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The Mark of the Beast
The Mark of the Beast

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Mark of the Beast is here in full — 98 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Mark of the Beast
Context Illustration Reading 13/19 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Slowly he bent his lithe form forward until he leaned far over the Reading Desk.
Then stretching out his arm, the long index finger pointing forward, he said:
"Listen, friends!
Receive this next part of the message, if you will, if you can.
I believe that 'The Man of Sin,' 'The Antichrist,' when he shall be revealed, will be Judas re-incarnated.
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 Mark of the Beast

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Mark of the Beast is here in full — 98 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 13/19 · 5 reading units · Lines 61–65

Line 1
Slowly he bent his lithe form forward until he leaned far over the Reading Desk.
/ˈsloʊli hiː bent hɪz laɪð fɔːrm ˈfɔːrwərd ənˈtɪl hiː liːnd fɑːr ˈoʊvər ðə ˈriːdɪŋ desk/
Line 2
Then stretching out his arm, the long index finger pointing forward, he said:
/ðen ˈstretʃɪŋ aʊt hɪz ɑːrm ðə lɔːŋ ˈɪndeks ˈfɪŋɡər ˈpɔɪntɪŋ ˈfɔːrwərd hiː sed/
Line 3
"Listen, friends!
/ˈlɪsən frendz/
Line 4
Receive this next part of the message, if you will, if you can.
/rəˈsiːv ðɪs nekst pɑːrt ʌv ðə ˈmesədʒ ɪf juː wɪl ɪf juː kæn/
Line 5
I believe that 'The Man of Sin,' 'The Antichrist,' when he shall be revealed, will be Judas re-incarnated.

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.

Desk noun US /desk/

a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments

From this reading “Slowly he bent his lithe form forward until he leaned far over the Reading Desk.”

index noun US /ˈɪndeks/

a numerical scale used to compare variables with one another or with some reference number

From this reading “Then stretching out his arm, the long index finger pointing forward, he said:”

Judas noun US /ˈdʒuːdəs/

(New Testament) supposed brother of St. James; one of the Apostles who is invoked in prayer when a situation seems hopeless

From this reading “I believe that 'The Man of Sin,' 'The Antichrist,' when he shall be revealed, will be Judas re-incarnated.”

lithe adjective US /laɪð/

gracefully thin and bending and moving with ease

From this reading “Slowly he bent his lithe form forward until he leaned far over the Reading Desk.”

pointing verb US /ˈpɔɪntɪŋ/

-ing form of “point” — indicate a place, direction, person, or thing; either spatially or figuratively

From this reading “Then stretching out his arm, the long index finger pointing forward, he said:”

revealed verb US /rɪˈviːld/

past form of “reveal” — make visible

From this reading “I believe that 'The Man of Sin,' 'The Antichrist,' when he shall be revealed, will be Judas re-incarnated.”

Sin noun US /sɪn/

estrangement from god

From this reading “I believe that 'The Man of Sin,' 'The Antichrist,' when he shall be revealed, will be Judas re-incarnated.”

stretching noun US /ˈstretʃɪŋ/

act of expanding by lengthening or widening

From this reading “Then stretching out his arm, the long index finger pointing forward, he said:”

All words in this reading · 47

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.

Antichristnoun

(Christianity) the adversary of Christ (or Christianity) mentioned in the New Testament; the Antichrist will rule the world until overthrown by the Second Coming of Christ

From this reading I believe that 'The Man of Sin,' 'The Antichrist,' when he shall be revealed, will be Judas re-incarnated.

armnounUS /ɑːrm/

a human limb; technically the part of the superior limb between the shoulder and the elbow but commonly used to refer to the whole superior limb

From this reading Then stretching out his arm, the long index finger pointing forward, he said:

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading I believe that 'The Man of Sin,' 'The Antichrist,' when he shall be revealed, will be Judas re-incarnated.

believeverbUS /bɪˈliːv/

accept as true; take to be true

From this reading I believe that 'The Man of Sin,' 'The Antichrist,' when he shall be revealed, will be Judas re-incarnated.

bentnounUS /bent/

a relatively permanent inclination to react in a particular way

From this reading Slowly he bent his lithe form forward until he leaned far over the Reading Desk.

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading Receive this next part of the message, if you will, if you can.

DesknounUS /desk/

a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments

From this reading Slowly he bent his lithe form forward until he leaned far over the Reading Desk.

faradverbUS /fɑːr/

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading Slowly he bent his lithe form forward until he leaned far over the Reading Desk.

fingerverbUS /ˈfɪŋɡər/

feel or handle with the fingers

From this reading Then stretching out his arm, the long index finger pointing forward, he said:

formnounUS /fɔːrm/

the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something

From this reading Slowly he bent his lithe form forward until he leaned far over the Reading Desk.

forwardadverbUS /ˈfɔːrwərd/

at or to or toward the front

From this reading Slowly he bent his lithe form forward until he leaned far over the Reading Desk.

friendsnounUS /frendz/

plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading "Listen, friends!

