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Swords Reluctant
Swords Reluctant

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Swords Reluctant is here in full — 172 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/34 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Published in London under the title of "War and the Woman" By Max Pemberton Author of "The Fortunate Prisoner," "The Garden of Swords," etc.
"Peace hath her victories No less renowned than war."
MILTON: _Sonnets_.
"I, in this weak piping time of peace, Have no delight to pass away the time, Unless to see my shadow in the sun."
SHAKESPEARE: _Richard III._ _The Author would make acknowledgments to Sir Max Waechter and to Sir Francis Trippel for the generous help given to this book and to its purpose.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Swords Reluctant

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Swords Reluctant is here in full — 172 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/34 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Published in London under the title of "War and the Woman" By Max Pemberton Author of "The Fortunate Prisoner," "The Garden of Swords," etc.
Line 2
"Peace hath her victories No less renowned than war."
/piːs hæθ hɜːr ˈvɪktəriz noʊ les rɪˈnaʊnd ðæn wɔːr/
Line 3
MILTON: _Sonnets_.
/ˈmɪltən ˈsɑːnɪts/
Line 4
"I, in this weak piping time of peace, Have no delight to pass away the time, Unless to see my shadow in the sun."
/aɪ ɪn ðɪs wiːk ˈpaɪpɪŋ taɪm ʌv piːs hæv noʊ dɪˈlaɪt tuː pæs əˈweɪ ðə taɪm ənˈles tuː siː maɪ ˈʃæd.oʊ ɪn ðə sʌn/
Line 5
SHAKESPEARE: _Richard III._ _The Author would make acknowledgments to Sir Max Waechter and to Sir Francis Trippel for the generous help given to this book and to its purpose.

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.

acknowledgments noun US /ækˈnɑːlɪdʒmənts/

plural of “acknowledgment” — the state or quality of being recognized or acknowledged

From this reading “SHAKESPEARE: _Richard III._ _The Author would make acknowledgments to Sir Max Waechter and to Sir Francis Trippel for the generous help given to this book and to its purpose.”

Max noun US /mæks/

street names for gamma hydroxybutyrate

From this reading “Published in London under the title of "War and the Woman" By Max Pemberton Author of "The Fortunate Prisoner," "The Garden of Swords," etc.”

milton noun US /ˈmɪltən/

English poet; remembered primarily as the author of an epic poem describing humanity's fall from grace (1608-1674)

From this reading “MILTON: _Sonnets_.”

piping noun US /ˈpaɪpɪŋ/

a thin strip of covered cord used to edge hems

From this reading “"I, in this weak piping time of peace, Have no delight to pass away the time, Unless to see my shadow in the sun."”

renowned adjective US /rɪˈnaʊnd/

widely known and esteemed

From this reading “"Peace hath her victories No less renowned than war."”

Sonnets noun US /ˈsɑːnɪts/

plural of “sonnet” — a verse form consisting of 14 lines with a fixed rhyme scheme

Swords noun US /sɔːrdz/

plural of “sword” — a cutting or thrusting weapon that has a long metal blade and a hilt with a hand guard

From this reading “Published in London under the title of "War and the Woman" By Max Pemberton Author of "The Fortunate Prisoner," "The Garden of Swords," etc.”

victories noun US /ˈvɪktəriz/

plural of “victory” — a successful ending of a struggle or contest

From this reading “"Peace hath her victories No less renowned than war."”

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.

under the title preposition + article + noun counted as “under … title”

In this reading “Published in London under the title of "War and the Woman" By Max Pemberton Author of "The Fortunate Prisoner," "The Garden of Swords," etc.”

pass away verb + particle

pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life

In this reading “"I, in this weak piping time of peace, Have no delight to pass away the time, Unless to see my shadow in the sun."”

All words in this reading · 61

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.

acknowledgmentsnounUS /ækˈnɑːlɪdʒmənts/

plural of “acknowledgment” — the state or quality of being recognized or acknowledged

From this reading SHAKESPEARE: _Richard III._ _The Author would make acknowledgments to Sir Max Waechter and to Sir Francis Trippel for the generous help given to this book and to its purpose.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Published in London under the title of "War and the Woman" By Max Pemberton Author of "The Fortunate Prisoner," "The Garden of Swords," etc.

AuthornounUS /ˈɔːθər/

writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading Published in London under the title of "War and the Woman" By Max Pemberton Author of "The Fortunate Prisoner," "The Garden of Swords," etc.

awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading "I, in this weak piping time of peace, Have no delight to pass away the time, Unless to see my shadow in the sun."

booknounUS /bʊk/

a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)

From this reading SHAKESPEARE: _Richard III._ _The Author would make acknowledgments to Sir Max Waechter and to Sir Francis Trippel for the generous help given to this book and to its purpose.

ByprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Published in London under the title of "War and the Woman" By Max Pemberton Author of "The Fortunate Prisoner," "The Garden of Swords," etc.

delightverbUS /dɪˈlaɪt/

give pleasure to or be pleasing to

From this reading "I, in this weak piping time of peace, Have no delight to pass away the time, Unless to see my shadow in the sun."

etc

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

From this reading Published in London under the title of "War and the Woman" By Max Pemberton Author of "The Fortunate Prisoner," "The Garden of Swords," etc.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading SHAKESPEARE: _Richard III._ _The Author would make acknowledgments to Sir Max Waechter and to Sir Francis Trippel for the generous help given to this book and to its purpose.

