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The Last of the Legions and Other Tales of Long Ago
The Last of the Legions and Other Tales of Long Ago

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of The Last of the Legions and Other Tales of Long Ago is here in full — 458 sentences across 92 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Last of the Legions and Other Tales of Long Ago
Context Illustration Reading 1/91 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"It is you, Sulpicius," said he.
"You have not come to cry 'Ave Imperator Maximin!' as once by the camp fire.
You are tired of me, and by the gods I am tired of you, and glad to be at the end of it.
Come and have done with it, for I am minded to see how many of you I can take with me when I go."
They clustered at the door of the tent, peeping over each other's shoulders, and none wishing to be the first to close with that laughing, mocking giant.
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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 Last of the Legions and Other Tales of Long Ago

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of The Last of the Legions and Other Tales of Long Ago is here in full — 458 sentences across 92 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/91 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"It is you, Sulpicius," said he.
Line 2
"You have not come to cry 'Ave Imperator Maximin!' as once by the camp fire.
Line 3
You are tired of me, and by the gods I am tired of you, and glad to be at the end of it.
/juː ɑːr ˈtaɪərd ʌv miː ənd baɪ ðə ɡɑːdz aɪ æm ˈtaɪərd ʌv juː ənd ɡlæd tuː biː æt ðə end ʌv ɪt/
Line 4
Come and have done with it, for I am minded to see how many of you I can take with me when I go."
Line 5
They clustered at the door of the tent, peeping over each other's shoulders, and none wishing to be the first to close with that laughing, mocking giant.

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.

clustered adjective US /ˈklʌstərd/

growing close together but not in dense mats

From this reading “They clustered at the door of the tent, peeping over each other's shoulders, and none wishing to be the first to close with that laughing, mocking giant.”

giant noun US /ˈdʒaɪənt/

any creature of exceptional size

From this reading “They clustered at the door of the tent, peeping over each other's shoulders, and none wishing to be the first to close with that laughing, mocking giant.”

gods noun US /ɡɑːdz/

plural of “god” — the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions

From this reading “You are tired of me, and by the gods I am tired of you, and glad to be at the end of it.”

minded adjective US /ˈmaɪndəd/

(used in combination) mentally oriented toward something specified

From this reading “Come and have done with it, for I am minded to see how many of you I can take with me when I go."”

mocking adjective US /ˈmɑːkɪŋ/

abusing vocally; expressing contempt or ridicule

From this reading “They clustered at the door of the tent, peeping over each other's shoulders, and none wishing to be the first to close with that laughing, mocking giant.”

peeping verb US /ˈpiːpɪŋ/

-ing form of “peep” — look furtively

From this reading “They clustered at the door of the tent, peeping over each other's shoulders, and none wishing to be the first to close with that laughing, mocking giant.”

tent noun US /tent/

a portable shelter (usually of canvas stretched over supporting poles and fastened to the ground with ropes and pegs)

From this reading “They clustered at the door of the tent, peeping over each other's shoulders, and none wishing to be the first to close with that laughing, mocking giant.”

wishing noun US /ˈwɪʃɪŋ/

a specific feeling of desire

From this reading “They clustered at the door of the tent, peeping over each other's shoulders, and none wishing to be the first to close with that laughing, mocking giant.”

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.

peeping over verb + particle counted as “peep over”

In this reading “They clustered at the door of the tent, peeping over each other's shoulders, and none wishing to be the first to close with that laughing, mocking giant.”

at the end preposition + article + noun counted as “at … end”

In this reading “You are tired of me, and by the gods I am tired of you, and glad to be at the end of it.”

at the door preposition + article + noun counted as “at … door”

In this reading “They clustered at the door of the tent, peeping over each other's shoulders, and none wishing to be the first to close with that laughing, mocking giant.”

All words in this reading · 60

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.

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading You are tired of me, and by the gods I am tired of you, and glad to be at the end of it.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading You are tired of me, and by the gods I am tired of you, and glad to be at the end of it.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading You are tired of me, and by the gods I am tired of you, and glad to be at the end of it.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading "You have not come to cry 'Ave Imperator Maximin!' as once by the camp fire.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading You are tired of me, and by the gods I am tired of you, and glad to be at the end of it.

