Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Lays and Legends of the English Lake Country
Lays and Legends of the English Lake Country

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Lays and Legends of the English Lake Country is here in full — 359 sentences across 72 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By John Pagen, -1868 White • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Lays and Legends of the English Lake Country
Context Illustration Reading 1/71 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
LAYS AND LEGENDS OF THE ENGLISH LAKE COUNTRY.
LAYS AND LEGENDS OF THE ENGLISH LAKE COUNTRY.
_WITH COPIOUS NOTES._ BY JOHN PAGEN WHITE, F.R.C.S.
"In early date, When I was beardless, young, and blate, E'en then a wish, I mind its power, A wish that to my latest hour Shall strongly heave my breast; That I for poor auld _Cumbria's_ sake, Some usefu' plan or beuk could make, Or sing a sang at least."
LONDON: JOHN RUSSELL SMITH.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Lays and Legends of the English Lake Country

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Lays and Legends of the English Lake Country is here in full — 359 sentences across 72 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/71 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
LAYS AND LEGENDS OF THE ENGLISH LAKE COUNTRY.
/leɪz ənd ˈledʒəndz ʌv ðə ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ leɪk ˈkʌntri/
Line 2
LAYS AND LEGENDS OF THE ENGLISH LAKE COUNTRY.
/leɪz ənd ˈledʒəndz ʌv ðə ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ leɪk ˈkʌntri/
Line 3
_WITH COPIOUS NOTES._ BY JOHN PAGEN WHITE, F.R.C.S.
Line 4
"In early date, When I was beardless, young, and blate, E'en then a wish, I mind its power, A wish that to my latest hour Shall strongly heave my breast; That I for poor auld _Cumbria's_ sake, Some usefu' plan or beuk could make, Or sing a sang at least."
Line 5
LONDON: JOHN RUSSELL SMITH.
/ˈlʌndən dʒɑːn ˈrʌsəl smɪθ/

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.

auld adjective US /ɔːld/

a Scottish word

From this reading “"In early date, When I was beardless, young, and blate, E'en then a wish, I mind its power, A wish that to my latest hour Shall strongly heave my breast; That I for poor auld _Cumbria's_ sake, Some usefu' plan or beuk could make, Or sing a sang at least."”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
copious adjective US /ˈkoʊpiəs/

large in number or quantity (especially of discourse)

From this reading “_WITH COPIOUS NOTES._ BY JOHN PAGEN WHITE, F.R.C.S.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
heave verb US /hiːv/

utter a sound, as with obvious effort

From this reading “"In early date, When I was beardless, young, and blate, E'en then a wish, I mind its power, A wish that to my latest hour Shall strongly heave my breast; That I for poor auld _Cumbria's_ sake, Some usefu' plan or beuk could make, Or sing a sang at least."”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
latest adjective US /ˈleɪtəst/

up to the immediate present; most recent or most up-to-date

From this reading “"In early date, When I was beardless, young, and blate, E'en then a wish, I mind its power, A wish that to my latest hour Shall strongly heave my breast; That I for poor auld _Cumbria's_ sake, Some usefu' plan or beuk could make, Or sing a sang at least."”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lays noun US /leɪz/

plural of “lay” — a narrative song with a recurrent refrain

From this reading “LAYS AND LEGENDS OF THE ENGLISH LAKE COUNTRY.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
legends noun US /ˈledʒəndz/

plural of “legend” — a story about mythical or supernatural beings or events

From this reading “LAYS AND LEGENDS OF THE ENGLISH LAKE COUNTRY.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
russell noun US /ˈrʌsəl/

United States religious leader who founded the sect that is now called Jehovah's Witnesses (1852-1916)

From this reading “LONDON: JOHN RUSSELL SMITH.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
strongly adverb US /ˈstrɔːŋli/

with strength or in a strong manner

From this reading “"In early date, When I was beardless, young, and blate, E'en then a wish, I mind its power, A wish that to my latest hour Shall strongly heave my breast; That I for poor auld _Cumbria's_ sake, Some usefu' plan or beuk could make, Or sing a sang at least."”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

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.

early date adjective + noun

In this reading “"In early date, When I was beardless, young, and blate, E'en then a wish, I mind its power, A wish that to my latest hour Shall strongly heave my breast; That I for poor auld _Cumbria's_ sake, Some usefu' plan or beuk could make, Or sing a sang at least."”

