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The Boys' Book of Famous Rulers
The Boys' Book of Famous Rulers

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of The Boys' Book of Famous Rulers is here in full — 404 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/80 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Harpagus did not dare to refuse, and accordingly went to the palace in which Mandane was residing.
Her attendants, not suspecting his evil designs, arrayed the infant in its most beautiful robes, and delivered it into his care.
Harpagus took the child home and consulted with his wife what he should do.
He did not dare to disobey the king, and also, as Mandane was the daughter of the king, he feared to carry out the terrible deed himself.
In his perplexity he sent for one of his herdsmen, named Mitridates, living near wild and desolate forests.
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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.

The Boys' Book of Famous Rulers

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of The Boys' Book of Famous Rulers is here in full — 404 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/80 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Harpagus did not dare to refuse, and accordingly went to the palace in which Mandane was residing.
Line 2
Her attendants, not suspecting his evil designs, arrayed the infant in its most beautiful robes, and delivered it into his care.
/hɜːr əˈtendənts nɑːt səˈspektɪŋ hɪz ˈiːvəl dɪˈzaɪnz ərˈeɪd ðə ˈɪnfənt ɪn ɪts moʊst ˈbjuːtəfəl roʊbz ənd dɪˈlɪvərd ɪt ˈɪntuː hɪz ker/
Line 3
Harpagus took the child home and consulted with his wife what he should do.
Line 4
He did not dare to disobey the king, and also, as Mandane was the daughter of the king, he feared to carry out the terrible deed himself.
Line 5
In his perplexity he sent for one of his herdsmen, named Mitridates, living near wild and desolate forests.

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.

arrayed adjective US /ərˈeɪd/

in ceremonial attire and paraphernalia

From this reading “Her attendants, not suspecting his evil designs, arrayed the infant in its most beautiful robes, and delivered it into his care.”

attendants noun US /əˈtendənts/

plural of “attendant” — someone who waits on or tends to or attends to the needs of another

From this reading “Her attendants, not suspecting his evil designs, arrayed the infant in its most beautiful robes, and delivered it into his care.”

designs noun US /dɪˈzaɪnz/

plural of “design” — the act of working out the form of something (as by making a sketch or outline or plan)

From this reading “Her attendants, not suspecting his evil designs, arrayed the infant in its most beautiful robes, and delivered it into his care.”

disobey verb US /ˌdɪsəˈbeɪ/

refuse to go along with; refuse to follow; be disobedient

From this reading “He did not dare to disobey the king, and also, as Mandane was the daughter of the king, he feared to carry out the terrible deed himself.”

herdsmen noun US /ˈhɜːrdzmɪn/

plural of “herdsman” — someone who drives a herd

From this reading “In his perplexity he sent for one of his herdsmen, named Mitridates, living near wild and desolate forests.”

perplexity noun US /pərˈpleksəti/

trouble or confusion resulting from complexity

From this reading “In his perplexity he sent for one of his herdsmen, named Mitridates, living near wild and desolate forests.”

residing verb US /rɪˈzaɪdɪŋ/

-ing form of “reside” — make one's home in a particular place or community

From this reading “Harpagus did not dare to refuse, and accordingly went to the palace in which Mandane was residing.”

suspecting verb US /səˈspektɪŋ/

-ing form of “suspect” — imagine to be the case or true or probable

From this reading “Her attendants, not suspecting his evil designs, arrayed the infant in its most beautiful robes, and delivered it into his care.”

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.

evil designs noun + noun counted as “evil design”

In this reading “Her attendants, not suspecting his evil designs, arrayed the infant in its most beautiful robes, and delivered it into his care.”

most beautiful adverb + adjective

In this reading “Her attendants, not suspecting his evil designs, arrayed the infant in its most beautiful robes, and delivered it into his care.”

carry out verb + adjective

put in effect

In this reading “He did not dare to disobey the king, and also, as Mandane was the daughter of the king, he feared to carry out the terrible deed himself.”

consulted with verb + particle counted as “consult with”

In this reading “Harpagus took the child home and consulted with his wife what he should do.”

All words in this reading · 66

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.

accordinglyadverbUS /əˈkɔːrdɪŋli/

(sentence connectors) because of the reason given

From this reading Harpagus did not dare to refuse, and accordingly went to the palace in which Mandane was residing.

alsoadverbUS /ˈɔːlsoʊ/

in addition

From this reading He did not dare to disobey the king, and also, as Mandane was the daughter of the king, he feared to carry out the terrible deed himself.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Harpagus did not dare to refuse, and accordingly went to the palace in which Mandane was residing.

arrayedadjectiveUS /ərˈeɪd/

in ceremonial attire and paraphernalia

From this reading Her attendants, not suspecting his evil designs, arrayed the infant in its most beautiful robes, and delivered it into his care.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading He did not dare to disobey the king, and also, as Mandane was the daughter of the king, he feared to carry out the terrible deed himself.

attendantsnounUS /əˈtendənts/

plural of “attendant” — someone who waits on or tends to or attends to the needs of another