Ave

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

From this reading "You have not come to cry 'Ave Imperator Maximin!' as once by the camp fire.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading You are tired of me, and by the gods I am tired of you, and glad to be at the end of it.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading "You have not come to cry 'Ave Imperator Maximin!' as once by the camp fire.

campnounUS /kæmp/

temporary living quarters specially built by the army for soldiers

From this reading "You have not come to cry 'Ave Imperator Maximin!' as once by the camp fire.

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading Come and have done with it, for I am minded to see how many of you I can take with me when I go."

closeadjectiveUS /kloʊs/

at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other

From this reading They clustered at the door of the tent, peeping over each other's shoulders, and none wishing to be the first to close with that laughing, mocking giant.

clusteredadjectiveUS /ˈklʌstərd/

growing close together but not in dense mats

From this reading They clustered at the door of the tent, peeping over each other's shoulders, and none wishing to be the first to close with that laughing, mocking giant.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading "You have not come to cry 'Ave Imperator Maximin!' as once by the camp fire.

cryverbUS /kraɪ/

utter a sudden loud cry

From this reading "You have not come to cry 'Ave Imperator Maximin!' as once by the camp fire.

doneadjectiveUS /dʌn/

having finished or arrived at completion

From this reading Come and have done with it, for I am minded to see how many of you I can take with me when I go."

doornounUS /dɔːr/

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading They clustered at the door of the tent, peeping over each other's shoulders, and none wishing to be the first to close with that laughing, mocking giant.

eachdeterminerUS /iːtʃ/

every one of two or more people or things, taken separately

From this reading They clustered at the door of the tent, peeping over each other's shoulders, and none wishing to be the first to close with that laughing, mocking giant.

endnounUS /end/

either extremity of something that has length

From this reading You are tired of me, and by the gods I am tired of you, and glad to be at the end of it.

fireverbUS /ˈfaɪər/

start firing a weapon

From this reading "You have not come to cry 'Ave Imperator Maximin!' as once by the camp fire.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading They clustered at the door of the tent, peeping over each other's shoulders, and none wishing to be the first to close with that laughing, mocking giant.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Come and have done with it, for I am minded to see how many of you I can take with me when I go."

giantnounUS /ˈdʒaɪənt/

any creature of exceptional size

From this reading They clustered at the door of the tent, peeping over each other's shoulders, and none wishing to be the first to close with that laughing, mocking giant.

gladadjectiveUS /ɡlæd/

showing or causing joy and pleasure; especially made happy

From this reading You are tired of me, and by the gods I am tired of you, and glad to be at the end of it.

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading Come and have done with it, for I am minded to see how many of you I can take with me when I go."

godsnounUS /ɡɑːdz/

plural of “god” — the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions

From this reading You are tired of me, and by the gods I am tired of you, and glad to be at the end of it.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading "You have not come to cry 'Ave Imperator Maximin!' as once by the camp fire.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading "It is you, Sulpicius," said he.

how

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

From this reading Come and have done with it, for I am minded to see how many of you I can take with me when I go."

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading You are tired of me, and by the gods I am tired of you, and glad to be at the end of it.

Imperator

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

From this reading "You have not come to cry 'Ave Imperator Maximin!' as once by the camp fire.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "It is you, Sulpicius," said he.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading "It is you, Sulpicius," said he.

laughingadjectiveUS /ˈlæfɪŋ/

showing or feeling mirth or pleasure or happiness

From this reading They clustered at the door of the tent, peeping over each other's shoulders, and none wishing to be the first to close with that laughing, mocking giant.

manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading Come and have done with it, for I am minded to see how many of you I can take with me when I go."

Maximin

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

From this reading "You have not come to cry 'Ave Imperator Maximin!' as once by the camp fire.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading You are tired of me, and by the gods I am tired of you, and glad to be at the end of it.

mindedadjectiveUS /ˈmaɪndəd/

(used in combination) mentally oriented toward something specified

From this reading Come and have done with it, for I am minded to see how many of you I can take with me when I go."

mockingadjectiveUS /ˈmɑːkɪŋ/

abusing vocally; expressing contempt or ridicule

From this reading They clustered at the door of the tent, peeping over each other's shoulders, and none wishing to be the first to close with that laughing, mocking giant.

