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The MS. in a Red Box
The MS. in a Red Box

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of The MS. in a Red Box is here in full — 132 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The MS. in a Red Box
Context Illustration Reading 1/26 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.
The action was far quicker than that of the matchlock, and much surer than the wheel-lock guns which I had hitherto handled, and I had great pleasure in it, and a brace of pistols made after the same pattern.
"'Tis the rarest present, Dick," I said, "but you shame me.
Another gift!
And I have never given you anything."
0:00 / 0:00
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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 MS. in a Red Box

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of The MS. in a Red Box is here in full — 132 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/26 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.
Line 2
The action was far quicker than that of the matchlock, and much surer than the wheel-lock guns which I had hitherto handled, and I had great pleasure in it, and a brace of pistols made after the same pattern.
Line 3
"'Tis the rarest present, Dick," I said, "but you shame me.
/tɪz ðə ˈrerəst ˈprezənt dɪk aɪ sed bʌt juː ʃeɪm miː/
Line 4
Another gift!
/əˈnʌðər ɡɪft/
Line 5
And I have never given you anything."
/ənd aɪ hæv ˈnevər ˈɡɪvən juː ˈeniθɪŋ/

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.

brace verb US /breɪs/

prepare (oneself) for something unpleasant or difficult

From this reading “The action was far quicker than that of the matchlock, and much surer than the wheel-lock guns which I had hitherto handled, and I had great pleasure in it, and a brace of pistols made after the same pattern.”

flint noun US /flɪnt/

a hard kind of stone; a form of silica more opaque than chalcedony

From this reading “My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.”

matchlock noun US /ˈmætʃlɑːk/

an early style of musket; a slow-burning wick would be lowered into a hole in the breech to ignite the charge

From this reading “The action was far quicker than that of the matchlock, and much surer than the wheel-lock guns which I had hitherto handled, and I had great pleasure in it, and a brace of pistols made after the same pattern.”

priming noun US /ˈpraɪmɪŋ/

the act of making something ready

From this reading “My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.”

quicker adverb US /ˈkwɪkər/

more quickly

From this reading “The action was far quicker than that of the matchlock, and much surer than the wheel-lock guns which I had hitherto handled, and I had great pleasure in it, and a brace of pistols made after the same pattern.”

rarest adjective US /ˈrerəst/

superlative of “rare” — not widely known; especially valued for its uncommonness

From this reading “"'Tis the rarest present, Dick," I said, "but you shame me.”

sparks noun US /spɑːrks/

plural of “spark” — a momentary flash of light

From this reading “My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.”

surer adjective US /ˈʃʊrər/

comparative of “sure” — having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured

From this reading “The action was far quicker than that of the matchlock, and much surer than the wheel-lock guns which I had hitherto handled, and I had great pleasure in it, and a brace of pistols made after the same pattern.”

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.

birthday gift noun + noun

a present given in celebration of a person's birthday

In this reading “My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.”

arrive at verb + particle

reach a destination, either real or abstract

In this reading “My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.”

same pattern adjective + noun

In this reading “The action was far quicker than that of the matchlock, and much surer than the wheel-lock guns which I had hitherto handled, and I had great pleasure in it, and a brace of pistols made after the same pattern.”

same moment adjective + noun

In this reading “My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.”

great pleasure adjective + noun

In this reading “The action was far quicker than that of the matchlock, and much surer than the wheel-lock guns which I had hitherto handled, and I had great pleasure in it, and a brace of pistols made after the same pattern.”

brace of verb + particle

In this reading “The action was far quicker than that of the matchlock, and much surer than the wheel-lock guns which I had hitherto handled, and I had great pleasure in it, and a brace of pistols made after the same pattern.”

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.

28th

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

From this reading My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.

actionnounUS /ˈækʃən/

something done (usually as opposed to something said)

From this reading The action was far quicker than that of the matchlock, and much surer than the wheel-lock guns which I had hitherto handled, and I had great pleasure in it, and a brace of pistols made after the same pattern.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading The action was far quicker than that of the matchlock, and much surer than the wheel-lock guns which I had hitherto handled, and I had great pleasure in it, and a brace of pistols made after the same pattern.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.

AnotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading Another gift!

anythingpronounUS /ˈeniθɪŋ/

any thing at all

From this reading And I have never given you anything."

arriveverbUS /ərˈaɪv/

reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress

From this reading My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.

birthdaynounUS /ˈbɜːrθdeɪ/

an anniversary of the day on which a person was born (or the celebration of it)

From this reading My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.

braceverbUS /breɪs/

prepare (oneself) for something unpleasant or difficult

From this reading The action was far quicker than that of the matchlock, and much surer than the wheel-lock guns which I had hitherto handled, and I had great pleasure in it, and a brace of pistols made after the same pattern.

broughtverbUS /brɔːt/

inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading "'Tis the rarest present, Dick," I said, "but you shame me.

cockverbUS /kɑːk/

tilt or slant to one side

From this reading My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.

comradenounUS /ˈkɑːmræd/

a friend who is frequently in the company of another

From this reading My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.

containingverbUS /kənˈteɪnɪŋ/

-ing form of “contain” — include or contain; have as a component

From this reading My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.

coververbUS /ˈkʌvər/

provide with a covering or cause to be covered

From this reading My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.

DicknounUS /dɪk/

someone who is a detective

From this reading My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.

faradverbUS /fɑːr/

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading The action was far quicker than that of the matchlock, and much surer than the wheel-lock guns which I had hitherto handled, and I had great pleasure in it, and a brace of pistols made after the same pattern.

fellverbUS /fel/

cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow

From this reading My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.

flewverbUS /fluː/

inflected form of “fly” — travel through the air; be airborne

From this reading My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.

flintnounUS /flɪnt/

a hard kind of stone; a form of silica more opaque than chalcedony

From this reading My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.

forcedadjectiveUS /fɔːrst/

produced by or subjected to forcing

From this reading My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.

giftnounUS /ɡɪft/

something acquired without compensation

From this reading My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.

givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/

acknowledged as a supposition

From this reading And I have never given you anything."

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

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

From this reading My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading The action was far quicker than that of the matchlock, and much surer than the wheel-lock guns which I had hitherto handled, and I had great pleasure in it, and a brace of pistols made after the same pattern.

guestsnounUS /ɡests/

plural of “guest” — a visitor to whom hospitality is extended

From this reading My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.

gunnounUS /ɡʌn/

a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)

From this reading My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.

gunsnounUS /ɡʌnz/

plural of “gun” — a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)

From this reading The action was far quicker than that of the matchlock, and much surer than the wheel-lock guns which I had hitherto handled, and I had great pleasure in it, and a brace of pistols made after the same pattern.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.

handledadjectiveUS /ˈhændəld/

having a usually specified type of handle

From this reading The action was far quicker than that of the matchlock, and much surer than the wheel-lock guns which I had hitherto handled, and I had great pleasure in it, and a brace of pistols made after the same pattern.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading And I have never given you anything."

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.

hithertoadverbUS /ˈhɪðɜːrˈtuː/

used in negative statement to describe a situation that has existed up to this point or up to the present time

From this reading The action was far quicker than that of the matchlock, and much surer than the wheel-lock guns which I had hitherto handled, and I had great pleasure in it, and a brace of pistols made after the same pattern.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The action was far quicker than that of the matchlock, and much surer than the wheel-lock guns which I had hitherto handled, and I had great pleasure in it, and a brace of pistols made after the same pattern.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading The action was far quicker than that of the matchlock, and much surer than the wheel-lock guns which I had hitherto handled, and I had great pleasure in it, and a brace of pistols made after the same pattern.

matchlocknounUS /ˈmætʃlɑːk/

an early style of musket; a slow-burning wick would be lowered into a hole in the breech to ignite the charge

From this reading The action was far quicker than that of the matchlock, and much surer than the wheel-lock guns which I had hitherto handled, and I had great pleasure in it, and a brace of pistols made after the same pattern.

Maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.

momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/

a particular point in time

From this reading My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading The action was far quicker than that of the matchlock, and much surer than the wheel-lock guns which I had hitherto handled, and I had great pleasure in it, and a brace of pistols made after the same pattern.

MydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading And I have never given you anything."

