Learn English through classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Zanoni
Zanoni

Chapter XVI · Chapter 16

Chapter 16 of Zanoni is here in full — 105 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Zanoni
Context Illustration Reading 1/21 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Was hab’ich, Wenn ich nicht Alles habe?--sprach der Jungling.
Das Verschleierte Bild zu Sais.”
(“What have I, if I possess not All?” said the youth.)
Mervale and the Italians arrived in safety at the spot where they had left the mules; and not till they had recovered their own alarm and breath did they think of Glyndon.
But then, as the minutes passed, and he appeared not, Mervale, whose heart was as good at least as human hearts are in general, grew seriously alarmed.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Zanoni

Chapter XVI · Chapter 16

Chapter 16 of Zanoni is here in full — 105 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/21 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Was hab’ich, Wenn ich nicht Alles habe?--sprach der Jungling.
Line 2
Das Verschleierte Bild zu Sais.”
Line 3
(“What have I, if I possess not All?” said the youth.)
/wʌt hæv aɪ ɪf aɪ pəˈzes nɑːt ɔːl sed ðə juːθ/
Line 4
Mervale and the Italians arrived in safety at the spot where they had left the mules; and not till they had recovered their own alarm and breath did they think of Glyndon.
Line 5
But then, as the minutes passed, and he appeared not, Mervale, whose heart was as good at least as human hearts are in general, grew seriously alarmed.

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.

alarm noun US /əˈlɑːrm/

fear resulting from the awareness of danger

From this reading “Mervale and the Italians arrived in safety at the spot where they had left the mules; and not till they had recovered their own alarm and breath did they think of Glyndon.”

alarmed adjective US /əˈlɑːrmd/

experiencing a sudden sense of danger

From this reading “But then, as the minutes passed, and he appeared not, Mervale, whose heart was as good at least as human hearts are in general, grew seriously alarmed.”

Das noun US /dæs/

any of several small ungulate mammals of Africa and Asia with rodent-like incisors and feet with hooflike toes

From this reading ““Das Verschleierte Bild zu Sais.””

Italians noun US /ˌɪˈtæljənz/

plural of “italian” — a native or inhabitant of Italy

From this reading “Mervale and the Italians arrived in safety at the spot where they had left the mules; and not till they had recovered their own alarm and breath did they think of Glyndon.”

mules noun US /mjuːlz/

plural of “mule” — hybrid offspring of a male donkey and a female horse; usually sterile

From this reading “Mervale and the Italians arrived in safety at the spot where they had left the mules; and not till they had recovered their own alarm and breath did they think of Glyndon.”

possess verb US /pəˈzes/

have as an attribute, knowledge, or skill

From this reading “(“What have I, if I possess not All?” said the youth.)”

recovered adjective US /rəˈkʌvərd/

freed from illness or injury

From this reading “Mervale and the Italians arrived in safety at the spot where they had left the mules; and not till they had recovered their own alarm and breath did they think of Glyndon.”

seriously adverb US /ˈsɪriəsli/

in a serious manner

From this reading “But then, as the minutes passed, and he appeared not, Mervale, whose heart was as good at least as human hearts are in general, grew seriously alarmed.”

All words in this reading · 66

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.

alarmnounUS /əˈlɑːrm/

fear resulting from the awareness of danger

From this reading Mervale and the Italians arrived in safety at the spot where they had left the mules; and not till they had recovered their own alarm and breath did they think of Glyndon.

alarmedadjectiveUS /əˈlɑːrmd/

experiencing a sudden sense of danger

From this reading But then, as the minutes passed, and he appeared not, Mervale, whose heart was as good at least as human hearts are in general, grew seriously alarmed.

AlladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(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 (“What have I, if I possess not All?” said the youth.)

Alles

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

From this reading Was hab’ich, Wenn ich nicht Alles habe?--sprach der Jungling.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Mervale and the Italians arrived in safety at the spot where they had left the mules; and not till they had recovered their own alarm and breath did they think of Glyndon.

appearedverbUS /əˈpɪrd/

past form of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading But then, as the minutes passed, and he appeared not, Mervale, whose heart was as good at least as human hearts are in general, grew seriously alarmed.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading But then, as the minutes passed, and he appeared not, Mervale, whose heart was as good at least as human hearts are in general, grew seriously alarmed.

arrivedverbUS /ərˈaɪvd/

past form of “arrive” — reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress

From this reading Mervale and the Italians arrived in safety at the spot where they had left the mules; and not till they had recovered their own alarm and breath did they think of Glyndon.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading But then, as the minutes passed, and he appeared not, Mervale, whose heart was as good at least as human hearts are in general, grew seriously alarmed.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Mervale and the Italians arrived in safety at the spot where they had left the mules; and not till they had recovered their own alarm and breath did they think of Glyndon.

