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Priscilla's Spies
Priscilla's Spies

Chapter XIX · Chapter 19

Chapter 19 of Priscilla's Spies is here in full — 245 sentences across 49 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By George A. Birmingham • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Priscilla's Spies
Context Illustration Reading 1/49 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Timothy Sweeny, J. P., as suited a man of portly figure and civic dignity, was accustomed to lie long in his bed of a morning.
On weekdays he rose, in a bad temper, at nine o’clock.
On Sundays, when he washed and shaved, he was half an hour later and his temper was worse.
An apprentice took down the shutters of the shop on weekdays at half past nine.
By that time Sweeny, having breakfasted, sworn at his wife and abused his children, was ready to enter upon the duties of his calling.
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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.

Priscilla's Spies

Chapter XIX · Chapter 19

Chapter 19 of Priscilla's Spies is here in full — 245 sentences across 49 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/49 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Timothy Sweeny, J. P., as suited a man of portly figure and civic dignity, was accustomed to lie long in his bed of a morning.
Line 2
On weekdays he rose, in a bad temper, at nine o’clock.
/ɑːn ˈwiːkdeɪz hiː roʊz ɪn ə bæd ˈtempər æt naɪn əˈklɑːk/
Line 3
On Sundays, when he washed and shaved, he was half an hour later and his temper was worse.
/ɑːn ˈsʌndeɪz wen hiː wɑːʃt ənd ʃeɪvd hiː wɑːz hæf æn ˈaʊər ˈleɪtər ənd hɪz ˈtempər wɑːz wɜːrs/
Line 4
An apprentice took down the shutters of the shop on weekdays at half past nine.
/æn əˈprentəs tʊk daʊn ðə ˈʃʌtərz ʌv ðə ʃɑːp ɑːn ˈwiːkdeɪz æt hæf pæst naɪn/
Line 5
By that time Sweeny, having breakfasted, sworn at his wife and abused his children, was ready to enter upon the duties of his calling.

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.

abused adjective US /əˈbjuːzd/

used improperly or excessively especially drugs

From this reading “By that time Sweeny, having breakfasted, sworn at his wife and abused his children, was ready to enter upon the duties of his calling.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
apprentice noun US /əˈprentəs/

works for an expert to learn a trade

From this reading “An apprentice took down the shutters of the shop on weekdays at half past nine.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
civic adjective US /ˈsɪvɪk/

of or relating or belonging to a city

From this reading “Timothy Sweeny, J. P., as suited a man of portly figure and civic dignity, was accustomed to lie long in his bed of a morning.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
portly adjective US /ˈpɔːrtli/

euphemisms for “fat”

From this reading “Timothy Sweeny, J. P., as suited a man of portly figure and civic dignity, was accustomed to lie long in his bed of a morning.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shaved adjective US /ʃeɪvd/

having the beard or hair cut off close to the skin

From this reading “On Sundays, when he washed and shaved, he was half an hour later and his temper was worse.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Sundays noun US /ˈsʌndeɪz/

plural of “sunday” — first day of the week; observed as a day of rest and worship by most Christians

From this reading “On Sundays, when he washed and shaved, he was half an hour later and his temper was worse.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Timothy noun US /ˈtɪməθi/

grass with long cylindrical spikes grown in northern United States and Europe for hay

From this reading “Timothy Sweeny, J. P., as suited a man of portly figure and civic dignity, was accustomed to lie long in his bed of a morning.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
weekdays noun US /ˈwiːkdeɪz/

plural of “weekday” — any day except Sunday (and sometimes except Saturday)

From this reading “On weekdays he rose, in a bad temper, at nine o’clock.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

All words in this reading · 62

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 Timothy Sweeny, J. P., as suited a man of portly figure and civic dignity, was accustomed to lie long in his bed of a morning.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
abusedadjectiveUS /əˈbjuːzd/

used improperly or excessively especially drugs

From this reading By that time Sweeny, having breakfasted, sworn at his wife and abused his children, was ready to enter upon the duties of his calling.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
accustomedadjectiveUS /əˈkʌstəmd/

commonly used or practiced; usual

From this reading Timothy Sweeny, J. P., as suited a man of portly figure and civic dignity, was accustomed to lie long in his bed of a morning.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading On Sundays, when he washed and shaved, he was half an hour later and his temper was worse.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Timothy Sweeny, J. P., as suited a man of portly figure and civic dignity, was accustomed to lie long in his bed of a morning.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
apprenticenounUS /əˈprentəs/

works for an expert to learn a trade

From this reading An apprentice took down the shutters of the shop on weekdays at half past nine.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Timothy Sweeny, J. P., as suited a man of portly figure and civic dignity, was accustomed to lie long in his bed of a morning.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading On weekdays he rose, in a bad temper, at nine o’clock.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
badadjectiveUS /bæd/

having undesirable or negative qualities

From this reading On weekdays he rose, in a bad temper, at nine o’clock.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
bednounUS /bed/

a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep

From this reading Timothy Sweeny, J. P., as suited a man of portly figure and civic dignity, was accustomed to lie long in his bed of a morning.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
breakfasted

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

From this reading By that time Sweeny, having breakfasted, sworn at his wife and abused his children, was ready to enter upon the duties of his calling.

