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The Imperial Crown
The Imperial Crown

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of The Imperial Crown is here in full — 401 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
Truly that bold utterance, which the brave knight Michael had whispered in my ear before the sanctuary of the German people in Castle Karlstein, produced a fine and splendid resonance in the breast of a certain quiet young lady that Michael Groland had called his highest crown of all!
Now we lived again together as good neighbours through the winter of 1422 and the spring and summer of 1423.
And no fairy tale, no golden legend was more full of wonders than that realm of bliss that the young lady built up in silence.
She was not in the least anxious about her beloved.
A wonderful unshakeable trust in the fulfillment of all sweet hopes held her in its arms.
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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 Imperial Crown

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of The Imperial Crown is here in full — 401 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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

Line 1
Truly that bold utterance, which the brave knight Michael had whispered in my ear before the sanctuary of the German people in Castle Karlstein, produced a fine and splendid resonance in the breast of a certain quiet young lady that Michael Groland had called his highest crown of all!
Line 2
Now we lived again together as good neighbours through the winter of 1422 and the spring and summer of 1423.
Line 3
And no fairy tale, no golden legend was more full of wonders than that realm of bliss that the young lady built up in silence.
/ənd noʊ ˈferi teɪl noʊ ˈɡoʊldən ˈledʒənd wɑːz mɔːr fʊl ʌv ˈwʌndərz ðæn ðæt relm ʌv blɪs ðæt ðə jʌŋ ˈleɪdi bɪlt ʌp ɪn ˈsaɪ.ləns/
Line 4
She was not in the least anxious about her beloved.
/ʃiː wɑːz nɑːt ɪn ðə liːst ˈæŋkʃəs əˈbaʊt hɜːr bɪˈlʌvd/
Line 5
A wonderful unshakeable trust in the fulfillment of all sweet hopes held her in its arms.

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.

bliss noun US /blɪs/

a state of extreme happiness

From this reading “And no fairy tale, no golden legend was more full of wonders than that realm of bliss that the young lady built up in silence.”

fulfillment noun US /fʊlˈfɪlmənt/

a feeling of satisfaction at having achieved your desires

From this reading “A wonderful unshakeable trust in the fulfillment of all sweet hopes held her in its arms.”

legend noun US /ˈledʒənd/

a story about mythical or supernatural beings or events

From this reading “And no fairy tale, no golden legend was more full of wonders than that realm of bliss that the young lady built up in silence.”

realm noun US /relm/

a domain in which something is dominant

From this reading “And no fairy tale, no golden legend was more full of wonders than that realm of bliss that the young lady built up in silence.”

resonance noun US /ˈrez.ən.əns/

The reinforcement or prolongation of sound or magical energy by reflection.

From this reading “Truly that bold utterance, which the brave knight Michael had whispered in my ear before the sanctuary of the German people in Castle Karlstein, produced a fine and splendid resonance in the breast of a certain quiet young lady that Michael Groland had called his highest crown of all!”

sanctuary noun US /ˈsæŋk.tʃu.er.i/

A place of safety, refuge, or holy retreat within the academy.

From this reading “Truly that bold utterance, which the brave knight Michael had whispered in my ear before the sanctuary of the German people in Castle Karlstein, produced a fine and splendid resonance in the breast of a certain quiet young lady that Michael Groland had called his highest crown of all!”

utterance noun US /ˈʌtərəns/

the use of uttered sounds for auditory communication

From this reading “Truly that bold utterance, which the brave knight Michael had whispered in my ear before the sanctuary of the German people in Castle Karlstein, produced a fine and splendid resonance in the breast of a certain quiet young lady that Michael Groland had called his highest crown of all!”

wonders noun US /ˈwʌndərz/

plural of “wonder” — the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising

From this reading “And no fairy tale, no golden legend was more full of wonders than that realm of bliss that the young lady built up in silence.”

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.

fairy tale noun + noun

a story about fairies; told to amuse children

In this reading “And no fairy tale, no golden legend was more full of wonders than that realm of bliss that the young lady built up in silence.”

young lady adjective + noun

a young female

In this reading “Truly that bold utterance, which the brave knight Michael had whispered in my ear before the sanctuary of the German people in Castle Karlstein, produced a fine and splendid resonance in the breast of a certain quiet young lady that Michael Groland had called his highest crown of all!”

brave knight adjective + noun

In this reading “Truly that bold utterance, which the brave knight Michael had whispered in my ear before the sanctuary of the German people in Castle Karlstein, produced a fine and splendid resonance in the breast of a certain quiet young lady that Michael Groland had called his highest crown of all!”

through the winter preposition + article + noun counted as “through … winter”

In this reading “Now we lived again together as good neighbours through the winter of 1422 and the spring and summer of 1423.”

in silence preposition + noun

In this reading “And no fairy tale, no golden legend was more full of wonders than that realm of bliss that the young lady built up in silence.”

