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Sir Henry Irving—A Record of Over Twenty Years at the Lyceum
Sir Henry Irving—A Record of Over Twenty Years at the Lyceum

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of Sir Henry Irving—A Record of Over Twenty Years at the Lyceum is here in full — 306 sentences across 62 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Sir Henry Irving—A Record of Over Twenty Years at the Lyceum
Context Illustration Reading 1/61 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
1857-1859.
EDINBURGH AND THE SCOTTISH THEATRES.
At the Sunderland Theatre he remained only four months, and though the manager pressed him to stay with him, the young actor felt that here he had not the opportunities he desired.
He accordingly accepted an engagement at the Edinburgh Theatre, which began on February 9, 1857.
Among the faces that used to be familiar at any “first night” at the Lyceum were those of Mr. Robert Wyndham and his wife.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Sir Henry Irving—A Record of Over Twenty Years at the Lyceum

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of Sir Henry Irving—A Record of Over Twenty Years at the Lyceum is here in full — 306 sentences across 62 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/61 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
1857-1859.
Line 2
EDINBURGH AND THE SCOTTISH THEATRES.
/ˈedənbəroʊ ənd ðə ˈskɑːtɪʃ ˈθiːətərz/
Line 3
At the Sunderland Theatre he remained only four months, and though the manager pressed him to stay with him, the young actor felt that here he had not the opportunities he desired.
/æt ðə ˈsʌndərlənd ˈθiːətər hiː rɪˈmeɪnd ˈoʊnli fɔːr mʌnθs ənd ðoʊ ðə ˈmænədʒər prest hɪm tuː steɪ wɪð hɪm ðə jʌŋ ˈæktər felt ðæt hiːr hiː hæd nɑːt ðə ˌɑːpərˈtuːnətiz hiː dɪˈzaɪərd/
Line 4
He accordingly accepted an engagement at the Edinburgh Theatre, which began on February 9, 1857.
Line 5
Among the faces that used to be familiar at any “first night” at the Lyceum were those of Mr. Robert Wyndham and his wife.

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.

actor noun US /ˈæktər/

a theatrical performer

From this reading “At the Sunderland Theatre he remained only four months, and though the manager pressed him to stay with him, the young actor felt that here he had not the opportunities he desired.”

edinburgh noun US /ˈedənbəroʊ/

the capital of Scotland; located in the Lothian Region on the south side of the Firth of Forth

From this reading “EDINBURGH AND THE SCOTTISH THEATRES.”

February noun US /ˈfebjəweri/

the month following January and preceding March

From this reading “He accordingly accepted an engagement at the Edinburgh Theatre, which began on February 9, 1857.”

manager noun US /ˈmænədʒər/

someone who controls resources and expenditures

From this reading “At the Sunderland Theatre he remained only four months, and though the manager pressed him to stay with him, the young actor felt that here he had not the opportunities he desired.”

opportunities noun US /ˌɑːpərˈtuːnətiz/

plural of “opportunity” — a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances

From this reading “At the Sunderland Theatre he remained only four months, and though the manager pressed him to stay with him, the young actor felt that here he had not the opportunities he desired.”

scottish noun US /ˈskɑːtɪʃ/

the dialect of English used in Scotland

From this reading “EDINBURGH AND THE SCOTTISH THEATRES.”

Sunderland noun US /ˈsʌndərlənd/

a port and industrial city in northeastern England

From this reading “At the Sunderland Theatre he remained only four months, and though the manager pressed him to stay with him, the young actor felt that here he had not the opportunities he desired.”

theatres noun US /ˈθiːətərz/

plural of “theatre” — a building where theatrical performances or motion-picture shows can be presented

From this reading “EDINBURGH AND THE SCOTTISH THEATRES.”

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.

four months noun + noun counted as “four month”

In this reading “At the Sunderland Theatre he remained only four months, and though the manager pressed him to stay with him, the young actor felt that here he had not the opportunities he desired.”

stay with verb + particle

In this reading “At the Sunderland Theatre he remained only four months, and though the manager pressed him to stay with him, the young actor felt that here he had not the opportunities he desired.”

first night adjective + noun

In this reading “Among the faces that used to be familiar at any “first night” at the Lyceum were those of Mr. Robert Wyndham and his wife.”

All words in this reading · 57

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

1857

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

From this reading 1857-1859.

1859

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

From this reading 1857-1859.

9

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

From this reading He accordingly accepted an engagement at the Edinburgh Theatre, which began on February 9, 1857.

acceptedadjectiveUS /ækˈseptɪd/

generally approved or compelling recognition

From this reading He accordingly accepted an engagement at the Edinburgh Theatre, which began on February 9, 1857.

accordinglyadverbUS /əˈkɔːrdɪŋli/

(sentence connectors) because of the reason given

From this reading He accordingly accepted an engagement at the Edinburgh Theatre, which began on February 9, 1857.

actornounUS /ˈæktər/

a theatrical performer

From this reading At the Sunderland Theatre he remained only four months, and though the manager pressed him to stay with him, the young actor felt that here he had not the opportunities he desired.

AmongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/

surrounded by; in the middle of a group

From this reading Among the faces that used to be familiar at any “first night” at the Lyceum were those of Mr. Robert Wyndham and his wife.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading He accordingly accepted an engagement at the Edinburgh Theatre, which began on February 9, 1857.

ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading EDINBURGH AND THE SCOTTISH THEATRES.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading Among the faces that used to be familiar at any “first night” at the Lyceum were those of Mr. Robert Wyndham and his wife.

AtprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading At the Sunderland Theatre he remained only four months, and though the manager pressed him to stay with him, the young actor felt that here he had not the opportunities he desired.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading Among the faces that used to be familiar at any “first night” at the Lyceum were those of Mr. Robert Wyndham and his wife.

beganverbUS /bɪˈɡæn/

inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading He accordingly accepted an engagement at the Edinburgh Theatre, which began on February 9, 1857.

desiredadjectiveUS /dɪˈzaɪərd/

wanted intensely

From this reading At the Sunderland Theatre he remained only four months, and though the manager pressed him to stay with him, the young actor felt that here he had not the opportunities he desired.

EDINBURGHnounUS /ˈedənbəroʊ/

the capital of Scotland; located in the Lothian Region on the south side of the Firth of Forth

From this reading EDINBURGH AND THE SCOTTISH THEATRES.

engagementnounUS /enˈɡeɪdʒmənt/

a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war

From this reading He accordingly accepted an engagement at the Edinburgh Theatre, which began on February 9, 1857.

facesnounUS /ˈfeɪsəz/

plural of “face” — the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading Among the faces that used to be familiar at any “first night” at the Lyceum were those of Mr. Robert Wyndham and his wife.

familiaradjectiveUS /fəˈmɪljər/

well known or easily recognized

From this reading Among the faces that used to be familiar at any “first night” at the Lyceum were those of Mr. Robert Wyndham and his wife.

FebruarynounUS /ˈfebjəweri/

the month following January and preceding March

From this reading He accordingly accepted an engagement at the Edinburgh Theatre, which began on February 9, 1857.

feltverbUS /felt/

mat together and make felt-like

From this reading At the Sunderland Theatre he remained only four months, and though the manager pressed him to stay with him, the young actor felt that here he had not the opportunities he desired.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading Among the faces that used to be familiar at any “first night” at the Lyceum were those of Mr. Robert Wyndham and his wife.

fournounUS /fɔːr/

the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one

From this reading At the Sunderland Theatre he remained only four months, and though the manager pressed him to stay with him, the young actor felt that here he had not the opportunities he desired.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading At the Sunderland Theatre he remained only four months, and though the manager pressed him to stay with him, the young actor felt that here he had not the opportunities he desired.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading At the Sunderland Theatre he remained only four months, and though the manager pressed him to stay with him, the young actor felt that here he had not the opportunities he desired.

hereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading At the Sunderland Theatre he remained only four months, and though the manager pressed him to stay with him, the young actor felt that here he had not the opportunities he desired.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading At the Sunderland Theatre he remained only four months, and though the manager pressed him to stay with him, the young actor felt that here he had not the opportunities he desired.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Among the faces that used to be familiar at any “first night” at the Lyceum were those of Mr. Robert Wyndham and his wife.

Lyceumnoun

a school for students intermediate between elementary school and college; usually grades 9 to 12

From this reading Among the faces that used to be familiar at any “first night” at the Lyceum were those of Mr. Robert Wyndham and his wife.

managernounUS /ˈmænədʒər/

someone who controls resources and expenditures

From this reading At the Sunderland Theatre he remained only four months, and though the manager pressed him to stay with him, the young actor felt that here he had not the opportunities he desired.

monthsnounUS /mʌnθs/

plural of “month” — one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year

From this reading At the Sunderland Theatre he remained only four months, and though the manager pressed him to stay with him, the young actor felt that here he had not the opportunities he desired.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading Among the faces that used to be familiar at any “first night” at the Lyceum were those of Mr. Robert Wyndham and his wife.

nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading Among the faces that used to be familiar at any “first night” at the Lyceum were those of Mr. Robert Wyndham and his wife.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading At the Sunderland Theatre he remained only four months, and though the manager pressed him to stay with him, the young actor felt that here he had not the opportunities he desired.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Among the faces that used to be familiar at any “first night” at the Lyceum were those of Mr. Robert Wyndham and his wife.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading He accordingly accepted an engagement at the Edinburgh Theatre, which began on February 9, 1857.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading At the Sunderland Theatre he remained only four months, and though the manager pressed him to stay with him, the young actor felt that here he had not the opportunities he desired.

opportunitiesnounUS /ˌɑːpərˈtuːnətiz/

plural of “opportunity” — a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances

From this reading At the Sunderland Theatre he remained only four months, and though the manager pressed him to stay with him, the young actor felt that here he had not the opportunities he desired.

pressedadjectiveUS /prest/

compacted by ironing

From this reading At the Sunderland Theatre he remained only four months, and though the manager pressed him to stay with him, the young actor felt that here he had not the opportunities he desired.

remainedverbUS /rɪˈmeɪnd/

past form of “remain” — stay the same; remain in a certain state

From this reading At the Sunderland Theatre he remained only four months, and though the manager pressed him to stay with him, the young actor felt that here he had not the opportunities he desired.