414 times in 426,212 chapters

All words in this reading · 63

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading "In early date, When I was beardless, young, and blate, E'en then a wish, I mind its power, A wish that to my latest hour Shall strongly heave my breast; That I for poor auld _Cumbria's_ sake, Some usefu' plan or beuk could make, Or sing a sang at least."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading LAYS AND LEGENDS OF THE ENGLISH LAKE COUNTRY.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading "In early date, When I was beardless, young, and blate, E'en then a wish, I mind its power, A wish that to my latest hour Shall strongly heave my breast; That I for poor auld _Cumbria's_ sake, Some usefu' plan or beuk could make, Or sing a sang at least."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
auldadjectiveUS /ɔːld/

a Scottish word

From this reading "In early date, When I was beardless, young, and blate, E'en then a wish, I mind its power, A wish that to my latest hour Shall strongly heave my breast; That I for poor auld _Cumbria's_ sake, Some usefu' plan or beuk could make, Or sing a sang at least."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
beardlessadjective

having no beard

From this reading "In early date, When I was beardless, young, and blate, E'en then a wish, I mind its power, A wish that to my latest hour Shall strongly heave my breast; That I for poor auld _Cumbria's_ sake, Some usefu' plan or beuk could make, Or sing a sang at least."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
beuk

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "In early date, When I was beardless, young, and blate, E'en then a wish, I mind its power, A wish that to my latest hour Shall strongly heave my breast; That I for poor auld _Cumbria's_ sake, Some usefu' plan or beuk could make, Or sing a sang at least."

Pending verification
blateverb

cry plaintively

From this reading "In early date, When I was beardless, young, and blate, E'en then a wish, I mind its power, A wish that to my latest hour Shall strongly heave my breast; That I for poor auld _Cumbria's_ sake, Some usefu' plan or beuk could make, Or sing a sang at least."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
breastnounUS /brest/

the front of the trunk from the neck to the abdomen

From this reading "In early date, When I was beardless, young, and blate, E'en then a wish, I mind its power, A wish that to my latest hour Shall strongly heave my breast; That I for poor auld _Cumbria's_ sake, Some usefu' plan or beuk could make, Or sing a sang at least."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
BYprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading _WITH COPIOUS NOTES._ BY JOHN PAGEN WHITE, F.R.C.S.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
CnounUS /siː/

a degree on the centigrade scale of temperature

From this reading _WITH COPIOUS NOTES._ BY JOHN PAGEN WHITE, F.R.C.S.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
COPIOUSadjectiveUS /ˈkoʊpiəs/

large in number or quantity (especially of discourse)

From this reading _WITH COPIOUS NOTES._ BY JOHN PAGEN WHITE, F.R.C.S.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading "In early date, When I was beardless, young, and blate, E'en then a wish, I mind its power, A wish that to my latest hour Shall strongly heave my breast; That I for poor auld _Cumbria's_ sake, Some usefu' plan or beuk could make, Or sing a sang at least."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
COUNTRYnounUS /ˈkʌntri/

a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading LAYS AND LEGENDS OF THE ENGLISH LAKE COUNTRY.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Cumbria's

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "In early date, When I was beardless, young, and blate, E'en then a wish, I mind its power, A wish that to my latest hour Shall strongly heave my breast; That I for poor auld _Cumbria's_ sake, Some usefu' plan or beuk could make, Or sing a sang at least."

Pending verification
datenounUS /deɪt/

the specified day of the month

From this reading "In early date, When I was beardless, young, and blate, E'en then a wish, I mind its power, A wish that to my latest hour Shall strongly heave my breast; That I for poor auld _Cumbria's_ sake, Some usefu' plan or beuk could make, Or sing a sang at least."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
E'enadverb

even

From this reading "In early date, When I was beardless, young, and blate, E'en then a wish, I mind its power, A wish that to my latest hour Shall strongly heave my breast; That I for poor auld _Cumbria's_ sake, Some usefu' plan or beuk could make, Or sing a sang at least."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/

at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time

From this reading "In early date, When I was beardless, young, and blate, E'en then a wish, I mind its power, A wish that to my latest hour Shall strongly heave my breast; That I for poor auld _Cumbria's_ sake, Some usefu' plan or beuk could make, Or sing a sang at least."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ENGLISHnounUS /ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ/

an Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch; the official language of Britain and the United States and most of the commonwealth countries

