Chapter 2 of The Fortunate Mistress (Parts 1 and 2) is here in full — 421 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The Fortunate Mistress (Parts 1 and 2) is here in full — 421 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Well, I know not what to do," says I to Amy. "Do!" says Amy. "Your choice is fair and plain. Here you may have a handsome, charming gentleman, be rich, live pleasantly and in plenty, or refuse him, and want a dinner, go in rags, live in tears; in short, beg and starve. You know this is the case, madam," says Amy.
Chapter 2 of The Fortunate Mistress (Parts 1 and 2) is here in full — 421 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/84 · 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.
call upon in supplication; entreat
From this reading “Here you may have a handsome, charming gentleman, be rich, live pleasantly and in plenty, or refuse him, and want a dinner, go in rags, live in tears; in short, beg and starve.”
pleasing or delighting
From this reading “Here you may have a handsome, charming gentleman, be rich, live pleasantly and in plenty, or refuse him, and want a dinner, go in rags, live in tears; in short, beg and starve.”
the person or thing chosen or selected
From this reading “"Your choice is fair and plain.”
a woman of refinement
From this reading “You know this is the case, madam," says Amy.”
in a cheerful manner
From this reading “Here you may have a handsome, charming gentleman, be rich, live pleasantly and in plenty, or refuse him, and want a dinner, go in rags, live in tears; in short, beg and starve.”
plural of “rag” — a small piece of cloth or paper
From this reading “Here you may have a handsome, charming gentleman, be rich, live pleasantly and in plenty, or refuse him, and want a dinner, go in rags, live in tears; in short, beg and starve.”
show unwillingness towards
From this reading “Here you may have a handsome, charming gentleman, be rich, live pleasantly and in plenty, or refuse him, and want a dinner, go in rags, live in tears; in short, beg and starve.”
be hungry; go without food
From this reading “Here you may have a handsome, charming gentleman, be rich, live pleasantly and in plenty, or refuse him, and want a dinner, go in rags, live in tears; in short, beg and starve.”
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.
live in the house where one works
In this reading “Here you may have a handsome, charming gentleman, be rich, live pleasantly and in plenty, or refuse him, and want a dinner, go in rags, live in tears; in short, beg and starve.”
In this reading “Here you may have a handsome, charming gentleman, be rich, live pleasantly and in plenty, or refuse him, and want a dinner, go in rags, live in tears; in short, beg and starve.”
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 Here you may have a handsome, charming gentleman, be rich, live pleasantly and in plenty, or refuse him, and want a dinner, go in rags, live in tears; in short, beg and starve.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Well, I know not what to do," says I to Amy.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "Your choice is fair and plain.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Here you may have a handsome, charming gentleman, be rich, live pleasantly and in plenty, or refuse him, and want a dinner, go in rags, live in tears; in short, beg and starve.
call upon in supplication; entreat
From this reading Here you may have a handsome, charming gentleman, be rich, live pleasantly and in plenty, or refuse him, and want a dinner, go in rags, live in tears; in short, beg and starve.
an occurrence of something
From this reading You know this is the case, madam," says Amy.
pleasing or delighting
From this reading Here you may have a handsome, charming gentleman, be rich, live pleasantly and in plenty, or refuse him, and want a dinner, go in rags, live in tears; in short, beg and starve.
the person or thing chosen or selected
From this reading "Your choice is fair and plain.
the main meal of the day served in the evening or at midday
From this reading Here you may have a handsome, charming gentleman, be rich, live pleasantly and in plenty, or refuse him, and want a dinner, go in rags, live in tears; in short, beg and starve.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "Well, I know not what to do," says I to Amy.
free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules
From this reading "Your choice is fair and plain.
a man of refinement
From this reading Here you may have a handsome, charming gentleman, be rich, live pleasantly and in plenty, or refuse him, and want a dinner, go in rags, live in tears; in short, beg and starve.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Here you may have a handsome, charming gentleman, be rich, live pleasantly and in plenty, or refuse him, and want a dinner, go in rags, live in tears; in short, beg and starve.