From this reading Her attendants, not suspecting his evil designs, arrayed the infant in its most beautiful robes, and delivered it into his care.

beautifuladjectiveUS /ˈbjuːtəfəl/

delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration

From this reading Her attendants, not suspecting his evil designs, arrayed the infant in its most beautiful robes, and delivered it into his care.

carenounUS /ker/

the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something

From this reading Her attendants, not suspecting his evil designs, arrayed the infant in its most beautiful robes, and delivered it into his care.

carryverbUS /ˈkæri/

move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body

From this reading He did not dare to disobey the king, and also, as Mandane was the daughter of the king, he feared to carry out the terrible deed himself.

childnounUS /tʃaɪld/

a young person of either sex

From this reading Harpagus took the child home and consulted with his wife what he should do.

consultedverbUS /kənˈsʌltəd/

past form of “consult” — get or ask advice from

From this reading Harpagus took the child home and consulted with his wife what he should do.

dareverbUS /der/

take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission

From this reading Harpagus did not dare to refuse, and accordingly went to the palace in which Mandane was residing.

daughternounUS /ˈdɔːtər/

a female human offspring

From this reading He did not dare to disobey the king, and also, as Mandane was the daughter of the king, he feared to carry out the terrible deed himself.

deednounUS /diːd/

a legal document signed and sealed and delivered to effect a transfer of property and to show the legal right to possess it

From this reading He did not dare to disobey the king, and also, as Mandane was the daughter of the king, he feared to carry out the terrible deed himself.

deliveredverbUS /dɪˈlɪvərd/

past form of “deliver” — deliver (a speech, oration, or idea)

From this reading Her attendants, not suspecting his evil designs, arrayed the infant in its most beautiful robes, and delivered it into his care.

designsnounUS /dɪˈzaɪnz/

plural of “design” — the act of working out the form of something (as by making a sketch or outline or plan)

From this reading Her attendants, not suspecting his evil designs, arrayed the infant in its most beautiful robes, and delivered it into his care.

desolateadjectiveUS /ˈdesələt/

providing no shelter or sustenance

From this reading In his perplexity he sent for one of his herdsmen, named Mitridates, living near wild and desolate forests.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading Harpagus did not dare to refuse, and accordingly went to the palace in which Mandane was residing.

disobeyverbUS /ˌdɪsəˈbeɪ/

refuse to go along with; refuse to follow; be disobedient

From this reading He did not dare to disobey the king, and also, as Mandane was the daughter of the king, he feared to carry out the terrible deed himself.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading Harpagus took the child home and consulted with his wife what he should do.

evilnounUS /ˈiːvəl/

morally objectionable behavior

From this reading Her attendants, not suspecting his evil designs, arrayed the infant in its most beautiful robes, and delivered it into his care.

fearedverbUS /fɪrd/

past form of “fear” — be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event

From this reading He did not dare to disobey the king, and also, as Mandane was the daughter of the king, he feared to carry out the terrible deed himself.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading In his perplexity he sent for one of his herdsmen, named Mitridates, living near wild and desolate forests.

forestsnounUS /ˈfɔːrəsts/

plural of “forest” — the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area

From this reading In his perplexity he sent for one of his herdsmen, named Mitridates, living near wild and desolate forests.

Harpagus

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

From this reading Harpagus did not dare to refuse, and accordingly went to the palace in which Mandane was residing.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Harpagus took the child home and consulted with his wife what he should do.

HerdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading Her attendants, not suspecting his evil designs, arrayed the infant in its most beautiful robes, and delivered it into his care.

herdsmennounUS /ˈhɜːrdzmɪn/

plural of “herdsman” — someone who drives a herd

From this reading In his perplexity he sent for one of his herdsmen, named Mitridates, living near wild and desolate forests.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading He did not dare to disobey the king, and also, as Mandane was the daughter of the king, he feared to carry out the terrible deed himself.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Her attendants, not suspecting his evil designs, arrayed the infant in its most beautiful robes, and delivered it into his care.

homenounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

From this reading Harpagus took the child home and consulted with his wife what he should do.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Harpagus did not dare to refuse, and accordingly went to the palace in which Mandane was residing.

infantnounUS /ˈɪnfənt/

a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk

From this reading Her attendants, not suspecting his evil designs, arrayed the infant in its most beautiful robes, and delivered it into his care.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Her attendants, not suspecting his evil designs, arrayed the infant in its most beautiful robes, and delivered it into his care.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Her attendants, not suspecting his evil designs, arrayed the infant in its most beautiful robes, and delivered it into his care.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading Her attendants, not suspecting his evil designs, arrayed the infant in its most beautiful robes, and delivered it into his care.

kingnounUS /kɪŋ/

a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom

From this reading He did not dare to disobey the king, and also, as Mandane was the daughter of the king, he feared to carry out the terrible deed himself.

livingnounUS /ˈlɪvɪŋ/

the experience of being alive; the course of human events and activities

From this reading In his perplexity he sent for one of his herdsmen, named Mitridates, living near wild and desolate forests.

