Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The Lily of Leyden
The Lily of Leyden

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Lily of Leyden is here in full — 481 sentences across 97 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Lily of Leyden
Context Illustration Reading 1/96 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The Lily of Leyden, by W.H.G. Kingston.
________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ THE LILY OF LEYDEN, BY W.H.G. KINGSTON.
CHAPTER ONE.
The warm sun of a bright spring day, in the year of grace 1574, shone down on the beautiful city of Leyden, on its spacious squares and streets and its elegant mansions, its imposing churches, and on the smooth canals which meandered among them, fed by the waters of the sluggish Rhine.
The busy citizens were engaged in their various occupations, active and industrious as ever; barges and boats lay at the quays loading or unloading, some having come from Rotterdam, Delft, Amsterdam, and other places on the Zuyder Zee, with which her watery roads gave her easy communication.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
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 Lily of Leyden

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Lily of Leyden is here in full — 481 sentences across 97 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/96 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The Lily of Leyden, by W.H.G. Kingston.
Line 2
________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ THE LILY OF LEYDEN, BY W.H.G. KINGSTON.
Line 3
CHAPTER ONE.
/ˈtʃæptər wʌn/
Line 4
The warm sun of a bright spring day, in the year of grace 1574, shone down on the beautiful city of Leyden, on its spacious squares and streets and its elegant mansions, its imposing churches, and on the smooth canals which meandered among them, fed by the waters of the sluggish Rhine.
Line 5
The busy citizens were engaged in their various occupations, active and industrious as ever; barges and boats lay at the quays loading or unloading, some having come from Rotterdam, Delft, Amsterdam, and other places on the Zuyder Zee, with which her watery roads gave her easy communication.

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.

Delft noun US /delft/

a style of glazed earthenware; usually white with blue decoration

From this reading “The busy citizens were engaged in their various occupations, active and industrious as ever; barges and boats lay at the quays loading or unloading, some having come from Rotterdam, Delft, Amsterdam, and other places on the Zuyder Zee, with which her watery roads gave her easy communication.”

Kingston noun US /ˈkɪŋstən/

a town on the Hudson River in New York

From this reading “The Lily of Leyden, by W.H.G. Kingston.”

Leyden noun US /ˈlaɪdən/

a city in the western Netherlands; residence of the Pilgrim Fathers for 11 years before they sailed for America in 1620

From this reading “The Lily of Leyden, by W.H.G. Kingston.”

meandered verb US /miˈændərd/

past form of “meander” — to move or cause to move in a sinuous, spiral, or circular course

From this reading “The warm sun of a bright spring day, in the year of grace 1574, shone down on the beautiful city of Leyden, on its spacious squares and streets and its elegant mansions, its imposing churches, and on the smooth canals which meandered among them, fed by the waters of the sluggish Rhine.”

quays noun US /kiːz/

plural of “quay” — wharf usually built parallel to the shoreline

From this reading “The busy citizens were engaged in their various occupations, active and industrious as ever; barges and boats lay at the quays loading or unloading, some having come from Rotterdam, Delft, Amsterdam, and other places on the Zuyder Zee, with which her watery roads gave her easy communication.”

Rotterdam noun US /ˈrɑːtərdæm/

the 2nd largest city in the Netherlands; located in the western Netherlands near the North Sea

From this reading “The busy citizens were engaged in their various occupations, active and industrious as ever; barges and boats lay at the quays loading or unloading, some having come from Rotterdam, Delft, Amsterdam, and other places on the Zuyder Zee, with which her watery roads gave her easy communication.”

unloading noun US /ənˈloʊdɪŋ/

the labor of taking a load of something off of or out of a vehicle or ship or container etc.

From this reading “The busy citizens were engaged in their various occupations, active and industrious as ever; barges and boats lay at the quays loading or unloading, some having come from Rotterdam, Delft, Amsterdam, and other places on the Zuyder Zee, with which her watery roads gave her easy communication.”

Zee noun US /ziː/

the 26th letter of the Roman alphabet

From this reading “The busy citizens were engaged in their various occupations, active and industrious as ever; barges and boats lay at the quays loading or unloading, some having come from Rotterdam, Delft, Amsterdam, and other places on the Zuyder Zee, with which her watery roads gave her easy communication.”