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Slowly he bent his lithe form forward until he leaned far over the Reading Desk.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Slowly he bent his lithe form forward until he leaned far over the Reading Desk.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I believe that 'The Man of Sin,' 'The Antichrist,' when he shall be revealed, will be Judas re-incarnated.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading Receive this next part of the message, if you will, if you can.

indexnounUS /ˈɪndeks/

a numerical scale used to compare variables with one another or with some reference number

From this reading Then stretching out his arm, the long index finger pointing forward, he said:

JudasnounUS /ˈdʒuːdəs/

(New Testament) supposed brother of St. James; one of the Apostles who is invoked in prayer when a situation seems hopeless

From this reading I believe that 'The Man of Sin,' 'The Antichrist,' when he shall be revealed, will be Judas re-incarnated.

leanedverbUS /liːnd/

past form of “lean” — to incline or bend from a vertical position

From this reading Slowly he bent his lithe form forward until he leaned far over the Reading Desk.

ListenverbUS /ˈlɪsən/

hear with intention

From this reading "Listen, friends!

litheadjectiveUS /laɪð/

gracefully thin and bending and moving with ease

From this reading Slowly he bent his lithe form forward until he leaned far over the Reading Desk.

longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading Then stretching out his arm, the long index finger pointing forward, he said:

MannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading I believe that 'The Man of Sin,' 'The Antichrist,' when he shall be revealed, will be Judas re-incarnated.

messagenounUS /ˈmesədʒ/

a communication (usually brief) that is written or spoken or signaled

From this reading Receive this next part of the message, if you will, if you can.

nextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading Receive this next part of the message, if you will, if you can.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Receive this next part of the message, if you will, if you can.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Then stretching out his arm, the long index finger pointing forward, he said:

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading Slowly he bent his lithe form forward until he leaned far over the Reading Desk.

partnounUS /pɑːrt/

something determined in relation to something that includes it

From this reading Receive this next part of the message, if you will, if you can.

pointingverbUS /ˈpɔɪntɪŋ/

-ing form of “point” — indicate a place, direction, person, or thing; either spatially or figuratively

From this reading Then stretching out his arm, the long index finger pointing forward, he said:

re-incarnated

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

From this reading I believe that 'The Man of Sin,' 'The Antichrist,' when he shall be revealed, will be Judas re-incarnated.

ReadingnounUS /ˈriːdɪŋ/

the cognitive process of understanding a written linguistic message

From this reading Slowly he bent his lithe form forward until he leaned far over the Reading Desk.

ReceiveverbUS /rəˈsiːv/

get something; come into possession of

From this reading Receive this next part of the message, if you will, if you can.

revealedverbUS /rɪˈviːld/

past form of “reveal” — make visible

From this reading I believe that 'The Man of Sin,' 'The Antichrist,' when he shall be revealed, will be Judas re-incarnated.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading Then stretching out his arm, the long index finger pointing forward, he said:

shallmodal verbUS /ʃæl/

used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest

From this reading I believe that 'The Man of Sin,' 'The Antichrist,' when he shall be revealed, will be Judas re-incarnated.

SinnounUS /sɪn/

estrangement from god

From this reading I believe that 'The Man of Sin,' 'The Antichrist,' when he shall be revealed, will be Judas re-incarnated.

SlowlyadverbUS /ˈsloʊli/

without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)

From this reading Slowly he bent his lithe form forward until he leaned far over the Reading Desk.

stretchingnounUS /ˈstretʃɪŋ/

act of expanding by lengthening or widening

From this reading Then stretching out his arm, the long index finger pointing forward, he said:

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading I believe that 'The Man of Sin,' 'The Antichrist,' when he shall be revealed, will be Judas re-incarnated.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Slowly he bent his lithe form forward until he leaned far over the Reading Desk.

ThenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Then stretching out his arm, the long index finger pointing forward, he said:

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading Receive this next part of the message, if you will, if you can.

untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading Slowly he bent his lithe form forward until he leaned far over the Reading Desk.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading I believe that 'The Man of Sin,' 'The Antichrist,' when he shall be revealed, will be Judas re-incarnated.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading Receive this next part of the message, if you will, if you can.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Receive this next part of the message, if you will, if you can.

Chapter 1 of The Mark of the Beast by Sydney Watson holds 98 sentences, grouped into 20 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 Mark of the Beast contain?

Chapter 1 holds 98 sentences of The Mark of the Beast, unabridged, divided into 20 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Mark of the Beast by Sydney Watson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 98 sentences, grouped into 20 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 Mark of the Beast?

Work through the 20 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 20 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 Mark of the Beast

Common questions about reading The Mark of the Beast by Sydney Watson on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Mark of the Beast?

Yes. All 2884 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #18815 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Mark of the Beast is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #18815, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Mark of the Beast take to read?

About 240 minutes of reading across 577 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Mark of the Beast section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 17 chapters of The Mark of the Beast 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 Mark of the Beast

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Mark of the Beast, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Twenty-five
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mark of the Beast; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Years
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mark of the Beast; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Later
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mark of the Beast; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
London
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mark of the Beast; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.