From this reading LAYS AND LEGENDS OF THE ENGLISH LAKE COUNTRY.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
FnounUS /ef/

a degree on the Fahrenheit scale of temperature

From this reading _WITH COPIOUS NOTES._ BY JOHN PAGEN WHITE, F.R.C.S.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading "In early date, When I was beardless, young, and blate, E'en then a wish, I mind its power, A wish that to my latest hour Shall strongly heave my breast; That I for poor auld _Cumbria's_ sake, Some usefu' plan or beuk could make, Or sing a sang at least."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
heaveverbUS /hiːv/

utter a sound, as with obvious effort

From this reading "In early date, When I was beardless, young, and blate, E'en then a wish, I mind its power, A wish that to my latest hour Shall strongly heave my breast; That I for poor auld _Cumbria's_ sake, Some usefu' plan or beuk could make, Or sing a sang at least."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hournounUS /ˈaʊər/

a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day

From this reading "In early date, When I was beardless, young, and blate, E'en then a wish, I mind its power, A wish that to my latest hour Shall strongly heave my breast; That I for poor auld _Cumbria's_ sake, Some usefu' plan or beuk could make, Or sing a sang at least."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading "In early date, When I was beardless, young, and blate, E'en then a wish, I mind its power, A wish that to my latest hour Shall strongly heave my breast; That I for poor auld _Cumbria's_ sake, Some usefu' plan or beuk could make, Or sing a sang at least."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading "In early date, When I was beardless, young, and blate, E'en then a wish, I mind its power, A wish that to my latest hour Shall strongly heave my breast; That I for poor auld _Cumbria's_ sake, Some usefu' plan or beuk could make, Or sing a sang at least."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading "In early date, When I was beardless, young, and blate, E'en then a wish, I mind its power, A wish that to my latest hour Shall strongly heave my breast; That I for poor auld _Cumbria's_ sake, Some usefu' plan or beuk could make, Or sing a sang at least."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
JOHNnounUS /dʒɑːn/

a room or building equipped with one or more toilets

From this reading _WITH COPIOUS NOTES._ BY JOHN PAGEN WHITE, F.R.C.S.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
LAKEnounUS /leɪk/

a body of (usually fresh) water surrounded by land

From this reading LAYS AND LEGENDS OF THE ENGLISH LAKE COUNTRY.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
latestadjectiveUS /ˈleɪtəst/

up to the immediate present; most recent or most up-to-date

From this reading "In early date, When I was beardless, young, and blate, E'en then a wish, I mind its power, A wish that to my latest hour Shall strongly heave my breast; That I for poor auld _Cumbria's_ sake, Some usefu' plan or beuk could make, Or sing a sang at least."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
LAYSnounUS /leɪz/

plural of “lay” — a narrative song with a recurrent refrain

From this reading LAYS AND LEGENDS OF THE ENGLISH LAKE COUNTRY.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
leastadjectiveUS /liːst/

the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree

From this reading "In early date, When I was beardless, young, and blate, E'en then a wish, I mind its power, A wish that to my latest hour Shall strongly heave my breast; That I for poor auld _Cumbria's_ sake, Some usefu' plan or beuk could make, Or sing a sang at least."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
LEGENDSnounUS /ˈledʒəndz/

plural of “legend” — a story about mythical or supernatural beings or events

From this reading LAYS AND LEGENDS OF THE ENGLISH LAKE COUNTRY.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
LONDONnounUS /ˈlʌndən/

the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center

From this reading LONDON: JOHN RUSSELL SMITH.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading "In early date, When I was beardless, young, and blate, E'en then a wish, I mind its power, A wish that to my latest hour Shall strongly heave my breast; That I for poor auld _Cumbria's_ sake, Some usefu' plan or beuk could make, Or sing a sang at least."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading "In early date, When I was beardless, young, and blate, E'en then a wish, I mind its power, A wish that to my latest hour Shall strongly heave my breast; That I for poor auld _Cumbria's_ sake, Some usefu' plan or beuk could make, Or sing a sang at least."

