Chapter 2 of Edgar the Ready is here in full — 430 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Edgar the Ready is here in full — 430 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"But a little, I fear. I desire to learn much more." "Come into yon chamber. Take sword and engage with me for a few moments. I shall then know the more surely how much or how little thou dost know."
Chapter 2 of Edgar the Ready is here in full — 430 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/86 · 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 natural or artificial enclosed space
From this reading “"Come into yon chamber.”
an old form of “do”, used with “thou”
From this reading “I shall then know the more surely how much or how little thou dost know."”
carry out or participate in an activity; be involved in
From this reading “Take sword and engage with me for a few moments.”
gain knowledge or skills
From this reading “I desire to learn much more."”
plural of “moment” — a particular point in time
From this reading “Take sword and engage with me for a few moments.”
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading “I shall then know the more surely how much or how little thou dost know."”
a cutting or thrusting weapon that has a long metal blade and a hilt with a hand guard
From this reading “Take sword and engage with me for a few moments.”
distant but within sight (“yon” is dialectal)
From this reading “"Come into yon chamber.”
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 “Take sword and engage with me for a few moments.”
In this reading “I desire to learn much more."”
obtain, especially accidentally
In this reading “"Come into yon chamber.”
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 "But a little, I fear.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Take sword and engage with me for a few moments.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "But a little, I fear.
a natural or artificial enclosed space
From this reading "Come into yon chamber.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading "Come into yon chamber.
the feeling that accompanies an unsatisfied state
From this reading I desire to learn much more."
an old form of “do”, used with “thou”
From this reading I shall then know the more surely how much or how little thou dost know."
carry out or participate in an activity; be involved in
From this reading Take sword and engage with me for a few moments.
be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading "But a little, I fear.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading Take sword and engage with me for a few moments.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Take sword and engage with me for a few moments.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I shall then know the more surely how much or how little thou dost know."
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "But a little, I fear.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading "Come into yon chamber.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading I shall then know the more surely how much or how little thou dost know."
gain knowledge or skills
From this reading I desire to learn much more."
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading "But a little, I fear.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Take sword and engage with me for a few moments.
plural of “moment” — a particular point in time
From this reading Take sword and engage with me for a few moments.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading I desire to learn much more."
to a great degree or extent
From this reading I desire to learn much more."
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading I shall then know the more surely how much or how little thou dost know."
used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest
From this reading I shall then know the more surely how much or how little thou dost know."
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading I shall then know the more surely how much or how little thou dost know."
a cutting or thrusting weapon that has a long metal blade and a hilt with a hand guard
From this reading Take sword and engage with me for a few moments.
carry out
From this reading Take sword and engage with me for a few moments.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I shall then know the more surely how much or how little thou dost know."
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading I shall then know the more surely how much or how little thou dost know."
an old word for “you”, as the subject, speaking to one person
From this reading I shall then know the more surely how much or how little thou dost know."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I desire to learn much more."
in the company of; together with
From this reading Take sword and engage with me for a few moments.
distant but within sight (“yon” is dialectal)
From this reading "Come into yon chamber.
Chapter 2 of Edgar the Ready by W. P. Shervill holds 430 sentences, grouped into 86 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 2 holds 430 sentences of Edgar the Ready, unabridged, divided into 86 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Edgar the Ready by W. P. Shervill exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 430 sentences, grouped into 86 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 86 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 86 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 2 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 Edgar the Ready by W. P. Shervill on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3844 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #49283 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #49283, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 320 minutes of reading across 769 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Edgar the Ready section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 9 chapters of Edgar the Ready 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 Edgar the Ready, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
