Chapter 5 of The Bishop's Apron is here in full — 427 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter V
Chapter 5 of The Bishop's Apron is here in full — 427 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“We certainly are, Sophia,” cried Lord Spratte. “But Theodore is clever enough to forget it. He honestly feels that his ancestors fought in coats-of-mail at Agincourt and Crecy.” “Heaven save me from the candid criticism of relations,” exclaimed Mrs. Fitzherbert. “They’re like a bad looking-glass which gives you an atrocious squint and a crooked nose.”
Chapter 5 of The Bishop's Apron is here in full — 427 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/85 · 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 battle in northern France in which English longbowmen under Henry V decisively defeated a much larger French army in 1415
From this reading “He honestly feels that his ancestors fought in coats-of-mail at Agincourt and Crecy.””
plural of “ancestor” — someone from whom you are descended (but usually more remote than a grandparent)
From this reading “He honestly feels that his ancestors fought in coats-of-mail at Agincourt and Crecy.””
shockingly brutal or cruel
From this reading ““They’re like a bad looking-glass which gives you an atrocious squint and a crooked nose.””
characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion
From this reading ““Heaven save me from the candid criticism of relations,” exclaimed Mrs. Fitzherbert.”
disapproval expressed by pointing out faults or shortcomings
From this reading ““Heaven save me from the candid criticism of relations,” exclaimed Mrs. Fitzherbert.”
having or marked by bends or angles; not straight or aligned
From this reading ““They’re like a bad looking-glass which gives you an atrocious squint and a crooked nose.””
(used as intensives reflecting the speaker's attitude) it is sincerely the case that
From this reading “He honestly feels that his ancestors fought in coats-of-mail at Agincourt and Crecy.””
cross one's eyes as if in strabismus
From this reading ““They’re like a bad looking-glass which gives you an atrocious squint and a crooked nose.””
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 ““But Theodore is clever enough to forget it.”
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 “They’re like a bad looking-glass which gives you an atrocious squint and a crooked nose.”
a battle in northern France in which English longbowmen under Henry V decisively defeated a much larger French army in 1415
From this reading He honestly feels that his ancestors fought in coats-of-mail at Agincourt and Crecy.”
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading “They’re like a bad looking-glass which gives you an atrocious squint and a crooked nose.”
plural of “ancestor” — someone from whom you are descended (but usually more remote than a grandparent)
From this reading He honestly feels that his ancestors fought in coats-of-mail at Agincourt and Crecy.”
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He honestly feels that his ancestors fought in coats-of-mail at Agincourt and Crecy.”
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “We certainly are, Sophia,” cried Lord Spratte.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He honestly feels that his ancestors fought in coats-of-mail at Agincourt and Crecy.”
shockingly brutal or cruel
From this reading “They’re like a bad looking-glass which gives you an atrocious squint and a crooked nose.”
having undesirable or negative qualities
From this reading “They’re like a bad looking-glass which gives you an atrocious squint and a crooked nose.”
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “But Theodore is clever enough to forget it.
characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion
From this reading “Heaven save me from the candid criticism of relations,” exclaimed Mrs. Fitzherbert.
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading “We certainly are, Sophia,” cried Lord Spratte.
showing self-interest and shrewdness in dealing with others
From this reading “But Theodore is clever enough to forget it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He honestly feels that his ancestors fought in coats-of-mail at Agincourt and Crecy.”
the first decisive battle of the Hundred Years' War; in 1346 the English under Edward III defeated the French under Philip of Valois
From this reading He honestly feels that his ancestors fought in coats-of-mail at Agincourt and Crecy.”
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading “We certainly are, Sophia,” cried Lord Spratte.
disapproval expressed by pointing out faults or shortcomings
From this reading “Heaven save me from the candid criticism of relations,” exclaimed Mrs. Fitzherbert.
having or marked by bends or angles; not straight or aligned
From this reading “They’re like a bad looking-glass which gives you an atrocious squint and a crooked nose.”
