Chapter 1 of Mercedes of Castile is here in full — 31 sentences across 7 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Mercedes of Castile is here in full — 31 sentences across 7 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE VOYAGE TO CATHAY. BY J. FENIMORE COOPER. "I fill this cup to one made up of loveliness alone, A woman, of her gentle sex the seeming paragon; To whom the better elements and kindly stars have given A form so fair, that, like the air, 'tis less of earth than heaven." PINKNEY. ILLUSTRATED FROM DRAWINGS BY F.O.C. Darley.
Chapter 1 of Mercedes of Castile is here in full — 31 sentences across 7 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/6 · 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 communist nation that covers a vast territory in eastern Asia; the most populous country in the world
From this reading “THE VOYAGE TO CATHAY.”
United States industrialist who built the first American locomotive; founded Cooper Union in New York City to offer free courses in the arts and sciences (1791-1883)
From this reading “BY J. FENIMORE COOPER.”
plural of “drawing” — an illustration that is drawn by hand and published in a book, magazine, or newspaper
From this reading “ILLUSTRATED FROM DRAWINGS BY F.O.C. Darley.”
violent or severe weather (viewed as caused by the action of the four elements)
From this reading “"I fill this cup to one made up of loveliness alone, A woman, of her gentle sex the seeming paragon; To whom the better elements and kindly stars have given A form so fair, that, like the air, 'tis less of earth than heaven."”
past form of “illustrate” — clarify by giving an example of
From this reading “ILLUSTRATED FROM DRAWINGS BY F.O.C. Darley.”
an ideal instance; a perfect embodiment of a concept
From this reading “"I fill this cup to one made up of loveliness alone, A woman, of her gentle sex the seeming paragon; To whom the better elements and kindly stars have given A form so fair, that, like the air, 'tis less of earth than heaven."”
appearing as such but not necessarily so
From this reading “"I fill this cup to one made up of loveliness alone, A woman, of her gentle sex the seeming paragon; To whom the better elements and kindly stars have given A form so fair, that, like the air, 'tis less of earth than heaven."”
activities associated with sexual intercourse
From this reading “"I fill this cup to one made up of loveliness alone, A woman, of her gentle sex the seeming paragon; To whom the better elements and kindly stars have given A form so fair, that, like the air, 'tis less of earth than heaven."”
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 “"I fill this cup to one made up of loveliness alone, A woman, of her gentle sex the seeming paragon; To whom the better elements and kindly stars have given A form so fair, that, like the air, 'tis less of earth than heaven."”
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 "I fill this cup to one made up of loveliness alone, A woman, of her gentle sex the seeming paragon; To whom the better elements and kindly stars have given A form so fair, that, like the air, 'tis less of earth than heaven."
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading "I fill this cup to one made up of loveliness alone, A woman, of her gentle sex the seeming paragon; To whom the better elements and kindly stars have given A form so fair, that, like the air, 'tis less of earth than heaven."
Having no one else present.
From this reading "I fill this cup to one made up of loveliness alone, A woman, of her gentle sex the seeming paragon; To whom the better elements and kindly stars have given A form so fair, that, like the air, 'tis less of earth than heaven."
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "I fill this cup to one made up of loveliness alone, A woman, of her gentle sex the seeming paragon; To whom the better elements and kindly stars have given A form so fair, that, like the air, 'tis less of earth than heaven."
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading "I fill this cup to one made up of loveliness alone, A woman, of her gentle sex the seeming paragon; To whom the better elements and kindly stars have given A form so fair, that, like the air, 'tis less of earth than heaven."
showing who or what does the action
From this reading BY J. FENIMORE COOPER.
a degree on the centigrade scale of temperature
From this reading ILLUSTRATED FROM DRAWINGS BY F.O.C. Darley.
a communist nation that covers a vast territory in eastern Asia; the most populous country in the world
From this reading THE VOYAGE TO CATHAY.
United States industrialist who built the first American locomotive; founded Cooper Union in New York City to offer free courses in the arts and sciences (1791-1883)
From this reading BY J. FENIMORE COOPER.
a small open container usually used for drinking; usually has a handle
From this reading "I fill this cup to one made up of loveliness alone, A woman, of her gentle sex the seeming paragon; To whom the better elements and kindly stars have given A form so fair, that, like the air, 'tis less of earth than heaven."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ILLUSTRATED FROM DRAWINGS BY F.O.C. Darley.
plural of “drawing” — an illustration that is drawn by hand and published in a book, magazine, or newspaper
From this reading ILLUSTRATED FROM DRAWINGS BY F.O.C. Darley.