Bild

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

From this reading “Das Verschleierte Bild zu Sais.”

breathnounUS /breθ/

the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing

From this reading Mervale and the Italians arrived in safety at the spot where they had left the mules; and not till they had recovered their own alarm and breath did they think of Glyndon.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But then, as the minutes passed, and he appeared not, Mervale, whose heart was as good at least as human hearts are in general, grew seriously alarmed.

DasnounUS /dæs/

any of several small ungulate mammals of Africa and Asia with rodent-like incisors and feet with hooflike toes

From this reading “Das Verschleierte Bild zu Sais.”

der

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

From this reading Was hab’ich, Wenn ich nicht Alles habe?--sprach der Jungling.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading Mervale and the Italians arrived in safety at the spot where they had left the mules; and not till they had recovered their own alarm and breath did they think of Glyndon.

generaladjectiveUS /ˈdʒenərəl/

applying to all or most members of a category or group

From this reading But then, as the minutes passed, and he appeared not, Mervale, whose heart was as good at least as human hearts are in general, grew seriously alarmed.

Glyndon

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

From this reading Mervale and the Italians arrived in safety at the spot where they had left the mules; and not till they had recovered their own alarm and breath did they think of Glyndon.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading But then, as the minutes passed, and he appeared not, Mervale, whose heart was as good at least as human hearts are in general, grew seriously alarmed.

grewverbUS /ɡruː/

inflected form of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become

From this reading But then, as the minutes passed, and he appeared not, Mervale, whose heart was as good at least as human hearts are in general, grew seriously alarmed.

hab'ich

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

From this reading Was hab’ich, Wenn ich nicht Alles habe?--sprach der Jungling.

habe

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

From this reading Was hab’ich, Wenn ich nicht Alles habe?--sprach der Jungling.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Mervale and the Italians arrived in safety at the spot where they had left the mules; and not till they had recovered their own alarm and breath did they think of Glyndon.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading (“What have I, if I possess not All?” said the youth.)

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading But then, as the minutes passed, and he appeared not, Mervale, whose heart was as good at least as human hearts are in general, grew seriously alarmed.

heartnounUS /hɑːrt/

the locus of feelings and intuitions

From this reading But then, as the minutes passed, and he appeared not, Mervale, whose heart was as good at least as human hearts are in general, grew seriously alarmed.

heartsnounUS /hɑːrts/

a form of whist in which players avoid winning tricks containing hearts or the queen of spades

From this reading But then, as the minutes passed, and he appeared not, Mervale, whose heart was as good at least as human hearts are in general, grew seriously alarmed.

humanadjectiveUS /ˈhjuːmən/

characteristic of humanity

From this reading But then, as the minutes passed, and he appeared not, Mervale, whose heart was as good at least as human hearts are in general, grew seriously alarmed.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading (“What have I, if I possess not All?” said the youth.)

ich

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

From this reading Was hab’ich, Wenn ich nicht Alles habe?--sprach der Jungling.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading (“What have I, if I possess not All?” said the youth.)

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Mervale and the Italians arrived in safety at the spot where they had left the mules; and not till they had recovered their own alarm and breath did they think of Glyndon.

ItaliansnounUS /ˌɪˈtæljənz/

plural of “italian” — a native or inhabitant of Italy

From this reading Mervale and the Italians arrived in safety at the spot where they had left the mules; and not till they had recovered their own alarm and breath did they think of Glyndon.

Jungling

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

From this reading Was hab’ich, Wenn ich nicht Alles habe?--sprach der Jungling.

leastadjectiveUS /liːst/

the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree

From this reading But then, as the minutes passed, and he appeared not, Mervale, whose heart was as good at least as human hearts are in general, grew seriously alarmed.

leftnounUS /left/

location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east

From this reading Mervale and the Italians arrived in safety at the spot where they had left the mules; and not till they had recovered their own alarm and breath did they think of Glyndon.

Mervale

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

From this reading Mervale and the Italians arrived in safety at the spot where they had left the mules; and not till they had recovered their own alarm and breath did they think of Glyndon.

minutesnounUS /ˈmɪnəts/

a written account of what transpired at a meeting

From this reading But then, as the minutes passed, and he appeared not, Mervale, whose heart was as good at least as human hearts are in general, grew seriously alarmed.

mulesnounUS /mjuːlz/

plural of “mule” — hybrid offspring of a male donkey and a female horse; usually sterile

From this reading Mervale and the Italians arrived in safety at the spot where they had left the mules; and not till they had recovered their own alarm and breath did they think of Glyndon.

nicht

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

From this reading Was hab’ich, Wenn ich nicht Alles habe?--sprach der Jungling.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading (“What have I, if I possess not All?” said the youth.)

