Chapter 1 of Historical Romances is here in full — 683 sentences across 137 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Historical Romances is here in full — 683 sentences across 137 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
2. The diphthong oe is represented by [oe]. "Marked cards!" There were a score round us when the fool, little knowing the man with whom he had to deal, and as little how to lose like a gentleman, flung the words in my teeth. He thought, I'll be sworn, that I should storm and swear and ruffle it like any common cock of the hackle.
Chapter 1 of Historical Romances is here in full — 683 sentences across 137 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/136 · 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 game played with playing cards
From this reading “"Marked cards!"”
tilt or slant to one side
From this reading “He thought, I'll be sworn, that I should storm and swear and ruffle it like any common cock of the hackle.”
a vowel sound that starts near the articulatory position for one vowel and moves toward the position for another
From this reading “The diphthong oe is represented by [oe].”
long slender feather on the necks of e.g. turkeys and pheasants
From this reading “He thought, I'll be sworn, that I should storm and swear and ruffle it like any common cock of the hackle.”
represented accurately or precisely
From this reading “The diphthong oe is represented by [oe].”
stir up (water) so as to form ripples
From this reading “He thought, I'll be sworn, that I should storm and swear and ruffle it like any common cock of the hackle.”
a number or letter indicating quality (especially of a student's performance)
From this reading “There were a score round us when the fool, little knowing the man with whom he had to deal, and as little how to lose like a gentleman, flung the words in my teeth.”
bound by or as if by an oath
From this reading “He thought, I'll be sworn, that I should storm and swear and ruffle it like any common cock of the hackle.”
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 “There were a score round us when the fool, little knowing the man with whom he had to deal, and as little how to lose like a gentleman, flung the words in my teeth.”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 2.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading There were a score round us when the fool, little knowing the man with whom he had to deal, and as little how to lose like a gentleman, flung the words in my teeth.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading There were a score round us when the fool, little knowing the man with whom he had to deal, and as little how to lose like a gentleman, flung the words in my teeth.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading He thought, I'll be sworn, that I should storm and swear and ruffle it like any common cock of the hackle.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading There were a score round us when the fool, little knowing the man with whom he had to deal, and as little how to lose like a gentleman, flung the words in my teeth.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading He thought, I'll be sworn, that I should storm and swear and ruffle it like any common cock of the hackle.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The diphthong oe is represented by [oe].
a game played with playing cards
From this reading "Marked cards!"
tilt or slant to one side
From this reading He thought, I'll be sworn, that I should storm and swear and ruffle it like any common cock of the hackle.
belonging to or participated in by a community as a whole; public
From this reading He thought, I'll be sworn, that I should storm and swear and ruffle it like any common cock of the hackle.
act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression
From this reading There were a score round us when the fool, little knowing the man with whom he had to deal, and as little how to lose like a gentleman, flung the words in my teeth.
a vowel sound that starts near the articulatory position for one vowel and moves toward the position for another
From this reading The diphthong oe is represented by [oe].
inflected form of “fling” — throw with force or recklessness
From this reading There were a score round us when the fool, little knowing the man with whom he had to deal, and as little how to lose like a gentleman, flung the words in my teeth.
a person who lacks good judgment
From this reading There were a score round us when the fool, little knowing the man with whom he had to deal, and as little how to lose like a gentleman, flung the words in my teeth.
a man of refinement
From this reading There were a score round us when the fool, little knowing the man with whom he had to deal, and as little how to lose like a gentleman, flung the words in my teeth.
long slender feather on the necks of e.g. turkeys and pheasants
From this reading He thought, I'll be sworn, that I should storm and swear and ruffle it like any common cock of the hackle.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading There were a score round us when the fool, little knowing the man with whom he had to deal, and as little how to lose like a gentleman, flung the words in my teeth.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading There were a score round us when the fool, little knowing the man with whom he had to deal, and as little how to lose like a gentleman, flung the words in my teeth.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There were a score round us when the fool, little knowing the man with whom he had to deal, and as little how to lose like a gentleman, flung the words in my teeth.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading He thought, I'll be sworn, that I should storm and swear and ruffle it like any common cock of the hackle.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He thought, I'll be sworn, that I should storm and swear and ruffle it like any common cock of the hackle.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading There were a score round us when the fool, little knowing the man with whom he had to deal, and as little how to lose like a gentleman, flung the words in my teeth.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The diphthong oe is represented by [oe].