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading "I fill this cup to one made up of loveliness alone, A woman, of her gentle sex the seeming paragon; To whom the better elements and kindly stars have given A form so fair, that, like the air, 'tis less of earth than heaven."
violent or severe weather (viewed as caused by the action of the four elements)
From this reading "I fill this cup to one made up of loveliness alone, A woman, of her gentle sex the seeming paragon; To whom the better elements and kindly stars have given A form so fair, that, like the air, 'tis less of earth than heaven."
a degree on the Fahrenheit scale of temperature
From this reading ILLUSTRATED FROM DRAWINGS BY F.O.C. Darley.
free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules
From this reading "I fill this cup to one made up of loveliness alone, A woman, of her gentle sex the seeming paragon; To whom the better elements and kindly stars have given A form so fair, that, like the air, 'tis less of earth than heaven."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading BY J. FENIMORE COOPER.
make full, also in a metaphorical sense
From this reading "I fill this cup to one made up of loveliness alone, A woman, of her gentle sex the seeming paragon; To whom the better elements and kindly stars have given A form so fair, that, like the air, 'tis less of earth than heaven."
the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something
From this reading "I fill this cup to one made up of loveliness alone, A woman, of her gentle sex the seeming paragon; To whom the better elements and kindly stars have given A form so fair, that, like the air, 'tis less of earth than heaven."
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading ILLUSTRATED FROM DRAWINGS BY F.O.C. Darley.
soft and mild; not harsh or stern or severe
From this reading "I fill this cup to one made up of loveliness alone, A woman, of her gentle sex the seeming paragon; To whom the better elements and kindly stars have given A form so fair, that, like the air, 'tis less of earth than heaven."
acknowledged as a supposition
From this reading "I fill this cup to one made up of loveliness alone, A woman, of her gentle sex the seeming paragon; To whom the better elements and kindly stars have given A form so fair, that, like the air, 'tis less of earth than heaven."
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "I fill this cup to one made up of loveliness alone, A woman, of her gentle sex the seeming paragon; To whom the better elements and kindly stars have given A form so fair, that, like the air, 'tis less of earth than heaven."
any place of complete bliss and delight and peace
From this reading "I fill this cup to one made up of loveliness alone, A woman, of her gentle sex the seeming paragon; To whom the better elements and kindly stars have given A form so fair, that, like the air, 'tis less of earth than heaven."
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading "I fill this cup to one made up of loveliness alone, A woman, of her gentle sex the seeming paragon; To whom the better elements and kindly stars have given A form so fair, that, like the air, 'tis less of earth than heaven."
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I fill this cup to one made up of loveliness alone, A woman, of her gentle sex the seeming paragon; To whom the better elements and kindly stars have given A form so fair, that, like the air, 'tis less of earth than heaven."
past form of “illustrate” — clarify by giving an example of
From this reading ILLUSTRATED FROM DRAWINGS BY F.O.C. Darley.
a unit of electrical energy equal to the work done when a current of one ampere passes through a resistance of one ohm for one second
From this reading BY J. FENIMORE COOPER.
showing or motivated by sympathy and understanding and generosity
From this reading "I fill this cup to one made up of loveliness alone, A woman, of her gentle sex the seeming paragon; To whom the better elements and kindly stars have given A form so fair, that, like the air, 'tis less of earth than heaven."
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading "I fill this cup to one made up of loveliness alone, A woman, of her gentle sex the seeming paragon; To whom the better elements and kindly stars have given A form so fair, that, like the air, 'tis less of earth than heaven."
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading "I fill this cup to one made up of loveliness alone, A woman, of her gentle sex the seeming paragon; To whom the better elements and kindly stars have given A form so fair, that, like the air, 'tis less of earth than heaven."
the quality of being good looking and attractive
From this reading "I fill this cup to one made up of loveliness alone, A woman, of her gentle sex the seeming paragon; To whom the better elements and kindly stars have given A form so fair, that, like the air, 'tis less of earth than heaven."
