Chapter 2 of Locrine: A Tragedy is here in full — 200 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Locrine: A Tragedy is here in full — 200 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
DEBON. Sir, then were I A traitor found more perfect fool than knave Should I play false, or turn for gold to dust A gem worth all the gold beneath the sky— The diamond of the flawless faith he gave Who sealed his trust upon me. CAMBER. What art thou? Because thy beard ere mine were black was grey Art thou the prince, and I thy man?
Chapter 2 of Locrine: A Tragedy is here in full — 200 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/40 · 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.
the hair growing on the lower part of a man's face
From this reading “Because thy beard ere mine were black was grey Art thou the prince, and I thy man?”
a slight convexity (as of the surface of a road)
From this reading “CAMBER.”
a transparent piece of diamond that has been cut and polished and is valued as a precious gem
From this reading “Sir, then were I A traitor found more perfect fool than knave Should I play false, or turn for gold to dust A gem worth all the gold beneath the sky— The diamond of the flawless faith he gave Who sealed his trust upon me.”
without a flaw
From this reading “Sir, then were I A traitor found more perfect fool than knave Should I play false, or turn for gold to dust A gem worth all the gold beneath the sky— The diamond of the flawless faith he gave Who sealed his trust upon me.”
art highly prized for its beauty or perfection
From this reading “Sir, then were I A traitor found more perfect fool than knave Should I play false, or turn for gold to dust A gem worth all the gold beneath the sky— The diamond of the flawless faith he gave Who sealed his trust upon me.”
a deceitful and unreliable scoundrel
From this reading “Sir, then were I A traitor found more perfect fool than knave Should I play false, or turn for gold to dust A gem worth all the gold beneath the sky— The diamond of the flawless faith he gave Who sealed his trust upon me.”
established irrevocably
From this reading “Sir, then were I A traitor found more perfect fool than knave Should I play false, or turn for gold to dust A gem worth all the gold beneath the sky— The diamond of the flawless faith he gave Who sealed his trust upon me.”
someone who betrays his country by committing treason
From this reading “Sir, then were I A traitor found more perfect fool than knave Should I play false, or turn for gold to dust A gem worth all the gold beneath the sky— The diamond of the flawless faith he gave Who sealed his trust upon me.”
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 Sir, then were I A traitor found more perfect fool than knave Should I play false, or turn for gold to dust A gem worth all the gold beneath the sky— The diamond of the flawless faith he gave Who sealed his trust upon me.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading Sir, then were I A traitor found more perfect fool than knave Should I play false, or turn for gold to dust A gem worth all the gold beneath the sky— The diamond of the flawless faith he gave Who sealed his trust upon me.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Because thy beard ere mine were black was grey Art thou the prince, and I thy man?
an old form of “are”, used with “thou”
From this reading What art thou?
the hair growing on the lower part of a man's face
From this reading Because thy beard ere mine were black was grey Art thou the prince, and I thy man?
for the reason that
From this reading Because thy beard ere mine were black was grey Art thou the prince, and I thy man?
Directly under; in or to a lower position than.
From this reading Sir, then were I A traitor found more perfect fool than knave Should I play false, or turn for gold to dust A gem worth all the gold beneath the sky— The diamond of the flawless faith he gave Who sealed his trust upon me.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading Because thy beard ere mine were black was grey Art thou the prince, and I thy man?
a slight convexity (as of the surface of a road)
From this reading CAMBER.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading DEBON.
a transparent piece of diamond that has been cut and polished and is valued as a precious gem
From this reading Sir, then were I A traitor found more perfect fool than knave Should I play false, or turn for gold to dust A gem worth all the gold beneath the sky— The diamond of the flawless faith he gave Who sealed his trust upon me.
remove the dust from
From this reading Sir, then were I A traitor found more perfect fool than knave Should I play false, or turn for gold to dust A gem worth all the gold beneath the sky— The diamond of the flawless faith he gave Who sealed his trust upon me.
an old word for “before”
From this reading Because thy beard ere mine were black was grey Art thou the prince, and I thy man?
a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny
From this reading Sir, then were I A traitor found more perfect fool than knave Should I play false, or turn for gold to dust A gem worth all the gold beneath the sky— The diamond of the flawless faith he gave Who sealed his trust upon me.