All words in this reading · 82

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.

1574

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

From this reading The warm sun of a bright spring day, in the year of grace 1574, shone down on the beautiful city of Leyden, on its spacious squares and streets and its elegant mansions, its imposing churches, and on the smooth canals which meandered among them, fed by the waters of the sluggish Rhine.

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading The warm sun of a bright spring day, in the year of grace 1574, shone down on the beautiful city of Leyden, on its spacious squares and streets and its elegant mansions, its imposing churches, and on the smooth canals which meandered among them, fed by the waters of the sluggish Rhine.

activeadjectiveUS /ˈæktɪv/

tending to become more severe or wider in scope

From this reading The busy citizens were engaged in their various occupations, active and industrious as ever; barges and boats lay at the quays loading or unloading, some having come from Rotterdam, Delft, Amsterdam, and other places on the Zuyder Zee, with which her watery roads gave her easy communication.

amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/

surrounded by; in the middle of a group

From this reading The warm sun of a bright spring day, in the year of grace 1574, shone down on the beautiful city of Leyden, on its spacious squares and streets and its elegant mansions, its imposing churches, and on the smooth canals which meandered among them, fed by the waters of the sluggish Rhine.

AmsterdamnounUS /ˈæmstərdæm/

an industrial center and the nominal capital of the Netherlands; center of the diamond-cutting industry; seat of an important stock exchange; known for its canals and art museum

From this reading The busy citizens were engaged in their various occupations, active and industrious as ever; barges and boats lay at the quays loading or unloading, some having come from Rotterdam, Delft, Amsterdam, and other places on the Zuyder Zee, with which her watery roads gave her easy communication.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The warm sun of a bright spring day, in the year of grace 1574, shone down on the beautiful city of Leyden, on its spacious squares and streets and its elegant mansions, its imposing churches, and on the smooth canals which meandered among them, fed by the waters of the sluggish Rhine.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading The busy citizens were engaged in their various occupations, active and industrious as ever; barges and boats lay at the quays loading or unloading, some having come from Rotterdam, Delft, Amsterdam, and other places on the Zuyder Zee, with which her watery roads gave her easy communication.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading The busy citizens were engaged in their various occupations, active and industrious as ever; barges and boats lay at the quays loading or unloading, some having come from Rotterdam, Delft, Amsterdam, and other places on the Zuyder Zee, with which her watery roads gave her easy communication.

bargesnounUS /ˈbɑːrdʒəz/

plural of “barge” — a flatbottom boat for carrying heavy loads (especially on canals)

From this reading The busy citizens were engaged in their various occupations, active and industrious as ever; barges and boats lay at the quays loading or unloading, some having come from Rotterdam, Delft, Amsterdam, and other places on the Zuyder Zee, with which her watery roads gave her easy communication.

beautifuladjectiveUS /ˈbjuːtəfəl/

delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration

From this reading The warm sun of a bright spring day, in the year of grace 1574, shone down on the beautiful city of Leyden, on its spacious squares and streets and its elegant mansions, its imposing churches, and on the smooth canals which meandered among them, fed by the waters of the sluggish Rhine.

boatsnounUS /boʊts/

plural of “boat” — a small vessel for travel on water

From this reading The busy citizens were engaged in their various occupations, active and industrious as ever; barges and boats lay at the quays loading or unloading, some having come from Rotterdam, Delft, Amsterdam, and other places on the Zuyder Zee, with which her watery roads gave her easy communication.

brightadjectiveUS /braɪt/

emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts

From this reading The warm sun of a bright spring day, in the year of grace 1574, shone down on the beautiful city of Leyden, on its spacious squares and streets and its elegant mansions, its imposing churches, and on the smooth canals which meandered among them, fed by the waters of the sluggish Rhine.

busyadjectiveUS /ˈbɪzi/

actively or fully engaged or occupied

From this reading The busy citizens were engaged in their various occupations, active and industrious as ever; barges and boats lay at the quays loading or unloading, some having come from Rotterdam, Delft, Amsterdam, and other places on the Zuyder Zee, with which her watery roads gave her easy communication.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading The Lily of Leyden, by W.H.G. Kingston.

canalsnounUS /kəˈnælz/

plural of “canal” — (astronomy) an indistinct surface feature of Mars once thought to be a system of channels; they are now believed to be an optical illusion

From this reading The warm sun of a bright spring day, in the year of grace 1574, shone down on the beautiful city of Leyden, on its spacious squares and streets and its elegant mansions, its imposing churches, and on the smooth canals which meandered among them, fed by the waters of the sluggish Rhine.