All words in this reading · 83

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.

1422

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

From this reading Now we lived again together as good neighbours through the winter of 1422 and the spring and summer of 1423.

1423

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

From this reading Now we lived again together as good neighbours through the winter of 1422 and the spring and summer of 1423.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Truly that bold utterance, which the brave knight Michael had whispered in my ear before the sanctuary of the German people in Castle Karlstein, produced a fine and splendid resonance in the breast of a certain quiet young lady that Michael Groland had called his highest crown of all!

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading She was not in the least anxious about her beloved.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading Now we lived again together as good neighbours through the winter of 1422 and the spring and summer of 1423.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading Truly that bold utterance, which the brave knight Michael had whispered in my ear before the sanctuary of the German people in Castle Karlstein, produced a fine and splendid resonance in the breast of a certain quiet young lady that Michael Groland had called his highest crown of all!

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Truly that bold utterance, which the brave knight Michael had whispered in my ear before the sanctuary of the German people in Castle Karlstein, produced a fine and splendid resonance in the breast of a certain quiet young lady that Michael Groland had called his highest crown of all!

anxiousadjectiveUS /ˈæŋkʃəs/

eagerly desirous

From this reading She was not in the least anxious about her beloved.

armsnounUS /ɑːrmz/

weapons considered collectively

From this reading A wonderful unshakeable trust in the fulfillment of all sweet hopes held her in its arms.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Now we lived again together as good neighbours through the winter of 1422 and the spring and summer of 1423.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Truly that bold utterance, which the brave knight Michael had whispered in my ear before the sanctuary of the German people in Castle Karlstein, produced a fine and splendid resonance in the breast of a certain quiet young lady that Michael Groland had called his highest crown of all!

belovedadjectiveUS /bɪˈlʌvd/

dearly loved

From this reading She was not in the least anxious about her beloved.

blissnounUS /blɪs/

a state of extreme happiness

From this reading And no fairy tale, no golden legend was more full of wonders than that realm of bliss that the young lady built up in silence.

boldadjectiveUS /boʊld/

fearless and daring

From this reading Truly that bold utterance, which the brave knight Michael had whispered in my ear before the sanctuary of the German people in Castle Karlstein, produced a fine and splendid resonance in the breast of a certain quiet young lady that Michael Groland had called his highest crown of all!

braveadjectiveUS /breɪv/

possessing or displaying courage; able to face and deal with danger or fear without flinching

From this reading Truly that bold utterance, which the brave knight Michael had whispered in my ear before the sanctuary of the German people in Castle Karlstein, produced a fine and splendid resonance in the breast of a certain quiet young lady that Michael Groland had called his highest crown of all!

breastnounUS /brest/

the front of the trunk from the neck to the abdomen

From this reading Truly that bold utterance, which the brave knight Michael had whispered in my ear before the sanctuary of the German people in Castle Karlstein, produced a fine and splendid resonance in the breast of a certain quiet young lady that Michael Groland had called his highest crown of all!

builtadjectiveUS /bɪlt/

(used of soaps or cleaning agents) having a substance (an abrasive or filler) added to increase effectiveness

From this reading And no fairy tale, no golden legend was more full of wonders than that realm of bliss that the young lady built up in silence.

calledverbUS /kɔːld/

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

From this reading Truly that bold utterance, which the brave knight Michael had whispered in my ear before the sanctuary of the German people in Castle Karlstein, produced a fine and splendid resonance in the breast of a certain quiet young lady that Michael Groland had called his highest crown of all!

CastlenounUS /ˈkæsəl/

a large and stately mansion

From this reading Truly that bold utterance, which the brave knight Michael had whispered in my ear before the sanctuary of the German people in Castle Karlstein, produced a fine and splendid resonance in the breast of a certain quiet young lady that Michael Groland had called his highest crown of all!

certainadjectiveUS /ˈsɜːrtən/

definite but not specified or identified

From this reading Truly that bold utterance, which the brave knight Michael had whispered in my ear before the sanctuary of the German people in Castle Karlstein, produced a fine and splendid resonance in the breast of a certain quiet young lady that Michael Groland had called his highest crown of all!

crownnounUS /kraʊn/

the Crown (or the reigning monarch) as the symbol of the power and authority of a monarchy

