Chapter 1 of The Captain of the Guard is here in full — 11 sentences across 3 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Captain of the Guard is here in full — 11 sentences across 3 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
CAPTAIN OF THE GUARD. AUTHOR OF "THE ROMANCE OF WAR," "HARRY OGILVIE," "OLIVER ELLIS," ETC. ETC. LONDON: ROUTLEDGE, WARNE, & ROUTLEDGE, FARRINGDON STREET, NEW YORK: 56, WALKER STREET. 1862.
Chapter 1 of The Captain of the Guard is here in full — 11 sentences across 3 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/2 · 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.
writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading “AUTHOR OF "THE ROMANCE OF WAR," "HARRY OGILVIE," "OLIVER ELLIS," ETC.”
plural of “elli” — (Norse mythology) goddess of old age who defeated Thor in a wrestling match
From this reading “AUTHOR OF "THE ROMANCE OF WAR," "HARRY OGILVIE," "OLIVER ELLIS," ETC.”
a person who keeps watch over something or someone
From this reading “CAPTAIN OF THE GUARD.”
annoy continually or chronically
From this reading “AUTHOR OF "THE ROMANCE OF WAR," "HARRY OGILVIE," "OLIVER ELLIS," ETC.”
United States jazz musician who influenced the style of Louis Armstrong (1885-1938)
From this reading “AUTHOR OF "THE ROMANCE OF WAR," "HARRY OGILVIE," "OLIVER ELLIS," ETC.”
a relationship between two lovers
From this reading “AUTHOR OF "THE ROMANCE OF WAR," "HARRY OGILVIE," "OLIVER ELLIS," ETC.”
New Zealand runner who in 1975 became the first person to run a mile in less that 3 minutes and 50 seconds (born in 1952)
From this reading “LONDON: ROUTLEDGE, WARNE, & ROUTLEDGE, FARRINGDON STREET, NEW YORK: 56, WALKER STREET.”
the English royal house (a branch of the Plantagenet line) that reigned from 1461 to 1485; its emblem was a white rose
From this reading “LONDON: ROUTLEDGE, WARNE, & ROUTLEDGE, FARRINGDON STREET, NEW YORK: 56, WALKER STREET.”
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.
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 1862.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading LONDON: ROUTLEDGE, WARNE, & ROUTLEDGE, FARRINGDON STREET, NEW YORK: 56, WALKER STREET.
writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading AUTHOR OF "THE ROMANCE OF WAR," "HARRY OGILVIE," "OLIVER ELLIS," ETC.
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading CAPTAIN OF THE GUARD.
plural of “elli” — (Norse mythology) goddess of old age who defeated Thor in a wrestling match
From this reading AUTHOR OF "THE ROMANCE OF WAR," "HARRY OGILVIE," "OLIVER ELLIS," ETC.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading AUTHOR OF "THE ROMANCE OF WAR," "HARRY OGILVIE," "OLIVER ELLIS," ETC.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading LONDON: ROUTLEDGE, WARNE, & ROUTLEDGE, FARRINGDON STREET, NEW YORK: 56, WALKER STREET.
a person who keeps watch over something or someone
From this reading CAPTAIN OF THE GUARD.
annoy continually or chronically
From this reading AUTHOR OF "THE ROMANCE OF WAR," "HARRY OGILVIE," "OLIVER ELLIS," ETC.
the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center
From this reading LONDON: ROUTLEDGE, WARNE, & ROUTLEDGE, FARRINGDON STREET, NEW YORK: 56, WALKER STREET.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading LONDON: ROUTLEDGE, WARNE, & ROUTLEDGE, FARRINGDON STREET, NEW YORK: 56, WALKER STREET.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading CAPTAIN OF THE GUARD.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading AUTHOR OF "THE ROMANCE OF WAR," "HARRY OGILVIE," "OLIVER ELLIS," ETC.
United States jazz musician who influenced the style of Louis Armstrong (1885-1938)
From this reading AUTHOR OF "THE ROMANCE OF WAR," "HARRY OGILVIE," "OLIVER ELLIS," ETC.
a relationship between two lovers
From this reading AUTHOR OF "THE ROMANCE OF WAR," "HARRY OGILVIE," "OLIVER ELLIS," ETC.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading LONDON: ROUTLEDGE, WARNE, & ROUTLEDGE, FARRINGDON STREET, NEW YORK: 56, WALKER STREET.
a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
From this reading LONDON: ROUTLEDGE, WARNE, & ROUTLEDGE, FARRINGDON STREET, NEW YORK: 56, WALKER STREET.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading CAPTAIN OF THE GUARD.
New Zealand runner who in 1975 became the first person to run a mile in less that 3 minutes and 50 seconds (born in 1952)
From this reading LONDON: ROUTLEDGE, WARNE, & ROUTLEDGE, FARRINGDON STREET, NEW YORK: 56, WALKER STREET.
the waging of armed conflict against an enemy
From this reading AUTHOR OF "THE ROMANCE OF WAR," "HARRY OGILVIE," "OLIVER ELLIS," ETC.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading LONDON: ROUTLEDGE, WARNE, & ROUTLEDGE, FARRINGDON STREET, NEW YORK: 56, WALKER STREET.
the English royal house (a branch of the Plantagenet line) that reigned from 1461 to 1485; its emblem was a white rose
From this reading LONDON: ROUTLEDGE, WARNE, & ROUTLEDGE, FARRINGDON STREET, NEW YORK: 56, WALKER STREET.
Chapter 1 of The Captain of the Guard by James Grant holds 11 sentences, grouped into 3 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 1 holds 11 sentences of The Captain of the Guard, unabridged, divided into 3 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The Captain of the Guard by James Grant exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 11 sentences, grouped into 3 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 3 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 3 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 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.
Common questions about reading The Captain of the Guard by James Grant on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3804 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #52078 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #52078, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 317 minutes of reading across 761 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Captain of the Guard section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of The Captain of the Guard 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 Captain of the Guard, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