CHAPTERnounUS /ˈtʃæptər/

a subdivision of a written work; usually numbered and titled

From this reading CHAPTER ONE.

churchesnounUS /ˈtʃɜːrtʃɪz/

plural of “church” — one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worship

From this reading The warm sun of a bright spring day, in the year of grace 1574, shone down on the beautiful city of Leyden, on its spacious squares and streets and its elegant mansions, its imposing churches, and on the smooth canals which meandered among them, fed by the waters of the sluggish Rhine.

citizensnounUS /ˈsɪtəzənz/

plural of “citizen” — a native or naturalized member of a state or other political community

From this reading The busy citizens were engaged in their various occupations, active and industrious as ever; barges and boats lay at the quays loading or unloading, some having come from Rotterdam, Delft, Amsterdam, and other places on the Zuyder Zee, with which her watery roads gave her easy communication.

citynounUS /ˈsɪti/

a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts

From this reading The warm sun of a bright spring day, in the year of grace 1574, shone down on the beautiful city of Leyden, on its spacious squares and streets and its elegant mansions, its imposing churches, and on the smooth canals which meandered among them, fed by the waters of the sluggish Rhine.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

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

From this reading The busy citizens were engaged in their various occupations, active and industrious as ever; barges and boats lay at the quays loading or unloading, some having come from Rotterdam, Delft, Amsterdam, and other places on the Zuyder Zee, with which her watery roads gave her easy communication.

communicationnounUS /kəˌmjuːnəˈkeɪʃən/

the activity of communicating; the activity of conveying information

From this reading The busy citizens were engaged in their various occupations, active and industrious as ever; barges and boats lay at the quays loading or unloading, some having come from Rotterdam, Delft, Amsterdam, and other places on the Zuyder Zee, with which her watery roads gave her easy communication.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading The warm sun of a bright spring day, in the year of grace 1574, shone down on the beautiful city of Leyden, on its spacious squares and streets and its elegant mansions, its imposing churches, and on the smooth canals which meandered among them, fed by the waters of the sluggish Rhine.

DelftnounUS /delft/

a style of glazed earthenware; usually white with blue decoration

From this reading The busy citizens were engaged in their various occupations, active and industrious as ever; barges and boats lay at the quays loading or unloading, some having come from Rotterdam, Delft, Amsterdam, and other places on the Zuyder Zee, with which her watery roads gave her easy communication.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading The warm sun of a bright spring day, in the year of grace 1574, shone down on the beautiful city of Leyden, on its spacious squares and streets and its elegant mansions, its imposing churches, and on the smooth canals which meandered among them, fed by the waters of the sluggish Rhine.

easyadjectiveUS /ˈiːzi/

posing no difficulty; requiring little effort

From this reading The busy citizens were engaged in their various occupations, active and industrious as ever; barges and boats lay at the quays loading or unloading, some having come from Rotterdam, Delft, Amsterdam, and other places on the Zuyder Zee, with which her watery roads gave her easy communication.

elegantadjectiveUS /ˈeləɡənt/

refined and tasteful in appearance or behavior or style

From this reading The warm sun of a bright spring day, in the year of grace 1574, shone down on the beautiful city of Leyden, on its spacious squares and streets and its elegant mansions, its imposing churches, and on the smooth canals which meandered among them, fed by the waters of the sluggish Rhine.

engagedadjectiveUS /enˈɡeɪdʒd/

having ones attention or mind or energy engaged

From this reading The busy citizens were engaged in their various occupations, active and industrious as ever; barges and boats lay at the quays loading or unloading, some having come from Rotterdam, Delft, Amsterdam, and other places on the Zuyder Zee, with which her watery roads gave her easy communication.

