, once it had happened, there was no escaping or altering those particular bodies until the child was born."
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading Furthermore, once it had happened, there was no escaping or altering those particular bodies until the child was born."
up to a particular time
From this reading Furthermore, once it had happened, there was no escaping or altering those particular bodies until the child was born."
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Ortine's expression was sour.
an affirmative
From this reading "Yes."
Chapter 4 of The sane men of Satan by Sam, Jr. Merwin holds 426 sentences, grouped into 86 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 4 holds 426 sentences of The sane men of Satan, unabridged, divided into 86 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of The sane men of Satan by Sam, Jr. Merwin exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 426 sentences, grouped into 86 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 86 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 86 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 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.
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Words and structures a reader meets early in The sane men of Satan, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
