Chapter 4 of The Well of the Saints is here in full — 244 sentences across 49 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of The Well of the Saints is here in full — 244 sentences across 49 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
MARTIN DOUL. That’s a hard word to be saying, for I was thinking if I’d a bit of comfort, the like of yourself, it’s not far off we’d be from the good days went before, and that’d be a wonder surely. But I’ll never rest easy, thinking you’re a gray, beautiful woman, and myself a pitiful show. MARY DOUL. I can’t help your looks, Martin Doul.
Chapter 4 of The Well of the Saints is here in full — 244 sentences across 49 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/48 · 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.
a state of being relaxed and feeling no pain
From this reading “That’s a hard word to be saying, for I was thinking if I’d a bit of comfort, the like of yourself, it’s not far off we’d be from the good days went before, and that’d be a wonder surely.”
posing no difficulty; requiring little effort
From this reading “But I’ll never rest easy, thinking you’re a gray, beautiful woman, and myself a pitiful show.”
a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black
From this reading “But I’ll never rest easy, thinking you’re a gray, beautiful woman, and myself a pitiful show.”
plural of “look” — the feelings expressed on a person's face
From this reading “I can’t help your looks, Martin Doul.”
French bishop who is a patron saint of France (died in 397)
From this reading “MARTIN DOUL.”
the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics
From this reading “MARY DOUL.”
inspiring mixed contempt and pity
From this reading “But I’ll never rest easy, thinking you’re a gray, beautiful woman, and myself a pitiful show.”
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading “That’s a hard word to be saying, for I was thinking if I’d a bit of comfort, the like of yourself, it’s not far off we’d be from the good days went before, and that’d be a wonder surely.”
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 That’s a hard word to be saying, for I was thinking if I’d a bit of comfort, the like of yourself, it’s not far off we’d be from the good days went before, and that’d be a wonder surely.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading That’s a hard word to be saying, for I was thinking if I’d a bit of comfort, the like of yourself, it’s not far off we’d be from the good days went before, and that’d be a wonder surely.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading That’s a hard word to be saying, for I was thinking if I’d a bit of comfort, the like of yourself, it’s not far off we’d be from the good days went before, and that’d be a wonder surely.
delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration
From this reading But I’ll never rest easy, thinking you’re a gray, beautiful woman, and myself a pitiful show.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading That’s a hard word to be saying, for I was thinking if I’d a bit of comfort, the like of yourself, it’s not far off we’d be from the good days went before, and that’d be a wonder surely.
a small piece or quantity of something
From this reading That’s a hard word to be saying, for I was thinking if I’d a bit of comfort, the like of yourself, it’s not far off we’d be from the good days went before, and that’d be a wonder surely.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But I’ll never rest easy, thinking you’re a gray, beautiful woman, and myself a pitiful show.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I can’t help your looks, Martin Doul.
a state of being relaxed and feeling no pain
From this reading That’s a hard word to be saying, for I was thinking if I’d a bit of comfort, the like of yourself, it’s not far off we’d be from the good days went before, and that’d be a wonder surely.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading That’s a hard word to be saying, for I was thinking if I’d a bit of comfort, the like of yourself, it’s not far off we’d be from the good days went before, and that’d be a wonder surely.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading MARTIN DOUL.
posing no difficulty; requiring little effort
From this reading But I’ll never rest easy, thinking you’re a gray, beautiful woman, and myself a pitiful show.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading That’s a hard word to be saying, for I was thinking if I’d a bit of comfort, the like of yourself, it’s not far off we’d be from the good days went before, and that’d be a wonder surely.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading That’s a hard word to be saying, for I was thinking if I’d a bit of comfort, the like of yourself, it’s not far off we’d be from the good days went before, and that’d be a wonder surely.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading That’s a hard word to be saying, for I was thinking if I’d a bit of comfort, the like of yourself, it’s not far off we’d be from the good days went before, and that’d be a wonder surely.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading That’s a hard word to be saying, for I was thinking if I’d a bit of comfort, the like of yourself, it’s not far off we’d be from the good days went before, and that’d be a wonder surely.
a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black
From this reading But I’ll never rest easy, thinking you’re a gray, beautiful woman, and myself a pitiful show.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading That’s a hard word to be saying, for I was thinking if I’d a bit of comfort, the like of yourself, it’s not far off we’d be from the good days went before, and that’d be a wonder surely.
give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading I can’t help your looks, Martin Doul.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading That’s a hard word to be saying, for I was thinking if I’d a bit of comfort, the like of yourself, it’s not far off we’d be from the good days went before, and that’d be a wonder surely.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That’s a hard word to be saying, for I was thinking if I’d a bit of comfort, the like of yourself, it’s not far off we’d be from the good days went before, and that’d be a wonder surely.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But I’ll never rest easy, thinking you’re a gray, beautiful woman, and myself a pitiful show.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading That’s a hard word to be saying, for I was thinking if I’d a bit of comfort, the like of yourself, it’s not far off we’d be from the good days went before, and that’d be a wonder surely.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That’s a hard word to be saying, for I was thinking if I’d a bit of comfort, the like of yourself, it’s not far off we’d be from the good days went before, and that’d be a wonder surely.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading That’s a hard word to be saying, for I was thinking if I’d a bit of comfort, the like of yourself, it’s not far off we’d be from the good days went before, and that’d be a wonder surely.
plural of “look” — the feelings expressed on a person's face
From this reading I can’t help your looks, Martin Doul.