everadverbUS /ˈevər/

at any time

From this reading The busy citizens were engaged in their various occupations, active and industrious as ever; barges and boats lay at the quays loading or unloading, some having come from Rotterdam, Delft, Amsterdam, and other places on the Zuyder Zee, with which her watery roads gave her easy communication.

fednounUS /fed/

any federal law-enforcement officer

From this reading The warm sun of a bright spring day, in the year of grace 1574, shone down on the beautiful city of Leyden, on its spacious squares and streets and its elegant mansions, its imposing churches, and on the smooth canals which meandered among them, fed by the waters of the sluggish Rhine.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading The busy citizens were engaged in their various occupations, active and industrious as ever; barges and boats lay at the quays loading or unloading, some having come from Rotterdam, Delft, Amsterdam, and other places on the Zuyder Zee, with which her watery roads gave her easy communication.

GnounUS /dʒiː/

a metric unit of weight equal to one thousandth of a kilogram

From this reading The Lily of Leyden, by W.H.G. Kingston.

gaveverbUS /ɡeɪv/

inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading The busy citizens were engaged in their various occupations, active and industrious as ever; barges and boats lay at the quays loading or unloading, some having come from Rotterdam, Delft, Amsterdam, and other places on the Zuyder Zee, with which her watery roads gave her easy communication.

gracenounUS /ɡreɪs/

(Christian theology) a state of sanctification by God; the state of one who is under such divine influence

From this reading The warm sun of a bright spring day, in the year of grace 1574, shone down on the beautiful city of Leyden, on its spacious squares and streets and its elegant mansions, its imposing churches, and on the smooth canals which meandered among them, fed by the waters of the sluggish Rhine.

HnounUS /eɪtʃ/

a nonmetallic univalent element that is normally a colorless and odorless highly flammable diatomic gas; the simplest and lightest and most abundant element in the universe

From this reading The Lily of Leyden, by W.H.G. Kingston.

havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/

the -ing form of “have”

From this reading The busy citizens were engaged in their various occupations, active and industrious as ever; barges and boats lay at the quays loading or unloading, some having come from Rotterdam, Delft, Amsterdam, and other places on the Zuyder Zee, with which her watery roads gave her easy communication.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading The busy citizens were engaged in their various occupations, active and industrious as ever; barges and boats lay at the quays loading or unloading, some having come from Rotterdam, Delft, Amsterdam, and other places on the Zuyder Zee, with which her watery roads gave her easy communication.

imposingadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpoʊzɪŋ/

impressive in appearance

From this reading The warm sun of a bright spring day, in the year of grace 1574, shone down on the beautiful city of Leyden, on its spacious squares and streets and its elegant mansions, its imposing churches, and on the smooth canals which meandered among them, fed by the waters of the sluggish Rhine.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The warm sun of a bright spring day, in the year of grace 1574, shone down on the beautiful city of Leyden, on its spacious squares and streets and its elegant mansions, its imposing churches, and on the smooth canals which meandered among them, fed by the waters of the sluggish Rhine.

industriousadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈdʌstriəs/

characterized by hard work and perseverance

From this reading The busy citizens were engaged in their various occupations, active and industrious as ever; barges and boats lay at the quays loading or unloading, some having come from Rotterdam, Delft, Amsterdam, and other places on the Zuyder Zee, with which her watery roads gave her easy communication.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading The warm sun of a bright spring day, in the year of grace 1574, shone down on the beautiful city of Leyden, on its spacious squares and streets and its elegant mansions, its imposing churches, and on the smooth canals which meandered among them, fed by the waters of the sluggish Rhine.

KingstonnounUS /ˈkɪŋstən/

a town on the Hudson River in New York

From this reading The Lily of Leyden, by W.H.G. Kingston.

layverbUS /leɪ/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading The busy citizens were engaged in their various occupations, active and industrious as ever; barges and boats lay at the quays loading or unloading, some having come from Rotterdam, Delft, Amsterdam, and other places on the Zuyder Zee, with which her watery roads gave her easy communication.

LeydennounUS /ˈlaɪdən/

a city in the western Netherlands; residence of the Pilgrim Fathers for 11 years before they sailed for America in 1620

From this reading The Lily of Leyden, by W.H.G. Kingston.