FortunateadjectiveUS /ˈfɔːrtʃənət/

having unexpected good fortune

From this reading Published in London under the title of "War and the Woman" By Max Pemberton Author of "The Fortunate Prisoner," "The Garden of Swords," etc.

Francis

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

From this reading SHAKESPEARE: _Richard III._ _The Author would make acknowledgments to Sir Max Waechter and to Sir Francis Trippel for the generous help given to this book and to its purpose.

GardennounUS /ˈɡɑːrdən/

a plot of ground where plants are cultivated

From this reading Published in London under the title of "War and the Woman" By Max Pemberton Author of "The Fortunate Prisoner," "The Garden of Swords," etc.

generousadjectiveUS /ˈdʒenərəs/

willing to give and share unstintingly

From this reading SHAKESPEARE: _Richard III._ _The Author would make acknowledgments to Sir Max Waechter and to Sir Francis Trippel for the generous help given to this book and to its purpose.

givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/

acknowledged as a supposition

From this reading SHAKESPEARE: _Richard III._ _The Author would make acknowledgments to Sir Max Waechter and to Sir Francis Trippel for the generous help given to this book and to its purpose.

hathauxiliary verbUS /hæθ/

an old form of “has”

From this reading "Peace hath her victories No less renowned than war."

Haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading "I, in this weak piping time of peace, Have no delight to pass away the time, Unless to see my shadow in the sun."

helpverbUS /help/

give help or assistance; be of service

From this reading SHAKESPEARE: _Richard III._ _The Author would make acknowledgments to Sir Max Waechter and to Sir Francis Trippel for the generous help given to this book and to its purpose.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading "Peace hath her victories No less renowned than war."

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "I, in this weak piping time of peace, Have no delight to pass away the time, Unless to see my shadow in the sun."

IIInoun

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading SHAKESPEARE: _Richard III._ _The Author would make acknowledgments to Sir Max Waechter and to Sir Francis Trippel for the generous help given to this book and to its purpose.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Published in London under the title of "War and the Woman" By Max Pemberton Author of "The Fortunate Prisoner," "The Garden of Swords," etc.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading SHAKESPEARE: _Richard III._ _The Author would make acknowledgments to Sir Max Waechter and to Sir Francis Trippel for the generous help given to this book and to its purpose.

lessadverbUS /les/

used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs

From this reading "Peace hath her victories No less renowned than war."

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 Published in London under the title of "War and the Woman" By Max Pemberton Author of "The Fortunate Prisoner," "The Garden of Swords," etc.

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading SHAKESPEARE: _Richard III._ _The Author would make acknowledgments to Sir Max Waechter and to Sir Francis Trippel for the generous help given to this book and to its purpose.

MaxnounUS /mæks/

street names for gamma hydroxybutyrate

From this reading Published in London under the title of "War and the Woman" By Max Pemberton Author of "The Fortunate Prisoner," "The Garden of Swords," etc.

MILTONnounUS /ˈmɪltən/

English poet; remembered primarily as the author of an epic poem describing humanity's fall from grace (1608-1674)

From this reading MILTON: _Sonnets_.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading "I, in this weak piping time of peace, Have no delight to pass away the time, Unless to see my shadow in the sun."

NodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading "Peace hath her victories No less renowned than war."

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Published in London under the title of "War and the Woman" By Max Pemberton Author of "The Fortunate Prisoner," "The Garden of Swords," etc.

passverbUS /pæs/

go across or through

From this reading "I, in this weak piping time of peace, Have no delight to pass away the time, Unless to see my shadow in the sun."

PeacenounUS /piːs/

the state prevailing during the absence of war

From this reading "Peace hath her victories No less renowned than war."

Pemberton

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

From this reading Published in London under the title of "War and the Woman" By Max Pemberton Author of "The Fortunate Prisoner," "The Garden of Swords," etc.

pipingnounUS /ˈpaɪpɪŋ/

a thin strip of covered cord used to edge hems

From this reading "I, in this weak piping time of peace, Have no delight to pass away the time, Unless to see my shadow in the sun."

PrisonernounUS /ˈprɪzənər/

a person who is confined; especially a prisoner of war

From this reading Published in London under the title of "War and the Woman" By Max Pemberton Author of "The Fortunate Prisoner," "The Garden of Swords," etc.

PublishedadjectiveUS /ˈpʌblɪʃt/

prepared and printed for distribution and sale

From this reading Published in London under the title of "War and the Woman" By Max Pemberton Author of "The Fortunate Prisoner," "The Garden of Swords," etc.

purposenounUS /ˈpɜːrpəs/

an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions

From this reading SHAKESPEARE: _Richard III._ _The Author would make acknowledgments to Sir Max Waechter and to Sir Francis Trippel for the generous help given to this book and to its purpose.

renownedadjectiveUS /rɪˈnaʊnd/

widely known and esteemed

From this reading "Peace hath her victories No less renowned than war."