nonepronounUS /nʌn/

not one, and not any

From this reading They clustered at the door of the tent, peeping over each other's shoulders, and none wishing to be the first to close with that laughing, mocking giant.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading "You have not come to cry 'Ave Imperator Maximin!' as once by the camp fire.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading You are tired of me, and by the gods I am tired of you, and glad to be at the end of it.

onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading "You have not come to cry 'Ave Imperator Maximin!' as once by the camp fire.

other's

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

From this reading They clustered at the door of the tent, peeping over each other's shoulders, and none wishing to be the first to close with that laughing, mocking giant.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading They clustered at the door of the tent, peeping over each other's shoulders, and none wishing to be the first to close with that laughing, mocking giant.

peepingverbUS /ˈpiːpɪŋ/

-ing form of “peep” — look furtively

From this reading They clustered at the door of the tent, peeping over each other's shoulders, and none wishing to be the first to close with that laughing, mocking giant.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "It is you, Sulpicius," said he.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading Come and have done with it, for I am minded to see how many of you I can take with me when I go."

shouldersnounUS /ˈʃoʊldərz/

plural of “shoulder” — the part of the body between the neck and the upper arm

From this reading They clustered at the door of the tent, peeping over each other's shoulders, and none wishing to be the first to close with that laughing, mocking giant.

Sulpicius

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

From this reading "It is you, Sulpicius," said he.

takeverbUS /teɪk/

carry out

From this reading Come and have done with it, for I am minded to see how many of you I can take with me when I go."

tentnounUS /tent/

a portable shelter (usually of canvas stretched over supporting poles and fastened to the ground with ropes and pegs)

From this reading They clustered at the door of the tent, peeping over each other's shoulders, and none wishing to be the first to close with that laughing, mocking giant.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading They clustered at the door of the tent, peeping over each other's shoulders, and none wishing to be the first to close with that laughing, mocking giant.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "You have not come to cry 'Ave Imperator Maximin!' as once by the camp fire.

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading They clustered at the door of the tent, peeping over each other's shoulders, and none wishing to be the first to close with that laughing, mocking giant.

tiredadjectiveUS /ˈtaɪərd/

depleted of strength or energy

From this reading You are tired of me, and by the gods I am tired of you, and glad to be at the end of it.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "You have not come to cry 'Ave Imperator Maximin!' as once by the camp fire.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading Come and have done with it, for I am minded to see how many of you I can take with me when I go."

wishingnounUS /ˈwɪʃɪŋ/

a specific feeling of desire

From this reading They clustered at the door of the tent, peeping over each other's shoulders, and none wishing to be the first to close with that laughing, mocking giant.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Come and have done with it, for I am minded to see how many of you I can take with me when I go."

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "It is you, Sulpicius," said he.

Chapter 4 of The Last of the Legions and Other Tales of Long Ago by Arthur Conan Doyle holds 458 sentences, grouped into 92 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 4 of The Last of the Legions and Other Tales of Long Ago contain?

Chapter 4 holds 458 sentences of The Last of the Legions and Other Tales of Long Ago, unabridged, divided into 92 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of The Last of the Legions and Other Tales of Long Ago by Arthur Conan Doyle exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 458 sentences, grouped into 92 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 4 of The Last of the Legions and Other Tales of Long Ago?

Work through the 92 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 92 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 4 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 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 Last of the Legions and Other Tales of Long Ago

Common questions about reading The Last of the Legions and Other Tales of Long Ago by Arthur Conan Doyle on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Last of the Legions and Other Tales of Long Ago?

Yes. All 2248 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #26153 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Last of the Legions and Other Tales of Long Ago is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #26153, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Last of the Legions and Other Tales of Long Ago take to read?

About 187 minutes of reading across 450 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Last of the Legions and Other Tales of Long Ago section by section

How to work through The Last of the Legions and Other Tales of Long Ago section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 5 chapters of The Last of the Legions and Other Tales of Long Ago 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 Last of the Legions and Other Tales of Long Ago

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Last of the Legions and Other Tales of Long Ago, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Danger
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Last of the Legions and Other Tales of Long Ago; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Other
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Last of the Legions and Other Tales of Long Ago; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Stories
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Last of the Legions and Other Tales of Long Ago; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Doings
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Last of the Legions and Other Tales of Long Ago; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.