LilynounUS /ˈlɪli/

any liliaceous plant of the genus Lilium having showy pendulous flowers

From this reading The Lily of Leyden, by W.H.G. Kingston.

loadingnounUS /ˈloʊdɪŋ/

weight to be borne or conveyed

From this reading The busy citizens were engaged in their various occupations, active and industrious as ever; barges and boats lay at the quays loading or unloading, some having come from Rotterdam, Delft, Amsterdam, and other places on the Zuyder Zee, with which her watery roads gave her easy communication.

mansionsnounUS /ˈmæntʃənz/

plural of “mansion” — (astrology) one of 12 equal areas into which the zodiac is divided

From this reading The warm sun of a bright spring day, in the year of grace 1574, shone down on the beautiful city of Leyden, on its spacious squares and streets and its elegant mansions, its imposing churches, and on the smooth canals which meandered among them, fed by the waters of the sluggish Rhine.

meanderedverbUS /miˈændərd/

past form of “meander” — to move or cause to move in a sinuous, spiral, or circular course

From this reading The warm sun of a bright spring day, in the year of grace 1574, shone down on the beautiful city of Leyden, on its spacious squares and streets and its elegant mansions, its imposing churches, and on the smooth canals which meandered among them, fed by the waters of the sluggish Rhine.

occupationsnounUS /ˌɑːkjəˈpeɪʃənz/

plural of “occupation” — the principal activity in your life that you do to earn money

From this reading The busy citizens were engaged in their various occupations, active and industrious as ever; barges and boats lay at the quays loading or unloading, some having come from Rotterdam, Delft, Amsterdam, and other places on the Zuyder Zee, with which her watery roads gave her easy communication.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The Lily of Leyden, by W.H.G. Kingston.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The warm sun of a bright spring day, in the year of grace 1574, shone down on the beautiful city of Leyden, on its spacious squares and streets and its elegant mansions, its imposing churches, and on the smooth canals which meandered among them, fed by the waters of the sluggish Rhine.

ONEpronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading CHAPTER ONE.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading The busy citizens were engaged in their various occupations, active and industrious as ever; barges and boats lay at the quays loading or unloading, some having come from Rotterdam, Delft, Amsterdam, and other places on the Zuyder Zee, with which her watery roads gave her easy communication.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading The busy citizens were engaged in their various occupations, active and industrious as ever; barges and boats lay at the quays loading or unloading, some having come from Rotterdam, Delft, Amsterdam, and other places on the Zuyder Zee, with which her watery roads gave her easy communication.

placesnounUS /ˈpleɪsəz/

plural of “place” — a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading The busy citizens were engaged in their various occupations, active and industrious as ever; barges and boats lay at the quays loading or unloading, some having come from Rotterdam, Delft, Amsterdam, and other places on the Zuyder Zee, with which her watery roads gave her easy communication.

quaysnounUS /kiːz/

plural of “quay” — wharf usually built parallel to the shoreline

From this reading The busy citizens were engaged in their various occupations, active and industrious as ever; barges and boats lay at the quays loading or unloading, some having come from Rotterdam, Delft, Amsterdam, and other places on the Zuyder Zee, with which her watery roads gave her easy communication.

RhinenounUS /raɪn/

United States parapsychologist (1895-1980)

From this reading The warm sun of a bright spring day, in the year of grace 1574, shone down on the beautiful city of Leyden, on its spacious squares and streets and its elegant mansions, its imposing churches, and on the smooth canals which meandered among them, fed by the waters of the sluggish Rhine.

roadsnounUS /roʊdz/

a partly sheltered anchorage

From this reading The busy citizens were engaged in their various occupations, active and industrious as ever; barges and boats lay at the quays loading or unloading, some having come from Rotterdam, Delft, Amsterdam, and other places on the Zuyder Zee, with which her watery roads gave her easy communication.