Richard

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

From this reading SHAKESPEARE: _Richard III._ _The Author would make acknowledgments to Sir Max Waechter and to Sir Francis Trippel for the generous help given to this book and to its purpose.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading "I, in this weak piping time of peace, Have no delight to pass away the time, Unless to see my shadow in the sun."

shadownounUS /ˈʃæd.oʊ/

A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.

From this reading "I, in this weak piping time of peace, Have no delight to pass away the time, Unless to see my shadow in the sun."

SHAKESPEAREnounUS /ˈʃeɪkspiːr/

English poet and dramatist considered one of the greatest English writers (1564-1616)

From this reading SHAKESPEARE: _Richard III._ _The Author would make acknowledgments to Sir Max Waechter and to Sir Francis Trippel for the generous help given to this book and to its purpose.

SirnounUS /sɜːr/

term of address for a man

From this reading SHAKESPEARE: _Richard III._ _The Author would make acknowledgments to Sir Max Waechter and to Sir Francis Trippel for the generous help given to this book and to its purpose.

SonnetsnounUS /ˈsɑːnɪts/

plural of “sonnet” — a verse form consisting of 14 lines with a fixed rhyme scheme

From this reading MILTON: _Sonnets_.

sunnounUS /sʌn/

the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system

From this reading "I, in this weak piping time of peace, Have no delight to pass away the time, Unless to see my shadow in the sun."

SwordsnounUS /sɔːrdz/

plural of “sword” — a cutting or thrusting weapon that has a long metal blade and a hilt with a hand guard

From this reading Published in London under the title of "War and the Woman" By Max Pemberton Author of "The Fortunate Prisoner," "The Garden of Swords," etc.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading "Peace hath her victories No less renowned than war."

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Published in London under the title of "War and the Woman" By Max Pemberton Author of "The Fortunate Prisoner," "The Garden of Swords," etc.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading "I, in this weak piping time of peace, Have no delight to pass away the time, Unless to see my shadow in the sun."

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading "I, in this weak piping time of peace, Have no delight to pass away the time, Unless to see my shadow in the sun."

titlenounUS /ˈtaɪtəl/

a heading that names a statute or legislative bill; may give a brief summary of the matters it deals with

From this reading Published in London under the title of "War and the Woman" By Max Pemberton Author of "The Fortunate Prisoner," "The Garden of Swords," etc.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "I, in this weak piping time of peace, Have no delight to pass away the time, Unless to see my shadow in the sun."

Trippel

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

From this reading SHAKESPEARE: _Richard III._ _The Author would make acknowledgments to Sir Max Waechter and to Sir Francis Trippel for the generous help given to this book and to its purpose.

underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading Published in London under the title of "War and the Woman" By Max Pemberton Author of "The Fortunate Prisoner," "The Garden of Swords," etc.

UnlessconjunctionUS /ənˈles/

except if; if not

From this reading "I, in this weak piping time of peace, Have no delight to pass away the time, Unless to see my shadow in the sun."

victoriesnounUS /ˈvɪktəriz/

plural of “victory” — a successful ending of a struggle or contest

From this reading "Peace hath her victories No less renowned than war."

Waechter

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

From this reading SHAKESPEARE: _Richard III._ _The Author would make acknowledgments to Sir Max Waechter and to Sir Francis Trippel for the generous help given to this book and to its purpose.

WarnounUS /wɔːr/

the waging of armed conflict against an enemy

From this reading Published in London under the title of "War and the Woman" By Max Pemberton Author of "The Fortunate Prisoner," "The Garden of Swords," etc.

weakadjectiveUS /wiːk/

wanting in physical strength

From this reading "I, in this weak piping time of peace, Have no delight to pass away the time, Unless to see my shadow in the sun."

WomannounUS /ˈwʊmən/

an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading Published in London under the title of "War and the Woman" By Max Pemberton Author of "The Fortunate Prisoner," "The Garden of Swords," etc.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading SHAKESPEARE: _Richard III._ _The Author would make acknowledgments to Sir Max Waechter and to Sir Francis Trippel for the generous help given to this book and to its purpose.

Chapter 1 of Swords Reluctant by Max Pemberton holds 172 sentences, grouped into 35 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 Swords Reluctant contain?

Chapter 1 holds 172 sentences of Swords Reluctant, unabridged, divided into 35 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Swords Reluctant by Max Pemberton exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 172 sentences, grouped into 35 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 Swords Reluctant?

Work through the 35 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 35 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 Swords Reluctant

Common questions about reading Swords Reluctant by Max Pemberton on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Swords Reluctant?

Yes. All 5659 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #42763 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Swords Reluctant is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #42763, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Swords Reluctant take to read?

About 471 minutes of reading across 1132 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Swords Reluctant section by section

How to work through Swords Reluctant section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 21 chapters of Swords Reluctant 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 Swords Reluctant

Words and structures a reader meets early in Swords Reluctant, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Published
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Swords Reluctant; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
London
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Swords Reluctant; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Under
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Swords Reluctant; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Title
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Swords Reluctant; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.