Chapter 2 of The Defence of Guenevere and Other Poems is here in full — 430 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The Defence of Guenevere and Other Poems is here in full — 430 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
SIR LAMBERT. If your side were right, You might be, though you lost; but if I said, 'You are a traitor, being, as you are, Born Frenchman.' What are Edwards unto you, Or Richards? SIR PETER. Nay, hold there, my Lambert, hold!
Chapter 2 of The Defence of Guenevere and Other Poems is here in full — 430 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/86 · 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.
American theologian whose sermons and writings stimulated a period of renewed interest in religion in America (1703-1758)
From this reading “What are Edwards unto you, Or Richards?”
a person of French nationality
From this reading “If your side were right, You might be, though you lost; but if I said, 'You are a traitor, being, as you are, Born Frenchman.'”
a cgs unit of illumination equal to the brightness of a perfectly diffusing surface that emits or reflects one lumen per square centimeter
From this reading “SIR LAMBERT.”
an old word for “no”
From this reading “Nay, hold there, my Lambert, hold!”
disciple of Jesus and leader of the Apostles; regarded by Catholics as the vicar of Christ on earth and first Pope
From this reading “SIR PETER.”
English literary critic who collaborated with C. K. Ogden and contributed to the development of Basic English (1893-1979)
From this reading “What are Edwards unto you, Or Richards?”
someone who betrays his country by committing treason
From this reading “If your side were right, You might be, though you lost; but if I said, 'You are a traitor, being, as you are, Born Frenchman.'”
an old word for “to”
From this reading “What are Edwards unto you, Or Richards?”
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 If your side were right, You might be, though you lost; but if I said, 'You are a traitor, being, as you are, Born Frenchman.'
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading If your side were right, You might be, though you lost; but if I said, 'You are a traitor, being, as you are, Born Frenchman.'
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading If your side were right, You might be, though you lost; but if I said, 'You are a traitor, being, as you are, Born Frenchman.'
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading If your side were right, You might be, though you lost; but if I said, 'You are a traitor, being, as you are, Born Frenchman.'
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading If your side were right, You might be, though you lost; but if I said, 'You are a traitor, being, as you are, Born Frenchman.'
brought into existence
From this reading If your side were right, You might be, though you lost; but if I said, 'You are a traitor, being, as you are, Born Frenchman.'
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading If your side were right, You might be, though you lost; but if I said, 'You are a traitor, being, as you are, Born Frenchman.'
American theologian whose sermons and writings stimulated a period of renewed interest in religion in America (1703-1758)
From this reading What are Edwards unto you, Or Richards?
a person of French nationality
From this reading If your side were right, You might be, though you lost; but if I said, 'You are a traitor, being, as you are, Born Frenchman.'
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading Nay, hold there, my Lambert, hold!
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading If your side were right, You might be, though you lost; but if I said, 'You are a traitor, being, as you are, Born Frenchman.'
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If your side were right, You might be, though you lost; but if I said, 'You are a traitor, being, as you are, Born Frenchman.'
a cgs unit of illumination equal to the brightness of a perfectly diffusing surface that emits or reflects one lumen per square centimeter
From this reading SIR LAMBERT.
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading If your side were right, You might be, though you lost; but if I said, 'You are a traitor, being, as you are, Born Frenchman.'
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading If your side were right, You might be, though you lost; but if I said, 'You are a traitor, being, as you are, Born Frenchman.'
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Nay, hold there, my Lambert, hold!
an old word for “no”
From this reading Nay, hold there, my Lambert, hold!
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading What are Edwards unto you, Or Richards?
disciple of Jesus and leader of the Apostles; regarded by Catholics as the vicar of Christ on earth and first Pope
From this reading SIR PETER.
English literary critic who collaborated with C. K. Ogden and contributed to the development of Basic English (1893-1979)
From this reading What are Edwards unto you, Or Richards?
precisely, exactly
From this reading If your side were right, You might be, though you lost; but if I said, 'You are a traitor, being, as you are, Born Frenchman.'
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading If your side were right, You might be, though you lost; but if I said, 'You are a traitor, being, as you are, Born Frenchman.'
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading If your side were right, You might be, though you lost; but if I said, 'You are a traitor, being, as you are, Born Frenchman.'
term of address for a man
From this reading SIR LAMBERT.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Nay, hold there, my Lambert, hold!
in spite of the fact that
From this reading If your side were right, You might be, though you lost; but if I said, 'You are a traitor, being, as you are, Born Frenchman.'
someone who betrays his country by committing treason
From this reading If your side were right, You might be, though you lost; but if I said, 'You are a traitor, being, as you are, Born Frenchman.'
an old word for “to”
From this reading What are Edwards unto you, Or Richards?
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading If your side were right, You might be, though you lost; but if I said, 'You are a traitor, being, as you are, Born Frenchman.'
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What are Edwards unto you, Or Richards?
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading If your side were right, You might be, though you lost; but if I said, 'You are a traitor, being, as you are, Born Frenchman.'
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading If your side were right, You might be, though you lost; but if I said, 'You are a traitor, being, as you are, Born Frenchman.'
Chapter 2 of The Defence of Guenevere and Other Poems by William Morris holds 430 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 2 holds 430 sentences of The Defence of Guenevere and Other Poems, unabridged, divided into 86 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The Defence of Guenevere and Other Poems by William Morris exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 430 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 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.
Common questions about reading The Defence of Guenevere and Other Poems by William Morris on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1186 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #22650 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #22650, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 98 minutes of reading across 238 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Defence of Guenevere and Other Poems section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 3 chapters of The Defence of Guenevere and Other Poems 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 Defence of Guenevere and Other Poems, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