RobertnounUS /ˈrɑːbərt/

United States parliamentary authority and author (in 1876) of Robert's Rules of Order (1837-1923)

From this reading Among the faces that used to be familiar at any “first night” at the Lyceum were those of Mr. Robert Wyndham and his wife.

SCOTTISHnounUS /ˈskɑːtɪʃ/

the dialect of English used in Scotland

From this reading EDINBURGH AND THE SCOTTISH THEATRES.

stayverbUS /steɪ/

stay the same; remain in a certain state

From this reading At the Sunderland Theatre he remained only four months, and though the manager pressed him to stay with him, the young actor felt that here he had not the opportunities he desired.

SunderlandnounUS /ˈsʌndərlənd/

a port and industrial city in northeastern England

From this reading At the Sunderland Theatre he remained only four months, and though the manager pressed him to stay with him, the young actor felt that here he had not the opportunities he desired.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading At the Sunderland Theatre he remained only four months, and though the manager pressed him to stay with him, the young actor felt that here he had not the opportunities he desired.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading EDINBURGH AND THE SCOTTISH THEATRES.

TheatrenounUS /ˈθiːətər/

a building where theatrical performances or motion-picture shows can be presented

From this reading At the Sunderland Theatre he remained only four months, and though the manager pressed him to stay with him, the young actor felt that here he had not the opportunities he desired.

THEATRESnounUS /ˈθiːətərz/

plural of “theatre” — a building where theatrical performances or motion-picture shows can be presented

From this reading EDINBURGH AND THE SCOTTISH THEATRES.

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading Among the faces that used to be familiar at any “first night” at the Lyceum were those of Mr. Robert Wyndham and his wife.

thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading At the Sunderland Theatre he remained only four months, and though the manager pressed him to stay with him, the young actor felt that here he had not the opportunities he desired.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading At the Sunderland Theatre he remained only four months, and though the manager pressed him to stay with him, the young actor felt that here he had not the opportunities he desired.

usedadjectiveUS /juːzd/

employed in accomplishing something

From this reading Among the faces that used to be familiar at any “first night” at the Lyceum were those of Mr. Robert Wyndham and his wife.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading Among the faces that used to be familiar at any “first night” at the Lyceum were those of Mr. Robert Wyndham and his wife.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading He accordingly accepted an engagement at the Edinburgh Theatre, which began on February 9, 1857.

wifenounUS /waɪf/

a married woman; a man's partner in marriage

From this reading Among the faces that used to be familiar at any “first night” at the Lyceum were those of Mr. Robert Wyndham and his wife.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading At the Sunderland Theatre he remained only four months, and though the manager pressed him to stay with him, the young actor felt that here he had not the opportunities he desired.

Wyndham

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

From this reading Among the faces that used to be familiar at any “first night” at the Lyceum were those of Mr. Robert Wyndham and his wife.

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

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

From this reading At the Sunderland Theatre he remained only four months, and though the manager pressed him to stay with him, the young actor felt that here he had not the opportunities he desired.

Chapter 2 of Sir Henry Irving—A Record of Over Twenty Years at the Lyceum by Percy Fitzgerald holds 306 sentences, grouped into 62 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 2 of Sir Henry Irving—A Record of Over Twenty Years at the Lyceum contain?

Chapter 2 holds 306 sentences of Sir Henry Irving—A Record of Over Twenty Years at the Lyceum, unabridged, divided into 62 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of Sir Henry Irving—A Record of Over Twenty Years at the Lyceum by Percy Fitzgerald exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 306 sentences, grouped into 62 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 2 of Sir Henry Irving—A Record of Over Twenty Years at the Lyceum?

Work through the 62 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 62 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 2 be read aloud to me?

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.

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Common questions about reading Sir Henry Irving—A Record of Over Twenty Years at the Lyceum by Percy Fitzgerald on this page, its source edition and its audio.

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Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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

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About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Sir Henry Irving—A Record of Over Twenty Years at the Lyceum

Words and structures a reader meets early in Sir Henry Irving—A Record of Over Twenty Years at the Lyceum, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chapter 1
One of the 0 chapters of Sir Henry Irving—A Record of Over Twenty Years at the Lyceum, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 2
One of the 0 chapters of Sir Henry Irving—A Record of Over Twenty Years at the Lyceum, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 3
One of the 0 chapters of Sir Henry Irving—A Record of Over Twenty Years at the Lyceum, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.