Chapter 2 of Historic Girlhoods, Part One is here in full — 479 sentences across 96 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Historic Girlhoods, Part One is here in full — 479 sentences across 96 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Aye, that I will." Holding again by the vines and slipping her feet from rung to rung Vittoria left her ledge and was soon near enough for Ferdinand to catch her in his arms. Messer Florio steadied the boat against the rock while the boy swung Vittoria across the gunwale. "Now set your sail back towards home," she commanded. "Why, Vittoria?"
Chapter 2 of Historic Girlhoods, Part One is here in full — 479 sentences across 96 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/95 · 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.
past form of “command” — be in command of
From this reading “"Now set your sail back towards home," she commanded.”
the king of Castile and Aragon who ruled jointly with his wife Isabella
From this reading “Holding again by the vines and slipping her feet from rung to rung Vittoria left her ledge and was soon near enough for Ferdinand to catch her in his arms.”
English lexicographer remembered for his Italian and English dictionary (1553-1625)
From this reading “Messer Florio steadied the boat against the rock while the boy swung Vittoria across the gunwale.”
a projecting ridge on a mountain or submerged under water
From this reading “Holding again by the vines and slipping her feet from rung to rung Vittoria left her ledge and was soon near enough for Ferdinand to catch her in his arms.”
a crosspiece between the legs of a chair
From this reading “Holding again by the vines and slipping her feet from rung to rung Vittoria left her ledge and was soon near enough for Ferdinand to catch her in his arms.”
moving as on a slippery surface
From this reading “Holding again by the vines and slipping her feet from rung to rung Vittoria left her ledge and was soon near enough for Ferdinand to catch her in his arms.”
made steady or constant
From this reading “Messer Florio steadied the boat against the rock while the boy swung Vittoria across the gunwale.”
plural of “vine” — a plant with a weak stem that derives support from climbing, twining, or creeping along a surface
From this reading “Holding again by the vines and slipping her feet from rung to rung Vittoria left her ledge and was soon near enough for Ferdinand to catch her in his arms.”
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 “Messer Florio steadied the boat against the rock while the boy swung Vittoria across the gunwale.”
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.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading Messer Florio steadied the boat against the rock while the boy swung Vittoria across the gunwale.
anew
From this reading Holding again by the vines and slipping her feet from rung to rung Vittoria left her ledge and was soon near enough for Ferdinand to catch her in his arms.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading Messer Florio steadied the boat against the rock while the boy swung Vittoria across the gunwale.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Holding again by the vines and slipping her feet from rung to rung Vittoria left her ledge and was soon near enough for Ferdinand to catch her in his arms.
weapons considered collectively
From this reading Holding again by the vines and slipping her feet from rung to rung Vittoria left her ledge and was soon near enough for Ferdinand to catch her in his arms.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Aye, that I will."
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading "Now set your sail back towards home," she commanded.
a small vessel for travel on water
From this reading Messer Florio steadied the boat against the rock while the boy swung Vittoria across the gunwale.
a youthful male person
From this reading Messer Florio steadied the boat against the rock while the boy swung Vittoria across the gunwale.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Holding again by the vines and slipping her feet from rung to rung Vittoria left her ledge and was soon near enough for Ferdinand to catch her in his arms.
discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading Holding again by the vines and slipping her feet from rung to rung Vittoria left her ledge and was soon near enough for Ferdinand to catch her in his arms.
past form of “command” — be in command of
From this reading "Now set your sail back towards home," she commanded.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading Holding again by the vines and slipping her feet from rung to rung Vittoria left her ledge and was soon near enough for Ferdinand to catch her in his arms.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading Holding again by the vines and slipping her feet from rung to rung Vittoria left her ledge and was soon near enough for Ferdinand to catch her in his arms.
the king of Castile and Aragon who ruled jointly with his wife Isabella
From this reading Holding again by the vines and slipping her feet from rung to rung Vittoria left her ledge and was soon near enough for Ferdinand to catch her in his arms.