Mandane

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

From this reading Harpagus did not dare to refuse, and accordingly went to the palace in which Mandane was residing.

Mitridates

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

From this reading In his perplexity he sent for one of his herdsmen, named Mitridates, living near wild and desolate forests.

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading Her attendants, not suspecting his evil designs, arrayed the infant in its most beautiful robes, and delivered it into his care.

namedverbUS /neɪmd/

past form of “name” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading In his perplexity he sent for one of his herdsmen, named Mitridates, living near wild and desolate forests.

nearadverbUS /nɪr/

near in time or place or relationship

From this reading In his perplexity he sent for one of his herdsmen, named Mitridates, living near wild and desolate forests.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Harpagus did not dare to refuse, and accordingly went to the palace in which Mandane was residing.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading He did not dare to disobey the king, and also, as Mandane was the daughter of the king, he feared to carry out the terrible deed himself.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading In his perplexity he sent for one of his herdsmen, named Mitridates, living near wild and desolate forests.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading He did not dare to disobey the king, and also, as Mandane was the daughter of the king, he feared to carry out the terrible deed himself.

palacenounUS /ˈpæləs/

a large and stately mansion

From this reading Harpagus did not dare to refuse, and accordingly went to the palace in which Mandane was residing.

perplexitynounUS /pərˈpleksəti/

trouble or confusion resulting from complexity

From this reading In his perplexity he sent for one of his herdsmen, named Mitridates, living near wild and desolate forests.

refuseverbUS /rəˈfjuːz/

show unwillingness towards

From this reading Harpagus did not dare to refuse, and accordingly went to the palace in which Mandane was residing.

residingverbUS /rɪˈzaɪdɪŋ/

-ing form of “reside” — make one's home in a particular place or community

From this reading Harpagus did not dare to refuse, and accordingly went to the palace in which Mandane was residing.

robesnounUS /roʊbz/

plural of “robe” — any loose flowing garment

From this reading Her attendants, not suspecting his evil designs, arrayed the infant in its most beautiful robes, and delivered it into his care.

sentnounUS /sent/

100 senti equal 1 kroon in Estonia

From this reading In his perplexity he sent for one of his herdsmen, named Mitridates, living near wild and desolate forests.

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading Harpagus took the child home and consulted with his wife what he should do.

suspectingverbUS /səˈspektɪŋ/

-ing form of “suspect” — imagine to be the case or true or probable

From this reading Her attendants, not suspecting his evil designs, arrayed the infant in its most beautiful robes, and delivered it into his care.

terribleadjectiveUS /ˈterəbəl/

causing fear or dread or terror

From this reading He did not dare to disobey the king, and also, as Mandane was the daughter of the king, he feared to carry out the terrible deed himself.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Harpagus did not dare to refuse, and accordingly went to the palace in which Mandane was residing.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Harpagus did not dare to refuse, and accordingly went to the palace in which Mandane was residing.

tookverbUS /tʊk/

inflected form of “take” — carry out

From this reading Harpagus took the child home and consulted with his wife what he should do.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Harpagus did not dare to refuse, and accordingly went to the palace in which Mandane was residing.

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading Harpagus did not dare to refuse, and accordingly went to the palace in which Mandane was residing.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading Harpagus took the child home and consulted with his wife what he should do.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading Harpagus did not dare to refuse, and accordingly went to the palace in which Mandane was residing.

wifenounUS /waɪf/

a married woman; a man's partner in marriage

From this reading Harpagus took the child home and consulted with his wife what he should do.

wildadjectiveUS /waɪld/

marked by extreme lack of restraint or control

From this reading In his perplexity he sent for one of his herdsmen, named Mitridates, living near wild and desolate forests.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Harpagus took the child home and consulted with his wife what he should do.

Chapter 2 of The Boys' Book of Famous Rulers by Lydia Hoyt Farmer holds 404 sentences, grouped into 81 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 The Boys' Book of Famous Rulers contain?

Chapter 2 holds 404 sentences of The Boys' Book of Famous Rulers, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of The Boys' Book of Famous Rulers by Lydia Hoyt Farmer exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 404 sentences, grouped into 81 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 The Boys' Book of Famous Rulers?

Work through the 81 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 81 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.

Questions about reading The Boys' Book of Famous Rulers

Common questions about reading The Boys' Book of Famous Rulers by Lydia Hoyt Farmer on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Boys' Book of Famous Rulers?

Yes. All 5992 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #50510 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Boys' Book of Famous Rulers is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #50510, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Boys' Book of Famous Rulers take to read?

About 499 minutes of reading across 1199 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Boys' Book of Famous Rulers section by section

How to work through The Boys' Book of Famous Rulers section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 15 chapters of The Boys' Book of Famous Rulers 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 The Boys' Book of Famous Rulers

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Boys' Book of Famous Rulers, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Famous
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Boys' Book of Famous Rulers; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Rulers
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Boys' Book of Famous Rulers; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Lydia
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Boys' Book of Famous Rulers; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Farmer
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Boys' Book of Famous Rulers; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.