RotterdamnounUS /ˈrɑːtərdæm/

the 2nd largest city in the Netherlands; located in the western Netherlands near the North Sea

From this reading The busy citizens were engaged in their various occupations, active and industrious as ever; barges and boats lay at the quays loading or unloading, some having come from Rotterdam, Delft, Amsterdam, and other places on the Zuyder Zee, with which her watery roads gave her easy communication.

shoneverbUS /ʃoʊn/

inflected form of “shine” — be bright by reflecting or casting light

From this reading The warm sun of a bright spring day, in the year of grace 1574, shone down on the beautiful city of Leyden, on its spacious squares and streets and its elegant mansions, its imposing churches, and on the smooth canals which meandered among them, fed by the waters of the sluggish Rhine.

sluggishadjectiveUS /ˈslʌɡɪʃ/

moving slowly

From this reading The warm sun of a bright spring day, in the year of grace 1574, shone down on the beautiful city of Leyden, on its spacious squares and streets and its elegant mansions, its imposing churches, and on the smooth canals which meandered among them, fed by the waters of the sluggish Rhine.

smoothadjectiveUS /smuːð/

having a surface free from roughness or bumps or ridges or irregularities

From this reading The warm sun of a bright spring day, in the year of grace 1574, shone down on the beautiful city of Leyden, on its spacious squares and streets and its elegant mansions, its imposing churches, and on the smooth canals which meandered among them, fed by the waters of the sluggish Rhine.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading The busy citizens were engaged in their various occupations, active and industrious as ever; barges and boats lay at the quays loading or unloading, some having come from Rotterdam, Delft, Amsterdam, and other places on the Zuyder Zee, with which her watery roads gave her easy communication.

spaciousadjectiveUS /ˈspeɪʃəs/

very large in expanse or scope

From this reading The warm sun of a bright spring day, in the year of grace 1574, shone down on the beautiful city of Leyden, on its spacious squares and streets and its elegant mansions, its imposing churches, and on the smooth canals which meandered among them, fed by the waters of the sluggish Rhine.

springnounUS /sprɪŋ/

the season of growth

From this reading The warm sun of a bright spring day, in the year of grace 1574, shone down on the beautiful city of Leyden, on its spacious squares and streets and its elegant mansions, its imposing churches, and on the smooth canals which meandered among them, fed by the waters of the sluggish Rhine.

squaresnounUS /skwerz/

plural of “square” — (geometry) a plane rectangle with four equal sides and four right angles; a four-sided regular polygon

From this reading The warm sun of a bright spring day, in the year of grace 1574, shone down on the beautiful city of Leyden, on its spacious squares and streets and its elegant mansions, its imposing churches, and on the smooth canals which meandered among them, fed by the waters of the sluggish Rhine.

streetsnounUS /striːts/

plural of “street” — a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings

From this reading The warm sun of a bright spring day, in the year of grace 1574, shone down on the beautiful city of Leyden, on its spacious squares and streets and its elegant mansions, its imposing churches, and on the smooth canals which meandered among them, fed by the waters of the sluggish Rhine.

sunnounUS /sʌn/

the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system

From this reading The warm sun of a bright spring day, in the year of grace 1574, shone down on the beautiful city of Leyden, on its spacious squares and streets and its elegant mansions, its imposing churches, and on the smooth canals which meandered among them, fed by the waters of the sluggish Rhine.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The Lily of Leyden, by W.H.G. Kingston.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading The busy citizens were engaged in their various occupations, active and industrious as ever; barges and boats lay at the quays loading or unloading, some having come from Rotterdam, Delft, Amsterdam, and other places on the Zuyder Zee, with which her watery roads gave her easy communication.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading The warm sun of a bright spring day, in the year of grace 1574, shone down on the beautiful city of Leyden, on its spacious squares and streets and its elegant mansions, its imposing churches, and on the smooth canals which meandered among them, fed by the waters of the sluggish Rhine.

unloadingnounUS /ənˈloʊdɪŋ/

the labor of taking a load of something off of or out of a vehicle or ship or container etc.

From this reading The busy citizens were engaged in their various occupations, active and industrious as ever; barges and boats lay at the quays loading or unloading, some having come from Rotterdam, Delft, Amsterdam, and other places on the Zuyder Zee, with which her watery roads gave her easy communication.

variousadjectiveUS /ˈveriəs/

of many different kinds purposefully arranged but lacking any uniformity

From this reading The busy citizens were engaged in their various occupations, active and industrious as ever; barges and boats lay at the quays loading or unloading, some having come from Rotterdam, Delft, Amsterdam, and other places on the Zuyder Zee, with which her watery roads gave her easy communication.

