Chapter 4 of Volpone is here in full — 367 sentences across 74 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of Volpone is here in full — 367 sentences across 74 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
[KNOCKING WITHIN.] VOLP: Who's there? my couch; away! look! Nano, see: [EXE. AND. AND CAS.] Give me my caps, first--go, enquire.
Chapter 4 of Volpone is here in full — 367 sentences across 74 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/73 · 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.
plural of “cap” — a tight-fitting headdress
From this reading “AND CAS.] Give me my caps, first--go, enquire.”
plural of “ca” — a white metallic element that burns with a brilliant light; the fifth most abundant element in the earth's crust; an important component of most plants and animals
From this reading “AND CAS.] Give me my caps, first--go, enquire.”
an upholstered seat for more than one person
From this reading “VOLP: Who's there? my couch; away! look!”
address a question to and expect an answer from
From this reading “AND CAS.] Give me my caps, first--go, enquire.”
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading “AND CAS.] Give me my caps, first--go, enquire.”
the sound of knocking (as on a door or in an engine or bearing)
From this reading “[KNOCKING WITHIN.]”
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading “VOLP: Who's there? my couch; away! look!”
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading “[KNOCKING WITHIN.]”
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 to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading AND.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading VOLP: Who's there? my couch; away! look!
plural of “cap” — a tight-fitting headdress
From this reading AND CAS.] Give me my caps, first--go, enquire.
plural of “ca” — a white metallic element that burns with a brilliant light; the fifth most abundant element in the earth's crust; an important component of most plants and animals
From this reading AND CAS.] Give me my caps, first--go, enquire.
an upholstered seat for more than one person
From this reading VOLP: Who's there? my couch; away! look!
address a question to and expect an answer from
From this reading AND CAS.] Give me my caps, first--go, enquire.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Nano, see: [EXE.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading AND CAS.] Give me my caps, first--go, enquire.
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading AND CAS.] Give me my caps, first--go, enquire.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading AND CAS.] Give me my caps, first--go, enquire.
the sound of knocking (as on a door or in an engine or bearing)
From this reading [KNOCKING WITHIN.]
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading VOLP: Who's there? my couch; away! look!
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading AND CAS.] Give me my caps, first--go, enquire.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading VOLP: Who's there? my couch; away! look!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Nano, see: [EXE.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Nano, see: [EXE.
in or at that place or location
From this reading VOLP: Who's there? my couch; away! look!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading VOLP: Who's there? my couch; away! look!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading VOLP: Who's there? my couch; away! look!
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading [KNOCKING WITHIN.]
Chapter 4 of Volpone by Ben Jonson holds 367 sentences, grouped into 74 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 367 sentences of Volpone, unabridged, divided into 74 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Volpone by Ben Jonson exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 367 sentences, grouped into 74 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 74 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 74 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 Volpone by Ben Jonson on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3046 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4039 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #4039, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 253 minutes of reading across 610 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Volpone section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 8 chapters of Volpone 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 Volpone, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