Velmora curated lexicon
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading "In early date, When I was beardless, young, and blate, E'en then a wish, I mind its power, A wish that to my latest hour Shall strongly heave my breast; That I for poor auld _Cumbria's_ sake, Some usefu' plan or beuk could make, Or sing a sang at least."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
NOTESnounUS /noʊts/

plural of “note” — a brief written record

From this reading _WITH COPIOUS NOTES._ BY JOHN PAGEN WHITE, F.R.C.S.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading LAYS AND LEGENDS OF THE ENGLISH LAKE COUNTRY.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading "In early date, When I was beardless, young, and blate, E'en then a wish, I mind its power, A wish that to my latest hour Shall strongly heave my breast; That I for poor auld _Cumbria's_ sake, Some usefu' plan or beuk could make, Or sing a sang at least."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
PAGEN

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading _WITH COPIOUS NOTES._ BY JOHN PAGEN WHITE, F.R.C.S.

Pending verification
planverbUS /plæn/

have the will and intention to carry out some action

From this reading "In early date, When I was beardless, young, and blate, E'en then a wish, I mind its power, A wish that to my latest hour Shall strongly heave my breast; That I for poor auld _Cumbria's_ sake, Some usefu' plan or beuk could make, Or sing a sang at least."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pooradjectiveUS /puːr/

deserving or inciting pity

From this reading "In early date, When I was beardless, young, and blate, E'en then a wish, I mind its power, A wish that to my latest hour Shall strongly heave my breast; That I for poor auld _Cumbria's_ sake, Some usefu' plan or beuk could make, Or sing a sang at least."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
powernounUS /ˈpaʊər/

possession of controlling influence

From this reading "In early date, When I was beardless, young, and blate, E'en then a wish, I mind its power, A wish that to my latest hour Shall strongly heave my breast; That I for poor auld _Cumbria's_ sake, Some usefu' plan or beuk could make, Or sing a sang at least."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
RnounUS /ɑːr/

a unit of radiation exposure; the dose of ionizing radiation that will produce 1 electrostatic unit of electricity in 1 cc of dry air

From this reading _WITH COPIOUS NOTES._ BY JOHN PAGEN WHITE, F.R.C.S.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
RUSSELLnounUS /ˈrʌsəl/

United States religious leader who founded the sect that is now called Jehovah's Witnesses (1852-1916)

From this reading LONDON: JOHN RUSSELL SMITH.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SnounUS /es/

1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading _WITH COPIOUS NOTES._ BY JOHN PAGEN WHITE, F.R.C.S.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sakenounUS /seɪk/

a reason for wanting something done

From this reading "In early date, When I was beardless, young, and blate, E'en then a wish, I mind its power, A wish that to my latest hour Shall strongly heave my breast; That I for poor auld _Cumbria's_ sake, Some usefu' plan or beuk could make, Or sing a sang at least."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sangnounUS /sæŋ/

North American woodland herb similar to and used as substitute for the Chinese ginseng

From this reading "In early date, When I was beardless, young, and blate, E'en then a wish, I mind its power, A wish that to my latest hour Shall strongly heave my breast; That I for poor auld _Cumbria's_ sake, Some usefu' plan or beuk could make, Or sing a sang at least."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Shallmodal verbUS /ʃæl/

used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest

From this reading "In early date, When I was beardless, young, and blate, E'en then a wish, I mind its power, A wish that to my latest hour Shall strongly heave my breast; That I for poor auld _Cumbria's_ sake, Some usefu' plan or beuk could make, Or sing a sang at least."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
singverbUS /sɪŋ/

deliver by singing

From this reading "In early date, When I was beardless, young, and blate, E'en then a wish, I mind its power, A wish that to my latest hour Shall strongly heave my breast; That I for poor auld _Cumbria's_ sake, Some usefu' plan or beuk could make, Or sing a sang at least."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SMITHnounUS /smɪθ/

Rhodesian statesman who declared independence of Zimbabwe from Great Britain (born in 1919)