pleasing in appearance especially by reason of conformity to ideals of form and proportion
From this reading Here you may have a handsome, charming gentleman, be rich, live pleasantly and in plenty, or refuse him, and want a dinner, go in rags, live in tears; in short, beg and starve.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Here you may have a handsome, charming gentleman, be rich, live pleasantly and in plenty, or refuse him, and want a dinner, go in rags, live in tears; in short, beg and starve.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading Here you may have a handsome, charming gentleman, be rich, live pleasantly and in plenty, or refuse him, and want a dinner, go in rags, live in tears; in short, beg and starve.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Here you may have a handsome, charming gentleman, be rich, live pleasantly and in plenty, or refuse him, and want a dinner, go in rags, live in tears; in short, beg and starve.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Well, I know not what to do," says I to Amy.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Here you may have a handsome, charming gentleman, be rich, live pleasantly and in plenty, or refuse him, and want a dinner, go in rags, live in tears; in short, beg and starve.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Your choice is fair and plain.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading "Well, I know not what to do," says I to Amy.
be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading Here you may have a handsome, charming gentleman, be rich, live pleasantly and in plenty, or refuse him, and want a dinner, go in rags, live in tears; in short, beg and starve.
a woman of refinement
From this reading You know this is the case, madam," says Amy.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading Here you may have a handsome, charming gentleman, be rich, live pleasantly and in plenty, or refuse him, and want a dinner, go in rags, live in tears; in short, beg and starve.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "Well, I know not what to do," says I to Amy.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Here you may have a handsome, charming gentleman, be rich, live pleasantly and in plenty, or refuse him, and want a dinner, go in rags, live in tears; in short, beg and starve.
clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment
From this reading "Your choice is fair and plain.
in a cheerful manner
From this reading Here you may have a handsome, charming gentleman, be rich, live pleasantly and in plenty, or refuse him, and want a dinner, go in rags, live in tears; in short, beg and starve.
a full supply
From this reading Here you may have a handsome, charming gentleman, be rich, live pleasantly and in plenty, or refuse him, and want a dinner, go in rags, live in tears; in short, beg and starve.
plural of “rag” — a small piece of cloth or paper
From this reading Here you may have a handsome, charming gentleman, be rich, live pleasantly and in plenty, or refuse him, and want a dinner, go in rags, live in tears; in short, beg and starve.
show unwillingness towards
From this reading Here you may have a handsome, charming gentleman, be rich, live pleasantly and in plenty, or refuse him, and want a dinner, go in rags, live in tears; in short, beg and starve.
possessing material wealth
From this reading Here you may have a handsome, charming gentleman, be rich, live pleasantly and in plenty, or refuse him, and want a dinner, go in rags, live in tears; in short, beg and starve.
plural of “say” — the chance to speak
From this reading "Well, I know not what to do," says I to Amy.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading Here you may have a handsome, charming gentleman, be rich, live pleasantly and in plenty, or refuse him, and want a dinner, go in rags, live in tears; in short, beg and starve.
be hungry; go without food
From this reading Here you may have a handsome, charming gentleman, be rich, live pleasantly and in plenty, or refuse him, and want a dinner, go in rags, live in tears; in short, beg and starve.
the process of shedding tears (usually accompanied by sobs or other inarticulate sounds)
From this reading Here you may have a handsome, charming gentleman, be rich, live pleasantly and in plenty, or refuse him, and want a dinner, go in rags, live in tears; in short, beg and starve.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading You know this is the case, madam," says Amy.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading You know this is the case, madam," says Amy.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Well, I know not what to do," says I to Amy.
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading Here you may have a handsome, charming gentleman, be rich, live pleasantly and in plenty, or refuse him, and want a dinner, go in rags, live in tears; in short, beg and starve.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading "Well, I know not what to do," says I to Amy.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "Well, I know not what to do," says I to Amy.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Here you may have a handsome, charming gentleman, be rich, live pleasantly and in plenty, or refuse him, and want a dinner, go in rags, live in tears; in short, beg and starve.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Your choice is fair and plain.
Chapter 2 of The Fortunate Mistress (Parts 1 and 2) by Daniel Defoe holds 421 sentences, grouped into 85 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 421 sentences of The Fortunate Mistress (Parts 1 and 2), unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The Fortunate Mistress (Parts 1 and 2) by Daniel Defoe exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 421 sentences, grouped into 85 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 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 85 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 Fortunate Mistress (Parts 1 and 2) by Daniel Defoe on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3694 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #30344 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #30344, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 307 minutes of reading across 739 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Fortunate Mistress (Parts 1 and 2) section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 9 chapters of The Fortunate Mistress (Parts 1 and 2) 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 Fortunate Mistress (Parts 1 and 2), each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
