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Victor Serenus: A Story of the Pauline Era
Victor Serenus: A Story of the Pauline Era

Chapter XL · The Visible Form Laid Aside

Chapter XL of Victor Serenus: A Story of the Pauline Era, “The Visible Form Laid Aside,” is here in full — 104 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Victor Serenus: A Story of the Pauline Era
Context Illustration Reading 1/20 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
“My prison walls cannot control The flight, and freedom of the soul.”
Again Saulus was face to face with Nero.
Since his first acquittal the Apostle had made long and important missionary journeys, laboring earnestly for the spread of the New Faith.
But at length, upon the testimony of informers, he was arrested by the magistrates of Nicopolis, and again sent to Rome for trial before Cæsar.
Great events had taken place in the world’s metropolis since the former trial.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Victor Serenus: A Story of the Pauline Era

Chapter XL · The Visible Form Laid Aside

Chapter XL of Victor Serenus: A Story of the Pauline Era, “The Visible Form Laid Aside,” is here in full — 104 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/20 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
“My prison walls cannot control The flight, and freedom of the soul.”
Line 2
Again Saulus was face to face with Nero.
Line 3
Since his first acquittal the Apostle had made long and important missionary journeys, laboring earnestly for the spread of the New Faith.
/sɪns hɪz fɜːrst əˈkwɪtəl ðə əˈpɑːsəl hæd meɪd lɔːŋ ənd ˌɪmˈpɔːrtənt ˈmɪʃəneri ˈdʒɜːrniz ˈleɪbərɪŋ ˈɜːrnəstli fɔːr ðə spred ʌv ðə nuː feɪθ/
Line 4
But at length, upon the testimony of informers, he was arrested by the magistrates of Nicopolis, and again sent to Rome for trial before Cæsar.
Line 5
Great events had taken place in the world’s metropolis since the former trial.
/ɡreɪt ɪˈvents hæd ˈteɪkən pleɪs ɪn ðə wɜːrldz məˈtrɑːpələs sɪns ðə ˈfɔːrmər ˈtraɪəl/

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.

acquittal noun US /əˈkwɪtəl/

a judgment of not guilty

From this reading “Since his first acquittal the Apostle had made long and important missionary journeys, laboring earnestly for the spread of the New Faith.”

Apostle noun US /əˈpɑːsəl/

an ardent early supporter of a cause or reform

From this reading “Since his first acquittal the Apostle had made long and important missionary journeys, laboring earnestly for the spread of the New Faith.”

informers noun US /ˌɪnˈfɔːrmərz/

plural of “informer” — one who reveals confidential information in return for money

From this reading “But at length, upon the testimony of informers, he was arrested by the magistrates of Nicopolis, and again sent to Rome for trial before Cæsar.”

journeys noun US /ˈdʒɜːrniz/

plural of “journey” — the act of traveling from one place to another

From this reading “Since his first acquittal the Apostle had made long and important missionary journeys, laboring earnestly for the spread of the New Faith.”

laboring adjective US /ˈleɪbərɪŋ/

doing arduous or unpleasant work

From this reading “Since his first acquittal the Apostle had made long and important missionary journeys, laboring earnestly for the spread of the New Faith.”

magistrates noun US /ˈmædʒɪstreɪts/

plural of “magistrate” — a lay judge or civil authority who administers the law (especially one who conducts a court dealing with minor offenses)

From this reading “But at length, upon the testimony of informers, he was arrested by the magistrates of Nicopolis, and again sent to Rome for trial before Cæsar.”

metropolis noun US /məˈtrɑːpələs/

a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts

From this reading “Great events had taken place in the world’s metropolis since the former trial.”

Nero noun US /ˈnɪroʊ/

Roman Emperor notorious for his monstrous vice and fantastic luxury (was said to have started a fire that destroyed much of Rome in 64) but the Roman Empire remained prosperous during his rule (37-68)

From this reading “Again Saulus was face to face with Nero.”

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.

at length preposition + noun

in a lengthy or prolix manner

In this reading “But at length, upon the testimony of informers, he was arrested by the magistrates of Nicopolis, and again sent to Rome for trial before Cæsar.”

prison walls noun + noun counted as “prison wall”

In this reading ““My prison walls cannot control The flight, and freedom of the soul.””

taken place adjective + noun

In this reading “Great events had taken place in the world’s metropolis since the former trial.”

Great events adjective + noun counted as “great event”

In this reading “Great events had taken place in the world’s metropolis since the former trial.”

arrested by verb + particle counted as “arrest by”

In this reading “But at length, upon the testimony of informers, he was arrested by the magistrates of Nicopolis, and again sent to Rome for trial before Cæsar.”

All words in this reading · 59

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.

acquittalnounUS /əˈkwɪtəl/

a judgment of not guilty

From this reading Since his first acquittal the Apostle had made long and important missionary journeys, laboring earnestly for the spread of the New Faith.

AgainadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading Again Saulus was face to face with Nero.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading “My prison walls cannot control The flight, and freedom of the soul.”

ApostlenounUS /əˈpɑːsəl/

an ardent early supporter of a cause or reform

From this reading Since his first acquittal the Apostle had made long and important missionary journeys, laboring earnestly for the spread of the New Faith.

arrestedverbUS /ərˈestɪd/

past form of “arrest” — take into custody

From this reading But at length, upon the testimony of informers, he was arrested by the magistrates of Nicopolis, and again sent to Rome for trial before Cæsar.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading But at length, upon the testimony of informers, he was arrested by the magistrates of Nicopolis, and again sent to Rome for trial before Cæsar.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading But at length, upon the testimony of informers, he was arrested by the magistrates of Nicopolis, and again sent to Rome for trial before Cæsar.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But at length, upon the testimony of informers, he was arrested by the magistrates of Nicopolis, and again sent to Rome for trial before Cæsar.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading But at length, upon the testimony of informers, he was arrested by the magistrates of Nicopolis, and again sent to Rome for trial before Cæsar.

cannot

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

From this reading “My prison walls cannot control The flight, and freedom of the soul.”

controlnounUS /kənˈtroʊl/

power to direct or determine

From this reading “My prison walls cannot control The flight, and freedom of the soul.”

Cæsar

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

From this reading But at length, upon the testimony of informers, he was arrested by the magistrates of Nicopolis, and again sent to Rome for trial before Cæsar.

earnestlyadverbUS /ˈɜːrnəstli/

in a serious manner

From this reading Since his first acquittal the Apostle had made long and important missionary journeys, laboring earnestly for the spread of the New Faith.

eventsnounUS /ɪˈvents/

plural of “event” — something that happens at a given place and time

From this reading Great events had taken place in the world’s metropolis since the former trial.

facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading Again Saulus was face to face with Nero.

FaithnounUS /feɪθ/

a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny

From this reading Since his first acquittal the Apostle had made long and important missionary journeys, laboring earnestly for the spread of the New Faith.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading Since his first acquittal the Apostle had made long and important missionary journeys, laboring earnestly for the spread of the New Faith.

flightnounUS /flaɪt/

a formation of aircraft in flight

From this reading “My prison walls cannot control The flight, and freedom of the soul.”

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Since his first acquittal the Apostle had made long and important missionary journeys, laboring earnestly for the spread of the New Faith.

formeradjectiveUS /ˈfɔːrmər/

referring to the first of two things or persons mentioned (or the earlier one or ones of several)

From this reading Great events had taken place in the world’s metropolis since the former trial.

freedomnounUS /ˈfriːdəm/

the condition of being free; the power to act or speak or think without externally imposed restraints

From this reading “My prison walls cannot control The flight, and freedom of the soul.”

GreatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading Great events had taken place in the world’s metropolis since the former trial.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Since his first acquittal the Apostle had made long and important missionary journeys, laboring earnestly for the spread of the New Faith.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading But at length, upon the testimony of informers, he was arrested by the magistrates of Nicopolis, and again sent to Rome for trial before Cæsar.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Since his first acquittal the Apostle had made long and important missionary journeys, laboring earnestly for the spread of the New Faith.

importantadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpɔːrtənt/

of great significance or value

From this reading Since his first acquittal the Apostle had made long and important missionary journeys, laboring earnestly for the spread of the New Faith.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Great events had taken place in the world’s metropolis since the former trial.

informersnounUS /ˌɪnˈfɔːrmərz/

plural of “informer” — one who reveals confidential information in return for money

From this reading But at length, upon the testimony of informers, he was arrested by the magistrates of Nicopolis, and again sent to Rome for trial before Cæsar.

journeysnounUS /ˈdʒɜːrniz/

plural of “journey” — the act of traveling from one place to another

From this reading Since his first acquittal the Apostle had made long and important missionary journeys, laboring earnestly for the spread of the New Faith.

laboringadjectiveUS /ˈleɪbərɪŋ/

doing arduous or unpleasant work

From this reading Since his first acquittal the Apostle had made long and important missionary journeys, laboring earnestly for the spread of the New Faith.

lengthnounUS /leŋkθ/

the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place

From this reading But at length, upon the testimony of informers, he was arrested by the magistrates of Nicopolis, and again sent to Rome for trial before Cæsar.

longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading Since his first acquittal the Apostle had made long and important missionary journeys, laboring earnestly for the spread of the New Faith.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading Since his first acquittal the Apostle had made long and important missionary journeys, laboring earnestly for the spread of the New Faith.

magistratesnounUS /ˈmædʒɪstreɪts/

plural of “magistrate” — a lay judge or civil authority who administers the law (especially one who conducts a court dealing with minor offenses)

From this reading But at length, upon the testimony of informers, he was arrested by the magistrates of Nicopolis, and again sent to Rome for trial before Cæsar.

metropolisnounUS /məˈtrɑːpələs/

a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts

From this reading Great events had taken place in the world’s metropolis since the former trial.

missionarynounUS /ˈmɪʃəneri/

someone who attempts to convert others to a particular doctrine or program

From this reading Since his first acquittal the Apostle had made long and important missionary journeys, laboring earnestly for the spread of the New Faith.

MydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading “My prison walls cannot control The flight, and freedom of the soul.”

NeronounUS /ˈnɪroʊ/

Roman Emperor notorious for his monstrous vice and fantastic luxury (was said to have started a fire that destroyed much of Rome in 64) but the Roman Empire remained prosperous during his rule (37-68)

From this reading Again Saulus was face to face with Nero.

NewadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading Since his first acquittal the Apostle had made long and important missionary journeys, laboring earnestly for the spread of the New Faith.

Nicopolis

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

From this reading But at length, upon the testimony of informers, he was arrested by the magistrates of Nicopolis, and again sent to Rome for trial before Cæsar.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading “My prison walls cannot control The flight, and freedom of the soul.”

placenounUS /pleɪs/

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading Great events had taken place in the world’s metropolis since the former trial.

prisonnounUS /ˈprɪzən/

a correctional institution where persons are confined while on trial or for punishment

From this reading “My prison walls cannot control The flight, and freedom of the soul.”

RomenounUS /roʊm/

capital and largest city of Italy; on the Tiber; seat of the Roman Catholic Church; formerly the capital of the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire

From this reading But at length, upon the testimony of informers, he was arrested by the magistrates of Nicopolis, and again sent to Rome for trial before Cæsar.

Saulus

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

From this reading Again Saulus was face to face with Nero.

sentnounUS /sent/

100 senti equal 1 kroon in Estonia

From this reading But at length, upon the testimony of informers, he was arrested by the magistrates of Nicopolis, and again sent to Rome for trial before Cæsar.

SinceprepositionUS /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading Since his first acquittal the Apostle had made long and important missionary journeys, laboring earnestly for the spread of the New Faith.

soulnounUS /soʊl/

the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life

From this reading “My prison walls cannot control The flight, and freedom of the soul.”

spreadverbUS /spred/

distribute or disperse widely

From this reading Since his first acquittal the Apostle had made long and important missionary journeys, laboring earnestly for the spread of the New Faith.

takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading Great events had taken place in the world’s metropolis since the former trial.

testimonynounUS /ˈtestəmoʊni/

a solemn statement made under oath

From this reading But at length, upon the testimony of informers, he was arrested by the magistrates of Nicopolis, and again sent to Rome for trial before Cæsar.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading “My prison walls cannot control The flight, and freedom of the soul.”

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Again Saulus was face to face with Nero.

trialnounUS /ˈtraɪəl/

the act of testing something

From this reading But at length, upon the testimony of informers, he was arrested by the magistrates of Nicopolis, and again sent to Rome for trial before Cæsar.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading But at length, upon the testimony of informers, he was arrested by the magistrates of Nicopolis, and again sent to Rome for trial before Cæsar.

wallsnounUS /wɔːlz/

plural of “wall” — an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure

From this reading “My prison walls cannot control The flight, and freedom of the soul.”

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Again Saulus was face to face with Nero.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Again Saulus was face to face with Nero.

world'snounUS /wɜːrldz/

possessive form of “world” — everything that exists anywhere

From this reading Great events had taken place in the world’s metropolis since the former trial.

Chapter 40 of Victor Serenus: A Story of the Pauline Era by Henry Wood holds 104 sentences, grouped into 21 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 40 of Victor Serenus: A Story of the Pauline Era contain?

Chapter 40 holds 104 sentences of Victor Serenus: A Story of the Pauline Era, unabridged, divided into 21 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 40 of Victor Serenus: A Story of the Pauline Era by Henry Wood exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 104 sentences, grouped into 21 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 40 of Victor Serenus: A Story of the Pauline Era?

Work through the 21 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 21 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 40 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 40 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.

Questions about reading Victor Serenus: A Story of the Pauline Era

Common questions about reading Victor Serenus: A Story of the Pauline Era by Henry Wood on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Victor Serenus: A Story of the Pauline Era?

Yes. All 7033 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #55225 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Victor Serenus: A Story of the Pauline Era is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #55225, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Victor Serenus: A Story of the Pauline Era take to read?

About 586 minutes of reading across 1407 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Victor Serenus: A Story of the Pauline Era section by section

How to work through Victor Serenus: A Story of the Pauline Era section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

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  3. Listen and tap

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Vocabulary met early in Victor Serenus: A Story of the Pauline Era

Words and structures a reader meets early in Victor Serenus: A Story of the Pauline Era, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Victor
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Victor Serenus: A Story of the Pauline Era; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Serenus
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Victor Serenus: A Story of the Pauline Era; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Story
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Victor Serenus: A Story of the Pauline Era; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Pauline
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Victor Serenus: A Story of the Pauline Era; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.