From this reading LONDON: JOHN RUSSELL SMITH.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SomeadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading "In early date, When I was beardless, young, and blate, E'en then a wish, I mind its power, A wish that to my latest hour Shall strongly heave my breast; That I for poor auld _Cumbria's_ sake, Some usefu' plan or beuk could make, Or sing a sang at least."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stronglyadverbUS /ˈstrɔːŋli/

with strength or in a strong manner

From this reading "In early date, When I was beardless, young, and blate, E'en then a wish, I mind its power, A wish that to my latest hour Shall strongly heave my breast; That I for poor auld _Cumbria's_ sake, Some usefu' plan or beuk could make, Or sing a sang at least."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading "In early date, When I was beardless, young, and blate, E'en then a wish, I mind its power, A wish that to my latest hour Shall strongly heave my breast; That I for poor auld _Cumbria's_ sake, Some usefu' plan or beuk could make, Or sing a sang at least."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading LAYS AND LEGENDS OF THE ENGLISH LAKE COUNTRY.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading "In early date, When I was beardless, young, and blate, E'en then a wish, I mind its power, A wish that to my latest hour Shall strongly heave my breast; That I for poor auld _Cumbria's_ sake, Some usefu' plan or beuk could make, Or sing a sang at least."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "In early date, When I was beardless, young, and blate, E'en then a wish, I mind its power, A wish that to my latest hour Shall strongly heave my breast; That I for poor auld _Cumbria's_ sake, Some usefu' plan or beuk could make, Or sing a sang at least."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
usefu

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "In early date, When I was beardless, young, and blate, E'en then a wish, I mind its power, A wish that to my latest hour Shall strongly heave my breast; That I for poor auld _Cumbria's_ sake, Some usefu' plan or beuk could make, Or sing a sang at least."

Pending verification
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading "In early date, When I was beardless, young, and blate, E'en then a wish, I mind its power, A wish that to my latest hour Shall strongly heave my breast; That I for poor auld _Cumbria's_ sake, Some usefu' plan or beuk could make, Or sing a sang at least."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading "In early date, When I was beardless, young, and blate, E'en then a wish, I mind its power, A wish that to my latest hour Shall strongly heave my breast; That I for poor auld _Cumbria's_ sake, Some usefu' plan or beuk could make, Or sing a sang at least."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WHITEnounUS /waɪt/

a Caucasian

From this reading _WITH COPIOUS NOTES._ BY JOHN PAGEN WHITE, F.R.C.S.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wishverbUS /wɪʃ/

hope for; have a wish

From this reading "In early date, When I was beardless, young, and blate, E'en then a wish, I mind its power, A wish that to my latest hour Shall strongly heave my breast; That I for poor auld _Cumbria's_ sake, Some usefu' plan or beuk could make, Or sing a sang at least."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
WITHprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading _WITH COPIOUS NOTES._ BY JOHN PAGEN WHITE, F.R.C.S.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading "In early date, When I was beardless, young, and blate, E'en then a wish, I mind its power, A wish that to my latest hour Shall strongly heave my breast; That I for poor auld _Cumbria's_ sake, Some usefu' plan or beuk could make, Or sing a sang at least."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 1 of Lays and Legends of the English Lake Country by John Pagen, -1868 White holds 359 sentences, grouped into 72 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 1 of Lays and Legends of the English Lake Country contain?

Chapter 1 holds 359 sentences of Lays and Legends of the English Lake Country, unabridged, divided into 72 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Lays and Legends of the English Lake Country by John Pagen, -1868 White exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 359 sentences, grouped into 72 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 1 of Lays and Legends of the English Lake Country?

Work through the 72 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 72 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 1 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading Lays and Legends of the English Lake Country

Common questions about reading Lays and Legends of the English Lake Country by John Pagen, -1868 White on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Lays and Legends of the English Lake Country?

Yes. All 3173 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #48207 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Lays and Legends of the English Lake Country is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #48207, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Lays and Legends of the English Lake Country take to read?

About 264 minutes of reading across 635 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Lays and Legends of the English Lake Country section by section

How to work through Lays and Legends of the English Lake Country section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 9 chapters of Lays and Legends of the English Lake Country 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 Lays and Legends of the English Lake Country

Words and structures a reader meets early in Lays and Legends of the English Lake Country, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Legends
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Lays and Legends of the English Lake Country; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
English
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Lays and Legends of the English Lake Country; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Country
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Lays and Legends of the English Lake Country; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Copious
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Lays and Legends of the English Lake Country; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.