English lexicographer remembered for his Italian and English dictionary (1553-1625)
From this reading Messer Florio steadied the boat against the rock while the boy swung Vittoria across the gunwale.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Holding again by the vines and slipping her feet from rung to rung Vittoria left her ledge and was soon near enough for Ferdinand to catch her in his arms.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Holding again by the vines and slipping her feet from rung to rung Vittoria left her ledge and was soon near enough for Ferdinand to catch her in his arms.
wale at the top of the side of boat; topmost planking of a wooden vessel
From this reading Messer Florio steadied the boat against the rock while the boy swung Vittoria across the gunwale.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Holding again by the vines and slipping her feet from rung to rung Vittoria left her ledge and was soon near enough for Ferdinand to catch her in his arms.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Holding again by the vines and slipping her feet from rung to rung Vittoria left her ledge and was soon near enough for Ferdinand to catch her in his arms.
the act of retaining something
From this reading Holding again by the vines and slipping her feet from rung to rung Vittoria left her ledge and was soon near enough for Ferdinand to catch her in his arms.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading "Now set your sail back towards home," she commanded.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Aye, that I will."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Holding again by the vines and slipping her feet from rung to rung Vittoria left her ledge and was soon near enough for Ferdinand to catch her in his arms.
a projecting ridge on a mountain or submerged under water
From this reading Holding again by the vines and slipping her feet from rung to rung Vittoria left her ledge and was soon near enough for Ferdinand to catch her in his arms.
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 Holding again by the vines and slipping her feet from rung to rung Vittoria left her ledge and was soon near enough for Ferdinand to catch her in his arms.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Messer Florio steadied the boat against the rock while the boy swung Vittoria across the gunwale.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading Holding again by the vines and slipping her feet from rung to rung Vittoria left her ledge and was soon near enough for Ferdinand to catch her in his arms.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading "Now set your sail back towards home," she commanded.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading Messer Florio steadied the boat against the rock while the boy swung Vittoria across the gunwale.
a crosspiece between the legs of a chair
From this reading Holding again by the vines and slipping her feet from rung to rung Vittoria left her ledge and was soon near enough for Ferdinand to catch her in his arms.
traverse or travel on (a body of water)
From this reading "Now set your sail back towards home," she commanded.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading "Now set your sail back towards home," she commanded.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Now set your sail back towards home," she commanded.
moving as on a slippery surface
From this reading Holding again by the vines and slipping her feet from rung to rung Vittoria left her ledge and was soon near enough for Ferdinand to catch her in his arms.
in the near future
From this reading Holding again by the vines and slipping her feet from rung to rung Vittoria left her ledge and was soon near enough for Ferdinand to catch her in his arms.
made steady or constant
From this reading Messer Florio steadied the boat against the rock while the boy swung Vittoria across the gunwale.
inflected form of “swing” — move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting
From this reading Messer Florio steadied the boat against the rock while the boy swung Vittoria across the gunwale.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "Aye, that I will."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Holding again by the vines and slipping her feet from rung to rung Vittoria left her ledge and was soon near enough for Ferdinand to catch her in his arms.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Holding again by the vines and slipping her feet from rung to rung Vittoria left her ledge and was soon near enough for Ferdinand to catch her in his arms.
in the direction of
From this reading "Now set your sail back towards home," she commanded.
plural of “vine” — a plant with a weak stem that derives support from climbing, twining, or creeping along a surface
From this reading Holding again by the vines and slipping her feet from rung to rung Vittoria left her ledge and was soon near enough for Ferdinand to catch her in his arms.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Holding again by the vines and slipping her feet from rung to rung Vittoria left her ledge and was soon near enough for Ferdinand to catch her in his arms.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Holding again by the vines and slipping her feet from rung to rung Vittoria left her ledge and was soon near enough for Ferdinand to catch her in his arms.
during the time that
From this reading Messer Florio steadied the boat against the rock while the boy swung Vittoria across the gunwale.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading "Why, Vittoria?"
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading "Aye, that I will."
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Now set your sail back towards home," she commanded.
Chapter 2 of Historic Girlhoods, Part One by Rupert Sargent Holland holds 479 sentences, grouped into 96 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 479 sentences of Historic Girlhoods, Part One, unabridged, divided into 96 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Historic Girlhoods, Part One by Rupert Sargent Holland exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 479 sentences, grouped into 96 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 96 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 96 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 Historic Girlhoods, Part One by Rupert Sargent Holland on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1924 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #43538 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #43538, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 160 minutes of reading across 385 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Historic Girlhoods, Part One section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 4 chapters of Historic Girlhoods, Part One 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 Historic Girlhoods, Part One, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