From this reading Truly that bold utterance, which the brave knight Michael had whispered in my ear before the sanctuary of the German people in Castle Karlstein, produced a fine and splendid resonance in the breast of a certain quiet young lady that Michael Groland had called his highest crown of all!

earnounUS /iːr/

the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium

From this reading Truly that bold utterance, which the brave knight Michael had whispered in my ear before the sanctuary of the German people in Castle Karlstein, produced a fine and splendid resonance in the breast of a certain quiet young lady that Michael Groland had called his highest crown of all!

fairynounUS /ˈferi/

a small being, human in form, playful and having magical powers

From this reading And no fairy tale, no golden legend was more full of wonders than that realm of bliss that the young lady built up in silence.

fineadjectiveUS /faɪn/

being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition

From this reading Truly that bold utterance, which the brave knight Michael had whispered in my ear before the sanctuary of the German people in Castle Karlstein, produced a fine and splendid resonance in the breast of a certain quiet young lady that Michael Groland had called his highest crown of all!

fulfillmentnounUS /fʊlˈfɪlmənt/

a feeling of satisfaction at having achieved your desires

From this reading A wonderful unshakeable trust in the fulfillment of all sweet hopes held her in its arms.

fulladjectiveUS /fʊl/

containing as much or as many as is possible or normal

From this reading And no fairy tale, no golden legend was more full of wonders than that realm of bliss that the young lady built up in silence.

GermannounUS /ˈdʒɜːrmən/

a person of German nationality

From this reading Truly that bold utterance, which the brave knight Michael had whispered in my ear before the sanctuary of the German people in Castle Karlstein, produced a fine and splendid resonance in the breast of a certain quiet young lady that Michael Groland had called his highest crown of all!

goldenadjectiveUS /ˈɡoʊldən/

having the deep slightly brownish color of gold

From this reading And no fairy tale, no golden legend was more full of wonders than that realm of bliss that the young lady built up in silence.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading Now we lived again together as good neighbours through the winter of 1422 and the spring and summer of 1423.

Groland

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

From this reading Truly that bold utterance, which the brave knight Michael had whispered in my ear before the sanctuary of the German people in Castle Karlstein, produced a fine and splendid resonance in the breast of a certain quiet young lady that Michael Groland had called his highest crown of all!

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Truly that bold utterance, which the brave knight Michael had whispered in my ear before the sanctuary of the German people in Castle Karlstein, produced a fine and splendid resonance in the breast of a certain quiet young lady that Michael Groland had called his highest crown of all!

heldadjectiveUS /held/

occupied or in the control of; often used in combination

From this reading A wonderful unshakeable trust in the fulfillment of all sweet hopes held her in its arms.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading She was not in the least anxious about her beloved.

highestadjectiveUS /ˈhaɪəst/

superlative of “high” — greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading Truly that bold utterance, which the brave knight Michael had whispered in my ear before the sanctuary of the German people in Castle Karlstein, produced a fine and splendid resonance in the breast of a certain quiet young lady that Michael Groland had called his highest crown of all!

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Truly that bold utterance, which the brave knight Michael had whispered in my ear before the sanctuary of the German people in Castle Karlstein, produced a fine and splendid resonance in the breast of a certain quiet young lady that Michael Groland had called his highest crown of all!

hopesnounUS /hoʊps/

plural of “hope” — a specific instance of feeling hopeful

From this reading A wonderful unshakeable trust in the fulfillment of all sweet hopes held her in its arms.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Truly that bold utterance, which the brave knight Michael had whispered in my ear before the sanctuary of the German people in Castle Karlstein, produced a fine and splendid resonance in the breast of a certain quiet young lady that Michael Groland had called his highest crown of all!

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading A wonderful unshakeable trust in the fulfillment of all sweet hopes held her in its arms.

Karlstein

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

From this reading Truly that bold utterance, which the brave knight Michael had whispered in my ear before the sanctuary of the German people in Castle Karlstein, produced a fine and splendid resonance in the breast of a certain quiet young lady that Michael Groland had called his highest crown of all!

knightnounUS /naɪt/

originally a person of noble birth trained to arms and chivalry; today in Great Britain a person honored by the sovereign for personal merit

From this reading Truly that bold utterance, which the brave knight Michael had whispered in my ear before the sanctuary of the German people in Castle Karlstein, produced a fine and splendid resonance in the breast of a certain quiet young lady that Michael Groland had called his highest crown of all!

ladynounUS /ˈleɪdi/

a polite name for any woman

From this reading Truly that bold utterance, which the brave knight Michael had whispered in my ear before the sanctuary of the German people in Castle Karlstein, produced a fine and splendid resonance in the breast of a certain quiet young lady that Michael Groland had called his highest crown of all!

leastadjectiveUS /liːst/

the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree

From this reading She was not in the least anxious about her beloved.

legendnounUS /ˈledʒənd/

a story about mythical or supernatural beings or events

From this reading And no fairy tale, no golden legend was more full of wonders than that realm of bliss that the young lady built up in silence.

livedverbUS /lɪvd/

past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in

From this reading Now we lived again together as good neighbours through the winter of 1422 and the spring and summer of 1423.

