Chapter 10 of The works of John Dryden, now first collected — Volume 02 is here in full — 357 sentences across 72 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter X
Chapter 10 of The works of John Dryden, now first collected — Volume 02 is here in full — 357 sentences across 72 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
_1 Serv_. Let me see; what's here? as I live, [_Takes it_. Nothing but downright bawdry: Sirrah, rascal, Is this an age for ribaldry in verse; When every gentleman in town speaks it With so much better grace, than thou canst write it? I'll beat thee with a stave of thy own rhymes. _Poet_.
Chapter 10 of The works of John Dryden, now first collected — Volume 02 is here in full — 357 sentences across 72 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/71 · 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.
an old form of “can”, used with “thou”
From this reading “Nothing but downright bawdry: Sirrah, rascal, Is this an age for ribaldry in verse; When every gentleman in town speaks it With so much better grace, than thou canst write it?”
thoroughgoing
From this reading “Nothing but downright bawdry: Sirrah, rascal, Is this an age for ribaldry in verse; When every gentleman in town speaks it With so much better grace, than thou canst write it?”
a deceitful and unreliable scoundrel
From this reading “Nothing but downright bawdry: Sirrah, rascal, Is this an age for ribaldry in verse; When every gentleman in town speaks it With so much better grace, than thou canst write it?”
plural of “rhyme” — correspondence in the sounds of two or more lines (especially final sounds)
From this reading “I'll beat thee with a stave of thy own rhymes.”
ribald humor
From this reading “Nothing but downright bawdry: Sirrah, rascal, Is this an age for ribaldry in verse; When every gentleman in town speaks it With so much better grace, than thou canst write it?”
third-person singular of “speak” — express in speech
From this reading “Nothing but downright bawdry: Sirrah, rascal, Is this an age for ribaldry in verse; When every gentleman in town speaks it With so much better grace, than thou canst write it?”
(music) the system of five horizontal lines on which the musical notes are written
From this reading “I'll beat thee with a stave of thy own rhymes.”
literature in metrical form
From this reading “Nothing but downright bawdry: Sirrah, rascal, Is this an age for ribaldry in verse; When every gentleman in town speaks it With so much better grace, than thou canst write it?”
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 _1 Serv_.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading I'll beat thee with a stave of thy own rhymes.
how long something has existed
From this reading Nothing but downright bawdry: Sirrah, rascal, Is this an age for ribaldry in verse; When every gentleman in town speaks it With so much better grace, than thou canst write it?
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Nothing but downright bawdry: Sirrah, rascal, Is this an age for ribaldry in verse; When every gentleman in town speaks it With so much better grace, than thou canst write it?
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Let me see; what's here? as I live, [_Takes it_.
lewd or obscene talk or writing
From this reading Nothing but downright bawdry: Sirrah, rascal, Is this an age for ribaldry in verse; When every gentleman in town speaks it With so much better grace, than thou canst write it?
come out better in a competition, race, or conflict
From this reading I'll beat thee with a stave of thy own rhymes.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading Nothing but downright bawdry: Sirrah, rascal, Is this an age for ribaldry in verse; When every gentleman in town speaks it With so much better grace, than thou canst write it?
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Nothing but downright bawdry: Sirrah, rascal, Is this an age for ribaldry in verse; When every gentleman in town speaks it With so much better grace, than thou canst write it?
an old form of “can”, used with “thou”
From this reading Nothing but downright bawdry: Sirrah, rascal, Is this an age for ribaldry in verse; When every gentleman in town speaks it With so much better grace, than thou canst write it?
thoroughgoing
From this reading Nothing but downright bawdry: Sirrah, rascal, Is this an age for ribaldry in verse; When every gentleman in town speaks it With so much better grace, than thou canst write it?
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading Nothing but downright bawdry: Sirrah, rascal, Is this an age for ribaldry in verse; When every gentleman in town speaks it With so much better grace, than thou canst write it?
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Nothing but downright bawdry: Sirrah, rascal, Is this an age for ribaldry in verse; When every gentleman in town speaks it With so much better grace, than thou canst write it?
a man of refinement
From this reading Nothing but downright bawdry: Sirrah, rascal, Is this an age for ribaldry in verse; When every gentleman in town speaks it With so much better grace, than thou canst write it?
(Christian theology) a state of sanctification by God; the state of one who is under such divine influence
From this reading Nothing but downright bawdry: Sirrah, rascal, Is this an age for ribaldry in verse; When every gentleman in town speaks it With so much better grace, than thou canst write it?
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading Let me see; what's here? as I live, [_Takes it_.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Let me see; what's here? as I live, [_Takes it_.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I'll beat thee with a stave of thy own rhymes.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Nothing but downright bawdry: Sirrah, rascal, Is this an age for ribaldry in verse; When every gentleman in town speaks it With so much better grace, than thou canst write it?