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.

panverbUS /pæn/

make a sweeping movement

From this reading My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.

patternnounUS /ˈpætərn/

a perceptual structure

From this reading The action was far quicker than that of the matchlock, and much surer than the wheel-lock guns which I had hitherto handled, and I had great pleasure in it, and a brace of pistols made after the same pattern.

pistolsnounUS /ˈpɪstəlz/

plural of “pistol” — a firearm that is held and fired with one hand

From this reading The action was far quicker than that of the matchlock, and much surer than the wheel-lock guns which I had hitherto handled, and I had great pleasure in it, and a brace of pistols made after the same pattern.

pleasurenounUS /ˈpleʒər/

a fundamental feeling that is hard to define but that people desire to experience

From this reading The action was far quicker than that of the matchlock, and much surer than the wheel-lock guns which I had hitherto handled, and I had great pleasure in it, and a brace of pistols made after the same pattern.

Portington

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

From this reading My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.

presentverbUS /ˈprezənt/

give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading "'Tis the rarest present, Dick," I said, "but you shame me.

primingnounUS /ˈpraɪmɪŋ/

the act of making something ready

From this reading My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.

quickeradverbUS /ˈkwɪkər/

more quickly

From this reading The action was far quicker than that of the matchlock, and much surer than the wheel-lock guns which I had hitherto handled, and I had great pleasure in it, and a brace of pistols made after the same pattern.

rarestadjectiveUS /ˈrerəst/

superlative of “rare” — not widely known; especially valued for its uncommonness

From this reading "'Tis the rarest present, Dick," I said, "but you shame me.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "'Tis the rarest present, Dick," I said, "but you shame me.

sameadjectiveUS /seɪm/

Identical; not different.

From this reading My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.

seenverbUS /siːn/

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.

shamenounUS /ʃeɪm/

a painful emotion resulting from an awareness of inadequacy or guilt

From this reading "'Tis the rarest present, Dick," I said, "but you shame me.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.

sparksnounUS /spɑːrks/

plural of “spark” — a momentary flash of light

From this reading My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.

struckadjectiveUS /strʌk/

(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming

From this reading My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.

sureradjectiveUS /ˈʃʊrər/

comparative of “sure” — having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured

From this reading The action was far quicker than that of the matchlock, and much surer than the wheel-lock guns which I had hitherto handled, and I had great pleasure in it, and a brace of pistols made after the same pattern.

TemplenounUS /ˈtempəl/

place of worship consisting of an edifice for the worship of a deity

From this reading My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading The action was far quicker than that of the matchlock, and much surer than the wheel-lock guns which I had hitherto handled, and I had great pleasure in it, and a brace of pistols made after the same pattern.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.

TisnounUS /tɪz/

plural of “ti” — a light strong grey lustrous corrosion-resistant metallic element used in strong lightweight alloys (as for airplane parts); the main sources are rutile and ilmenite

From this reading "'Tis the rarest present, Dick," I said, "but you shame me.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.

wheel-lock

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

From this reading The action was far quicker than that of the matchlock, and much surer than the wheel-lock guns which I had hitherto handled, and I had great pleasure in it, and a brace of pistols made after the same pattern.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading My good comrade, Dick Portington, was the first of our guests to arrive at Temple on the 28th of May, and he brought me as birthday gift a gun such as I had not before seen, the cock containing a flint, which, as it fell, struck sparks from the cover of the pan, and at the same moment forced back the cover so that the sparks flew on the priming.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "'Tis the rarest present, Dick," I said, "but you shame me.

Chapter 4 of The MS. in a Red Box by John A. (John Arthur) Hamilton holds 132 sentences, grouped into 27 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 MS. in a Red Box contain?

Chapter 4 holds 132 sentences of The MS. in a Red Box, unabridged, divided into 27 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of The MS. in a Red Box by John A. (John Arthur) Hamilton exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 132 sentences, grouped into 27 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 MS. in a Red Box?

Work through the 27 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 27 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.

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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.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #35778, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 351 minutes of reading across 843 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in The MS. in a Red Box

Words and structures a reader meets early in The MS. in a Red Box, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

April
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The MS. in a Red Box; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Parcel
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The MS. in a Red Box; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Bodley
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The MS. in a Red Box; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Being
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The MS. in a Red Box; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.