MichaelnounUS /ˈmaɪkəl/

(Old Testament) the guardian archangel of the Jews

From this reading Truly that bold utterance, which the brave knight Michael had whispered in my ear before the sanctuary of the German people in Castle Karlstein, produced a fine and splendid resonance in the breast of a certain quiet young lady that Michael Groland had called his highest crown of all!

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading And no fairy tale, no golden legend was more full of wonders than that realm of bliss that the young lady built up in silence.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading Truly that bold utterance, which the brave knight Michael had whispered in my ear before the sanctuary of the German people in Castle Karlstein, produced a fine and splendid resonance in the breast of a certain quiet young lady that Michael Groland had called his highest crown of all!

neighboursnounUS /ˈneɪbərz/

plural of “neighbour” — a person who lives (or is located) near another

From this reading Now we lived again together as good neighbours through the winter of 1422 and the spring and summer of 1423.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading And no fairy tale, no golden legend was more full of wonders than that realm of bliss that the young lady built up in silence.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading She was not in the least anxious about her beloved.

NowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading Now we lived again together as good neighbours through the winter of 1422 and the spring and summer of 1423.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Truly that bold utterance, which the brave knight Michael had whispered in my ear before the sanctuary of the German people in Castle Karlstein, produced a fine and splendid resonance in the breast of a certain quiet young lady that Michael Groland had called his highest crown of all!

peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading Truly that bold utterance, which the brave knight Michael had whispered in my ear before the sanctuary of the German people in Castle Karlstein, produced a fine and splendid resonance in the breast of a certain quiet young lady that Michael Groland had called his highest crown of all!

producedverbUS /prəˈduːst/

past form of “produce” — bring forth or yield

From this reading Truly that bold utterance, which the brave knight Michael had whispered in my ear before the sanctuary of the German people in Castle Karlstein, produced a fine and splendid resonance in the breast of a certain quiet young lady that Michael Groland had called his highest crown of all!

quietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/

characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity

From this reading Truly that bold utterance, which the brave knight Michael had whispered in my ear before the sanctuary of the German people in Castle Karlstein, produced a fine and splendid resonance in the breast of a certain quiet young lady that Michael Groland had called his highest crown of all!

realmnounUS /relm/

a domain in which something is dominant

From this reading And no fairy tale, no golden legend was more full of wonders than that realm of bliss that the young lady built up in silence.

resonancenounUS /ˈrez.ən.əns/

The reinforcement or prolongation of sound or magical energy by reflection.

From this reading Truly that bold utterance, which the brave knight Michael had whispered in my ear before the sanctuary of the German people in Castle Karlstein, produced a fine and splendid resonance in the breast of a certain quiet young lady that Michael Groland had called his highest crown of all!

sanctuarynounUS /ˈsæŋk.tʃu.er.i/

A place of safety, refuge, or holy retreat within the academy.

From this reading Truly that bold utterance, which the brave knight Michael had whispered in my ear before the sanctuary of the German people in Castle Karlstein, produced a fine and splendid resonance in the breast of a certain quiet young lady that Michael Groland had called his highest crown of all!

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading She was not in the least anxious about her beloved.

silencenounUS /ˈsaɪ.ləns/

Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.

From this reading And no fairy tale, no golden legend was more full of wonders than that realm of bliss that the young lady built up in silence.

splendidadjectiveUS /ˈsplendɪd/

having great beauty and splendor

From this reading Truly that bold utterance, which the brave knight Michael had whispered in my ear before the sanctuary of the German people in Castle Karlstein, produced a fine and splendid resonance in the breast of a certain quiet young lady that Michael Groland had called his highest crown of all!

springnounUS /sprɪŋ/

the season of growth

From this reading Now we lived again together as good neighbours through the winter of 1422 and the spring and summer of 1423.

summernounUS /ˈsʌmər/

the warmest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox

From this reading Now we lived again together as good neighbours through the winter of 1422 and the spring and summer of 1423.

sweetadjectiveUS /swiːt/

having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar

From this reading A wonderful unshakeable trust in the fulfillment of all sweet hopes held her in its arms.

talenounUS /teɪl/

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading And no fairy tale, no golden legend was more full of wonders than that realm of bliss that the young lady built up in silence.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading And no fairy tale, no golden legend was more full of wonders than that realm of bliss that the young lady built up in silence.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Truly that bold utterance, which the brave knight Michael had whispered in my ear before the sanctuary of the German people in Castle Karlstein, produced a fine and splendid resonance in the breast of a certain quiet young lady that Michael Groland had called his highest crown of all!