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Nothing but downright bawdry: Sirrah, rascal, Is this an age for ribaldry in verse; When every gentleman in town speaks it With so much better grace, than thou canst write it?
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Let me see; what's here? as I live, [_Takes it_.
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading Let me see; what's here? as I live, [_Takes it_.
be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading Let me see; what's here? as I live, [_Takes it_.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Let me see; what's here? as I live, [_Takes it_.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading Nothing but downright bawdry: Sirrah, rascal, Is this an age for ribaldry in verse; When every gentleman in town speaks it With so much better grace, than thou canst write it?
not one thing; not anything
From this reading Nothing but downright bawdry: Sirrah, rascal, Is this an age for ribaldry in verse; When every gentleman in town speaks it With so much better grace, than thou canst write it?
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading I'll beat thee with a stave of thy own rhymes.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading I'll beat thee with a stave of thy own rhymes.
a writer of poems (the term is usually reserved for writers of good poetry)
From this reading _Poet_.
a deceitful and unreliable scoundrel
From this reading Nothing but downright bawdry: Sirrah, rascal, Is this an age for ribaldry in verse; When every gentleman in town speaks it With so much better grace, than thou canst write it?
plural of “rhyme” — correspondence in the sounds of two or more lines (especially final sounds)
From this reading I'll beat thee with a stave of thy own rhymes.
ribald humor
From this reading Nothing but downright bawdry: Sirrah, rascal, Is this an age for ribaldry in verse; When every gentleman in town speaks it With so much better grace, than thou canst write it?
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Let me see; what's here? as I live, [_Takes it_.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _1 Serv_.
formerly a contemptuous term of address to an inferior man or boy; often used in anger
From this reading Nothing but downright bawdry: Sirrah, rascal, Is this an age for ribaldry in verse; When every gentleman in town speaks it With so much better grace, than thou canst write it?
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Nothing but downright bawdry: Sirrah, rascal, Is this an age for ribaldry in verse; When every gentleman in town speaks it With so much better grace, than thou canst write it?
third-person singular of “speak” — express in speech
From this reading Nothing but downright bawdry: Sirrah, rascal, Is this an age for ribaldry in verse; When every gentleman in town speaks it With so much better grace, than thou canst write it?
(music) the system of five horizontal lines on which the musical notes are written
From this reading I'll beat thee with a stave of thy own rhymes.
plural of “take” — the income or profit arising from such transactions as the sale of land or other property
From this reading Let me see; what's here? as I live, [_Takes it_.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Nothing but downright bawdry: Sirrah, rascal, Is this an age for ribaldry in verse; When every gentleman in town speaks it With so much better grace, than thou canst write it?
an old word for “you”, as the object, speaking to one person
From this reading I'll beat thee with a stave of thy own rhymes.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Nothing but downright bawdry: Sirrah, rascal, Is this an age for ribaldry in verse; When every gentleman in town speaks it With so much better grace, than thou canst write it?
an old word for “you”, as the subject, speaking to one person
From this reading Nothing but downright bawdry: Sirrah, rascal, Is this an age for ribaldry in verse; When every gentleman in town speaks it With so much better grace, than thou canst write it?
an old word for “your”, speaking to one person
From this reading I'll beat thee with a stave of thy own rhymes.
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading Nothing but downright bawdry: Sirrah, rascal, Is this an age for ribaldry in verse; When every gentleman in town speaks it With so much better grace, than thou canst write it?
literature in metrical form
From this reading Nothing but downright bawdry: Sirrah, rascal, Is this an age for ribaldry in verse; When every gentleman in town speaks it With so much better grace, than thou canst write it?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Let me see; what's here? as I live, [_Takes it_.
at the time that
From this reading Nothing but downright bawdry: Sirrah, rascal, Is this an age for ribaldry in verse; When every gentleman in town speaks it With so much better grace, than thou canst write it?
in the company of; together with
From this reading Nothing but downright bawdry: Sirrah, rascal, Is this an age for ribaldry in verse; When every gentleman in town speaks it With so much better grace, than thou canst write it?
produce a literary work
From this reading Nothing but downright bawdry: Sirrah, rascal, Is this an age for ribaldry in verse; When every gentleman in town speaks it With so much better grace, than thou canst write it?
Chapter 10 of The works of John Dryden, now first collected — Volume 02 by John Dryden holds 357 sentences, grouped into 72 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 10 holds 357 sentences of The works of John Dryden, now first collected — Volume 02, unabridged, divided into 72 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 10 of The works of John Dryden, now first collected — Volume 02 by John Dryden exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 357 sentences, grouped into 72 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 72 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 72 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 10 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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About 600 minutes of reading across 2118 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
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Words and structures a reader meets early in The works of John Dryden, now first collected — Volume 02, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