WnounUS /ˈdʌbəljuː/

a heavy grey-white metallic element; the pure form is used mainly in electrical applications; it is found in several ores including wolframite and scheelite

From this reading The Lily of Leyden, by W.H.G. Kingston.

warmadjectiveUS /wɔːrm/

having or producing a comfortable and agreeable degree of heat or imparting or maintaining heat

From this reading The warm sun of a bright spring day, in the year of grace 1574, shone down on the beautiful city of Leyden, on its spacious squares and streets and its elegant mansions, its imposing churches, and on the smooth canals which meandered among them, fed by the waters of the sluggish Rhine.

watersnounUS /ˈwɔːtərz/

United States actress and singer (1896-1977)

From this reading The warm sun of a bright spring day, in the year of grace 1574, shone down on the beautiful city of Leyden, on its spacious squares and streets and its elegant mansions, its imposing churches, and on the smooth canals which meandered among them, fed by the waters of the sluggish Rhine.

wateryadjectiveUS /ˈwɔːtəri/

filled with water

From this reading The busy citizens were engaged in their various occupations, active and industrious as ever; barges and boats lay at the quays loading or unloading, some having come from Rotterdam, Delft, Amsterdam, and other places on the Zuyder Zee, with which her watery roads gave her easy communication.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading The busy citizens were engaged in their various occupations, active and industrious as ever; barges and boats lay at the quays loading or unloading, some having come from Rotterdam, Delft, Amsterdam, and other places on the Zuyder Zee, with which her watery roads gave her easy communication.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading The warm sun of a bright spring day, in the year of grace 1574, shone down on the beautiful city of Leyden, on its spacious squares and streets and its elegant mansions, its imposing churches, and on the smooth canals which meandered among them, fed by the waters of the sluggish Rhine.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading The busy citizens were engaged in their various occupations, active and industrious as ever; barges and boats lay at the quays loading or unloading, some having come from Rotterdam, Delft, Amsterdam, and other places on the Zuyder Zee, with which her watery roads gave her easy communication.

yearnounUS /jɪr/

a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days

From this reading The warm sun of a bright spring day, in the year of grace 1574, shone down on the beautiful city of Leyden, on its spacious squares and streets and its elegant mansions, its imposing churches, and on the smooth canals which meandered among them, fed by the waters of the sluggish Rhine.

ZeenounUS /ziː/

the 26th letter of the Roman alphabet

From this reading The busy citizens were engaged in their various occupations, active and industrious as ever; barges and boats lay at the quays loading or unloading, some having come from Rotterdam, Delft, Amsterdam, and other places on the Zuyder Zee, with which her watery roads gave her easy communication.

Zuyder

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

From this reading The busy citizens were engaged in their various occupations, active and industrious as ever; barges and boats lay at the quays loading or unloading, some having come from Rotterdam, Delft, Amsterdam, and other places on the Zuyder Zee, with which her watery roads gave her easy communication.

Chapter 1 of The Lily of Leyden by William Henry Giles Kingston holds 481 sentences, grouped into 97 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 1 of The Lily of Leyden contain?

Chapter 1 holds 481 sentences of The Lily of Leyden, unabridged, divided into 97 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Lily of Leyden by William Henry Giles Kingston exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 481 sentences, grouped into 97 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 1 of The Lily of Leyden?

Work through the 97 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 97 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 1 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading The Lily of Leyden

Common questions about reading The Lily of Leyden by William Henry Giles Kingston on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Lily of Leyden?

Yes. All 956 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #23189 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Lily of Leyden is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #23189, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Lily of Leyden take to read?

About 79 minutes of reading across 192 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Lily of Leyden section by section

How to work through The Lily of Leyden section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 2 chapters of The Lily of Leyden 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 Lily of Leyden

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Lily of Leyden, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Leyden
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Lily of Leyden; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Kingston
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Lily of Leyden; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Chapter
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Lily of Leyden; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Bright
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Lily of Leyden; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.