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King-Errant
King-Errant

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of King-Errant is here in full — 250 sentences across 50 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/50 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"Draw near, O Man! and lift thy dreamy eyes.
See! this the ball; this the arena too Where, mounted on the steed of Love, the prize Is to be won by him who--God in view-- Strikes skilfully.
The Goal is distant; narrow too the Field; Yet strike with freedom.
God will send the Ball Thy hand as sped in faith, where it should fall.
Backwards and forward strike and if thou yield Yield cheerfully."
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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.

King-Errant

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of King-Errant is here in full — 250 sentences across 50 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/50 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"Draw near, O Man! and lift thy dreamy eyes.
/drɔː nɪr oʊ mæn ənd lɪft ðaɪ ˈdriːmi aɪz/
Line 2
See! this the ball; this the arena too Where, mounted on the steed of Love, the prize Is to be won by him who--God in view-- Strikes skilfully.
Line 3
The Goal is distant; narrow too the Field; Yet strike with freedom.
/ðə ɡoʊl ɪz ˈdɪstənt ˈneroʊ tuː ðə fiːld jet straɪk wɪð ˈfriːdəm/
Line 4
God will send the Ball Thy hand as sped in faith, where it should fall.
/ɡɑːd wɪl send ðə bɔːl ðaɪ hænd æz sped ɪn feɪθ wer ɪt ʃʊd fɔːl/
Line 5
Backwards and forward strike and if thou yield Yield cheerfully."
/ˈbækwərdz ənd ˈfɔːrwərd straɪk ənd ɪf ðaʊ jiːld jiːld ˈtʃɪrfəli/

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.

arena noun US /ərˈiːnə/

a particular environment or walk of life

From this reading “See! this the ball; this the arena too Where, mounted on the steed of Love, the prize Is to be won by him who--God in view-- Strikes skilfully.”

Backwards adverb US /ˈbækwərdz/

at or to or toward the back or rear

From this reading “Backwards and forward strike and if thou yield Yield cheerfully."”

cheerfully adverb US /ˈtʃɪrfəli/

in a cheerful manner

From this reading “Backwards and forward strike and if thou yield Yield cheerfully."”

dreamy adjective US /ˈdriːmi/

dreamy in mood or nature

From this reading “"Draw near, O Man! and lift thy dreamy eyes.”

Goal noun US /ɡoʊl/

the state of affairs that a plan is intended to achieve and that (when achieved) terminates behavior intended to achieve it

From this reading “The Goal is distant; narrow too the Field; Yet strike with freedom.”

sped verb US /sped/

inflected form of “speed” — move hurridly

From this reading “God will send the Ball Thy hand as sped in faith, where it should fall.”

steed noun US /stiːd/

(literary) a spirited horse for state of war

From this reading “See! this the ball; this the arena too Where, mounted on the steed of Love, the prize Is to be won by him who--God in view-- Strikes skilfully.”

Strikes noun US /straɪks/

plural of “strike” — a group's refusal to work in protest against low pay or bad work conditions

From this reading “See! this the ball; this the arena too Where, mounted on the steed of Love, the prize Is to be won by him who--God in view-- Strikes skilfully.”

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.

Draw near verb + particle

move towards

In this reading “"Draw near, O Man! and lift thy dreamy eyes.”

dreamy eyes adjective + noun

In this reading “"Draw near, O Man! and lift thy dreamy eyes.”

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.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading "Draw near, O Man! and lift thy dreamy eyes.

arenanounUS /ərˈiːnə/

a particular environment or walk of life

From this reading See! this the ball; this the arena too Where, mounted on the steed of Love, the prize Is to be won by him who--God in view-- Strikes skilfully.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading God will send the Ball Thy hand as sped in faith, where it should fall.

BackwardsadverbUS /ˈbækwərdz/

at or to or toward the back or rear

From this reading Backwards and forward strike and if thou yield Yield cheerfully."

ballnounUS /bɔːl/

round object that is hit or thrown or kicked in games

From this reading See! this the ball; this the arena too Where, mounted on the steed of Love, the prize Is to be won by him who--God in view-- Strikes skilfully.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading See! this the ball; this the arena too Where, mounted on the steed of Love, the prize Is to be won by him who--God in view-- Strikes skilfully.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading See! this the ball; this the arena too Where, mounted on the steed of Love, the prize Is to be won by him who--God in view-- Strikes skilfully.

cheerfullyadverbUS /ˈtʃɪrfəli/

in a cheerful manner

From this reading Backwards and forward strike and if thou yield Yield cheerfully."

distantadjectiveUS /ˈdɪstənt/

separated in space or coming from or going to a distance

From this reading The Goal is distant; narrow too the Field; Yet strike with freedom.