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading “But Theodore is clever enough to forget it.
past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy
From this reading “Heaven save me from the candid criticism of relations,” exclaimed Mrs. Fitzherbert.
plural of “feel” — an intuitive awareness
From this reading He honestly feels that his ancestors fought in coats-of-mail at Agincourt and Crecy.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Heaven save me from the candid criticism of relations,” exclaimed Mrs. Fitzherbert.
dismiss from the mind; stop remembering
From this reading “But Theodore is clever enough to forget it.
inflected form of “fight” — be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight
From this reading He honestly feels that his ancestors fought in coats-of-mail at Agincourt and Crecy.”
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading “Heaven save me from the candid criticism of relations,” exclaimed Mrs. Fitzherbert.
plural of “give” — the elasticity of something that can be stretched and returns to its original length
From this reading “They’re like a bad looking-glass which gives you an atrocious squint and a crooked nose.”
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He honestly feels that his ancestors fought in coats-of-mail at Agincourt and Crecy.”
any place of complete bliss and delight and peace
From this reading “Heaven save me from the candid criticism of relations,” exclaimed Mrs. Fitzherbert.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He honestly feels that his ancestors fought in coats-of-mail at Agincourt and Crecy.”
(used as intensives reflecting the speaker's attitude) it is sincerely the case that
From this reading He honestly feels that his ancestors fought in coats-of-mail at Agincourt and Crecy.”
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He honestly feels that his ancestors fought in coats-of-mail at Agincourt and Crecy.”
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “But Theodore is clever enough to forget it.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “But Theodore is clever enough to forget it.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading “They’re like a bad looking-glass which gives you an atrocious squint and a crooked nose.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “They’re like a bad looking-glass which gives you an atrocious squint and a crooked nose.”
terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God
From this reading “We certainly are, Sophia,” cried Lord Spratte.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “Heaven save me from the candid criticism of relations,” exclaimed Mrs. Fitzherbert.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading “Heaven save me from the candid criticism of relations,” exclaimed Mrs. Fitzherbert.
the organ of smell and entrance to the respiratory tract; the prominent part of the face of man or other mammals
From this reading “They’re like a bad looking-glass which gives you an atrocious squint and a crooked nose.”
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “Heaven save me from the candid criticism of relations,” exclaimed Mrs. Fitzherbert.
mutual dealings or connections or communications among persons or groups
From this reading “Heaven save me from the candid criticism of relations,” exclaimed Mrs. Fitzherbert.
except for; apart from
From this reading “Heaven save me from the candid criticism of relations,” exclaimed Mrs. Fitzherbert.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “We certainly are, Sophia,” cried Lord Spratte.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “We certainly are, Sophia,” cried Lord Spratte.
cross one's eyes as if in strabismus
From this reading “They’re like a bad looking-glass which gives you an atrocious squint and a crooked nose.”
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He honestly feels that his ancestors fought in coats-of-mail at Agincourt and Crecy.”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “Heaven save me from the candid criticism of relations,” exclaimed Mrs. Fitzherbert.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “But Theodore is clever enough to forget it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “They’re like a bad looking-glass which gives you an atrocious squint and a crooked nose.”
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “But Theodore is clever enough to forget it.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading “We certainly are, Sophia,” cried Lord Spratte.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading “They’re like a bad looking-glass which gives you an atrocious squint and a crooked nose.”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “They’re like a bad looking-glass which gives you an atrocious squint and a crooked nose.”
Chapter 5 of The Bishop's Apron by W. Somerset (William Somerset) Maugham holds 427 sentences, grouped into 86 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 5 holds 427 sentences of The Bishop's Apron, unabridged, divided into 86 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 5 of The Bishop's Apron by W. Somerset (William Somerset) Maugham exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 427 sentences, grouped into 86 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 86 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 86 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 5 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 The Bishop's Apron by W. Somerset (William Somerset) Maugham on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4707 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #47523 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #47523, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 392 minutes of reading across 942 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Bishop's Apron section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 11 chapters of The Bishop's Apron 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 The Bishop's Apron, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
