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Babes of the Empire
Babes of the Empire

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Babes of the Empire is here in full — 61 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Babes of the Empire
Context Illustration Reading 1/12 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Babes of the Empire where sun never sets, Yours is the manfullest banner unfurled!
Yours is the proudest of all alphabets, Babes of an Empire as wide as the world!
Follow the sun from the east to the west: Follow the birds from the north to the south; Peace be the law where your faith is confessed, Love be the gospel that lives in your mouth.
Babes of Great Britain from sea unto sea, Happy the land where your monarch has sway!
King of contentment, and Lord of the Free, Yours be an Empire that fades not away!
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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.

Babes of the Empire

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Babes of the Empire is here in full — 61 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/12 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Babes of the Empire where sun never sets, Yours is the manfullest banner unfurled!
Line 2
Yours is the proudest of all alphabets, Babes of an Empire as wide as the world!
Line 3
Follow the sun from the east to the west: Follow the birds from the north to the south; Peace be the law where your faith is confessed, Love be the gospel that lives in your mouth.
/ˈfɑːloʊ ðə sʌn frʌm ðə iːst tuː ðə west ˈfɑːloʊ ðə bɜːrdz frʌm ðə nɔːrθ tuː ðə saʊθ piːs biː ðə lɔː wer jɔːr feɪθ ɪz kənˈfest lʌv biː ðə ˈɡɑːspəl ðæt lɪvz ɪn jɔːr maʊθ/
Line 4
Babes of Great Britain from sea unto sea, Happy the land where your monarch has sway!
/beɪbz ʌv ɡreɪt ˈbrɪtən frʌm siː ˈʌntuː siː ˈhæpi ðə lænd wer jɔːr ˈmɑːnɑːrk hæz sweɪ/
Line 5
King of contentment, and Lord of the Free, Yours be an Empire that fades not away!
/kɪŋ ʌv kənˈtentmənt ənd lɔːrd ʌv ðə friː jʊrz biː æn ˈempaɪər ðæt feɪdz nɑːt əˈweɪ/

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.

Babes noun US /beɪbz/

plural of “babe” — a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk

From this reading “Babes of the Empire where sun never sets, Yours is the manfullest banner unfurled!”

banner noun US /ˈbænər/

long strip of cloth or paper used for decoration or advertising

From this reading “Babes of the Empire where sun never sets, Yours is the manfullest banner unfurled!”

contentment noun US /kənˈtentmənt/

happiness with one's situation in life

From this reading “King of contentment, and Lord of the Free, Yours be an Empire that fades not away!”

fades noun US /feɪdz/

plural of “fade” — a golf shot that curves to the right for a right-handed golfer

From this reading “King of contentment, and Lord of the Free, Yours be an Empire that fades not away!”

gospel noun US /ˈɡɑːspəl/

the four books in the New Testament (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) that tell the story of Christ's life and teachings

From this reading “Follow the sun from the east to the west: Follow the birds from the north to the south; Peace be the law where your faith is confessed, Love be the gospel that lives in your mouth.”

proudest adjective US /ˈpraʊdəst/

superlative of “proud” — feeling self-respect or pleasure in something by which you measure your self-worth; or being a reason for pride

From this reading “Yours is the proudest of all alphabets, Babes of an Empire as wide as the world!”

sway verb US /sweɪ/

move back and forth or sideways

From this reading “Babes of Great Britain from sea unto sea, Happy the land where your monarch has sway!”

unfurled verb US /ənˈfɜːrld/

past form of “unfurl” — unroll, unfold, or spread out or be unrolled, unfolded, or spread out from a furled state

From this reading “Babes of the Empire where sun never sets, Yours is the manfullest banner unfurled!”

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.

from the east preposition + article + noun counted as “from … east”

In this reading “Follow the sun from the east to the west: Follow the birds from the north to the south; Peace be the law where your faith is confessed, Love be the gospel that lives in your mouth.”

from the north preposition + article + noun counted as “from … north”

In this reading “Follow the sun from the east to the west: Follow the birds from the north to the south; Peace be the law where your faith is confessed, Love be the gospel that lives in your mouth.”

All words in this reading · 57

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.

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 Yours is the proudest of all alphabets, Babes of an Empire as wide as the world!

alphabets

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

From this reading Yours is the proudest of all alphabets, Babes of an Empire as wide as the world!

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading Yours is the proudest of all alphabets, Babes of an Empire as wide as the world!

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading King of contentment, and Lord of the Free, Yours be an Empire that fades not away!

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Yours is the proudest of all alphabets, Babes of an Empire as wide as the world!

awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading King of contentment, and Lord of the Free, Yours be an Empire that fades not away!