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Mervale and the Italians arrived in safety at the spot where they had left the mules; and not till they had recovered their own alarm and breath did they think of Glyndon.

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading Mervale and the Italians arrived in safety at the spot where they had left the mules; and not till they had recovered their own alarm and breath did they think of Glyndon.

passedverbUS /pæst/

past form of “pass” — go across or through

From this reading But then, as the minutes passed, and he appeared not, Mervale, whose heart was as good at least as human hearts are in general, grew seriously alarmed.

possessverbUS /pəˈzes/

have as an attribute, knowledge, or skill

From this reading (“What have I, if I possess not All?” said the youth.)

recoveredadjectiveUS /rəˈkʌvərd/

freed from illness or injury

From this reading Mervale and the Italians arrived in safety at the spot where they had left the mules; and not till they had recovered their own alarm and breath did they think of Glyndon.

safetynounUS /ˈseɪfti/

the state of being certain that adverse effects will not be caused by some agent under defined conditions

From this reading Mervale and the Italians arrived in safety at the spot where they had left the mules; and not till they had recovered their own alarm and breath did they think of Glyndon.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading (“What have I, if I possess not All?” said the youth.)

Sais

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

From this reading “Das Verschleierte Bild zu Sais.”

seriouslyadverbUS /ˈsɪriəsli/

in a serious manner

From this reading But then, as the minutes passed, and he appeared not, Mervale, whose heart was as good at least as human hearts are in general, grew seriously alarmed.

spotnounUS /spɑːt/

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading Mervale and the Italians arrived in safety at the spot where they had left the mules; and not till they had recovered their own alarm and breath did they think of Glyndon.

sprach

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

From this reading Was hab’ich, Wenn ich nicht Alles habe?--sprach der Jungling.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading (“What have I, if I possess not All?” said the youth.)

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Mervale and the Italians arrived in safety at the spot where they had left the mules; and not till they had recovered their own alarm and breath did they think of Glyndon.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading But then, as the minutes passed, and he appeared not, Mervale, whose heart was as good at least as human hearts are in general, grew seriously alarmed.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Mervale and the Italians arrived in safety at the spot where they had left the mules; and not till they had recovered their own alarm and breath did they think of Glyndon.

thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading Mervale and the Italians arrived in safety at the spot where they had left the mules; and not till they had recovered their own alarm and breath did they think of Glyndon.

tillprepositionUS /tɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading Mervale and the Italians arrived in safety at the spot where they had left the mules; and not till they had recovered their own alarm and breath did they think of Glyndon.

Verschleierte

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

From this reading “Das Verschleierte Bild zu Sais.”

Wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Was hab’ich, Wenn ich nicht Alles habe?--sprach der Jungling.

Wenn

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

From this reading Was hab’ich, Wenn ich nicht Alles habe?--sprach der Jungling.

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading (“What have I, if I possess not All?” said the youth.)

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading Mervale and the Italians arrived in safety at the spot where they had left the mules; and not till they had recovered their own alarm and breath did they think of Glyndon.

whosedeterminerUS /huːz/

belonging to which person

From this reading But then, as the minutes passed, and he appeared not, Mervale, whose heart was as good at least as human hearts are in general, grew seriously alarmed.

youthnounUS /juːθ/

a young person (especially a young man or boy)

From this reading (“What have I, if I possess not All?” said the youth.)

zunoun

evil storm god represented as a black bird

From this reading “Das Verschleierte Bild zu Sais.”

Chapter 16 of Zanoni by Edward Bulwer Lytton, Baron Lytton holds 105 sentences, grouped into 21 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.

What does chapter 16 of Zanoni contain?

Chapter 16 holds 105 sentences of Zanoni, unabridged, divided into 21 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 16 of Zanoni by Edward Bulwer Lytton, Baron Lytton exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 105 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 16 of Zanoni?

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 16 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 16 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 Zanoni

Common questions about reading Zanoni by Edward Bulwer Lytton, Baron Lytton on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Zanoni?

Yes. All 7736 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2664 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Zanoni is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #2664, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Zanoni take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1548 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Zanoni section by section

How to work through Zanoni section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of Zanoni to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Zanoni

Words and structures a reader meets early in Zanoni, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Fontane
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Zanoni; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Diverso
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Zanoni; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Effeto
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Zanoni; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Hanno
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Zanoni; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.