not in accordance with the fact or reality or actuality
From this reading Sir, then were I A traitor found more perfect fool than knave Should I play false, or turn for gold to dust A gem worth all the gold beneath the sky— The diamond of the flawless faith he gave Who sealed his trust upon me.
without a flaw
From this reading Sir, then were I A traitor found more perfect fool than knave Should I play false, or turn for gold to dust A gem worth all the gold beneath the sky— The diamond of the flawless faith he gave Who sealed his trust upon me.
a person who lacks good judgment
From this reading Sir, then were I A traitor found more perfect fool than knave Should I play false, or turn for gold to dust A gem worth all the gold beneath the sky— The diamond of the flawless faith he gave Who sealed his trust upon me.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Sir, then were I A traitor found more perfect fool than knave Should I play false, or turn for gold to dust A gem worth all the gold beneath the sky— The diamond of the flawless faith he gave Who sealed his trust upon me.
set up or found
From this reading Sir, then were I A traitor found more perfect fool than knave Should I play false, or turn for gold to dust A gem worth all the gold beneath the sky— The diamond of the flawless faith he gave Who sealed his trust upon me.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading Sir, then were I A traitor found more perfect fool than knave Should I play false, or turn for gold to dust A gem worth all the gold beneath the sky— The diamond of the flawless faith he gave Who sealed his trust upon me.
art highly prized for its beauty or perfection
From this reading Sir, then were I A traitor found more perfect fool than knave Should I play false, or turn for gold to dust A gem worth all the gold beneath the sky— The diamond of the flawless faith he gave Who sealed his trust upon me.
coins made of gold
From this reading Sir, then were I A traitor found more perfect fool than knave Should I play false, or turn for gold to dust A gem worth all the gold beneath the sky— The diamond of the flawless faith he gave Who sealed his trust upon me.
of an achromatic color of any lightness intermediate between the extremes of white and black
From this reading Because thy beard ere mine were black was grey Art thou the prince, and I thy man?
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Sir, then were I A traitor found more perfect fool than knave Should I play false, or turn for gold to dust A gem worth all the gold beneath the sky— The diamond of the flawless faith he gave Who sealed his trust upon me.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Sir, then were I A traitor found more perfect fool than knave Should I play false, or turn for gold to dust A gem worth all the gold beneath the sky— The diamond of the flawless faith he gave Who sealed his trust upon me.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Sir, then were I A traitor found more perfect fool than knave Should I play false, or turn for gold to dust A gem worth all the gold beneath the sky— The diamond of the flawless faith he gave Who sealed his trust upon me.
a deceitful and unreliable scoundrel
From this reading Sir, then were I A traitor found more perfect fool than knave Should I play false, or turn for gold to dust A gem worth all the gold beneath the sky— The diamond of the flawless faith he gave Who sealed his trust upon me.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Because thy beard ere mine were black was grey Art thou the prince, and I thy man?
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Sir, then were I A traitor found more perfect fool than knave Should I play false, or turn for gold to dust A gem worth all the gold beneath the sky— The diamond of the flawless faith he gave Who sealed his trust upon me.
the one or ones belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Because thy beard ere mine were black was grey Art thou the prince, and I thy man?
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Sir, then were I A traitor found more perfect fool than knave Should I play false, or turn for gold to dust A gem worth all the gold beneath the sky— The diamond of the flawless faith he gave Who sealed his trust upon me.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Sir, then were I A traitor found more perfect fool than knave Should I play false, or turn for gold to dust A gem worth all the gold beneath the sky— The diamond of the flawless faith he gave Who sealed his trust upon me.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Sir, then were I A traitor found more perfect fool than knave Should I play false, or turn for gold to dust A gem worth all the gold beneath the sky— The diamond of the flawless faith he gave Who sealed his trust upon me.
being complete of its kind and without defect or blemish
From this reading Sir, then were I A traitor found more perfect fool than knave Should I play false, or turn for gold to dust A gem worth all the gold beneath the sky— The diamond of the flawless faith he gave Who sealed his trust upon me.
participate in games or sport
From this reading Sir, then were I A traitor found more perfect fool than knave Should I play false, or turn for gold to dust A gem worth all the gold beneath the sky— The diamond of the flawless faith he gave Who sealed his trust upon me.