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He thought, I'll be sworn, that I should storm and swear and ruffle it like any common cock of the hackle.
evidencing the possession of inside information
From this reading There were a score round us when the fool, little knowing the man with whom he had to deal, and as little how to lose like a gentleman, flung the words in my teeth.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading There were a score round us when the fool, little knowing the man with whom he had to deal, and as little how to lose like a gentleman, flung the words in my teeth.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading There were a score round us when the fool, little knowing the man with whom he had to deal, and as little how to lose like a gentleman, flung the words in my teeth.
fail to keep or to maintain; cease to have, either physically or in an abstract sense
From this reading There were a score round us when the fool, little knowing the man with whom he had to deal, and as little how to lose like a gentleman, flung the words in my teeth.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading There were a score round us when the fool, little knowing the man with whom he had to deal, and as little how to lose like a gentleman, flung the words in my teeth.
strongly marked; easily noticeable
From this reading "Marked cards!"
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading There were a score round us when the fool, little knowing the man with whom he had to deal, and as little how to lose like a gentleman, flung the words in my teeth.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The diphthong oe is represented by [oe].
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He thought, I'll be sworn, that I should storm and swear and ruffle it like any common cock of the hackle.
represented accurately or precisely
From this reading The diphthong oe is represented by [oe].
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading There were a score round us when the fool, little knowing the man with whom he had to deal, and as little how to lose like a gentleman, flung the words in my teeth.
stir up (water) so as to form ripples
From this reading He thought, I'll be sworn, that I should storm and swear and ruffle it like any common cock of the hackle.
a number or letter indicating quality (especially of a student's performance)
From this reading There were a score round us when the fool, little knowing the man with whom he had to deal, and as little how to lose like a gentleman, flung the words in my teeth.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading He thought, I'll be sworn, that I should storm and swear and ruffle it like any common cock of the hackle.
behave violently, as if in state of a great anger
From this reading He thought, I'll be sworn, that I should storm and swear and ruffle it like any common cock of the hackle.
utter obscenities or profanities
From this reading He thought, I'll be sworn, that I should storm and swear and ruffle it like any common cock of the hackle.
bound by or as if by an oath
From this reading He thought, I'll be sworn, that I should storm and swear and ruffle it like any common cock of the hackle.
the kind and number and arrangement of teeth (collectively) in a person or animal
From this reading There were a score round us when the fool, little knowing the man with whom he had to deal, and as little how to lose like a gentleman, flung the words in my teeth.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He thought, I'll be sworn, that I should storm and swear and ruffle it like any common cock of the hackle.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The diphthong oe is represented by [oe].
in or at that place or location
From this reading There were a score round us when the fool, little knowing the man with whom he had to deal, and as little how to lose like a gentleman, flung the words in my teeth.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading He thought, I'll be sworn, that I should storm and swear and ruffle it like any common cock of the hackle.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading There were a score round us when the fool, little knowing the man with whom he had to deal, and as little how to lose like a gentleman, flung the words in my teeth.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading There were a score round us when the fool, little knowing the man with whom he had to deal, and as little how to lose like a gentleman, flung the words in my teeth.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading There were a score round us when the fool, little knowing the man with whom he had to deal, and as little how to lose like a gentleman, flung the words in my teeth.
at the time that
From this reading There were a score round us when the fool, little knowing the man with whom he had to deal, and as little how to lose like a gentleman, flung the words in my teeth.
the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading There were a score round us when the fool, little knowing the man with whom he had to deal, and as little how to lose like a gentleman, flung the words in my teeth.
in the company of; together with
From this reading There were a score round us when the fool, little knowing the man with whom he had to deal, and as little how to lose like a gentleman, flung the words in my teeth.
the words that are spoken
From this reading There were a score round us when the fool, little knowing the man with whom he had to deal, and as little how to lose like a gentleman, flung the words in my teeth.
Chapter 1 of Historical Romances by Stanley John Weyman holds 683 sentences, grouped into 137 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 683 sentences of Historical Romances, unabridged, divided into 137 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Historical Romances by Stanley John Weyman exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 683 sentences, grouped into 137 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 137 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 137 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.
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Yes. All 19958 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #39136 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #39136, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 3992 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Historical Romances section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of Historical Romances 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 Historical Romances, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