DrawverbUS /drɔː/

cause to move by pulling

From this reading "Draw near, O Man! and lift thy dreamy eyes.

dreamyadjectiveUS /ˈdriːmi/

dreamy in mood or nature

From this reading "Draw near, O Man! and lift thy dreamy eyes.

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading "Draw near, O Man! and lift thy dreamy eyes.

faithnounUS /feɪθ/

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

From this reading God will send the Ball Thy hand as sped in faith, where it should fall.

fallverbUS /fɔːl/

descend in free fall under the influence of gravity

From this reading God will send the Ball Thy hand as sped in faith, where it should fall.

FieldnounUS /fiːld/

a piece of land cleared of trees and usually enclosed

From this reading The Goal is distant; narrow too the Field; Yet strike with freedom.

forwardadverbUS /ˈfɔːrwərd/

at or to or toward the front

From this reading Backwards and forward strike and if thou yield Yield cheerfully."

freedomnounUS /ˈfriːdəm/

the condition of being free; the power to act or speak or think without externally imposed restraints

From this reading The Goal is distant; narrow too the Field; Yet strike with freedom.

GoalnounUS /ɡoʊl/

the state of affairs that a plan is intended to achieve and that (when achieved) terminates behavior intended to achieve it

From this reading The Goal is distant; narrow too the Field; Yet strike with freedom.

GodnounUS /ɡɑːd/

the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions

From this reading See! this the ball; this the arena too Where, mounted on the steed of Love, the prize Is to be won by him who--God in view-- Strikes skilfully.

handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading God will send the Ball Thy hand as sped in faith, where it should fall.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading See! this the ball; this the arena too Where, mounted on the steed of Love, the prize Is to be won by him who--God in view-- Strikes skilfully.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading Backwards and forward strike and if thou yield Yield cheerfully."

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading See! this the ball; this the arena too Where, mounted on the steed of Love, the prize Is to be won by him who--God in view-- Strikes skilfully.

Isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading See! this the ball; this the arena too Where, mounted on the steed of Love, the prize Is to be won by him who--God in view-- Strikes skilfully.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading God will send the Ball Thy hand as sped in faith, where it should fall.

liftverbUS /lɪft/

raise from a lower to a higher position

From this reading "Draw near, O Man! and lift thy dreamy eyes.

LovenounUS /lʌv/

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading See! this the ball; this the arena too Where, mounted on the steed of Love, the prize Is to be won by him who--God in view-- Strikes skilfully.

MannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading "Draw near, O Man! and lift thy dreamy eyes.

mountedadjectiveUS /ˈmaʊntəd/

assembled for use; especially by being attached to a support

From this reading See! this the ball; this the arena too Where, mounted on the steed of Love, the prize Is to be won by him who--God in view-- Strikes skilfully.

narrowverbUS /ˈneroʊ/

make or become more narrow or restricted

From this reading The Goal is distant; narrow too the Field; Yet strike with freedom.

nearadverbUS /nɪr/

near in time or place or relationship

From this reading "Draw near, O Man! and lift thy dreamy eyes.

OnounUS /oʊ/

a nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless nonflammable diatomic gas; constitutes 21 percent of the atmosphere by volume; the most abundant element in the earth's crust

From this reading "Draw near, O Man! and lift thy dreamy eyes.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading See! this the ball; this the arena too Where, mounted on the steed of Love, the prize Is to be won by him who--God in view-- Strikes skilfully.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading See! this the ball; this the arena too Where, mounted on the steed of Love, the prize Is to be won by him who--God in view-- Strikes skilfully.

prizenounUS /praɪz/

something given for victory or superiority in a contest or competition or for winning a lottery

From this reading See! this the ball; this the arena too Where, mounted on the steed of Love, the prize Is to be won by him who--God in view-- Strikes skilfully.

SeeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading See! this the ball; this the arena too Where, mounted on the steed of Love, the prize Is to be won by him who--God in view-- Strikes skilfully.

sendverbUS /send/

cause to go somewhere

From this reading God will send the Ball Thy hand as sped in faith, where it should fall.

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading God will send the Ball Thy hand as sped in faith, where it should fall.

skilfullyadverb

with skill

From this reading See! this the ball; this the arena too Where, mounted on the steed of Love, the prize Is to be won by him who--God in view-- Strikes skilfully.

spedverbUS /sped/

inflected form of “speed” — move hurridly

From this reading God will send the Ball Thy hand as sped in faith, where it should fall.

steednounUS /stiːd/

(literary) a spirited horse for state of war

From this reading See! this the ball; this the arena too Where, mounted on the steed of Love, the prize Is to be won by him who--God in view-- Strikes skilfully.

strikeverbUS /straɪk/

deliver a sharp blow, as with the hand, fist, or weapon

From this reading The Goal is distant; narrow too the Field; Yet strike with freedom.

StrikesnounUS /straɪks/

plural of “strike” — a group's refusal to work in protest against low pay or bad work conditions

From this reading See! this the ball; this the arena too Where, mounted on the steed of Love, the prize Is to be won by him who--God in view-- Strikes skilfully.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading See! this the ball; this the arena too Where, mounted on the steed of Love, the prize Is to be won by him who--God in view-- Strikes skilfully.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading See! this the ball; this the arena too Where, mounted on the steed of Love, the prize Is to be won by him who--God in view-- Strikes skilfully.

thoupronounUS /ðaʊ/

an old word for “you”, as the subject, speaking to one person

From this reading Backwards and forward strike and if thou yield Yield cheerfully."

thydeterminerUS /ðaɪ/

an old word for “your”, speaking to one person

From this reading "Draw near, O Man! and lift thy dreamy eyes.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading See! this the ball; this the arena too Where, mounted on the steed of Love, the prize Is to be won by him who--God in view-- Strikes skilfully.

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading See! this the ball; this the arena too Where, mounted on the steed of Love, the prize Is to be won by him who--God in view-- Strikes skilfully.

viewnounUS /vjuː/

a way of regarding situations or topics etc.

From this reading See! this the ball; this the arena too Where, mounted on the steed of Love, the prize Is to be won by him who--God in view-- Strikes skilfully.

WhereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading See! this the ball; this the arena too Where, mounted on the steed of Love, the prize Is to be won by him who--God in view-- Strikes skilfully.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading See! this the ball; this the arena too Where, mounted on the steed of Love, the prize Is to be won by him who--God in view-- Strikes skilfully.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading God will send the Ball Thy hand as sped in faith, where it should fall.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading The Goal is distant; narrow too the Field; Yet strike with freedom.

wonnounUS /wʌn/

the basic unit of money in South Korea

From this reading See! this the ball; this the arena too Where, mounted on the steed of Love, the prize Is to be won by him who--God in view-- Strikes skilfully.

YetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading The Goal is distant; narrow too the Field; Yet strike with freedom.

yieldverbUS /jiːld/

be the cause or source of

From this reading Backwards and forward strike and if thou yield Yield cheerfully."

Chapter 4 of King-Errant by Flora Annie Webster Steel holds 250 sentences, grouped into 50 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 4 of King-Errant contain?

Chapter 4 holds 250 sentences of King-Errant, unabridged, divided into 50 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of King-Errant by Flora Annie Webster Steel exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 250 sentences, grouped into 50 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 4 of King-Errant?

Work through the 50 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 50 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 4 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 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 King-Errant

Common questions about reading King-Errant by Flora Annie Webster Steel on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of King-Errant?

Yes. All 5811 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #39794 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of King-Errant is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #39794, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does King-Errant take to read?

About 484 minutes of reading across 1163 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read King-Errant section by section

How to work through King-Errant section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 29 chapters of King-Errant 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 King-Errant

Words and structures a reader meets early in King-Errant, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Source
A word that appears in the opening chapter of King-Errant; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Books
A word that appears in the opening chapter of King-Errant; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Google
A word that appears in the opening chapter of King-Errant; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Wnimaaaayaaj
A word that appears in the opening chapter of King-Errant; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.