a male member of a royal family other than the sovereign (especially the son of a sovereign)
From this reading Because thy beard ere mine were black was grey Art thou the prince, and I thy man?
established irrevocably
From this reading Sir, then were I A traitor found more perfect fool than knave Should I play false, or turn for gold to dust A gem worth all the gold beneath the sky— The diamond of the flawless faith he gave Who sealed his trust upon me.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading Sir, then were I A traitor found more perfect fool than knave Should I play false, or turn for gold to dust A gem worth all the gold beneath the sky— The diamond of the flawless faith he gave Who sealed his trust upon me.
term of address for a man
From this reading Sir, then were I A traitor found more perfect fool than knave Should I play false, or turn for gold to dust A gem worth all the gold beneath the sky— The diamond of the flawless faith he gave Who sealed his trust upon me.
the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading Sir, then were I A traitor found more perfect fool than knave Should I play false, or turn for gold to dust A gem worth all the gold beneath the sky— The diamond of the flawless faith he gave Who sealed his trust upon me.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Sir, then were I A traitor found more perfect fool than knave Should I play false, or turn for gold to dust A gem worth all the gold beneath the sky— The diamond of the flawless faith he gave Who sealed his trust upon me.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Sir, then were I A traitor found more perfect fool than knave Should I play false, or turn for gold to dust A gem worth all the gold beneath the sky— The diamond of the flawless faith he gave Who sealed his trust upon me.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Sir, then were I A traitor found more perfect fool than knave Should I play false, or turn for gold to dust A gem worth all the gold beneath the sky— The diamond of the flawless faith he gave Who sealed his trust upon me.
an old word for “you”, as the subject, speaking to one person
From this reading What art thou?
an old word for “your”, speaking to one person
From this reading Because thy beard ere mine were black was grey Art thou the prince, and I thy man?
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Sir, then were I A traitor found more perfect fool than knave Should I play false, or turn for gold to dust A gem worth all the gold beneath the sky— The diamond of the flawless faith he gave Who sealed his trust upon me.
someone who betrays his country by committing treason
From this reading Sir, then were I A traitor found more perfect fool than knave Should I play false, or turn for gold to dust A gem worth all the gold beneath the sky— The diamond of the flawless faith he gave Who sealed his trust upon me.
something (as property) held by one party (the trustee) for the benefit of another (the beneficiary)
From this reading Sir, then were I A traitor found more perfect fool than knave Should I play false, or turn for gold to dust A gem worth all the gold beneath the sky— The diamond of the flawless faith he gave Who sealed his trust upon me.
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading Sir, then were I A traitor found more perfect fool than knave Should I play false, or turn for gold to dust A gem worth all the gold beneath the sky— The diamond of the flawless faith he gave Who sealed his trust upon me.
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Sir, then were I A traitor found more perfect fool than knave Should I play false, or turn for gold to dust A gem worth all the gold beneath the sky— The diamond of the flawless faith he gave Who sealed his trust upon me.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Because thy beard ere mine were black was grey Art thou the prince, and I thy man?
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Sir, then were I A traitor found more perfect fool than knave Should I play false, or turn for gold to dust A gem worth all the gold beneath the sky— The diamond of the flawless faith he gave Who sealed his trust upon me.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What art thou?
which person or people
From this reading Sir, then were I A traitor found more perfect fool than knave Should I play false, or turn for gold to dust A gem worth all the gold beneath the sky— The diamond of the flawless faith he gave Who sealed his trust upon me.
an indefinite quantity of something having a specified value
From this reading Sir, then were I A traitor found more perfect fool than knave Should I play false, or turn for gold to dust A gem worth all the gold beneath the sky— The diamond of the flawless faith he gave Who sealed his trust upon me.
Chapter 2 of Locrine: A Tragedy by Algernon Charles Swinburne holds 200 sentences, grouped into 40 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 200 sentences of Locrine: A Tragedy, unabridged, divided into 40 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Locrine: A Tragedy by Algernon Charles Swinburne exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 200 sentences, grouped into 40 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 40 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 40 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 Locrine: A Tragedy by Algernon Charles Swinburne on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1431 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #3325 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #3325, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 119 minutes of reading across 287 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Locrine: A Tragedy section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 7 chapters of Locrine: A Tragedy 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 Locrine: A Tragedy, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