BabesnounUS /beɪbz/

plural of “babe” — a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk

From this reading Babes of the Empire where sun never sets, Yours is the manfullest banner unfurled!

bannernounUS /ˈbænər/

long strip of cloth or paper used for decoration or advertising

From this reading Babes of the Empire where sun never sets, Yours is the manfullest banner unfurled!

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading Follow the sun from the east to the west: Follow the birds from the north to the south; Peace be the law where your faith is confessed, Love be the gospel that lives in your mouth.

birdsnounUS /bɜːrdz/

plural of “bird” — warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings

From this reading Follow the sun from the east to the west: Follow the birds from the north to the south; Peace be the law where your faith is confessed, Love be the gospel that lives in your mouth.

BritainnounUS /ˈbrɪtən/

a monarchy in northwestern Europe occupying most of the British Isles; divided into England and Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland; “Great Britain” is often used loosely to refer to the United Kingdom

From this reading Babes of Great Britain from sea unto sea, Happy the land where your monarch has sway!

confessedverbUS /kənˈfest/

past form of “confess” — confess to a punishable or reprehensible deed, usually under pressure

From this reading Follow the sun from the east to the west: Follow the birds from the north to the south; Peace be the law where your faith is confessed, Love be the gospel that lives in your mouth.

contentmentnounUS /kənˈtentmənt/

happiness with one's situation in life

From this reading King of contentment, and Lord of the Free, Yours be an Empire that fades not away!

eastnounUS /iːst/

the cardinal compass point that is at 90 degrees

From this reading Follow the sun from the east to the west: Follow the birds from the north to the south; Peace be the law where your faith is confessed, Love be the gospel that lives in your mouth.

EmpirenounUS /ˈempaɪər/

the domain ruled by an emperor or empress; the region over which imperial dominion is exercised

From this reading Babes of the Empire where sun never sets, Yours is the manfullest banner unfurled!

fadesnounUS /feɪdz/

plural of “fade” — a golf shot that curves to the right for a right-handed golfer

From this reading King of contentment, and Lord of the Free, Yours be an Empire that fades not away!

faithnounUS /feɪθ/

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

From this reading Follow the sun from the east to the west: Follow the birds from the north to the south; Peace be the law where your faith is confessed, Love be the gospel that lives in your mouth.

FollowverbUS /ˈfɑːloʊ/

to travel behind, go after, come after

From this reading Follow the sun from the east to the west: Follow the birds from the north to the south; Peace be the law where your faith is confessed, Love be the gospel that lives in your mouth.

FreeverbUS /friː/

grant freedom to; free from confinement

From this reading King of contentment, and Lord of the Free, Yours be an Empire that fades not away!

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Follow the sun from the east to the west: Follow the birds from the north to the south; Peace be the law where your faith is confessed, Love be the gospel that lives in your mouth.

gospelnounUS /ˈɡɑːspəl/

the four books in the New Testament (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) that tell the story of Christ's life and teachings

From this reading Follow the sun from the east to the west: Follow the birds from the north to the south; Peace be the law where your faith is confessed, Love be the gospel that lives in your mouth.

GreatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

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

From this reading Babes of Great Britain from sea unto sea, Happy the land where your monarch has sway!

HappyadjectiveUS /ˈhæpi/

enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure

From this reading Babes of Great Britain from sea unto sea, Happy the land where your monarch has sway!

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Babes of Great Britain from sea unto sea, Happy the land where your monarch has sway!

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Follow the sun from the east to the west: Follow the birds from the north to the south; Peace be the law where your faith is confessed, Love be the gospel that lives in your mouth.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Babes of the Empire where sun never sets, Yours is the manfullest banner unfurled!

KingnounUS /kɪŋ/

a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom

From this reading King of contentment, and Lord of the Free, Yours be an Empire that fades not away!

landnounUS /lænd/

the land on which real estate is located

From this reading Babes of Great Britain from sea unto sea, Happy the land where your monarch has sway!

lawnounUS /lɔː/

the collection of rules imposed by authority

From this reading Follow the sun from the east to the west: Follow the birds from the north to the south; Peace be the law where your faith is confessed, Love be the gospel that lives in your mouth.

livesnounUS /lɪvz/

plural of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading Follow the sun from the east to the west: Follow the birds from the north to the south; Peace be the law where your faith is confessed, Love be the gospel that lives in your mouth.

LordnounUS /lɔːrd/

terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God

From this reading King of contentment, and Lord of the Free, Yours be an Empire that fades not away!

