Chapter 1 of By Order of the Company is here in full — 116 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of By Order of the Company is here in full — 116 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"_A book very much to be recommended._"--GUARDIAN. "_A stirring tale of love and adventure._"--TABLET. "_The whole book is a masterpiece._"--BRITISH WEEKLY. "_A delightful story._"--SPEAKER. "_A notable book._"--LITERARY WORLD.
Chapter 1 of By Order of the Company is here in full — 116 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/23 · 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.
a person who cares for persons or property
From this reading “"_A book very much to be recommended._"--GUARDIAN.”
the most outstanding work of a creative artist or craftsman
From this reading “"_The whole book is a masterpiece._"--BRITISH WEEKLY.”
widely known and esteemed
From this reading “"_A notable book._"--LITERARY WORLD.”
past form of “recommend” — push for something
From this reading “"_A book very much to be recommended._"--GUARDIAN.”
someone who expresses in language; someone who talks (especially someone who delivers a public speech or someone especially garrulous)
From this reading “"_A delightful story._"--SPEAKER.”
agitating a liquid with an implement
From this reading “"_A stirring tale of love and adventure._"--TABLET.”
a slab of stone or wood suitable for bearing an inscription
From this reading “"_A stirring tale of love and adventure._"--TABLET.”
a periodical that is published every week (or 52 issues per year)
From this reading “"_The whole book is a masterpiece._"--BRITISH WEEKLY.”
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.
In this reading “"_A notable book._"--LITERARY WORLD.”
In this reading “"_A delightful story._"--SPEAKER.”
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 "_A book very much to be recommended._"--GUARDIAN.
take a risk in the hope of a favorable outcome
From this reading "_A stirring tale of love and adventure._"--TABLET.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "_A stirring tale of love and adventure._"--TABLET.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "_A book very much to be recommended._"--GUARDIAN.
a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)
From this reading "_A book very much to be recommended._"--GUARDIAN.
the people of Great Britain
From this reading "_The whole book is a masterpiece._"--BRITISH WEEKLY.
greatly pleasing or entertaining
From this reading "_A delightful story._"--SPEAKER.
a person who cares for persons or property
From this reading "_A book very much to be recommended._"--GUARDIAN.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "_The whole book is a masterpiece._"--BRITISH WEEKLY.
of or relating to or characteristic of literature
From this reading "_A notable book._"--LITERARY WORLD.
a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
From this reading "_A stirring tale of love and adventure._"--TABLET.
the most outstanding work of a creative artist or craftsman
From this reading "_The whole book is a masterpiece._"--BRITISH WEEKLY.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading "_A book very much to be recommended._"--GUARDIAN.
widely known and esteemed
From this reading "_A notable book._"--LITERARY WORLD.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "_A stirring tale of love and adventure._"--TABLET.
past form of “recommend” — push for something
From this reading "_A book very much to be recommended._"--GUARDIAN.
someone who expresses in language; someone who talks (especially someone who delivers a public speech or someone especially garrulous)
From this reading "_A delightful story._"--SPEAKER.
agitating a liquid with an implement
From this reading "_A stirring tale of love and adventure._"--TABLET.
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 "_A delightful story._"--SPEAKER.
a slab of stone or wood suitable for bearing an inscription
From this reading "_A stirring tale of love and adventure._"--TABLET.
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 "_A stirring tale of love and adventure._"--TABLET.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "_The whole book is a masterpiece._"--BRITISH WEEKLY.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "_A book very much to be recommended._"--GUARDIAN.
precisely as stated
From this reading "_A book very much to be recommended._"--GUARDIAN.
a periodical that is published every week (or 52 issues per year)
From this reading "_The whole book is a masterpiece._"--BRITISH WEEKLY.
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading "_The whole book is a masterpiece._"--BRITISH WEEKLY.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading "_A notable book._"--LITERARY WORLD.
Chapter 1 of By Order of the Company by Mary Johnston holds 116 sentences, grouped into 24 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 1 holds 116 sentences of By Order of the Company, unabridged, divided into 24 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of By Order of the Company by Mary Johnston exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 116 sentences, grouped into 24 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 24 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 24 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 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.
Common questions about reading By Order of the Company by Mary Johnston on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6794 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #45721 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #45721, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 566 minutes of reading across 1359 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through By Order of the Company section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 39 chapters of By Order of the Company 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 By Order of the Company, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
