Chapter 40 of Wilfrid Cumbermede is here in full — 126 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XL
Chapter 40 of Wilfrid Cumbermede is here in full — 126 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
YET ONCE. I am drawing my story to a close. Almost all that followed bears so exclusively upon my internal history, that I will write but one incident more of it. I have roamed the world, and reaped many harvests. In the deepest agony I have never refused the consolations of Nature or of Truth.
Chapter 40 of Wilfrid Cumbermede is here in full — 126 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/25 · 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 “bear” — massive plantigrade carnivorous or omnivorous mammals with long shaggy coats and strong claws
From this reading “Almost all that followed bears so exclusively upon my internal history, that I will write but one incident more of it.”
plural of “consolation” — the comfort you feel when consoled in times of disappointment
From this reading “In the deepest agony I have never refused the consolations of Nature or of Truth.”
superlative of “deep” — relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply
From this reading “In the deepest agony I have never refused the consolations of Nature or of Truth.”
without any others being included or involved
From this reading “Almost all that followed bears so exclusively upon my internal history, that I will write but one incident more of it.”
plural of “harvest” — the yield from plants in a single growing season
From this reading “I have roamed the world, and reaped many harvests.”
happening or arising or located within some limits or especially surface
From this reading “Almost all that followed bears so exclusively upon my internal history, that I will write but one incident more of it.”
past form of “reap” — gather, as of natural products
From this reading “I have roamed the world, and reaped many harvests.”
past form of “roam” — move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment
From this reading “I have roamed the world, and reaped many harvests.”
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 I am drawing my story to a close.
Extreme physical or mental suffering; intense anguish.
From this reading In the deepest agony I have never refused the consolations of Nature or of Truth.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading Almost all that followed bears so exclusively upon my internal history, that I will write but one incident more of it.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading Almost all that followed bears so exclusively upon my internal history, that I will write but one incident more of it.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading I am drawing my story to a close.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I have roamed the world, and reaped many harvests.
plural of “bear” — massive plantigrade carnivorous or omnivorous mammals with long shaggy coats and strong claws
From this reading Almost all that followed bears so exclusively upon my internal history, that I will write but one incident more of it.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Almost all that followed bears so exclusively upon my internal history, that I will write but one incident more of it.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading I am drawing my story to a close.
plural of “consolation” — the comfort you feel when consoled in times of disappointment
From this reading In the deepest agony I have never refused the consolations of Nature or of Truth.
superlative of “deep” — relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply
From this reading In the deepest agony I have never refused the consolations of Nature or of Truth.
an illustration that is drawn by hand and published in a book, magazine, or newspaper
From this reading I am drawing my story to a close.
without any others being included or involved
From this reading Almost all that followed bears so exclusively upon my internal history, that I will write but one incident more of it.
past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading Almost all that followed bears so exclusively upon my internal history, that I will write but one incident more of it.
plural of “harvest” — the yield from plants in a single growing season
From this reading I have roamed the world, and reaped many harvests.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading I have roamed the world, and reaped many harvests.
the aggregate of past events
From this reading Almost all that followed bears so exclusively upon my internal history, that I will write but one incident more of it.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I am drawing my story to a close.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In the deepest agony I have never refused the consolations of Nature or of Truth.
a single distinct event
From this reading Almost all that followed bears so exclusively upon my internal history, that I will write but one incident more of it.
happening or arising or located within some limits or especially surface
From this reading Almost all that followed bears so exclusively upon my internal history, that I will write but one incident more of it.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Almost all that followed bears so exclusively upon my internal history, that I will write but one incident more of it.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading I have roamed the world, and reaped many harvests.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Almost all that followed bears so exclusively upon my internal history, that I will write but one incident more of it.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading I am drawing my story to a close.
the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized
From this reading In the deepest agony I have never refused the consolations of Nature or of Truth.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading In the deepest agony I have never refused the consolations of Nature or of Truth.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Almost all that followed bears so exclusively upon my internal history, that I will write but one incident more of it.
on one occasion
From this reading YET ONCE.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Almost all that followed bears so exclusively upon my internal history, that I will write but one incident more of it.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading In the deepest agony I have never refused the consolations of Nature or of Truth.
past form of “reap” — gather, as of natural products
From this reading I have roamed the world, and reaped many harvests.
past form of “refuse” — show unwillingness towards
From this reading In the deepest agony I have never refused the consolations of Nature or of Truth.
past form of “roam” — move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment
From this reading I have roamed the world, and reaped many harvests.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Almost all that followed bears so exclusively upon my internal history, that I will write but one incident more of it.
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading I am drawing my story to a close.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Almost all that followed bears so exclusively upon my internal history, that I will write but one incident more of it.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I have roamed the world, and reaped many harvests.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I am drawing my story to a close.
a fact that has been verified
From this reading In the deepest agony I have never refused the consolations of Nature or of Truth.
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Almost all that followed bears so exclusively upon my internal history, that I will write but one incident more of it.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading Almost all that followed bears so exclusively upon my internal history, that I will write but one incident more of it.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading I have roamed the world, and reaped many harvests.
produce a literary work
From this reading Almost all that followed bears so exclusively upon my internal history, that I will write but one incident more of it.
but in spite of that
From this reading YET ONCE.
Chapter 40 of Wilfrid Cumbermede by George MacDonald holds 126 sentences, grouped into 26 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 40 holds 126 sentences of Wilfrid Cumbermede, unabridged, divided into 26 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 40 of Wilfrid Cumbermede by George MacDonald exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 126 sentences, grouped into 26 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 26 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 26 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 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.
Common questions about reading Wilfrid Cumbermede by George MacDonald on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 10072 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #9183 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #9183, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 2015 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Wilfrid Cumbermede section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of Wilfrid Cumbermede 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 Wilfrid Cumbermede, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