LovenounUS /lʌv/

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading Follow the sun from the east to the west: Follow the birds from the north to the south; Peace be the law where your faith is confessed, Love be the gospel that lives in your mouth.

manfullest

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

From this reading Babes of the Empire where sun never sets, Yours is the manfullest banner unfurled!

monarchnounUS /ˈmɑːnɑːrk/

a nation's ruler or head of state usually by hereditary right

From this reading Babes of Great Britain from sea unto sea, Happy the land where your monarch has sway!

mouthnounUS /maʊθ/

the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge

From this reading Follow the sun from the east to the west: Follow the birds from the north to the south; Peace be the law where your faith is confessed, Love be the gospel that lives in your mouth.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading Babes of the Empire where sun never sets, Yours is the manfullest banner unfurled!

northnounUS /nɔːrθ/

the region of the United States lying to the north of the Mason-Dixon line

From this reading Follow the sun from the east to the west: Follow the birds from the north to the south; Peace be the law where your faith is confessed, Love be the gospel that lives in your mouth.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading King of contentment, and Lord of the Free, Yours be an Empire that fades not away!

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Babes of the Empire where sun never sets, Yours is the manfullest banner unfurled!

PeacenounUS /piːs/

the state prevailing during the absence of war

From this reading Follow the sun from the east to the west: Follow the birds from the north to the south; Peace be the law where your faith is confessed, Love be the gospel that lives in your mouth.

proudestadjectiveUS /ˈpraʊdəst/

superlative of “proud” — feeling self-respect or pleasure in something by which you measure your self-worth; or being a reason for pride

From this reading Yours is the proudest of all alphabets, Babes of an Empire as wide as the world!

seanounUS /siː/

a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land

From this reading Babes of Great Britain from sea unto sea, Happy the land where your monarch has sway!

setsnounUS /sets/

plural of “set” — a group of things of the same kind that belong together and are so used

From this reading Babes of the Empire where sun never sets, Yours is the manfullest banner unfurled!

southnounUS /saʊθ/

the region of the United States lying to the south of the Mason-Dixon line

From this reading Follow the sun from the east to the west: Follow the birds from the north to the south; Peace be the law where your faith is confessed, Love be the gospel that lives in your mouth.

sunnounUS /sʌn/

the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system

From this reading Babes of the Empire where sun never sets, Yours is the manfullest banner unfurled!

swayverbUS /sweɪ/

move back and forth or sideways

From this reading Babes of Great Britain from sea unto sea, Happy the land where your monarch has sway!

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Follow the sun from the east to the west: Follow the birds from the north to the south; Peace be the law where your faith is confessed, Love be the gospel that lives in your mouth.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Babes of the Empire where sun never sets, Yours is the manfullest banner unfurled!

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Follow the sun from the east to the west: Follow the birds from the north to the south; Peace be the law where your faith is confessed, Love be the gospel that lives in your mouth.

unfurledverbUS /ənˈfɜːrld/

past form of “unfurl” — unroll, unfold, or spread out or be unrolled, unfolded, or spread out from a furled state

From this reading Babes of the Empire where sun never sets, Yours is the manfullest banner unfurled!

untoprepositionUS /ˈʌntuː/

an old word for “to”

From this reading Babes of Great Britain from sea unto sea, Happy the land where your monarch has sway!

westnounUS /west/

the countries of (originally) Europe and (now including) North America and South America

From this reading Follow the sun from the east to the west: Follow the birds from the north to the south; Peace be the law where your faith is confessed, Love be the gospel that lives in your mouth.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading Babes of the Empire where sun never sets, Yours is the manfullest banner unfurled!

wideadjectiveUS /waɪd/

having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other

From this reading Yours is the proudest of all alphabets, Babes of an Empire as wide as the world!

worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading Yours is the proudest of all alphabets, Babes of an Empire as wide as the world!

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Follow the sun from the east to the west: Follow the birds from the north to the south; Peace be the law where your faith is confessed, Love be the gospel that lives in your mouth.

YourspronounUS /jʊrz/

the one or ones belonging to the person spoken to

From this reading Babes of the Empire where sun never sets, Yours is the manfullest banner unfurled!

Chapter 1 of Babes of the Empire by Thomas Stevens holds 61 sentences, grouped into 13 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 1 of Babes of the Empire contain?

Chapter 1 holds 61 sentences of Babes of the Empire, unabridged, divided into 13 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Babes of the Empire by Thomas Stevens exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 61 sentences, grouped into 13 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 1 of Babes of the Empire?

Work through the 13 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 13 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 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 Babes of the Empire

Common questions about reading Babes of the Empire by Thomas Stevens on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Babes of the Empire?

Yes. All 61 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #62730 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Babes of the Empire is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #62730, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Babes of the Empire take to read?

About 5 minutes of reading across 13 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Babes of the Empire section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 1 chapters of Babes of the Empire 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 Babes of the Empire

Words and structures a reader meets early in Babes of the Empire, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Babes
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Babes of the Empire; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Empire
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Babes of the Empire; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Where
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Babes of the Empire; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Never
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Babes of the Empire; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.