French bishop who is a patron saint of France (died in 397)
From this reading MARTIN DOUL.
the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics
From this reading MARY DOUL.
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading But I’ll never rest easy, thinking you’re a gray, beautiful woman, and myself a pitiful show.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading But I’ll never rest easy, thinking you’re a gray, beautiful woman, and myself a pitiful show.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading That’s a hard word to be saying, for I was thinking if I’d a bit of comfort, the like of yourself, it’s not far off we’d be from the good days went before, and that’d be a wonder surely.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading That’s a hard word to be saying, for I was thinking if I’d a bit of comfort, the like of yourself, it’s not far off we’d be from the good days went before, and that’d be a wonder surely.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading That’s a hard word to be saying, for I was thinking if I’d a bit of comfort, the like of yourself, it’s not far off we’d be from the good days went before, and that’d be a wonder surely.
inspiring mixed contempt and pity
From this reading But I’ll never rest easy, thinking you’re a gray, beautiful woman, and myself a pitiful show.
not move; be in a resting position
From this reading But I’ll never rest easy, thinking you’re a gray, beautiful woman, and myself a pitiful show.
a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations
From this reading That’s a hard word to be saying, for I was thinking if I’d a bit of comfort, the like of yourself, it’s not far off we’d be from the good days went before, and that’d be a wonder surely.
give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading But I’ll never rest easy, thinking you’re a gray, beautiful woman, and myself a pitiful show.
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading That’s a hard word to be saying, for I was thinking if I’d a bit of comfort, the like of yourself, it’s not far off we’d be from the good days went before, and that’d be a wonder surely.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That’s a hard word to be saying, for I was thinking if I’d a bit of comfort, the like of yourself, it’s not far off we’d be from the good days went before, and that’d be a wonder surely.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That’s a hard word to be saying, for I was thinking if I’d a bit of comfort, the like of yourself, it’s not far off we’d be from the good days went before, and that’d be a wonder surely.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading That’s a hard word to be saying, for I was thinking if I’d a bit of comfort, the like of yourself, it’s not far off we’d be from the good days went before, and that’d be a wonder surely.
the process of using your mind to consider something carefully
From this reading That’s a hard word to be saying, for I was thinking if I’d a bit of comfort, the like of yourself, it’s not far off we’d be from the good days went before, and that’d be a wonder surely.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading That’s a hard word to be saying, for I was thinking if I’d a bit of comfort, the like of yourself, it’s not far off we’d be from the good days went before, and that’d be a wonder surely.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading That’s a hard word to be saying, for I was thinking if I’d a bit of comfort, the like of yourself, it’s not far off we’d be from the good days went before, and that’d be a wonder surely.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That’s a hard word to be saying, for I was thinking if I’d a bit of comfort, the like of yourself, it’s not far off we’d be from the good days went before, and that’d be a wonder surely.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading That’s a hard word to be saying, for I was thinking if I’d a bit of comfort, the like of yourself, it’s not far off we’d be from the good days went before, and that’d be a wonder surely.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading But I’ll never rest easy, thinking you’re a gray, beautiful woman, and myself a pitiful show.
the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising
From this reading That’s a hard word to be saying, for I was thinking if I’d a bit of comfort, the like of yourself, it’s not far off we’d be from the good days went before, and that’d be a wonder surely.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading That’s a hard word to be saying, for I was thinking if I’d a bit of comfort, the like of yourself, it’s not far off we’d be from the good days went before, and that’d be a wonder surely.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But I’ll never rest easy, thinking you’re a gray, beautiful woman, and myself a pitiful show.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading I can’t help your looks, Martin Doul.
used when the person spoken to is also the object of the action
From this reading That’s a hard word to be saying, for I was thinking if I’d a bit of comfort, the like of yourself, it’s not far off we’d be from the good days went before, and that’d be a wonder surely.
Chapter 4 of The Well of the Saints by J. M. (John Millington) Synge holds 244 sentences, grouped into 49 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 4 holds 244 sentences of The Well of the Saints, unabridged, divided into 49 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of The Well of the Saints by J. M. (John Millington) Synge exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 244 sentences, grouped into 49 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 49 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 49 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.
Common questions about reading The Well of the Saints by J. M. (John Millington) Synge on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 956 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1241 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #1241, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 79 minutes of reading across 192 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Well of the Saints section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 4 chapters of The Well of the Saints 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 Well of the Saints, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