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Truly that bold utterance, which the brave knight Michael had whispered in my ear before the sanctuary of the German people in Castle Karlstein, produced a fine and splendid resonance in the breast of a certain quiet young lady that Michael Groland had called his highest crown of all!

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading Now we lived again together as good neighbours through the winter of 1422 and the spring and summer of 1423.

togetheradverbUS /təˈɡeðər/

in contact with each other or in proximity

From this reading Now we lived again together as good neighbours through the winter of 1422 and the spring and summer of 1423.

TrulyadverbUS /ˈtruːli/

in accordance with truth or fact or reality

From this reading Truly that bold utterance, which the brave knight Michael had whispered in my ear before the sanctuary of the German people in Castle Karlstein, produced a fine and splendid resonance in the breast of a certain quiet young lady that Michael Groland had called his highest crown of all!

trustnounUS /trʌst/

something (as property) held by one party (the trustee) for the benefit of another (the beneficiary)

From this reading A wonderful unshakeable trust in the fulfillment of all sweet hopes held her in its arms.

unshakeable

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

From this reading A wonderful unshakeable trust in the fulfillment of all sweet hopes held her in its arms.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading And no fairy tale, no golden legend was more full of wonders than that realm of bliss that the young lady built up in silence.

utterancenounUS /ˈʌtərəns/

the use of uttered sounds for auditory communication

From this reading Truly that bold utterance, which the brave knight Michael had whispered in my ear before the sanctuary of the German people in Castle Karlstein, produced a fine and splendid resonance in the breast of a certain quiet young lady that Michael Groland had called his highest crown of all!

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading And no fairy tale, no golden legend was more full of wonders than that realm of bliss that the young lady built up in silence.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading Now we lived again together as good neighbours through the winter of 1422 and the spring and summer of 1423.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading Truly that bold utterance, which the brave knight Michael had whispered in my ear before the sanctuary of the German people in Castle Karlstein, produced a fine and splendid resonance in the breast of a certain quiet young lady that Michael Groland had called his highest crown of all!

whisperedadjectiveUS /ˈwɪspərd/

spoken in soft hushed tones without vibrations of the vocal cords

From this reading Truly that bold utterance, which the brave knight Michael had whispered in my ear before the sanctuary of the German people in Castle Karlstein, produced a fine and splendid resonance in the breast of a certain quiet young lady that Michael Groland had called his highest crown of all!

winternounUS /ˈwɪntər/

the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox

From this reading Now we lived again together as good neighbours through the winter of 1422 and the spring and summer of 1423.

wonderfuladjectiveUS /ˈwʌndərfəl/

extraordinarily good or great; used especially as intensifiers

From this reading A wonderful unshakeable trust in the fulfillment of all sweet hopes held her in its arms.

wondersnounUS /ˈwʌndərz/

plural of “wonder” — the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising

From this reading And no fairy tale, no golden legend was more full of wonders than that realm of bliss that the young lady built up in silence.

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading Truly that bold utterance, which the brave knight Michael had whispered in my ear before the sanctuary of the German people in Castle Karlstein, produced a fine and splendid resonance in the breast of a certain quiet young lady that Michael Groland had called his highest crown of all!

Chapter 2 of The Imperial Crown by Wilhelm Raabe holds 401 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 Imperial Crown contain?

Chapter 2 holds 401 sentences of The Imperial Crown, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of The Imperial Crown by Wilhelm Raabe exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 401 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 Imperial Crown?

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 Imperial Crown

Common questions about reading The Imperial Crown by Wilhelm Raabe on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Imperial Crown?

Yes. All 809 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #48718 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Imperial Crown is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #48718, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Imperial Crown take to read?

About 67 minutes of reading across 162 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Imperial Crown section by section

How to work through The Imperial Crown section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 2 chapters of The Imperial Crown 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 Imperial Crown

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Imperial Crown, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Story
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Imperial Crown; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Wilhelm
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Imperial Crown; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Raabe
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Imperial Crown; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Fifty-third
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Imperial Crown; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.