Pending verification
ByprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading By that time Sweeny, having breakfasted, sworn at his wife and abused his children, was ready to enter upon the duties of his calling.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
callingnounUS /ˈkɔːlɪŋ/

the particular occupation for which you are trained

From this reading By that time Sweeny, having breakfasted, sworn at his wife and abused his children, was ready to enter upon the duties of his calling.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
childrennounUS /ˈtʃɪldrən/

plural of “child” — a young person of either sex

From this reading By that time Sweeny, having breakfasted, sworn at his wife and abused his children, was ready to enter upon the duties of his calling.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
civicadjectiveUS /ˈsɪvɪk/

of or relating or belonging to a city

From this reading Timothy Sweeny, J. P., as suited a man of portly figure and civic dignity, was accustomed to lie long in his bed of a morning.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dignitynounUS /ˈdɪɡnəti/

the quality of being worthy of esteem or respect

From this reading Timothy Sweeny, J. P., as suited a man of portly figure and civic dignity, was accustomed to lie long in his bed of a morning.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading An apprentice took down the shutters of the shop on weekdays at half past nine.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dutiesnounUS /ˈduːtiz/

plural of “duty” — the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force

From this reading By that time Sweeny, having breakfasted, sworn at his wife and abused his children, was ready to enter upon the duties of his calling.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
enterverbUS /ˈentər/

to come or go into

From this reading By that time Sweeny, having breakfasted, sworn at his wife and abused his children, was ready to enter upon the duties of his calling.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
figurenounUS /ˈfɪɡjər/

a diagram or picture illustrating textual material

From this reading Timothy Sweeny, J. P., as suited a man of portly figure and civic dignity, was accustomed to lie long in his bed of a morning.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
halfadjectiveUS /hæf/

consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity

From this reading On Sundays, when he washed and shaved, he was half an hour later and his temper was worse.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/

the -ing form of “have”

From this reading By that time Sweeny, having breakfasted, sworn at his wife and abused his children, was ready to enter upon the duties of his calling.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading On weekdays he rose, in a bad temper, at nine o’clock.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Timothy Sweeny, J. P., as suited a man of portly figure and civic dignity, was accustomed to lie long in his bed of a morning.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hournounUS /ˈaʊər/

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

From this reading On Sundays, when he washed and shaved, he was half an hour later and his temper was worse.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Timothy Sweeny, J. P., as suited a man of portly figure and civic dignity, was accustomed to lie long in his bed of a morning.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
JnounUS /dʒeɪ/

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 Timothy Sweeny, J. P., as suited a man of portly figure and civic dignity, was accustomed to lie long in his bed of a morning.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lateradverbUS /ˈleɪtər/

happening at a time subsequent to a reference time

From this reading On Sundays, when he washed and shaved, he was half an hour later and his temper was worse.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lieverbUS /laɪ/

be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position

From this reading Timothy Sweeny, J. P., as suited a man of portly figure and civic dignity, was accustomed to lie long in his bed of a morning.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading Timothy Sweeny, J. P., as suited a man of portly figure and civic dignity, was accustomed to lie long in his bed of a morning.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading Timothy Sweeny, J. P., as suited a man of portly figure and civic dignity, was accustomed to lie long in his bed of a morning.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading Timothy Sweeny, J. P., as suited a man of portly figure and civic dignity, was accustomed to lie long in his bed of a morning.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ninenounUS /naɪn/

the cardinal number that is the sum of eight and one

From this reading On weekdays he rose, in a bad temper, at nine o’clock.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
o'clockadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/

according to the clock

From this reading On weekdays he rose, in a bad temper, at nine o’clock.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Timothy Sweeny, J. P., as suited a man of portly figure and civic dignity, was accustomed to lie long in his bed of a morning.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
OnprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading On weekdays he rose, in a bad temper, at nine o’clock.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
PnounUS /piː/

a multivalent nonmetallic element of the nitrogen family that occurs commonly in inorganic phosphate rocks and as organic phosphates in all living cells; is highly reactive and occurs in several allotropic forms

From this reading Timothy Sweeny, J. P., as suited a man of portly figure and civic dignity, was accustomed to lie long in his bed of a morning.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pastnounUS /pæst/

the time that has elapsed

From this reading An apprentice took down the shutters of the shop on weekdays at half past nine.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
portlyadjectiveUS /ˈpɔːrtli/

euphemisms for “fat”