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading "I fill this cup to one made up of loveliness alone, A woman, of her gentle sex the seeming paragon; To whom the better elements and kindly stars have given A form so fair, that, like the air, 'tis less of earth than heaven."
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 ILLUSTRATED FROM DRAWINGS BY F.O.C. Darley.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "I fill this cup to one made up of loveliness alone, A woman, of her gentle sex the seeming paragon; To whom the better elements and kindly stars have given A form so fair, that, like the air, 'tis less of earth than heaven."
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading "I fill this cup to one made up of loveliness alone, A woman, of her gentle sex the seeming paragon; To whom the better elements and kindly stars have given A form so fair, that, like the air, 'tis less of earth than heaven."
an ideal instance; a perfect embodiment of a concept
From this reading "I fill this cup to one made up of loveliness alone, A woman, of her gentle sex the seeming paragon; To whom the better elements and kindly stars have given A form so fair, that, like the air, 'tis less of earth than heaven."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading PINKNEY.
appearing as such but not necessarily so
From this reading "I fill this cup to one made up of loveliness alone, A woman, of her gentle sex the seeming paragon; To whom the better elements and kindly stars have given A form so fair, that, like the air, 'tis less of earth than heaven."
activities associated with sexual intercourse
From this reading "I fill this cup to one made up of loveliness alone, A woman, of her gentle sex the seeming paragon; To whom the better elements and kindly stars have given A form so fair, that, like the air, 'tis less of earth than heaven."
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading "I fill this cup to one made up of loveliness alone, A woman, of her gentle sex the seeming paragon; To whom the better elements and kindly stars have given A form so fair, that, like the air, 'tis less of earth than heaven."
plural of “star” — (astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior
From this reading "I fill this cup to one made up of loveliness alone, A woman, of her gentle sex the seeming paragon; To whom the better elements and kindly stars have given A form so fair, that, like the air, 'tis less of earth than heaven."
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading "I fill this cup to one made up of loveliness alone, A woman, of her gentle sex the seeming paragon; To whom the better elements and kindly stars have given A form so fair, that, like the air, 'tis less of earth than heaven."
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "I fill this cup to one made up of loveliness alone, A woman, of her gentle sex the seeming paragon; To whom the better elements and kindly stars have given A form so fair, that, like the air, 'tis less of earth than heaven."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE VOYAGE TO CATHAY.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "I fill this cup to one made up of loveliness alone, A woman, of her gentle sex the seeming paragon; To whom the better elements and kindly stars have given A form so fair, that, like the air, 'tis less of earth than heaven."
plural of “ti” — a light strong grey lustrous corrosion-resistant metallic element used in strong lightweight alloys (as for airplane parts); the main sources are rutile and ilmenite
From this reading "I fill this cup to one made up of loveliness alone, A woman, of her gentle sex the seeming paragon; To whom the better elements and kindly stars have given A form so fair, that, like the air, 'tis less of earth than heaven."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE VOYAGE TO CATHAY.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading "I fill this cup to one made up of loveliness alone, A woman, of her gentle sex the seeming paragon; To whom the better elements and kindly stars have given A form so fair, that, like the air, 'tis less of earth than heaven."
an act of traveling by water
From this reading THE VOYAGE TO CATHAY.
the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "I fill this cup to one made up of loveliness alone, A woman, of her gentle sex the seeming paragon; To whom the better elements and kindly stars have given A form so fair, that, like the air, 'tis less of earth than heaven."
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading "I fill this cup to one made up of loveliness alone, A woman, of her gentle sex the seeming paragon; To whom the better elements and kindly stars have given A form so fair, that, like the air, 'tis less of earth than heaven."
Chapter 1 of Mercedes of Castile by James Fenimore Cooper holds 31 sentences, grouped into 7 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 31 sentences of Mercedes of Castile, unabridged, divided into 7 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Mercedes of Castile by James Fenimore Cooper exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 31 sentences, grouped into 7 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 7 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 7 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 6180 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #36406 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #36406, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 515 minutes of reading across 1236 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
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Choose one of the 32 chapters of Mercedes of Castile to begin.
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Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in Mercedes of Castile, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