From this reading Timothy Sweeny, J. P., as suited a man of portly figure and civic dignity, was accustomed to lie long in his bed of a morning.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
readyadjectiveUS /ˈredi/

completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress

From this reading By that time Sweeny, having breakfasted, sworn at his wife and abused his children, was ready to enter upon the duties of his calling.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
rosenounUS /roʊz/

any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses

From this reading On weekdays he rose, in a bad temper, at nine o’clock.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shavedadjectiveUS /ʃeɪvd/

having the beard or hair cut off close to the skin

From this reading On Sundays, when he washed and shaved, he was half an hour later and his temper was worse.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shopverbUS /ʃɑːp/

do one's shopping

From this reading An apprentice took down the shutters of the shop on weekdays at half past nine.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shuttersnounUS /ˈʃʌtərz/

plural of “shutter” — a mechanical device on a camera that opens and closes to control the time of a photographic exposure

From this reading An apprentice took down the shutters of the shop on weekdays at half past nine.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
suitedadjectiveUS /ˈsuːtɪd/

meant or adapted for an occasion or use

From this reading Timothy Sweeny, J. P., as suited a man of portly figure and civic dignity, was accustomed to lie long in his bed of a morning.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SundaysnounUS /ˈsʌndeɪz/

plural of “sunday” — first day of the week; observed as a day of rest and worship by most Christians

From this reading On Sundays, when he washed and shaved, he was half an hour later and his temper was worse.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Sweeny

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

From this reading Timothy Sweeny, J. P., as suited a man of portly figure and civic dignity, was accustomed to lie long in his bed of a morning.

Pending verification
swornadjectiveUS /swɔːrn/

bound by or as if by an oath

From this reading By that time Sweeny, having breakfasted, sworn at his wife and abused his children, was ready to enter upon the duties of his calling.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
tempernounUS /ˈtempər/

a sudden outburst of anger

From this reading On weekdays he rose, in a bad temper, at nine o’clock.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading By that time Sweeny, having breakfasted, sworn at his wife and abused his children, was ready to enter upon the duties of his calling.

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 An apprentice took down the shutters of the shop on weekdays at half past nine.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading By that time Sweeny, having breakfasted, sworn at his wife and abused his children, was ready to enter upon the duties of his calling.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
TimothynounUS /ˈtɪməθi/

grass with long cylindrical spikes grown in northern United States and Europe for hay

From this reading Timothy Sweeny, J. P., as suited a man of portly figure and civic dignity, was accustomed to lie long in his bed of a morning.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Timothy Sweeny, J. P., as suited a man of portly figure and civic dignity, was accustomed to lie long in his bed of a morning.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
tookverbUS /tʊk/

inflected form of “take” — carry out

From this reading An apprentice took down the shutters of the shop on weekdays at half past nine.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading By that time Sweeny, having breakfasted, sworn at his wife and abused his children, was ready to enter upon the duties of his calling.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Timothy Sweeny, J. P., as suited a man of portly figure and civic dignity, was accustomed to lie long in his bed of a morning.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
washedadjectiveUS /wɑːʃt/

clean by virtue of having been washed in water

From this reading On Sundays, when he washed and shaved, he was half an hour later and his temper was worse.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
weekdaysnounUS /ˈwiːkdeɪz/

plural of “weekday” — any day except Sunday (and sometimes except Saturday)

From this reading On weekdays he rose, in a bad temper, at nine o’clock.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading On Sundays, when he washed and shaved, he was half an hour later and his temper was worse.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wifenounUS /waɪf/

a married woman; a man's partner in marriage

From this reading By that time Sweeny, having breakfasted, sworn at his wife and abused his children, was ready to enter upon the duties of his calling.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
worseadjectiveUS /wɜːrs/

(comparative of “bad”) inferior to another in quality or condition or desirability

From this reading On Sundays, when he washed and shaved, he was half an hour later and his temper was worse.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 19 of Priscilla's Spies by George A. Birmingham holds 245 sentences, grouped into 49 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 19 of Priscilla's Spies contain?

Chapter 19 holds 245 sentences of Priscilla's Spies, unabridged, divided into 49 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 19 of Priscilla's Spies by George A. Birmingham exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 245 sentences, grouped into 49 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 19 of Priscilla's Spies?

Work through the 49 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 49 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 19 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 19 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 Priscilla's Spies

Common questions about reading Priscilla's Spies by George A. Birmingham on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Priscilla's Spies?

Yes. All 5408 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #21394 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Priscilla's Spies is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #21394, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Priscilla's Spies take to read?

About 450 minutes of reading across 1082 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Priscilla's Spies section by section

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  1. Open a chapter

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  3. Listen and tap

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Vocabulary met early in Priscilla's Spies

Words and structures a reader meets early in Priscilla's Spies, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Edward
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Priscilla's Spies; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Mannix
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Priscilla's Spies; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Father
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Priscilla's Spies; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Fortunate
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Priscilla's Spies; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.